'Horstmann's Silberlocke'

Brian Jacob from the American Conifer Society was a guest on my program of November 24.  While many plants were mentioned, one of my favorites was Abies koreana 'Horstmann's Silberlocke'.  This is a fir and is noted for the outstanding color of the needles as they curve around the stem.  The silver-white undersides of the needles make this a plant that will stand out in any landscape, whether planted in the ground or in a container.  This is not a fast growing plant and so can easily be kept in a container and would be ideal for a deck or patio.  Generally it will grow about 6-12 inches per year and probably even less than that in a container.  With good drainage and a sunny location, this is a plant that should be used more often.  'Horstmann's Silberlocke' will provide color during every month of the year.

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Sweet Meat = Pumpkin Pie

On my program of November 17, Brian Bauman (Bauman Farms, 12989 Howell Prairie Road NE, Gervis, OR) was one of my guests.  I frequently visit Bauman Farms and I especially enjoy going in the fall when all the different squash are available for sale.  We are fortunate to live in an area where there is a wide variety of squash to chose from that are not always available in other parts of the country.  I knew there was a particular squash that was a favorite for pumpkin pies and I wanted Brian to talk about that as well as other fall produce items from the farm.  The favorite squash for pumpkin pie is one called sweet meat.  It is a large squash and the outside is bluish gray with a very thick skin.  Once inside, the meat is very dark orange and has less moisture than many other squash.  This past week I bought one and we made delicious pumpkin pies at our house.  The skin is so hard that I used an axe to cut it open, but it was worth the extra effort.

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Bamboo 'Scale'

Several weeks ago on my program when Noah Bell from Bamboo Garden was a guest, a listener (Jeri) called in to ask about what to do with what she thought was scale on her bamboo.  Noah said that it was unusual for bamboo to have scale and suggested that Jeri send him a photo.  She did send in several photos, but it was difficult to tell from the images exactly what it was.  Coincidentally, an employee (Anna) from Bamboo Garden lived close to Jeri and so she went to Jeri's house for a visit to look at the bamboo.  Much to Jeri's relief, the 'scale' infestation was actually little branch sheaths from the bamboo that were located just above the white waxy new branches.  Jeri thought the sheath was the scale and the wax was the residue.  In looking at the photo, I can understand why she would think this might have been scale.  Jeri is much relieved to know that it is all just a natural part of bamboo.

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Acer griseum for Great Winter Bark

As I walk through my garden, I marvel at all the color.  We should never forget the wonderful winter color some plants can provide with just the bark or stems.  The fall color of some trees can be a ‘given’ but it is a bonus is if there is also some winter interest with the bark.    Acer griseum (Paperbark Maple) is a great example.  This tree looks nice at any time of year but once the leaves drop, the trunk and stems are exposed and it is easy to understand how it got the common name of Paperbark Maple.  A bonus in addition to the bark is that the foliage turns red in the fall.  I have seen Acer griseum used as a tree for street plantings and it looks nice all year.  In my garden I find Acer griseum to be very easy to grow to care for and I am surprised that it is not more widely planted.

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