Paw Paw Trees

Here are the 2 containerized Paw Paw trees I bought yesterday at Portland Nursery. When I walked past them I thought No! Impossible! They are the named varieties, Sunflower and NC-1. Based on my readings, the roots are delicate. The trees are best planted while in growth, not dormant. It is best to shade them for the first 1 to 2 years.   I'll have to identify a spot, clear it, enrich it with compost, and plant them. Not sue if I'll do that now or just keep them in the containers and plant next Spring.

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.

Allium gigantium

Decided to dig these up. The cluster was nice, but I would like to have them spread around the garden some more. Allium gigantium makes a brief, very colorful show. Then the leaves die down and that's all for the year. This bunch consisted of one bulb, planted about 5 years ago. Now there are multiple. It's a very rich corner of the garden, lots of compost over the years. No surprise they've done well.

I will let these dry out until it's time to plant fall bulbs. They will be in the basement, cool and dry, stored same as onions. I'm impressed with the size, and number of bulbs. Also some little new starts, for future big bulbs.

Trigridia

First one I've ever bloomed. Nice.

Making Hybrid Iris, Iris update

An update on the seed pods.  They continue to swell.  Now the color is becoming more pale, starting to brown.  I take that as a sign if imminent maturity.

I walk past this every day. I water it occasionally so that it won't dry out. The original rhizomes are growing a bit as well.  The pine cones are an impromptu mulch additive.  I collect them when walking the dogs and throw them around on the mulch.  They add interest, and eventually break down like the rest of the bark chips.  They dont seem to cause a problem to the irises.

The edging rings are working well for keeping weeds out. I still go in and groom the soil a bit.  I pull weeds as soon as they are visible.  Irises that I have not dug up and transferred to the new little beds are more weedy.  This is easier to maintain.  Since I've watered these to get them established, they are growing more leaves.  I may stop watering them next month, so they can harden off for winter.  Some of these are miniatures that I rescued from a bed so covered with grass the plants were not visible, and most died off.  I'm glad they are growing again.

These rings are slightly raised above the surrounding area, to improve drainage.  They dry out quickly, which is what I want this winter.