Skip to main content

Featured

Clark County Mini-Tour

It is a rare rainy day here in August (or more accurately, a wet, drizzly day). That means a break from watering and a good chance to catch up on blogging and other computer-related tasks. Before I continue with my England tour highlights, I wanted to share photos from this past Sunday's mini-tour of four gardens here in Clark County (an event sponsored by HPSO - Hardy Plant Society of Oregon). I saw three of the gardens on Sunday. I had already visited the fourth one, Lynne Heidsiek's native habitat garden, when she was part of the Study Weekend tour that we were on.  Our first stop was the marvelous shade garden of Margaret Stapenhorst. A bluestone patio is surrounded by towering mature trees that shade a woodland garden. There was a fern table and a moss garden, as well as garden art by Steve Farris. Loved, loved the waterfall. This is what I'd like to do in our front garden, but I don't know if we have the room. Just a few streets over is the garden of Eloise and Bo...

Goodbye to the Mildewed Viburnum

 
The two viburnums ('Spring Bouquet') that were plagued with mildew all last year has been banished from the garden. In hindsight, I'm not sure why I planted them out by the street but I felt that they might make a nice matching anchor to the front gate. I call this area the hell strip although technically I don't think it is that, it is just the strip between the street and the fence. 

The two viburnums had good air circulation with only groundcovers surrounding them and they were in full sun so the mildew problem is puzzling. They were stunning during the winter months when they bloomed. That is, until the mildew began. I've tried Neem and various sprays and even cut them back a little but the problem persisted. 
 

 
Since this area is not regularly irrigated, I've tried to concentrate on drought tolerant plants for this area. The viburnums didn't fit the bill anyway so I didn't feel too bad about replacing them. My neighbor Judy said she would like to try them so I transplanted them to her garden after cutting them back severely and removing all the leaves. It will be interesting to see how they fare for her.
 
Alas, I miss the fullness they provided. The replacements look forlorn but I am excited about the possibilities.
 
First is Pinus sylvestris 'Albyn Prostrata', a dwarf pine that I hope will spread out and create a mounding groundcover. 
 
Pinus sylvestris 'Albyn Prostrata'

 
 
And I finally got a larch, not the big tree one that I'd love to have but a dwarf variety called 'Prag' (Larix decidua). Now the size specifics on this one vary from a height of 2' to 6'.  I searched through my books and online and could not get a concrete answer to this. I do hope the 6' is not true. At least it is a slow grower. 

Right now, it looks unspectacular and has yet to leaf out. These were leftovers from last season at the nursery where I work. I almost bought it several times last year. I finally succumbed, thanks to the viburnums!
 
European Larch (Larix decidua 'Prag')

 


Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Comments

  1. As unfortunate and mysterious as the demise of the viburnums is, its going to be interesting to see if either recovers at the neighbor's garden. An estimated growth of 2'-6' is rather unhelpful, isn't it? at a rate of 3"-6" per year, I suspect it will eventually reach 6'.
    Some plant tags specify growth "in ten years", which I find helpful, but even dwarf conifers don't seem to stop growing, even after 10 years :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Plant tags are indeed not very helpful. I saw one last week that said "6 - 25 ft". Now that is really helpful!

      Delete
  2. I hate plant tags like that, although arguably plant tags that promise a 3x3' plant that result in a 6x6' plus plant are even worse. I hope both your new additions thrive to become plants you love.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment