Posts tagged Acer shirasawanum ‘Aureum’

Spring with Marion Jarvie

June 15, 2012 · Filed under garden visits, Japanese Maples, shrubs, trees · Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I never really know where spring actually ends and summer begins. I know the date, the official date on the calendar. But in real life, it feels different. For me when the tulips and daffodils stop blooming, for me that is the end of spring.  But this was advertised as spring, so I am going with it. I always look for any opportunity I can to take a garden course, I just love to learn. And taking one in an actual garden, instead of a classroom is a huge bonus. You are not looking at carefully composed slides, but at the actual plants, warts and all. So when a course was offered at Marion Jarvies garden, I made sure to sign myself up.

Marion always has the newest and most interesting plants. A lot of growers will ask her to trial plants for them, this helps them decide whether or not they are worthwhile offering to the public. Of course, I see plants that I want, and then find out they are not available yet, or would be out of my budget, at least until they have been on the market for a few years, oh well.

She has quite a few varieties of Cornus, but these 2 really tickled my fancy.

Cornus ‘Venus’ is the largest flowered variety.

These blooms are huge. It really makes an impact from far away, unlike my smaller kousa chinensis.  Also making an impact from further away is Cornus kousa ‘Lemon Ripple’.

Gorgeous yellow and green leaves will certainly add a stunning contrast in the garden. I wish I could have purchased this one as it was for sale, but we were taking the bus to Kilbourne Grove, and Ian did not fancy sitting with it in his lap for the journey, I can’t understand why!

I have been visiting Marions garden for quite a few years, and Acer campestre ‘Carnival’ has always been my favourite tree in her garden

 I have longed for one for years, and finally, this spring, on a visit to Lost Horizons with teza, I was able to purchase one.  Look at how white the leaves are, a lovely contrast to the weeping Cornus beside it. Of course it will be a few years before mine is as statuesque as this one, but I am willing to wait.

Another tree with lovely white foliage is

Cornus alternofolia ‘Argentea’, and Marion also has this one. It can be the Holy Grail for gardeners in North America, difficult to find, and very expensive if you find it, but an amazing tree.

Japanese maples are a highlight in this garden, and she has many forms. My favourite is this one.

 I am going out on a limb here, as I forgot to pack my notebook with the name in it, but I am pretty sure it was ‘Koto No Ito”, Strings of a Harp.

I love the contrast of the two different sizes of leaves, and look at it with the Berberis, gorgeous. Hopefully you will see this combination at Kilbourne Grove one day.

Another gorgeous Japanese maple is “Geisha’. 

Marion actually has two,

 one planted in a bit more of a shaded woodland setting, beside ‘Peaches and Cream”, and the other with more sun.

That one is certainly more pink, it really stands out in the garden. ‘Geisha Gone Wild’ is in the front garden,

it is also quite pink, but has a contrasting edge on the leaf, where ‘Geisha’ has a contorted dot of green.

I also spied a

 Full Moon Maple or Acer shirasawnum, as well, I am not sure if I mentioned that I purchased one last fall, sale item of course.  From what I understand there is two different varieties,

this one has some colour on it in the spring, can anyone tell me if these are both shirasawnum?

I purchased a dwarf Berberis ‘Gold Nugget) from Marion a couple of years ago, and it looks good all year. This has opened my eyes up to growing more Berberis, and Marion has a couple of beauties,

 including this one called ‘Sensation’. love it,

also ‘Golden Rocket’ another amazing berberis.

Another tree I have been toying with the idea of purchasing is the Fringe tree, Chionanthus virginicus .

 Marion has just planted one and I look forward to seeing it mature in the years to come, certainly not a common tree.

When I had stayed with my friend Barry, I noticed a beautiful Juniper ‘Gold Coin’ (which also seems to be known as ‘Gold Cone’),  then I happened to see it in Marion’s garden as well.  

This one is tiny, but Barry’s is over 6 feet tall.

Once you notice something it seems you see it everywhere and you wonder why you were blind to it for so long. And since I seem to be on a golden foliage kick lately, I am certainly adding one of these to my (ever-growing)wish list.

I love how Marion layers hers trees and shrubs,

 hope I can achieve a similar effect at Kilbourne Grove one day.

When I was at the front of her garden I spied this shrub.

It was only released a few years ago, and I have never seen it in real life. Viburnum plicatum ‘Popcorn’ grows in tiers like other double file viburnums, but the flowers are ball like instead of flat.

This part was interesting for me.

Marion had this Salix integra ‘Hakuro-nishiki’ as a shrub in her garden and decided she wanted to make a tree from it,

looks amazing. I happen to have five that were free from work and I have always been wondering what to do with them, mine are a bit rangy. She clips it twice per year as the new growth is the most sensational! Great idea.

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A Day Out with the Fabulous Mr. T

May 1, 2012 · Filed under garden visits · Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

See what happens to me when I meet a man for the first time.

Straight, gay, it doesn’t matter, they fall to the ground in amazement at my beauty, lol.

Barry, aka Teza, and I finally met for the first time. Despite all my enticements, and finding a huge bed for us to share, the man did everything he could to resist me. But on Friday, it finally happened, out eyes met and we stared in longing, then stated bitchslapping each other, I want that plant, no its mine. Tee hee,  there was a lot of that going on.

I was super excited when I drove from Owen Sound to meet Teza. He was one of the first Canadian garden bloggers to welcome me to the world, and was highly influential on me joining Blotanical. When he first left a comment on my blog, I had only been blogging for 3 months, and was flabberghasted when he left a comment. One smart ass comment, lead to another, led to e-mailing, and joining up on his seminar.  But with a 1 and a half hour distance, and limited time on the weekends, it was not until this year that we were able to meet.

I was quite surprised when I finally got to see his kids. I know he has mentioned that he has a very small space to garden in, but even  looking at his photos, I didn’t quite realize just how small.

 It is stuffed full of goodness, and I made a few high pitched squeals myself.

Larix decidua 'Horstmann's Recurva'

Abies koreana 'Horstmann's Silberlocke'

Acer campestre 'Carnival'

And was tempted to grab a shovel when his back was turned. After very generously gifting me with two fabulous Arisaemas and a fern leaf peony, OMG, we put the pedal to the metal and headed to Lost Horizons.

I had only visited once, and it was years ago, so I was really looking forward to seeing the display gardens again, and especially with such a knowledgeable guide.

 Teza has worked here in the past, so any obscure plant that I wanted to know what it was, he was able to provide the info, (or maybe he made it up, I certainly wouldn’t know, lol). With a lot of bending over, (little did I know that I would see photos of that on his blog), and grunting and groaning, (yoga, don’t fail me know),

Veratrum nigrum

Darn it, I can’t remember which anemone this is right now, but I know I must have it.

I took a huge number of photos of plants that I just have to have. (I am shaking my head as I type this, my good intentions with Kilbourne Grove, my forever garden, of not having a huge collection of one ofs, but drifts instead, is seriously falling by the wayside).

Milium effusum 'Aureum'

And look, what a brilliant idea. I am going to plant Bowles golden grass under my Redbud, Cercis canadensis, you know I am loving chartreuse and fuschia right now.

I also love this, look at the rhythm provided by these columnar yews, want these as well.

A new part to Lost Horizons, at least to me, is the knot and formal garden.

Love the Beech topiaries

 This was certainly an area to inspire me, love the knot,

 and look at this avenue. Could it be a Lime Walk? It is certainly Tilias, and look his is pleaching them as well.

His way looks a lot easier then mine, perhaps I went a bit to far with the poles and the wire.

Although I had a list of the woody plants that I am trying to restrict myself to, with such an enabler, a few more fell into my garden cart. I managed to restrict myself to spring or fall bloomers, deciding there is no point in purchasing plants that would bloom while I am in Barbados, although Molly the Witch, Paeonia mlokosewitschii did give me a bit of a tussle. I certainly tried to limit myself, (Ian will be happy), as I know I will be attending the ORGS on May 6th and will be heading off to Kingston, the middle of May, where another garden enabler will be no doubt be encouraging me to buy, buy, buy.

We loaded up the car, and I was struck by how ‘girly’ my purchases looked next to Tezas

Mine

Teza's

 That surprised me as I don’t consider myself having girly taste. But maybe I do. What do you think?

After a lovely lunch (thanks again for buying Teza), we visited Little Tree, employer of the fabulous Mr. T. I hope they appreciate what a treasure they have, every where I looked I could see signs of how he wants to make this garden centre into a destination spot. Cornus Venus, Cornus  ‘Wolf Eyes’, a gorgeous yellow magnolia that I forgot the variety of , Acer shirasawanum ‘Aureum’ and Acer palmatum ‘Ukigumo’ or more commonly known as  ‘Floating Cloud’, all plants that I soooo want in my garden, and was very, very tempted to purchase, (still am, I could be back there in an hour)!  But, somehow, I restrained myself, thinking of lovely Acer campestre ‘Carnival’ waiting for me in the back seat of my car. 

I don’t need anything more, do I?

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Summer Pruning in the Jarvie Garden

July 30, 2010 · Filed under grasses, perennials, shrubs, trees · Tagged , , , , , , , ,

I hope that I never lose my interest in learning. I think that I could be a perpetual student, at least in subjects I am interested in, lol. I love, love taking garden courses. I have taken quite a few over the years, but my favourite teacher has to be Marion Jarvie.  Every course I have taken with her, I have come out a better gardener. She opened my mind to using trees and shrubs, the way other gardeners use perennials.

 I have taken lots of courses with her, but on Wednesday it was pruning, and it was in her own garden. This was so much better than taking it at the Toronto Botanical Gardens, I am always looking for an excuse to get to see Marions garden. It was also a lot of fun that my friend Barry Parker was there as well. (We actually went to a garden centre after for a spot of shopping).

We started at the road side with a Japanese Maple that she had planted 25 years ago.  It was one of the first trees that she planted on her property and it is huge. Now it is overhanging the driveway a bit too much and needs pruned back.

You have to cut back a tree or shrub gradually, do not try to shape it all in one year. It is best to prune it over 2 or 3 years and give the plant time to acclimatize.  Marion had a friend, David Leeman there to do the heavy work. He is making sure he knows exactly what branch she wants removed, after all you can’t glue it back on.

David removes the branch gradually, first using lopers to take off some of the thinner branches at the end,

and then getting out the saw. He used the saw in two spots, first reducing the length of the branch. This is so, when he cuts it close to the trunk, it weight of it does not tear the bark.  You also want to cut it close to the trunk, but not too close, it is a fine line.  Marion said that you can prune a Japanese Maple any time, except when the days are above freezing, and the nights are below. This is the classic ‘maple syrup’ time, the sap starts to flow , you do not want the tree to ‘bleed’.  I should have taken and after picture, but you really couldn’t see the difference, the mark of a good pruner.

Look at the lovely underplanting of the Japanese maple, Athyrium ‘Ghost’, Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ and a variegated hosta, I could copy this look.

After the course was over, I took a look around Marion’s garden. This maple is on my wish list for next year, it is Acer shirasawanum ‘Aureum’, or the Full Moon Maple.

I love euphorbias, there are a lot of variegated ones out there now, like ‘Ascot Rainbow’, or ‘Silver Swan’.

Under her arbour, a pale pink, double rose of sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), a  red Japanese maple and a lovely variegated grass. I could duplicate this as well.

Here is something else I would like to try, if I could only get Ian to go for it. She topped her blue spruce, and has pruned it well.

Between her and Barry, I can’t decide whose ligularia is lovelier, hopefully mine will be nice as well one day.

I love this small clematis scrambling through the perennials, it is called ‘Rooguchi’, 2 o’s on the tag, but when I googled it, there was only one o.

A golden dawn redwood or Metasequoia, is also being pruned. She is keeping it to roughly 10 feet tall, cut off the leader 2 years ago. It also has a lovely clematis scrambling through it.

Lastly, a great example of pruning. This is a golden euonymous. It has been trained on a pole and kept clipped in a columnar fashion. I could copy that too!

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