Nike Air Zoom Hayward + 3

Based on a sketch from Steve Prefontaine's notebook, this running shoe combines throwback styling and the latest Nike tech for impressive results. The Nike Air Zoom Hayward + 3 ($82) features a flexible, Nike Free-inspired midsole with Natural Motion Engineering, ripstop-reinforcing, and a Zoom Air unit in the heel. They're also Nike+ compatible.

New Shoes

Cole Haan Air $145










Ecco Traverso $60












Merrell Guru $100

Entertainment room

Plan to drywall the double doors and convert this to a entertainment room
Bought the Parasound CSS-260A for the front L/R and the Pioneer Elite TZ-MC09 for center.
Back surround with Klipsch CS-650-W and Infinity MS1 II for the surround L/R.
All this will be driven by a Denon AVR-687.

The current playroom will also equipped with in-ceiling Klipsh Synergy KHC6 pair.

Denon DVM-725 will play MP3/WMA9 five disk platter.

Thanksgiving Bathroom

Tiled the bathroom last xgiving

Sofa I like

Can I convert my current sofa to this?

Gotta get these below $80

Shrubs again

Xylosma congestum

Most commonly a hedge (12-15ft) ; can be trained to a tree (20ft). Usually evergreen, may drop leaves in cold but will revive in spring. Simple, shiny bright green, serrate margin, oval, pointed at tip leaves. New growth is bronze or reddish. Flowers are not ornamental, in leaf axils, off white, bloom in early spring, while fruits are pellet-sized black berries in mid fall. Stems are gray and gnarled, attractive form when trained as tree. Origin came from Japan.

Pittosporum tobira
Common names: Japanese Pittosporum, Mock Orange

Evergreen shrub or small tree to 15 feet high, depending on variety; thick, dark green leaves, up to 4 inches long (10 cm); glossy leathery leaves, 1 to 5 inches long (2.5-12.5 cm), up to 1 inch wide (2.5 cm) with recurving edges and lighter dull undersides. Drought resistant, does better with regular water, salt tolerant.
Frost hardy evergreen and heat resistant, tolerates full sun to half shade. The Pittosporum is a moderate to fast grower if given adequate nutrients and water. Feed in spring with complete fertilizer. Check for aphids. Blooms in March with cluster of fragrant creamy green flowers, 0.5 inch in diameter (12 mm). The flowers are not very noticeable, but they have a delightful orange-blossom fragrance.

Shrubs

Photinia
Red tip (P. x fraseri)
Japanese photinia (P. glabra)
Chinese photinia (P. serrulata) aka P. serratifolia

The red tip (P. x fraseri) is a hybrid. It resembles a supersized version of one of its parents, the Japanese photinia (P. glabra) which is smaller in stature and leaf size. Japanese photinia blooms later in the season and forms red berries that ripen to black while red tip only occassionally produces a few red berries. The other parent is Chinese photinia (P. serrulata) which grows taller and has more leathery leaves that are bronze when young. Water when dry for best look and healthy plants. Needs well drained soils. Somewhat drought tolerant once established.Cuttings of medium-ripe wood.


(P. glabra) is an evergreen shrub, 10 to 20 feet tall (3-6 m), 4 feet spread (1.2 m); alternate, elliptic, dentate, leathery, glossy green leaves, 2 to 3.6 inches long (5-9 cm); reddish young leaves


(P. serrulata) can reach 12 to 25 feet, and widths of 12 to 20 feet. Drought tolerant; can be grown as a small tree; most disease resistant photinia; fruit attracts birds.

Camelia Cuts

Denerley's Tips For 100% Success With Camellia Cuttings

The First Dip

Cut 150 mm long cuttings in the cool of the day and immediately put them into a 3 litre ice cream container. This should be filled with water to which has been added some plant hormone, such as Yates Kelpak Seaweed Extract (containing the naturally occurring root hormones, cytokinins and auxins). Leave the ice cream container somewhere cool until you're ready to pot up the cuttings.

Remove Leaves - Take each cutting, shake off the excess water, and remove all the leaves except the two top ones. If these are very large, cut them in half. The theory is that, by reducing the size of the leaves, you'll cut down on water loss from the cutting.

Scarring - Scrape the bark at the bottom of the cutting using a sharp pair of secateurs. Take a narrow strip down either side of the bottom centimetre to the base. The new roots will form on the sides of this scarred area.

The Second Dip

Dip the end of the cutting into some Clonex Purple Rooting Hormone gel. "I've found the gel is better than the old cutting powders," Denerley says, "Because it sticks better to the base of the cutting." Clonex also has additives that will help prevent diseases from developing.

The Pot

The next step is to put the cuttings into the potting mix. Denerley makes his own but, if you prefer to buy something ready prepared, it's comforting to know that Yates Seed Raising Mix has been formulated specifically for striking cuttings, just as much as for growing seeds. Yates Seed Raising Mix contains microfine Nutricote controlled-release fertiliser (one of Denerley's favourites), which will supply the young plants with all the nutrients they need.

Inserting the Cuttings

You can use a pencil to make holes in the top of the mix. Denerley keeps a small wooden butcher's stake just for this purpose, but a pencil would do just as good a job. Put the prepared base of a cutting into each hole and firm the mix around it.

Rooting Time

Dunk the whole pot in water, lift it out and let it drain. Denerley then leaves his pot (uncovered) on some concrete in the shade and waters it twice a day.

Checking

Check for root formation after about six weeks. Denerley does this by giving one of the cuttings a gentle exploratory tug. If it feels firm, he knows that the roots are developing well.

Once they're showing plenty of good new growth, he pots each baby camellia into its own pot, where it can continue growing until it's ready to plant out. Another sprinkling with Nutricote at this stage will supply nutrients for this important period.

Bonsai Specimens

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Green Globe'
Common names: lawson false cypress, port orford's cypress

It is a large evergreen coniferous tree, regularly reaching 50-70 m (200 ft) tall, with feathery foliage in flat sprays, usually somewhat glaucous blue-green in colour. The leaves are scale-like, 3-5 mm long, with narrow white markings on the underside, and produced on somewhat flattened shoots.



Wisteria sinensis
Common name: Chinese wisteria

Wisteria can also be grown as a single trunk standard or a tree-form. To accomplish this, the plant must be staked in an upright position. When it has reached four to five feet in height its top is cut off. Side shoots are allowed to develop on the upper part, but are continually removed from the lower stem. Side shoots are pruned each winter to six inches to a foot in length until the top is as large as desired. Future pruning consists of cutting summer shoots to the sixth or seventh leaf as soon as it expands and of cutting off secondary shoots that develop just beyond the first or second leaf. In winter, these secondary shoots are cut back to within an inch of their base.

Others to consider:
Burgundy Japanese maple
Japanese black pine
Azalea - When planting azaleas, use selections that won't outgrow the space.
Satsuki Hybrids such as 'Gumpo' grow only about 3 feet tall,

Hakone Grass

Hakonechloa macra
Common names: Japanese forest grass, Hakone grass

Mounding grass with an arching form that reaches 1-1 1/2 feet high. The variegated selections with yellow leaves are most common. 'Aureola' is the most common, and said to have among the brightest foliage. You can also find plants named 'Albo-aurea' and 'Albo-striata.' Uses: Great in shady locations and woodland gardens. Provide moist, well-drained soils. Propagation: Division.

Ground Cover

Veronica prostrata
Common names: Prostrate Speedwell, Harebell Speedwell 'Trehane'

Herbaceous evergreen reaching about 12" high and 18" spread. Full sun and well-drained soils are their only demands; otherwise they are relatively easy to grow. 'Nestor' is a fast-growing, mat-forming Veronica with light blue flowers.


Chamaemelum nobile Treneague
Common names: Chamomile nobile

Treneague never flowers and is very sweet smelling. The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soil. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.
Height: 10cm, Spread: 45cm


Thymus citriodorus
Common names: lemon flavor thyme

Evergreen woody perennial subshrub, up to 6 to 8 inches tall (15-20 cm), 12 to 18 inches in spread (30-40 cm); lemon-scented foliage, a number of cultivars with variegated foliage
Plant in full sun to light shade; providing little to moderate water, drought tolerant, prefers good drainage. Propagate by seeds.


Thymus praecox Ruby Glow
Common names: thyme ruby glow

The tightly-packed foliage, just 4 inches high, is so fragrant that the lightest touch sends a pleasant wave of spicy Thyme scent wafting through the garden. Very resistant to drought, cold winters, poor soils, and shallow soil, this quick grower spreads up to 2 feet wide in no time, and returns for many years of glory. You just can't beat it for low-growing, dependable color and fragrance. Space plants about 10 inches apart for a solid carpet of color. Ruby Glow accommodates just about any conditions except wet, poorly-drained soil.


Pratia pedunculata aka Laurentia fluviatilis
Common names: blue star creeper, swamp isotome

Laurentia has become one of our favorite groundcovers, both for the woodland garden and in between stepping stones. This adorable little plant makes a 1" tall mat of round, green leaves and equally tiny, light blue flowers in spring. In a slightly moist site, which it prefers, expect a 12-18" spread by the end of the first season. Sun to light shade.


Herniaria glabra
Common names: smooth rupturewort, green carpet

This lovely bright green creeper spreads effortlessly in all directions filling up to two feet per plant. A fairly flat plant of about two inches, it has one long tap root (as opposed to many surface roots like a Creeping Thyme) which helps with water conservation. It likes full sun but it can take partial shade.



Selaginella kraussiana
Common names: trailing spike

Has a limitless spread. It's tiny, bright green leaves, overlap along jointed stems.
Perennial, creeping rhizomes, forming dense mats of green foliage 3 to 6 inches thick (7-15 cm), 12 to 24 inches in spread (30-60 cm). Abundant water and humidity in summer, keep a little drier in winter, well-drained, organically rich soil.


Penstemon caespitosus Nutt. ex Gray
Common names: Mat penstemon

Spreading mat-like mounds of small, narrow, dark green leaves abound with purple tubular flowers in early summer. Native to dry open areas of the western central Rocky Mountains.
Grows best in full sun.



Penstemon procumbens ‘Claude Barr’
Common names: Claude Barr’s mat penstemon

1” x 15” wide, (cutting propagated). A vigorous, ground hugging selection of the mountain dwelling Colorado native P. procumbens, with rounded, glossy, dark green foliage and small, deep blue, trumpet-shaped flowers. Excellent as a rock garden ground cover. True to its mountain origins, this plant is not recommended for the hot, dry southwestern.


Vinca minor Dwarf Periwinkle

Rapid growing evergreen growing 4-6" high. Requires shade to partial shade forming a non-climbing dense mat. A lilac-blue funnel-shaped flowers in spring. When planting ensure to use a spacing of 8" ­ 12" between plants, leaving enough space for it to spread. Planting should be done in the spring, especially for areas with a bad winter season. Pruning is done normally by thinning out, in order to increase vigor. It requires moderate watering, normally twice per month and performs well in semi ­ shaded areas. Fertilizing isn't required frequently but a light application of any complete fertilizer can be added;


Myoporum parvifolium
Common name: Creeping Boobialla

It develops into a dense, weed suppressing ground cover. Individual plants will cover an area in excess of one square metre. The species comes in a range of leaf shapes and colours. Creeping Boobialla is one of the easiest natives to strike from cuttings.

Japanese Maples Wish List

Cal Maples has a lot of interesting japanese maples to buy.


Green Filigree Lace - Sunny

A rare and hard to find green dissectum with a soft pendulous form. New leaves emerge a light creamy green. Light emerald green in summer and a beautiful golden yellow in fall. Grows to 10 to 12 feet. Does very well in full sun and partial shade.






Waterfall - Green Lace Sunny

A mounding dissectum to an average of 5 feet tall. The foliage is a beautiful tone of green. Fall color is a yellowy-goldish color. Plant does exceptionally well in sun and shade. Branches on this cultivar grow in a cascading form.


Linearlobum - Green

This rarely seen cultivar has larger, much more open habit leaf than most straplike trees. Leaves are shorter and about 1/2 inch wide leaves. Produces beautiful red samaras in spring against its brilliant short straplike greenish leaves gives it a real contrast in any garden or container garden. In the fall, expect array colors of yellow and gold hues.


Orangeola - Red Lace

A beautiful cascading dissectum with spectacular orange and red leaves emerging in spring. Leaves turning reddish green through summer and in its mid summer growth leaves emerging orangish again. It is a vigorous grower. Mature height is 7 to 9 feet.






Shin Deshojo - Bright Red

One of the brightest fire-engine red colored leaves in the spring. In summer colors are a reddish-green with tiny markings of light cream or white. In fall, expect a beautiful array of reds and oranges. Reaches 10 feet high.






Beni Tsukasa - Red-Orange

This tree produces small leaves, which emerge a brillant red-orange and/or peach tones. Leaves change to shades of red and pink with greenish undertones. Sometimes leaves have a yellowish green veins running through the reddish-pink colors. Colors darken for summer with some minute varigations of diny light color dots. It can be used for container gardening or planted in the garden.

Bamboo Wish List

Here's the list of bamboo that I'm going to order :

Thamnocalamus tessellatus

Maximum height 15 feet
Diameter: 1 inch
Hardiness 5º F
USDA Zone recommended 8 through 10

One of best clumping bamboos for a sunny location. It is also more upright than our other hardy clumping bamboos. This bamboo is from South Africa, where it is called Bergbamboes, or mountain bamboo; it is the only African bamboo hardy enough to grow in the Pacific Northwest. It is an unusual bamboo, having very thick culms in relation to its height. As you can see from the pictures, it forms a tight clump, unlike the open clump reported in some publications.



Pleioblastus fortunei

Common Name: Dwarf Whitestripe
Height: maximum 4 feet, usually 2 feet
Hardiness: 10° F
USDA zone 7b through 10

Growing to an average height of 2.5 feet, this plant has bold white-on-green variegated leaves. Sometimes growing taller, it can be kept short by mowing or clipping back the foliage to ground level in the spring before the plant sends up new shoots. It grows best in shade but can tolerate up to 6 hours of direct sun (in Portland, Oregon). Formerly called Pleioblastus variegatus, and one of our most desired groundcover bamboos.



Pleioblastus viridistriatus

Common Name: Dwarf Greenstripe
Height: 2 to 4 feet
Hardiness 0° F
USDA zone 7 through 10

Leaves that are chartreuse with green stripes make this one of the most beautiful bamboos in spring and early summer. Partially deciduous, even in mild winters, it is best mowed to the ground each spring to maintain its attractiveness. Although listed as hardy to 0° F, this bamboo is perennial even in Minnesota. The bottom of the leaves are covered with fine hairs, making this bamboo very resistant to the bamboo mite.




Pleioblastus pygmaeus

Common name: Pygmy bamboo
Height: 2 feet
Hardiness: 0° F
Recommended for USDA zone 6b through 10

This little bamboo is very similar to Pleioblastus distichus, but its leaves do not display the fern-like leaf grouping. Pygmy bamboo is one of the smallest bamboos, and its leaves are also very small. It is one of the best of the dwarf bamboos for use as a bonsai. This variety has minute hairs, noticeable only upon very close inspection, on the leaf sheaths and also on the leaves. Both this bamboo and Pleioblastus distichus are commonly used in Japanese gardens, often clipped to a height of only a few inches.




Pleioblastus kongosanensis 'Aureostriatus'

Expected Height: 3 to 4 feet
Diameter: 0.4 inches
Hardiness: 0° F
USDA zone 6b through 10

The leaves are dark green with occasional gold striping, The undersides of the leaves are covered with fuzzy hairs, making it extremely resistant to bamboo mites. This bamboo is mostly deciduous in cold climates.



Bambusa multiplex 'Riviereorum'

Common Name: Chinese Goddess
Maximum Height 12 feet
Container Height: 6 feet
Hardiness: 12º F
Recommended for USDA zone 9a - 10

'Riviereorum' is a striking bamboo with very small leaves on slender culms. This bamboo makes a wonderful container plant. This, like other forms of Bambusa multiplex, are among the best bamboos for the interior. In cooler climates this bamboo often grows only 6 or 7 feet tall. It is also distinguished from other forms of multiplex by its solid stems.


Pseudosasa owatarii

Maximum Height: 2 feet
Diameter: 0.3 inches
Hardiness: 0° F
USDA zone 7 through 10

This bamboo is probably the smallest hardy bamboo, and is native to Yakushima, a small island in Japan. Its leaves are similar but more slender than Pleioblastus distichus. Ours has grown only about 12 inches tall.


Pricing from bamboogarden.com is as follows:

Bambusa multiplex 'Riviereorum' "Chinese Goddess" $20.00
Thamnocalamus tessellatus "Bergbamboes" $25.00
Pseudosasa owatarii $20.00
Pleioblastus variegatus "Dwarf Whitestripe" $10.00
Pleioblastus viridistriatus "Dwarf Greenstripe" $10.00
Pleioblastus pygmaeus "Pygmy Bamboo" $8.00
Pleioblastus kongosanensis 'Aureostriatus' (discounted) $8.00
Chimonobambusa macrophylla 'Intermedia' $10.00

Plus $28.50 for the shipping for 10 1Gal size.