This site is an archive of ChiotsRun.com. For the latest information about Susy and her adventrures, visit the Cultivate Simple site.
Thank you for all your support over the years!

Red Dragon Corkscrew Witch Hazel

July 3rd, 2018

I have a running list of plants that I want to add to the garden. Of course I could mail order them, or most likely find them at a big box store, but I like to support small independent greenhouses. When I spot one of the plants I want when I’m visiting a small shop, I buy it. Two weeks ago, I stopped at my local hardware store and spotted a ‘Red Dragon’ corkscrew witch hazel.


This is a plant I’ve been wanting for quite a few years, but haven’t spotted it anywhere. I was so happy to see it at my local small hardware store. I love to support this store because they let the farmers market use their greenhouse in the winter.



At the moment, I’m thinking that this beauty is going to go into a large container and be featured in the front foundation bed on the corner. In this spot it will pick up the late afternoon sun, which beautifully highlights the deeply colored foliage. I’ll have to move another small tree from this spot, but I think the hazel will be a much better feature plant in this spot. I also want to place it where it can be a focal point and be seen daily as I come and go. I’m really looking forward to watching the beautiful plant grow into a lovely specimen.

Have you purchased any new plants recently? Where do you like to buy plants?

Friday Favorite: Finding a Plant

May 4th, 2018

I read about ‘New Dawn’ roses many years ago and have been looking for one for my garden ever since. A few years ago, I saw one at a local garden center, but with a price tag of $60, I decided to keep looking. I knew I could order one on-line, but generally prefer to support small independent local greenhouses when I can.

Yesterday, I was out with a friend and we stopped at Guini Ridge Farm in Rockport, Maine. There it was, a ‘New Dawn’ rose for $25! I grabbed one and a ‘White Dawn’ as well.

If this rose is as hardy and prolific as they say, I’ll be pleased as punch to have it grow up and cover the ugly part of the house. Since this is an own root rose, I’m hoping I can take cuttings and propagate my own. I have a few spots around the farm that could benefit from a large climbing rose and I’ve been wanting to try my hand at taking rose cuttings.

Naturally, I also left with a few herbs for the garden. Look at all those variegated leaves! I couldn’t pass up the lovely variety of Lobularia either (it’s ‘Deep Lavender Stream’).

Have you ever looked for a plant for years before finding it?

Lonicera ‘Goldflame’

August 7th, 2017

Two weeks ago I went to Fieldstone Garden and spotted this lonicera ‘Goldflame’ blooming on their trellis.

I’m in need a few climbers in the garden, especially ones like this that provide some winter interest. So I purchased this beautiful ‘Goldflame’ lonicera.

I can’t wait to for it to start blooming like this, the pollinators will love it just as much as I do. Now I just need to figure out where is the perfect spot. On a side note, a big storm took out our internet on Saturday day, so if my posting is spotty this week, it’s because my cell signal is not that great at my house.

What’s your favorite climber for the garden?

Lost

August 16th, 2014

I’m lost without my camera, it has become almost a part of me. Those that know me pretty much see me with a camera in front of my face. It goes everywhere with me and I find myself taking photos daily.
self_portrait
Earlier this week I sent my camera and a few of my lenses off to Canon for a tuneup. One of my lenses wasn’t focusing quite right and my camera had taken over 100,000 photos and was ready for a little maintenance.
2014-08-12 08.04.11
I keep finding myself reaching for it, and it’s not there. Luckily I have a huge backlog of garden tour photos from this summer that I will be sharing with you over the coming week. If not, I have my iPad and will have to use it in a photo emergency. Photos are my diary and now I feel like I’ll be missing out on capturing the memories of what happens these coming weeks. I will be glad to have my camera back in tip top shape for my trip to Seattle in September.

Do you have anything that you feel lost if you don’t have with you?

On Biting Off More Than You Can Plant

December 3rd, 2011

I mentioned previously about all the spring flowering bulbs I purchased. I’d been faithfully planting a few hundred each day, whittling away at them little by little. Then I got sick and they sat in their boxes in the garage for two weeks, then it started to rain and they sat in the garage for a few more days.

Now that I’m back up and running, I’m a bit behind. I’ve been madly planting tulips for the last couple days using every spare moment of my too busy days. I’m planting almost all of the tulips on the back hillside which I can see from my kitchen window. This hillside has been languishing, half overtaken by some invasive honeysuckle planted by previous owners. I’ve been putting off doing something with it for far too long. After spending hours ripping all the honeysuckle out I started digging all the rocks out of the soil and loosening the soil so I could plant the tulips as deeply as possible (tulips will survive colder climates better if planted more deeply).

Since it’s such a large area and I’ve been working on it little by little, I’ve been using a straight stick to mark where I’ve planted to so I don’t accidentally dig up tulips I’ve already planted.

At first I was going to plant the tulips in a patten with the different varieties clumped together. I cut out the photos of the different kinds and taped them to a piece of paper so I could have a visual reference of what each one looked like. But then I decided to mix them all in one big box and plant them randomly where they fell. Most of them bloom during the same time period, so it should make for quite the show (you will of course be seeing photos of it next spring)!

Yesterday, afternoon I finished planting all the tulips in the big box and sat back to admire my work. Then when I returned to the garage I found 2 boxes of 100 tulips each that had been pushed out of the way. Guess that’s means I’m not as finished as I thought I was. Looks like I’ll be spending some time this afternoon digging a few more holes to get those last few tulips planted. I certainly cannot wait until spring to see the beautiful display from my kitchen window!

Have you ever had a gardening chores you never though you’d finish?

About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

Admin