Ditas, I hear ya! I am now also going through the greening phase of my Annabelles. It's not a good phase esp. since my nearby Snow Mountain tree is also starting to bloom, so the blooms are kind of limey in color too! I guess later on, the Annabelles will greener and the SM blooms will be whiter.

BTW, Ditas, for once, I do not believe that this has anything to do with the level of sunlight. My Annie that is in a more shaded area is just as green now as the one that has much more afternoon sun.

I guess there is not much we can do about it?

BTW, I just went outside and saw two more new buds for my Annabelle!!! :-)

THANKS for responding ... I thought I posted a silly '?' & am asking too much ... after all I love green!

I guess it has to do with 'time' ... the # of days needed after flashing. I too have a couple of late comers ... I'll take notes, how long before they turn.

Just a note: Princess Kyu has a huge head of blooms (hornets as well!!!) I worry she might keel over, if we should get a violent storm at her stage right now! It's been windy & cool this July ... quite strange ... mind you, I'm not complaining!!!

Hi Ditas!

I just wanted to share with you the progress of my Snow Mountain "Duchess" - she is certainly starting to bloom now, and I love it! This is the view from the deck - you will see a bit of Annie next to her, and how they are so similar in color now (lime and white). Thank goodness for the Geranium Jolly Bee that is showing a little bit at the bottom left corner - it adds a lot of much needed color to this combination here!

Oops! Ditas, I posted that photo and then thought that this one might be a bit more "informative"! LOL! See the Duchess does not have a very full head yet. Hopefully soon... it is also not that much bigger than last year, but again hopefully she will grow better next year!

Thanks for sharing, I totally agree - what an absolutely, delicious, looking group!!! Â;) Oh and 'The Duchess' ... she certainly is!!! Â;) I can almost see you gushing, I would!!!

You really need to keep Annie from talking to mine, she has to stay petite & full ... no competition allowed ... Duchess should rule her territory! LOL

Everyone is growing around Princess Kyu ... getting a bit to congested with stunning beauties ... much like a runway full of ladies in white! I'll post a photo you'll see what I mean. Â:(

Enjoy before the hornets swarm around her! LOL

Hi Ditas,

Thanks! I have a question for you - I wonder how quickly your Princess Kyu grow? My SM Duchess is only in her second season here in my yard, and as I said, she really has not grown much. Did you notice much growth with Princess Kyu during the first couple of years in your yard? Or did it take her several seasons to get going?

I look forward to seeing the runway full of beautiful ladies in white! :-)

OK Ostrich - As you asked ... I think pics speak a thousand words ... perhaps, from this album I prep'd just for you ... P'Kyu from '07 (2nd season) thru today, you'll be able to see her growth. My wishest (no such word!!! LOL) of wish is for her skinny leg to fatten up fast, so I won't worry - with her, tipping over, for the weight of her head-wear!!! LOL

I search in my Journal - couldn't find the entry on her girth measurement. Today her leg measures at 34" to the Y (1st set of branches) & girth is 5.5" ... total hgt. easily 8'+(most of her hgt is HEAD WEAR!) ... diameter is 9' both directions (I meas'd after the platoon, of hornets took off for the day!

Now about the 'Ladies in White' - I couldn't take a good shot to be able to show a good 'runway' (LOL) but hopefully you'll see what I mean, w/ these shots. Remember how I said that George's advice came late for me? ... Tardiva (planted in '05) is at the very end (9'tall-9x9'wd) P'Kyu (15' in front) nearly as tall & wide ... between them is a dwarf White Phlox ... 12' in front of P'Kyu is White Chiffon (R of Sharon) 5'+tall 5'x5' wide. I'm glad I pruned 2 KO roses down to 1.5' in May, otherwise, they would have congested the runway even more ... they do bring the Hummers in w/ their bright colour!!! Â;)

6 Lavenders are around P'Kyu's foot, for wafts of scent, Petunias scattered, for color & 5 mini-roses, are the flower girls! So there you are ... more like a Grangma's sampler quilt ... what a mess! Â;) BTW click pic to enlg.

Please excuse our l'il tour ... green Annie is father down behind Tardiva!

Here is a link that might be useful: Ladies in White/P'Kyu

Hi Ditas,

Thank you so much for the wonderful album that you have just compiled - this is absolutely beautiful, thank you!

So, was Princess Kyu planted in 2007? I saw that there was much growth between 07 and 08, and further growth in 09. You know, since it really is a shrub (pruned to be tree-form), I wonder if the trunk would ever get too thick for these "trees"?

I like your runway! I think I got the idea. It's very pretty indeed! :-)

Thank you again for the great tour. I really do appreciate it! THANK YOU!

Correction Ostrich - P'Kyu was planted in Jul '06 - she was full of blossoms then, the reason my grand-dau wouldn't leave the nursery, w/out her Princess tree, then.

I didn't have this digi.cam at the time, so no up-loadable pics, sorry. I usually start noting progress from 2nd season & on anyway ... 1st season is adjustment & root development time.

George posted a photo of a friend's or was it a neighbor's that was huge & the trunk was quite thick ... must be really old! You know, I've left P'Kyu & all my 6 other H.p's untouched, even left their blossoms thru Winter just clipped what's left, in Spring ... I think I will prune her some, come Spring ... notice how her lower limbs are sagging a bit from the weight, now (not as much in '08).

I don't like mine, as well as I do your, group-backdrop, for SM Duchess, George's is also an enviable setting for his Kyu tree! I didn't realize that 'White Chiffon' would grow to compete for attention, as she has - I have another one just across the drive (they are a pair of sentinels)! LOL

Oh well ... can't do much now, just prune some & see what happens in '10

G'nite Ostrich! Â;)

Ostrich - ??? on your Annabelle entourage ... G Jolly Bee ... how long does she keep her blooms? Does she rebloom after a trim? Does her foliage keep green & lush? Can she stand 'Sol Invictus' (Mighty Sun) well?

I have 2 Geraniums (Biokovo & Sanguineun Striatum) & am not too fond of foliage, as season progresses (after blooms are done).

I have just rejuvenated an existing patch by removing 3 huge Hostas ... a hole is readied for Nikko's move & Unique is already set in ... am thinking of prettier, low-growing & longer lasting bloomers as under plants ... your Jolly Bee looks great ... DK if she can fill the bill?

Will appreciate your response to ??? TIA

Ditas, I LOVE my Jolly Bee! They just bloom their head off from June to October, NON-STOP! I don't do anything to them - no pruning, trimming, and they just keep going!!!

I believe that Jolly Bee and Rozanne are the longest blooming hardy geraniums around.

I tried to get another JB this year, but I just could not find one locally. So I got a Rozanne instead and have planted it on the other side of the Duchess SM. So far, they look quite similar indeed.

Now, My JB is exposed to the harsh late afternoon sun. So far, they have been doing well. I understand that they would bloom a bit better in slightly partial sun though?

I hope this helps!

Thank you Ostrich - I'm holding some Palace Purple Heucheras I've been growing in pots, until I hear more about JB or Roxanne ... I'm considering them for this corner (triangular) bed as under-plants for Unique.

Thanks again for all the info ... looks like I'm gonna be calling around our nurseries tomorrow!!! Â;)

ditas and ostrich~Those are lovely companions. I have Rozanne geraniums (must look for Jolly Bee) and Palace Purple heuchera in my garden too, and am very pleased with their truly low maintenance performance! os~I love your euphorbia with Roz, they're not hardy for me.

My reason for posting is to suggest another truly low maintenace blooming wonder. Calamintha nepeta 'Blue Cloud', what a stunning DEER-RESISTANT edger, billowing over the edges, looks great with hardy geraniums too. Happy Gardening!