Bogturtle's Garden- December 2023

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Edgeworthia chrysantha will open these silvery buds in latest Winter. The species name, chrysantha, would indicate yellow bloom, and they are quite fragrant.





Really for the first time worth mentioning Chimonanthus praecox, the Wintersweet, was impressive as I walked past it. A beautiful odor, and strong. The yellow and maroon flowers are not much, and that the pale leaves are still hanging, plus the rangy nature of the shrub, are not pluses. But the fragrant bloom, at New Years, is amazing to me. There are two here. The first is by a bedroom window, but we never open it, and certainly not in this season.
The one shown is right where we park the vehicles. A great spot.



Difficult to see a favorite plant decline. This is the rare form of Zenobia pulverulenta, from southern wetlands. 'Dusty Zenobia' in the unique, blue-green leaved form first introduced by the southern Woodlander's Nursery. The leaves do turn orange shades and, as with so many shrubs, more Sun makes for more red. These leaves will hold far into Winter. Shaded and crowded out, I fear.


Kind of caught by a shaft of weak Winter Sun, Mahonia 'Charity' again shows up in bloom at this most unusual time. 


Taken through a window and with the zoom feature, this photo is unclear. But it still shows the unusual yellow and golden bark of the one variety of Japanese Maple, Acer platanum 'Biajou', I think. Probably rooted in this spot right through the old cedar container into the ground.
 Year to year changes are interesting. The Witches Broom 'Fjelheim', is growing as a dwarf tree at the corner of the screened porch. This year it did not shed the leaves. So the red twigs are not a nice display, now. Strange. The twigs are only red for their first year or two, so any red color would be on the short, newest twigs. Covered with unshed leaves this year. The main trunk and larger branches are grayish. The form 'Sango Kaku' from which this Witches Broom,'Fjelheim' is derived, is growing in a pot outside my church's front door. It has shed all its leaves.  In some neighborhoods that tree is retaining brilliant red bark even into some of the main branches and is quite brilliant. It's not the only red barked form among Japanese Maples now sold.


Comments

  1. SallysmomDecember 10, 2023 at 5:36 AM

    I wonder if you could take a root cutting & start a new plant?

    ReplyDelete

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