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| My Tree | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Aug 7 2015, 10:14 AM (366 Views) | |
| Catseye | Aug 7 2015, 10:14 AM Post #1 |
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Pisa-Carp
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I know you all have been dying of curiosity to know which tree I have selected for the front corner of my house. I am happy to announce I needn't keep you in suspense any longer. It is called a Castle Spire Holly, shown below. It's a girl, and in order to grow berries it will need a boy shrub somewhere nearby, but that's for later. Isn't it pretty? I am very excited. Have been preparing her hole . . . have run into an obstacle, however. Apparently I have uncovered a mountain lurking six inches below the surface and am having to chip away at the summit in order to make room for one lousy little shrub, c'mon, will ya??!
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| "How awful a knowledge of the truth can be." -- Sophocles, Oedipus Rex | |
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| Friday | Aug 7 2015, 11:51 AM Post #2 |
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Senior Carp
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Are you going to decorate it for the holidays? |
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| brenda | Aug 7 2015, 09:10 PM Post #3 |
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..............
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It will be lovely. ![]() These are very prickly, as I recall, so that should help keep the critters from devouring it. |
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“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.” ~A.A. Milne | |
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| Catseye | Aug 8 2015, 02:15 AM Post #4 |
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Pisa-Carp
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You betcha, if it thrives and survives to that point. |
| "How awful a knowledge of the truth can be." -- Sophocles, Oedipus Rex | |
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| Catseye | Aug 8 2015, 02:19 AM Post #5 |
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Pisa-Carp
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Yes, deerproof was a high priority. Things have changed however, alas. I thought to do a soil test before planting and the result was Soil flunked the test srsly. The nitrogen content would have to triple before it qualified for life support. So rather than plant my beautiful tree in moon dust I'll amend from now til spring and then see where I'm at. Flexibility is all. |
| "How awful a knowledge of the truth can be." -- Sophocles, Oedipus Rex | |
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| Mikhailoh | Aug 8 2015, 02:43 AM Post #6 |
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
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It is indeed! |
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Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball | |
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| Mikhailoh | Aug 8 2015, 02:44 AM Post #7 |
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
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Where again do you live with such terrible rocky soil? |
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Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball | |
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| Catseye | Aug 8 2015, 03:15 AM Post #8 |
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Pisa-Carp
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Highish up in the Blue Ridge; in the vicinity of the Skyline Drive of fame. I think I'm in sedimentary shale country. Not that I would know sedimentary shale from a, well, a hole in the ground, ha-ha! |
| "How awful a knowledge of the truth can be." -- Sophocles, Oedipus Rex | |
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| Mikhailoh | Aug 8 2015, 03:58 AM Post #9 |
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
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Ahhh.... what you need is rhododendrons and laurels, naturals in that area! But hollies need an acid soil too I believe. |
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Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball | |
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| Catseye | Aug 8 2015, 04:08 AM Post #10 |
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Pisa-Carp
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Yes, we're awash in rhododendron and azaleas here . . . to my surprise though, the one element that passed the test was pH: it was 7. |
| "How awful a knowledge of the truth can be." -- Sophocles, Oedipus Rex | |
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| sue | Aug 8 2015, 07:16 AM Post #11 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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I have a zillion rhodos here and a holly hedge; I'd assumed they like the same acid soil. But maybe your type of holly is something different - mine is just plain old pain in the ass holly Small birds love it though, makes a great hiding place.
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| sue | Aug 8 2015, 07:22 AM Post #12 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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nice, it looks less prickly than mine, and I like that single shrub shape. Hope you can find a spot that works for it. |
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| Catseye | Aug 8 2015, 07:32 AM Post #13 |
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Pisa-Carp
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Yes, I'm kind of mystified by that 7 rating . . . possibly it's just that one spot and the rest is more acidic. I don't know, but by the time I've amended it'll have changed anyway. When you say pain in the ass holly, what do you mean? The pricklies? |
| "How awful a knowledge of the truth can be." -- Sophocles, Oedipus Rex | |
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| sue | Aug 8 2015, 07:49 AM Post #14 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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The dead leaves, when they fall off. Hard to deal with, always prickly, even in a skeleton state. And pruning is a pain, you just can't crush the leaves and compact them. But as I said, we have a hedge, not just a single bush, and in a place where it needs to be kept maintained - if I was planting it (it was here when we bought the place) I'd put it at the end of the backyard and let it be. It is pretty in the winter, and as I've said, a real haven for small birds. Which is why it's still there.
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| LWpianistin | Aug 8 2015, 08:04 AM Post #15 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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Very pretty! |
| And how are you today? | |
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| Luke's Dad | Aug 8 2015, 09:13 AM Post #16 |
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Emperor Pengin
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Are there supplements that you can put in the soil? How deep do the roots go on that tree and how big does it grow? Once it starts getting bigger, will it be heartier than and able to survive the bad soil around it? |
| The problem with having an open mind is that people keep trying to put things in it. | |
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| Catseye | Aug 8 2015, 10:37 AM Post #17 |
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Pisa-Carp
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O Hai, LD. Yes; when I said I'd be amending it, that's what I was referring to -- adding stuff. I'll be doing that all along the front of the house, the foundation strip, for the foreseeable future. I don't mind, though. Gardening, I have found, is very Zen. It's advertised as growing 8-10 feet. By the time the bed is ready I presume the situation will be a comfortable one for the roots. Doing my best to see that is so! |
| "How awful a knowledge of the truth can be." -- Sophocles, Oedipus Rex | |
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| Copper | Aug 8 2015, 11:28 AM Post #18 |
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Shortstop
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Here is some painful pruning I do about twice a year Cotoneasters ![]() Arbor Vitae and Holly with exposed skeletons ![]() Holly branches wrapped together in spirals ![]() ![]() Seven years later ![]() Spirals ![]() And pom-poms
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The Confederate soldier was peculiar in that he was ever ready to fight, but never ready to submit to the routine duty and discipline of the camp or the march. The soldiers were determined to be soldiers after their own notions, and do their duty, for the love of it, as they thought best. Carlton McCarthy | |
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| Catseye | Aug 9 2015, 02:23 AM Post #19 |
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Pisa-Carp
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Copper, I love those! I've never seen anything like that . . . they're sort of like big bonsai plants. You must be very skilled and talented!
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| "How awful a knowledge of the truth can be." -- Sophocles, Oedipus Rex | |
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| George K | Aug 9 2015, 03:56 AM Post #20 |
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Finally
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topiary |
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A guide to GKSR: Click "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08 Nothing is as effective as homeopathy. I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles. - Klaus, 4/29/18 | |
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| sue | Aug 9 2015, 06:56 AM Post #21 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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well clearly there are some people that enjoying pruning.
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Small birds love it though, makes a great hiding place.







well clearly there are some people that enjoying pruning.

12:48 AM Jul 11