Showing posts with label Battleground. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Battleground. Show all posts

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Progress Report: The New 2 Acres

With 100 degree F days, and no rain for a few weeks, it's not a great time for planting and digging. Still, there were a few things to do. I've hauled 3 truckloads of compost. I dug some into the borders and used some as a mulch on the borders and the fruit trees. Two columnar apples are planted. They were on sale, in containers. Red Sentinel and Golden Sentinel. I have Northstar at home and like it. If they don't survive, that's OK, but I've mixed compost into the soil for water retention, mulched with compost, and have given water each day. So far no wilting. Also planted 2 small fig starts and 2 larger containerized fig trees, again with addition of compost, mulching, and watering. No wilting so far, but one had some leaf sunburn. It's sunnier than the yard at home. Ning contracted a fence builder. The fence will provide a structure for layout and planning. In addition, while it can't keep all of the varmints out, it at least makes them go to more effort. Noting significant deer damage on the few anemic fruit trees currently there - 2 near-dead small apple trees, one may be apricot, and one European plum. I've sprayed deer repellent, placed special contributions from the dogs as supposedly fearsome "predator spoor", and of course there's that new fence. I've also given then a bit of water. The ?apricot? seems to be putting out some new growth, and so far, no new denuding of branches by Bambi. I've also rejuvenated a front border, removing weeds, digging in compost, and plated iris rhizomes from there, and from home, and a few new ones. Iris are reported as deer-resistant, and will be a good water conserving choice when established. Ditto for the lavender, rosemary, oregano, and thyme that I planted. Rosemary smells so good. Once established these will need little or no water. Rounding it out, I've also planted some Monarda/Bee balm, which is deer resistant and attracts bees and hummingbirds, and Yarrow, ditto. Off to a start. If the heat wave goes on for more than a month, it will be hard to keep going with the new starts, but most of the chosen plants are quite tough. The figs and apples were in containers, so needed watering whether I planted them or not. The perennials and herbs were also very cheap, 60% off, being on closeout because of the late season and who in their right mind is gardening now?

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Room to expand

This weekend we bought 2 acres in Battleground Washington, close to Vancouver. It will give us room to spread out. Currently it's all in a "before" state. Lots of room to plant and grow. Doubtless in need of a lot of compost too.
View from the driveway and side street, looking Southeast. I don't see that there's been an attempt at gardening, beyond a few shrubs and trees.  The blooming tree is a red buckeye.
It's mostly grass. Lots of room to start a small orchard and garden plots.
These photos were from late May. It's not as green now. This is the view looking North, from the main street.
This camera ket changing the color settings. The grass is not really fluorescent.  Looking up at the house.  The blackberries on the right aren't hurting anything, and if we get to them will provide some juicy berries next month.
Looking down from the house. Lots of room for gardening, as noted earlier.
Here is that neglected iris. From the shape, it appears to be an old variety. Newer ones are more ruffled. I plan to move it, divide, and also bring many more to a dedicated iris bed or two. Or 3, or more.  Something where I can control weeds and let the irises really shine.