Half barrel / summer vegetable planting. Progress Report. 8.11.15

Egyptian Walking Onions at One Week.  8.11.15

Nasturtiums and Spinach at One Week.  8.11.15

Chinese Pole Beans at One Week.  8.11.15

Considering these were almost zero effort, I'm excited about the early progress.  At about one week. there is germination of some Egyptian Walking Onion divisions, nasturtiums, spinach, a few Swiss chard, some Chinese pole beans.  I scratched some of the areas with no germination and planted seeds of cilantro and red scallions.

I am speculating, the 1/2 barrels are raised so warmer than the ground level plants.  So they may grow faster.

Growing Daylilies from Proliferations. 8.11.15

Daylily Proliferation.  8.11.15

 The daylily labeled as Frans Hals - but not the same as illustrations of that variety - grew small plants on the blooming stem.  These are called proliferations.  Proliferations are like keikeis on orchids.

I waited until the stem started to turn brown, then cut it leaving about 2 inches below the lowest baby plant.  A smaller one was above the water level.

In one week, the proliferation started to grow a root.  I trimmed the stem shorter, also cut off the upper, nonrooted, smaller, proliferation.  Then planted both in fresh moist potting soil.

They will stay in the same window.  East/Northeast exposure.   We will see if they  grow.

Daylily Proliferations.  8.11.15

Daylily Proliferations.  8.11.15

I'm not that excited to grow this particular daylily, but it's the only one that made a proliferation.  Free plants are free plants.

Summer Planting. Egyptian Walking Onion Recovery. 8.9.15

Egyptian Walking Onion, Recovery.  8.9.15

 I've been watching the Egyptian Walking Onion plants that I recovered, closely.  Today was the first evidence of growth.  So, at least a few will be recovered.  It doesn't take many.  After raising them 15 years, I didn't want to lose them.  I pulled one out 2 days ago to see if it was growing roots.  It was.

Some of the other summer plantings are coming up.  I had given up on the nasturtiums, and planted spinach seeds.  Now a few came up, so it will be a mixed barrel.  Only 5 swiss chard seeds came up.  It doesn't take much. 

First Nasturtium Seedlings.  8.9.15

Ning's Dahlias. 8.9.15

Bee Forage. 8.9.15

French Marigolds with Foraging Bumblebees.  8.9.15

Container-Grown Milkweed.  8.9.15

 There is not a lot out there for bees to forage.  Dandelions are having a moderate bloom.  On the deck, the large containers of marigolds attract many bees, continuously.  Mostly bumblebees.  Given the dearth of bee forage now, I am thinking I should plant some big patches of marigolds next year.  Each flower produces a big crop of seeds, so it will cost nothing if I save the seeds.

It looks like they prefer gold to yellow or red.  I am not certain about that.

Milkweed has not reached bloom stage.  As a perennial, I did not expect that until next year.  The plant I grew in container is much larger and more robust, compared to the plants I grew in the ground.  There is a big diversity of size and appearance, in keeping with what were probably wild-collected seeds.

Chinese chive is a major attraction for honeybees, more than bumblebees.  This variety is the heirloom type I collected as seeds from my parents' yard in Illinois.  I know those were there for more than 45 years, because I was the one who planted them.  They survived the intervening decades without care, in fact my parents didn't like them, so just mowed along with the rest of the yard.  This variety - land race?- is smaller and much later blooming, compared to the commercial Chinese variety Ning obtained.   Both are good forage for bees.  I will collect more seeds from my Illinois Chinese Chive, intending to have a large patch of those for bee forage in a couple of years.

It's interesting to view the Chinese Chive next to some Wild Carrot.  Both flowers are white, with small flowers.  But the bees very much prefer the Chinese Chive.

The second wave of borage is blooming.  Smaller than the first wave.  Bees constantly forage the borage.  There are 3rd wave borage sprouting from seeds.

The Joe Pye Weed that I grew from seeds last winter, is making flower buds.  The Anise Hyssop that I grew from seeds is growing, but I doubt they will bloom this year.  Perennials are a 2-year investment in time and space, but once established, I don't have to start from seeds again.

Milkweed Plants Grown In Ground.  8.9.15

Honeybee on Chinese Chive.  8.9.15

Blooming Chinese Chive.  8.9.15

Bees Prefer Chinese Chive to Wild Carrot.  8.9.15

Red Sedum with Honeybees  8.9.15

Red Sedum with Honeybees.  8.9.15