Historic Iris Shah Jehan

Shah Jehan 1932

Described as tall and late.  That is accurate.  Nice fragrance.  Good for back row of heritage iris bed.  Has not flopped over but looks like it could.

Kitchen Garden.

Broccoli

Broccoli in container

 A few minor notes on kitchen garden.

The broccoli is ready.  I didn't know when to harvest.  One of the heads started to open its flowers.  So I waited too long.  Harvested the rest.  Left a few side shoots in case they decide to produce.

German chamomile is blooming like crazy.  The honeybees are not so enthusiastic about this plant.  They are much more interested in Ceanothis.  Blackberries within 10 feet of the beehive are starting to bloom, and honeybees are starting to show interest in the blackberry blossoms.

Okra seedlings are on their cotyledons.  Not bad.  I was surprised they sprouted so soon in  the rainy cool week.

Tomato plants are growing nicely.  No pic uploaded.

Also not pictured, we ate barley soup, with added fresh rosemary, parsley, and oregano, all from the heritage iris / herb bed.  Then today I had eggs with chives, and sliced chives onto left over barley soup.  All very good, great flavor.

We had the first fresh strawberries.  Most were not so good.  Woody.  I don't know why.  I don't think it's the variety.  I've had good strawberries from these plants before.  Maybe it was the deer/rabbit defoliation.  They have mostly recovered from that. A couple of fresh strawberries were perfect.

We had a few more snow peas.  The few plants don't bear enough to cook.  Ate them raw.  Next year try starting them in containers.  To get more plants.

German Chamomile

Okra seedlings

Iris Raised Bed, heritage Irises

Heritage iris and culinary herb raised bed

 Heritage iris and culinary herb raised bed.  Now I wish I thought of this before.  They go together very will

Caprice.  The photograph color is not the same as the flower.  In person is is more of a rosy red, not so blue.  Nice sweet fragrance.  In the literature this is described as a grape fragrance.  That is not far off from reality.
Quaker Lady.  Also a nice sweet fragrance, floral.

Pallida dalmatica.  Also, sweet grape - like fragrance.  Sweeter than grapes.

Sold as Honorabile but Historic Iris Preservation Society states most likely Sans Souci.  No fragrance, which I knew when I ordered this variety.  I liked the appearance, and in person it is better than I anticipated.  Ideal little iris for this bed.  I don't know what I should call it, but leaning towards Sans Souci, since that is probably the right name.

Flavescens.  Also unscented, and also ideal for this bed.

Helen Collingwood.  I think I already posted that so will hold off doing so again.  Also nice floral fragrance.

Iris/herb bed #2 is also coming along nicely.  Both got a dusting of crushed eggshells this weekend for calcium.

Caprice 1898

Quaker lady 1909

Pallida dalmatica 1597

Honorabile 1840 (Sans souci? 1854)

Flavescens

Walk around the yard.

Poppies

Some of the poppy seeds I planted last fall have grown into plants and are starting to bloom.  Most are Shirley poppies.  They are randomly planted around the yard, mostly in tree circles and by fence posts.  Nice sight.

The Rose of Sharon I moved last fall and for much of the winter and spring thought I had killed, is growing nicely now.  I anticipate flowers this summer.  Charlie agrees.

Sambucus nigra "Black Lace" is a pretty large shrub or small tree.  It's an Elderberry.  This shrub counts as ornamental as well as belonging in the orchard.

One ginkgo seed has sprouted.  Of the couple dozen I planted last fall.  Did an animal eat the others? Or slow.  Or dead.

The neighbor's Ceanothus (California lilac) is in full bloom and humming with bees.  Bumblebees, tiny pollinating bees, and honeybees.  I was impressed.  So I went to Tsugawa nursery mainly in hopes of finding a Ceanothus.  Which I did, and planted reasonably near the beehive.

Rose of Sharon

Sambucus nigra Black Lace

Ginkgo biloba seedling

Ceanothus and honeybees

Happiness

Happiness is the only good.
The place to be happy is here.
The time to be happy is now.
The way to be happy is to make others so.

(pic:  honeybee on avocado flowers, via commons.wikimedia.org)