The View From Below

I have the best job in the world! We just got in more Dogwoods; Pink and Cherokee Princess. I was out yesterday tagging them with our store tags and grading tape and daydreaming when I looked up.
This is what I saw:
It absolutely took my breath away!

This is the Cherokee Princess flower close-up, you can see the tiny yellow flowers blooming in the middle of the bracts.


And here are a couple more photos of the new trees that came in from our fields:

This is the view while standing on the root ball of Pacific Sunset Maple

One thing I had never really noticed before is the flower of the Pacific Sunset. I think they must be the showiest Maple flowers I have ever seen (next to Boxelder), and now that the leaves are out, they have the perfect background.

A Little Green

Of course, most of the focus right now is on flowers, and for good reason; we have been waiting for months for them. The flowers are beautiful, but I wanted to focus this post on the green that is coming out all over right now.

Golden Rain Tree Leaves



Full Moon Japanese Maple Flowers and Leaves



Bur Oak Leaves



This is amazing, you have to really look to find these little leaf buds on the Ginkgo.



October Glory Maple Fruits (Helicopters)



This is a variety that we just started carrying. It's called June Snow Dogwood. You can see already that the flowers are more like a rough leaf Dogwood. I will add more photos of these as the flowers open up.

June Snow



Musashino Zelkova
These leaves absolutely glow in the afternoon sun, and the reddish bracts are such a nice contrast.

All about Hostas

I fell completely in love with Hostas a few years ago when I saw all of the amazing cultivars and enormous variety of leaf color, shape, size etc. Just when I think I can identify most varieties there are 10 more sports or hybrids. My favorites have changed throughout the years, but one that really stands out is June. It is the huge leaf in the photo at the top of this blog and all of us here at the nursery can't say enough about it. All of the Hostas we have are leafing out, so here are a few photos. The first two are June:




This is Fire and Ice, you can already see the bright, cream white center and narrow green edge on the leaves.



Blue Angel is one of the big ones. The leaves are pretty green right now, but as they get bigger they will turn powdery blue.



Another of my all time favorites, Sagae. This is a one gallon pot and the leaves are already trying to dwarf it. The next photo is from the top of the same plant looking down into the new leaves:


One last note, there is a virus that infects Hostas, called HVX (Hosta Virus X). I have seen it a few times and will post photos and more information after the Hostas are more fully leafed out. For now, some of the symptoms to look for are leaf mottling (which is sometimes hard to tell from the natural variegation) and stunted leaf growth. A report from K-State has some very good information and photos of the mottling symptoms: http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/plant2/EP132.pdf

Perennials & Shrubs

Yesterday was a perfect day to get out the camera. I noticed some things already blooming (besides ornamental trees) and thought I would focus on some perennials and shrubs in this post.

Sea Thrift have been blooming like crazy. This variety is Armeria maritima 'Splendens'. Very pretty with bright green leaves.



Pulsatilla vulgaris (Pasque Flower) has such a pretty bloom and the flowers are so fuzzy! They are often overlooked but do very well in the shade.





This is Chameleon Spurge (Euphorbia dulcis 'Chameleon'). This is just a hint of the colors that will emerge throughout the season. The flowers are not to showy, but the foliage more than makes up for them.


And now, a couple of shrubs:
The leaves of Oakleaf Hydrangea are just coming out, you can also see a hint of the fall color on the older leaves in the background.




And finally, this is Burkwood Viburnum in full bloom. They don't have a sttong fragrance like Dawn Viburnum, but what a bloom!