Alstroemeria. 6.2.3021

 These are looking nice.  They seem to be a dwarf type.  I read that Alstroemeria can be invasive in warm climates.   These are in containers so probably ok there.

Germinating Home Saved Bean Seeds. 5.30.2012

 These are seeds from a bean cultivar that I've been saving for two decades.  Some times I miss a year and have to use an older batch.  I saved this batch in 2019.  These are a pole beN, making very large, meaty wide green beans.  Apparently they are traditional in Northeast China, Jilin Province.  I'm soaking them for a day before planting.  That seems to encourage germination.  I hope they grow.

Squash Update. 5.30.2021

 Most of the squashes are looking pretty good.  There are some leaf irregularities on some.  I wonder if that is slug damage, so put out slug bait.  The plants in one of the Galeux d'Eysines  hills seem to have yellowish, pale leaves.  I don't know why.  Too much rain last week?  The others look OK.

Top to bottom, Galeux, Pink Banana, Red Kuri, Fordham Zucchini. 

Garlic Scapes. 5.30.2021

 Most of the garlic is producing scapes now.  These are the "flower" heads.  I put "flower" in quotes because they don't actually bloom.  Instead, they make clusters of tiny bulbs instead of an actual flower.  I think these rob the bulb of some nutrition, and the cloves will be smaller as a result.  So I cut the scapes almost as soon as they appear.

These are actually quite tasty, stir fried.  I think they would also be good in a soup.  They need thorough cooking for best tenderness, then they are a bit like a bean in texture but with mild garlic flavor.

Drunkards Path Blocks For Quilted Pillow Shams. 5.30.2021

 I decided to use up most of the rest of the shirt scraps, making quilt blocks quilted  pillow shams.   The colors will match the brick pattern quilt, but the look will be different.

So I practiced sewing drunkards path blocks.  I think these are a misnomer when used as circles.  Quarter Moon blocks might be a better name.  But what do I know.

These are handy.  They use up all sorts of small and odd pieces.  This completely uses up some of the shirts.  I added another shade of blue that is not in the  brick pattern quilt, because I wanted the flexibility of another pattern and shade.

These get sewn together so that the quarter moon pie slice is sewn to the piece that holds it, making a square again. Then the squares are sewn together however you like. The hard part isxsewing the curve - it's actually three dimensional that flattens to two dimensionsl, and needs stretching exactly right for the curves tomma to match. I can't say I'm good at it, but I'm learning. Here are four completed squares, which when sewn together will be a circle in a square:

This is something like how I'll arrange them. I'm still moving them around a little:

Some Irises, 5.28.2021

 These are Bumble Delite, Gay Parasol,  Edith Woolford, top to bottom.  I'm very happy with how well they did with the mulch.

Itoh Peony 5.28.2021

 These are amazing.  They are like the peony version of dinner plate dahlias.  The variety is Bartzella.  Third year - I think much more vigorous than "regular" peonies.

Dwarf Tomato Update. 5.28.2021

 Here are some of the dwarf tomato plants.  So far -

(1) The leaves are much thicker than regular tomato plant leaves.

(2) I think the ones I planted in containers are healthier looking than the ones I planted in the ground.

(3)  There are quite a few flowers on terminal buds.

(4) BrandyFred looks like a mutant plastic version of a to a tomato plant.  It's so sturdy, green, thick leaves.  Really an interesting and different tomato plant.

(5) CC McGee, which is in the ground, doesn't look too healthy. 

BrandyFred

Alpatieva 905A

left front Dwarf CC McGee, right front Dwarf Johnson Cherry

Left Dwarf Improved Champion, Right Extreme Bush

More Extreme Bush, with Mr. Rufus

Grafting Update. 5.27.2021

 I'm happy with the grafts so far.  All are growing.  A couple of the black cherries seem a bit slow, but the third of those is growing faster too.

These are third tiers for espaliers.  The most vigorous is Gala grafted onto Honeycrisp, then Rubinette grafted onto Zestar.  The red leaf apple is Otterson, grafted onto Calypso.  Otterson bloomed at every bud. I cut off the flowers.  Now it has a growth shoot, so it looks like it will grow OK too.

Mock Orange Blooming. 5.27.2021

 This mock orange is about 6 years old.  When smaller, deer browsed the tasty young shoots. It's much bigger now and they seem to leave it alone.

Very pretty flowers.  Almost like white roses.