New Growth

Trailing arbutus has been a center of our attention for the twenty-eight years that we have been here.  Our small naturally occurring patch is still here and with its wire cage cover it no longer occasionally disappears but its poor location keeps it small.  The plants in the first photo are our last successful attempt to transplant this native treasure.  Placed under a huge old White pine tree, these Arbutus live on a deep deposit of rotting pine needles.  The dark green leaves are perhaps several years old.  The light green leaves growing from fuzzy stems are new growth.  Today just seemed like a good time to look in on these plants.

This picture clearly shows different stages of new growth.  The sizeable bright green leaf is new growth but is older than the new stem to its left.  It has a new leaf that has just started to grow.  In the center of the photo, at least two seed berries can be seen.  They are flanked by the remains of  blossoms that were not fertilized.  This plant produces viable seed every year but we can not be certain that any new plants appear here.  Their first year's growth consists of three small leave while the two mature plants have spread filling the protected area under the cage.

These plants grow adjacent to the lane far away from our other plants.  The center of this photo shows many female flowers that have failed to grow seeds.  Earlier this year I watched a bumble bee enter these open blossoms.  She was much larger than the flowers and frequently pulled the petals from the flowers as she backed out.  I saw this ground covered with white petals.  That in itself does not guarantee sterile flowers but some factor  left these clusters sterile.  In the upper right corner of the picture a developing seed cluster is visible.

This is the planting under the huge pine tree.  Old leaves are dark green while new leaves are bright and light.  This combination of old growth and new leaves is what makes it impossible to spot new growth from seed.  We are pleased that these two original plants are doing so well.  New growth now extends beyond the cage inviting us to try again to root cuttings and drawing in rabbits to feed on these apparently tasty leaves.  We were very lucky as this old pine did suffer breakage from that heavy snow storm but none of the fallen branches hit this cage.
 

Third Generation Family Treasure

We know with certainty that this nameless Iris has been in the family for three generations.  They once grew at the home of Becky's maternal grandmother.  Becky's mother always took parts of this plant with her wherever she was to live next.  Several locations in southeastern Pennsylvania had a connection with the family home since this plant always grew where they lived.  That includes a trip to Georgia followed by a move to New York.  We may be the last plant growing branch on the family tree so the journey may be over.  However, through the years many friends have asked for a piece of this iris.  Sharing iris is like sharing love. The more you give the more you have!

 

This nearly ancient plant has a complex combination of colors.  We are always impressed by a sharp line of white edging a blossom.  The purity of the three upward pointing petals is nothing short of amazing.  Add to that a delicious scent and it seems that plant is unusually configured for a plant that is this old.  We often wonder just what was the original source of this Iris.  This plant has a modest size but so did Grandmother Torbert.

This rose came to us from a friend not family.  Elle gave us both a red rose and this yellow one.  Our lack of knowing the needs of these plants resulted in the loss of the red one.  This plant holds ground near the house so it does get proper care if you allow for the lack of pruning this year.  We respond to Forsythia blossoms to tell us that it is time to prune the roses.  This year those flowers were almost totally absent here.

This beautiful flower always reminds us of both Elle and her service for our country during the Second World War.  She was a nurse and was assigned to care for wounded soldiers as they were flown from Europe to the home country.  Blossoms at Memorial Day seem to us to honor her service.