Well on their way to becoming the best dumplings in the world. These are the first Chinese chives from the Battleground raised beds. They grew stout, fast, early, and have a strong aroma.
Sunday, April 07, 2013
First batch of Chinese Chives for 2013
Well on their way to becoming the best dumplings in the world. These are the first Chinese chives from the Battleground raised beds. They grew stout, fast, early, and have a strong aroma.
Ning planting 2 apricot trees
Neighbor had 2 seedling apricot trees they've been growing for a number of years. They wanted to give them away, so here we are! Nice neighbors! There is some risk - first, I've never been able to get an apricot tree to survive here. Second, seed-grown, no idea what the apricots will be like. Finally, they might need a pollinator. Still for #2, my neighbor has had these outside for maybe 6 years, in containers. I suspect they will be OK. Maybe there is a rootstock issue with the trees that have died? These are seed grown, so on their own roots. As for pollinator, since these are seed-grown, each should be genetically a little different from the other, so they should be compatible. As for the unknowns, we have room for them, and there isn't much risk, so here they are.
This little orchard now has the 2 apricot trees, 2 pear trees, and an American linden (nectar source). Also planned are the 2 dwarf apples I bench-grafted at the Home Orchard Society grafting class, starting to grow. I'll keep then in containers for a little longer before planting in ground.
Friday, April 05, 2013
Home Orchard in Bloom
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Euro plum. This tree came with the place. Deer ate virtually all of the leaves. A few new branches grew but it was shot for the summer. That it survived at all is a surprise. The new branch will supply some plums this year. The older branch, which was denuded, I will be happy if it just grows. Looks like it will. We will see if the fencing keeps out the deer.
Vandalay Cherry. This was planted bare root last month. I don't expect any cherries at all this year. The blossom suggest a few could happen. Just a taste.
Satsuma plum. Caged for protection from deer. In bloom. This was purchased last summer from Home Depot. Nice to see it blooming. Plums the first year after planting - nice. If they happen.
I can't get the text to align with photos, since the program updated. Maybe I will figure it out. If not, these will have to do.
Heritage Irises, continued
The bearded iris order did arrive, as I was typing the previous post.The rhizomes were smaller than previous orders from other sources.
My thinking is these are mostly, or all, diploid. Most modern irises are tetraploid and would have larger rhizomes. In addition, West Coast irises are expected to be larger due to growing season. I think. These were from Michigan, and the shorter season may lead to smaller rhizomes.
The important thing for me is they grow and bloom.
Ning planted them for me. A very simple task to plant these small rhizomes. Digging in the raised bed, there was a sizable population of earthworms. They would start coming out of the ground a foot away from each hole. Add some well aged compost mulch around each. Ready to settle in.
According to Old House Gardens, these should bloom this year. Considering the size and need to settle in, if these do bloom this year, that suggests the others,, which are already much bigger, should do the same. I would like that.
Those rhizomes traveled a long way.
Not much I can do at the moment. Brief puttering and thinking about stuff.
Quite some time back I ordered some heritage iris rhizomes.
By heritage, I indicate varieties that are genetic clones, through generations, from the mid 20th century, to the 19th century, and in some cases the 16th century. Propagated in endless succession by gardeners, and sometimes by nurseries, and sometimes by neglect, for generations and centuries. I ordered these rhizomes back in August of last year. Ordering so far ahead is a leap of faith - a lot can happen in 8 months, and has.
The raised bed is set up for them, and already has other irises, already well amended with a mixture of leaf compost and local soil (about 3 parts soil to 1 part compost), plus wood ashes, plus near the surface level, more kitchen compost and a generous dusting of ground eggshell for calcium. The irises already in the bed are growing vigorously, with stout green leaves, longer each time I look.
The rhizomes are shipping here,, should arrive today. It's interesting to me - and probably only to me - to look at the shipping record online. These rhizomes, having traveled through decades and centuries, and some at least across one ocean, and back and forth across a continent, are traveling again. More when they arrive.
from Renaissance herbals.
from http://irapl.altervista.org/nit/viewpics.php?title=Iris+florentina
(from the linked website: Iris florentina
Picture modified from Gilg, Ernst; Schumann, Karl - Das Pflanzenreich Hausschatz des Wissens (1900) - Permission granted to use under GFDL by Kurt Stueber. Source: www.biolib.de - Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this image under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled GNU Free Documentation License.
More to follow.
By heritage, I indicate varieties that are genetic clones, through generations, from the mid 20th century, to the 19th century, and in some cases the 16th century. Propagated in endless succession by gardeners, and sometimes by nurseries, and sometimes by neglect, for generations and centuries. I ordered these rhizomes back in August of last year. Ordering so far ahead is a leap of faith - a lot can happen in 8 months, and has.
The raised bed is set up for them, and already has other irises, already well amended with a mixture of leaf compost and local soil (about 3 parts soil to 1 part compost), plus wood ashes, plus near the surface level, more kitchen compost and a generous dusting of ground eggshell for calcium. The irises already in the bed are growing vigorously, with stout green leaves, longer each time I look.
The rhizomes are shipping here,, should arrive today. It's interesting to me - and probably only to me - to look at the shipping record online. These rhizomes, having traveled through decades and centuries, and some at least across one ocean, and back and forth across a continent, are traveling again. More when they arrive.
from Renaissance herbals.
from http://irapl.altervista.org/nit/viewpics.php?title=Iris+florentina
(from the linked website: Iris florentina
Picture modified from Gilg, Ernst; Schumann, Karl - Das Pflanzenreich Hausschatz des Wissens (1900) - Permission granted to use under GFDL by Kurt Stueber. Source: www.biolib.de - Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this image under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled GNU Free Documentation License.
More to follow.
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