A new Japanese maple was planted:
Two Japanese plum yews replaced two old azalea trees in blue belly pots. The azaleas were bought 5 or 6 years ago to decorate the house in December and were successfully moved outside after the holidays. Trained into trees, with braided stems, they stood on our back porch:
By now, the azaleas lost their attractiveness and needed to go. At least, to go somewhere in a less prominent spot in the garden. I'll give them another chance, trim them and we'll see if they like it. Here is the old and new back porch. Before - on the left, after - on the right.
I bought the Japanese plum yews (Cephalotaxus H. 'fastigiata') at this year's Northwest Flower and Garden Show. It's an evergreen, slow growing, upright vase-shaped plant with large green needles. It grows 6-10 feet tall and 4 feet wide. I plan to prune it to keep it suitable for the pots' size. So far, the plants look a bit small for these wide pots, so I plan to underplant them with annuals.
Meanwhile, the weather changed, and after 6 p.m. we had pea-sized hail bombing our spring garden. It was not a usual hail storm of one-two minutes. The Wednesday hail storm lasted 30 minutes! It was very dense and furious. We couldn't believe our eyes. Hail was falling and falling and falling. It turned to snow after a half an hour, and everything around got white. Hello, April!
I am sure that my pansies will survive:
The tulips look bad. They were hit by snow in March, never recuperated after it, and now they have been bitten again.
The daffodils look good, at least now:
It's still cold on Thursday morning. Nothing melted at night.
I was right - there was something suspicious in the air Wednesday morning.
***Copyright 2011 TatyanaS
First off, I love those blue pots. They are phenomenal. Also love the yews in those pots and they'll look awesome underplanted with annuals. Hopefully the tulips find a way to survive.
ReplyDeleteI love your container re-do. I have Japanese Yew in two containers, one is with a burgandy cordlyline and dusty miller, the other one is with dusty miller and trailing ivey.....you were smart to recognize weather change coming. The snow is going to stop for spring isn't it?
ReplyDeleteOh my Tatyana, what a wild time this spring you have had. Hail can be so damaging ---I remember in TX all my petunias looked like they had been through a war.
ReplyDeleteThe pot re-do's look good. It'll look real good when you get them filled in too. Thats a shame that the hail turned into to snow. Hope it warms up quick. Have a good afternoon Tatyana.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness that wasn't very nice of mother nature... love your blue pots and can't wait to see all of your beautiful flowers this summer.
ReplyDeletehugs from Savannah, Cherry
There's never a dull moment in spring, is there? Carla
ReplyDeleteGotta love flowers in the snow.
ReplyDeleteThe Japanese plum yews look like winners. I'm sure our local garden marts won't carry them...but I'll look.
We have all had this wierd weather but you are supposed to be warmer than we are.
ReplyDeleteEileen
Really a crazy spring everywhere.Love your floral &containers ... will be just gorgeous when the weather straightens up.
ReplyDeleteHave a beautiful weekend ~
TTFN ~
Marydon
FUN NEW GIVEAWAY ends 4/10
Tatyana,
ReplyDeleteOh those tulips looks very bad... Glad the daffodils did just fine. Love the blue pots, never cared much for yews, but I have not seen these before. Maybe winter has finished now?
Great container redux. It will be nice to see which annuals you choose to under plant them with.
ReplyDeleteDang weather. Enough already.
I am sorry about your tulips... We were supposed to have hail too today, but escaped (I think). Late frosts are always so hard on the garden. Your azaleas looked great in bloom, I hope they come back for you.
ReplyDeleteI love how the pots turned out! This weather has been just crazy. That hail went on forever didn't it? I guess tomorrow will be nice and then rain and cold again. Even though I know it's early spring I'm really tired of this weather. Hope your tulips survive.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting - flowers in the snow !
ReplyDeleteSo sorry about the hail--hope everything bounces back quickly and well! Those blue glazed pots look terrific and really brighten things up while you're waiting for the plants to do the same!
ReplyDeleteSpring is fickle here too, Tatyana. In fact we have not seen much of it but this weekend looks promising. Great cobalt blue pots and new yews!
ReplyDeleteUgh, sorry about the tulips. :( Those blue pots look fantastic though.
ReplyDeleteLove the blue pots! Where did you say you lived at? LOL! Too far away so they are safe. I cannot believe that is all hail. Wow, what a pretty mess. I am glad you got to work in the garden at least a little.Your primroses look like the sleet had them weighed down too but they will be fine.What a fickle month.
ReplyDeleteThe hail pictures have me worried. Tomorrow and Sunday we are suppose to get some really bad storms with hail. Not a nice thing for a garden lover! I thought I finished with all my Winter photos when I posted my photo essay earlier this month. May have to add to it after any hail this weekend. I do like your posts on the desk. Nice color and a good size in my mind. Jack
ReplyDeleteOh dear, those poor tulips. I'm glad your pansies and daffodils came through unscathed. -Jean
ReplyDeleteDear Tatyana, This is the most unpredictable spring for all of us. You did a lot of valuable work before the hail storm. I have a Japanese maple on my wish list ... now I am inspired to get one. P x
ReplyDeleteWe had a hail storm earlier this week, too, but it only lasted about five minutes. Some of my plants were beaten down by it - I can imagine what a 30 minute storm would do! I do love your plum yew; they look great in your blue pots!
ReplyDeleteThe yews are such a cool shape! The fact that they are evergreen will probably make you happy :) Holy cow Hail! We also got hail showers on Weds..but nothing that lasted quite so long. I hope some of your tulips make it. Mine are late this year, but hoping they'll pull through. Cheers, Jenni
ReplyDelete