Oct 30 2011

Down Hill but only half way

As predicted, the collected Escallonia from last week is showing a few signs of death. Appropriate for Halloween!

Of the two live branches, one is fading fast. I knew that by cutting a major root that was going under a concrete path, chances were that it would die. The good news is that the other branch is holding it’s own [kiss of death]

This one is on it’s way out

Fingers crossed that this one will make it.

Oct 21 2011

Touch and Go

I think it’s going to be touch and go with this Golden variety of Escallonia. I collected it yesterday from my Dad’s garden. He had dug it up a few days before and moved it to another spot until I was ready to collect. His reason for digged it up was the massive damage caused last Winter. It only had 3 live branches on the whole tree and one little shoot appearing at the base.

This is how I found it yesterday.

I cut back a few of the heavy branches that had no foliage on them. All of them were dead. One of the branches was very tall and I was going to have to cut it off it fit it in the car. This branch however had a live bit at the top. When I sawed through the branch, this is what I found in the heart wood.

You can clearly see that the branch isn’t alive the whole way around the circumference. Escallonia is very similar to juniper in that they have a very defined live vein system in their growth structure. Specific branches correspond with specific roots, cut either off and you loose the other. This left me with two live branches on the tree and one little shoot at the base. Totry and ensure survival, I had to leave both live branches uncut on the tree. As it sits now neither of these branches is usable in any future design but by leaving them I hope to see a bit of back budding lower down the trunk.

I got it home and potted it up. I used a mix of SP Cat Litter, grit and bark. I decided to use bark to add a little more organic material to the mix and aid moisture retention within the pot. This is the bark I used.

and the mix

I selected a pot that would be a reasonably tight fit.

I potted the tree up in the poly tunnel where it will stay until it either dies or shows strong signs of growth next year.

Now I play the waiting game….

Oct 20 2011

Golden Escallonia Dig today

Today’s task is to collect this Escallonia from my dad’s garden.

This is a previous post about the tree. Golden Escallonia

The best thing about this dig today, my Dad has already dug it up. 🙂 He only recently decided to remove it and wanted to get a willow planted in it’s place. My Dad being my Dad, couldn’t wait until I lifted it so he went ahead and done it himself! Not bad for an 85 year old!! Hope I’m that fit if I make it to that age, in fact, he’s fitter than me now!!! 🙂 I’ll post photos of the tree tomorrow.

Aug 24 2011

Golden Escallonia

This is another Escallonia I have my eye on. Again, it’s in my Dad’s garden. Problem with this one is that he really likes it! Up until last Winter it was a big full colourful tree filling an awkward corner where little else would grow due to the wind. As well as having a yellow foliage it has a dark pink/purple flower. A big contrast to the green leaves and pink flowers you usually expect with Escallonia.

And then disaster struck, well for my Dad, not for me 🙂 The extreme and prolonged low temperatures of last Winter took it’s toll and much of the tree died back. My Dad is attempting to salvage it. As you can see below, he has cut it back hoping it’ll come back like the other two I have cut back in his garden. After a few months things aren’t looking much better. I think an offer of a new one of the same variety to replace it might just do the trick 🙂

Aug 23 2011

Escallonia – Grows like a weed!

Back at the beginning of March I chopped back these two Escallonia in the ground. They are growing in my Dad’s garden and he’s happy for me to steal them. They are long term projects and will eventually require a lot of carving to create an image.

I was totally amazed at there response to being chopped back. The plan was to cut back this year and collect next Spring. The new growth already established on all chopped trunks would hopefully make for better survival odds. Some previous heavy Escallonia’s when cut back hard, have struggled when lifted. This is a bit of an experiment to compare collecting techniques.

Here’s the first one in March before it was chopped.

and after chopping.

A month later in April.

and last week.

This is the second one before the chop.

and after. Not a great shape but you often find hidden wonders under the surface with these.

about a month later.

and this was it last week!!

Hard to believe that I had even cut it back! My Dad even had to trim it again to keep it off the driveway!

Here’s links to the original posts if you are wanting to catch up.

Cut Backs

Cut Backs Update

They both appear to be the same variety as my other one below.

I have my eyes on another one of a different variety. More on that in another post.

May 20 2011

Signs of life

The Cotoneaster that was collected a few weeks back is showing signs of life.

Small red buds can be seen in many places so fingers crossed.

Alas, the big Ceanothus that I lifted has now been checked and I can pronounce life extinct 😦 It was a long shot and had suffered during the cold snap this Winter. It did try to bud but these soon died. Ah well, nothing ventured, nothing gained!

Apr 1 2011

Stephen and Ian’s big Adventure

Well, not big, a few hours out driving around speculating where there might be trees to collect. I wanted to get a few snaps of some trees in a field near where I live before they came into leaf. This is them.

No trees but nice all the same.

I took Stephen to see some Blackthorn that were amazing but totally un-collectable. Deep deep rooted into stone. To even attempt to lift these would be a waste of time and a sin for ruining a beautiful tree. Some things are better left alone. It was blowing a gale at the time but Stephen was still amazed at the quality of these wee fellas. The bark was to die for. We collected a few dead branches to use as accents. The movement and character in them is amazing.

WINDSWEPT STYLE LOL

Bursting into flower

We then came across these Ivy’s among the rocks. Not deep rooted 🙂

The place was covered with them!

Removal of a few stones resulted in a few keepsakes. This is Stephen doing his impression of Father Jack. DRINK!! 🙂

Back at the bat cave…

This one held onto a rock

I’m hoping for these to put out some decent root and then I’ll air layer a few small bits off here and there. I have a wee Ivy air-layer and they take easily. We picked up a few nice stones for display as well. I’ll post more pics tomorrow.

Mar 14 2011

Brass Neck – Urban Yamadori

After looking at this Japanese White Pine in someone’s garden for the last year and a half, I plucked up the courage [brass necked it] and knocked the door. The lady of the house was home and seemed amenable to me replacing it with a Japanese Maple from my own garden. The Maple is nice but not suitable for bonsai and I have others. This Pine, if it survives could make an interesting tree to play with over the next 10-15 years.

I now have to wait for the husband to give the OK. Fingers Crossed 🙂