CRAPE MERTLES / "CREEP MERTLES"

Extreme weather seems to be the "normal" this year.  Currently there are distructive fires ravging the Western United States & parts of Florida are still flooded from tropical storm "Debby" which rained for several days last week.  Here in Central Arkansas, we are experiencing record temperatures -- for June, no less -- along with drought conditions through out the state. And this is just the start of Summer !!

Apparently this will be the Summer of high water bills for me from the Grand Prairie H2O District in Stuttgard, Arkansas ... my H2O provider.  Having lost (killed) plants & trees in past years due to a lack of watering on my part, I have determined this year I will water frequently & deep, to keep my landscape thriving during the heat & drought.  I have too much financially invested in the landscaping I have done through the years to let money -- well, MAJOR money H2O bills -- prevent me from watering my trees & plantings.

One of my favorite trees to plant has been the CRAPE MERTLE.  I currently have 33 planted on my property, with five more remaining in pots until weather conditions improve to put them in the ground.

As a youngster, living in Rochester, New York, I remember many times visiting Highland Park, world famous for the collection of LILACS, which through shape & color, look much like the Crape Mertles grown in the South. The major difference -- beyong the cooler growing temperatures needed by Lilacs -- is the strong, beautiful fragrance the Lilacs have & the Crape Mertles do not.  But, with our increadbly HOT Summers, I am more than satisfied with the beautiful display of colors the CREEP MERTLES provide, even minus a fragrance.

Okay.  Disclaimer time.  I did not mis-spell the name in the above sentence.  "Creep Mertles" is the name I use for these trees.  I have given "nick names" to various places & things on my property.  The large drainage ditch which floods with heavy rains, is called "MUDD CREEK".  The same rain storms bring "LAKE HILDA" -- named for my Mother -- to the front yard.  The many "Creep Mertles" are named for a dear, unrelated "sister" of mine.  Many reading this will know exactly who I mean, but probably not why they are named.

 Some of my older "Creeps", have been planted more than 15 years & have reached their maximun height of 18-25 feet.

 Along the fence, down at the road, the "Creep Trees" there have been planted for two years & are starting to have good growth & size.

 The above location -- when I take another photo in several weeks -- will be much more impressive since ALL the trees currently have buds on them & should put on an exciting color show come mid-July.

 The lush green grass in the photo above is a sure indicator this picture was taken beck in May of this year when I planted additional "Creeps" along the fence. 

Almost the same location of this shot, but the "Creep Mertles" -- while growing well -- are getting daily attention as to watering, both to get them started in the ground & to combat the EXTREME dry conditions we are under.  [That's a total of 250 feet of hose -- used to give each "Creep" a long/deep soaking, watering -- laying on the dry/partched grass.  Too bad/so sad ... I am NOT watering the grass.  This way there is less cutting with the J. Deere & savings on gasoline.]

I'll present another posting in a month or so, to give an up-dated view of the Summer color in my "CREEP MERTLES".

SUMMER TORTOISES

For the past several weeks -- once the cooler night temperatures remained in the 60 degree range -- my four tortoises began spending their time in the outdoor facility I have for them on my property.  With the benefits of warm weather, sunshine & plenty of room to move around, it is a pleasant time for both the tortoises & me.

The two animals featured in the photos below are South America RED FOOTED TORTOISES.  I acquired mine as small "hatching's" several years ago, & with the aid of the proper food & containment I provide, the growth of both tortoises has been outstanding. 

This above tortoise is about 12 inches long.  Not shown in the photo is the plate of food I have just put down for the tortoises "dinner" & which is the object of this fellows attention at the moment.

 Being a hungry guy -- it's amazing how much they do eat -- I believe the tortoise would walk over & "taste" the camera if he thought he could eat it.

The above tortoise is the smaller of the two RED FOOTS -- about 10 inches long -- & appears to be a female. In the above photo, she too has her eyes on the food tray as she exits from a pile of moist  bamboo leaves.

I have only made a serious effort in the past few years to keep tortoises, along with my collection of turtles. If their needs are met as to proper husbandry, tortoises -- especially these RED FOOTED TORTOISES -- make interesting additions to any reptile collection.



MORE COLOR CHANGES IN BAMBOO

I wrote about one of my favorite bamboos back on March the 21st of this year -- Phyllostochys Viridis 'Robert Young'. [Quick reminder: Many bamboos in cultivation do not have "common names".  In the case of this bamboo, the name is a combination of Latin & a former bamboo scientist being honored.]

This bamboo is a large grower.  I have some now reaching about 40 feet in height & thick enough for it to give my combined hands difficulty to encircle.  It matures at a bright yellow color, with many sections having a green vertical stripe.

 In the Spring growing season -- just now coming to a close in my gardens -- bamboo 'Robert Young' provides me with some of the prettiest contrast of color.  This is a bamboo which under goes a color change in it's first year of any new growth.  As seen in these photos, the emerging new clums are a very delicate, lime green in color. 

The new shoots will -- over the Summer -- begin changing to their permanent yellow color.  This is one bamboo I wish would remain it's Spring time color.

I have never seen any species of bamboo which retains this early growth, lime green color.  Perhaps someday, some scientist will develop, through cross-breeding bamboo, a species which will permanently grace our bamboo gardens with this fine lime green color ... all year round.

ANOTHER ... COLOR OF MY BAMBOO

Here is a bamboo I have not featured previously:  BLACK BAMBOO.  Yes ... bamboo with a common name, not some fancy Latin name only.

I have this bamboo growing along the front of my house. Planted several years ago, it has now developed into an effective "vision barrier". Certainly more colorful & lasting than some form of manufactured fencing.

BLACK BAMBOO is another species which changes color in it's first year of growth.  This photo shows the green clums which have sprouted up this Spring.  Looking closely, you will see the previous years growth which has developed the rich black color this bamboo is named for.  The change in color of the new growth occurs at the end of the first Summer, when the entire grove of bamboo will be black. Then next Spring, the new green growth -- & mixture of colors -- will begin again.

And -- just for the record, along with those who "need to know" -- the proper name for this plant is PHYLLOSTACHY NIGRA 'BLACK'.  Most plant nurseries which sell it list it as growing to a height of about 35 feet.  My plants are just about that tall.

SOME SMALLER BAMBOO

While many times on this blog I have featured the various larger sizes of bamboo I grow here in Central Arkansas, I have several other species of bamboo which in no way are as majestic as my "giants", but still offer me the grace, color & enjoyment all bamboo provides me.

The photo below -- which includes my sweet "Momma Kitty", PRECIOUS -- is a bamboo species called SASA PALMATA.  As you can tell, this is NOT a very large growing bamboo, only averaging about five to six feet in height.  It makes a nice "boarder" planting & -- like all bamboo I grow -- is evergreen through out the year; something to appreciate in the dead of Winter.

I acquired this plant in 2006 from LEWIS BAMBOO via mail order back in March, 2006.  I purchased TWO plants at the time & the area we are standing in front of represents the growth since then of just ONE plant.  Like most "running bamboo", the SASA PALMATA is an "aggressive grower" each year & must be "controlled" if it is to remain ... "tamed".  Thankfully this can be done with a lawnmower; cutting down the new growth as it appears in the Spring.  Older growth can be removed/thinned with a "weed eater".

Bamboo -- of all sizes -- plays a major role in the landscaping of my property & I enjoy all of it, from the 50-60 foot "giants", to the smaller sizes, as I have featured today.

BIGGER ... BIG BAMBOO

The warmer than normal, earlier than normal weather this year has affected ALL the bamboo growth on my property/ "bamboo farm".  The early Spring has advanced the annual bamboo growing season by several weeks. Since Spring is the time of year when over 90% of NEW bamboo growth occurs, I am seeing some impressive bamboo growth much sooner than ... ah ... "normal".

The above photo shows some of the new growth occurring in one of my groves of Phyllostachys Vivax. [Remember, most bamboo's do NOT have a "common name".]  This species grows about 50 feet high in my garden & the large, rapid & colorful new growth is highly anticipated each Spring. That growth just came a bit earlier for me this year.

COLOR IN BAMBOO

I've recently tried to recall when & how it was I developed an interest in growing bamboo.  I really believe it was many years ago on a trip to Colombia, South America.  It was there that I was exposed to some real GIANTS of the bamboo world & the impression of the beauty & strength of this plant has stayed with me ever since.

Bamboo comes in all shapes & colors.  In my "garden" I have bamboo which grows only a few inches larger than a foot in height, with other bamboo species more than 50 foot tall.  As well as green, I have bamboo in the colors of gray, yellow, white & even black.  With bamboo, there really is ... "something for everyone".

Some of my favorite bamboo is in the genus Phyllostachys. [Sorry ... I have never found a "common name" mentioned.]  Two examples from my bamboo collection are shown in the photo included & both offer a good idea of some of the "colors" found in the larger bamboos.

The green bamboo on the right is Phyllostachys Vivax. The clums (cains) have a brilliant green color, with a small white stripe at each segment.  The yellow plant is Phyllostochys Viridis 'Robert Young' ... named after some bamboo scientist,
NOT the movie star, who was later in the TV show Father Knows Best.  The latter bamboo emerges for the ground each spring as a light, lime green color & as the clum grows, turns yellow, with some segments having a bright green stripe.

As you can see, I have "color" all year long on my four acres of land thanks to my bamboo.