Last week I revisited the two gardens I toured earlier. Both David's garden in Beamsville and Eva's garden in Grimsby had more interesting plants to see.

Click on pictures for a better view.




Pterostyrax (Epaulette Tree) is an uncommon but hardy tree in our area.





A large flowered Magnolia in Eva's garden.













The 20 foot tall Magnolia virginiana was covered with sweetly fragrant blossoms.







David's Monkey Puzzle tree is putting on healthy new growth.

I believe this is a Cynara (Cardoon) but not like any I have ever seen.

It is now the middle of June so I thought it was time for an update as to what survived and what didn't.
First the cactus bed came through without a scratch. I wasn't sure that the ones I left sitting in a pot all winter would make it, but they are growing just fine.


The Fargesia (clumping bamboo) sent up many strong new shoots but they topped out at about six feet this year. Maybe it was the cool weather, but I thought they might grow taller this spring. This clump was planted four years ago (I think) as a two foot tall nursery grown clump.
The Phyllostachys nigra (running bamboo, not pictured) is finally producing some new shoots but it will be a few years before these look like anything.

A few plants did not survive the winter. The Loropetalum did not make it, and the Lagerstroemia (Crape myrtle) also did not survive. The Live Oak is sending out new shoots however. I think this is it's third year. The Albizias (both the green and burgundy leaved forms) are leafing out nicely. And the Fig is also sending up many new shoots. It will have to be moved because it is in the way of the burgundy Albizia.

Windmill Palm in Grimsby, Ontario?

Greg from Grimsby shared his technique for overwintering a Trachycarpus (Windmill) Palm in his back yard. He used some methods described in the book "Palms Won't Grow Here and Other Myths" by David A. Franco, Timber Press 2003. After applying Bordo (a fungicide) to the crown, the palm is bundled up in late-November or December (depending on the forecast) with mini-lights, (to be used later if temperatures dip below about -8C to -10C) netting and a rose cone around the base. Then poles are inserted far enough away from this bundle to allow for an air gap between it and the next layer which consists of several layers of an in insulating fabric. While it sounds like a great deal of effort, Greg says it takes him about 45 minutes. The payoff is that the new leaves on his Palm are growing about an inch per week.

Fall 2008


Winter 2009

May 2009

June 2009