New obsession with outside garden, topiery etc.

[Optimist]

Originally Posted by Leafmite

Same with my dad...roses, fruit trees, the vegetable garden, a collection of irises of different colors....

Thanks for mentioning Heirloom Roses....
I just ordered Strawberry Hill, Rose de Rescht, and Comte de Chambord, from Heirloom Rose as I have always had better luck with own root roses.

So far I think they are a really great company. My bushes are very young. I am hoping they make it to the next stage. I am totally in on the "own root" idea, but I do have some grafts coming, and actually, my pine trees are all grafted too.

[Leafmite]

I never knew that grafting was used in pine trees. I will need to read about that.

My late orchard (apples, cherries, pears, peach, apricot, plums) was all grafted trees and my orange trees are grafted as the lemon probably is. The figs and bananas are not but they are both fast-growing trees. I prefer non-grafted but grafting allows one to pick fruit earlier, dwarfs trees that might grow too large or helps a tree/shrub survive where it normally would not.

Good luck with your outside garden! It seems to really be a source of joy for you.

[Ray]

When I moved from PA to coastal SE NC 7 years ago, I had to adjust to entirely different landscape plants.

For one, there is just something wrong with seeing a squirrel climbing a palm tree. Shouldn't that be monkeys? We have two different kinds of palms plus some massive cycads that have exploded since being treated with Kelpak.

We are also loaded with "Encore" azaleas that bloom off and on all year, and our camellias are in full bud right now.

My first foray into fruit trees was a 'Dr. Clark' heirloom fig. Developed by a breeder in New Orleans, it grows like a weed in our conditions, Kelpak and Quantum have apparently helped, as two, roughly 12" plants with 3/4" "trunks" were planted from two-gallon pots in the spring of 2021 - mine and one next door. The one next door is about 4' tall now. Mine was about 6 feet tall last summer and I pruned it back to about 2' last winter. This summer it grew to be about 14' tall and wide. I cut it back to 3' of 4" diameter stumps on Wednesday.

[Leafmite]

I admit, I am envious. Camellias are beautiful.

I think it is getting more difficult to grow the normal stuff for Ohio in Ohio right now. I had the fruit trees for thirty years an for the first twenty or so years, I had no trouble getting fruit. If we had a warm period in the winter, it was not long enough or warm enough to bring the trees into early flower so, spring came, the trees bloomed and the bees came and everything got pollinated. The last couple of years, we would get a month of warm weather in February or very early March and the trees would bloom but it was still too early for the bees and then we would get more winter weather. The local orchard where we always got advice gave up and sold the orchard. Last year, the spring bulbs and many of my perennials started growing in the middle of winter and that did not go well for them. I wish the weather would affect the invasive species but, nope, they seem to be thriving, along with the weeds.

[Optimist]

Originally Posted by Leafmite

I never knew that grafting was used in pine trees. I will need to read about that.

I was surprised as well.

[Subrosa]

Originally Posted by Optimist

My dad was also the gardening enthusiast of the family. Iris, roses everything.

I split the difference and am growing some in raised beds. I got several "Own root" roses from Heirloom Roses online (Eden climber, Penelope, Sally Holmes, Sea Foam, Ice Burg, Ballarina). They were a bit more expensive then some companies. -- I got mostly white-- no reason, I am enthralled by monochromatic schemes. In the front it is red (mostly knock outs and carpet roses), and in the back it is white with touches of pink. I also got several "single petal" roses because I don't think they get as much love and they are totally gorgeous. So that was last year. Next year (meaning 2024) I switched it up a bit, and have pre-ordered two massive roots. One of Ketsup and Mustard, and another of "Koko Loko." Both were roses I regretted not buying. They are bare root, and I should get them in February or March. Crossing my fingers because I have had luck with only one bare root rose in the past-- I got several bare roots from Tractor Supply, and all of them died except one-- This one was in the wrong bag as well so I had no idea what it was. It is super vigerous, and I found it was a Hybrid Perpetual, Frau Karl Druschki, considered one of the most beautiful whites, but it only blooms once a year, and is a short climber. Of course I planted it in the wrong place-- the middle of the front yard, so there is nothing to climb on to. I suppose since it is a "short" climber, I will get her an Obalisk, either that or I will need to move her.
Lovely flower:

I just planted a 'Zephirine Drouhin' that's growing on its own roots where it can climb the railing to the steps up to the raised front landing outside of my front door. It's about as sunny as any part of the yard, and it just seemed the perfect place for a fragrant rose with no thorns.

[Optimist]

Originally Posted by Subrosa

I just planted a 'Zephirine Drouhin' that's growing on its own roots where it can climb the railing to the steps up to the raised front landing outside of my front door. It's about as sunny as any part of the yard, and it just seemed the perfect place for a fragrant rose with no thorns.

Yes, thornless is a nice thing on a rail you might touch. I am laying off roses, and -- basically trying to stay away from plant purchases for a whole year after this!!! I still have some arriving in spring! The two roses, Koko Loko and Ketsup and Mustard, then I have 3 paphiopedilums that I was chicken to ship in winter, so the vendor said he's ship in spring. On the 20th I am getting another Japanese Black Pine, 'Shirome janome'-- and I am running out of space. Today I was super serious about getting a new japanese maple, but I cleared the form when I found the company did not have free shipping over a certain price. I guess I am spoiled by companies that ship free after a certain price. I think I am going to go on a "plant starvation diet" for a while. I need to be responsible and wait to see if the stuff I bought likes where I planted it. (I also planted a small plum tree, Bruce, (not ornemental as it has fruit) in my rose garden. It had been in a big planter for about 2 years. The roses like a bit of shade since we are so hot around here, so I like looking for smallish (15 feet tall or so) trees that will cover an area with shade. I particularly like the Sakura type blossoms to cover the tree in spring.

[Optimist]

And... I got a new Mugo Pine... this one is huge!!! I do not know why I can post certain photos but not others! But it is 5-6 years old, and very large!