Northumberland Master Gardeners Meet Again

 

It is exciting to report that Northumberland Master Gardeners are once again meeting face to face. For our September meeting we met at the home of Joy Cullen. Joy lives on a beautiful country property surrounded by mature trees.  We began our meeting with a walk around Joy’s property. She pointed out 30 different trees that she has planted throughout her garden some recently, some more than 20 years ago.

Looking down the driveway from Joy’s house

The Sunburst Honey Locust ( Gleditsia tricanyhus “Suncole”) was one of my favourites. It is a fast growing tree with an arching habit. It grows 35 to 50 ft. The new growth on this cultivar is bright yellow.

Another favourite was the Paperbark Maple (Ace griseum). This tree is noted for its  exfoliating copper to orange to cinnamon reddish/brown bark and its showy orange to red fall colour. The bark on the trunk is extremely interesting because it peels into large curls which remain on the tree and continue to provide interest long after the leaves have fallen.  It grows 20 to 40 feet tall with slender upright branching.

Joy has also planted several evergreen trees. One to see in the spring is her Norway Spruce (Picea abies ‘Pusch’).  It is a dwarf, spreading shrub that becomes more upright over time. What is so special about ‘Pusch’ are the abundant red cones which grow from the branch tips in the spring creating a terrific display. This is a slow grower and will fit well into any garden large or small.

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