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Plants/Garden, What Do You Have?


PyROTech

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Cucumber Magnolia (Shining Tree) Magnolia acuminata

Magnolia acuminata is the only magnolia species native to Ontario. It's large greenish-yellow flowers are pollinated by beetles and other insects causing red, fleshy - cucumber-like pods - to mature in late summer.

Cucumber Tree has been designated an endangered species since 1984, being found in only two disparate areas of Ontario (near Pelham and Simcoe), and with a critically low number of reproducing populations. It is listed under the Canadian Federal Species at Risk Act and regulated under Ontario's Endangered Species Act, which provides protection to the tree and to its habitat, and under Ontario's Provincial Policy Statement which prohibits development or site alteration in its significant habitat.

My Wife and I won a sapling 12" high five years ago at a Forest Conference. The tree now stands over 7' We were told it was from one of only seven remaining trees near Simcoe.

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We're getting a head start this year as long as the weather cooperates. I'd like to get new mulch and the lawn squared away before the end of this month.

My front yard has always been stellar. The kids and the dogs are tearing my lawn up in the back, but I'm not going to worry about it for now...there's nothing I can do to stop them for the time being. Besides, kids are supposed to be outside tearing shit up. Just don't mess with the front.

We'll buy some flowers and leave it at that, there really isn't room for anymore plants. I should have quartered all of my Hostas last fall, but never got around to it. They're gonna be massive this year.

No more solar lights either...the cheap lights are too cheap and the good lights are too much coin for what they are. I'm going to fab up some sort of low voltage system that I can control from inside the house, along with a remotely controlled irrigation system for the plants.

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We're getting a head start this year as long as the weather cooperates. I'd like to get new mulch and the lawn squared away before the end of this month.

My front yard has always been stellar. The kids and the dogs are tearing my lawn up in the back, but I'm not going to worry about it for now...there's nothing I can do to stop them for the time being. Besides, kids are supposed to be outside tearing shit up. Just don't mess with the front.

We'll buy some flowers and leave it at that, there really isn't room for anymore plants. I should have quartered all of my Hostas last fall, but never got around to it. They're gonna be massive this year.

No more solar lights either...the cheap lights are too cheap and the good lights are too much coin for what they are. I'm going to fab up some sort of low voltage system that I can control from inside the house, along with a remotely controlled irrigation system for the plants.

ohhh i beg to differ...

gnome-trap.jpg + DV12-5532.jpg?size=l

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Cucumber Magnolia (Shining Tree) Magnolia acuminata

Magnolia acuminata is the only magnolia species native to Ontario. It's large greenish-yellow flowers are pollinated by beetles and other insects causing red, fleshy - cucumber-like pods - to mature in late summer.

Cucumber Tree has been designated an endangered species since 1984, being found in only two disparate areas of Ontario (near Pelham and Simcoe), and with a critically low number of reproducing populations. It is listed under the Canadian Federal Species at Risk Act and regulated under Ontario's Endangered Species Act, which provides protection to the tree and to its habitat, and under Ontario's Provincial Policy Statement which prohibits development or site alteration in its significant habitat.

My Wife and I won a sapling 12" high five years ago at a Forest Conference. The tree now stands over 7' We were told it was from one of only seven remaining trees near Simcoe.

actually something interesting, now my first problem will be sourcing from somewhere local... ideas?

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  • 4 months later...

I have some terrible photos to share, but I want to make a post in this thread to get the ball rolling (and bump).

I really need to get some better, and updated pictures of our plants now that they have really taken off. I'll try to portray a before-after.

Here's a shot of the front of the house the previous summer during my viewing. Pretty neglected at this stage.

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After mom came down and helped fix up the front. And obviously, mulch goes a long way. Still a little sparse, but in time I'll try to work on filling it in. Not a big fan of the lollipops, but they were free and pre-existing.

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Now here's what I mean by I don't have any good pictures, they are hard to get an idea of how little was in the back yard and get some frame of reference.

This is the start, a new garden area off the patio.

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A few months later, here's a close up that shows how things have really grown in. Kitty absolutely loves his new forest hide out.

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Now I can't take any credit for any of this. I'm an idiot with a back problem, and pretty much completely useless. My girlfriend is great with this stuff, her mom is a professional landscaper, and my mom is a professional florist with a gardening hobby. So I owe them big time, as they contributed entirely to the layout, plant choices, upkeep tips etc.

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I'm inheriting a pretty nice landscaped area around the pool at my new house I bought, was checking it out last night and its going to be a bitch to keep up.

Yes you're going to LOVE that part. The lady we bought our house from was a professional gardener. Let's just say 4 years later it doesn't look anywhere near as amazing as it did when she maintained it but I'm also not out for 2 hours every morning and at least an hour every evening watering, weeding, trimming, and planting. Don't get me wrong, the yard still looks better than most in the neighborhood, it's just not over the top any more.

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Yes you're going to LOVE that part. The lady we bought our house from was a professional gardener. Let's just say 4 years later it doesn't look anywhere near as amazing as it did when she maintained it but I'm also not out for 2 hours every morning and at least an hour every evening watering, weeding, trimming, and planting. Don't get me wrong, the yard still looks better than most in the neighborhood, it's just not over the top any more.

I just bought a toro ultra vacuum/blower to combat the 70 year old oak trees. But it's the water bill I am most afraid of if I try to maintain it's condition.

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But it's the water bill I am most afraid of if I try to maintain it's condition.

Oh yeah, forgot to mention that part. Our bill is usually $30 a month. The first summer when I attempted to maintain all of the flowers it jumped to 3x that. Quickly moved to less water intensive plants.

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