I have to ask do deer use pruners? I was walking in my yard transplanting a willow and went over to one of the free maples I planted.
And to what did my wondering eyes appear?
A slice off the tip of my maple by a deer!
Perfectly sheered as if the deer carried a set of bypass pruners in its pockets! I was afraid the deer might snack on my trees. It seems that a maple is good for lunch, dinner or even that late night snack. I wish the maple had not appeared on the deer's menu but that just confirms what I was thinking. I should find two larger "Sunset" maples to put in the yard instead. Larger trees would stand a better chance against the appetite of the white-tailed midnight muncher. Don't get me wrong I like the deer coming to visit. I just wish they would bring a bag lunch instead!
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Showing posts with label Arbor Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Arbor Day. Show all posts
Arbor Day Experiment (Part 2-2)
In one of my last posts I mentioned receiving my free Arbor Day trees. Those trees have now been planted. While planting them I was pleasantly surprised by a couple things.1. The trees were marked very clearly with the color coding system. It was not just a thin little line above the roots indicating which tree they were, but rather a very large blot. This made identifying the twigs a lot easier.
2. The root systems were in great shape! It may have been since they were in the ground so long before shipping because the weather has stayed warmer longer.
There was one tree that may have arrived dead but I planted it anyway just in case.
Here's what I did!
I put 8 of my saplings into a trough planter that was used last year for some trees. I mixed together some potting soil and some mulch for improved drainage then put the little trees into appropriately sized holes for the roots. Finally I mulched the planter and put it into a sheltered location. I did the same with the hemlocks only I used two small pots instead of a planter. The little sprigs should do fine over the winter.
Arbor Day Experiment Part 1
Arbor Day Experiment Part 2
Arbor Day Experiment (Part 2)
Part two of my Arbor Day experiment will begin soon! Today I received my 10 free trees. I found them unceremoniously shoved into my mailbox courtesy of the U.S. Postal Service. Fortunately I don't think any damage was done. I would think that a package that has LIVE PLANTS in big letters on the outside of it would dropped off by the door and not shoved into a mailbox shorter than the package! But enough complaining, on to the trees!
I was able to choose from several of the available free tree packages and picked the Wild Bird Garden. It's a selection of trees and shrubs that make good habitats or food sources for birds and wildlife. Here are the plants that came in it: a Burr Oak, a Northern Red Oak, an Arrowwood Viburnum, a River Birch, a Gray Dogwood, a Tulip tree, two Canadian Hemlocks, a Sargent Crabapple, and a Washington Hawthorne. The package came with a pamphlet that has descriptions for the trees as well as a leaf identification page. This could be very useful in the spring when the leaves begin to show. Each tree is supposed to be labeled with a color just above the roots but I know from planting some free Arbor Day trees last year that the paint marks can be very hard to read and the leaf identification guide could be useful in identifying them.
I have not examined the trees very closely since the instructions said not to open them unless you can plant right away. I stored the saplings in the garage where they would rest in cooler temperates until I could take care of them, hopefully tomorrow. The baby trees will have a temporary home in a trough-like planter since I don't have permanent locations picked out. I'll have to think very hard about where to put those trees, especially the oaks. Though I may never live to see it, the Burr Oak can reach 80 feet tall with a similar spread. (Not exactly a small tree!)
There's more to come later about my Arbor Day experiment! If you haven't already you can read about part one by clicking here!
I was able to choose from several of the available free tree packages and picked the Wild Bird Garden. It's a selection of trees and shrubs that make good habitats or food sources for birds and wildlife. Here are the plants that came in it: a Burr Oak, a Northern Red Oak, an Arrowwood Viburnum, a River Birch, a Gray Dogwood, a Tulip tree, two Canadian Hemlocks, a Sargent Crabapple, and a Washington Hawthorne. The package came with a pamphlet that has descriptions for the trees as well as a leaf identification page. This could be very useful in the spring when the leaves begin to show. Each tree is supposed to be labeled with a color just above the roots but I know from planting some free Arbor Day trees last year that the paint marks can be very hard to read and the leaf identification guide could be useful in identifying them.
I have not examined the trees very closely since the instructions said not to open them unless you can plant right away. I stored the saplings in the garage where they would rest in cooler temperates until I could take care of them, hopefully tomorrow. The baby trees will have a temporary home in a trough-like planter since I don't have permanent locations picked out. I'll have to think very hard about where to put those trees, especially the oaks. Though I may never live to see it, the Burr Oak can reach 80 feet tall with a similar spread. (Not exactly a small tree!)
There's more to come later about my Arbor Day experiment! If you haven't already you can read about part one by clicking here!
Arbor Day Experiment (Part 1)
They finally came! My experiment with Arbor Day has begun. Earlier in the year I ordered several trees from the National Arbor Day Society. I also got a few free trees with my order. I know many people have had mixed results when ordering from Arbor Day. They either have trees that don't make it through the winter, receive dead trees, or get the wrong plant. Most of what I received was in good condition, not perfect, but good. My ornamental cherry tree had one branch that was broken at the top and one on the side. The little hemlocks I got were very little (not a big surprise) and one of the four had lost quite a few leaves. I received two free red maples that seemed to be in good shape with adequate root systems for the size trees they were (3 foot). I also got a couple free forsythias that looked pretty good. One even had a side chute that had its own roots, had I been more industrious I would have cut it from the main stem and let it be its own plant. Since I had plenty to do I didn't worry about it.
The trees were sent wrapped in wet packing material that looked like strips of paper. Underneath the
paper the roots were coated with a water retaining crystal material to keep them moist. The trees were attached to a bamboo stake for support. The roots of the trees were wrapped in plastic bags then the whole set of trees was placed into a triangular shaped cardboard box for shipping. Here's a picture of the trees in their packing material on the right.
Impressive right?
OK maybe not, but they're tiny trees, every tree starts out small.
The instructions said to soak them for 3-6 hours before planting. I did not have 3-6 hours to soak the trees from when they were delivered to when I planted them, instead I put them in a bucket of water for the length of time it took me to dig the holes.
See bucket:
See Bucket with plants:
The hole digging was easy as the ground was still a bit wet from rain on the previous day. It's amazing how different the dirt can be from one side of the lot to the other. Near the street the ground is almost all clay and toward the back is a very rich dark dirt with lots of worms.
Here are the trees that I planted:
Some people don't like the sweetgum because of its burrs but its fall color can be spectacular.
This particular tree had some good roots (see picture on right). It went into the ground on the eastern side of our back yard. There is a tree near there that it will eventually replace. The two red maples were free trees and are planted in the back to section off the area to eventually make a wooded glade. The sugar maple is parallel to our Red Sunset maple about 30 feet or so from our house. The birch is planted behind the birdbath garden to create shelter for the birds. The Yoshino Cherry is in the front yard because of its spring flower display along with the forsythias which are next to the road. Two of the forsythias are on one corner of our lot and the other near the mailbox. The second birch is located in the back near a water runoff area. Since the natural habitat for river birches is along side banks and streams it should be able to handle the extra moisture. One of the hemlocks joined our hemlock hedge and the other three were potted up since they were kind of small. The red osier dogwood was put into our front garden bed temporarily until I can remove and replace the hollies there.
To plant the trees I dug hole about 12-18 inches in diameter then churned up the dirt in the holes. I did not amend the holes since I want the trees to get used to the soil they will be growing in for the rest of their lives. I placed the trees into the holes with the crown of the roots just above the soil line. Then I watered the trees and mulched. Two and a half hours later I was done.
Will they live? Thats the question! I'll update on their progress for spring with before and after pictures. Right now the before pictures just look like sticks in the ground! The only plants I am concerned about are the hemlocks. They don't look very strong but we'll see!
The trees were sent wrapped in wet packing material that looked like strips of paper. Underneath the
paper the roots were coated with a water retaining crystal material to keep them moist. The trees were attached to a bamboo stake for support. The roots of the trees were wrapped in plastic bags then the whole set of trees was placed into a triangular shaped cardboard box for shipping. Here's a picture of the trees in their packing material on the right.Impressive right?
OK maybe not, but they're tiny trees, every tree starts out small.
The instructions said to soak them for 3-6 hours before planting. I did not have 3-6 hours to soak the trees from when they were delivered to when I planted them, instead I put them in a bucket of water for the length of time it took me to dig the holes.
See bucket:
The hole digging was easy as the ground was still a bit wet from rain on the previous day. It's amazing how different the dirt can be from one side of the lot to the other. Near the street the ground is almost all clay and toward the back is a very rich dark dirt with lots of worms.
Here are the trees that I planted:
American Sweetgum, Two Red Maples, Sugar Maple, Two River Birches, Three Forsythias, Yoshino Cherry, Four Canadian Hemlocks, Red Osier Dogwood
Some people don't like the sweetgum because of its burrs but its fall color can be spectacular.
This particular tree had some good roots (see picture on right). It went into the ground on the eastern side of our back yard. There is a tree near there that it will eventually replace. The two red maples were free trees and are planted in the back to section off the area to eventually make a wooded glade. The sugar maple is parallel to our Red Sunset maple about 30 feet or so from our house. The birch is planted behind the birdbath garden to create shelter for the birds. The Yoshino Cherry is in the front yard because of its spring flower display along with the forsythias which are next to the road. Two of the forsythias are on one corner of our lot and the other near the mailbox. The second birch is located in the back near a water runoff area. Since the natural habitat for river birches is along side banks and streams it should be able to handle the extra moisture. One of the hemlocks joined our hemlock hedge and the other three were potted up since they were kind of small. The red osier dogwood was put into our front garden bed temporarily until I can remove and replace the hollies there.To plant the trees I dug hole about 12-18 inches in diameter then churned up the dirt in the holes. I did not amend the holes since I want the trees to get used to the soil they will be growing in for the rest of their lives. I placed the trees into the holes with the crown of the roots just above the soil line. Then I watered the trees and mulched. Two and a half hours later I was done.
Will they live? Thats the question! I'll update on their progress for spring with before and after pictures. Right now the before pictures just look like sticks in the ground! The only plants I am concerned about are the hemlocks. They don't look very strong but we'll see!
The September Arbor
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| Arbor and Moonflower |
Here is the arbor from the side yard looking toward the front yard. The homemade stepping stones are cured, solid, and very walkable now. Please ignore the cinder block on the left - it's leftover from installing a rain barrel I recently purchased. I've been meaning to tell you about it but haven't yet but I'm very pleased with its performance so far (It's this one from Fiskars
)! The plantings on the left are coleus, iris, a Japanese maple (which is just outside of the picture) and a crape myrtle. A few hostas are also mixed into the garden. On the right is the self-sowing garden which has become covered with celosia. At least two different forms of celosia have hybridized to make some very interesting shapes and colors! It's definitely time to begin harvesting the seeds!
Here is the arbor from the front and to the left side. On the right you can see a globe basil I planted of which I've really become a fan. It's edible of course but has a really nice rounded shape and it might be the perfect plant to add to a knot herb garden. Next to it is a little Dusty Miller that I planted last fall. I'm really amazed that it has lasted this long. On the left side is the celosia from above and a snakeroot that is showing off its white cloud of blooms. I'll need to cut it down soon to prevent it from reseeding heavily but it's a nice accent in the garden.
What kinds of garden structures do you have in your garden?
Framing the Cosmos - Photo Post
Cosmos in the self-sowing garden framed by a decorative feature of the arbor.
Also in the garden: Celosia, 'Blue Bedder' Salvia, Verbena bonariensis, sunflowers, coneflowers.
The Stalwart River Birch (Betula nigra)
Some plants are determined. Something in their genetic make-up decided long ago that nothing would get them down and nothing ever does. Take this river birch (Betula nigra) for instance. I received it from the Arbor Day Foundation but this isn't one of the 10 "free" trees I received with my donation. I actually purchased this one. It was one of several trees I used as the subject of my Arbor Day experiment last fall. Now it's time for an update.First let me tell you why I picked this tree. Several years ago my brother had his wedding in California at his wife's grandmother's house. She had a spectacular garden with hydrangeas, trumpet vines, and of course birches.
The two trees she had in her garden provided a very nice shady area next to her patio. In the picture you can see the white bark of the birch she had in her garden. Even though the river birch is different from what she had, I knew I wanted to incorporate such great trees in my landscape.Betula nigra is a native tree to the U.S. and here in Tennessee which is great for the birds and local wildlife that are used to river birches. River birches are fairly heat tolerant and can survive mild drought conditions.
Birches are probably the most renown tree for interesting bark. Their brown papery bark peels away to reveal new layers of bark underneath. It's a great tree for winter interest. Just imagine planting it next to a couple red twig dogwoods and an evergreen or two! I would take that kind of winter color any day in my garden.
The Results of My Arbor Day Experiment: River Birch
All along I thought this little tree failed. I believed it had passed away to become one with the compost bin, but thankfully I was wrong! I let it go not for any great hope that it would survive but out of laziness. I looked at the base of the tree last week and found a new sprout!
It may not look like much now but since river birches are fast growing trees it should quickly grow into something grand! Soon I'll clip the old stalk away from the sprout and let this little native tree develop into what I hope will be a fantastic tree in my landscape.
I like plants that are determined to survive in my garden. They sure make my gardening a little easier!
Update:
Since this post the deer to another (and possibly fatal) swipe at the little birch. It's now in a pot on the back porch and has been replaced by a dogwood.
An Arbor Day Pledge
Coming up on April 25, 2008 is Arbor Day. It's a day to celebrate a unique feature of our planet the trees. The trees are so important to us. They serve as the planet's lungs filtering the air we breathe, they provide us fruit and nuts to eat, paper to read and write with, drugs like aspirin and shade to sit beneath on a hot and humid summer day. Without trees we would be in a desolate place devoid of much of what we love about this planet. Arbor Day actually started way back in 1870 in Nebraska and has continued to this day to spread the planting of trees from the United States to countries around the world.
In an effort to encourage the planting of trees in our yards and gardens around the world I am proposing a simple pledge that I would like everyone who likes trees to sign on and give a try.
Here's what I propose:
Plant one tree or more in your yard every year. If your yard has no room for a tree plant a shrub or give a tree for someone else to plant in their yard. The key is for you to be responsible for the planting of one tree somewhere.
If you are a garden blogger or a blogger of any kind I'd like to encourage you to share your planting with everyone. Post about your tree planting and send me a link and I'll add it to a post on Arbor Day this year. Don't forget to link back to this post so that more people can join in if they can. If you can't get a tree in by April 25th (that only gives you 10 days) then let me know when you do and I'll make an update. Just plant one sometime this year!
If you don't have a blog post here in the comments and tell everyone what tree you planted and why you picked the tree you planted. Try to leave a State or Provence location when you do so everyone can see where its happening!
Over the next several days I plan to make several posts about trees and their importance for our environment (with the exception being tomorrow night since I'll be at a Hockey game). So please jump in and join the pledge. All you have to do is comment and say you'll give it a try!
