Sisyphus comes to mind when I think about my ume. I’ve been working on the tree for roughly 10 years, grafting, each winter, branches with white flowers onto branches that naturally sport double-pink flowers. Because the variety doesn’t bud back like other deciduous varieties, I find myself re-grafting branches year after year. This year was […]
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Fall work – Korean hornbeam
I still remember the moment I fell for Korean hornbeams. Boon had brought several to a BIB meeting when they were in fall color. Some were covered in yellows and greens – another shone orange and red. The trees were vigorous, healthy, dense, and beautiful – I set my sights on getting one. A few […]
Finding the front – Japanese red pine
A number of readers provided suggestions for Jeff’s Japanese black pine this week. Front #1 is the closest to the current front. It’s a great selection based on the current style – one that features balanced branches on both sides of the trunk. The second and third options were both popular, possibly because they present […]
Finding the front – Japanese black pine
The Japanese black pine pictured below hasn’t been re-styled in a long time. It’s healthy now, and ready for a change. Currently, the foliage is heavy on both the left and right sides. The owner is hoping to emphasize one side over the other. The two outstanding questions: which front is the most effective? and […]
Fall decandling – an update
In early October, I began an experiment to see if fall decandling could produce new interior buds on a couple of young Japanese black pines. To date, the results have been good. The first tree I decandled was the weaker of the two. There are plenty of new buds, but not a lot of back […]