Re: was Northern Blooms now Northern vs. Southern Blooms

Gene,

I've had mine for about 14 years, I guess. It was a largish rooted stem from
a friend's plant when I got it. They're pretty easy to peg down and root.

On the unpruned side, mine is about 9 and a half feet from the middle to the
edge, so I guess it would be about 19 feet wide if allowed to be full. Since
it got so much larger than expected, the other half had to be pruned to
allow us to see to get out of the driveway. Dirr said 6-10' by 6-10'(15') in
spread, so I had figured on 10 x 10. As it is, even pruned, mine is 15'
wide. It's about 8 and a half feet tall. The matte green foliage makes it
recede into the background, though.

Some years it blooms on naked stems. Most years here, like this year, it's
still green. The flowers are not showy, but are very fragrant, though not
cloyingly sweet like Lonicera japonica. On a warm, almost still night, the
fragrance really carries.  I remember returning from sitting up with my Mom
in the hospital, rounding the corner 2 blocks away, and having it welcome me
home.

No blooms on my Helleborus foetidus, though the flower stalks are about 5"
long compared to the x orientalis. The H. x buds are still tightly clasped
to the earth.

Daryl



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gene Bush" <genebush@otherside.com>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Monday, January 03, 2005 6:50 AM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] was Northern Blooms now Northern vs. Southern Blooms


> Hello Daryl
> Your mention of Lonicera fragrantissima is about the 3rd or 4th time the
> name has come up of late. What can you tell be about this one? Personal
> experience over how long a period of time? Working on my real winter
> bloomers for the garden.... again
>     If you are not growing the Helleborus foetidus you are missing a good
> bet. In bud since mid December, some are opening now. Went untouched by
our
> snow and cold snap. Among the best of the best in the foliage department.
> Long narrow serrated leaves on stalks about 2 feet in height ... sometimes
> more. About that or a bit more in width. Blooms are green bells sometimes
> rimed in bronze. Winter foliage is almost olive-black with a sheen and the
> blooms stalk is bright yellow-green. Cool!
>     Gene E. Bush
> Munchkin Nursery & Gardens, llc
> www.munchkinnursery.com
> genebush@munchkinnursery.com
> Zone 6/5  Southern Indiana

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