Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Damages

(The title above is in homage to the season finale of the TV show, Damages which I am way too addicted to watching.)

Friko commented on how lovely the flowers were in one of my recent posts and 'bemoaned' that I truly had a green thumb and must have a perfect garden.  (If she only knew!)  Her recent post had commented on how harshly the winter had treated many of the perennials in her garden. Lest my readers get the wrong idea about my gardening success...here is a dose of reality.



The long and hard winter has changed how the wild dogwoods bloomed this spring at the edge of my woods.  Perhaps the harsh temperatures froze the buds or perhaps the birds or squirrels or raccoons had eaten the new growth during the winter as I have only a 'handful' of blossoms per tree as can be seen below.




My rhododendron, above, purchased on sale at a hefty price last fall has suffered tremendously from the heavy winter snows.  It is just a shadow of itself and I fear it will not survive the summer!  I was told when I took in a branch that it was getting too much water...but I think it is something more. I expect perhaps one blossom and am afraid to move it to a better area as this is the best spot I have!


The side of my foundation landscape at the front door entry has holes in the nandina hedge where snow pack bent the branches to the ground and broke much of the tall growth.  The hedge is now thin and spindly.  Nandina plants are hardy so I hope some shape will return.  I have staked it as it quite naturally leans out toward the morning sun.



My large rosemary had to be cut back and the damage has certainly ruined its shape. It will be moved this week to the new herb bed which has better drainage but less afternoon sun :-(.  The shock has caused some of the stalks to bloom already.



The most dangerous damage was done to my expensive cut leaf maple which is now three years old and holding its own beneath the front bay window. It may look lovely here but lets pull back the leaves to see what we saw on our return from that last heavy snowfall in February.



Yes, in our desperation that cold winter day we used duct tape to save the branch.  The branch had been torn away and was hanging by the thinest of cadmium on the opposite side.  Since the tree was dormant at the time, I pushed the two parts of the branch together and taped them hoping scar tissue would form in the spring and save the branch.  Hubby added the string support tied to the stronger part of the tree above to ease the strain on the broken branch.  This branch was full in the front and important to the full shape of the plant.  All appears well for now and we will see if this repair will hold down through the summer and winter to come!


16 comments:

  1. you grow herbs, amazing!
    best wishes for you in protecting these beautiful plants...

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  2. Don't despair just yet, Tabor.
    Every day I go out on a tour of inspection and lo and behold, there are the tiniest little shoots appearing low down on various shrubs that I had given up for dead. I shall wait until the end of May before I remove or seriously prune some sufferers.

    Our warm spell is coming to an end and we have been promised frosts again. The trees are full in blossom and a severe frost will kill them. Which means, no or little fruit in the summer.

    Who'd be a gardener!

    PS I too love Damages; we have reached the bit where Tom is killed, I hope there are more series after this one.

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  3. My kind of garden; I love the duct tape! It's brilliant.

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  4. Goodness. I, who live in a condo near the beach, admire the heck out of you.

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  5. Even with your failures and duct tape, yours looks better than mine!!

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  6. You at least have a garden!! Mine is non-existent. I have a peach tree starting to bloom and they are predicting a freeze. Sigh!!
    Hugs
    SueAnn

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  7. We LOVED Damages! I just got an inch of snow so I'm not sure of damages yet.

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  8. My dogwoods have very few blooms too. Clear packing tape will often last longer than duct tape; the packing tape takes temperature changes better.

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  9. Aww, the poor tree. I hope the tape helps. I couldn't help smiling at the duct tape. It reminded me of The Red Green Show and Red Green's obsession with using duct tape to solve everything (though I doubt he used it for tree limbs). I hope the tree survives and thrives. It's always upsetting to see what a particularly harsh winter does to the vulnerable in the garden. Love your photos, Tabor!

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  10. My dogwood survived but bloomed about 2 weeks earlier than usual.

    Love the duct tape solution. Best wishes for your beautiful tree.

    The rhododendron - I've heard it is hard to start. You are very savvy and knowledgeable with the plants so I am guessing it will be okay, too. I have been wanting to try one, maybe next year.

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  11. I'd love more herbs although we have rabbits, deer, and all kinds of critters...which make it tough to have anything not get demolished by the animals...

    Dorothy from grammology
    grammology.com

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  12. The dogwoods hardly bloomed in my area. Might have been the rain and on and off cold weather. I am trying a little bit of everything.
    But in this damp and not much sun
    area - I do not know. So far everything looks good - but this is the first Spring. Your garden looks like everyone elses. I have always thought of you as perfect in every area!!

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  13. You will laugh when you hear what my gardening consists of now. I just did my weekly chores which consisted of spraying the weeds that the rains brought up and planting a new succulent in a bigger pot. That's it!

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  14. This makes me feel better about all the losses I've suffered this winter: dead lavender, beauty-bush, broken branches on maple and crab-trees that we've had to just lop off in hopes of saving rest of tree, and reduced heuchera plants - which provide the little color in my foliage garden. I see now that it's not just because we live in Maine or because I have a brown thumb. Seeing yours, I now think it's just the viccissitudes of gardening.

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  15. What exists that Duck Tape (quack) cannot fix?

    I think I'll try some the next time the kids get into an argument.

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Take your time...take a deep breath...then hit me with your best shot.