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Post by breezygardener on Sept 24, 2021 16:31:44 GMT -5
We lost our Beagle/Rat Terrier cross a few months ago, & as we do with all the pets we lose, she's buried on the property.
As we also always plant something over the graves of our beloved companions, we were going to plant something over her earlier, but wanted to wait until the forecasted cicada emergence to pass, but luckily they didn't emerge here. So now Fall is here, & we're researching what we want to install above her, so thought I'd ask for suggestions here.
We're looking at anything from a tall-growing perennial to a shrub or small tree. The area is mostly sunny with shade in the late afternoon, & is something that has to be at least recommended as deer-resistant. There is a tree on either side of the area (not too close), so it can't be anything that gets too large.
Any favorites that fit the above?
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Post by SpringRain🕊️ on Sept 24, 2021 17:28:17 GMT -5
breezygardener, that's such a nice idea for a memorial to a special pet. I think I'd be included toward an evergreen shrub. There are a lot of trees in this area that grow well beyond safe levels, then they become hazards during windy weather. Or their roots grow into the sewer lines and infiltrate the pipes. I'm partial to arborvitae, which also produce lovely little cones I use in wreaths. But their growth varies depending on location. I have one that never reached 6' and two others that are probably 20 feet high. Junipers also are nice, with more controlled growth and also with lovely berries good for wreaths. If I did choose a perennial, it would probably be one of the hydrangeas; they're so lovely and long lasting.
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Post by Wheelgarden on Sept 25, 2021 15:32:11 GMT -5
breezygardener...Sorry for your loss of your friend. Our departed good dogs rest in the yard. One next to a soft evergreen hemlock, another next to a pecan, and another beside a pin oak. I think of them everytime I go out and see those trees...Redbuds sound like a good idea. I sometimes wish that my ashes could be spread amongst them, those doggies meant so much to us.
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Post by breezygardener on Sept 25, 2021 16:58:52 GMT -5
Thanks for the ideas. Redbuds are out, but only because we're overrun with them here. All natives, all lovely, but just too many.
And can't do a hydrangea either because they're deer candy.
I'm thinking I may go with a Pyracantha. The deer don't like them because of the thorns, bees love them for their fragrant white flowers in the Spring, & birds love them both for nesting (since the large thorns provide predator protection) & for the large crop of fall/winter berries.
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Post by breezygardener on Nov 4, 2021 17:19:57 GMT -5
Yesterday, & thanks to an end-of-season sale, snagged a lovely 4-foot "Victory" pyracantha (which was the exact variety I wanted) to plant over our recently-passed dog's gravesite. Hopefully we'll be able to get it into the ground before a hard freeze.
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Post by Mumsey on Nov 6, 2021 6:34:05 GMT -5
snagged a lovely 4-foot "Victory" pyracantha Or did it snag you with it's thorns? Either way, great find!
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Post by breezygardener on Nov 6, 2021 14:48:05 GMT -5
Yes, it was very lucky.
Normally when I want a specific variety of a shrub or tree we end up either having to phone & then drive to some distant nursery to get whatever it is, or I have to order it online which always means ending up with something tiny. But luckily "Victory" must be a popular pyracantha cultivar, because that's the only one the local nursery had. It's received excellent gardening reviews, is absolutely covered with bright orange berries, is attractive to bees in the Spring, & birds like it for nesting. It also can be grown either upright (which is how I plan to grow it) or espaliered. Quite a few pyracantha cultivars are only suitable for espalier or growing up against a wall or fence for support. This one does have a stake, but should be able to stand alone without one once it gets established.
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Post by gardendmpls on Nov 6, 2021 22:37:14 GMT -5
I remember pyracantha in south Texas. The berries would ferment on the bushes and the cedar waxwings would eat them and begin staggering around. We would have to protect the drunken birds from the cats until the effects of the alcohol wore off. Wondered if they got hangovers.
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