Bearded Irises Starting to Bloom. 4 May 25.

 Some of the bearded irises have started to bloom.

I had been frustrated about weeds - especially thistles - and worse, disease.  Last summer, I dug up the old iris flower bed, removed and cleaned up the rhizomes, and replanted them in a raised area surrounding a tree stump.  Contrary to recommendations and advice, I mulched with arborist chips.  I've been able to keep ahead of any weeds.

The result is, the plants look healthy and strong.  Slugs are still a challenge.  I use slug bait.  I didn't expect much if any bloom this year, so soon after planting.  However, there are about thirty flower stalks.

The first to bloom is a hybrid I created many years ago.  I had pollinated Immortality with pollen from Spiced Custard.  The result was a white-flowered bearded iris with golden beards.   I named it "Golden Caterpillar on Pilgrimage on Snowy Mountain, Seeking Enlightenment.  Or Golden Caterpillar for short.  

In a separate area, Sunny Disposition is blooming.  This area still needs some cleanup.

Iris germanica florentina has been blooming for a couple of weeks.  It is located inside the kitchen garden.  I thought this clump was Immortality, but I was wrong.

Iris dalmatica is also starting to bloom.  It's in the kitchen garden border.  This area also needs some cleanup.

Tomatoes Planted And Settled In. 4 May 25

 The tomato plants have been in the ground for a couple of weeks.  I think this is the earliest ever.

The cardboard keeps the ground more moist, prevent weeds, and prevents splashing fungal and bacterial disease spores onto tomato leaves.  I have wire cages in place for taller growing varieties.  All of the drip irrigation emitters are in place and working.  This year, I used in-line rater than individual emitters, 0.5 gal every 6 inches.  That way I don't have to take them apart at end of season, less plastic waste.  I don't know if they will keep the soil more uniformly moist, but I think so.

After the photo, I laid steel fence posts on the cardboard to prevent wind from scattering them.

After season's end, I compost the cardboard.

Container Dvid Austin Roses. 13 Apr 25.

 The container David Austin roses are growing very nicely.

They get most of the morning sun in this location and quite a bit of afternoon sun.  The ones that I repotted, I had given some organic vegetable fertilizer in the mix.  That may be gone now.  Today I gave some diluted Tomato fertilizer, which is pretty balanced.   

They look quite healthy.  If I remember correctly, they were blooming by mid May last year.  With such warm weather, and most are established, so maybe  little earlier this year?

This and That in the Kitchen Garden. 13 Apr 25.

 Lots going on in the kitchen garden.

This raised bed has bib lettuce, snow leas, daikon and turnips (almost too small to see) and radishes (ditto).  So far the main challenge, birds eating the plants, hasn't happened this go-around.  Maybe due to pre-starting them?  And the lettuce and snow peas are store bought plants.

We got the first crop of Chinese Chives for jiaozi dumplings.

I planted broccoli plants (not shown).

Today I gave the garlic plants some nitrogen fertilizer.

Also the onion plants.  Growing really nice.

Alpine strawberry plants have started to bloom.  I still have one container to separate / thin.

The Gravenstein apple is blooming.  Also Tasty Red columnar apple has started blooming.  I haven't seen any bees yet.

Dividing and Repotting Alpine Strawberry Plants. 31 Mar 25.

 These are the Alpine strawberries that I grew from seeds last year.  They bear tiny berries, very intense flavor, very sweet.  I think they are too crowded.

I started dividing them.  A lot remaining to divide.  I planted three in this large container that already contains some lilies.

This is good for accessible gardening.  I can sit on garden stool, to tend them at a comfortable height.

Forsythias in Bloom. 31 Mar 25.

 These are the forsythias that I grew from cuttings a few years ago.

Deer don't eat them.  I never water them during our months-long dry summers.  After blooming, I'll cut back to about three or four feet tall.

Repotting Tomato Seedlings. 31 March 2025.

 I repotted the taller tomato seedlings.  These are the Roma VF II, that I grew from self-saved seeds.  Heirloom, grow true from saved seeds.  Bush type, determinate growth pattern.   Meaty, good flavor for salsa and tomato sauce,

They were a bit leggy, because I didn't get them from the warming mat to the LEDs immediately.  So I planted them about and inch deeper.  They will grow roots from the sides of the stems, and planting deeper is standard for tomatoes.  They perked up again in a couple of hours.

I re-use the plastic pots.  These have been used about a dozen times so far.  I wash thoroughly to remove all soil, then run through dishwasher to sterilize them.  

I also re-potted the SuperSweet-100 Cherry tomatoes.  They are taller, hybrid, and more vigorous, indeterminate.  Mostly I'm growing dwarf varieties, but these are my favorite cherry tomatoes.

Tomato Seeds Planted. 15 March 2025.

 Today I planted these tomato seeds.  Except one variety (Supersweet 100) they are mostly fairly old, from my seed stash.  Most are dwarf or compact.  I hope they all germinate.  Some are seeds I've saved.

After trying many varieties of cherry tomatoes, I continue to have the most success with Supersweet-100, and like its flavor the best.  By far.  It's too vigorous, but I will grow it anyway.

A Batik Quilt. 15 March 2025.

I made this as a gift for a friend.  I asked for her to choose the block style that she liked, and select the color choices from  my pile of batiks.

Two More David Austin Roses. 15 March 2025

 I added Munstead Wood and Desdemona because they are described as among the most fragrant.  This is a week after I received them and planted in containers.  I kept them on the North side of a shed until this week, so the already existing buds would not sunburn.

I also pruned and replanted Vanessa Bell and Silas Marner into moveable containers, so I can situate them better and take better care of them.

Resuming Blog. Quilt completed Jan 2025.

 I haven't been able to post during the past couple of months.  I'd like to continue the garden diary.  We'll-see how it goes.

The spam bot comments have bern overwhelming,  Even though I appreciate comments, it's too much to moderate this form of automated pollution.  So, I have turned off the comments.

Image is a quilt I completed in January.  The fabrics were scraps that I didn't care for.  I think it tirned out OK anyway.

Moving Lavender, Sage, and Rosemary Cuttings Outside. 30 Dec 24.

These are the lavender plants I started from cuttings last summer, plus one that was broken off from a 24 year old plant during cleaning up, plus one bought this fall at Winco (Godwin Creek Grey), and a French lavender that I potted to compare survival with one kept outside all winter.  

I decided to start keeping them outside, as long as the weather stays above freezing.  They are probably OK with that too, but being in containers might be less hardy.  They are drying out too fast in the sunroom, so being outside in cool and rain might also be better.

Spanish Lavender.  Also culinary sage cuttings that I took last summer.  They are doing great too.

Godwin Creek Grey, and the rescued TLC start.

The French Lavender.  Also, the Hesperaloe that I'm overwintering to plant in Spring.

The Rosemary starts.  I also rooted these cuttings last summer.

Up-Potting Pelargonium (Geranium) Seedlings. 30 Dec 24.

 I up-potted the Pelargonium seedlings.  These are the series Maverick, colors Scarlet, Coral, and White.

They were starting to look crowded, and the tops a bit weak, so I gave each a new pot.

Before.

The roots weren't all that crowded.  Not root bound.  There were 2 to 3 seedlings per cell.

I potted them into 3" round or 2" square - but- deeper, containers.

Considering how fast they've grown, I could have waited another month or two to start them.  Still, that just gives them a better head start.

Repotting Lavender Seedlings. 27 Dec 24.

 I repotted the lavender seedlings.  Now each is in its own 2x2 cell in eight-packs.  Sine they grow slowly,  I think that might be enough until spring.  It's possible they'll need to be up-potted once before it's time to plant in the border.

I think that since mature lavender can handle frost and freeze, these young plants will be able to handle early Spring weather by March.  They'll be bigger than now, but not too much to care for.   

I'm glad I decided to grow them from seeds.  That gave choices I haven't seen in the stores.  The expense of buying this many plants would also have been too much.  They germinated quickly and easily without need for stratification.  Maybe that's a sign of good quality seeds?  (Swallowtail gardens, on-line).  

These varieties were described as first-year blooming, compact-growing varieties.  Bandera purple, Bandera Deep Rose, Blue Spear, and in the first group, Blue Vicenza which I think will be somewhat larger.  I think the first two are Spanish type lavender, and the second two are English type.

Major Repair To Raised Bed. 24 Dec 24.

 This raised bed has been very helpful.  It's at a good height that I can work the soil and p,ants much more easily.  Also keeping weeds controlled and managing the irrigation.

Unfortunately underground animals undermined the side, and it was in danger of falling.

My initial thought was to make it narrower too, but that would have involved moving too much heavy soil.  So I decided to, just repair it.

That involved moving all of the blocks on that side, as well as the corners. Then I leveled and tamped the soil under the blocks.  When moles dig tunnels under the cinder blocks, they push the soil up into the blocks, leaving a hollow underneath resulting in leaning.  So I added a (recycled) hard foam underlayment to prevent them from moving the soil into the blocks.  I wanted to add posts or rebar inside the blocks, but didn't have any on hand.  I might, later.

Then I re-laid the cinder blocks.  That actually took a few efforts to make them straight and even, and match the corner blocks.   I had to dis-assemble part of both ends, down to soil level, to make it work.

Then I rebuilt the side.

I'm pretty happy with this result.  I haven't re-filled the soil there.  I will leave some open for trench composting through the winter.

The capstones are easily removed if I can find some posts or rebar for better stability.

Lavender Seedlings. 19 Dec 24.

 I repotted the first batch of lavender seedlings.  These are Vicenza Blue and Bandera Deep Rose.

I used a good quality, regular potting mix (Black Magic, I think).  I continue to keep them under LEDs.

These are slower than the Pelargoniums, but not at all difficult.  They just need some patience.

Geranium (Pelargonium) Seedling Update. 19 Dec 24.

 Spring is a LONG way away.  These didn't need to be started so soon.  But they are fun.

These are the Maverick varieties, Red, Coral, White.

They may need repotting soon.  I think they will start to bloom in early Spring.

Winter Care For Container David Austin Roses. 19 Dec 24.

I pruned back the container David Austin roses.  Removed old rose leaves and mulch.  Re-mulched with chestnut leaves.

Now I think they are ready for winter.  I have them in a sheltered location, out direct sun (north side of shed, on concrete base) to avoid freeze/thaw cycles and prevent warming sun from causing coming out of dormancy too soon, which can cause frost injury.

I  the Spring, I may prune back further,