My Dad's Ginkgo biloba

Ginkgo trunk

 This is the largest of ginkgo trees, grown from seeds my Dad collected about 15 years ago.  They spent their first couple of years in flower pots. 

My Dad collected the seeds from a large ginkgo tree, grown from seed by Herman Deege in a small Illinois town.   He taught me about the origins of gingko trees.  I imagine he's been dead since the 1970s.

This tree is many-fold larger than the other two from the same source.   Other than genetic diversity, different seeds from the same source, this was planted in the ground about one year before the other two.  It is in the yard area where the dogs leave their contributions to nature, over the past 12 years.  I think the dog fertilizer is the main difference.

Ginkgo tree

The smallest of the 3 is now in the Battleground yard.  It's about 7 feet tall.  The largest of my Dad's trees must ba about 35 feet tall now.

It should turn yellow soon.  Beautiful in green or yellow.

Ning's Chickens

This was a week ago.  I pulled out the marigolds and sweet alyssum.  They were too rank and taking over the bearded iris bed.  The hens ate them but not with enthusiasm.  They liked the sweet alyssum plants much more than the marigolds.

Grafting fruit trees. Progress Report.

Pear Graft #1

 All of the pear grafts and apple grafts took and grew this year.

I did not keep track of varieties.  The pear grafts were on the 2 Asian pear trees.  The intent is to have pollinating varieties, on the same tree.  And novelty.

The pollinating varieties were, two from a multigraft Asian pear in the Vancouver yard, plus 2 prunings from newly planted pear trees.  Those were European pears, Rescue and Orca.

Pear Graft #2

Pear Graft #3

 Some of the grafts grew very fast.  Others barely grew.

I grafted the apples on Feb 23rd at the Home Orchard Society grafting class.  Spitzenberg and Suttons Beauty.  Each has 2 strong growths.  Late winter, I want to graft each with an additional variety.  Or with 2 additional varieties, allowing a bud to form a branch below the graft for the originals.  These would be very low branching trees, which is what I want.  I want to get them planted in-ground this fall, so the roots have a chance to grow.  That means I will need deer protection, too, which is more of a chore.  Not too difficult.

The regenerated Honeycrisp broke off near the ground, but above the graft, last year.  I debated re-grafting it.  Instead, I pruned short, and allowed the tree to grow from below the cut.  It has 2 strong growths.  Again, I would like to graft an additional variety onto one or both of the growths.

In the Vancouver yard, I have the Honeycrisp start, Jonagold, Liberty, and Karmijn de Sonneville.  At Battleground, there are the columnar varieties Golden Sentinel and Red Sentinel.  GS had one apple this year.  It's only about 2 feet tall.  That's enough varieties for my test garden.

There is also Prairie Fire crabapple, now, which I hope serves as a pollinator.

Pear Graft #4

Regenerated Honeycrisp Apple

New Dwarf Apple Grafts

Broken Honeycrisp tree Sept 2012

Fall planting bulbs for Spring flowers.

Daffodil hill.  via Commons.wikimedia.org

Today it's raining and raining and raining.  Pacific Northwet.  I love rainy season.  Fire in the heating stove.  Dogs napping in front of the fire.

I planted 100 generic daffodils in Ning's border, clusters of 4,5,6.  Plus big Allium gigantum which I grew last year in the onion bed.  Moved catnip and 2 small raspberry starts out of bearded iris bed#3, and into the bee garden.   Both grow too large to remain among the bearded irises.   Tidied up a little more of that raised bed, and planted grape hyacinth and smaller types of narcissus.  Planted some bunches of daffodils in the bee garden.

That's about all.  Too wet, and I'm tired.   It sounds like a lot, but was only about 2 hours, split into slow 1 hour sessions, one in am and one in pm.

Daffodils - and possibly all narcissus - are considered deer resistant and rabbit resistant.  Last year something ate a few, but left most alone.  Must taste bad.  Grape hyacinths / Muscari are also considered deer and rabbit resistant,  but most were eaten down to the ground. 

Alliums are also considered animal resistant.  Some varieties did well last year, some were sparse.  I planted a few more purple alliums.

A few more small bags and half of a big bag of bulbs, left to plant.

Buddleia progress report.

Buddleia globosa hybrid

Buddleia X Peach Cobbler

 The hybrid Buddleias grew rapidly this year, from small <1ft and="" bushes.="" clipping="" compost="" each="" grass="" mulch.="" mulched="" nbsp="" nursery="" of="" on="" p="" plan.="" starts="" straw="" summer.="" tall="" that="" the="" they="" through="" to="" top="" waist-high="" was="" watered="" were="" with="">
The B. globosa hybrid blooms in Spring.  It was purchased as a 6 inch start.  Lots of growth.  Not as much as the others, but it was smaller.  Expect flowers next Spring.

The Flutterby series Buddleias grew fastest.  The flowers were the largest, but also the messiest.  Bumblebees liked them  There were also a few butterflies.  Those were "Peach Cobbler" and "Blueberry cobbler".

Buddleia X "Blue Chip"

Buddleia X "Blue Chip"

Another Flutterby series hybrid, but dwarf, was "Blue Chip".  I had that in a weedy iris bed that went unwatered until fall.  It did remain small.  The flowers were very nice.  I sort of regret not taking better care of it, but it bloomed and should be fine next year.

Buddleia X "Miss Ruby".  The remaining Buddleia hybrids were "Miss Ruby" and "Miss Molly".  Those were neater.  Growth was not as rampant.  The flowers lasted longer and were more vivid, compared to the Flutterby series.  The flowers were smaller, which is beneficial.  The much larger flower panicles of "Peach Cobbler" and "Blueberry Cobbler" start turning brown at the base before the tips open.  So with those, I either have to tolerate brown dried out flowers, or deadhead before they are done.  Bumblebees and a rare honeybee foraged "Miss Molly" and "Miss Ruby".

From the State of Oregon Department of Agriculture site, the following Buddleia varieties have been tested for non-invasiveness and are allowed.  It costs the grower $10,000 to have a variety tested at OSU, and takes 18 months.  If the grower already has data proving their variety is noninvasive or proving it is an interspecific hybrid, the cost is $150.00 per hour for the state to evaluate the data.  So, it seems wrong for anyone to grow these by cuttings.

A few weeks ago I say one local nursery carried "Black Knight" - a pretty but invasive and illegal variety.  I did not buy it.

ODA Approved Sterile Buddleja Cultivars - this info direct from ODA -

The listed Buddleja cultivars produce 2% or less viable seeds and meet Oregon's standards for sterility. The transport, propagation, and sale of the listed cultivars is approved.   Buddleja 'Blue Chip' Buddleja 'Asian Moon' Buddleja 'Purple Haze' Buddleja 'Ice Chip' (Formerly 'White Icing')   FLUTTERBY GRANDÉ™ Blueberry Cobbler Nectar Bush FLUTTERBY GRANDÉ™ Peach Cobbler Nectar Bush FLUTTERBY GRANDÉ™ Sweet Marmalade Nectar Bush FLUTTERBY GRANDÉ™ Tangerine Dream Nectar Bush FLUTTERBY GRANDÉ™ Vanilla Nectar Bush FLUTTERBY PETITE™ Snow White Nectar Bush FLUTTERBY™ Pink Nectar Bush

Non-Regulated Interspecific Cultivars

These listed cultivars have been proven to be interspecific hybrids through testing and laboratory analysis. They are not regulated under Oregon's noxious weed quarantine and can be transported, propagated, and sold within Oregon. The fertility of these cultivars has not been assessed, though interspecific hybrids generally exhibit low fertility.   Buddleja 'Lilac Chip' Buddleja 'Miss Molly' Buddleja 'Miss Ruby

This is Buddleia globosa, pic via wikipedia.org.  B globosa is not regulated, because it is not invasive.  B. globosa may be more attractive to bees, but blooms in spring or early summer.  The B. davidii and interspecific hybrids bloom later summer and fall.

 

ODA Approved Sterile Buddleja Cultivars - this info direct from ODA -

The listed Buddleja cultivars produce 2% or less viable seeds and meet Oregon's standards for sterility. The transport, propagation, and sale of the listed cultivars is approved.
 
Buddleja 'Blue Chip'
Buddleja 'Asian Moon'
Buddleja 'Purple Haze'
Buddleja 'Ice Chip' (Formerly 'White Icing')
 
FLUTTERBY GRANDÉ™ Blueberry Cobbler Nectar Bush
FLUTTERBY GRANDÉ™ Peach Cobbler Nectar Bush
FLUTTERBY GRANDÉ™ Sweet Marmalade Nectar Bush
FLUTTERBY GRANDÉ™ Tangerine Dream Nectar Bush
FLUTTERBY GRANDÉ™ Vanilla Nectar Bush
FLUTTERBY PETITE™ Snow White Nectar Bush
FLUTTERBY™ Pink Nectar Bush
 

Non-Regulated Interspecific Cultivars

These listed cultivars have been proven to be interspecific hybrids through testing and laboratory analysis. They are not regulated under Oregon's noxious weed quarantine and can be transported, propagated, and sold within Oregon. The fertility of these cultivars has not been assessed, though interspecific hybrids generally exhibit low fertility.
 
Buddleja 'Lilac Chip'
Buddleja 'Miss Molly'
Buddleja 'Miss Ruby