You’ve Done Something Right When…..

There comes a moment for all gardeners, when, against their better judgment, they lead with their hearts instead of their heads! Such was the case when I found myself the proud parent to Slytherin – a supurb serpentine [hence his name!] form of Cedrus atlantica ‘Pendula’ – known to some as the weeping form of the Blue Atlas Cedar. I’d been pining for it for many years, and when it came across the inventory list of one of our chief suppliers, I quickly sold my soul to the devil! Those familiar with this divine botanical rarity know that its hardiness is attuned to a grow zone of 6 or better! Last time I looked, Teza’s Garden was firmly entrenched in zone 5 at best! Those who know me also understand that for me numbers represent challenges at best! The King of Zonal Denial is also the King of Wishful Thinking! ‘Slytherin’ resided in a large pot on my veranda for the summer where he drew gasps of delight from all who approached my door. With the onset of cold weather it was decided that he would spend the winter in the store at the nursery. I had [ever so briefly] toyed with the notion of leaving him outdoors, to be decorated for the holidays, but could not risk the thought of losing him! He shed quite a few needles as he acclimatized himself to temperatures that were more like Zone 7 – and for a few weeks I watched over him like a concerned parent whose child has just discovered their independence. And then this happened……

It wasn’t like they appeared overnight – in actuality there were a few tiny green nubs when I transported him to his new home, but in the ensuing months, his cones have grown not only in size but also in number. They make me so happy! As does the abundance of new growth that has made his needle shed less troublesome! He truly is something special!

Funny thing is, when my employers spotted him coming off the truck back in May, they were equally smitten and shortly thereafter…..

… well lets just say that one can never have too much of a good thing. This one resided upon a plinth next to the front entrance sign to the nursery where he drew curious garden type people to him like a magnet. I loved when joggers were stopped in their tracks, or else they jogged past and then turned and came back for a double take! I’ve learned over the past year that if you tantalize your customer base with a few rare and unusual treasures, its often better than a year of paid advertising!

In the meantime, the first of the seedlings have arrived and are planted up, and we’re still waiting for the first thaw of the year!