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| Amelanchier alnifolia |
This shadblow was photographed at Kendrick Lake Park: I know there are a few I planted years ago (of the native species) in the Rock Alpine Garden that persist--and the Navigator indicates that we have a good selection: http://navigate.botanicgardens.org/weboi/oecgi2.exe/INET_ECM_FindPl?PLANTNAME=Amelanchier&x=0&y=0
I think it would be good to do an assessment on these and see how many are still around: they just don't seem to make an impact here commensurate to the number of taxa we have. We used to have four spectacular specimens in the rose garden that I would notice now and again all year: beautiful (if brief) spring bloom: then they have a period of attractive new colored foliage that can last a while. They're pleasant in summer, but the fall color is almost always brilliant. And of course, they're great food crop for birds. There are so many selections and forms, I wish we had more...the four spectacular specimens in the rose garden disappeared (a long time ago)--I have missed them ever since and look at where they were spring and fall and there's nothing there.
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| Amelanchier utahensis |
I know this is in Dryland Mesa--but it doesn't show up as wonderfully as it should in the spot it's growing. Just because we have a specimen doesn't mean that we can't find a better spot for it: this is so distinct, with such beautiful habit and totally xeric--I wish we had this quite a few places in dry environments (like in the back of the Childrens garden)--until we could get one of those gnarly wonderful specimens as you see in nature.
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| Corylus colurna buds in winter |
We had a fabulous specimen of purple leaf Hazelnut I believe has been removed for the new AAS garden (http://navigate.botanicgardens.org/weboi/oecgi2.exe/INET_ECM_DispPl?NAMENUM=3286&DETAIL=1&startpage=1), and we have the state champion
Corylus colurna. I hope we can get the purple leaf hazelnut back: there are many selections of Hazels and many species: they INVARIABLY bloom in February most years (I've seen
C. colurna in full bloom in January) and they can be spectacular. I think there is room for many more of these--although it would be judicious to try and select different species (there are tons)...
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| Exochorda wilsonii |
I am still ruing the loss of this spectacular plant from where the Potager is now: I know white isn't that sexy, and it blooms in late April with every other white flower--but it is so distinct and characteristic of the Silk Road and Central Asia--I do hope someone can find this or
E. albertii: SOMEone has to be growing them! It would be perfect in the new Steppe garden...
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| Exochorda wilsonii |
Closeup of the flower...
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| Quercus alba on 6th Avenue and Holly |
One of the commonest forest trees of the East and Midwest--many think this is the most majestic oak. Here is a relatively young specimen I've dragged many of you to admire: there are ridiculously few of these in Denver. And we don't have one anywhere on the grounds. They get enormous--but there has to be someplace for this greatest of American oaks! You can't find large specimens (they do best planted small)...
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| Rhododendron 'Northern Lights' |
One of the greatest shows in my garden is this Rhody: I believe all the Northern Lights series are equally showy and hardy. They're not that fussy about soil acidity--they just want a woodsy soil and not to get too dry...
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| Rhododendron 'Northern Lights' |
It would be great to find a woodsy spot to show these off: they're quite inexpensive and you can get largish ones, and they would make a fabulous spectacle for a few weeks in late April and May.
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| Rosa 'Harison's Yellow' |
Our gigantic, magnificent Father Hugo's rose (http://www.highcountryroses.com/species/rosa-hugonis-father-hugo-rose-golden-rose-of-china) in the Rose Garden is now gone: we are supposed to have Harison's yellow in the Plains Garden. I believe we actually had it and the father Hugo's together in the Rose garden: I hope we hasten to get more of both--they make the first spectacular display of color every spring in the genus...and they're tough as nails.
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| Rosa 'hemisphaerica' NOT |
This was grown from seed as
Rosa hemisphaerica--supposedly from wild seed (I believe the seedlings were grown by Bob Nold). I didn't have room for them so I gave one to Marilyn Raff--probably 30 years ago, and one to Tom Peace. These are pictures of Marilyn's plant (that is probably there--but she sold the house and the new owner--who knows?). Tom's is still thriving in Crestone. I wish we could get it going--since it's from Turkey--thousands of miles WEST of where it's supposed to be (in China). I dragged Dr. Campbell to see this in bloom a long time ago--he thought it was
Rosa hugonis. But it seems to me the flowers are bigger.
That's it for now!
