Baigou is not the smartest dog around. Not Rin Tin Tin. Not Lassie. Not Benjy. Not Big Yeller. He has his qualities. I found him here, today, watching the washing machine. He can do that for cycle after cycle.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Easily Entertained
Baigou is not the smartest dog around. Not Rin Tin Tin. Not Lassie. Not Benjy. Not Big Yeller. He has his qualities. I found him here, today, watching the washing machine. He can do that for cycle after cycle.
Buds: Phenological photos.
Phenology - keeping track of natural progression of plant growth and other events, in an effort to know when to plan agricultural activities. See other entries by clicking on labels. Here are some events in my yard currently, especially flower buds, leaves unfolding, and growth beginning for various plants.
Pear flower bud, almost open.
Lilac flower bud. This is the first to show little purple 'grapes' within the bud.
The smallest daffodils are blooming.
The first violets are blooming.
Backyard tree peony.
Peach blossoms, only a few open but already they look so beautiful.
Chinese chives, about 6 inches tall. I hear them saying, quietly, "make me into dumplings".
Rhubarb leaves continuing to open. This is "Victoria".
Japanese Pieris. Full bloom
Pear flower bud, almost open.
Lilac flower bud. This is the first to show little purple 'grapes' within the bud.
The smallest daffodils are blooming.
The first violets are blooming.
Backyard tree peony.
Peach blossoms, only a few open but already they look so beautiful.
Chinese chives, about 6 inches tall. I hear them saying, quietly, "make me into dumplings".
Rhubarb leaves continuing to open. This is "Victoria".
Japanese Pieris. Full bloomSaturday, March 21, 2009
Spring Garden Chores
Today (Saturday), I...
Weeded the rose bed. This bed now has almost as many fruit trees, brambles, and plants, as roses, but still contains about 10 rose bushes. I had moved one rose bush to accomodate the new Surefire cherry, and today moved a second one a little further from that new tree. I also moved a David Austin rose from the front yard, and a peony as well. It looks like I butchered the thick peony roots, even though I thought I was digging a wide distance from the stems. We'll see if it grows. It's interesting how few roots the roses seem to have - surprising that they survive moving. I pruned the tops further back to balance the reduced root mass.
Mulched the rose bed with bark mulch. It's now basically ready for Spring and Summer. I did not add compust to most of it this year, because the roses were too rampant last year and I don't want to overstimulate the fruits and roses. I did give some chicken manure to the roses that I moved.
Sprayed most of the fruit trees and roses with Neem oil. Not the peaches - the flowers are opening.
Moved one Orchard Mason Bee house to the front yard, since there are many fruit trees there as well.
Turned over the soil in the tomato patch.
Pruned the remaining rose bushes.
Stood around and stared at the results of my labors.
Grafted 3 fig scions onto the petite negri tree. Just to see if I can. According to most references, it can't be done. I hope they are wrong.
This time I used rubber bands to tie, and used plastic tape to cover and protect. The plastic tape was made by slicing a ziplock sandwich bag. Also used petroleum jelly as an antidessicant, as I did with the apple grafts. It's not just stubbornness - I really would like to see if they grow.
Added some petroleum jelly to the apple grafts - forgot to do that earlier, purpose is to serve as antidessicant.
Also mulched around this red-bark Japanese maple, that I moved to this location a few days ago. It was a seedling in the rose bed, among many others. I had never got around to pulling it up, and now will see how it does as a specimen tree.
Weeded the rose bed. This bed now has almost as many fruit trees, brambles, and plants, as roses, but still contains about 10 rose bushes. I had moved one rose bush to accomodate the new Surefire cherry, and today moved a second one a little further from that new tree. I also moved a David Austin rose from the front yard, and a peony as well. It looks like I butchered the thick peony roots, even though I thought I was digging a wide distance from the stems. We'll see if it grows. It's interesting how few roots the roses seem to have - surprising that they survive moving. I pruned the tops further back to balance the reduced root mass.
Mulched the rose bed with bark mulch. It's now basically ready for Spring and Summer. I did not add compust to most of it this year, because the roses were too rampant last year and I don't want to overstimulate the fruits and roses. I did give some chicken manure to the roses that I moved.Sprayed most of the fruit trees and roses with Neem oil. Not the peaches - the flowers are opening.
Moved one Orchard Mason Bee house to the front yard, since there are many fruit trees there as well.
Turned over the soil in the tomato patch.Pruned the remaining rose bushes.
Stood around and stared at the results of my labors.
Grafted 3 fig scions onto the petite negri tree. Just to see if I can. According to most references, it can't be done. I hope they are wrong.
This time I used rubber bands to tie, and used plastic tape to cover and protect. The plastic tape was made by slicing a ziplock sandwich bag. Also used petroleum jelly as an antidessicant, as I did with the apple grafts. It's not just stubbornness - I really would like to see if they grow.Added some petroleum jelly to the apple grafts - forgot to do that earlier, purpose is to serve as antidessicant.
Also mulched around this red-bark Japanese maple, that I moved to this location a few days ago. It was a seedling in the rose bed, among many others. I had never got around to pulling it up, and now will see how it does as a specimen tree.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Harbingers of Spring. Two New Fruit Trees. Phenology.
The small narcissus are always first. I think that some were lost last year - I remember more. Still, great to see them blooming.
The Aprium is one of the first trees to bloom in my yard - right there with the peaches. I think this stage is called "First Pink"
And here are the early peach buds. The bags at least didnt kill the tree. Now to see what happens with our nemesis, leaf curl.
The first of the 2 newest additions, "Surefire" sour cherry. Arrived Tuesday, kept in a cool place overnight, and planted when I came home from work Wednesday (last night). This might have been the only rain-free window of time for a week, so it worked out perfectly.
The other of the 2 newest additions, the multigraft asian pair. I STILL don't know which of the 4 potential varieties are represented on the 3 grafts. The label states "Varieties from bottom to top: Shinseiki, Yonashi, Hamese, Mishirasu". I studied the grafts and decided that one bud did not take, second from bottom, which would be Yonashi. That would leave the 2 smaller, yellow, sweet varieties, one for early aug and one for late Aug, and the large russeted Mishirasu, a September bearing variety. Any combination would be fine. Probably 3 years to know for sure.
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