End Of March Arbutus

We have trailing arbutus growing in three separate locations here.  A small wild patch grows near the gravel bank and is still covered with more than one foot of snow.  Our first cluster of transplants is at the base of the cone shaped hill near the driveway.  Safe from predators under a bright silver wire cage, these plants are beginning to emerge from the snow cover.  I did shovel away the snow down to the top of the cage several days ago.  New transplants are located at a considerable distance from the house and were seen for the first time just yesterday.

These old transplants are still covered in part with beady snow.  Two clusters of blossom buds provide hope that the time for flowers grows near.  The cycle of these evergreen leaves is still poorly understood here.  Four brown leaves can be seen in the photo but their identity is unknown.  We have yet to see dead arbutus leaves in any number.  We have been watching these plants for nearly five years.  That would suggest that most of these green leaves are really old.  When this plants thaws, the identity of the brown leaves will be determined.  For now the only safe course is limited to visual inspection.

This is a new transplant moved nearly one year ago.  The circle of large leaves is the new growth produced last summer.  The interior clump is the original plant.  Its previous location exposed the plant to full sun and its leaves were small and sun scorched at moving day. New growth makes a circle around the old growth.  A sharp contrast in leaf size might allow us to determine just how long individual leaves remain alive.  It continues to appear that transplantation of small arbutus plants is possible if their need for a wild location is satisfied.

This cluster of three small leaves has been under observation since last fall.  It gives every appearance of being a new daughter arbutus plant from seed.  Located on the edge of the soil clump that was moved along with a larger arbutus, we have no way of knowing just how long this seed was waiting to begin life.  We did plant seed last summer and are anxiously awaiting any sign that germination is underway.  Someday soon all of this snow should be gone and we will have a chance for a proper look about.

More Winter Ready Than Yesterday

Two issues demanded attention today with the sharp moderation in outside temperatures.  We usually head into winter with sixty gallons of road sand stored in two garbage pails in the basement.  One pail was only half full and that needed fixing.  Sifting cold wet sand is a rather unpleasant chore but just being able to work outside made the task almost pleasant.   While working at the gravel bank I did get to see two Great Blue Herons fly close by below the tree line.  They must have just taken flight from the nearby river.  One announced my presence with a honk as they flew towards the pines near the house.

Recent high winds had dropped a branch onto the lane near the arbutus wall.  I had moved it to the side but more wind rolled it back into the lane.  Today seemed like the time to move all of the fallen branches there to the brush pile at the gravel bank.  Continued attention here will at the very least make it so that I can mow down the goldenrod and the pricker bushes.  With a stone bench and arbutus plants already in place, this might be a good location for more of a wild flower garden.

Anytime that I pass by the transplanted arbutus plants, they get a close look.  Much to my surprise, I found a new seedling growing very close to one of the transplants.  There is no way to know if this plant is growing from seed dropped in the past or from this year's seed.  I placed no seed in this spot but ants could have dropped it here either this year or in the past.  The seeds I did plant have shown no growth to date.  It may be that they must pass through a cold period before sprouting.  In any event, it was a major thrill to find a new arbutus plant growing here.  My goal is to help establish naturally increasing plantings of this native treasure.

Chrysanthemums are another difficult plant that I insist on trying to grow here.  Our winters are harsher by one climate zone than these plants prefer.  This slip of a mail order plant required two growing seasons to make a decent showing and we would like to aid its return next year.

We intentionally left the dead growth in place until today.  Secured to the ground, it was where we needed it.  Cutting it back revealed a encouraging amount of new growth.

Placing the cut stems over the original plant creates an airy but protected spot for the new growth.  If our coming snow cover is more or less continuous and low temperatures are not extreme, we should have enough new plants for several impressive plantings.

Weather forecasts predict a return to unseasonably cold temperatures.  We may have one more day to continue work on next year's garden.  If rain spoils our fun, we can recall seeing both a new arbutus plant and the possible promise of many beautiful chrysanthemums.

Blanketed With Snow

After the snowfall yesterday, the Stone Wall Garden is blanketed with snow.  We elected to spend the storm day inside with our gardening books.  William Cullina is a favorite contemporary author and we discovered his internet article about trailing arbutus.  He tells all about his highly successful technique for growing arbutus from seed.  Ed has read the article several times and is making his plans for next summer.  

Ed's project for the day was the clearing of the snow from driveway, paths, and vehicles.  Since his snow blower barely got out of the shed last winter, he is just now becoming more acquainted with the use of the machine.  I can see the bond between man and machine growing the more he uses it.  Today he said, "It is wonderful!"

Ed left his work and came in to warm up and have lunch. We were enjoying a steaming bowl of West African Groundnut Stew  when Ed spotted movement out the kitchen window. This is the view to the North that we enjoy looking out the kitchen window.  Today we saw a mature bald eagle flying over the river.  The eagle was flying below the ridge across the valley so white head and tail were unmistakable.  Since our home is sited on a plain overlooking the river, the eagle was flying level with our line of sight.  It is always a special day when we see an eagle.  This one turned and flew up river then turned again so we had a good long look.

Ed is back out there putting the finishing touches on his snow removal work.   Tomorrow we will make that trip to town that we have been putting off.  Snow is a mixed blessing.  It is quiet and looks beautiful.  It provides moisture and protection for the garden plants.  Its removal uses a lot of time and equipment.  Some of us are white knuckled when driving on it. Others like Ed take it as a challenge and find it rather exciting and fun.   The Town crew plows our road last, so it is hard packed when they get here.  It will be slippery, coated with packed snow until the next thaw.