Early Winter Pics – Page 2 – Cold Hardy Palms – PalmsNorth.com

Paul Ont · 2010-12-27T12:09:42Z

Had a chance to take some early winter pics at the house near Kingston. Low has been something like -15/-16C to date. It will almost certainly get colder than that in both of the upcoming months. There has been a consistent freeze (unbroken) since the 14th of December. It looks like this freeze will extend until the 29th. Plants for the most part look good, and I rediscovered a plant I thought had perished last winter... It's no good as an ornamental, but it does prove that I am, in fact, a liar... Here is the sole surviving Aucuba japonica, it had been about 2 feet tall when planted, protected 1 winter, then left for dead. It was covered by invasive Gooseneck Loostrife (NEVER plant this, it is the worst plant I've ever tried to remove), for 2 summers (and dead plants of this last winter), and was only uncovered when I saw a little green below dead plants this year. It almost certainly has not seen temps below 0f in the past 2 years.C. 3-4" tall:<img src="http://inlinethumb34.webshots.com/23457/2130891020072511707S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="DSCN0873">Ilex opaca heading into its third winter. Man is this a SLOW plant. No significant damage since it was killed back to the stem its first winter. ~3' TALL.<img src="http://inlinethumb30.webshots.com/29085/2644592430072511707S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="DSCN0876">Basjoo stems covered with leaves. Hopelessly tender here, only extreme protection allows it to survive and achieve any sort of height:<img src="http://inlinethumb05.webshots.com/47172/2906624940072511707S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="DSCN0874">Phyllostachys nuda. Still (mostly) green thanks to the slight snow cover we have (maybe 2" in places). Exposed leaves look green but are fried.<img src="http://inlinethumb06.webshots.com/25221/2730574820072511707S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="DSCN0875"></a>Phyllostachys aureosulcata. Protected leaves are still green. Many of those exposed look green but are fried thanks to cold dry wind.<img src="http://inlinethumb19.webshots.com/24530/2060793570072511707S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="DSCN0869">The old palm hut. It's frozen in place otherwise I would have opened it up to have a look at the plants.<img src="http://inlinethumb40.webshots.com/34599/2239023150072511707S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="DSCN0868">M. grandiflora BBB. Wrapped with 1) Frost cloth. 2) mini-lights. 3) Burlap. 4) A plastic cap to help keep the wind off the top portion of the tree... First year plant. I give it a 70% chance of complete survival.<img src="http://inlinethumb36.webshots.com/29667/2062139190072511707S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="DSCN0867">Beautiful evergreen Rhododendron. R. brachycarpum ssp. tigerstedtii:<img src="http://inlinethumb29.webshots.com/4316/2122287280072511707S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="DSCN0865">Kalmia... Might need some sulphur to lower the pH.<img src="http://inlinethumb20.webshots.com/46227/2868396820072511707S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="DSCN0864">Rhodo test bed. Some will be graduating this spring, others will be pulled out and chopped up for the fire:<img src="http://inlinethumb31.webshots.com/23070/2589851340072511707S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="DSCN0863">Quercus fusiformis (virginiana). Still green despite small size and cold dry winds.<img src="http://inlinethumb31.webshots.com/23070/2589851340072511707S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="DSCN0863">"Evergreen" Azalea. Waste of money in my climate.<img src="http://inlinethumb62.webshots.com/45181/2933517190072511707S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="DSCN0860">P. auresulcata 'spectibilis'. Mostly green. Some burn on exposed leaves., I hope the culms stay alive AND maintain their colour better than the normal form:<img src="http://inlinethumb25.webshots.com/32984/2871324010072511707S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="DSCN0859">P. aureosulcata 'alata'. Toughest runner I grow. Second only to F. nitida in terms of hardiness.<img src="http://inlinethumb16.webshots.com/20815/2603820590072511707S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="DSCN0857">Cacti shriveled for winter:<img src="http://inlinethumb32.webshots.com/43551/2618797980072511707S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="DSCN0855">'Protection' on the cactus bed. Have to keep the rabbit from chewing off the Yucca leaves somehow!<img src="http://inlinethumb54.webshots.com/28213/2728214880072511707S600x600Q85.jpg" alt="DSCN0854">

lucky1

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Posts: 11322

Illustrious Member

My rural community last year enacted a Firearms Discharge Bylaw which breaks the area down into green (go ahead and shoot away), yellow (interface area, i.e. people/pets might be hiking), and red (move along, quickdraw...)

Phone your city hall or regional district.

CBC this morning had some very disturbing news about crossbow hunting.
Warning: this pic is extremely upsetting.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2010/12/30/bc-crossbow-arrows-deer.html?ref=rss

I'm bloody sick about that. :angryfire:

Barb

If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt.

Posted : 31/12/2010 10:52 am

DesertZone

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CBC this morning had some very disturbing news about crossbow hunting.
Warning: this pic is extremely upsetting.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2010/12/30/bc-crossbow-arrows-deer.html?ref=rss

I'm bloody sick about that. :angryfire:

Barb

I wish I did not see that. 😥 I may hunt, but that is sick, I would throw the book at them. 😡

I don't even have the heart to shot the rabbits on my place. 😆

I'm still sick about the hawk I hit with the truck last night. 🙁

Shoshone Idaho weather
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/weathersticker/miniWeather06_both/language/www/US/ID/Gooding.gif" alt="Click for Pearce, Arizona Forecast" border="0" height="50" width="150" /></a>
Here's to all the global warming pushers, may your winters be -30 below and four feet of snow in your driveway. Because I want you happy.
-Aaron-

Posted : 31/12/2010 11:44 am

igor.glukhovtsev

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Posts: 1179

Noble Member

You are right! This is a terrible thing! I hate it!

Posted : 31/12/2010 11:44 am

lucky1

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Posts: 11322

Illustrious Member

I'm sorry I posted that picture link.

If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt.

Posted : 31/12/2010 12:17 pm

igor.glukhovtsev

(@igor-glukhovtsev)

Posts: 1179

Noble Member

No Barb! You've done nothing wrong! There is an opportunity thinking about a humanity and the Humanity. I'm so happy to know that I deal with the Humanity here at the PalmsNorth.

Posted : 31/12/2010 12:24 pm

lucky1

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Posts: 11322

Illustrious Member

Appreciate that Igor.

Aaron, I can imagine how sad you feel about your truck hitting a hawk.
I know how much you care...about animals and plants.

Re the crossbow incident:
Wish I could remember who said this: "Two things amaze me: the intelligence of animals, and the bestiality of man."
We all agree on that.

Barb

If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt.

Posted : 31/12/2010 12:45 pm

DesertZone

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Posts: 4411

Famed Member

Barb,
You are a good person. 😀

Shoshone Idaho weather
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/weathersticker/miniWeather06_both/language/www/US/ID/Gooding.gif" alt="Click for Pearce, Arizona Forecast" border="0" height="50" width="150" /></a>
Here's to all the global warming pushers, may your winters be -30 below and four feet of snow in your driveway. Because I want you happy.
-Aaron-

Posted : 31/12/2010 1:04 pm

TerdalFarm

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Posts: 2981

Famed Member

Barb sure is.
Aaron, sorry about the hawk. I have a bunch here. They eat my free-range chickens. I don't shoot them--I admire them, while feeling sorry for my chickens whom they eat. Chicks who I raised from the egg. Nature isn't always simple.
I never shot the rabbits as my dogs chase them effectively. They never catch the bunnies but they do keep them away.

Last night I served grilled goat to a party here. The goat who ate Aucuba, Camellia, Hibiscus and Rhapidophyllum.
Nature is sometimes tasty. Paul, try the lapin raised on Yucca. --Erik

Posted : 31/12/2010 1:50 pm

canadianplant

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sry to hear about the hawk too.

Last summer i seen something i never thought id see before. I know crows eat pretty much anything they can get, but i was outside in the yard. And I hear this small tree of starlings go absolutly crazy. Turns out a crow got one. Happened 4 times last year, after never seeing it before.

Instead of trying to get rid of them, you can create borders of plants the rabbits wont eat, or go near. or distract then with a hedge that the rabbits they CAN eat. The good.bad part is... it usualy attracts foxes, hawks and what not to eat the rabbits... so nature will usualy let it work itself out. Of course no one wants their plants eaten by anything. The thing about rabbits is, you probably will never ever get rid of them when there there, so is there really any reason for shooting them? Well, if you do eat rabbit, and arent going to waste it, i guess it isnt so bad

"Nature is sometimes tasty"

LOL. As for the goat, well, thats karma, he ate your plants, you ate him. LOL

"The definition of insanity, is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results" - einstien

Check out my new Blog! http://canadianplant.wordpress.com/

Posted : 31/12/2010 2:16 pm