I spend from Memorial Day weekend through right before Thanksgiving on upgrading my yard. I'm still waiting on some mulch and replacement walkway slates near the central air unit, due this week. But, for all intents and purposes, it's done..............or is it?
I had planned on timing my yard based on when things bloom. As some things in an area are in their glory, others are not. Even if they are still blooming. But I had assumed winter would be a time for dormancy. The things that should be bare, are bare. The perennials have been cut back to store energy. The ground spent several days frozen (it's thawed again but that's because nature can't make temperature decisions). I had assumed this would be the time for nothing to go on but changing the artificial flowers in the places I plant annuals.
Perhaps there never is a time for true dormancy. I am still learning a few things. The 'Superform' Norway Maples were the last to lose all their leaves. As my camera turned to the trees, I realized I had mis-identified them. Previously, I thought they were 'Princeton Gold' Norway Maples. Through research I have corrected that error to 'Superform' Norway Maple.
Will little plants left to observe, I find myself studying my Andromedas. In the back is a 'Prelude' Andromeda. It's not as interesting as the two in the front. See, those two have a story. I love it when the yard has a story!
We got them in August in what is matching plant beds. The are surrounded by alternating 'American Gold Rush' Black-Eyed-Susans and 'Dutch Master' Daffodils. I had THOUGHT they were the same species. After all, they looked the same. I THOUGHT they were BOTH 'Dorothy Wycoff' Andromedas.
By mid-October the Andromeda by my neighbor's driveway was turning a little red. I had worried about the health of the Andromeda by the street corner when they no longer looked alike. The landscaper reassured me both were healthy. Their leaves droop and turn yellow as it gets colder for winter protection.
Corner Andromeda (slightly reddening but not as much.)
But for a while they look like the picture below. That was taken 3 days ago. Worried, I ran to the nursery asking what's wrong.
The Driveway Andromeda
It turns out, they are different species. Meet the 'Mountain Fire' Andromeda. placed in from of the 'Bloodgood' Japanese Maple that has red leaves during growing season. The red side of the yard.
And the 'Dorothy Wycoff' Andromeda placed in front of the 'Green Mountain' Sugar Maple with its green leaves during growing season. The green side of the yard.
To be fair, they did look identical when we first got them! Both are healthy. Doing what they are supposed to do in winter. This information has brought me peace! But those aren't the only things going on.
Zach went with me on a yard tour two days ago. It had been too long, and my new Andromeda knowledge made me want to look around closely. It was nice to show him the perennials so he can keep an eye on them. the 'Intermedia' Forsythia is a hybrid species. If you look closely at the buds, some have green and some have red. All flowers will be yellow but, the leaves were mixed color. He thought that was cool. I showed him where the bulbs are so he can be on the lookout. I showed him how the Dwarf Alberta Spruce is almost at the gutter but won't touch it, it's basically full sized. We talked about how the Boxwoods are the most generic plant but, we need things that don't bloom or produce berries in addition to the other things. I showed him the red-leafed Azalea and the buds on it and talked about how it will turn green during growing season.
But the part that interested him the most, On the 'Green Mountain' Sugar Maple, I showed him the ends of the branches. The ends are darker, where growth occurs during warmer weather. He didn't realize the tree worked like that. He asked for a spring yard tour in April to see the changes.
I will be looking throughout the winter. My guess is that the yard will continue to hold surprises, new knowledge, and never really stop having something going on.
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