Strawberry Tree
Since moving to Washington, I have discovered a great number of new trees. One of my favorites is the Strawberry Tree ( Arbutus unedo ). It is a four-season tree with semi-glossy evergreen leaves and lovely mahogany bark. In autumn, clusters of white flowers appear, bearing a resemblance to Lily-of-the-Valley flowers. And then there are the little fruits, which resemble strawberries that appear at the same time as the flowers. I am not sure why, but I have only seen a few fruits on ours. I don't know if birds are getting them before I see them or what happens. The fruits are said to be edible but not very tasty (to humans). This year, our tree is loaded with flowers, the most I've ever seen. Bees absolutely love it and so do the hummingbirds. The flowers usually continue to appear straight through winter, and it can be blooming even during the coldest periods of winter. Aside from the fact that I have not seen much of the colorful fruits, the major negative note is the fact tha
Hi Phillip, the frost looks so pretty on your plants! I love the tiny cones on the Hinoki Cypress. I probably couldn't resist to use some branches for the Christmas decoration indoors.
ReplyDeleteThe dry stack wall that you started to build looks fabulous. I think you really will enjoy it in the years to come, so the investment is well worth it.
Last but not least gorgeous Christmas tree. Happy 2nd of Advent!
Warm regards,
Christina
Hi Philip, last night our temps here in Alabama dropped into the upper 20s also. Winter has definitely arrived! I love your close-up images of the frosty foliage. They are quite beautiful. About the cost of those rocks: I sympathize. I once bought a load of rocks, and a Mexican delivered them for me. He mentioned that in his country such rocks lay everywhere and were free for the taking. He laughed and said, "You Americans will pay for anything!"
ReplyDeleteI have never seen cones on a Hinoki Cypress. My HC is too young to have cones but I have seen more mature plants around here and never a cone on them. They are beautiful. I hope my Hinoki grows up to have these cones. I understand the pain of having to pay for rocks especially when I know people that fuss about all the rocks they have to pull out of their fields. If their fields were around here I would oblige them by bringing loads of them to my garden to make walls. I love stone walls. They give such personality to a garden. Your terraced area will be such a handsome addition to the garden. Good luck with it. The corner windows are a perfect setting for your Christmas tree. Keep warm.
ReplyDeleteAh, your pictures of frost are so pretty! I was wondering if frost would eventually hit you folks down near Portland. We've been getting overnight frost up in the Seattle area for the past week. It takes all morning to dissipate and warm up, which makes working in the garden difficult. I don't like the cold any more than I like extreme heat. Your terraced area is looking good, it's really coming along nicely.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful frosty photos, still no frost at our house. The winds from the Columbia River Gorge are keeping things stirred up just enough I guess. The last shot, of the decorations on the mailbox, is so pretty I thought "I should do something like that!"...then I remembered we don't have a mailbox at the street. Oh well...
ReplyDeletePhilip! What gorgeous frosty pictures! The color of your Aurea, mugo pine, is beautiful!! My 'Louie' eastern white pine hasn't turned a golden hue yet...I'm waiting. I understand your pain about the price of hardscaping material. My projects are on hold as well, but you are making progress and it will be worth it after all the saving and sacrifice! Happy Winter!!
ReplyDeleteLovely frosty photos ! You must have braved the cold for a bit . I was complaining about the all the rain , now I'm too cold to enjoy the frosty garden .
ReplyDeleteI never had cones on my HC either, maybe because it's a dwarf. I love what you are doing with the terraces: one full load at a time, you'll get there. Pinus mugo 'Aurea' is so bright it really stands out this time of year.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos and holiday decorations.
ReplyDeleteYou sir, are an artist!
What a great Christmas tree!
ReplyDeletePhillip, it's all beautiful with the light dusting of frost. Merry Christmas to you and Michael. I hope it's your best yet. Why are rocks so danged expensive I wonder? They are here too.~~Dee
ReplyDeleteThe cones on the conifer look like frosted cranberries in that picture. All of your frosty pictures are gorgeous.
ReplyDelete