This lack of rain over the past six weeks or so has put a serious strain on my plants and garden especially in the front yard. I’ve decided to instead of trying to cut everything back over the next several weeks, that I will leave pretty much as is until next Spring. It’s actually a good thing creating a wildlife habitat for the small animals and egg layers in the foliage, etc. This morning, I used a five-gallon bucket to water the trees so I could measure how much water I was giving each tree. I also watered the foliage that appeared to be very dry. Watering the foliage tells you where the drip line is as well.
This morning, I watered all my small trees I have added over the past couple years. An inventory would be the following:
In the picture above is one of three Jane Magnolia trees I planted about three years ago. They look like I might get a second bloom this fall. Unfortunately, they like to bloom in early Spring when we’ve had a few warm days, and a cold spell will nip them in the bud… so to speak. The one in the middle of my yard facing Jefferson grew I think over two feet this past Spring when we were getting so much rain. They all need to be re-staked this fall their low hanging branches need attention as well. I also need to expand the area under the trees removing all the grass to the drip line at the edge of the branches. The drip line of a tree is considered the furthest edge of the roots of the tree.
Two other trees in my front yard are ornamental plum trees. One in the eastern edge flower bed along Cherokee, and a second one in the SW corner of my front yard. The one on the Cherokee side is doing fine, but the other one I think needs to be removed and put elsewhere. It doesn’t seem to be the right tree for this location. It’s right on the corner and should be considered more as the signature tree in the yard. We need more color here. However, the magnolia to the north will be hard to beat. I’m undecided as to what to replace it with.
I have a Japanese maple that’s in the flower bed along Cherokee that seems to be doing okay. I need to expand its area and remove some of the flowers since its getting taller. Paying more attention to the perimeter around the trees will help.
Finally, among my new trees, I have two dwarf purple lilac trees in the front yard as well. They are the most recent additions and seem to be doing okay. All the trees were happy to get water this morning.
I also have a pink and a white dogwood tree in my front yard that predate our arrival ten years ago.
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