Forsythia

Paul, lovely tree!

Thanks Todd

It's getting there, but it is soooooo slow. I may run out of years.....

Paul

I uprooted several when redesigning a planting bed at home. Hadnt planned to save anything, but one gnarly looking stump seemed to have an interesting shape, so I put it in some crushed granite I had and watered it. In less than 2 weeks it bloomed, and has since had a styling and is the easiest thing to take care of that I own. Really hardy and tough. Full sun, it doesnt care if it gets too dry, or gets hammered by a week's worth of downpours. I think they are fun because they are a bit unusual.
Have fun with it and enjoy it's blooms.

Breathing a little bit easier now, as growth is starting to pick up...

Regards,
Tom

After some further growing out and initial wiring.

I would cut off the first branch on the left, too straight compared to the rest of the lines.

TOM,,, It is looking better and better now... didn,t you start this one last year ???I looked but can,t find a good trunk... take care john

Yes, John....thanks for your kind words....I dug it last year...this is the first year of growth in a training container...I am hoping for a clump style from this one eventually....it was grown in the ground for 18 years from nursery stock.

Best regards,
Tom

About midsummer, after further growth and some more wiring...
Regards
Tom

Any chance this tree is still around?

Unfortunately the tree did not survive this past winter....

Tom Simonyi wrote:Unfortunately the tree did not survive this past winter....  

Welcome to the winter disasters of 2013--2014 club. I lost two nice Mugos that I have had for years. That wont happen again.

I hear you loud and clear, my friend....it won't happen again with what is left of my temperate tree collection either....

Tom Simonyi wrote:I hear you loud and clear, my friend....it won't happen again with what is left of my temperate tree collection either....

For at least the last ten years or so,  the winters have been rather mild, by comparison to this last one.  I let myself get lulled into a sense of thinking all of the winter precautions were not so necessary as I had been doing them.  Last winter proved that to be a necessity after all.  Two to three weeks with temperatures below Zero "F"  with days at twenty below zero proved a disaster to a couple of pretty good trees.  Nothing else seemed a problem.

May I ask what you will be doing differently this winter Vance? Winter scares me, I like to hear about everyone else's preparations.

Wander wrote:May I ask what you will be doing differently this winter Vance?  Winter scares me, I like to hear about everyone else's preparations.  

I am going to be providing more protection from the wind. I used to put everything crammed in on each other where one tree sheltred another so that the only ones I really had to concern myself with were the trees on the outside. I used to build barriers of bails of straw and burlap, a practice I had found unnecessary until not. I don't think the bails of straw are important but most certainly the barriers of burlap to keep direct wind off and diminish the effects of light early in the spring at a time when winter is not done but the sun wants to shine.