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A few years ago I did see a fairly big garden center in southeast Pennsylvania selling a few of this Chinese Fringetree, and I have taken two photos of a specimen planted in the Olive Family Collection on the west side of Morton Arboretum in northeast Illinois. The Emerald Ash Borer from China can attack the American Fringetree fatally, being in the same Olive Family. The arboretum has some of the American species in the Appalachian Collection on the east side, but they are not anymore where the American species of Ashes were growing on the west side, where few American ashes are left. The Chinese species has a good variation of leaf characteristics from shorter and rounded in the southern from to longer and pointed leaves in the northern form, but leaves tend to be smaller, thicker, darker, more lustrous, and less elongate than the American species. The erect flower clusters, cymose panicles, are shorter, about 2 to 3 inches long x 2 to 4 inches wide versus the 6 to 10 inch long and wide clusters of the American species. The dark blue olive-like fruit is a little smaller to 1/2 inch long versus the American fruit to 3/4 inch long. I thought the one Chinese specimen in the arboretum had very pretty bark. I like the American Native Plant Movement, so I am not encouraging lots of planting of any woody Eurasian species in eastern North America. Some urban spots would be alright.

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In late October of 2023 I came upon a newly planted tree of this Chinese Red Ash. It was in good golden fall color. It bore compound leaves of about 6 to 10 inches long and with 7 to 11 leaflets. The leaflets had very short stalks and the leaf had an enlarged base. The leaves are supposed to have a grayish-green color during the growing season. It is native to central China and Japan. Otherwise, I have never seen this species before and don't know much about it. it was in the Olive Family Collection on the west side of Morton Arboretum in northeast Illinois in USDA Zone 5a. The Emeral Ash Borer from China killed off most of the American and European Ash species in this collection so that it is sort of bare. Two mature Blue Ash, one smaller Purple Autumn White Ash, and one small European Ash are left.

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In late October of 2023 I visited one of my most sacred places, that is, Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois, very close to where I grew up. I went to the Olive Family Collection that is emptier now since the Emerald Ash Borer came about 2019 and killed most of the American and European Ash species that were there, except for two mature but not old Blue Ash trees, one Purple Autumn White Ash still there, and one small European Ash. The arboretum planted some Asiatic Ash species there on the west side that includes the Chinese Ash. There were two maturing Chinese Ash of which I took photos. Otherwise, I have never seen this species before and don't know much about it. Its leaves mostly had leaflets in 5's and 7's.

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Smallish glaucous blue agave with a pale midstripe (pale bluish green or yellowish, depending on the exposure). Offsetting behavior, moderate growth rate, final rosette size 6-8". Probably good in a 10" container once it has formed a nice clump. Leaves have a rough texture. Best form and color in strong light, maybe best with some overhead protection in some climates.

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I grew this variety for the first time in 2023 and was very happy with the size and number of peppers produced; they were large enough to be confused with jalapenos, and a little milder than other serranos that I've grown. Planning to grow them again next year, I mainly used them to add to homemade salsa.

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Of interest - fall foliage smells like brown sugar cotton candy

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This is cold hardy here in the Oregon coast range, survives cold wet winters in containers and in the cold, saturated clay soil.

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This is the fifth year for this plant in my garden and I love how this plant blooms all summer long, beginning in early June in my zone 6b garden and continuing until frost. It gets afternoon shade and the blooms cover the entire plant for well over a month, going from blush pink to white to light green as they age. Then when those blooms turned brown, I cut them off. Being close to the patio and near a water hydrant, I did water it several times throughout the summer. It is now blooming again, which I attribute to the extra waterings, although it is not as full as in June. But what a wonderful, long-blooming garden plant.

It is a small, compact shrub about 2 to 2.5 feet high and about 3 feet wide, so it is nicely rounded. It is perfect for the front of the border and the stems are sturdy and upright, even though some of the mophead blooms can be somewhat large. It blooms on new wood, so I will cut it back after the first frosts affect it.

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I just planted a 7-gallon Fuyu Persimmon tree in my zone 7b north Georgia garden. I want to grow this tree for its spring flowers and fall leaf color, but mostly for the bright orange fruit which ripen in late fall after the leaves have fallen. In the process of planting, I learned that the roots of persimmon trees are naturally black. As well, Fuyu Persimmons are grafted onto American Persimmon root stock, and sometimes the black color will extend several inches up the trunk, as is the case with my tree. This is normal and not a symptom of a problem. Finally, I've learned that oriental persimmon trees will bloom after 5 years, but they will not begin bearing fruit for another 2 years.

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Reblooms consistently in central Ohio, zone 5 in September/October. One of my more vigorous SDBs

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In October 2022 I planted 100 'Forum' onion sets in an unheated hoop house, and subsequently also covered them with a low tunnel of floating row cover. I expected them to grow, because I always have some missed onions grow in my garden in the spring, but these exceeded my expectations by developing into large bulbs - quite a few were about the size of a baseball - that were very solid and kept well in my garage throughout the following summer and fall (I harvested them on July 8th, 2023 and am still using them in late October). Very few of the 'Forum' onions bolted before harvest (about 6 did bolt), contrasted by onions that I started from seed ('Patterson' and 'Talon') and planted at the same time as the sets, of which quite a few bolted before I harvested them. I sourced the sets from Johnny's Selected Seeds and have ordered and planted another batch to harvest in 2024.

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This daylily grew moderately well in my zone 7b north Georgia garden, going from 2 fans to 6 fans in 3 years. It bloomed reliable in mid-season, but with no rebloom scapes. The flower size, color, and pattern are pretty, but mediocre, so I removed it from my garden to make room for other varieties.

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One English translation of the Chinese name is 'Jade Tribute In Icy Pot'

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This lily is a parent to "Midsummer's Eve"

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I purchased 'Star Crossed Lovers' from the printed catalogue of We're in the Hayfield Now daylilies many years ago. The catalogue indicated it was not fertile. It was registered as a tetraploid. I pollinated it with pollen of many different tetraploid cultivars over many years and found that it was not pod fertile. I also tried pollinating it with pollen from diploid cultivars many times and those pollinations also failed. Then one year I tried pollinating it with diploid pollen on the night before the flowers fully opened. Those pollinations succeeded. Unfortunately, I never planted the seeds so I cannot be 100% certain but I believe that 'Star Crossed Lovers' is a diploid. I think that it is a seedling that has 'Exotic Echo' in its ancestry.

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This gorgeous big dahlia, Camano Sitka, has been blooming all summer. It blooms early, it blooms late, it blooms all around the block (in my Johnson community garden.) Good stem width too. A keeper! I hope it makes good tubers. We'll see later this month or in early November.

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I have tried pollinating this cultivar over many years and many plants (I have a six foot row of it). It does not appear to be pod fertile.

From its parentage information I think that this plant is a triploid.

I obtained its pollen parent 'Star Crossed Lovers' directly from its hybridizers many years ago and tetraploid pollen failed with it but diploid pollen was successful. I think that its pollen parent, 'Star Crossed Lovers', is a diploid that was registered as a tetraploid.

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In southern states (zone 7-10) where the ground doesn't freeze below four to six inches, cannas can be left in the ground all winter. Cut foliage down to the ground and if needed, cover flowerbed with six to twelve inches of grass clippings, leaves, compost, hay straw, etc. Cannas can be thinned in the spring every two to three years by digging out thick areas of bulbs to allow spacing between the plants.

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In urban settings, this scrappy little late season daisy is found in empty lots, sidewalk cracks and other barren environments. The cheery bright flowers pop brightly in contrast to the unimpressive leaves, buds and stems.

Known under several names, including Lacy Tansyaster and Spiny Goldenbush, the genus name Xanthisma (Xanthis'ma:) is Greek, meaning "that which is dyed yellow." According to Southwest Desert Flora (.com), Lacy Tansyasters have variable characteristics and are taxonomically confusing to botanists, with many taxonomic changes over the years.

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Grew this variety for the first time in 2023 and very pleased with it; large, blocky, solid tomatoes; fairly compact plants when grown in the ground inside my unheated high tunnel, about 4' tall. Open pollinated but every bit as productive as any hybrids I've grown. A little later than most that I grow, at 80 dtm, but well worth the wait. Obtained seeds from Totally Tomatoes this year but am saving seeds for future use.

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