This Year's Project - Stone Patio, Screen Porch & New Beds!

It will get late afternoon sun - but not setting sun. Will the 4pm sun still be too harsh? I'll try it next time we have sun - it's been cloudy all day and tomorrow is supposed to be the same. It is two trees grafted together. The two trunks twist around one another, giving it somewhat of a gnarly look, perhaps making it look older than it probably is. I don't know enough about JM's to tell the age, but the trunk is not quite double the width of my single trunk Crimson Queen that is about 12 years old, so perhaps this one is 6-7?

Here's a closeup of the trunk

This one came out ok...

Spectacular!

gorgeous

Thanks to both. (Though I certainly can't take any credit for it's beauty - I'm just the fool who couldn't resist it :o)

Wow! That looks amazing!

How heavy was it, Christina? Did you have it delivered or bring it yourself?

I had it delivered. DH and I brought home a slightly smaller one last year (well the tree was shorter, but the root ball probably wasn't too much smaller) and it was quite a challenge to get it out of the truck and into the hole. I didn't want to take any chances with this one - one broken branch and it could have ruined the whole tree! So two guys and a bobcat put it right in the pre-dug hole. After they left I tried turning it with a crow bar hooked into the wire cage, but I couldn't budge it - so it is pretty heavy (and I've been known to move some heavy objects so it's not just cuz I'm a girl ;o)

Now it's coffee time and pondering time. One sips on the coffee and makes mental notes as to just where a certain rock should have been. :)

At the top left is the JM we bought last year and brought in ourselves. I don't know what it is (so if you do, I'd love to know). It was labeled bloodgood, but I am nearly 100% positive it is not.

No, I don't. Hard to tell from that distance and there are just so many cultivars out there today. Beautiful scene. I love the moss.

Thanks. I'm trying to encourage the moss and hope eventually most of the rocks will be covered. It does seem to be spreading - sloooowly.

I've been trying to find a closeup of the JM leaves - I know I have one, but It might be on my laptop. I'll probably never know for sure - you're right; far too many cultivars. I posted on the JM forum last year and all agreed it was not bloodgood. It's annoying to spend good money for a tree and have it mislabeled. I went back to the same nursery this year and they have more of the same tree and they are still calling them bloodgood.

Here's a closeup of the leaves. Last year the tree appeared to be an upright, vaselike form. This year it's starting to look like a weeper. Maybe I just need to prune it to keep it growing upright?

Christina:

I don't know the name of your JM, but I just had to note that the photo of that area is stunning! And I didn't see a single weed. What a nice haven you have created there.

Thank you Candyce! There is not enough room for many weeds. I'm a crammer :-) That being said, that picture was taken last year. I'm sure if I took the same shot today you'd see some weeds as I have been neglecting the rest of my yard while getting the patio built.

I loved your stream and setting, your tree is certainly a HUGE SCORE! That is one MAJOR beauty you found!!

Love that waterfall!!! So beautiful!

Fantastic JM Songs!

My little project. Dirt is in and electric hooked up for the birdbath, its flowing H20, in the rock bed. Hubbie says I will take care of the rocks. He also said I will tweek the dirt. Guess what? I said when I start planting that will be it. Your DONE - So here it is naked. Well a layer of topsoil. Duh...

Its so sweet, I can't wait to see the finished product.

Thanks everyone for the comments on tree and stream.

Schickenlady, your fountain garden will be lovely. What are you going to plant there?

Lookin' good Sherrie. What are you gonna plant in there?

1st what I got from all the great RU'ers and make it grow and grow green "if allowed" and then I will take suggestions. Suggestions will have to wait till next year as I am totally outta cash. Unless I can get something to grow now..... Chime in folks.

Humm what should I do, without spending a ton of money, that I dont have to make my flower garden grow.

I hear ya on the 'out of cash' stuff. If you got as much as I did, your RU stash will fill up that bed.

Something really invasive would work...

Don't do a thing.....nature will reward you well next spring. :)

Uh... with weeds?

Sherrie:

That looks so nice, and it will be beautiful when it's been planted with your stash gained at the RU. Keep sending photos as you go along with it, OK?