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Spring comes with the invigorating warmth, aromas, and best of all, the timid life emerging from the dormant trees; the soft, new growth that gradually swells in the lush foliage of the eastern deciduous forest. I never tire of the changing seasons and, being an arborist with a passion for trees, the effect is overwhelmingly beautiful!
And now in late spring, many trees are approaching the prime foliage season. Trees make their own food through the process of photosynthesis, their leaves creating and processing food to sustain life, first of all their own and then the life of all the other organisms that depend on them for food in the complex web of life. Now is the time to recover their depleted resources from the dormant season. Now is peak production season, making up for the energy spent through new growth and tissue formation. The tree canopy is varying shades of green, the foliage is lush and life is good for everyone at peace with themselves and their Creator.
They insert a tubular spear into your tree and take out the good stuff; the sugary sap that's critical to the tree's welfare. They take much more than they need and drop the leftovers onto vehicles, patios and sidewalks. The result? Weakened trees and a sticky, slippery mess.
To identify the Spotted Lanternfly in the early nymph stage, look for a black coat with white spots. As it matures into the second nymph stage, the black coat will turn red. Adults have grey wings with black spots. As they spread their wings, they reveal the brilliantly colored inner wings. Handsome in appearance but bad news for your trees.
We have tools to combat this invader and are here to help you. Call or text me at 717-226-2732. We'll team up with you to save your trees and property.
They really should. They're missing out.
On one of the last posts, I described the Snakebark Maple. How about another North American Native that has been overlooked? Indian Cherry. It displays lush foliage throughout the dog days of summer, and is laced with ornamental fruit when most other plants are tired and uninteresting. It deserves more credit than it gets!
Korean Mountain Ash is another virtual unknown. Most species of Mountain Ash are demanding customers, but the Korean is an exception. The clean flowers contrast with the dark foliage beautifully.
One final option- the Turkish Fir. Grand and stately with rich green foliage. I don't have a good photo of this one. You'll have to come out to the nursery and see it for yourself!
We have a large selection of elegant, slow-growing evergreens. Specimen plants that can live for decades if not centuries, they will continue to delight future generations.
Japanese White Pine cultivars are some of the best. Wonderful accents for buildings or other structures, they are not susceptible to any pest or insect problems that I know of. The foliage is grouped at the ends of the branches, forming something of a pipe-brush shape.
Remember that Dwarf Alberta Spruce that you just removed from beside your porch steps? You know, that half-dead, pyramidal tree that looked like an assembly line product and was riddled with Spider Mites? Well, how about we replace it with a Suncrest Spruce? A Suncrest is a dwarf cultivar of the Norway Spruce and was selected by Greg Gulden of Suncrest Gardens in Mount Holly Springs! Comparing the Suncrest to a Dwarf Alberta is like comparing a 2020 BMW to a 2000 Renault. Nuff said.
Then there's Gowdy Spruce, Silver Fir, Bristlecone Pine...
These specialty evergreens all have three things in common: elegance, few problems, and very slow growth. This translates into a durable, beautiful evergreen that doesn't quickly outgrow its space and will provide many years of magnificent service. The ones we have here at Woodlawn are good-sized, and you won't need to wait for them to grow out of babyhood.
Snakebarks are in a class of their own and this is the only one native to North America. Charming, isn't it?
The snakebark is a gardener's plant. Don't try to grow it in compacted or clay soil. Give it a moist, well-drained place to put it's feet into and a bit of afternoon shade to help keep the leaves from scorching and you will find yourself with an attractive and unusual conversation piece.
The bark is almost white during the growing season and green in the winter. Fall color is a good yellow.
Try it!
Fall Garden Day is Saturday September 21 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Cumberland County Extension Office, 310 Allen Road, Carlisle. I am scheduled to give a presentation and a tree-planting demo. We will be offering $30 gift cards to be redeemed at our retail center here at Woodlawn.
To preregister, call 717-240-6500 by Wednesday the 18th. Walk-ins are welcome if space is available.
Fall Garden Day is always a great event with lots of things to see, learn and do. Please stop by to say hello if you get the chance to attend. If you can't attend, remember that we are now open for our fall season with a big selection of fresh inventory. Feel free to call to set up a visit or just stop by during business hours.
Beginning September 1, we are offering a 20% discount on 280-gallon trees. They have a trunk diameter of about 8"and are ready to provide instant shade.
We plan to be gone for the rest of July through the third week of August and I will be off-grid. We'll be glad to help you with a big tree (or any tree for that matter) as soon as we get back...