In 2023, I bought a pair of dwaft (Witch's Broom) Ginkgo trees named Spring Grove Gingkos and planted them on either side of our back stoop. They're handsome dwarf trees that have done well. They wilt in the hot sun a little bit, but have put on good growth in their two growing seasons. So...when I came across another one earlier this Summer, I grabbed it. I wasn't sure where it would go, but when I decided to cut out and create the new front yard Island Bed and plant the Northern Glow Korean Maple, I figured this small Spring Grove Ginkgo would make a handsome companion.
I put it in the opposite corner of the bed and like the Korean Maple, I also covered this with some shade cloth to give it a little bit of protection from the summer sun. This one is multi-trunked (2 stems). You can see the as-planted state below:
Here (below) is a capture of the plant tags:
This is the second island bed plant and will (hopefully) serve as the anchor to the (eventual) larger conifer-centric front yard plan thatcreates a little bit of Miegakaure (hide and reveal).
The island bed (photo below) is about ten-feet from the sidewalk and four-feet from the driveway. This is an island right now, but my plan is to remove the turf between this bed and both the sidewalk and garden - maybe as early as this Fall. That means I'll need to start collecting cardboard and stockpiling biosolids and mulch.
Also of note, this tree was ball-and-burlap'd. I don't love that, as it means it gets planted TOO DEEP because the trunk is flimsy. This Fall, I'll also try to pull back some of the soil that I used around the trunk to help stabilize it when I planted the tree.
Here's the island bed shape as I created the bed:
And, using my previous schematic, here (below) is where the island bed is located and the (shaded orange) area that I will likely fill in this fall to create a larger bed this Fall:
2024 marks my eighth tree-planting season. And, I've planted three trees this year. This year, I'm -5 + 3 = -2 (for the year).
But...this is also my 101th tree. Kind of wild to think.
We (now) have 68 of 101 trees that we've planted. 67.3% success rate over eight years. I think that's ENOUGH to say that most gardens will see a 70% success rate on trees.
101 trees planted/8 growing seasons= 12.625 trees on average planted each season
68 trees alive/8 growing seasons= 8.5 trees on average survive each season.
Here's the full accounting:
2017 (9 planted. 5 Dead. 6 total (including 2 replacements) of the original annual total alive now):
1. Flowering Pear in backyard on north side.
2.
.(LOST andreplaced)
Lost in 2023. Could be the Walnut tree that took it.
4 and 5:2 Lindensthat I espalier'd and placed by the south fence line near our kitchen windows.
6. ADawn Redwoodfrom Earth Day 2017(LOST andreplaced)
7.Nat's Saucer Magnoliain our front yard
2018 (17 planted. 6 Dead):
14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21.These Frans Fontaine Hornbeams.
22. Areplacement Chanticleer Pear tree(3" caliper) out front by our garage
that is the first of nine that our landscape plan calls for in the backyard.(LOST)
25.Our replanted/replacement Dawn Redwood. Same spot as the first.
26. Thisteeny-tiny Bald Cypress that I planted in the front yard, in between our driveway and our neighbor to the north.
2019 (9 planted. 5 Dead):
27,
30, 31,
33. My newWeeping White Spruce that will only grow about 4' wideplaced near the fence line alongside the espalier'd Lindens.
35. T
LOST - October 2020.
2020 (17 planted and 6 Dead):
36.A small Chanticleer flowering pear on Earth Day 2020 outside our screened porch.
, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45.These apple trees in a Belgian Fence espalier.
46. Asmall Northern Red Oak tree- our first Oak tree planted.
47.A 'decapitated' Lavender Twist Weeping Redbudthat I planted on a whim.
49. A tall(ish)London Plane tree that suffered some transplant and frost shock, but seemed to recover.
50. Our second contorted tree - this one inspired by Disneyland Paris:a Harry Lauder's Walking Stick tree.
51.
.LOST - Aug 2020.
52. Via the Morton Arboretum Plant Sale - a columnar tree from Japan -the Red Fox Katsura Tree that I planted as an understory tree to the dying Chanticleer Pear Treenext to our driveway.
2021 (16 planted and 13 alive):
LOST - May 2023
LOST - May 2023
55. A largeWeeping Nootka Falsecypressfrom Wannemaker's planted in the new bed on the northside.
56.A long-sought-after Emperor I Japanese Maple- our second Japanese Maple - that is now planted on the border near our new-to-be-created fire pit area in the backyard.
57. AHarvest Gold Hargozam Crabapple tree in our Belgian Fence(replacement)
58. AnotherHarvest Gold Hargozam Crabpple tree in the middle of our Belgian Fence.
. LOST 2022.
60. and 61.A pair ofMalus 'Sutyzam' (Sugar Tyme) Crabapple trees on the southside of our house in pre-espalier form.
62. Atiny, injured (cracked in half) Ginko tree that arrived via online nursery.
63. Ashort Chinquapin Oak tree from a fundraiser planted in our backyard.
64.A second, tiny Ginko tree- this was a replacement for #62 - planted 'ib2dw'.
65.A small - and ALL Green -Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia)planted in front of the back Yews.
66. 67. 68.A trio of London Planetree 'Bloodgood' treesthat are planted along the fence that I'm going to attempt to pleach.
2022 (9 planted and 7 alive):
69. 70. 71. 72.
Six Green Giant Thujas treesplanted as an upright evergreen layer in the backyard. Thuja standishii plicata. TWO LOST. May 2023.
75. A smallSaratoga Ginko tree planted in our front yardby the front walk.
76. ALondon Planetree Exclamation planted in our parkway. A bandit tree of sorts.
77. The largest tree - 3.5" caliper - we've ever planted.A Triumph Elm - Ulmus 'Morton Glossy' as a replacement for the large Norway Maple tree in our front yard.
2023 (21 planted1and 14 alive):
78.
79 and 80.Dwarf "witches broom" Ginkgo trees - Spring Grove- planted on either side of our back stoop.
81.A (very small) Acer palmatum Emperor 1 Japanese Maple planted in the kitchen windowbed by the row of Astilbes.
82. A low-graftedWaterfall Japanese Maple tree -Acer palmatum dissectum 'Waterfall'.
LOST - May 2024.
84. The first of three trees from Mr. Maple -a one-gallon Acer palmatum 'Firefly' that is planted in the Understory garden in back.
87.
REMOVED
89. Thistwo-year-old Northern Catalpa volunteerthat is on the corner of our patio.
90 and 91: Apair of Kousa Dogwood Treesplanted to espalier against garage sidewall.92. A dwarf conifer tree:Baby Blue Spruce- planted IB2DWs near the sidewalk.
93. AWeeping Norway Spruce 'Pendula' planted IB2DWs- west of the Bald Cypress.
94. Asecond Weeping Norway Spruce - in my new "Conifer Garden". IB2DWs extended.
95. A narrow, upright conifer tree -Montrose Charm White Spruce in the 'Conifer Garden' IB2DWs.
96. The2nd Baby Blue Spruce tree planted IB2DWs in the new 'Conifer Garden'closer to the Bald Cypress.
97. A3rd Baby Blue Spruce tree planted in back by the Lindens- viewable from the Kitchen.
98. I'm calling it a tree (not a shrub) -a Royal Purple Smoke Tree planted IB2Dws.
2024 (3 plantedand 3 alive):
99. Athird Emperor 1 Japanese Maple - from the Morton Arboretum Plant Sale. Planted in the understory garden where a previous JM was pulled.
100. My Centennial Tree:A Northern Glow Korean Maple tree. Planted in a new island bed in our front yard. My 11th Japanese Maple overall.
101. A dwarf Ginko - Spring Grove Ginkgo. The third of these small trees, but the first in our front yard. Planted in the Island Bed near the sidewalk.
