Eight Ways To Keep Your Herbs Healthy Through The Summer - CityLine

Eight Ways To Keep Your Herbs Healthy Through The Summer - CityLine

Correction of size of Crimson King Maple

Likely growth of Crimson King Maple is 35-50 feet high and 25-30 feet wide. I have perused several sources and this is the average measurement for a mature Crimson King Maple.  There seems to be a great degree of variance among sources for height expectations.  I apologize for the confusion.  I should have investigated further before citing only one source for size.  Trust your gut sometimes!

Architectural Plants

 Tolleson Weeping Juniper

Plants of architectural value monopolize my back garden.  I love the topiaries and even sculpted a Mint Julep Juniper into a pom pom topiary.  Also in the landscape are two weeping Tolleson Junipers, two white pine topiaries, a juniperus chinensis trained with stakes to have four branches in topiary style, another juniper grown upright on a stake to a point of about five feet from where it cascades downwards in its spreading habit.

Clockwise from back left: topiaried white pine, groundcover juniper trained upright to a height of about 5 feet and left to cascade down, Mint Julep Juniper trained to topiary pom pom style

Young's Twisted Weeping Birch.  You see the twisted trunk best in winter.

Trost Dwarf Birch

Three-flowered Maple.  In front, Dwarf Chinese Juniper trained in topiary

 A rare specimen of Three-flowered Maple gracefully sweeps out over the pond.  I am trying to mimic the Japanese style of pruning a maple though it tends to grow faster than I can prune as you can see here.  Maybe I will just stop fighting nature on this one. 

I still wish I had added a Harry Lauder's Walking Stick to the mix.  I love the twisted, twirling branches!

Fertilizer Friday? Flaunting My Flowers

So there seems to be much ado about Fertilizer Friday!  I figured I'd give it a go!  It is hosted by Tootsie a Central Alberta Gardener!  Hey there Albertan!!  I am not sure how to do the linky thingy but let's hope I am not totally illiterate here!  Here are some photos of my garden, mostly things that are no longer blooming.  :P  My rose is taking a rest, the irises and peonies are done.  The clematis is blooming its heart out, the campanula looks about ready to retire for the year but my hydrangea is about to put on a magnificent performance.

Campanula

Blue Delphinium with white eye

Snow in Summer at its peak in June

Morden Blush Rose

Jackmanii Clematis

Endless Summer Hydrangea

Tootsie has a wonderful blog full of luscious photos!  Here's a link:
http://www.tootsietime.com/

August To Do List

The August To Do List has been posted in the Garden Calendar - What to Do, When.  The link is posted in the right hand column of this blog.

Spotlight on Crimson King Maple

*

The Crimson King Maple (Acer platanoides "Crimson King") is a Norway Maple growing 18 35-50 feet high on average and 12 25-30 feet wide.  It is a stunning tree as an accent piece in the landscape and makes a dense shade tree.

The Crimson King Maple grows at a medium growth rate, less than 1 foot per year, tolerates any soil and is not adversely affected by inner city pollution.  It prefers a  moist soil.  Do not let it dry out. 

This maple flowers in early spring with corymbs of yellow before the tree leafs out fully.  It maintains its distinct burgundy foliage of serrated "maple" style leaves throughout the season, deepening to a darker burgundy in the fall.  This maple has black furrowed bark which can be attractive in the winter garden. 

Prune, if necessary, in July to prevent excessive sap bleeding.

The Crimson King Maple can be considered a heritage tree, living to 100 years of age.  Hardy to zone 4a, my neighbour down the street has one growing in his zone 3b garden where it has been for at least 10 years.  It may get a bit of tip dieback after a particularly harsh winter, but maintains its rounded oval shape.

A real beauty in the home garden, be sure to provide ample room for this specimen.  If you like the appearance of the Crimson King Maple but don't have the room necessary for it to spread, try the Crimson Sentry.  This tree is similar in appearance and hardiness.  It differs in growth, though, growing 20+ feet high and 10 feet wide on average.  The Crimson Sentry does best in an area sheltered from wind.

PS  I just came across an interesting forum discussion on Norway Maples.  Follow this link to see what the buzz is all about:

http://forums.northscaping.com/post?id=1970918&trail=24

PSS The City of Lethbridge, Alberta has planted Crimson King Maple on some city boulevards and properties.  Good on you Lethbridge!

*The above photo of the Crimson King is not a typical specimen of growth habit.  The neighbour said his children, when young, used to swing on the branches while it was young resulting in breakage.  The result was a smaller more rounded tree which the owner has trimmed to this size.

Garden Voyeurism

Have you ever come across a garden that you absolutely love?  It stops you in your tracks.  Makes you desire to enter in.  You just have to photograph it.

I love this path!

This looks a little "wild".  I prefer a more orderly approach.

Every time I pass by I like to linger and take in the beauty of this garden.

For the Love of Roses

Morden Blush Rose

Rose garden, southern Alberta photos by Anne M.

My Morden Blush Rose

Morden Blush Rose

Morden Blush Rose in my garden

The Morden Blush rose is one in a series of "Mordens" (Parkland) developed in Morden, Manitoba to be hardy in the prairie provinces of Canada.  The bush resembles a tea rose bearing clusters of smaller rosebuds that open wide to blooms somewhat like a cabbage rose but smaller in diameter.

Others to look for in the same series are Morden Sunrise, Morden Ruby, Morden Amorette, Morden Belle, Morden Centennial, Morden Fireglow, Morden Snow Beauty. 

Another gorgeous hardy rose developed by the Morden Research Station is Winnipeg Parks.  It has single (sometimes clustered) hot pink large blossoms.  A true beauty!

Water in the Garden = Serenity

My son Matt built this waterfall and pond while in highschool.  We love it!

Above the waterfall looking down

From this angle you can barely see the pond but it shows the planting and lighting well.

I thought a different angle on my usual shots of the pond would be interesting. It is lit at night with solar powered spotlights seen here.  Absolutely gorgeous!  We love to sit around the firepit which is adjacent to the pond and listen to the stream of water as it cascades over the falls into the pond.  It is a little sanctuary back there.

Flowers on Today's Walk

The first three images are flowers planted by homeowners along the path at the top of the ravine.

Phlox

Lychnis

Daylily

Wild Rose growing above the ravine

Tansy on a hilltop

Himalayan Impatiens - this one is growing in a neighbour's yard.  I've seen these growing wild down in the ravine.

It's lovely to walk in the ravine, in the midst of the city it feels like you are in the wild.  Herein dwell coyotes, though I've never seen one but heard them, rabbits, the odd deer, woodpeckers, and more wildlife I'm sure I've yet to come across.  There's nothing so sweet as strolling down the path after a rain.  The air hangs pungent with the aroma of poplars and woods.  It's the best time to be there.  Now if only one could bottle that scent!

Re: Giant Hogweed

http://www.canadiangardening.com/how-to/pests-and-diseases/beware-of-giant-hogweed/a/31773?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=cg_100720

I recently posted an article about Giant Hogweed and found this article on Canadian Gardening to be an excellent follow-up.  Read here about what to do should you come in contact with Giant Hogweed!

My Fertilizer is Not Meant to Be Bird Food!!

We recently switched to a lawn fertilizer with corn gluten to suppress weed seeds but I don't think it's working!  Any guesses why?

A Walk in the Ravine