Last February, in a Wednesday Vignette, I featured the "ring of fire" that periodically appears to surround my backyard borders. It's back, shining brighter than any of the nearby flowers, so I thought it warranted coverage in this month's Foliage Follow-up post, a feature hosted by Pam of
Digging following Bloom Day to demonstrate the valuable role foliage plays in every garden.
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| My "ring of fire" is created by the new growth on the Xylosma congestum hedge that borders the beds in the backyard garden |
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| This hedge gets trimmed 3-4 times a year to maintain its height and, while the new growth that follows a trimming always takes on a bronze tone, it's particularly vivid in early spring |
The red in the new spring foliage growth is prominent in other plants too.
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| The new growth of Agonis flexuosa 'Nana', a dwarf peppermint willow, also takes on a red tinge |
Speaking of red tones, some of my
Aeoniums, green rosettes when I planted them, have colored up nicely this year too.
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| Weather conditions and reduced water (in other words, stress) probably account for the color change from green to red in the case of these Aeonium arboreum. However, I've grown Aeoniums in this spot for years and this is the first time they've assumed such a deep color. Pretty, though, aren't they? |
Other Aeoniums drew my attention for a less positive reason.
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| When I saw damage to my Aeoniums along these lines last year, I assumed I had a problem with snails or slugs |
This year the culprit responsible for the damage revealed himself.
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| The white-crowned sparrows migrate through here during the winter months. Apparently, they like Aeoniums! They're creating a lot more damage this year. Our backyard fountain sprung a leak and is currently shut down for repair so perhaps my fine-feathered friends have become dependent on the succulent leaves to quench their thirst. |
That's my Foliage Follow-up for February.
Visit Pam at Digging for more.
All material © 2012-2018 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
