Mid-Summer Pics

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 10:44 am

Some Mid-Summer Pics from zone 4/5 near Kingston , Ontario.

R. hystrix and Sabal minor... A couple of the palms I have in the ground:
<img src="http://inlinethumb18.webshots.com/44113 ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="DSC00146">
I missed the main bloom on the needle palm, but here is one of the dried ones...
<img src="http://inlinethumb15.webshots.com/30158 ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="DSC00148">
Basjoo is SLOW this year... I thought it would be over 10' by now... It's barely pusing 8':
<img src="http://inlinethumb25.webshots.com/45464 ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="DSC00150">

Phyllostachys vivax is shooting very late:
<img src="http://inlinethumb42.webshots.com/44777 ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="DSC00149">

Gunnera manicata is slowly picking up steam, hopefully once established it will really take off!
<img src="http://inlinethumb32.webshots.com/45535 ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="DSC00151">

Rhodo's along the woods:
<img src="http://inlinethumb62.webshots.com/31293 ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="DSC00154">

A picture of an area of the woods i've just finished clearing... Pleanty of room for new plants now!
<img src="http://inlinethumb26.webshots.com/43289 ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="DSC00158">
Another shot of the woods:
<img src="http://inlinethumb60.webshots.com/44731 ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="DSC00159">

Another shot of the same:
<img src="http://inlinethumb63.webshots.com/44286 ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="DSC00160">

A dwarf bamboo I just planted last year is now flowering... Great...
<img src="http://inlinethumb49.webshots.com/45936 ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="DSC00138">

<img src="http://inlinethumb37.webshots.com/5092/ ... 600Q85.jpg" alt="DSC00134">

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 3:10 pm

Gunnera looks nice,also looks like a nice spot for it with part sun.Should get some massive leaves next year if you can overwinter it! Good luck

Rubtherock · Post by **Rubtherock** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 7:12 pm

Love what you did with the woods. The rocks give you an amazing base to build with. Look great.

What's the tall grass called?

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Fri Aug 07, 2009 4:27 am

The tall grass is Miscanthus gigantus (AKA Miscanthus floridus). It grows quickly to c. 10 feet then, in fall, send up flower heads another couple feet!

Agreed, I love that rocky area, I'm still thinking about what I should do with that spot... I do have about 200 European Buckthorn trees to get rid of still, but I've cleared the Prickly Ash thickets, so it is coming along...

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Fri Aug 07, 2009 3:43 pm

I love that tall grass.

Okanagan desert-palms · Fri Aug 07, 2009 10:43 pm

Paul nice to see everything doing well. That Bamboo should do well for you. Wow That M.Gigantus grass is something I would like to plant next year. Thanks for sharing those pics.

John

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Sat Aug 08, 2009 6:31 am

Very Nicie Paul!

I love the privacy you have the 2 acres sounds really nice. I found a banana fertilizer out of Florida (big surprize!) that has been working amazing for me so far this season. It's called banana fuel, you have probably heard about it but heres a link anyways. http://www.wellspringgardens.org/servlet/StoreFront The shipping is a bit on the high side but you can order as much as you want for the same price, plus you can get a alocasia for 1 penny with any order. Just a thought for you, it has all the right stuff to send your banana into overdrive.

What are you planing for the woods area? Some more nice rhodes, azaleas, or maybe some mountain laurels would be a nice to look at in the spring. I'm trying three small burford hollys this year aswell, I guess will see if they can really take 0 degrees.

Bill

anttisepp · Post by **anttisepp** » Thu Aug 13, 2009 12:56 am

Fine pics!
How many years have you palms outdoors?
How long is frost period and how hard the frosts?

With best wishes Antti

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Thu Aug 13, 2009 5:27 am

Bill- For the woodland I use use many of the native trees to form the backbone. I have planted a bunch of spruce and pine to serve as windbreaks, and to replace the dying elm forest, and buckthorn. In addition I've just planted some large leaf Magnolia's, Jap. Maples (hooray for end of season sales!), Bamboo, etc. But, eventually, I'm going to need a place to trial my Rhodo seedlings from the various crosses, so the woods will provide a good place for those!

Antti- I have had palms outdoors for 5 years, however those ones pictured are in their 2nd year. They need a ton of protection since the frost period is from October (sometimes September) until April/May. The months of January are the hardest and it will often freeze for weeks on end. This past winter I think we had 3-4 weeks without a positive temperature. The low was -29C, -20f.