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Amazing colour practically* in my backyard.

(*It’s in a public park just over the fence.ย  But if I actually had a backyard, there would absolutely be a larch or two in it).

 

Whether they’re the wrong hardiness zone or you don’t have the space or the right conditions for them, whichย plants do you dream about growing if you could?ย 


46 responses to “Alberta snapshot: Larch and blue sky.”

  1. Kevin Avatar

    I noticed trees like this in the NW tonight, I didnt know they were larch trees. I thought they were just some scragley looking spruce in the throws of death. Nice pic

    1. Sheryl @ Flowery Prose Avatar

      With the colour and the needle drop, I can definitely see why you’d think that! ๐Ÿ™‚ They are interesting trees, that’s for sure.

      Nice to hear from another Calgary blogger.

  2. Walter Avatar
    Walter

    Hi Sherry,

    Beautiful pictures, we have a few golden trees in our neighborhood too, but the best part is already over.

    Love

    Grandpa

    1. Sheryl @ Flowery Prose Avatar

      Thank you, Grandpa – yes, it’s true…the leaves are going quickly now! I hope you’re doing well.

  3. Deb Avatar

    A nice fall picture! I’d love to have an orchard of fruit trees, but for now I have two crab apples , two apples and a damson plum due to be planted tomorrow.

    1. Sheryl @ Flowery Prose Avatar

      You have a good start there! The plum will be a nice addition!

  4. Gallivanta Avatar

    A coffee plant. I almost succeeded but both were destroyed by an unexpected snow dump. ๐Ÿ˜ฆ Isn’t it lovely to live near a park!

    1. Sheryl @ Flowery Prose Avatar

      It is wonderful to live near a park – it’s not a very large one, and it has two sports fields in it (one for soccer, and one for baseball) as well as a playground for small children, but it has nice quiet places to sit and several beautiful trees.

      I had a small coffee plant as a houseplant once (I wish I could grow them outside!) but I couldn’t keep it alive more than a year. They are such beautiful plants with those lovely glossy leaves. It seems particularly horrible that yours were destroyed by snow – how awful! Maybe some day you can try again. ๐Ÿ™‚

      1. Gallivanta Avatar

        I may try again. It was quite hard to source them but, if our climate keeps on getting warmer, our city may well be a good place to grow coffee. ๐Ÿ˜‰

        1. Sheryl @ Flowery Prose Avatar

          Glass half full! ๐Ÿ™‚

  5. sueturner31 Avatar

    Gorgeous colour combination….nature at its best…..

    1. Sheryl @ Flowery Prose Avatar

      We’ve had such amazing fall weather and beautiful blue skies…a huge gift after that unexpected snow storm in early September.

  6. KerryCan Avatar

    I love this photo–that sky! If I had the room (and would live long enough to see it grow!), I’d plant a sugar maple. I love everything about them!

    1. Sheryl @ Flowery Prose Avatar

      Oh – I love that choice! Sugar maples are exceptional! ๐Ÿ™‚

  7. Julie Avatar

    A beautiful photograph Sheryl of a beautiful tree. If I had the space and I would need a park, an English Oak. Our local church has several American Oaks which look spectacular in the Autumn as the leaves turn red.

    1. Sheryl @ Flowery Prose Avatar

      Oh, an English oak would be absolutely magnificent! As you say, you would definitely need a huge amount of space…. ๐Ÿ™‚

  8. Marguerite Avatar

    Gorgeous photo. When I lived in BC we never saw these trees but since we moved out to eastern Canada I get to see larches all the time now. Love these trees. Ours haven’t turned colour yet though so you must be a week or two ahead of us.

    1. Sheryl @ Flowery Prose Avatar

      I’m surprised that the larches are hanging onto their needles as long as they are…we’ve been pleasantly surprised by beautiful foliage colour this year. It would be wonderful to see the fall colour out your way – I know it’s usually much more pronounced than here!

  9. clarepooley33 Avatar

    A really lovely shot ! We have wanted a larch in our garden for a few years but have held back because so many here are succumbing to a new disease – yet another problem for our poor trees.

    1. Sheryl @ Flowery Prose Avatar

      Oh my goodness, I will have to look that up – I’m really sad to hear that.

      1. clarepooley33 Avatar

        Phytopthora ramorum – known here just as ‘larch killing disease’! Also known as ‘sudden oak death’ it’s a fungus-like pathogen that has many host plants and trees. Mainly affecting the damper western parts of the UK, we are waiting to see if it is spreading eastwards and we will take advice from experts

        1. Sheryl @ Flowery Prose Avatar

          So horrible! – I wasn’t aware that it affected larches as well.

          1. clarepooley33 Avatar

            Yes, it’s such a nasty thing as it seems to be able to live on all types of plants and can adapt itself to different environments. A super-bug for plants.

  10. raisingdaisy Avatar

    Striking contrast!

    1. Sheryl @ Flowery Prose Avatar

      It worked out beautifully! ๐Ÿ™‚

  11. craftysorcha Avatar

    I miss snowdrops, they are always the first flowers to make an appearance in winter in Ireland, but they don’t grow here in the south of France. They are my favourite flowers, they give the promise of spring to come!

    1. Sheryl @ Flowery Prose Avatar

      They are so beautiful – they give the impression that they are so delicate, but they are tough little things. I just planted some for the first time this fall and I’m excited to see if they come up next spring. I can see why you miss them so – they truly are special.

  12. thebikinggardener Avatar

    A lovely photo. Blue and yellow is my favourite colour combination in flowers and gardens. I want to grow too many things but I would love to live somewhere warm enough to grow tropical hibiscus outdoors. There are so many amazing colour combinations and the flowers are so beautiful

    1. Sheryl @ Flowery Prose Avatar

      Oh yes – to grow hibiscus outdoors would be absolutely delightful! They are truly eye-catching, aren’t they? Gorgeous!

  13. The Canadian Cats Avatar

    I didn’t realize the trees were Larch trees. I don’t think I’ve seen them around here….they are not popular anyway….I’ll be keeping my eye open for them now. If I could grow whatever I wanted regardless of zone I would definitely have a Dogwood Tree, a roddodendrum like the ones on the coast, not the frost hardy kind that don’t have the numerous colours….just pink.

    Jean

    1. Sheryl @ Flowery Prose Avatar

      I love dogwoods as well, they have so many great features! Rhodos are lovely, too – I agree, it would be nice to be able to grow more varieties, wouldn’t it?

  14. colorpencil2014 Avatar

    Delightful photo. reminded me of my youth in The Netherlands where in my parents garden grew a giant lark. I made several attempts in various gardens and in various climates to grow an apple tree…they are all so prone to dissease, and nasty insects. And over all those years, i was only once able to bake one apple pie from my own harvest;0)

    1. Sheryl @ Flowery Prose Avatar

      Oh that’s really too bad about the apple trees…they are not the most disease- and pest-resistant plants, that’s for sure. But at least you had one apple pie – a very special one! ๐Ÿ™‚

  15. Cathy Avatar

    Lovely! I do love larches. If I had the right conditions I would grow so many plants…. phlox, delphiniums, cleome, rudbeckia, chrysanthemums… snails and slugs are the problem here! ๐Ÿ˜‰

    1. Sheryl @ Flowery Prose Avatar

      Those creepy-crawlies do make things tricky, that’s for sure! It’s too bad they are such a nuisance – those are all wonderful plant choices and I can easily imagine all of them having a place in your beautiful garden. ๐Ÿ™‚

  16. Donna@GardensEyeView Avatar

    That larch is stunning against the blue sky.

    1. Sheryl @ Flowery Prose Avatar

      Such a treat to photograph it. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Have a wonderful week, Donna!

  17. Maria F. Avatar

    This is gorgeous!

    1. Sheryl @ Flowery Prose Avatar

      I was so happy to capture it – the sky was just incredible that morning. ๐Ÿ™‚

  18. ontheedgegardening Avatar

    Lovely picture, larch is one of my favorite conifers and blue is my favourite type of sky ๐Ÿ™‚

  19. gardeninacity Avatar

    Such a deep blue! I had no idea Larch had that kind of color.

  20. LB Avatar

    It’s been so long since I’ve seen a larch (tamrack)! Lovely!

    1. Sheryl @ Flowery Prose Avatar

      They are gorgeous, aren’t they? My favourite tree!

    1. Sheryl @ Flowery Prose Avatar

      Such a beautiful time of year!

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