Tezalizard's Blog

GBMD – Revision: The result of a nasty April fools on Himself!

tezalizard — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 23:07:00 +0000

The starry eyed children are sleeping,

saving up energy and strength for

the coming months when they will

frolic and play with one another

in Teza’s Garden

Teza, the one who created this

small shaded garden, grows

impatient with the long and seemingly

endless slumber that his

children have

fallen victim to!

He has a picture in his mind’s eye,

of his children frolicking and

posing for anyone willing to

appreciate their beauty and

uniqueness!

For a few among his growing brood,
it sometimes becomes a battle of
egos, who is the mostest
beautiful of all?

While for others, the gorgeous blue of their
flowers is a guarantee that they
will attract the attention of
Teza!

Every growing family has it’s share
of rambunctiousness, and dear
Teza has found in his heart,
an appreciation and love for
such behaviors….
perhaps they remind him of a certain
young boy, years gone by!

And there are always the coy one’s,

so shy and uncomfortable in their

natural and unassuming beauty,

shunning the appearance of

sudden attention,

blushing delicately….

Together, they make up Teza’s Garden.

———————-

But long before the children are frolicking,

they are stretching and turning,
awakening from a peace filled winter’s slumber,

warmed by the sudden appearance of the sun

and a song that only they can hear

that closely resembles a

Spring Symphony

It caresses and coaxes new life and vigor into the children!

Rejoice, it will soon be time to play!

Oops I Did It Again!!!

tezalizard — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 22:02:00 +0000

Alas….. what started off to be a simple condensing of labels – it was getting a little silly – turned into something far more serious! Turns out that the four posts that I highlighted, thinking I was only going to remove the labels, were DELETED in their entirety! One could say that I am less than happy right now, but alas, I shall simply pick up the pieces and move forward…… a slightly improved version of GBMD to follow! For those who left comments, they were greatly appreciated! I shall think twice in the future before messing with an already good thing!

Champagne taste on a Pepsi Budget!

tezalizard — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 23:53:00 +0000

Hydrangea serrata ‘Beni Gaku‘ (Hardy to Zone 5)

Hydrangea serrata ‘Kiyosumi‘ (Hardy to Zone 5)

Hydrangea serrata ‘Tosa Ryokufu‘ (Hardy to Zone 5)

Hydrangea serrata ‘Miyama Yae-murasaki (Hardy to Zone 5)

My Grandmother once said that I had a champagne taste on a beer salary… but since I am not fond of beer, I thought I would substitute it for my beverage of choice! Sad to say, it’s oh so true. What a wise woman she was, far beyond her years, and she lived to be 92!

Of course this ‘taste’ has also been translated into ‘snobbery’, pending which gardening friend I may or may not have offended on any given day! Truly, I am in need of counselling! Perhaps it has to do with the fact that I am literally ‘surrounded’ with wonderful plants for a third of my day, five days a week throughout late Spring right up until the end of October. I have to be ‘selective’ as to which plants come home with me, while others are relegated to the sales benches. It’s not like we only have one delivery of plants, and only have one very limited list to choose from. Think of the multitude of garden catalogues that find their way to your house during the winter…. multiplied ten times over! The selection is endless, and with the web, and this has been my downfall of late…..’if you want it bad enough, you’ll be able to find it on the world wide web!’

Now what was this post going…. oh yes, the champagne taste on the Pepsi salary! I have never been a fan of the big popcorn-ball looking Hydrangea’s…. although if you were to look at the front of the house right now, there is one large bush (well twigs and the like at this very moment) that I am slowly trying to eradicate without the owner (my Sister) noticing. I hate when it rains and they end up flopping on the ground. Pretty to examine the globe of newly emerging flowers, tinged a wonderful green that can only be described as ‘Springtime’ green…. but otherwise, not on my most loved or admired list. I do enjoy the conical shaped flower stalks on the Oak leaf Hydrangea…. Hydrangea Quercifolia, rather immeasurably so, but still they come second fiddle to the beguiling Japanese shrub Hydrangeas…. Hydrangea serrata!

I’m all about lace-cap’s, and when you toss in a large number of this species also include true double star shaped flowers…. yowsa! The photos are but a small sampling of what is available for those who fall under the spell. I am most taken with Hydrangea serrata ‘Tosa Ryokufu‘ which grows to approximately 100cm x 100cm and appreciates a partly shaded location! As with many of the genus, the pH of the soil greatly effects flower colour, but what stands out about this cultivar, is the appearance of blue/green splashes of colour that appear on the sepals! Simply divine! And best of all is the fact that all of the above pictured shrubs have a hardiness that includes my Zone 5 garden! Of course if I am unable to locate it in commerce here in Canada, I would be close to as happy with Hydrangea serrata ‘Miyama Yae-murasaki, with its beguiling star shaped double flowers, which are actually fully double sterile florets that surround a large boss of fertile florets. Of note is the floating appearance of the sterile florets by means of long red petioles! I can hear the cash register chiming in the near future… and wait, isn’t that a can of Pepsi being opened at the same time. Note to self: Must buy electric can opener…. easier to prepare the never ending diet of Zoodles that mysteriously coincides with my gardening season!

Look Into My Nectaries and be Hypnotized!

tezalizard — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 21:52:00 +0000

What a pleasant surprise to come home and see my Prince’s buds opening to reveal wonderful chartreuse green flowers, with the slightest hint of a blush on the edge of the petals! I am anticipating weeks if not a month or more of continuous bloom from this latest addition. I have also noticed some new buds on the existing royal sibling in the garden, and am hoping that his reign will also be long and floriferous when the weather warms up! I feel so bad for my fellow blogger’s on the East Coast, what with the surprise dump of snow they received yesterday, so am sending these photos as a way to warm your frozen hearts. If you stare at the photo above long enough, you will surely begin to feel all warm and fizzy very soon!

Unfortunately, my seedlings haven’t been behaving themselves, and the three plugs that were supposed to be the Meconopsis betonicifolia have all shrivelled and given up the fight! I knew this would be the case, but there is something to be said for maintaining a strong fortitude in the face of inevitable failure. The Cleome are doing a good job at distracting me, with their bizarre foliage habit…. I have read that there will be seven leaves by the time they have finished, and then those amazing spider-like flowers. Of course, true to my amazement, I haven’t even stopped to consider what border will possibly be able to hold them! Alas… and germination of the Cerinthe major ‘Kiwi Blues’ makes me truly smile, as aside of the odd bright and brilliant blue Salvia, these are the only other annuals that get a chance to mingle with the snobbish perennials!

Alas, work at the nursery is a true and total joy! I’m not one who welcomes change in my life, but this has been a wonderful experience thus far, and I can only assume once the perennials begin to arrive, I will be able to shine and express my true gardening passion!

Climbing the Ladder

tezalizard — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 21:45:00 +0000

After yesterday’s humiliating escapade – tripping over a chain link barricade that I had only minutes earlier pulled across the entrance, and falling flat on my face, I could only hope that today was going to be better. Granted, I was sore, and after having broken the shank of the lock clean off, I was looking for anything to distract me from my inane clumsiness!

Enter the emptying of what will soon be the perennial greenhouse…. hurray! I was busily removing trees and shrubs that had over-wintered, when I came across a rather woody and twining vine like plant. Of course, as soon as I read the label, I let loose with a squeal of delight! I have been looking for this wonderful Japanese hydrangea relative for almost two years, and here it was, right under my nose!

Schizophragma hydrangeoides ‘Roseum‘ is a somewhat vigorous vine that closely resembles the climbing Hydrangea anomala. It differs in that it does not send out horizontal branches from it’s support structure. Ovate dark green leaves look handsome as it begins its rather rapid climb in mid to late spring. It’s 12-25cm wide cymes of small creamy white flowers are gorgeous in and of themselves, but it is the conspicuous heart shaped pink bracts that elevates this vine to entirely new heights. Hardy to Zone 4, it appreciates a moisture retentive soil in sun to partly shaded sites.

I have decided that I want to create a ‘living’ screen to better help divide the working space from the actual shaded walk between the two houses, and what more beautiful and elegant way than with this wonderful climber! Next one the list is a climbing Hops vine, whose chartreuse foliage will definitely help to brighten up the somewhat small space, while helping to create a somewhat impenatrable screen so that people aren’t assaulted with tower of pots that is a testament to last year’s plant purchases!

Spring has Sprung, the birds have Sung…..

tezalizard — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 20:38:00 +0000

Ahhh, the first blooms of Spring! It’s been a long, long time in coming, and unfortunately it isn’t the 15th, but I haven’t the patience to wait that long before posting! I adore these tiny Iris reticulata, and enjoy when they pop up amongst the green-blue tinted leaves of Euphorbia myrsenities, but have recently it back because of leggy and rather scraggly growth that occurred over the winter. There is something to be said for the longevity and tenacity of a plant that can continue to grow whilst covered by three feet of snow.

We have been blessed with clear skies and warmer temperatures over the past two weeks – a small blip on the radar with flurries last week, but more the ‘friendly’ type that reminds us that Mother Nature has final say…. she has a way of getting the last word in, doesn’t she?

The familiar sound of geese that reside at the end of the street, where there is year round access to open water, is yet another sign that Spring has finally sprung! In a few months, we will all have to keep a sharp eye out for the families of geese that cross the road in order to get to a clearing that is surrounded by majestic coniferous trees. I will try and remember to get pictures later in the season so that you can enjoy the sight of a family of geese that brings traffic to a total stand still! It’s quite remarkable.

Reading and Writing

tezalizard — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 22:48:00 +0000

Styrax Obassia

Styrax japonicus ‘Pink Chimes’

I am still not used to the idea of having weekends off – only for a few short weeks before the season actually ramps up at the nursery – and have had the time to get caught up on some of the more mundane tasks that I try and get out of the way before the gardening season hits full tilt!

I still have to find a new 2009 Gardening Journal, usually a scrapbook sized book with a spiral binding, ( a must for if photos or drawings are to be included) and then I need to have a supply of colour coded high-lighters and a box of fine point Sharpie markers at the ready! There is nothing more frustrating than needing to jot something very important down, and you can’t find the blessed pen! Alas…. let the organization begin!

Of course before I did much of anything, I had to catch up with my three most favoured gardening magazines: Horticulture, The English Garden, and Gardens Illustrated. I was most anxious to read an article in the latest issue of Gardens Illustrated on Beth Chatto who remains my favourite plantswoman bar none! It was sadly a disappointment as it was only the equivalent of one page, filled with information that most avid gardener’s are already aware of. There was also a wonderful article in The English Garden on Great Dixter, entitled, The Future Unfolds. After Christo’s death, a charitable trust took over running it. Fergus Garrett , head gardener, sought and won Heritage Lottery funding, but mentions that, ‘an almost equal amount of money has to be raised by the Trust itself for the garden to move on into the future. It is a wonderful read. Meanwhile, over at Horticulture magazine, Daniel Hinkley is focusing on the genus Styrax
as the subject for his monthly Collector’s Choice column. There is something about the pink flowering species that causes my plant senses to tingle!

Alas, now I have no excuse but to get down to the task at hand: One that I have been putting off for months! I already have a paper copy of all of the plants in my garden inventory. It’s almost six pages long and is often the subject of much consternation whenever I have to add or remove a listing. I have devised a plan to use 3″ x 5″ index cards, one for each plant, and then store them within easy reach for future access! It won’t be near as difficult having to edit a page every time something new is added or removed, rather it will be as simple as adding or subtracting a card. This is the type of behavior that has most friends shaking their heads at me, but I like to have every possible thing in order before the gardening season catches me off guard.

Reading and Writing

tezalizard — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 22:48:00 +0000

Styrax Obassia

Styrax japonicus ‘Pink Chimes’

A Prince-in-Waiting and a Pink Princess!

tezalizard — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Helleborus x hybrida ‘Party Dress Pink Improved’

My gardening friend called me last night to let me know that she was able to find one of my requested items, a prince-in-waiting if you may, a companion for my already existing Helleborus x nigersmithii ‘Walhelivor‘ - commonly known as H. ‘Ivory Prince.’ There is something outer-worldly about a plant that has close to 20 buds on the first day of Spring!

Helleborus x nigersmithii ‘Walhelivor‘

Helleborus x nigersmithii ‘Walhelivor‘ possesses outward facing ( a true rarity within the genus) creamy white flowers flushed with pink which are also streaked with green. As the flowers mature they take on more of a pink hue. The buds are gorgeously streaked with this same pink before they open. (See photo below) The foliage is equally impressing, evergreen, with a decidedly blue-green tint with toothed margins with a dazzling silvery veining atop wine tinted stems. It is decidedly hardy to Zone 5-9, with a height of approximately 30cm, and a spread closer to 45cm. A well drained humus rich soil in partial shade is it’s ideal abode. Prices tend to vary with some plants still fetching in excess of $30 (CAD), but if you look around, many, albeit somewhat smaller, but equally bud filled plants can be found for around $20 (CAD).

H. ‘Ivory Prince’ covered with buds

I can only judge from the number of buds that this handsome ‘Prince’ will be strutting his stuff for the entire garden season!

Helleborus x hybrida ‘Party Dress Pink Improved’

Robin and Sue White from Blackthorn Nursery bred this dazzling beauty using Helen Strangman’s double flowering Helleborus torquatus ‘Dido’ crossed with Helleborus x hybrida blood, which resulted in a plant with an improved vigor. ‘Party Dress’ plants feature attractive foliage, often flushed crimson and or bronze when young. As the plant matures the foliage is notedly finely divided, reminiscent of it’s H. torquatus parentage. When in bloom they display lovely double flowering blooms on well branched stems.

Now, I have only to wait for the elusive Hellebrous thibetanus to arrive in late April, and then my trio of new additions can keep me company until the fear of frost has dissipated. In the meantime, today was the official FIRST DAY OF SPRING! Bright blue skies in this neck of the woods, but still rather cold. While the snow has completely melted from atop the gardens, the shaded garden between the houses is still frozen rock hard in all places except at the very front. There the first Iris reticulata and Nectaroscordum siculum ‘Bulgaricum‘ have shyly began peeking forth from within the ever-warming soil.

… and in celebration of Spring, a poem by David Herbert Lawrence

The Enkindled Spring

This Spring as it comes, bursts up in bonfires green,

Wild puffing of emerald trees, and flame filled bushes.

Thorn blossom lifting in wreaths of smoke between

Where the wood fumes up, and the flickering water rushes.

I am amazed at this Spring, this conflagration

Of green fires lit on the soil of the earth, this blaze

Of growing, these sparks that puff in wild gyration,

Faces of people streaming across my gaze.

And I, what fountain of fire am I among,

This leaping combustion of Spring? My spirit is tossed

About like a shadow buffeted in a throng

Of flames, a shadow that’s gone astray, and is lost!

A Prince-in-Waiting and a Pink Princess!

tezalizard — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Helleborus x hybrida ‘Party Dress Pink Improved’

Helleborus x nigersmithii ‘Walhelivor‘

H. ‘Ivory Prince’ covered with buds

I can only judge from the number of buds that this handsome ‘Prince’ will be strutting his stuff for the entire garden season!

Helleborus x hybrida ‘Party Dress Pink Improved’

… and in celebration of Spring, a poem by David Herbert Lawrence

The Enkindled Spring

This Spring as it comes, bursts up in bonfires green,

Wild puffing of emerald trees, and flame filled bushes.

Thorn blossom lifting in wreaths of smoke between

Where the wood fumes up, and the flickering water rushes.

I am amazed at this Spring, this conflagration

Of green fires lit on the soil of the earth, this blaze

Of growing, these sparks that puff in wild gyration,

Faces of people streaming across my gaze.

And I, what fountain of fire am I among,

This leaping combustion of Spring? My spirit is tossed

About like a shadow buffeted in a throng

Of flames, a shadow that’s gone astray, and is lost!