Wisconsin Flora

For anyone interested in what the flora looks like in Northern Wisconsin.

Here is the backyard. Not sure how much of this is local besides the trees and ferns (they are everywhere and huge).















We took a hike on one of the thousands of local trails. There are bogs everywhere



















Here is some of the spongy ground around the bogs. You sink into it.














The water lilies where blooming and everywhere.

Another chunk of the 5-year plan

A big chunk of work was completed this weekend. Frankly, I'm pleased with how it turned out. So, let's start with an update to the plan.

As you can see, I did the section just to the right of the front door. Previously, it had 4 or 5 azaleas (which some were doing horribly and others did OK) and 2 other shrub type bushes which I can't identify. (Side note - these plants are available to you for the low cost of one lunch. See 40 Lunches in 40 Days. Actually, I probably wouldn't charge you, but it sounded good...).

When I took them out of the ground, it was rather obvious to me why they weren't doing well. The guy who lived here before us did a lot of things half ass. There was a black TV cable that literally ran exposed around our bonus room rather than going through the ceiling (it was a nice contrast to the beige carpeting). He painted the living room but failed to remove three picture hooks so when I removed them, I found different color paint underneath the hooks. My kids' bedroom ceiling was painted with one coat of paint so it looked horrible. And now, I yanked these plants out of the ground and found that the roots were intact as in still in one tight cluster like it had just been pulled out of the pot in which they were sold. I always thought that you were supposed to tear them to let the roots grow. Well, apparently, this guy didn't do that and now we know why they didn't grow well.

Back to the project. The replacement plants are:

• 1 Purple Pixie Loropetalum
• 4 Emerald N Gold Euonymus
• 4 Otto Luyken English Laurel
  

The first 5 plants were easy to find. Lowe's had them. The last one, the only ones I could find were rather expensive. I'm talking $79.99 for a good mature one. And since I need a total of 8, 80 clams each wasn't happening. I searched high and low and couldn't find them. Finally, I went back to the woman who did our plan and she sent me to a website, Carroll Gardens. There, I purchased 8 for $14.95 each plus shipping. Total bill was about $140.

This is how the eight plants arrived.



The unboxing...



Plants have been located.



Two for the show.



Frankly, I was fascinated by how they arrived, how they were tied up to prevent their movement, and how well they made the trip. I still have 4 in the box and I think I'm going to pull them out and put them in temporary pots, just so they're not deprived of sunlight for too long.

So now I had all the plants necessary. So, here's the starting point:



I started by weeding and taking out everything I had ignored for the past month and a half. As you'll notice, not a desirable growing thing in this picture.



After the weeds, out came the aforementioned azaleas and unknown shrubs (see note above about availability) were excavated. Then, I got rid of the grass. This part of the job is a huge pain in the arse, but I was able to re-use it for an earlier project where seed I planted too late had met an untimely demise. The result: dirt.



After adding peat moss (Allen's suggestion) and working it into the land, I placed the plants according to the plan (and then got Laura's approval since she's previously questioned my interpretation of the plan) and drank my first beer, a Molson Canadian, eh. Do note the image of my sweaty physique in the window.



In went the plants, on went the mulch, in went Andrew for a shower, out went Andrew with camera. Do note the non-sweaty image of my not so svelte physique in the window. Drank second Molson.



And a slighty different view.



Overall, I'm pleased. These plants are all easily trimmed and shaped and won't require much work, which is basically the whole point of our plan.

Sellars Baseline

OK, Here is my baseline. (comments are below the photos)




















Alright, here is the front walk. All the monkey grass was free from a friend in G'boro and the boxwoods are from the house I grew up in. Nice to have a little heritage around. That dogwood planted at the corner of the house is kicking it. It is the best of the four we bought and I am not sure why. The jasmine vine growing up near the front door needs continuous watering. It is under the over hang and doesn't get much. Two years later we had hoped it would be bigger but it is getting there. Those are Otto Luykens between the boxwoods and the jasmine. They are great plants.




This is the front of the house. You might need to click on this to really see what is happening. The area on the left side is where we are going to focus some attention to next year. I have some Anise bushes planted that should block the neighbors. (nice people so I hope they don't take offense). I got a ton of vinca from a friend. You can see it growing around that tree in the middle and the slope on the left was planted this year so it will be covered by next year. I am going to put some daffodil bulbs in with it. I planted a few loropetulums and winter jasmine where the slope levels out. The right side is a big bed full of azaleas and one more dogwood that is the least prosperous of the bunch.






This one is from the front door. You are see the tabla rasa area to the right behind a nice Red Bud that is starting to take off after being moved a few times. The house came with about three Azaleas in the big bed near the middle. I moved two more from the back and the rest cost me $2.50 at Lowes (score!). The majority are of the 'George Lindsay Taber' variety. You can also see how jacked up the lawn is looking.




OK, so if you walked down the driveway and look to the left into the backyard this is what you see. This is C's areas. Herbs and flowers (girly girl things Matt). That is a River Birch in front of the deck. It has really taken off this year but sags big time in the rain. We had some in G'boro and I was never a fan because of the number of small branches it drops once it gets big. My mom talked me into it and I think it looks nice. (in a side note my mom, a real estate agent, has always said that when you buy a house you should plant a vine over the front door and a river birch near the deck. As I drive around and see houses that I like, I realize they have both.)



As you walk down the path towards the deck and turn around you get this view. There are more anise bushes in the back in front of the utility boxes and some East Bay Lingustroms around the River Birch. We wanted to do Otto Luykens but couldn't find anyone who had them cheap. That is rosemary that separates the walk from the bed.






If you stepped up on the porch this is the back yard view. Pond is kicking it. Gardenias in the circle in the middle with Azaleas and peonies. The circle to the right is full of forsythia. You walk between two dogwoods to get into the backyard.




This is a closeup of the back of the house. Off to the far left are the three crepe myrtles and hawthorns I bought at Broadwells. They are all doing real well.





So if you walk into the backyard and look towards the house you see this view. To the right behind the bench and sandbox you will find a bunch of hostas, a viburnum (I love this bush), butterfly bushes and some wax myrtles to act as year round foundation plants. We will start filling in the empty areas over the years but have no idea what with. On the left side you can see the rhododendrons and Spring Bouquet Viburnum that we planted two years ago.

I didn't show the far back wall which has green aucuba, a Japanese Maple and some Leyland Cypresses. I also don't have a pic of "the hole" which I think needs a post of its own.

All the plants are following the standard sleep, creep and leap adage. The two year old stuff is just starting to jump while the fall plantings are chillin'. If you want to see everything that is planted look here.

Lawn Zombie

Lawn gnomes are so yesterday.

Plant in Need of Assistance - Won't You Help It?

My Fellow Hortikulturists - It is with great sadness that I write this post. A dear friend of mine (see image to the left) is in great distress and needs our help. My friend, I'm not sure of this plant's name, is struggling this summer with what seems to be a pest, fungus, or vermin. I'll be the first to admit that summer hasn't been kind to my backyard (grass, flowers, and shrubs are all under-performing), but this latest incident is just too much. I mean, come on Mother Nature, don't you have some other beautiful yard to molest?

Long story short - I've noticed some dead leaves on this shrub in the last month, but death is closing his icy cold fingers more tightly every day. Can you please review the attached images and let me know if you are familiar with this shrub and if you can offer any ideas to bring him/her back to life? Any help would be much appreciated!