Swapping Huckleberries
Himalayan Honeysuckle ( Vaccinium glauco album) Himalayan Honeysuckle ( Vaccinium glauco album) has been an attractive feature along our north-facing foundation since I planted it in 2016. You will have to take my word for it since I cannot locate a photo although I know one exists somewhere in the realm of the Internet or floating on a cloud somewhere. I did locate a photo of how it looked when it was first planted - It took a few years to fill out but it did so nicely to an attractive mound about 2 feet high by 3 feet wide. Last year, it started to look bad. I cut it back but it had not improved and this is how it looked a few weeks ago - I decided to rip it out and plant another huckleberry - this time Vaccinium ovatum , more commonly known as the "Evergreen Huckleberry". This is a plant that I've wanted for ages and kept putting off getting one because I could not find a good place for it. By most accounts, this is an amazing plant, a native one and excellent for
Lovely! Philip...Chuckle, Chuckle to your giving it final notice. I am sure it had planned all along to please you.
ReplyDeleteOOPS! It it too early to up... sorry about the misspell of your name!
ReplyDeleteI have found that when plants are reluctant to bloom, you can also insert a shovel near its root ball or lean an axe against its trunk. Leave them there for a time allowing the plant to ponder its fate.
ReplyDeleteLove the shovel/axe suggestion. :)
ReplyDeleteI've been waiting for more than 10 years for a climbing hydrangea to bloom. At this point it might as well be English ivy, and it will get the same fate in the next year or two if it doesn't produce some flowers.
I think it was worth waiting for. It has a pretty bloom. You must thank it now for blooming. It will appreciate some praise for all its hard work.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if I should say the same to our crape myrtles! It would be an empty threat since I like them as a privacy screen even without the flowers.
ReplyDeleteI should try this with hydrangeas planted last year... looks great! I'm considering planting the dwarf variety to replace/enhance some of my encore azaleas...
ReplyDeletePhillip,
ReplyDeleteI really like those dwarfs too, yours is really pretty. Unfortunately, our room is becoming very limited. So I don't know where we would put them. :-(--Randy
PS- Was it a Jamie that told you to talk to them? LOL
It's a lovely plant, Philip. I have nothing in that color to choose from up here.
ReplyDeleteI'm imagining you out in the garden having long conversations with the blooming plants;)
Marnie
That's okay Carol!
ReplyDeleteLes, I love that idea. That is very funny.
C.C., I have tried to grow cl. hydrangea at least three times and I've never had luck with it. It always dies on me.
Lisa, I should probably tell it thank you.
Dave, usually lack of flowers doesn't bother me unless they are in a place where it is needed.
ReplyDeleteS.A., that is a good idea because you would have spots of color when the azaleas are not blooming.
Randy, it was indeed Jamie!
Marnie, trust me, I don't have long conversations with the plants.
Hmmm, so threats work... LOL I'll have to try that.
ReplyDeletePS I also like Les' idea.
ReplyDeleteFait accompli
ReplyDeleteI'm laughing at Les' idea.
ReplyDeleteFailing that you could write a stinking letter
Did you say what variety it is?
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ReplyDeletePatience paid off for sure! I've threatened plants before and it does seem to help sometimes :)
ReplyDeleteI love those Crape Myrtles. They should be hardy here but I've never seen one for sale...
ReplyDeletePhillip, It's a lovely crape myrtle and it's wonderful that they are now small garden sized! ...and that they are smart enough to listen! gail
ReplyDeleteI had to look up the variety name. It is "Pocomoke".
ReplyDeleteI grow Pocomokes and mine just started blooming. They're blooming much later this year than last year for some reason..
ReplyDeleteIn Michigan, crepe myrtle is one of those things you hear about but never see (one zone too cold). I was excited to see several at MOBOT, including one the very color of yours. I loved it!
ReplyDeletei am glad to know you have at least a few weeds in your 3/4 acre garden, esp. since my 225 sq. ft. gets the better of me. and that's with about 60 sq. ft. covered in stepping stones.
ReplyDelete