Landscaping: The Cobbler’s Shoes

I was warned by some old timers many moons ago to be either a nurseryman or a landscaper.  I heard, did not listen, but did not forget either. It’s been about 10-11 years since we really got serious about landscaping. I have learned a lot! But I never stopped being a nurseryman, my first love in the trade. I really like photographing flowers and foliage in the spring but I do not always have an opportunity to do so. This spring I have made the time to meander around and try to capture some of the beauty that we are surrounded by each day at the nursery.

Since we have started landscaping, it has also been difficult to take care of our own gardens at the nursery or even at home. In the words of another ‘scaper, “The cobbler is always the last one to get shoes.” There is a lot of truth to this! Our family is trying to figure out what tree to plant in front of our house. You would think with a senior nurseryman, junior nurseryman and Queen of the nursery this would be an easy task. I told them what tree I thought would be the best selection, an Acer palmatum ‘Ariadne’. They felt “That one’s too big, let’s plant a smaller one of the same variety.” I disagreed, “Size matters!” The southern sun blasts the front of our house. The big one will shield the window and keep the room cooler immediately. The Queen relented and agreed the larger plant would be perfect. Junior nurseryman did not have anything to add to the conversation. I am sure he will chime in when we start talking about companion plants.

Speaking of companion plants, I have a Pinus strobus ‘Vercurve’ in front of the house, planted at one of two brick pillars at our porch. I tagged another ‘Vercurve’ this past winter. This one will go in front of the other pillar, perfect symmetry! Generally I detest symmetry in design. Guard plants is the name I have heard applied to the plants on each side of a walkway or porch. However, ‘Vercurve’ is an awesome cultivar, and I need to keep a few around the nursery to propagate from. What better place to have them than guarding the pillars of the house we live in?

I started 50 ‘Vercurve’ 8 years ago or so and I am down to my last 3 or 4 from that crop. I have to have two! We are buds, old friends! Hopefully, I can sell this to the fam like I did that tree.