Today's harvest

 

 

 

Today's Harvest

I was happy with today's harvest.  A zucchini, a cucumber, a nice batch of tomatoes, pole beans, and the first two okra, ever.  Tomorrow:  Barley / tomato soup with home-grown okra, home grown garlic, and home grown onions.

Bees do have a smell, you know.....

 

“Bees do have a smell, 

you know, 

and if they don't they should, 

for their feet are dusted with spices from a million flowers.” 

-Ray Bradbury, "Dandelion Wine"

Image from commons.wikimedia.org

Today's Harvest

Not bad.  Yesterday there was a colander full of pole beans, plus a bowl of tomatoes.  Today, more of both, and a cucumber.  A little thyme on the side.

Sedum Autumn Joy with Honeybees

Italian Honeybees forage Sedum "Autumn Joy"

Italian Honeybees forage Sedum "Autumn Joy"

Italian Honeybees forage Sedum "Autumn Joy"

This is the clump of Sedum "Autumn Joy", I moved Tuesday.  It was wrinkly and grey from drought.  Light as a feather.  Watered every other day.  Now, Saturday, flowers are opening and the honeybees are foraging.

On this sedum, I see only honeybees.  Some of the other plants have bumblebees, small bees, or combination of all three.

Lessons learned:
1.  Sedum "Autumn Joy" is very drought tolerant.
2.  Even so, it's possible to make it wilt by not watering.
3.  The wilted sedum can be dug up and moved easily.
4.  With several good waterings, the plant will plump up and make a handsome "shrub" in a few days.
5.  Sedum "Autumn Joy" is very easy to transplant when dry.

Hollywood Plums

Ning harvested the plums

Hollywood Plums

Ning harvested the Hollywood plums.  Nice big bowl of plums.  Very sweet and full of flavor.  I love these plums.

Ginkgo biloba seedlings.

Ginkgo biloba seedling.

Ginkgo biloba seedling.

 These are Ginkgo biloba seedlings growing among the irises and herbs.  I planted the seeds last fall.

There are around 5 or 6 seedlings.  I'm guessing I planted a couple dozen seeds.  There was evidence some seeds were dug and eaten by birds or squirrels.

These received no special care after planting the seeds last fall.  Whatever the irises and herbs got, the ginkgo seedlings got.

They are small enough, they can stay put for a couple of years.  Then transplant to another bed or someplace more permanent.

Ginkgo biloba seedling.

Moving an established Sedum Autumn Joy

Sedum "Autumn Joy"

This is the 2nd Sedum "Autumn Joy" or similar cultivar, that I moved.  It must be 10 years old, up to 13.  Since I've been concentrating on the Battleground gardening, I have not been watering in Vancouver.  It was very dry, feather-light.  I wrapped it in a large dog blanket, drove it to Battleground, and planted in front of the house.  Soaked a couple of times.

The first sedum's leaves plumped up nicely.  I expect the same from this one.

The plant is barely starting to bloom.  Even so, honeybees almost immediately found it, and are collecting nectar.

Bearded Irises. Historic Iris Preservation Society rhizomes.

Irises from HIstoric Iris Preservation Society

Bearded Iris Bed #3, mostly modern varieties.

 This package, of Historic bearded iris varieties, is from the Historic Iris Preservation Society.  The rhizomes are grown by members, and sold to provide funds for the organization.  A package with several varieties, may be grown by various gardeners.  I requested specific varieties.  There was one substitution, and one bonus variety - Gay Geisha - which looks very nice on the website.

The varieties were:
Los Angeles 1927.
California Blue 1929.  From the HIPS site:  "From The Iris City Gardens catalog for 1940: "...vigorous...long blooming season... well branched and early. Rich bluish violet with a glowing beard. It is the most delightfully fragrant which we know. 4½ feet."
Gay Geisha 1959.
Frost and Flame  1956.
The substitution was Bourree, for Beverly Sills.  Bouree is described at "Nola's Iris Garden" as " 1984... 35½ inches... light lavender and the falls are white ground with ¼" petunia purple plicata band and speckles at hafts; lavender beard tipped bronze; ruffled; sweet fragrance."

Bearded Iris Bed #2, mostly historic varieties.

Irises among the peppers.  Bearded Iris Bed #3.

These came in the mail yesterday.  I planted them today.

I did rearrange one variety.  At the back of Bearded Iris Bed #1, was "Eleanor Roosevelt" - which is a small variety, and has been shaded by a Buddleia plant that grew way out of bounds.  The Buddleia will be moved this fall.  Meanwhile, I pulled the last of the Swiss Chard, and planted "Eleanor Roosevelt" in Bearded Iris Bed #2, at the front.

Meanwhile, the marigolds and sweet alyssum have both been overgrowing their places as narrow edging.  Very nice, but crowding the irises.  So I pruned the plants, and fed to the chickens.  They seem to like sweet alyssum plants, but were wary of the marigolds.  Oh well.  I was hoping the yellow petals would translate to darker yellow yolks.

Bearded Iris bed #3 was meant to be modern varieties.  I did not have room in beds #1 and #2, so a few historic varieties went into Bed #3.  I don't have to be rigid about what goes where.  At some future date, I can trade - remove a couple of modern varieties from #1 and #2, and replace them with the old

There are some chili pepper plants in Bed #3.  They will grow until frost, which is plenty of time for the new rhizomes to establish and start to grow.

Maple Seedling 9 Months Later

Maple seedling 8/15/13

 This is the maple seedling, I moved Oct 7, 2012 from the Vancouver yard to the Battleground place.

I expect next year it will start to branch out and form a canopy.  I'm amazed at how fast a small tree can grow, when grown from seed, on its own roots.

Maple Seedling 10/07/12

Maple Seedling 10/07/12

Random photos from today

Mostly fruits

 Wild blackberries, cherry tomatoes, strawberries, Black Prince tomato, Hungarian Wax pepper, and a Parisian Market round carrot.

Buddleia X Lilac Chip

Meyer Lemon

 Miniature buddleia hybrid "Lilac Chip".  This one is in a bed that I have not been caring for, only a few flowers.  If I give it better care next year, it might be dramatic.

Meyer Lemon

Meyer Lemon grew nicely this year.  Often in bloom and when it is, the honeybees are there.