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This area is being readied for future planting of many trees and shrubs. June - area ready for buckwheat cover , July- buckwheat at maturity, August - ready for next buckwheat
Here are are two somewhat updated views of the Octoberfest bed from May, 2011 The Claymore bed is partly in view to the left.
Second view was on May24, 2011
'Claymore'
Bed
2004 Spring 2005 As with all the newly planted areas, this bed has become older and much more mature; almost to the point of needing some extreme editing. Some changes are self-directed. Increasing shade will make conditions less favourable. Bulbs, especially, do not appreciate the encroachment of larger plants. One might think it is an entirely new location. This is the south end of the bed with a large Magnolia stellata and several rhododendrons. The ivory one is Luxor.
The north
end earlier in the spring of 2013.
Here is M. tripetala with wonderful leaves and a flower .
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Next
stage is a bed called the 'Holland' bed; ready to plant in the spring
of 2005 We think this should be called "the recovery" bed since quite a number of plants needing some recovery were planted here. An Oak tree was planted, as was a nice flowering crab. Several Rhododendrons that needed to be re-situated were planted in late summer 2005. A variety of bulbs and a few lilies also made their appearance. Spring 2006 was showing some colour, and by late summer a few of the "recovery" rhododendrons were looking better.  Years go by and what seems like a modest planting becomes a fuller than full bed.. It is almost ten years since this bed was initiated.  Some years the Foxgloves take over.  The recovering rhododendrons have reached quite sizable proportions. This is one of several plants from a 2000 seed lot 'Janet Blair' x R. pachysanthum  Another interesting rhododendron planted here from a 1997 seed lot. ARS97#671 A pretty peachy yellow with some doubling  There were a couple of Rhododendron maximum seedlings planted here. One exhibits a somewhat pinker nature than the typical R. max  In the lower half of the bed are several azaleas, One of the nicest is from 2001. It is a cross between R. arborecens and R. cumberlandense. It blooms late and has a delightful spicy fragrance.  There are also some which are offspring from open pollinated Homebush seed.  |
| Spring,
2005 saw the development of a planting area we call the 'Beech' bed. Below are the stages of preparation from late April-June, 2005.  The bed had settled in quite nicely by late summer, 2005.  Spring, 2006 saw quite a nice burst of colour.  Check out the photo album called 'BEECH BED GLIMPSES'  This bed has also become almost overgrown as the years have gone by. The rambler rose has completely grown over and above the structure.   The left, west facing, portion has a rather large Beauty Bush which has crowded some peonies and bulbs. There are a couple of rhododendrons and azaleas which seem to be maintaining their space. This rhododendron is a R. pachysanthum cross which has beautiful tomentum on the new growth. The pink azlaea is quite nicely doubled, remeniscent of its Homebush parentage.  In the few years since the "Beech Bed" development, more work has gone on on the hillside beyond the Rhododendron Nursery Beds for 2002-2203. Potatoes and buckwheat have been used to get the soil into "cultivation mode". Additional nursery bed areas for 2004, 2005 and 2006 were added in sequence. The lower corner here is the 2004 nursey area. There have been several replanted rhododendrons and azaleas, plus a magnolia and a Cornus or two planted in the area beyond the board edges of the bed.  We still refer to this area as "no man's land". The steep hillside area is not very user friendly. This 2010 picture shows the back area where potatoes are growing. We have alternated potatoes and buckwheat a time or two. Much of this area now has some seedling Magnolias, Cornus and Tree Peonies  This view from the top was taken in 2011. We have grown squash and cucumbers in the top part for a couple of years. The buckwheat is ready to be cut down or dug in. At the bottom of the hill are some overmature shrubs grown from cuttings that haven't quite made it to the annual plant sale. The mound beside the birch tree is organic debris which has been piled to eventually decompose.  Here is a pictorial of a Buckwheat Harvest in 2007 This is the back hillside in 2013 with a fresh buckwheat sowing just coming up.  |
