Last week, Diana from Elephant’s Eye, wanted to know, if you could pick one tree, what would it be? Although, I love trees and could certainly think of a dozen off the top of my head, that I MUST have, Cornus kousa is my favourite.
I planted this tree, which was also my mum’s fav, when she passed away a few years ago. And I waited, and I waited for it to flower. It looked healthy, and it certainly grew, but no flowers.
Until last year. When I arrived back in Canada in April, I noticed what appeared to be flower buds on the Cornus. Could this be its year? I watched all of May as the buds swelled, and I could clearly distinguish the leaf buds from, yay, flower buds. But, boo, I was leaving to go back to Barbados the end of May. It would not bloom until June.
Luckily, 2 lovely ladies came to my rescue. First, Carol, from Gardening Tips and Pics, took some photos of my garden in mid June, and there it was, a bloom on the Cornus.
Still greenish, it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. So when my neighbour, e-mailed me some photos of the garden,
including a closeup of the now white Cornus, I was ecstatic. And I asked her to go back and take a photo of the whole tree,
I wanted to count just how many blooms were on it.
Yay, there are so many, I couldn’t count them all, so excited.
If you would like to read about Carol’s first visit to Kilbourne Grove (and see a photo of me), you can here.
I am a floral designer living in a tiny condo in downtown Toronto, Canada's largest city. But on the weekend, I am a gardener/frustrated architect trying to keep up with a 3/4 acre garden in Owen Sound, Ontario, a warm (to Canadians, Zone 5b, and a cold (to Americans, Zone 4b) garden.
Green Theatre 
David Leeman said,
February 17, 2012 @ 6:14 AM
One of my favorite trees as well……”Cherokee Chief” is another standout..variegated yellow/ green leaves that turn red in fall…..
kilbournegrove said,
February 20, 2012 @ 11:12 AM
Oooo, another one for my wish list.
Pauline Mulligan said,
February 17, 2012 @ 9:01 AM
No wonder you love your tree so much and planted it in memory of your mother, it’s beautiful. Mine is the sturdy english oak, we have 6 in the garden, one is approx 300 yrs old, what a lot of changes it has seen in the world!!
kilbournegrove said,
February 20, 2012 @ 11:12 AM
Lucky you Pauline, if only they could talk.
Barbara H. said,
February 17, 2012 @ 5:05 PM
It’s so beautiful and looks so healthy! Now that it’s really established, I hope it fulfills your wildest imaginings of how it will look. I was very fortunate to have 11+ (some in the woods) dogwoods on my property in the lawn areas. Lots of little dogwoods in the woods, too. Maybe this spring some of the woods babies will have grown enough to flower.
What a lovely connection with your mother.
kilbournegrove said,
February 20, 2012 @ 11:13 AM
Now that it is happy Barbara, I shall have to start checking for babies as well, would love to find some.
Jean said,
February 17, 2012 @ 7:44 PM
Oh, it is wonderful to have something full of blooms after waiting so long. I had the same experience with a rhododendron last year; and I’m crossing my fingers that it wasn’t a one-off and that the shrub will be covered with blooms again this year.
kilbournegrove said,
February 20, 2012 @ 11:14 AM
My fingers are crossed as well Jean.
debsgarden said,
February 17, 2012 @ 11:09 PM
Oh, your June garden is so lovely, and your new tree is a real star! I saw one advertised in a catalogue, and it looked just like yours, full of blooms. I am terribly tempted!
kilbournegrove said,
February 20, 2012 @ 11:14 AM
It would certainly look nice in your woodland, Deborah.
Elephant's Eye said,
February 18, 2012 @ 4:44 AM
Now I can see where your love of green and white bouquets comes from. Harmonious and peaceful perfection.
kilbournegrove said,
February 20, 2012 @ 11:15 AM
I am still toying with the idea of a white and green only garden, I do love it.
garden muses said,
February 18, 2012 @ 7:17 AM
I knew we were kindred spirits! Kousa’s blooms, fruit and fall foliage make it a winner (and there are dozens of varieties) in my garden as well. While it took a while to bloom (several years for my two), it’s definitely worth the wait so see a specimen covered with flowers! Thanks for sharing.
kilbournegrove said,
February 20, 2012 @ 11:15 AM
Maybe I will get to see a photo of yours on your blog this year. And perhaps another one should be coming home with me, lol.
Alistair said,
February 18, 2012 @ 9:27 AM
I love the blooms of this Cornus and glad that you saw them with the kind help of your friend. I think the tree which is one of my favourites is the Acer Griseum with its amazing cinnamon coloured peeling bark. Enjoyed Carolyns look around your garden.
kilbournegrove said,
February 20, 2012 @ 11:16 AM
Love that tree as well Alistar, it would be lovely to have one in my garden, maybe next year.
Marguerite said,
February 18, 2012 @ 11:55 AM
How fortunate you are to have someone keeping an eye on the garden for you and snapping such lovely photos of the blooms for you to see. I love the newly green bloom.
kilbournegrove said,
February 20, 2012 @ 11:17 AM
Carol and Melody certainly made my day when they sent these.
Bridget said,
February 18, 2012 @ 1:00 PM
Beautiful! Those blooms were worth the wait.
kilbournegrove said,
February 20, 2012 @ 11:17 AM
They certainly were.
Laura@PatioPatch said,
February 20, 2012 @ 9:34 AM
I have coveted such a tree for several years Deborah- especially like how it holds its green/white bracts up in such elegantly oriental displays of faux flowers. How exciting to see your Cornus bloom so exuberantly even if virtually.
kilbournegrove said,
February 20, 2012 @ 11:20 AM
Vrtually for both of us Laura. They are gorgeous and the blooms seem to last forever.
spurge said,
February 20, 2012 @ 11:16 AM
I love cornus cousa too, and have always been sad that it doesn’t grow in my area… Thanks for posting pics so I can enjoy it from afar!
kilbournegrove said,
February 23, 2012 @ 11:15 AM
Glad that you are enjoying them from afar, so did I, lol. Hopefully I will be in Canada when it flowers this year, I would hate to miss it again.
Thank you for visiting my blog and leaving a comment, I hope to see you again soon.