The Garden of Bogturtle

  4 of the sorts of Witch-Hazels are in bloom. I will try to post better photos, but I am using a Finepix camera unfamiliar to me. The flower setting gives these rather dull results. The one above is really one of the best choices, as it has 0 leaf retention. This one is Hamamelis 'Robert'. This blurry take is of H. 'Jelena', also called 'Copper Beauty'. Another, demonstrating consistently bad leaf retention. H. 'Rochester'. The Van Belder family, in Europe, released these, given names of family members.  H. 'Robert' again, against the bare branches of the Cornelian Cherry 'Golden Glory'. That will be in bloom in about 2 months. Much to my surprise, the solar powered bird feeder will even send videos to my phone. And I took a video of that, put it in the computer and posted it here. Really amateur, but it does show a female Cardinal, distorted as the camera will, eating black sunflower seeds, with a chicadee trying to get some and being b...

 Extreme technology as a Christmas gift. This bird feeder is powered by a solar panel attached to the tree and takes photos of visitors. Then those are sent to my phone. If I can keep squirrels and racoons away, as I do on the other feeder, it should be fine.  Really impressed by the Sun catching these trees, but a still photograph does not nearly approach what was. Still beautiful. Using my zoom feature and out the window. Had to adjust the angle of the camera, so more of the seed is shown. Will post, showing that improvement. And I mentioned I liked the baffle I made of galvanized metal for the old bird feeder.  The flowers of Hamamelis 'Rochester'. One of the earliest of the Witch-Hazel varieties to come into bloom. The half inch wide flowers of the Wintersweet, Chimonanthus praecox. And it is amazing with its odor. Outside my church and still amazing for bark color, is the Japanese Maple named Sango Kaku. I filled the planter, for Christmas, with branches from the Ari...

  Acer palmatum 'Fjelheim', the dwarf witches broom of the commoner 'Sango Kaku', shows how the bark loses its red, after a year or two. But the little tree does show up well against the green of the Kerria bush.  Could not resist this, while I sat at breakfast, 12/30. A ray of Sun hitting the little maple, making it especially brilliant. Just the dwarf form of the Heavenly Bamboo, or Nandina domestica, again.  called 'Harbor Dwarf.  Cannot explain why it has never bloomed or gotten the ornamental berries.  Acer palmatun 'Bijou' was chosen for the yellow bark. Not about to move it.  Likely it is rooted in the ground, now. Little I say is new. The colored bark Dogwood, Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire' is so vigorous that it is relegated to the lawn edge, between some Witchhazel trees and the lawn.  As I have stated, time after time, being home, retired, my attention went to plants that would bloom in Winter. Among those here are this Witchhazel Hamam...

Another 'Blue Shadow' Fothergilla. Nicely backed by dark green of a Leucothoe and Rhododendron.  A shrub that would challenge the noted 'Burning Bush' Euonymus alata, seen everywhere. Shown not coloring as it should, being in considerable shade. This is Enkianthus perulatus, and even while not colored the scarlet, it seems brilliant and somewhat fluorescent. Very much surprised that the Japanese sort of Cornell, C. officianalis, has colored nicely. In the photo, the dark green, in the distance, is the more commonly known European Cornell, or Cornelian Cherry, C. mas.  Shown before, Acer planatum 'Fjelheim' is taking on its usual Fall apricot color. I would not have planted either of the Halesias on the property for their Fall color, but they do turn a fine gold. This is Halesia triptera. The Hamamelis trio again, with Cornus mas to the right. The brightly colored, to the left, is a Sassafras tree. Certainly not welcome in the border of where we park. The brightl...