Shah Jehan 1932 |
Tuesday, June 04, 2013
Historic Iris Shah Jehan
Labels:
heritage iris,
historic iris,
Shah Jehan
Sunday, June 02, 2013
Kitchen Garden.
Broccoli |
Broccoli in container |
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 |
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 |
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 |
Labels:
Black Lace,
Ceanothus,
Elderberry,
ginkgo,
poppy,
rose of sharon,
Sambucus nigra,
Transplanting
Thursday, May 30, 2013
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.
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)
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Iris Raised Bed
Raised bed for heritage irises and herbs. A couple of irises are currently blooming. Several more are in bud. The later ones are from the Spring planted irises from Old House Gardens.
My goal last fall, until now, was for the irises to establish in this location. They look good. So now, some minor maintenance, nurturing, and puttering from time to time, and hope for a more lavish display next year. I feel fortunate that some of the Spring planted irises did indeed bloom, or will, so I get a taste of things to come.
The little blu-ish iris is Her Majesty. It's not as blue in person, but bluer than the catalog color. Effect of soil pH? Climate?
New raised bed for heritage irises. Built this past weekend, filled, and moved several irises from places where they had bee stuck due to no good places elsewhere. The variegated iris is Iris pallida variegata alba. The other blooming iris is an unnamed Iris I bought from a source in Tennessee last summer. Slight fragrance.
I also planted herbs from other locations. Chives, oregano. Areas the will have irises later, I planted with swiss chard and carrots. I planted the edges with sweet alyssum seeds.
Helen Collingwood. I've been wondering if i would like this one. I do. It's handsome and has a mild sweet fragrance. It has not fallen over in the rain, and the rain has not damaged the flowers, which gives it an advantage over a lot of the fluffy modern varieties.
Night Hawk. Also a mild sweet fragrance. Not a heritage variety, but I liked it. This iris did fall over in the rain. So I staked it for support. The color on my computer looks true to the flower.
Bumblebees have been exploring these flowers. I didn't see any honeybees in them.
My goal last fall, until now, was for the irises to establish in this location. They look good. So now, some minor maintenance, nurturing, and puttering from time to time, and hope for a more lavish display next year. I feel fortunate that some of the Spring planted irises did indeed bloom, or will, so I get a taste of things to come.
The little blu-ish iris is Her Majesty. It's not as blue in person, but bluer than the catalog color. Effect of soil pH? Climate?
New raised bed for heritage irises. Built this past weekend, filled, and moved several irises from places where they had bee stuck due to no good places elsewhere. The variegated iris is Iris pallida variegata alba. The other blooming iris is an unnamed Iris I bought from a source in Tennessee last summer. Slight fragrance.
I also planted herbs from other locations. Chives, oregano. Areas the will have irises later, I planted with swiss chard and carrots. I planted the edges with sweet alyssum seeds.
Helen Collingwood |
Night Hawk |
Night Hawk. Also a mild sweet fragrance. Not a heritage variety, but I liked it. This iris did fall over in the rain. So I staked it for support. The color on my computer looks true to the flower.
Bumblebees have been exploring these flowers. I didn't see any honeybees in them.
Labels:
bearded iris,
Helen Collingwood,
heritage iris,
iris,
Night Hawk
Planting Seeds.
Spring Seed Planting |
Alyssum and Bonanza Mix Marigolds in the tomato bed. They sprouted during the rains of the last week. Also planted alyssum seeds in the border of the new iris raised bed.
Clemson Spineless Okra - Also in the tomato bed. Clemson Spineless was introduced by Clemson University in 1939, 50-64 days. That's in an ideal hot climate - possibly 2 or 3 months here if it bears at all. After one week of rain, I also saw sprouts. I read that they require soaking and heat. So I started some today after soaking with 2 changes of water, for several hours. I also read Okra doesn't respond well to transplanting. The seeds I planted today I planted in newspaper-lined containers to reduce transplant shock.
Swiss Chard - in empty squares of the iris bed I set up last weekend. It will be mid to late summer before I add the irises in those spaces. I don't want to leave it with bare soil. Space is at a premium.
Petite Yellow Watermelon ( 65-80 days) and Blacktail Mountain Watermelon (65-75 days) - Haven't tried watermelons here. Starting in containers, today. Then into raised bed. Cleared some space in the raised bed, from winter vegetables. Some of those didn't do well, others have been harvested - radishes, greens.
Minnesota Midget Canteloupe (60-75 days). Haven't tried these either. These are a small melon, 4 inches, and the vines are 3 feet long. May plant them in containers, not sure yet. Also starting in containers, today.
Japanese Soyu Burpless Cucumber (65 days). Starting in containers today. Will find a place for them.
Asparagus Pea (60-75 days). Starting in containers. Will need to fine a place for them too.
Parisian Carrot (55 days) and Red Cored Chantenay Carrot. (70 Days). Also in the new iris bed, for the same reason.
Also some cleome seeds for Ning's meadow.
Also the last of the sweet potatoes. One week ago, I discovered what looked like near dead sweet potato starts in the mailbox. They were there for the weekend. I cleaned them up and planted the best looking ones in a half barrel. These sweet potatoes were described as an early variety, good for the North. The remaining set I placed in a glass of water, with daily water changes. They also look better, grew new roots, so I planted them today.
Labels:
asparagus pea,
canteloupe,
carrot,
cleome,
cucumber,
okra,
seeds,
sweet potato,
watermelon
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Tomato Bed
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