NY has one of the more famous state nicknames out there, and this weekend we were reminded why. We hopped in the car and drove to Beak and Skiff in Lafayette to pick some apples. 22.5 lbs to be exact. about 15-18lbs of Cortlands for pies, apple crisp, baked apples (my fav) and maybe some sauce. 5 lbs or so of Honeycrisp, my new favorite eating apple. I'm a little disappointed now that I bought the 4 on 1 grafted tree. First of all, in terms of shape, this thing is kind of odd for an apple tree, the way the grafts are placed means I have to train it to an open vase shape instead of a central leader, second, I really wish I could just have those two particular varieties. As it develops I might try to get my hands on a cortland tree and graft a honeycrisp whip to it for pollenation/ fresh apples. Who knows, maybe I'll end up loving the variety from the tree I have.
Its pretty amazing to see the massive rows of productive trees being grown on a family owned operation. And while they are not currently organic, neither are they blind to the reality of where things are headed. I got to see their test organic "orchard" growing under high tunnels this year.
Fantastic Apple Fritters too.
By the way, if anyone has a favorite apple recipe, post it here, I'm game for just about anything (vegetarian).
Showing posts with label trees. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trees. Show all posts
Monday, September 28, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Things I've noticed
Some good, some bad.
First the bad news. Something has infected the apple tree. Is it scab? It resembles scab. Are there any organic treatments for scab?
Thankfully it appears on just a few leaves, though the bottom side of the leaf has developed a wart like growth. Should I just remove the few affected leaves?
Second find: Mushrooms! Not sure what kind, and I'm not about to taste and find out, but I'll be sure to take more pics as they emerge and perhaps get a positive ID on it. I own mycellium running and Growing gourmet and medicinal mushrooms by Stamets and you'd think I would have thought to seed all this much we have with spawn and grow some shrooms in the front yard...you'd think that. Sometimes nature has to remind you of the possibilities you should have thought of.
That is a leek in the background...doing quite nicely.
Third find: The first ripe blackberry! Sorry no pics. It went straight into my drooling maw.
First the bad news. Something has infected the apple tree. Is it scab? It resembles scab. Are there any organic treatments for scab?
Thankfully it appears on just a few leaves, though the bottom side of the leaf has developed a wart like growth. Should I just remove the few affected leaves?
Second find: Mushrooms! Not sure what kind, and I'm not about to taste and find out, but I'll be sure to take more pics as they emerge and perhaps get a positive ID on it. I own mycellium running and Growing gourmet and medicinal mushrooms by Stamets and you'd think I would have thought to seed all this much we have with spawn and grow some shrooms in the front yard...you'd think that. Sometimes nature has to remind you of the possibilities you should have thought of.
That is a leek in the background...doing quite nicely.
Third find: The first ripe blackberry! Sorry no pics. It went straight into my drooling maw.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
its been almost a month? really?
I spend all my winters in anticipation of summer and it disappears before my eyes.
Lets get this out of our system ahead of time. This will not be a spectacular year, it will be another year of lessons.
There is too much of a good thing. that being rain 5 of the last 7 days in july and 17 of 30 days in june. And even when it was only a few drops it has been overcast. Things are moving sllllloooowly. I should really consider adding another row of boards to the raised beds which only sit about 4-6 inches above ground height.
I am willing to try starting peas on st patrick's day again, but only if they are pre-sprouted. It took forever for them to germinate.
I should start my curcurbits in pots first. The soil just does not get warm enough early enough to get them going, I am going to end up with a lot of things just getting in under the wire if at all.
Slugs are a serious issue now. A duck is unfortunately out of the question.
Garlic spray is a great japanese beetle deterrant, I haven't seen them since.
I should have planted trees years ago.
fried beet chips are a reason to get out of bed in the morning!
My frontyard bed definitely needs more organic matter.
I need more grape vines.
The black tips on the kiwi is likely a water issue, too little I think, and with the rain I have not seen any since.
Lets get this out of our system ahead of time. This will not be a spectacular year, it will be another year of lessons.
There is too much of a good thing. that being rain 5 of the last 7 days in july and 17 of 30 days in june. And even when it was only a few drops it has been overcast. Things are moving sllllloooowly. I should really consider adding another row of boards to the raised beds which only sit about 4-6 inches above ground height.
I am willing to try starting peas on st patrick's day again, but only if they are pre-sprouted. It took forever for them to germinate.
I should start my curcurbits in pots first. The soil just does not get warm enough early enough to get them going, I am going to end up with a lot of things just getting in under the wire if at all.
Slugs are a serious issue now. A duck is unfortunately out of the question.
Garlic spray is a great japanese beetle deterrant, I haven't seen them since.
I should have planted trees years ago.
fried beet chips are a reason to get out of bed in the morning!
My frontyard bed definitely needs more organic matter.
I need more grape vines.
The black tips on the kiwi is likely a water issue, too little I think, and with the rain I have not seen any since.
Monday, May 4, 2009
the good, the bad and the downright awful
Busy weekend at home! But I think thats safe to say about most weekends. I got all of the stone in place for the walkways...and I have no pics or background to go with that...so I shall endeavor to update you all on this monumental project (and sizable subtraction to the size of the mowed area). Regardless, I'm a bit sore right now.
The trees look like they are doing well. The last of the pears to bud has a few green spikes now and the nectarine (despite some definite dieback) appears to be leafing out now.
I put in the marigolds in the potato bed, most of the pea sprouts are up. If I had planted lettuce more densely I'd have a salad by now. Lesson learned. Plant leaf lettuce tighter and harvest sooner and more often. I did snatch a few leaves of thai oak leaf that were awesome, and the arugula is really good. In a week or two when I have more I am definitely grabbing a couple pears and maybe a little parmesan cheese for a salad.
Transplanted a lot of flowers (mostly petunias, but some cosmos and hollyhock) and put the chamomile in its spot. The lemon balm, bee balm, and stjohn's wort are making a strong showing only a year after transplant and the wormwood and valerian are almost two feet high already.
Now for the awful news. As regular readers might remember, I ordered 3 citrus trees on feb 15th. After a long spell of no news and no trees I contacted the seller and was told "two weeks" Several unreturned phone calls, several unreplied emails. Still no trees. Sorry chumps...no money for you. I didn't bother to call to ask for a refund since they apparently have failed to conduct themselves in any measurable way decent. The business may have changed hands but their failure to respond to such a backlog of customers means I'm not likely to see results for a while. I called my bank and had them dispute the charges, in my experience its faster than getting obstinant deadbeat vendors to take satisfactory action. So this time, a little wiser I combed review sites looking for a reputable dealer and found good reviews for Four winds nursery. They appear to have been around for a while and their customers hold them in fairly good regard. Lesson Learned. Hopefully my trees will be here this weekend.
The old vendor by the way is growquest, they now operate under the name olivetrees.net. And without some kind of acknowledgement from the new owners of changes to the business practices, I wouldn't trust them any farther than I could throw a deeply rooted, 1,000 year old olive tree (which I hear are quite heavy).
The trees look like they are doing well. The last of the pears to bud has a few green spikes now and the nectarine (despite some definite dieback) appears to be leafing out now.
I put in the marigolds in the potato bed, most of the pea sprouts are up. If I had planted lettuce more densely I'd have a salad by now. Lesson learned. Plant leaf lettuce tighter and harvest sooner and more often. I did snatch a few leaves of thai oak leaf that were awesome, and the arugula is really good. In a week or two when I have more I am definitely grabbing a couple pears and maybe a little parmesan cheese for a salad.
Transplanted a lot of flowers (mostly petunias, but some cosmos and hollyhock) and put the chamomile in its spot. The lemon balm, bee balm, and stjohn's wort are making a strong showing only a year after transplant and the wormwood and valerian are almost two feet high already.
Now for the awful news. As regular readers might remember, I ordered 3 citrus trees on feb 15th. After a long spell of no news and no trees I contacted the seller and was told "two weeks" Several unreturned phone calls, several unreplied emails. Still no trees. Sorry chumps...no money for you. I didn't bother to call to ask for a refund since they apparently have failed to conduct themselves in any measurable way decent. The business may have changed hands but their failure to respond to such a backlog of customers means I'm not likely to see results for a while. I called my bank and had them dispute the charges, in my experience its faster than getting obstinant deadbeat vendors to take satisfactory action. So this time, a little wiser I combed review sites looking for a reputable dealer and found good reviews for Four winds nursery. They appear to have been around for a while and their customers hold them in fairly good regard. Lesson Learned. Hopefully my trees will be here this weekend.
The old vendor by the way is growquest, they now operate under the name olivetrees.net. And without some kind of acknowledgement from the new owners of changes to the business practices, I wouldn't trust them any farther than I could throw a deeply rooted, 1,000 year old olive tree (which I hear are quite heavy).
Monday, January 5, 2009
I hate resolutions
because nobody (nobody I know at least) ends up keeping them.
so rather than resolve to do anything,
I'll lay out my to do list for the year
1.) sunroom Nary a hole has been dug nor post been laid, but I'm exhausted already. After going back and forth with the zoning board, we are shaving a foot off the front and pressing forward. No date yet from the builder, but they expect all their ducks will be in a row by the end of the month. Should leave plenty of time to get the seedlings going.
2.) trees, a veritably orchard will overtake the front lawn, but first, the old emaciated monster needs to come down. I've been begrudgingly picking up its dropping branches for 3 years now, I just needed a reason.
3.) third bed, I need to expand the garden, and I've no where else to dig but a spot in the perennial area, where the sunflowers sat last year. I'm planning out the layout and rotation schedule, and will post that soon.
4.) And even if I don't actually build the house portion of it, I'll be redoing the wooden boarder of the two main garden beds to fit the floorplan of a hoophouse I would like to put there eventually.
So far the seed catalog count is up to six. I've got my tomato order back (I'll be growing a different strain of brandywine than last year, a Cherokee purple, an a fistful of Amish paste in the hopes of making my own sauce. We're planning our trip to the nursery in early May for the trees. But I've still got a lot of ordering to do for this year.
so rather than resolve to do anything,
I'll lay out my to do list for the year
1.) sunroom Nary a hole has been dug nor post been laid, but I'm exhausted already. After going back and forth with the zoning board, we are shaving a foot off the front and pressing forward. No date yet from the builder, but they expect all their ducks will be in a row by the end of the month. Should leave plenty of time to get the seedlings going.
2.) trees, a veritably orchard will overtake the front lawn, but first, the old emaciated monster needs to come down. I've been begrudgingly picking up its dropping branches for 3 years now, I just needed a reason.
3.) third bed, I need to expand the garden, and I've no where else to dig but a spot in the perennial area, where the sunflowers sat last year. I'm planning out the layout and rotation schedule, and will post that soon.
4.) And even if I don't actually build the house portion of it, I'll be redoing the wooden boarder of the two main garden beds to fit the floorplan of a hoophouse I would like to put there eventually.
So far the seed catalog count is up to six. I've got my tomato order back (I'll be growing a different strain of brandywine than last year, a Cherokee purple, an a fistful of Amish paste in the hopes of making my own sauce. We're planning our trip to the nursery in early May for the trees. But I've still got a lot of ordering to do for this year.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
What comes in pots and makes delicious fruit?
Trees of course...or at least the ones I am looking at. As the sunroom project moves forward with permits and more paperwork my thoughts increasingly turn to, or rather obsess upon the trees I want to fill it with.
I'm rather surprised at how close our overall result is beginning to resemble the plan. Usually things change drastically between the theory and the practice.
But back to the matter at hand, I would like to put 3 across the front (south wall) and one in the east, (left window in the picture).
So that makes a total of 4, but 4 what and from where. Well my search for a local citrus source (or at least in the Northeast) has been fruitless(sorry I couldn't resist). Four Winds Nursery seems like a good shop, anyone have experience to share with them? I tried a couple of the other suggestions that I got, but variety was not what I was looking for.
I'm rather surprised at how close our overall result is beginning to resemble the plan. Usually things change drastically between the theory and the practice.
But back to the matter at hand, I would like to put 3 across the front (south wall) and one in the east, (left window in the picture).
So that makes a total of 4, but 4 what and from where. Well my search for a local citrus source (or at least in the Northeast) has been fruitless(sorry I couldn't resist). Four Winds Nursery seems like a good shop, anyone have experience to share with them? I tried a couple of the other suggestions that I got, but variety was not what I was looking for.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Looks like its a go
The sunroom, that is.
Two nights ago we had a visit from a representative of a local installer. Previously I had thought I could tackle this one on my own. I am thankful now I will not be doing that. There are a lot of factors involved in the construction both from a technical side to the administrative (incl. permits codes etc.) It appears the materials used would be far superior from what I thought I could get away with. Steel upright posts that don't require the glass sections to function as structural elements. In other words, the frame wont require the skin to stand firm. Having seen pictures in the portfolio of hailstorms and fallen trees that have wrecked the house but left the sunroom intact I am confident in the quality. We are also getting a guarantee on the whole thing that I could never provide. The glazing is superior to what I could obtain and should provide excellent thermal insulation given the large areas of glass. I was pleased to hear the "surveyor" was well versed in many of the factors I am concerned with given its intended role. He agreed that the location for it on the house was perfect, providing maxim southern exposure, a position far enough forward to avoid shadowing from our neighbor to the east, and garage to the west. And exposed east and west ends to allow ample cross ventilation. In short, he was speaking my language and it was a relief to find that maybe what I am after isn't so way out in left field afterall. In fact the surveyor had a fistfull of lime trees in his own sunroom (and apparently a fan of martinis.)
There will be some elements that my brother in law and I will be doing ourselves to save some money, like pulling up the hedges, cutting and installing the doorway and electrical connections, but it will be nice to let someone else have to do the worrisome parts for a change. And this is a local company so its nice to know the money stays here.
So while my wife is thinking about furniture to go in the 8x11 space, I am back to thinking about trees.
Meyer Lemon, Kaffir Lime, and Blood oranges. The question is from where. None of the nurseries around here have any citrus. Suggestions?
Two nights ago we had a visit from a representative of a local installer. Previously I had thought I could tackle this one on my own. I am thankful now I will not be doing that. There are a lot of factors involved in the construction both from a technical side to the administrative (incl. permits codes etc.) It appears the materials used would be far superior from what I thought I could get away with. Steel upright posts that don't require the glass sections to function as structural elements. In other words, the frame wont require the skin to stand firm. Having seen pictures in the portfolio of hailstorms and fallen trees that have wrecked the house but left the sunroom intact I am confident in the quality. We are also getting a guarantee on the whole thing that I could never provide. The glazing is superior to what I could obtain and should provide excellent thermal insulation given the large areas of glass. I was pleased to hear the "surveyor" was well versed in many of the factors I am concerned with given its intended role. He agreed that the location for it on the house was perfect, providing maxim southern exposure, a position far enough forward to avoid shadowing from our neighbor to the east, and garage to the west. And exposed east and west ends to allow ample cross ventilation. In short, he was speaking my language and it was a relief to find that maybe what I am after isn't so way out in left field afterall. In fact the surveyor had a fistfull of lime trees in his own sunroom (and apparently a fan of martinis.)
There will be some elements that my brother in law and I will be doing ourselves to save some money, like pulling up the hedges, cutting and installing the doorway and electrical connections, but it will be nice to let someone else have to do the worrisome parts for a change. And this is a local company so its nice to know the money stays here.
So while my wife is thinking about furniture to go in the 8x11 space, I am back to thinking about trees.
Meyer Lemon, Kaffir Lime, and Blood oranges. The question is from where. None of the nurseries around here have any citrus. Suggestions?
Monday, September 8, 2008
theories, plans, setback and TOMATOES!
Finally! A ripe tomato!
A bit green in the shoulders and a few cracks, but at 14 oz. its got a bit to spare. And yes this is a brandywine, I forgot that the particular strain of Brandywine OTV is orange. And delicious. It had substance but was not gritty. According to SESE's site, this strain is very heat tolerant, could that be a possible way of saying that to a certain extent it doesn't just tolerate heat, it depends on it? Given how cool this summer was by comparison might this be a reasonable explanation as to why I did not harvest the first tomato until sept? I'll be holding on to the seed to plant maybe a vine or two next year since the taste is flat out awesome, but perhaps I should search for varieties which do not include "heat tolerant" in their list of attributes.
And check out the amount of flesh in these. My beloved of course puts in her two cents about the absurdity of photographing a tomato.
Now I know I have mentioned our plan to put a fistfull of fruit trees in the front yard. After having the gas company come out and mark the no-dig spots, it would appear we will need to change the layout from what we had originally intended.
Those flags are the dotted line where our natural gas feed comes in from the street. Right up the strip of land we were going to use....grrrr.
And lastly, as anyone who is married or lives with their partner knows, good relationships mean being on the same page as your S.O. In my case that means clearing and construction or other large projects with my wife before I reach for a hammer or shovel. I want to keep gardening though the winter, I could be happy with just a single row cover tunnel over one bed, but I figured what the heck, lets shoot for the moon with a hoop house and see if she goes for it....She went for it! I think I can fit this over both the beds. Winter greens here I come! Despite the frigid winters I am not going to double layer the plastic unless someone says its absolutely necessary. I'll be using it to basically extend seasons and grow spinach, some lettuces, leeks and so forth during the coldest months, and experimenting with clover as a cover in the unused areas. Clover is a big N producer and grows well in our area/soil. Since I have been doing well with compost, I think a cover crop of clover during winter, plus compost at kill/ planting time should keep the soil in shape. I will test it to see if there are measurable differences.
A bit green in the shoulders and a few cracks, but at 14 oz. its got a bit to spare. And yes this is a brandywine, I forgot that the particular strain of Brandywine OTV is orange. And delicious. It had substance but was not gritty. According to SESE's site, this strain is very heat tolerant, could that be a possible way of saying that to a certain extent it doesn't just tolerate heat, it depends on it? Given how cool this summer was by comparison might this be a reasonable explanation as to why I did not harvest the first tomato until sept? I'll be holding on to the seed to plant maybe a vine or two next year since the taste is flat out awesome, but perhaps I should search for varieties which do not include "heat tolerant" in their list of attributes.
And check out the amount of flesh in these. My beloved of course puts in her two cents about the absurdity of photographing a tomato.
Now I know I have mentioned our plan to put a fistfull of fruit trees in the front yard. After having the gas company come out and mark the no-dig spots, it would appear we will need to change the layout from what we had originally intended.
Those flags are the dotted line where our natural gas feed comes in from the street. Right up the strip of land we were going to use....grrrr.
And lastly, as anyone who is married or lives with their partner knows, good relationships mean being on the same page as your S.O. In my case that means clearing and construction or other large projects with my wife before I reach for a hammer or shovel. I want to keep gardening though the winter, I could be happy with just a single row cover tunnel over one bed, but I figured what the heck, lets shoot for the moon with a hoop house and see if she goes for it....She went for it! I think I can fit this over both the beds. Winter greens here I come! Despite the frigid winters I am not going to double layer the plastic unless someone says its absolutely necessary. I'll be using it to basically extend seasons and grow spinach, some lettuces, leeks and so forth during the coldest months, and experimenting with clover as a cover in the unused areas. Clover is a big N producer and grows well in our area/soil. Since I have been doing well with compost, I think a cover crop of clover during winter, plus compost at kill/ planting time should keep the soil in shape. I will test it to see if there are measurable differences.
Monday, August 11, 2008
More props
At the risk of becoming some kind of advertisement I feel it necessary to pat another company on the back. Miller Nurseries, find their site here. The person who answered the phone was not some untrained receptionist but was actually quite familiar with the problem I have been having with my male kiwi vine, and even though I did not have any sales receipt or my customer number on hand, she was able to find my information and verify that the vine was in fact purchased this spring so its still guaranteed, no further questions asked, their shipping another dormant vine next spring.
The pawpaw trees I got from them and the female vine are doing well by the way, so I have no problems whatsoever feeling confident that when its time to start the fruit orchard next spring, I will be calling them.
The pawpaw trees I got from them and the female vine are doing well by the way, so I have no problems whatsoever feeling confident that when its time to start the fruit orchard next spring, I will be calling them.
Monday, June 9, 2008
vigorous indeed
hot and wet are the only two words I would use to describe the weather right now. When the temps hit 95 and it rains daily over the weekend you tend to stay inside. But my morning trip yielded a peek at the hidden world of cucumber beetle copulation. Sorry to be a coitus interruptus but "Not in my backyard." I shoulda got a picture before I eradicated, but I didn't want to miss a chance to kill.
The weather really helped growth, the bolting chard is taller than me (6') now GO TO SEED ALREADY!
Chamomile is rockin like a hurricane.
Anybody got any good tea recipes?
Foreground:potatoes, midground: peas, background: raspberry primocanes
And now for the reason for the title Back on the 27th of my I planted the kiwi vines as of this morning, new growth is over 8 inches.
The pawpaw which budded not long ago is doing well too.
obviously the purple coneflower growing around it is doing well too (of course that is almost unkillable)
The weather really helped growth, the bolting chard is taller than me (6') now GO TO SEED ALREADY!
Chamomile is rockin like a hurricane.
Anybody got any good tea recipes?
Foreground:potatoes, midground: peas, background: raspberry primocanes
And now for the reason for the title Back on the 27th of my I planted the kiwi vines as of this morning, new growth is over 8 inches.
The pawpaw which budded not long ago is doing well too.
obviously the purple coneflower growing around it is doing well too (of course that is almost unkillable)
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Early crops
Well it would appear the early crops of cabbage, peas, onions, lettuce, radishes, and beets are fast approaching harvest time...or at least I think they are. I have picked some lettuce and radishes already, and I have grown peas before, but the others I am guessing at. According to the Jeavons book, I should start the beans and early corn for transplant in about two weeks. I'm guessing I should go by feel on this one as I think we are probably going to be a tad later than that. I'm not really concerned about getting the same crops back in the ground in time before a frost after that because I will be using tunnels come late fall. (Introduced to me courtesy of another book: Four Season Gardening which is definitely a gem).
Anyway, here is the garden as it stands today.
And by the way the paw paw showed its first bud yesterday! I bought two varieties, "sunflower" and "wells" this one is the wells. I have no other reference for bare root trees except for the DOA ones we got for free on arbor day a couple years back, but I'm impressed that they didn't take long to break dormancy and make me nervous for two long. heh.
Anyway, here is the garden as it stands today.
And by the way the paw paw showed its first bud yesterday! I bought two varieties, "sunflower" and "wells" this one is the wells. I have no other reference for bare root trees except for the DOA ones we got for free on arbor day a couple years back, but I'm impressed that they didn't take long to break dormancy and make me nervous for two long. heh.
Friday, May 23, 2008
In the words of the sage
...Tom Petty, the waiting is the hardest part. And indeed it is. After getting the kiwi (and being pleased with the timelyness and the manner in which they were shipped from miller nurseries) I ordered what will be the last of the trees for this year. A pair of Paw Paw trees. This one is a leap of faith. I've never eaten Paw Paw because it doesnt ship well and no one around here grows it, but the description sounds delicious. In the unlikely event that I dont like it, well its a 10 minute bike ride to the food co-op in town who I'm sure will be thrilled to buy it. They are going in behind the bench in the herb/perennial area. A spot I have had consistent problems getting productivity out of. The bench shades the area almost completely, and nothing, save for a creeping invasive weed can thrive. I'm hoping a good sheet mulching combined with some saplings that can reach up to the area only partly shaded ( a preference of paw paws) will finally make that spot a net gain instead of a constant liability. And then I wouldn'y be constantly detangling that damn weed from the lemon balm thats on the edge of the area.
So after I wait for the trees to arrive I have to wait about 3 years before they fruit, and that is still about 2 years ahead of the kiwi. I know the incredible effect that trees can have on yearly production and overall stability of the system, but the running start they need is painful sometimes. I need to work on patience I guess. The garden of eden may have been built in one day but I am significantly less talented than its designer.
So after I wait for the trees to arrive I have to wait about 3 years before they fruit, and that is still about 2 years ahead of the kiwi. I know the incredible effect that trees can have on yearly production and overall stability of the system, but the running start they need is painful sometimes. I need to work on patience I guess. The garden of eden may have been built in one day but I am significantly less talented than its designer.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Hope and Faith
Wow, just when I was really feeling grouchy and cynical...
Yesterday while work continued digging the new beds, I noticed something. Buds, buds everywhere, but first a little background. Last year, against what prior experience would say is wise, we planted 5 new trees. Prior to that, we have attempted trees, and met with repeated failure. I don't know if it was poor quality stock (possibly) or poor site preparation (probably). But the bottom line is they don't last long for us. After transplanting last year things were not looking good for this batch either. The 4 lilacs had dropped quite a few leaves before the season was out, I'd say we were left with about 30% remaining...not good. The ornamental cherry did not fare much better. I was not expecting a return in the spring.
I was wrong. The lilacs are bursting with buds everywhere, and the cherry appears to have lost some of its longer branches, but is fairly vigorous on the shorter ones. But they survived!
If that was not enough, I found a bud on one of the grape cuttings, in spite of my anxiety about the process, it is working.
And to top it off, our son (well not legally ours yet but it matters little) just turned one yesterday. There's another one who beat the odds. Born at 27 weeks, a mere 2.2lbs, now a healthy growing 17 pounder crawling all over God's green earth and sprouting teeth.
So I guess I got exactly the lesson I needed yesterday, funny how things work out like that.
Yesterday while work continued digging the new beds, I noticed something. Buds, buds everywhere, but first a little background. Last year, against what prior experience would say is wise, we planted 5 new trees. Prior to that, we have attempted trees, and met with repeated failure. I don't know if it was poor quality stock (possibly) or poor site preparation (probably). But the bottom line is they don't last long for us. After transplanting last year things were not looking good for this batch either. The 4 lilacs had dropped quite a few leaves before the season was out, I'd say we were left with about 30% remaining...not good. The ornamental cherry did not fare much better. I was not expecting a return in the spring.
I was wrong. The lilacs are bursting with buds everywhere, and the cherry appears to have lost some of its longer branches, but is fairly vigorous on the shorter ones. But they survived!
If that was not enough, I found a bud on one of the grape cuttings, in spite of my anxiety about the process, it is working.
And to top it off, our son (well not legally ours yet but it matters little) just turned one yesterday. There's another one who beat the odds. Born at 27 weeks, a mere 2.2lbs, now a healthy growing 17 pounder crawling all over God's green earth and sprouting teeth.
So I guess I got exactly the lesson I needed yesterday, funny how things work out like that.
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