Bearded Iris Raised Beds

Bearded Iris Bed #1

 This week I added a layer of leaf compost to the bearded iris raised beds.  I covered the soil surface, except on and adjacent to the rhizomes.  I want to keep the rhizomes exposed.

This is the last thing needed for them this winter, other than minor puttering to remove dead leaves.  They look pretty sad with the dying leaves.  I think they are like that every year.

Bearded Iris Bed #2

Bearded Iris Bed #3

 The anemones that I planted last winter at the front of Bed #1 are growing now.  That surprised me.  I thought they might be dead.

There are a couple of plants to remove from Bed #1 but no hurry.  Those are a trailing rosemary, a couple of Laburnum cuttings, and some ginkgo seedlings.

Top L-R: Kissed by the Sun, California Blue, Immortality.  Bottom L-R:  American Classic, Red Dirt Road, Accent.

Iris germanica, with mushrooms.

New start of Owyhee Desert

 Bed # 2 is pretty much as I want it.

Bed # 3 has some reserved spaces for rhizomes from Old House Gardens, to arrive in April.  At the left are Egyptian Walking Onions.  I expected to pull those as scallions, but deer ate them.  The remainder have a chicken wire cover.

The established cluster od American Classic, Kissed by the Sun, Accent, Immortality, and Edith Wolford all survived their move from the Vancouver yard.  They should have good displays next year.

The Iris germanica clump, planted this spring as a new rhizome, has a mushroom companion.  I don't know if that is commensual or infecting.  It could be inoculum from the filler soil, or from the mycorrhizal inoculant.  The iris looks OK so I am leaving it alone.

Clump of Cherry Garden

New start of "Los Angeles"

Expanding clump of "Helen Collingwood"

New start of "Alcazar"

They new rhizomes, planted late summer, all look OK.  For reference, this is Owyhee Desert, which looks settled in and is making increase.

The Cherry Garden clumps also survived their moved from Vancouver and appear to have increased.  Last year's TLC got them growing rapidly.  They might look better in a different location.  I have 4 clusters of those.

Los Angeles did not appear to grow as fast as some of the others, but I think this rhizome, from "Historic Iris Preservation Society" is settled in.

Helen Collingwood grew one new rhizome last year.  This year it has increase of 3.  It is settled in and the rhizome looks robust.  It looks promising for bloom next Spring.

The last one, Alcazar, from Historic Iris Preservation Society this summer, looks settled in.  It has increase of 4 new buds to develop into rhizomes.  I'm curious about whether it will bloom next Spring. 

Not much else to do with the bearded irises now.  Hard to just watch them in dormancy, but that's the season.

Orchard ready for WInter

Home Orchard

The little orchard is ready for winter.  This week I added a layer of leaf compost on top of the mulch surrounding each tree.  Most of the trees are as pruned as the need to be.  For the most part, that's just removing a few terminal buds and small wayward branches to guide future growth.

I removed a fair amount of growth from the plum tree that came with the place.  Purpose, keep it compact, and keep the center open.  Last week I did the same for what I think is an apricot tree.

Most of the young fruit trees appear to have flower buds for next year.

Between now and Spring, I plan to remove the one jujube sapling, over to the bee garden.  Replace that with a 4-year-old plum currently growing in Vancouver.  There is a peach on order from Raintree, to plant in late winter. 

The last of the peppers.

Barrel-grown Thai Hot Peppers

Cayenne, Peter Pepper, Thai Chili Peppers, and a Golden Sweet Pepper

This is the last, or near last, of barrel-grown peppers.  Pretty good for November.

Planning for 2014 Garden

I've been looking in the online catalogs for next year.  I know it's early.

Main things I'm interested in so far -

Short season Okra.  This year I had a few on "Clemson Seedless" but nothing to write home about.  I want to try containerized and transplants.  Burpee has a dwarf hybrid, "Bubba". 

Bush Butternut Squash.  Also from Burpee.  It would be better, take less room in a raised bed.

Snowpeas - this time, I want to grow the actual Chinese type.  If not in an online catalog, I can probably buy local.

So far.  Peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, beans too.

Acccessible Gardening

I've been reading several books and articles about accessible gardening.  By accessible, I mean for the senior gardener, or someone with decreased energy, strength, coordination, stamina.  I need to consider the strength and stamina issues, especially.  Concepts I've taken to heart, some as I recall from reading, others from concepts of home orchard gardening and my thoughts.

Raised beds.  Easier in every way.  They don't need digging. Weeds don't invade nearly as fast.  Weeds are also easy to remove.  They don't need much cultivation.  For any needed chores, the higher level is easier to work.  Lining the bottom with hardware cloth might help with mole prevention.  Lining the inside with plastic might help them last longer.

Containers.  Similar to raised beds.  They can be moved to better locations when needed.  For overwintering, it's easier to move the container, than to dig up the plants.  They do need more attention for watering.  Wood is better than plastic.  Wood insulates, so less watering is needed.  Line wooden containers with plastic liners so they don't deteriorate as fast.  With holes in the bottom for drainage.

Pruning.  Prune fruit trees back for more compact size.  Keep branching lower.  It's not much effort to prune when the trees are small.  Lower more compact branching means fruit is easier to harvest, and later pruning will also be easier.  Other training is also helpful.  For example, I bend some tall growing branches to lower position, and tie to fencing or post, for more accessible flowers, fruit, and pruning.  After a year in the bent position, the tie can be removed.

Mulch.  The wider area mulched, the less mowing and weeding.  I saved paper food containers - pizza boxes, cereal boxes, cardboard - which I used as a bottom layer, then covered with either straw or grass clippings.  The grass clippings break down faster and provide nutrients in the winter for next Spring.  The straw lasts about one season.  Either is much less effort and cost than bark mulch.  More easily available.   When weeds come up through straw mulch, I can bend them over and bury with more straw.  Much easier than digging them up.  Mulch really does keep the ground softer, so weeds are easier to pull.

Seating.  I keep a place to sit and rest.  I have a bench in the raised bed area.  I need to add something in the little orchard, in the shade. 

Edging.  Keeps weeds away from trees or shrubs or borders.  I don't know if this is better than just mulching.

Tools.  I keep in mind which tools are easier to use.   Some for prying out weeds by the roots, are better than a hoe.  A garden fork is sometimes easier than a hoe or shovel.   String trimmer makes fast work of weeds at edges.  Electric is lighter than gas.  I exercise care not to damage shrub twigs or tree bark.  Hardware cloth, used to make sleeve to protect tree bark from animal chewing, can also protect from the string trimmer.  If the hardware cloth sleeve is very loose, it can be left on the trunk for several years.  By using zip ties to fasten the hardware cloth in a ring, it's easy to put together, and easy to cut and take apart when the time comes.

Geometry.  Still working on this.  Rectangular shapes for tree mulch and raised beds, is much easier than circles.  It's easier to mow a straight line, than a circle.  I may wind up extending the mulch areas so they connect the trees in rows, and I can mow the long rows without backing up to mow between trees within rows.  The vegetable raised beds are already in rank and file arrangement, easy to mow and work between them. 

Plant choices.  I need to avoid some high maintenance choices.  Invasive varieties need to be avoided.  I have a spearmint that should be removed completely - too rampant.   It's difficult to pull out.  Bad choice on my part.  It does smell very good.  I might keep some for tisanes.  It will need edging or limitation by mowing.  Other choice is plant size.  In some cases, buying a larger plant may mean less nurturing in the long run, compared to a larger plant.   Plants that need too much effort for deer / rabbit / vole protection, should not be planted.  Unless I have a good reason, like I love my figs and plums.