Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Emilio and Pedro's Weekend March 22-24 2013

Emilio and Pedro’s Weekend Practical

This weekend was a great weekend to get spring cleaning started at The A. M. Cuddy Gardens. On Friday it was awesome as  we got to cut down a diseased spruce and a diseased Norway maple with none other than amazing Lucas ‘Destroyer of Trees’ (Only invasive or diseased trees though)!



For the people that frown on trees getting cut down we are planting a wind break with Serbian spruce where the Norway maple (an invasive species) was. On the Saturday we started to cut back perennial grasses and hydrangeas.


When we were doing the grasses, we found some voles hiding underneath the grasses and we attempted to relocate  them but they were too fast for us. The hydrangeas we cut back were Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle' we left the first bud so they can have the chance of producing a great bloom for the summer. We also pruned the 2 Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diablo’ one of the ninebarks was massive, we probably took out a third of this ninebark and it still looks like a fully grown plant.

Sunday we enjoyed a day of cleaning the mess we made Saturday and removing snow fencing from around the gardens!

We are so glad this is a late spring; this year our magnolias won’t lose their flower buds to a late frost. Come and check them out this summer during the open house! Guided tours with my idol  and plant guru Michael Pascoe and  an amazing plant sale! You never know what you’re going to find!

Anyways, That was a quick wrap up of our weekend! We are making like a tree and leafing “bad joke” Take care!


Plant Profile for Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Jelena’



Family : Hamamelidaceae

Genus : Hamamelis

Species : x intermedia

Cultivar : ‘Jelena’

Category : Woody

Type : Shrub (deciduous)

Source :
Landscape: A class shrub used as a late winter flowering shrub for winter interest in a shady location. Also used for its fall foliage.

Habitat: Horticultural origin.

Shape: Broad-crowned, multi-stemmed with an open habit. 4 m x 4 m

Growth: Medium

Flowering Period: February March

ID Characteristic: Open shape, first woody plant to flower.

General Description: A broad crowned large shrub, blooming with orange/dark orange flowers during winter.

Flower Description: Each flower has four slender strap-shaped petals 1–2 centimetres long, dark orange to orange. Fragrance similar to orange soda such as C-Plus.

Leaf Description: Alternately arranged, oval, 4–16 centimetres long and 3–11 centimetres broad, with a wavy margin.

Texture Description: A fine textured, sprawling shrub with an open form.

Colour Description: Summer foliage is bright to dark green and Autumn foliage is clear yellow

Propagation: Graft cultivars in late winter or bud in late summer.

Bud Description: The buds are naked and densely pubescent.

Bark Description: Smooth grayish

Fruit: 1 cm to 1.5 cm long capsules that ripen in 1 year and are expelled explosively from the capsule.



Cultivation: Grow in fertile, moist but well-drained soil, in full sun or partial shade in a site that is open but not exposed.

Pests: Honey fungus and coral spot may be a problem

Notable Specimens: A.M. Cuddy Gardens, Strathroy , Ontario




Work Cited

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Gardens/Hyde-Hall/About-HydeHall/Plant-of-the-month/January/Hamamelis-x-intermedia--Diane-

Type o on Canada plants http://www.canadaplants.ca/display.php?id=398

http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/h/hamvir/hamvir1.html