No photos today. Doesn't look like much.
I mowed the little
orchard, until rain started. I used the grass catcher, and collected grass clippings to mulch around the Buddleias and some of the fruit trees. I try not to use too thick a layer. Maybe 2 inches thick. I extended the mulched areas a little. It will break down quickly in the rainy weather. It's a start.
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| Antique botanical sketch of mint. |
I wanted to remove the rest of the culinary herbs from the bearded iris beds. It was a nice idea. If there was more room, I think it would be a great idea. But with the small space, the herbs encroach too much on the bearded irises. The herbs did not go to waste. I moved them to the mulch rings around the fruit trees. There the herb flowers will benefit pollinating nectar collecting bees. And I can use them in the kitchen as needed. I cut some tall
mint. It will be in the garage drying. If it dries well, I can use it for mint tea (tisane).
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| Antique botanical sketch of Thyme |
Among the herbs I moved, traditional
thyme,
French thyme,
Lemon thyme; a short variety of
Catmint - short but still encroaching on the bearded irises - and
violets. Most of these should provide bee forage. I'm not sure about the violets.
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| Antique botanical sketch of violets |
Violets are not considered a culinary herb, although some people candy the flowers. I'm trying them because they are compact, make a mat that is difficult for weeds to penetrate, might be difficult for moles, too. The roots are shallow, so I think not competing with the fruit trees. They too were competing with bearded irises. Not much, but shading the rhizomes. So I moved them too.
I also planted in-ground, a 2-gallon size
Lavatera. I've gave it TLC all summer. I have to plan for decreased energy, meaning fewer plants that need extra care. With my illness, fatigue is a growing challenge. It will have the rest of fall, winter and spring to establish roots before leaves and new branches grow.
I also did some minor shaping
pruning for several
fruit trees. For the most part, that meant cutting the tips from branches, so they will branch out lower and more compact. Peaches, Plums, Tart Cherries, Apricot seedling.
Not much left for winterizing the orchard. Much less work than last year. I have a plum tree to move from Vancouver. A jujube will need to move to the bee garden, to make room. Late winter, add one peach and one jujube. Get some compost to mulch the trees that I haven't so far. That's about it.
Charlotte peach. There is some leaf curl. Not too bad. I hope this year the 3 peach trees adapt and grow. Last year they didn't have much chance. Oregon curl free has barely grown. But does seem to be curl free. Indian blood peach had such a drastic root loss with transplanting, I'm surprised it's alive. It has a little leaf curl, not much.
Little columnar apples. Blooming like crazy Less than 2 feet tall.
Gage plum. One branch had flowers. Last year it was nearly destroyed by deer. Surprised it survived. I also have 2 seedling trees from fruit from this tree.
Graft on asian pear. WIll it take? Too early to say.
Mulberry. Moved it here from Vancouver last summer. Mulberries are reported as late to leaf out. Starting too. Glad it survived.
The little orchard. Although there are other fruit trees and vines on the property. I hope they settle in and grow nicely this year.
Asian pear. Blooming nicely. Last year it had one pear. I planted a pollinating variety about 10 feet away, but few flowers and earlier. Hard to say what will happen as far as getting any asian pears. Next year or in 2 years the grafts should also bloom, if they take. That might help.
