May Blooms

I know it's the last day of May, but it is still May and I wanted to share what is blooming in my garden.  Every spring, I always intend to take more pictures of whatever is blooming in my garden, and at the end of each year, I realize that I didn't take as many pictures as I should have had.  So, I hope that this year I am trying to be more proactive.

 

The two pictures above are the two peony plants I have in my garden.  Have I mentioned that I love peonies?  They remind me so much of roses, but are so easy to grow.  I love the pink peony, but the pale peachy colored peony smells heavenly and I love how it has so many petals.  I didn't think that I would actually get any peonies at all, despite this being the plants' third spring after it was planted.  Lets just say I'm really happy to have any peonies come up.

I also have several different types of irises too.  I love the purple and white irises above.  As you can tell, in the picture below, some of my irises have already bloomed.  I noticed that all of the irises have a sweet licorice smell to it. 

Lastly, I know that my rhubarb plant isn't putting forth any "blooms," but I just wanted to show it off.  I actually have five mature rhubarb plants growing in my garden.  This is also the third spring for these plants, and I really can't wait to harvest the stalks.  Of course I can harvest the stalks right now, but I'm waiting, trying to figure out what recipe I want to try.  I also need to find someone who's willing to eat the rhubarb with me too.  Apparently, some people don't like the taste of rhubarb.  Of course, I'll blog more about rhubarb.  I guess it's all about timing and just waiting for things to come together. 

So, do you have anything blooming in your garden?

Poppy and Sunshine

Garden Update

Spring has come early this year.  For example, I can't believe that I'm already getting two (although the picture above only depicts one) barely ripe Mara des Bois strawberries.  I'm excited and I'm really hoping that the neighborhood animals have not yet noticed the ripe berries.  I'm even thinking about plucking the fruit, even if it is a bit unripe, just so I can get a taste of it before any other animal does.  I'm willing to share all of my other fruit, but I have been patiently waiting for my strawberries to ripen, even foregoing the strawberries from the store. 

Moving along, the picture right above shows little blackberry buds, poised to bloom.  I've waited two years for my blackberry bush to bloom.  This year I thought it was a bust, but I'm so glad I was wrong.  I'm noticing lots of little buds ready to flower.  I can't wait to see if these blackberries are worth the wait.  Once more, these are cultivated blackberries and the plants don't have thorns, unlike the wild blackberries found in other parts of the country that are thorny and grow like a weed.

My raspberry bushes are also flowering like crazy.  I'm hoping for a bumper summer and fall harvest. Maybe I'll have enough to make my own jam this year, instead of going to "you pick" farms. 

As you can see in the picture above, there are lots of leaves from the garlic plants. I'm a bit concerned that there is no garlic scape coming out of each plant, but I guess it's okay if there aren't.  I still have about a month left before I can begin harvesting the garlic bulbs, so there might still be a chance that I could still get garlic scapes.  To the right, in the picture above, you can see how well the "stray" strawberry plants are doing.  I think I really need to thin it out because I know I didn't plant that many strawberry plants in the raised bed.  There are also a lot of flowers too, but I think the strawberries might be a bit small due to the competition for space and nutrients.  That's why I know I need to thin out the plants.

Lastly, my potatoes are growing wonderfully.  I never thought that the spuds would sprout so well and so big.  I'm so amazed at what a little spud (some were the size of my thumb before planting) is capable of producing.  Anyhow, I need to "hill" up my potatoes plants a bit more.  I'm running out of dirt, but I my research indicates that I can use dried leaves and grass to cover up the potato plants.  I'm so excited.

So, how is your garden doing?

Friday's Quote: Michelangelo

"Genius is eternal patience."---Michelangelo

I've been trying to turn a part of my lawn into a garden.  I have visions of it becoming a truly serene place with diverse plants, beautiful flowers, and walking paths meandering through lush vegetation.  Of course, at this moment I feel as if most of my plants are misplaced, the area is a breeding ground for mosquitoes, and of course lots of weeds interspersed throughout all of my plants.

I know I'm no genius when it comes to planning a garden and situating my plants.  At the same time, I am willing to be patient and hope that mother nature, in all of her wisdom, will help me out with my efforts to create my garden.  I'm just hoping that at some point, it will all come together.  I know that my garden will never be considered a genius, but I hope that someone may at least appreciate it.

What to do?

Yesterday, while at a big box retail store, I purchased a honeycrisp apple tree.  It's a regular honeycrisp apple tree, not a dwarf honeycrisp apple tree.  The tree is expected to grow to be 20' wide and 20' tall.  That's going to be a big tree.  It's not gigantic, but it's big enough that I'm worried and wondering where I will plant it.  It needs lots of sun, needs to be close enough to other apple trees (for pollination purposes), and I'm trying to keep it close to my yard and not near my neighbors' yards.  I already have a lot of other trees on my property too.

Oh, what to do?  Now, I'm wondering if I should just return the tree and give another dwarf honeycrisp apple tree another chance.  Or, should I just give this tree a chance and find a place for it.  What to do?

Goodbye My Honey(crisp)

Sometimes in life, one must say goodbye to one's honey, even when one doesn't want to.  Goodbye my honey, how I have loved you, despite our brief encounter.

Today, I discovered that my honey, more specifically my dwarf honeycrisp apple tree, broke right at the graft knot.  It must have occurred last night when a horrible horrible thunderstorm came through my area (the winds were quite harsh).   Oh, the three years.  Three years may seem long but actually three years is rather quite short and brief (in terms of plant years).  Generally, the third year is often the anticipated year in which a fruiting plant is considered mature enough to support fruit.  I have waited for fruit from this tree, but it is not to be.  I don't want to say goodbye, but I must.  Goodbye my honeycrsip.  Goodbye my honey.

(By the way, if you want to find out more information about grafting, please check out the following website:  http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/factsheets/ecogardening/appleroot.html.)

Containerized Oak Tree

 Life has been busy.  Work has occupied too much of my life, but I am thankful for the few handful of friends who have been able to drag me away from work and keep my mind on other things.  Yesterday, I stayed with a friend who showed me her little Japanese maple bonsai.  Even though it was small and a bonsai, she intended to grow the little sapling (in my opinion it looked more like a twig with leaves) as a containerized tree.

Of course I thought it was a wonderful idea and got to thinking about how I could grow another containerized tree.  I didn't want to purchase a plant because I had so many volunteer saplings growing in my own yard.  In fact, I noticed two volunteer oak tree seedlings growing in my containerized lime tree.  I think the squirrel must have planted the acorns in the container last fall.

I dug out one of the oak tree seedling and potted it in its own container.  I still need to figure out what to do with the other seedling.  Anyhow, I'm hoping that my potted seedling will grow and become a wonderful little tree for my home.

A Teacup of Sugar

Here Comes the Rain Again

The weather has been quite unpredictable in my neck of the woods.  It has been hot and muggy, then cold and foggy, and of course rainy.  There's been enough rain coming down in my area in the last week or two, but it has been inconsistent and it came in spurts.  This evening the rain came down fast and furious, and was gone in a flash.

 

At this time I'm not wishing for less rain.  Considering how little snow there was this past winter, I'm happy for all the rain that mother nature has to give.  I don't want a flood, but at the same time I don't want a drought either.  

How has the weather been in your neighborhood?

Friday's Quote: Hubert H. Humphrey

"Never give up on anybody."---Hubert H. Humphrey

I always try to not give up on anybody.  At the same time, if I have been disappointed one too many times, I become more guarded, and maybe more realistic.

I also have a hard time giving up on plants.  Yet, unlike people, I feel as if I have a little more control over plants.  Too often, I troll around my yard and worry incessantly if a certain plant is doing well or not.  If I start noticing that the plant isn't doing well at all, I will try and determine a way to ensure that the plant will survive.  Often, I may try to amend the soil or give it more nourishment (e.g. water, fertilizer, etc.,),  but  I don't hesitate to move the plant to a new location.  Usually, the plant probably just wants more sun.  I'm always surprised at what survives the winter and comes back in the spring.  Thus, I always try my very best to never give up on a plant.

 

Strawberry Update

Mara Des Bois strawberry plant and flowers

About a week or two ago I noticed that my strawberry plants, both varieties, were blooming.  How lovely.  Now I know for sure that the little "stray" strawberry plant I saved last summer is an ever bearing type.  Currently, the Mara Des Bois flowers are slightly larger than those on the stray strawberry plant.

My "stray" strawberry plant and its flowers.

I have to say, I'm so surprised at how well the little stray strawberry plants are doing.  The plants were quite spindly and small when I first transplanted the plants.  Apparently, the plants must love their spot in the raised bed.  With more sun and better soil, the plants have grown quite large, the leaves are really healthy looking, and have spread quickly.  I'm curious to taste the strawberries from these stray plants.

Baby Maple Leaves

[Taken April 23, 2012.]

Helleborus

I read and have seen pictures of helleborus (a.k.a. Lenten Rose) in gardening books, but it wasn't until my trip to Atlanta  in Spring 2009 that I actually saw a hellebore.  While crossing through a shaded area of a public park, in my attempt to find a paved walking path, I saw what I thought to be a hellebore.  I did a double take and upon closer inspection, the plant looked just like all the hellebores I've ever seen in books. The petals were quite faded,  indicating that it was past it's peak, but the flower was still blooming.  After that trip, the flower continued to stay on my mind.  Then in Spring 2010, I finally planted several hellebores of the orientalis variety.

I have two different types, a pink one called Cherry Blossom, and a yellowish one called Apricot Blush.  I knew that I would appreciate these flowers, but I've actually grown to love the little plants.  I love the fact that these flowers are the first to bloom in the spring (despite the cold,) are very low maintenance, and I love that the plants do so well in the shade.  I think I might order some more, considering how shady my yard is.

Have you seen a hellebore before?  What was your impression of it?