Hibiscus (Rosa sinensis) 'Brilliant' UPDATE

 this is an exerpt from the latest entry to the Photo/History of Hibiscus 'Brilliant'; to see full history for this plant, click-on link.

The Hibiscus continues to impress & amaze me at the resilience & vigor that this little tree displays on a daily basis. I'm starting to understand why the Hibiscus has a world-wide following. Easy to grow, but un-pruned could turn into a giant impenetrable jungle; easy to look at, but flowers only last for a day or two; a tropical plant that given water, can live & thrive in desert-like conditions. 

The 3 'shoots' that I chose to keep in August have become juvenile branches; those branches will become the basic structure of this tree. Given the basic structure, adding sub-branches & sub-sub branching on which the foliage & flowers will appear is just a matter of time & patience.

This was/is my 1st "chop", as the term is known, which is a technique used in Bonsai development. Once you get past the horror of 'chopping down a perfectly good tree' you start to realize that this is a method to save a 'perfectly good tree' & that this is how nature does it..different means, for sure, but one of the miracles of life as we know it.

This is a multi-year project, so I don't expect to see anything resembling a full-grown trees for some time, but I hope others might enjoy watching the progression & development over time, as it occurs.

Buxus microphylla var. japonica 'Green Beauty' (Japanese Littleleaf Boxwood) - UPDATE

 below is an exerpt from the latest entry to the Photo/History of the Japanese Boxwood; click-on to see entire history of this little tree.

Since I was re-potting anyway, decided to give the Boxwood this nice ceramic pot.

I swear, my little trees all perk-up when you give them a nice pot..they stand a little straighter, it seems like their color improves & I almost always see a growth spurt within days.

I was very pleased once I de-potted & got a look at the roots..Buxus has developed almost textbook root structure, with a nice "fan" of feeder roots growing out below the base of the tree. And, he is starting to develop a nice-looking nebari, although I elected to rebury it, so it can develop further.

Red Bird Azalea (Rhododendron "Red Bird") - UPDATE

 below is an exerpt from the Red Bird Azalea Photo/History page; click to see full history of this little tree.

It's amazing what an extra hour or two of sun every day can do for an ailing plant. And what a fine line the Azalea grower must take between making sure the plant gets just enough sun, but not too much & just enough water, but not too much & we haven't talked about fertilizer yet! 

Whatever kind of fungus or bug attacked the 'Red Bird' last month has apparently been defeated & this plant is continuing to throw buds, but no flowers..I don't expect him now to bloom before next year, but the new growth did prompt me to do some pruning on branches that had too many clusters. I think that part of the reason that he was susceptible to whatever attacked him last month was density, so even though he did not bloom this year & it's a little early for winter pruning, air circulation is nearly as important to some trees, as sun..yes, plants need to breathe..and not just the foliage, roots need air, too, but that's a subject for another day.

At any rate, I planted a tray of cuttings(see pic) & hopefully, some will survive..the nursery needs some new blood, as many of the seedlings are maturing & getting ready to be potted-on.

We have to start thinking about winter..the rest of the country is having Fall weather, while we're forecast to have 100 degrees over the weekend & on into next week. However, the mornings are getting cooler, which is a sure sign that winter is coming.

Buxus microphylla (Japanese Littleleaf Boxwood) - UPDATE

 this is an exerpt from the Photo/History page for the Boxwood; click to access

The Boxwood is thriving..I commented at the start of summer that I felt like this plant was healthy & strong & he has easily lived-up to my expectations...so well, that I'm now faced with one of those enviable situations, where I cannot decide what is the front &/or backside of this little tree.

The canopy is developing nicely. Boxwoods grow very slowly, but predictably & they 'play by the rules'..by that, I mean that they respond well to pruning.

The density of the canopy makes it absolutely necessary to use directional pruning to organize the internal
branching. Otherwise, the interior of the canopy would become a jungle of interwoven branches that can become almost impenetrable..that might be to your advantage if growing a hedge, but we're growing a 'little tree'.

So, what view should be the front side & which, the backside? I can't decide, so I'll leave it up to the tree..I'm slowly recognizing that the tree knows better than I about some things.

Abelia x grandiflora ‘Kaleidoscope’ - UPDATE

 below is an exerpt from the Photo/History page for 'Kaleidoscope'; click to see full history of this plant.

 This was the last picture taken of 'Kaleidoscope' & the last entry for this specimen. I posted EOL (End of Life) below the photo (left) which is a phrase borrowed from software programming, because I probably didn't want to admit that I had killed this little tree by over-pruning .

So, another lesson learned, but there was another lesson not forgotten, of taking cuttings from all new plants & propagating as back-up in case something happened to the parent plant.

 Meet 'Kaleidoscope II', ready & willing to take his place as candidate. Potted now in a small training tray, he should be good until spring or summer, next year, by which time, he will be a good deal larger & possibly ready for styling.