Spring Flowers. Blue season. 3.15.14

Chionodoxa self seeded colony

Anemone blanda

Chionodoxa  3.15.14

Volunteer violets.  3.15.14

Early spring also has blue flowers.

I'm  happy with the Anemone blanda.  Even though the package illustration was of multiple colors, and mine are all  blue.  They are tiny.  So far rabbits and deer have not eaten them, unlike Anemone de Coen.   They survived the hard freeze.   This experiment turned out nice so far.

I don't know the blue bulb with tiny plant and tiny flowers, spreading at the Vancouver place.  It stared as just a few.  I wouldn't call them invasive, just exuberant.  Addendum:  These are Chionodoxa.  from google search, I think Chionodoxa luciliae.

Some people think violets are invasive but here, these wild violets are well behaved.  They spread slowly.  Once in a while one pops up in a new place, or in the lawn.  When I see them, I move them into a flower bed or around trees.  They spread slowly.  Their mat of roots or rhizomes is tight enough that not much grows among them.

Spring Flowers. Yellow Season. 3.15.14

Jetfire Daffodil.  3.15.14

Forsythia.  3.15.14

 This is the season of yellow flowers.  Especially, daffodils and forsythia.

The Jetfire  clump started as, I think, 3 bulbs about 12 years ago.  This year they are asking to be divided and replanted.  Always one of the first to bloom.

The forsythia is settled in now.  It is about 16 months ? from moving the large bush to the Battleground place.  Variety unknown.  I grew from cutting.  Might fill in and give more color as it establishes.  I happy with this result.

Front beds at the Battleground place.  Almost done cleaning them up.  A few square feet at a time.  Happy with how it's turning out.   Shows that bulbs can be moved in late winter and give flowers that Spring, if careful to move them as a generous clump with as much undisturbed soil as possible.

Front beds.  Almost cleaned up.  3.15.14

Scallion harvest. 3.15.14

Egyptian Walking Onions 3.15.14

We had a few, earlier this week.  The first of the Egyptian Walking Onion scallions are ready to eat.

I say this repeatedly.  I enjoy getting food from the garden before a regular garden is plantable.  Raised bed + fall planting + winter onions / Egyptian Walking Onions means something to eat today.

Front Flower Beds. Cleanup. 3.9.14

Front Border 1

Front Border 2

I've made incremental progress cleaning up the front border.  This is a couple square feet at a time.

About 1/2 of the bulbs are moved from the Vancouver place, mostly in the past couple of weeks.

As I go along, I add compost mulch to prevent weed seed germination.

There are some large patches of weeds but it's getting there.  Should be nice when the flowers open.

I moved violets here from home, for ground cover.  Some people consider violets invasive.  Here, they occasionally self-sow new plants but have been in the Vancouver yard for 15 years and have barely increased their area.   Dividing them and replanting, they might fill in somewhat and reduce weed growth.

Sedum sarmentosum might be good here, if underlying weeds don't take over again.

I have left patches for summer flowers.  This is where I want to plant the Mirabilis jalapa.

Most of the plants here are deer and rabbit resistant.  I also want to add some herbs for color and for kitchen use.  There is lavender, rosemary, and garlic chive now for color and bee forage.

There is more to do.  I'm not / can't be in a hurry.

Fruit Tree Grafting. Progress Report. 3.9.14

Asian pear graft.  Hamese.  Whip and Tongue.

Asian pear graft.  Mishirasu.  Whip and Tongue.

 Some of the new grafts have swelling buds.  Probably flower buds.

I don't think it's beneficial to let them fruit the first year.  Wood may not be strong enough for the weight of the fruit.  Bearing would decrease stem growth.  I think it's OK to allow blooming, which might also help pollinate the established branches and 1-year-old grafts.

It looks like a couple of the 1-year-old grafts might also bloom.  I might let those bear fruit so I see what they are.  Forgot to label them last year.

The Hosui stock had buds in various states of development.  I want the grafted varieties to pollinize the Hosui, and vice versa, for better yield.  Or for yield at all.

Hosui bud.  This is the stock.  The framework I am adding more varieties to.

1 year old Asian pear cleft graft.