Last fall, we had a bumper crop of sugar maple (Acer saccharum) seeds, leading to a bumper crop of sugar maple seedlings.
I’ve never seen so many sugar maple seedlings in the garden.
Why Are there so many Maple Seedlings in My Yard?
Sugar maples have what are known as ‘Mast Years,’ when they produce a bumper crop of seeds that overwhelm animals that eat the seeds, such as mice and birds. Oak trees also have mast years.
The maple trees literally overwhelm the opposition’s defenses, much like when the troops landed in Normandy.
Here’s a close-up of sugar maple seedlings growing in my gravel drive. The photo covers less than one square foot.
Sugar maple trees flank my home, providing shade from morning and afternoon sun. During the summer, the house rarely sees direct sunlight.
The sugar maple trees are very tall, and there are plenty of them to set seed.
Sugar maple flowers in full bloom in mid-April.
If you’re looking for sugar maple (Acer saccharum) seedlings, I know a guy with a few to spare!
I’ve spent the last few days overwhelmed with how far behind I am in my home’s garden maintenance.
Yesterday, I knocked the weeds down with a weed wacker because they were so overgrown.
This morning, I flame-weeded our gravel driveway.
Finally, I hoped to tune up the lawn mower but fell behind in my plans.
The Perfect Day Maintaining Gardens?
I used to think that if I woke early, had a good plan, and worked hard, I could finish my garden maintenance chores in one or two days.
The family and I would barbecue chicken with an Italian glaze while enjoying the immaculately maintained landscape. Fresh-cut flowers adorn a vase at the center of the table.
While I sometimes rise early, I never get as much done as I want.
In summary, I get sidetracked, and tasks often (always) take longer than anticipated.
Weather can also cause delays.
How did I get so far behind?
I stopped weeding my garden in September last year. I’ve been experimenting with flame weeding, and the hose to the torch broke.
I searched the internet for a replacement hose, but nobody had it in stock.
I visited a local propane supplier. The replacement hose cost more than the torch and hose did new.
I lost motivation.
Winter annual weeds, especially chickweed and grassy weeds, overtake my gardens.
Sugar maple seedlings carpet parts of the landscape.
Our Newtown, CT, arborist visited twice last winter and cut the wood to log lengths. I cut the equivalent of three large sugar maples worth of wood.
While cutting the logs, I could have been picking up sticks, cutting back perennials and weeding.
I don’t regret the decision.
It gave me an immense sense of accomplishment.
The Reality of Maintaining Gardens
While many wait for the first warm day to start working in the garden, we should do what we can when we can.
Work at a steady pace and gradually move forward. Enjoy time in the landscape throughout the year, not just in the spring.
Hartlage Wine Calycanthus, Calycanthusraulstonii ‘Hartlage Wine,’ is an underused large shrub that ticks all the boxes: gorgeous blooms, long season of bloom and easy to care for.
Where does Hartlage Wine Sweetshrub Grow?
Hartlage Wine Calycanthus will grow in full sun or shade. However, you’ll get more and larger flowers in full sun.
Calycanthus likes average to slightly moist soil.
How large does Hartlage Wine Calycanthus Grow?
Hartlage Wine Calyucanthus grows 12 feet tall, with new growth extending 3 to 4 feet from the previous year.
Hartlage Wine Sweetshrub is a fast grower; the more sun, the quicker it fills in.
When does Hartlage Wine Sweetshrub Bloom?
Hartlage Wine Calycanthus blooms four to six weeks, beginning early May in USDA Hardiness Zone 6.
The flowers are three to four inches in diameter and have a crimson-purple color that is gorgeous.
The more sun Hartlage Wine Calycanthus receives, the more it blooms. In deep shade, there are still flowers.
Hartlage Wine Sweetshrub foliage fills in through the season. By October, the leaves fill in dramatically.
The leaves are glossy and grow quite large.
How Do You Prune Hartlage Wine Calycanthus?
Perform heavy pruning immediately after bloom for the best display next year. Hartlage Wine Calycanthus easily recovers from heavy pruning.
Crossing branches and branches that grow away from the shrub should be removed. Then, reduce the overall height of the shrub by one to three feet.
I’ve never had a bad year of bloom, except for reduced bloom and more petite flowers on plants in deep shade.
If you’re planting Hartlage Wine Calycanthus as a naturalizing shrub, pruning isn’t necessary. After 4 to 5 years, the shrub will develop into a thicket 10 to 12 feet tall.
Does Hartlage Wine Sweetshrub have a Fall Color?
Hartlage Wine Calycanthus has a yellow fall color.
My love for Hartlage Wine Calycanthus has only increased since making this video.
Hartlage Wine Calycanthus is a must-have for the gardening enthusiast in USDA Hardiness Zone 6, along with Dwarf Fothergilla and PeeGee Hydrangea.
They usually sleep in different locations, so I make sure to put two of everything out for them.
Phantom, a male, likes to sleep in high positions and relentlessly chases Snowball around, though he never hurts him or her. He makes sure Snowball knows who’s the boss.
Phantom and Snowball showed up in the yard about a year and a half ago. I started feeding them, and surprisingly, they decided to take me into the colony.
Indoor Cats
Phoebe (black) was up in Chloe’s (pastel tortie) usual sleeping spot, sharing the warmth. Chloe has appointed herself the top cat of our three indoor spayed cats.
Chloe has some issues to work through, as we all do, but that’s for another time.
Phoebe, the most tolerant and psychologically balanced cat we have, is Chloe’s sister. They had identical childhoods but grew up with completely different personalities.
There’s a lesson there somewhere.
Signs of a Dominant Cat
Besides sleeping in high positions, the dominant cat is sleeping on top in both photos. Interestingly, the cats they’re sleeping on top of both have calm and agreeable personalities.
If Phoebe and Snowball were people, they would offer to help move furniture or take your mail in while you were away.
I’ve also noticed the dominant cat showing more aggression toward other cats, but it never gets physical.
Chloe and Phantom have some unresolved issues, as we all do, but are also the most affectionate. Chloe doesn’t let me to share my affection with other cats in the room.
Come to think of it, Snowball won’t let me pet her either, especially when Phantom is around.
A cat that sleeps in high positions, sleeps on top of the pile, and initiates aggression toward other cats are signs of a dominant cat.
I can’t say the dominant cat is also the most physiologically balanced cat. I can say they’ve appointed themselves leader of the colony.
You’ll see Hartlage Wine Calycanthus foliage to the right of the tree petunia flower. To the upper left of the tree petunia flower, in the shadows, is a Lenten Rose that self-sowed.
This picture was taken in early October. Petunia flowers start to fade when the days begin to get shorter. Hence, while there are flowers, the petunia patch looks pretty beat up.
You can see the buds of the Cornell Pink Rhododendron. I can’t wait for them to beckon spring again.
I find garden novelties, such as tree petunia flowers, the most exciting parts of the garden.
This morning, dappled clouds filled the sky with temperatures in the upper 40s after a couple days of rain. The air was clean and damp, and the light was perfect for photography.
I grabbed the DSLR and tried to take a picture of everything at once. A sure recipe for disaster.
After almost 200 photos, I had a few keepers. It’s better to be lucky than good.
This is Minnie staring at me like a bird on the feeder beside me. Minnie spends hours in this window watching woodpeckers come to the suet.
Minnie is looking through a window that is older than me and possibly my parents. It has rope pulleys, is covered with layers of lead paint, and needs new glazing.
I wouldn’t trade those windows for the world. Even with the needed maintenance.
