Dwarf Weeping Willow

Enchanted get-aways found in Clay Center backyards

Jerry Callan's for example, has turned a backyard near Fourth and Frederick that was cast in shadow for most of the day into a private get-away that's now nearly overtaken with flowers, grasses and other plants.

The project is "a work in progress" Callan said, and still requires a lot of work -- many of the plants need to be pruned back, paving stones weren't quite level, his bog needed to be reworked, and he let a lot of the flowers grow wild -- letting them come up where they willed rather than pulling them out and transplanting them in a controlled environment.

The flowers have taken over his backyard, and while it is somewhat chaotic in spots, somehow it feels right. One can get lost in the large swath of blue bachelor's buttons, tall plants and scores of blooming flowers.

But the bees and humming birds didn't seem to mind. Callan said he gets quite a few of these otherworldly visitors that add to the ambiance.

Callan along with other members of the Manana group, opened up their backyards for a second garden tour among the group on Wednesday. The group usually meets every other Wednesday morning at Maury's.

Master gardener Wayne Link said he and and wife Dee have put a lot of work into turning a backyard overgrown with trees into something more presentable and sunny enough to support a garden.

The previous owner, a Swenson, had traveled to many places and brought back a tree from just about every place he visited, so most of the trees on the property weren't native to Kansas.

Exotic trees included a beautiful Japanese maple, a dwarf weeping willow.

Two mulberry trees near the alley make the backyard popular "with just about every bird and squirrel in town," Wayne said.

The Links had to remove an oak tree lost to an ice storm and two diseased Blue Spruce pines, a cottonwood and a 40-foot white pine.

Wayne added several fruit bearing trees, including three Liberty apple trees and a Sure Fire cherry, which is a genetic late-flowering dwarf tree.

The Links' backyard included a large vegetable garden with several varieties of tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers, raspberries, asparagus.

Tomatoes he planted included Cherokee Purple (a favorite), heirlooms, pineapple tomatoes and Tomasio, a raisin tomato he picked up from Leroy, Kan. The raisin tomatoes, originally from Israel, are small and when dried, very sweet like a raisin, he said.

Dwarf Weeping Willow Tree

Variety is the centerpiece of the joy of a beautiful landscape. You can make your landscape more captivating by using dwarf weeping willow trees to emphasize scale and form of your yard.

A dwarf weeping willow tree or Kilmarnock is a perfect ornamental tree especially for small gardens. The tree grows up to 5-6 feet tall.

Due to its magnificent appearance and size, dwarf weeping willow trees make magnificent focal points in gardens and frame front entrances. They also look great near a pond or water feature because their weeping form is evocative of falling water. The tree derives its attractiveness and beauty from the canopy that tends to drop and sweep gracefully on a neatly balanced set of branches. The overall symmetry of the tree gives it a dramatic look that is bound to win the heart of every garden adventurer.

Planting and managing a weeping dwarf willow tree

Begin by selecting a healthy willow to make your cutting from. The spot on the branch where you make the cutting should be two inches in diameter and up to six feet in length. You will need to use a handsaw for a cutting of this size.

Place the cutting, bottom end down, in a bucket of clear water and leave it until you are ready to put it in the ground.

Select a moist site with adequate drainage for your tree. Avoid selecting sites that are too close to buried pipes or side walks as the weeping willow's roots grow quickly pushing up against them.

Dig a square hole about 18 inches by 18 inches wide on all four sides.

Fill the hole with up to two inches of water and allow it to drain into the ground.

Place the branch cutting into the center of the hole, with the bottom touching the bottom soil. Fill the soil back into the hole while tapping it down to ensure that the soil securely grips the cutting. Fill the hole until the top of it levels with the ground.

Water your willow every two days until it shows signs of growth. You might want to water it daily if your area is experiencing a dry spell. The appearance of new growth on the cutting is a sure sign that it is developing a healthy root system.

Pruning a weeping dwarf willow tree

Prune and trim weeping willow trees annually to keep them in peak health and form. Prune dead branches at any time of the year as they use up nutrients and water that are better put to use in new growth.

Country gentleman

DWARF APPLES— On Doucain and Paradise stocks, one and two venrs old. .... Salix Pendula—A new Weeping Willow. It is one of the most beautiful and gruceful ...

Gardeners' chronicle of America

3 for 1.00 Rose Oaklngton Ruby. Dwarf Red. 2 for.. .90 Rose Roulettl, Dwarf Pink , 2 for 65 Weeping Willow, green. 2-3'. 3 for 50 Weeping Willow, golden. ...

Proceedings of the 1st- annual meeting, 1855-

Magnolia Conspicua, Double White Thorn, Birch, Young's New Weeping, Cherry, Dwarf Weeping, Willow Kilmarnock, Weeping. EVERGREENS. Arbor Vitas, Tom Thumb, ...

The English flower garden and home grounds, design and arrangement shown by existing examples of gardens in Great Britain and Ireland, followed by a description of the plants, shrubs and trees for the open-air garden and their culture

One large isolated Weeping Willow, or a group of such trees on the margin of ... Sometimes certain of these dwarf forms are grafted generally on the sallow, ...

The English flower garden and home grounds, design and arrangement shown by existing examples of gardens in Great Britain and Ireland, followed by a description of the plants, shrubs and trees for the open-air garden and their culture

One large isolated Weeping Willow, or a group of such trees on the margin of ... Sometimes certain of these dwarf forms are grafted generally on the sallow, ...