Citrus. Zone Inappropriate. Not letting that stop me.

Meyer Lemon

Kumquat

I rescued the Meyer Lemon from my own neglect last year.  I had let it frost the winter before, which killed most of it.  Then last winter I let it dryout, to the point of crispy leaves, a few times.  It's recovered nicely.  Blooming.  One lemon is set, maybe more to come.  I should take better care of it.  They are delicious.  The blossoms smell very sweet.  I can smell them 10 feet away.

There have not been fruit on this Kumquat. After repotting I found the label - Nagami Kumquot.   Repotted, giving some blueberry mineral based fertilizer, same as the other citrus.  Maybe this year it will put on some good growth for flowers and fruit next year.  I bought the kumquat last year at Home Depot.  If I remember correctly, it did have fruit at the time.

The remaining citrus bush came from seeds Ning planted 15 years ago in another plant, in Chicago.  We brought it with us to Vancouver.  I don't remember what it is.  Probably lemon or grapefruit.  It had the same neglect as the Meyer lemon, dropped leaves after they were crispified.  I repotted it, giving some TLC.  It is recovering nicely.  I don't expect it to bloom or bear fruit, but I keep thinking that would be interesting.

These trees get more sunlight at the Battleground place.  So maybe they will do better.  I think the wooden containers will do a better job of insulating the roots, compared to plastic containers.

Seedling Grown Citrus

Home Orchard

Vancouver Brunswick fig before moving 12/12

Vancouver Brunswick fig 6/13

Illinois Everbearing Mulberry

Update on this "Vancouver Brunswick" fig tree that I moved last December.  I thought I might have killed it with the pruning and digging and moving.  Then when it did start to grow, the new growth was killed by frost.

Now it's making a good comeback.  At the Battleground site, this tree has more coarse, darker green, stiffer leaves.  I take that as due to brighter sun and differences in climate.  Maybe the cooler nights, or a difference in fertility.

This tree may not have figs this year.  I don't mind, and prefer that it use it's photosynthetic energy to establish more extensive roots for next year.

From this and the other tree-moving results, I think I can say, now, I know how to transplant trees to a new location.

The Illinois Everbearing mulberry is almost ready for a first crop at Battleground.  Many of the mulberries are changing from green to greenish-red.  Again, as for the fig tree, the leaves are darker and more coarse.  I take that as a good sign. The loss of growth from late frost proved to be minimal.  The tree appears well adapted and established in the new site.  Compared to last year in the Vancouver back yard, there are many times more mulberries.   I forgot to bring bird netting this weekend.  Might regret that.  Would like a taste.

The NC-1 pawpaw is still at it's beginning.  I expect this year the pawpaws will be establishing their roots, more than growing tops.  The other pawpaws are even smaller.  Last year's concern was, did I  kill them by planting here in the Summer.  Pawpaws are reported as needing shade in their first year.  They survived, and are growing, so I'm happy with that.

NC-1 Pawpaw

Mystery Fruit Tree

Sal's Fig

Apple Golden Sentinel

The "mystery fruit tree" was here when we bought the Battleground place.  Initially, I thought apricot.  Then Asian plum.  Now I'm thinking apricot again.  Last year it was defoliated by deer.  I sprayed with repellent, mulched, provided compost.  This year it's almost doubled in size.  Maybe next year it will bloom, and maybe bear fruit, so I will know what it is.

Like the other fruits, the Sal's fig tree has recovered nicely from the last frost leaf-kill.  There are some incipient figs.  Maybe I'll get to eat some this fall.

The Golden Sentinel apple sports one apple.  The tree is only knee high.  I should remove the apple, but I want a taste this fall.  This tree may need to move this fall.  Or not.

Apiary Garden

honeybee on daisy

Buddleia Miss Ruby 1st flower

This weekend I planted two more Ceonathus thyrsiflorus "Victoria" starts.  No pic.  They were in 2-qt containers, in the picked-over and about-to-be-discarded section at Fred Meyer.  $7 each.  With pruning of dead branches, they look a little better.  Planted in the "nursery" bed near the beehive.  Expect they will need to be moved in a year or two when they are bigger.

Daisies and dandelions are blooming.   Blackberries look like they are about finished.  I don't know where the bees are foraging now.  Not a lot of bees on the Ceonathus or blackberries, this weekend.

This is the first flower on Buddleia X "Miss Ruby".  Missed photographing a hummingbird visiting this flower.  No bees on the Buddleia, either.

About one month ago I received the second beehive I bought via Beethinking.com.   Put it together, and the top didn't quite fit.  Today I took it apart, trimmed the endpieces, and put it back together.  The top fits now.  Next week, I might paint it.  No hurry.  I probably won't add the honeybees until next April.

Daisies and Dandelions

Honeybees

 Later...

I take back what I said about honeybees not foraging the blackberries.  This afternoon I looked and there are many bees on the blackberry flowers.

The hive is less than 10 feet from the brambles.  Good location, I think.

Beehive

Kitchen Garden. Strawberries and Snowpeas. Planting zucchinis and squash.

Strawberries and Snowpeas

Getting more strawberries and snowpeas.  The individual harvests are small but good enough for two.  We have had several harvests of both, for 2 weeks.

Also a broccoli spear.  I wondered if it was worthwhile to grow my own broccoli.  It is.  More tender and flavorful than grocery store broccoli.

Zucchini seedlings

I planted zucchini seedlings, yellow and green varieties.  Also a butternut squash.  These are seeds I started about 2 weeks ago.  Covered with chicken wire.  Loose.  They grow fast.  I'll have to come up with better protection in a week or two.

I didn't have the ambition to build another raised bed.   So they are in the native soil, plus some steer manure compost.   I have been collecting molehill soil from around the yard.  There should be enough for one or two raised beds, in a couple of months.

Apiary garden. Shrubs for pollen and nectar.

Sterile buddleia hybrid "Miss Molly"

 I decided not to add more shrubs.  Then I needed something for my mood.  These are chosen as potential sources of nectar and pollen for honeybees and native pollinators.

The sterile buddleia hybrids are noninvasive and are available in nurseries in Portland OR and in Vancouver WA.  They replace the now illegal-Buddleia davidii varieties, which are invasive and rangy.

"Miss Molly" was bought in bloom.  I had it on my deck for a week.  The current flowers are about spent, so I planted it.  This, and the others, should bloom most of the summer and fall.  If we can believe the nursery ads.

"Miss Ruby" is the pollen parent of "Miss Molly".  Both are complex hybrids of multiple species of buddleia.  This plant was not in bud yet when I planted it last month, and is just beginning to bloom.

"Peach Cobbler" and "Blueberry Cobbler" are also sterile complex hybrids.  These plants look the same.  They were hold-overs from last year at the nursery.  I bought and planted them midwinter.  They have more than doubled in size.   Vigorous.  No flower buds yet.

Ceanothus thyrsiflorus "Victoria".  Not many honeybees on this.  The Ceanothus on the neighboring property was filled with honeybee activity, but now there aren't many.  More bumblebees and native bees.

Weigela florida "Lemon Ice"  A pale yellow weigela.  Impulse buy.  That, along with the ceanothus and Feijoa, were the result of my feeling ill.   Better now.  Fortunately there was room for all of these in the apiary yard and orchard.

Sterile buddleia hybrid "Miss Ruby"

Sterile bulldeia  hybrid "Peach Cobbler"

Ceanothus

Weigela "Lemon Ice"