Fig Buds. 3.31.22

 Fig growth buds are swelling (green tips) and so are the buds that, if conditions are favorable, will become figs.  Yummy!  Plus, maybe this year if there are enough of them, I'll try canning a batch.

Forsythia Blossoms. 3.31.22

Here is the forsythia bush that I grew from a cutting about fifteen years ago, then transplanted about nine years ago.  It's been pruned back pretty heavily a few times.

Last year, I took about ten cuttings from this bush to start a privacy hedge.  It's nice, they bloom even when only one year old.

These one is from that batch of cuttings.

I have two jars of new cuttings in water for another batch, about ten more potential plants.  No roots yet but it's quite early for that.

The challenge is, should I water and fertilize the young shrubs this year?  Then they will grow faster, but it's (a) more work and (b) growth on the watered, fertilized plants is more lush and tender, so deer eat them.  So then they need protective fencing, too.  Still, I might do that anyway.  Without fertilizing, they grew about one foot to eighteen inches the first year.  I'd like to get them at least five feet tall un two or three years.  Growth also seems to be faster on well-established shrubs.

Asian Pear Blossoms. 3.31.22

 Asian pears are blooming.  I did a major pruning last fall so I can reach the fruits to thin them and apply protective bags for coddling moth etc this year, but deer cant reach them.  I see lots of jars of canned fruit ahead this summer :-) but not too many to manage.

 

 

Peach and Plum Blossoms. 3.31.22

 Nanaimo Peach.

Garden Gold Peach.

Hollywood Plum

Methley Plum

Might be a productive season :-)

Rufus In The Grass. 3.31.22

 Rufus loves the grass.