Search found 1386 matches

by Paul Ont
Wed Mar 01, 2017 7:19 am
Forum: Palms (and Other) Fossils
Topic: Scientists Want to Bring Some Animals Back from Extinction
Replies: 8
Views: 17708

Ya, what ever happened to Barb?
by Paul Ont
Wed Mar 01, 2017 7:19 am
Forum: Photo Gallery
Topic: Garden update / Winter
Replies: 2
Views: 3560

Awesome! You seem to be ~ 2 weeks ahead of us way up here (zone 4).
by Paul Ont
Mon Oct 31, 2016 3:00 pm
Forum: Cold Hardy Palms
Topic: Couple Saturday pics on a summer like day.
Replies: 2
Views: 5983

Man Jim. Impressive. I always enjoy your posts! Hey- Do you have any first hand knowledge of T. fortunei (normal) vs other forms? How do these compare to princeps or takil or nanus? Just curious if you can give some insight into true hardiness vs. what people thought. I must admit that I've moved aw...
by Paul Ont
Wed Sep 28, 2016 12:57 pm
Forum: Cold Hardy Palms
Topic: A few pics from last weekend
Replies: 2
Views: 3733

Impressive as always Jim! Love those blue morning glories!
by Paul Ont
Sun Apr 10, 2016 4:20 pm
Forum: Photo Gallery
Topic: Zihuatanejo Mexico Jan 2016 Palm pics.
Replies: 6
Views: 9727

I hope you brought those Bizzies back to (Re-edit) B.C.! Where has my brain gone!

Cool stuff.
by Paul Ont
Wed Mar 16, 2016 6:40 pm
Forum: Cold Hardy Palms
Topic: March 14,2016
Replies: 8
Views: 9826

That princeps is amazing. Stunning palm.
by Paul Ont
Fri Mar 11, 2016 7:41 am
Forum: Cold Hardy Palms
Topic: South Eastern Arizona palm pics.
Replies: 7
Views: 13638

I always enjoy Aarons travel pics. Miss going to the SW USA.
by Paul Ont
Sun Feb 28, 2016 7:11 am
Forum: Cold Hardy Palms
Topic: Nothing to see here..........
Replies: 4
Views: 7682

Jim- You need to buy another house just to have the extra space! Shame so many good ones are so badly injured this year.
by Paul Ont
Wed Feb 24, 2016 9:54 am
Forum: Cold Hardy Palms
Topic: first cold days of this winter for Toronto area
Replies: 3
Views: 5892

Jesse- It hit -30C at my garden again this winter. Great. Should be OK though sine there was some snow and it was a short lived freeze. Not like that never ending one we had last winter! I have the arduous task of moving many of my plants from the current garden to the new property this coming sprin...
by Paul Ont
Sat Feb 13, 2016 6:49 pm
Forum: Cold Hardy Palms
Topic: first cold days of this winter for Toronto area
Replies: 3
Views: 5892

HIt -24C down here by High Park... Hope it wasn't that must worse north of the lake!

My new property hit -28C and will probably hit -29C tonight. Still a mild winter overall, too bad this cold spell has kept us true to zone.
by Paul Ont
Wed Feb 10, 2016 6:05 pm
Forum: Weather & Climate
Topic: Loving this winter!
Replies: 3
Views: 6887

We've been having a very mild winter indeed. Took some photos of spring flowers in Niagara last weekend... Of course it's predicted to hit below -20C this weekend, while it hasn't hit -12C thus far!
by Paul Ont
Mon Jan 18, 2016 5:08 pm
Forum: Cold Hardy - General
Topic: BLE zone 5b/6a update in snow
Replies: 3
Views: 6594

Awesome! We'll compare in the spring!
by Paul Ont
Sat Jan 16, 2016 4:14 pm
Forum: Cold Hardy - General
Topic: BLE zone 5b/6a update in snow
Replies: 3
Views: 6594

Good so far... My only advice is to reiterate an old saying: "Don't count your chickens before they hatch"... It's especially true for BLEs, they look alive for a long time, then they thaw out! It'll be interesting to see how they look in June once it's been warm for a while. Good update! ...
by Paul Ont
Fri Dec 25, 2015 10:47 am
Forum: Weather & Climate
Topic: Who is being affected by this awesome long fall?
Replies: 12
Views: 15918

All-time record warmth here on Xmas eve here, 16C (60f). Amazing. We do now, however, have an overnight low of -8C in the forecast.
by Paul Ont
Thu Dec 17, 2015 12:11 pm
Forum: Cold Hardy - General
Topic: BLE in Zone 5b/6a up to 10 m high - green oasis amidst snow.
Replies: 6
Views: 7615

No idea what that last one is, it's neat for sure.

Cherry laurel won't survive in my zone, never had one make it more than 2 winters. In Niagara (6b/7a) they can grow to 1.5 meters but will take leaf damage quite often... Are there any hollies growing there?
by Paul Ont
Sun Dec 13, 2015 10:07 am
Forum: Cold Hardy - General
Topic: Photos of 21 broadleaf evergreens for 5a/b garden
Replies: 26
Views: 30933

Cool! I'd say that the bamboo is probably dwarf whitestripe bamboo, Pleioblastus fortunei, which is a solid zone 5 type plant!

Very cool to see a similar zone on a different continent.
by Paul Ont
Thu Dec 10, 2015 7:01 am
Forum: Weather & Climate
Topic: Who is being affected by this awesome long fall?
Replies: 12
Views: 15918

Ya mild down here too... We'll see how long this lasts! Also interesting is that there is 0 ice on any great lake yet...
by Paul Ont
Fri Dec 04, 2015 5:00 pm
Forum: Cold Hardy - General
Topic: Photos of 21 broadleaf evergreens for 5a/b garden
Replies: 26
Views: 30933

Have any of you tried Aucuba japonica borealis? I always thought it was worth a try in zone 5, but haven't seen it tried!
by Paul Ont
Thu Dec 03, 2015 5:47 pm
Forum: Anything Yucca
Topic: Yucca brevifolia
Replies: 269
Views: 750848

Beautiful picture!
by Paul Ont
Wed Dec 02, 2015 2:44 pm
Forum: Cold Hardy - General
Topic: Photos of 21 broadleaf evergreens for 5a/b garden
Replies: 26
Views: 30933

I'll be interested to hear how your stuff does over the winter. My place last winter (USDA zone 4b) I lost cherry laurel first year, all growth above snow on Aucuba, any Mahonia I've tried, most types of Ilex; basically only Rhododendron (really tough types), Kalmia, Buxus, and a few others (maybe, ...
by Paul Ont
Sun Nov 22, 2015 8:06 am
Forum: Anything Yucca
Topic: Fall update, Yuccas, Japanese bigleaf magnolia
Replies: 3
Views: 5165

Glad ot see you back Adam! That Magnolia is it M. obovata? If so, it's by far the largest that I've seen in Ontario!
by Paul Ont
Wed Nov 11, 2015 11:44 am
Forum: Other Plants of Interest
Topic: What tree is this?
Replies: 4
Views: 5559

That's Heptacodium miconioides 'Seven Sons Tree". Beautiful plants, if you seek one out I reccomend looking for one with good exfoliating bark, there is a range. It's not usually flowering now (or 2 weeks ago), it blooms white in August and then the seed pods open to a brilliant red in Septembe...
by Paul Ont
Mon Nov 09, 2015 7:41 pm
Forum: Anything Yucca
Topic: Yucca, zone 4
Replies: 15
Views: 19078

Tim, What are the crosses that John sent your way? I visited NS this past summer, and saw John for the first time in (perhaps?) 3 years? Some really interesting plants at his place in Halifax, but apparently the property in the south west of the province (solid zone 7) is something else, I hope that...
by Paul Ont
Sat Nov 07, 2015 11:30 am
Forum: Anything Yucca
Topic: Yucca, zone 4
Replies: 15
Views: 19078

The "Hardy" engenmanii are going in to their second winter. Obvioulsy they are still very small so I don't know how hardy they will prove to be.
by Paul Ont
Sat Nov 07, 2015 8:52 am
Forum: Anything Yucca
Topic: Yucca, zone 4
Replies: 15
Views: 19078

Dan, Almost certainly they;d be filamentosa in the GTA. The only other Yucca that I've seen around are Y. glauca, but these would have very narrow, sharp leaves. Tim- I'll tell you in the spring how hardy stuff seems to be! Many of the plants look like crap in April, but recover by June. I'm hoping ...
by Paul Ont
Sun Oct 25, 2015 7:43 am
Forum: Anything Yucca
Topic: Yucca, zone 4
Replies: 15
Views: 19078

The seed grown "elatas" are maybe 8 (10?) years old now. They were moved once. The arkansana came from a small plant I got from an American friend in Missouri. It's really put on size in the last 2 years. I'd say similar in hardiness to filamentosa, so hardy here but a lack of snow can bur...
by Paul Ont
Sat Oct 24, 2015 6:56 pm
Forum: Anything Yucca
Topic: Yucca, zone 4
Replies: 15
Views: 19078

Also, sorry the pictures are sideways. I should have fixed that.
by Paul Ont
Sat Oct 24, 2015 4:20 pm
Forum: Anything Yucca
Topic: Yucca, zone 4
Replies: 15
Views: 19078

Yucca, zone 4

A few pictures of the Yucca in my cactus bed: Part I: <img src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/688/22419987916_6d4846761f_c.jpg" width="800" height="600" alt="DSCN3449"> Part II: <img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5807/21824794443_95fcefa5a6_c.jpg&q...
by Paul Ont
Tue Oct 13, 2015 10:06 am
Forum: Anything Yucca
Topic: My yuccas 2015 (lots of pics!)
Replies: 24
Views: 31183

I just feel lucky to be able to grow other varieties besides filamentosa & glauca, I think hybrids are the way to go if you have cold/very cold winters :wink: I might suggest that they are the ONLY way to go! I'm still waiting for someone to make some Yucca brevifolia hybrids. I was able to ove...
by Paul Ont
Wed Sep 16, 2015 4:06 pm
Forum: Cold Hardy Palms
Topic: What palm can survive 37 nights of 10F or less/17 zero/less
Replies: 19
Views: 14122

Pretty impressive Jim! How may GDD do you have there? I can't get anything close to that level of recovery up here!
by Paul Ont
Sun Sep 13, 2015 5:47 pm
Forum: Anything Yucca
Topic: My yuccas 2015 (lots of pics!)
Replies: 24
Views: 31183

Cool stuff! Hope to see some of those hybrids make it through the winter! You're in a similar (but slightly warmer?) zone than I am, I'm in a solid 4b near Kingston, ON.

I'll see if I can't grab some pics of mine in a few weeks for comparison.
by Paul Ont
Mon Aug 24, 2015 6:37 am
Forum: Cold Hardy - General
Topic: Musa Basjoo Going to bloom!!
Replies: 12
Views: 11232

Awesome! Out here (zone 4) I've never got them to grow beyond 8' and stopped protecting. Might just be worth another try some day! Well done!
by Paul Ont
Thu Aug 20, 2015 8:30 am
Forum: Cold Hardy Palms
Topic: Trachycarpus Fortunei & Sabal Palmetto in Toronto, Ontar
Replies: 12
Views: 10587

Hey Chris, I'm in a zone abut 1-1.5 colder than yours. I've got 2 S. minors in the ground... My thought is that if you plant it, a thick layer of mulch combined with a double layer of that white frost cloth would allow you to overwinter it in Toronto. They're tough little palms, tougher than needles...
by Paul Ont
Thu Aug 20, 2015 8:27 am
Forum: Member Introduction
Topic: Hi from Toronto
Replies: 9
Views: 12038

Welcome aboard!
by Paul Ont
Thu Jul 16, 2015 3:39 pm
Forum: Anything Yucca
Topic: Yucca elata bloom
Replies: 15
Views: 19401

AWESOME. That's one impressive Yucca.
by Paul Ont
Mon Jun 22, 2015 6:13 am
Forum: Cold Hardy Palms
Topic: Help from above & some pics
Replies: 8
Views: 6318

So tropical looking as always Jim. Someday I'll try those different Trachycarpus as well, when I have the time to get proper protection on them, that is.

Love the princeps, looking really good. And the T. martianus is also interesting, what low would that have seen in the protection?
by Paul Ont
Sat Jun 13, 2015 6:46 am
Forum: Other Plants of Interest
Topic: Moving a bamboo
Replies: 1
Views: 4327

Moving a bamboo

Even in a northern zone 4b climate a Phyllostachys aureosulcata can get out of hand quickly. I had to move a large chunk of mine because it was running the wrong way. One tool required is a good shovel, I've broken more than my fair share of 'cheap' shovels over the years and finally splurged on a g...
by Paul Ont
Mon Jun 08, 2015 7:49 am
Forum: Other Plants of Interest
Topic: Zone 5 Hardy Bamboo
Replies: 11
Views: 12484

nuda was a total bust here in zone 4b/5a. I heard the same thing from a fellow in Niagara, not that it failed, just that it was like having 'running sticks' as opposed to bamboo. I can't list all of the plants that have failed here, but a list would include: P. vivax, rubromarginata, F. murieale (co...
by Paul Ont
Sun May 31, 2015 8:42 am
Forum: Cold Hardy - General
Topic: Mislabeled very cold hardy plant, help identify
Replies: 3
Views: 4535

Looks like an evergreen Viburnum to me...
by Paul Ont
Thu May 28, 2015 4:41 am
Forum: Cold Hardy Palms
Topic: Garden pics
Replies: 4
Views: 3767

IMpressive the stuff that comes back under the shelter... The soil must not freeze in there??? The Sabals are really interesting to me, how many leaves will they push over the summer in your "hot" summer climate?