A Visit From My Sister in Florida

Cornus kousa (Korean dogwood) is one of my favorite trees. Can you see why? How about those berries? They will slowly turn reddish pink and will quickly be consumed by birds. I took this picture at Patti's Settlement located in Grand Rivers Kentucky. I love this place and if you are local and have not yet been, there is no time like the present. I had the opportunity to visit Patti's Settlement while my younger sister Joanne was here visiting with her husband, and two granddaughters. They all had a great time. Here are some pictures from our recent visit.

Patti's Settlement is based on an 1880's town. In it are several stores, a wonderful restaurant (Patti's), several gardens, a small zoo, a playground, and gardens. There were a lot of seating areas scattered around to make enjoying the garden absolutely delightful.

Here is Samone, Joanne's oldest grandchild and granddaughter. She is standing next to the largest wind chime I have ever seen. It made a really low and echoing sound when 'chimed.' It is easily taller than Samone and she is ever bit of four feet.

There were flower designs nicely displayed in creative pots. There were also a lot of fruit trees bearing fruit, and lots of hardscaping to make the settlement quite user friendly for all visitors.

I liked this display of trees due to the variety of color and textures. Wow.

In addition to visiting Patti's Settlement we also visited the Golden Pond Planetarium and the Woodland Nature Station located at Land Between the Lakes (LBL).   We here in Middle Tennessee and southern Kentucky are very lucky to have such a beautiful natural recreation area nearby. Each trip I make to LBL always delights me. Here are Samone and her younger cousin Carmen standing in front of an elk at the small museum located in the Planetarium. Also located at LBL is an Elk and Bison Prairie. This prairie is a 700 acre prairie that is very native and beautiful. I can see my Wildflower Hill becoming like this prairie-with time. There is a large herd of elk and bison who call this prairie their home. The cost is a mere $5 to enter the enclosure where you can loop around the paved road as many times as you'd like looking for the elk and bison. On the day we were there we saw several elk but no bison. 700 acres is a pretty big area so there is no guarantee you will see the animals. Even if you don't be sure to notice all of the natural and native vegetation and beautiful prairie plants visited by birds, rabbits, and all sorts of other wildlife and pollinators. You cannot go wrong with visiting Land Between the Lakes as the cost for all attractions is very low and the return immense. While we visited the Woodland Nature Station we saw a show that allowed us to howl to the coyote on display. Do you know he howled back to us??? It was SO cool! Add to that the fact that the momma and daddy red wolves also began howling along with us and you have a wonderful experience that is also a learning experience for families.

On the way to the attractions at LBL be sure to stop and explore Stewart County's historic past as the center of the iron industry in the 1800s by stopping by the Great Furnace. The above picture was taken near the Great Furnace and it shows my sister, her husband Gary, and her two granddaughters (Samone on the left and Carmen on the right). Thanks so much for your wonderful visit Joanne! I look forward to more and one of these days I might make it down your way too....

in the garden....

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

Crepe Myrtles in New England?? And a Fabulous Kousa

Who knew crepe myrtles grew in New England? Okay, not really but the northerners have a great FABULOUS substitute in the form of a Japanese lilac (Syringa reticulata). These trees were in full bloom all over southern Maine and were very eye catching.





I tried very hard to identify this tree while in Maine and no one could help. I even Googled every phrase I could think of in order to identify this tree and simply could not get an answer. I asked my daughter what they were and she replied "Lilac". They were obviously not the common lilac; which are very fragrant and bloom much earlier than July but it was clear to me and to my daughter that these trees were some kind of lilac. But what kind? Note the bark is similar to the bark of trees in the prunus (Cherry) family. The lenticels were very visible adding to the mystery even more.





Leaves were heart shaped like redbuds. It was quite an interesting tree to me. It was not until I was back in the south that I finally found out what it was through much computer work. I was not familiar with Japanese lilacs but had heard of Persian lilacs. That is where I started when I came upon Japanese lilacs. Mystery solved. 

I do not have a great picture of the full tree but to see these trees in full bloom is to see a white crepe myrtle in full bloom. Now who says northerners don't have our beloved crepe myrtles?



Now this is a tree I am very familiar with as it is a Cornus kousa. I am not sure of the cultivar if there was one. This tree was planted across the sidewalk from the above Japanese lilac at a local bank. This kousa shined and positively glowed.

You could barely see any foliage and look how big this tree has grown. It was a wonderful specimen and I wish it grew in my garden.



This last picture is of my grandparents home on the border with Canada. The river behind the house is called the St. Croix River and is a tidal river. The land you see across the river is New Brunswick, Canada. My grandmother's family was Canadian.  The house and garage bump right up to the river and as a child the property was always a wonderful place to explore and visit. My grandparents must have sold the home more than thirty years ago but if I ever head up to the Canadian border I make sure to go by the old house. As it was my dear husband made the trip with my uncle and was kind enough to take several pictures of the house; I did not make the trip. Like all things in life this house and the ground have changed immensely since I was a kid. The gardens are no longer there, the white clapboard siding with green trim has been covered up with vinyl, the half wall surrounding the porch has been removed and the two stately elms that graced the front yard were felled many many years ago by Dutch elm disease. This is a huge house and I am sure a very old house. The maintenance alone must be a big burden but I am grateful to see the homeowner appears to be working on the house. Some of the age and maintenance issues were visible such as the huge barn is nearly roofless and the garage is in a sad state of disrepair, but still, this is the house of my dreams and some of my greatest joys and at its heart the house is still the same one I remember. 

This is also the location where I learned about peonies and Gloriosa daisies and cherry trees and vegetable gardening. I am sad to see the large perennial gardens are gone. During the long period my grandmother gardened here the soil gave up many treasures. I can remember a Mason jar filled with old marbles my grandmother had unearthed while digging outside. That Mason jar sat on a radiator in the kitchen just below a window overlooking the river where we would sit and watch bald eagles (when we were lucky) and all other types of birds of prey fishing in the river and flying about. Memories can be such wonderful things for all of us....


in the garden....



Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

Cornus Kousa 'Wolf Eyes' & A Birthday Wish

In my garden Cornus kousa 'Wolf Eyes' is not known for its blooms but lookout for the foliage! I must say I really like this little shrub. I have been growing this 'Wolf Eyes' for four or five years now and it is a little tree/shrub that I really love in my garden despite the fact it has not bloomed in two years. I think part of the problem with the non-blooming this year can be directly tied to the drought we had here in Middle Tennessee last summer. I'm not sure what the problem was last year though because we had a great summer in 2009. Sigh. It is still a keeper....

in the garden....

I wish for the happiest of birthdays to my twin daughters who turn the big 3-0 today!

The handsome young man on the left is the girls younger brother Jimmy, then Christine (the oldest by one minute) then Elizabeth. Happy Birthday girls!

Thanks everyone for the kind words about our BJ. We miss him so very much.

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

Wolf Eyes...In the Garden and Growing

How wonderful are dogwoods in the spring? Nothing but maybe azaleas are such big harbingers of spring as the beautiful dogwoods. Both the Florida Dogwood (Cornus floridus) and the above pictured Korean Dogwood (Cornus kousa) are awesome. Unfortunately, the Florida dogwoods don't excel in my garden. They were a bit neglected prior to us purchasing this home nearly eight years ago. Some are finally coming around, but most have succumbed to anthracnose, lawnmower and borer damage. Looking for an alternative I read where the Korean dogwoods are somewhat resistant to these problems. Of the Korean dogwoods, the one most often mentioned is the 'Wolf Eyes' cultivar.

I posted on this very tree about this time last year. It has been one of my most often Googled posts, so being the fairly smart blogger that I am, I thought it was due an update:) I haven't seen this tree in any other gardens, but do know some bloggers have it in their gardens. I also have not found this tree in any nurseries, which is weird since there is so much interest in it. A local nursery owner recently asked me what I was seeing as a trend on the blog right now. I told him 'Wolf Eyes'. So many folks want to know about this tree that I think it must be a fairly popular or fairly unknown tree! If I were a nursery owner, I think I'd be carrying this tree in my nursery and be sure to help clients understand its differences as compared to the Florida dogwood.
I did not purchase mine in a nursery however. I lucked out and found this one at the Nashville Lawn and Garden Show in 2007. It was pretty small and looked a bit spindly, but has done well here. I must say this tree is a v...e...r....y slow grower. The slowest of any trees in my garden! I'd be surprised if it has grown even 6 inches per year. It is sited in a focal area and is showcased against darker foliaged shrubs and trees, including smoke trees, 'Annabelle' hydrangeas, and a 'Bloodgood' Japanese maple. I love the white of the leaves as they surely look like frosting.

I believe all dogwoods deserve and even require a bit of shade so this one is also in some shade, mostly shade in fact. That may be why it doesn't grow faster, but that is okay. I never worry about the foliage burning or it drying out due to excess sun.

Because the foliage is so bright and stays looking like this all season, the flowers are not really visible. You have to look real close. For me, the foliage is enough to keep me happy. Not only is the foliage variegated and mostly white, it stays that way and does not revert (at least not in the two years I've been growing it). Additionally, the leaves are wavy. This is an added bonus of 'Wolf Eyes' that most trees do not feature. The waviness adds to the texture of the tree and makes it a very outstanding specimen. That and the fact this dogwood has not been bothered by pests or diseases and is reliable is why I love the 'Wolf Eyes'.

If you have experience with the 'Wolf Eyes' or any other cultivar of Korean dogwoods, and know a good source for them, please let me know.

in the garden....

Cornus Kousa 'Wolf Eyes'

Cornus kousa 'Wolf Eyes' is a wonderful dogwood. The Cornus floridus, native dogwoods are not doing well in my landscape and I had read where the Cornus kousas are the way to go. These little trees are said to be resistant to anthracnose, a dogwood related fungal disease, and also said to be drought tolerant. I just knew I had to have one to replace the sad and sick and dying native dogwoods in my landscape.


At last year's Nashville Lawn and Garden show I found not only a Cornus kousa, but a 'Wolf Eyes' cultivar. Little did I know at the time how much I would love this little tree. It did not bloom last year due to being newly planted. It had not yet leafed out when the freeze happened since it is slow to leaf out, so it was safe. I occasionally watered it last summer, but not because it was droopy or stressed. No, I watered it only because it was newly planted. I like to make sure plants in the garden that have been in the garden less than one year, have a good start on life by watering them during their first year.

This dogwood bloomed wonderfully this year. You could not see the blooms because they blended in with the white foliage. The foliage is actually variegated but appears to be frosted from a distance. It literally glows. I planted this tree in a visible place anchoring a backyard center garden. This tree is surrounded by other small shrubs, trees and perennials, but it still holds its own and is the most visible plant from my kitchen window. The view kind of gives me an incentive to stand there more often and wash dishes.

Several master gardeners purchased this cultivar at the Shadow Nursery on a recent trip. I hope they enjoy theirs as much as I have enjoyed mine. It is a lovely plant.

in the garden...