A new year, a new tree to
follow – New Beginnings
Earliest photo I have of The Tree - five months after planting
September 25, 2010
This year the Gardens at Waters East will be
following a Scotch Pine – Pinus
sylvestris. It grows here in
the Asian Patio Garden on the
property along the shores of Lake Michigan. Throughout the year you will be able to see the ever-so-slight
development of an evergreen, which as you know, is much less noticeable than
that of a deciduous tree. Though
the growing development is by far less noticeable, the tree will show
progression as the warm weather comes to the Gardens at Waters East.
January 31, 2011
Here are a few information facts
about this special tree;
It was bought and planted in April
of 2010. Height at the time of
planting was four feet. It had
some preliminary “sculpting” so that it was a great addition to the Asian Patio Garden – giving a needed bonsai
effect for that area. During each
of the past Januarys, a “tweaking”
of trimming was done to help preserve that bonsai effect as best as
possible. It has been a learning
experience on how to, and maybe how not to bonsai along the way!
June 20, 2011
The short blue-green needles
contrast with the bark giving the tree a good deal of interest. The tree itself is listed as hardy down
to a sub-temperature of -30 to -40 F.
Last year the winter of 2013-14
proved a real test of its ability for survival. By the time March 2014 arrived – most
of the needles were gone with only a few at the bottom staying green. Those that stayed green did so because
they were buried in the snow of that winter. Those that were exposed to the wind and extreme cold of this past
winter, all fell off onto the ground.
It looked dead and was about to be cut down when a visitor to the garden
said – “just let it be for a couple of months, it might survive”. The visitor had more hope in that tree
than I.
August 10, 2011
As you can see, it has survived
through last summer. However the
shock of the winter of 2013-14 did take a toll on the tree. The needles did not grow as long nor were
there as many. This year will be
the true test as to how well this Scotch Pine will revive its full beauty and
strength.
September 23, 2014
The monthly postings on this
special tree will show the survival and progress as the season of 2015 comes
into full “glory”. The saga of the
Scotch Pine now continues.
Photo taken this week: February 9, 2015
after my "bonsai" attempt
NOTE: All photos use in this
posting were taken on the property of Gardens
at Waters East
unless
otherwise marked.
NOTE: Since this Blog is meant to be an
accurate journal of the gardens;
no photos are
“staged”, “arranged”, or ”photo-shopped” in anyway.
What is posted
– is what it here. It is what it
is.
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