A maple is a maple is a maple... or not

Good news and bad news.

The good news (at least, for me) is Norway maple leaves can be used to dye yarn (which I will do sometime, using leaves from the 'Crimson King' in my front yard). The bad news is Norway maple trees (which includes 'Crimson King') are a non-native invasive species.

(Commentary: It is difficult for me to imagine 'Crimson King' outcompeting other maples as it is the s-l-o-w-e-s-t growing tree I have ever owned. Also, no seeds I've ever noticed, an observation supported by this site. The roots don't seem to be invasive, either. But some experts disagree with me on all three counts.)

If you are looking for native maples, choose black maples and/or sugar maples. Red maples are also native. (Silver maples are native, but I hate them. The trunks split, which makes them dangerous in high winds. The roots are shallow and can be invasive. Also, the 'helicoptor' seeds (samaras) clogging my gutters. Thanks, neighbors.)

To read about the differences between Norway maples, black maples, and sugar maples, go here.

But after perusing this site, I'm not sure I would ever choose to plant a maple of any kind in my yard. They all seem problematic in one way or another, at least for homeowners. It's another thing if one wants to develop a sugarbush.

My 'Crimson King' came with the house. Trees take a long time to grow, and this one is finally throwing some shade (after more than 35 years of growing). If it were to die, though, I would replace it with a native, but probably not a maple of any kind.

Around the yard:

'Marguerite' sweet potato vine and 'Hells Heat' petunia:

Leafing out of hickory tree - I didn't see how the tips formed, so not sure what we're looking at here:

The honeysuckle vine that ate New York:

Up close:

Latest yard art, a gift from my son and his girl friend:

'Amethyst Kiss' spiderwort:

The forecast for the coming week is cool temps, perfect for transplanting. I moved an aromatic aster today, from the front bed to an area in the backyard. They spread via seeds, so if I want to control them, I need to deadhead them in the fall, before the blossoms form seeds. That sounds like a lot of work. I also transplanted a coneflower from the front to the back. And then I sprayed some weeds and mowed.

I was hoping the yard would become easier to take care of, and in some ways, it is. BUT my energy is not keeping up. "They" say we age in stages, and I think I have reached the afternoon-nap stage.

Feels (almost) like summer

Some mark the beginning of summer with Memorial Day. The weather is almost there, but some cooler temps are in store for us this coming week. As I age, I find it more and more difficult to work under the sun. This morning was overcast, though, so just right for getting some things done in the yard.

I like my older honeysuckle vine but not how it is out of control. Hopefully, these trunks from the arborvitae will help corral it and send it up instead of out.

For the younger honeysuckle vines, I proactively set up trellises to keep them in check.

One other climber, the Clematis Paniculata which is still in a container, is being trained to climb up the pergola. (No pic, because the whole setup is rather chintzy looking.) The plant received a top dressing of composted cow manure today, to keep it happy.

And then there is the climbing rose. I've been looking for a trellis to arch over the gate in the fence, but it has to be at least six feet wide and six feet tall, which is expensive. While spraying weeds behind my privacy fence, I noticed the neighbors behind me had installed a trellis made from concrete remesh (or something like that) for their new climbing roses. So now that is on my shopping list.

Yesterday I managed to get the rattlesnake master into the ground before the sun came out from behind a cloud. This morning was overcast, so I tackled the beds in the front, cutting down spent ragwort flower stems (the hedge trimmer works well for this) and hand weeding. The Penstemon hirsutus (Hairy Beardtongue) is blooming there, along with the Heuchera richardsonii (Prairie Alumroot), which the bees are loving.

The Solidago rugosa 'Fireworks' (Rough Goldenrod) I planted last year is doing well, still in tidy clumps. The aster I planted in front of it did not survive an onslaught from bunnies. I'm debating on whether to replace them. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find any reference to the variety.

The serviceberry (a.k.a. Juneberry) fruit is ripening, right on time. The robins will be loving these shrubs in a few weeks.

The spiderwort is blooming well, mostly early in the day. Later on, it closes shop. The rain garden has been closer to a water feature this spring, and I'm not sure the plants that have been under water are going to survive. I'm wondering if some Siberian iris would do well there.

And to close out this post, my trio of suns. They are made from metal, and I purchased them at the annual home and garden show. The first on is on the front porch, the second one by the dining room window, and the last one on the back fence. I particularly like that last one, as its look changes with the changing light.

Have a great weekend!

Fox Island

Two years ago, a derecho came through this area. For those who don't know, a derecho is a widespread, long-lived wind storm that here caused a lot of damage. Fortunately for me, the worst hit area was south of my house. Unfortunately for Fox Island, a county park and nature preserve, the storm did a LOT of damage.

The park had to close indefinitely. Donations and volunteers were requested, to help with the clean-up and restoration. Now, two years later, the park is about to open. And since I donated some money, I was invited to a pre-opening hike last month.

The bulletin board in the nature center tells the story. The company that removed the trees did so in exchange for the wood. New trees have been planted, and the park is starting to heal. But it will be generations before it fully recovers.

Where there was once countless trees there is now next to nothing.

The sandy soil did little to keep trees upright.

I have a bit of history with the park. While self-employed (many, many years ago!), I participated in a ground water study, hiking through the preserve to measure the depth of the water in strategically placed wells. Those wells cannot even be found now. I have cross country skied at the park, surrounded by winter-bare trees that are no longer there. It's all very sad.

While we are catching up, here is a photo of my Christmas cactus blooming in April. The plant was a gift, and the year after receiving it, I did manage to force some winter blooms from it. But I haven't been a very good plant owner to this thing, have debated over whether I should put it out of its misery, when it creates this rather large blossom. Go figure.

I don't think I mentioned my attempt to overseed a swath of quack grass in the backyard with grass seed and clover last month. It's really hard to tell if it is working, and I have been remiss in keeping the patch watered. I'm going to mow the area today, and we'll just have to wait and see.

As promised, here is a pic of a spiderwort blossom. It is recovering from being transplanted quite nicely.

Yesterday I planted the impulse purchases from Riverview Native Nursery. These include Queen of the Prairie, Michigan Lily, Purple Meadow Rue, Spotted Joe Pye. They all went in next to the rain garden. I hope they tolerate my heavy clay soil. I also picked up a couple of butterfly weed plants at the nursery, to round out the ones out front. Those are now installed as well. Now all that is left are the rattle snake master plants, which was what I went to the nursery to purchase in the first place.