Autumn Plant Update

They loved it so much, they asked when we could go back.

One last shot. I bet this will be even more beautiful when the leaves finally start changing.

Take them back in all seasons!

I get the newsletter from Hydrangeas Plus and they're always so helpful.

I might have to go back one more time..for fall color, since the leaves hadn't really turned yet.

We won an airplane tour of the North Fork one year and went in June. November would have been much better - there's so much beauty when the leaves turn and even when they're almost bare so the structure of the trees can be seen.

pirl:

No chance of over-watering!! I'm lucky if I remember to water them once a week!

I got REALLY small cuttings from a neighbor. Here's a photo of the little 'babies'. The photo was taken a week ago - the last time I watered them.

Good! Their roots are quick to rot if they're waterlogged. They may lose their leaves so don't panic if they do.

Here's a photo of a baby Ayesha two years ago.

Here it is as of this past June - same exact rooted cutting.

Newbie here! Just joined Dave's this weekend -- LOVE THIS SITE! I am a novice gardner and this site has been very helpful. Over the last two years I started redoing many of the gardens the previous owner of my house overplanted and neglected. It's a lot of work, but it's fun. I'm please with some of the selections I've made, and disappointed with others. Most of the gardens are full shade or full sun. I'm experimenting and still trying to figure out what will work best. This fall I started experimenting with cuttings -- so far they're still alive.

This thread is great, lot's of info and humor.

Michael

Welcome to DG and the great Northeast Gardening forum, Michael. We do have a lot of humor here thanks to Victor, Al and Dave47!

but the rest of us are duds!

No, we're not but we're not as funny (in my opinion) as the trio. :-)

Welcome, welcome, welcome to Michael!!!

Welcome MJ! Have fun and post away. Wow - lots to comment on since last night.

Debbie - I have Snowflake too, but they're just getting to a good size. Pirl, Oakleaf H's bloom on old wood so you don't cut them back like you would with a paniculata. In fact, there is no reason to prune at all unless they get out of bounds.

Anita, I had one Calycanthus - 'Athens' - was very nice and had fragrant flowers but dies suddenly clear out of the blue. Haven't tried another yet. Have you ordered from the Hydrangea place before?

Candyce - yes, I would not put something that small outside.

This message was edited Oct 29, 2007 3:50 PM

just kidding Pirl

Hi Michael - you are going to LOVE it here. The NE forum is terrific and the people are WONDERFUL.

I figured that, debilu!

Hello Michael & Welcome. Good to have you here.

I think there are a lot of funny women here, starting with Pirl.

I have nothing funny to add in the aftermath of the Sox sweeping the series.

Sweet Woodruff, I liked while in bloom in the Spring, now I'm not so sure I do. Kind of taking over in one area, that originally I just wanted groundcover, but then decided to plant more there. Another area, that I just want groundcover - full shade, after blooming just looked ratty all year. Don't know if I'll completely eliminate it, or try to keep it.

Debilu, I have Sweet Woodruff covering a huge area on a shaded bank near the pond. I put a little cutting in over 30 years ago and it just took over, pretty much keeping down the weeds all summer. I love the tiny white blooms in spring and then just forget about it for the rest of the season. When in bloom, that area has an amazing scent.

They're great for drying for the scent. They need moisture!

another plant that takes over in other people's yards that i can barely get to survive in mine.
sigh.

Don't feel bad Amy. Didn't do well for me either. That's why I know about the moisture - mine was in too sandy an area.

The shady spot I have them is very dry - I just put in a soaker hose late this summer - maybe that will help next year. I do put a few sprigs in the car for the scent.

too sandy of an area - heehee.
the only place sandier than our "yard" is the beach.

i keep hearing about leaf mulch - now i dunno which thread it was on, but someone said it improves the soil. where can i get me some of that?!

Try your local "landfill" or call your town for information...or try your local Cooperative Extension agent.

Leaf mold is good too - you can make it yourself. Just collect leaves in a black garbage bag or something. Allow rain to get into it but try to keep it closed off otherwise so it stays in a moist moldy environment. By Summer you'll have lots.

I read that poking holes is the garbage bag helps when making leave mold. Is this necessary?

Yes - you don't want the water pooling - it needs to drain out. I should have added that.

Hi Michael! Welcome to DG!
Victor is that a type of jello mold to celebrate fall?
My apologies. I really need to go to bed!

but i want something to put down now...
landlords have provided cedar mulch - but from what i read that doesn't do much to improve the soil, but the leaf mulch would.
we have lots o leaves - they usually don't clear them till everything is down - but i have nothing to turn them into mulch.
the mold thing sounds icky. what do you do with it?

Wow, agree with Victor, "lots to comment on since last night"! Welcome MJ, you'll have to learn to talk fast to keep up with this group :)

pirl, that pic of 'Snowflake' is a friend's, but as far as I know she hasn't pruned it. Love your pictures of 'Tardiva' - ours is newly planted in the gardens but can't wait until it looks like yours! We saw it growing in a botanical garden in Alexandria a few years back and knew we had to have it. Also planted 'Little Lamb', 'Quickfire' and 'Pinky Winky' this year - thinking 'Pinky Winky' is going to head to the top of my list and surpass 'Tardiva' as my favorite! Have almost all but given up on the H. macrophylla group - they just don't perform for us, great foliage but no flowers :( A friend was here last fall looking at H. macrophylla 'Nigra' I had recently planted and just shook his head - figured our zone was too cold to get blooms from it - he was right :( Really disappointed because I really like the black stems on this Hydrangea.

Speaking of mail order Hydrangeas, in the NE you have a wonderful resource - Nantucket Hydrangeas http://nantuckethydrangeas.com/. My friend, Mal Condon, is one of the owners and he and his partner, Frank, are extremely knowledgeable
about which Hydrangeas will perform well in the NE.

debilu, we have Sweet Woodruff planted under our deck, full shade with no water except what passes through the deck from above. It is lovely in the spring, but I'll agree, looks a little shabby by mid summer. If you have it in an area where you can shear it, by hand or take a weed wacker to cut off the top growth, it responds really well and sometimes will even rebloom in the fall after a pruning. I normally don't take the time to shear it in this particular spot, but in other areas in the garden if I take the time, I cut it back hard (an inch or two) and it's beautiful again within the month.

amethytsm, if you can't wait to turn the leaves into mulch, put them down anyway. Every fall we collect bags of leaves from the city streets and dump them in some of our gardens. We spread them thick and it's amazing how fast the lower layer will compost itself. In the spring when we pull a layer off, there are always plenty of earthworms who are doing your work for you - free labor!

What a fount of information everyone is today!!

amethystum - sometimes landscapers are willing to drop off their leaves that have been shredded by the mowers. You might want to stop one (or call one or two locals) and find out. I can't picture you trying to bag them up from the truck and getting caught by the police.

rcn - I'm nuts over the lacecaps and they do so well here - maybe too well. One is much too large but had been well behaved for 11 of the last 12 years. I guess it's a case of acting out in old age but it's enormous now and I have no choice but to give it a good trimming.

I have two Limelight and two Pink Diamonds growing - just babies now........but wait for 12 years and I'll be clipping them, too!

Still no frost! Yipee!

One caution about leaf mold--it can acidify the soil so you may have to use some lime.

Thanks, bebop!!! That's great to know for Japanese iris lovers (like me) and for all acid loving plant fans.

I have acid soil anyway so that's not a problem. Debbie (rcn), I may be agreeing about Pinky Winky. For macros, you really should stick to ones that bloom on old and new wood or you can have years with no flowers at all. Or take the time to protect the plants - I'm too lazy and mine are very large now.

What a difference one zone makes!

Yes. You also have the moderating ocean temps.

Yesterday, while online at some site, I read that Oakleaf Hydrangea is susceptible to black spot. Have you ever had that happen?