Archive for the ‘tree characteristics’ Category

Walks in the woods: Olbrich Gardens and  U.W. Arboretum-Longenecker Display Gardens

It’s that time of  year — you better get out and smell the flowers!

What’s in bloom?

Amelanchier  (Serviceberry species)

Magnolias (certain varieties and lots more on the way)

Cercis canadensis (Eastern Redbud Trees)

Rhododendrons & Azaleas

And lots more to come. Enjoy!

Possible stocking stuffers for you or your loved ones? Some might not fit, though. Hopefully, you can get a hold of these at the library or go ahead and order for yourself for Christmas or just for the heck of it — hey, it’s winter in Wisconsin.

Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs – Michael A. Dirr — If you haven’t heard of Michael Dirr, you need to attend more gardening functions, he’s the king.

Perennials – Garden Handbooks — A photographic guide to more than 1,000 plants by type size, season of interest, and color

Flowering Crabapples (The Genus Malus) – Fr. John L. Fiala — “Father Fiala bring 50 years of passionate interest in the hybridization and cultivation of the ornamental crabapple to his readers.”

Growing Shrubs and Small Trees in Cold Climates – Nancy Rose, Don Selinger, and John Whitman

Trees of Wisconsin Field Guide – Stan Tekiela — Every tree lover and hiker should have this in their stocking this year. If you don’t know what the trees are in your yard – you need this field guide. (New version came out last year).

Birdscaping In The Midwest – Mariette Nowak — If you like the birdies and the beauty of native plants, you will not be able to put this down.  Absolutely knockout photos of native plants and birds.  I’ve featured this one in our “Growing With Ganshert’s” newsletter.

And if it still isn’t spring yet and you finished reading all of the above, don’t forget The Pruner’s Handbook by John Malins — It’s the Ganshert staff go-to for specific pruning questions on a particular genus or species of plant or tree.

HAPPY READING!                 THINK SPRING.  

Yes, Good Landscape Design! Oh, and Conifers aren’t Just Green Anymore

Conifers provide winter interest and gives something for the pretty snow to fall on and drape over. There are many, many more evergreen varieties that provide all shapes, sizes, and colors. So much for just forest green, add some color to your yard, even in the dead of winter!

Now there are Junipers, Arborvitae, and Cedar that provide burgundy foliage in the winter: Creeping juniper ‘Youngstown’; Arborvitae ‘Degroot’s Spire’; or White Cedar Red Star ‘Rubicon’. All of these varieties turn either bronze or plum-colored in the winter.

If you want chartreuse to add a little winter interest, choose from Sea of Gold Juniper and Sawara falsecypress ‘Lemon Thread’.

Or still like that blue-green foilage? You can go with Dwarf Alberta spruce ‘Blue Wonder’ or Dwarf Himalayan pine ‘Nana’, both with blue-green needles.

If you can’t have flowers, you might as well have color. Good design stands out in every season. Get a good designer (that’s us) and a good design that offers structure to show off winter and all its wonder and beauty. Oh, don’t forget to invite the birds. Plant conifers, shrubs with winter berries, and ornamental trees — add a birdfeeder and they will come.

Walkabout to Talk About Urban Forests with Tree Expert R. Bruce Allison

Madison arborist and author R. Bruce Allison will lead an hour-long walkabout through the natural areas at Troy Gardens on Sunday, October 3 at 10:00 a.m. Dr. Allison will share tree stories, encourage stewardship of natural resources and discuss threats to our forests such as Emerald Ash borer (EAB). Emerald Ash Borer is a deadly pest insect affecting all ash trees and is moving toward our area. Homeowners and community members are encouraged to learn about trees, support urban forests and discuss EAB strategies.

Dr. Allison holds a master’s of science in forestry and a PhD in land resources from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is the author of several books and articles about trees, the most recent being a revision of “Wisconsin’s Champion Trees: A Tree Hunter’s Guide” and “Every Root an Anchor: Wisconsin’s Famous and Historic Trees.”

Please gather at the yellow shed at Troy Gardens, along the 500 block of Troy Drive.  All ages are welcome. Coffee and treats will be provided.

The Troy Gardens Walkabout is sponsored by Community GroundWorks and is funded in part by an urban forestry grant from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Forestry Program.

For further information, visit http://www.communitygroundworks.org/

About Community GroundWorks, Inc.

Community GroundWorks is a nonprofit organization that connects diverse communities to nature and local, healthful food. Through hands-on education, children and adults learn gardening, urban farming, healthy eating, and natural areas restoration. Organized in 2001 as The Friends of Troy Gardens―in Madison, Wisconsin―Community GroundWorks serves communities and schools across the region. For more information, visit www.communitygroundworks.org or call (608) 240-0409.

According UW Extension, and contrary to popular belief, evergreens don’t keep their needles forever. Older inner needles may turn yellow in late summer or fall. Why, you ask? Because shorter days trigger this condition. People who are not familiar with this natural process may be concerned and worried that their conifers are sick or dying.

White pines are the most dramatically affected. They usually keep 3 years of needles in summer and two in winter. The 3-year-old needles may turn yellow throughout the tree in fall. Japanese yews turn yellow and drop in late spring or early summer of their 3rd year.

Austrian and Scots’ pines also fall into the 3-year-old needle drop. Red pine and Norway pine go through this cycle every 4 years.

Spruce and fir needles drop with age. These evergreen retain needles for several years, so you may not see needle drop unless you look closely on inner branches.

Needle drop patterns vary from tree to tree and from year to year. During times of stress e.g.,  during periods of drought, like too much or not enough water, insect damage, or disease problems, needle drop may be more obvious and more severe.