reckoning

There's a lot to re-evaluate as I start working in the garden again. I found out which plants can't survive the winter without extra mulch and care. I've lost my potted figs, chocolate mint, green onions, tarragon, some stinking hellebores, the hyssop, winter savory and probably more that I can't remember now. Or have forgotten their names. 

I was surprised to find that both rosemary plants are still alive- doing better when I ignored them. My shady sideyard has been overwhelmed by the joe pye weed and black-and-blue salvia (which pleases me). The salvia crowded out the lamb's ears and gladiolas. Somehow I don't mind loosing some glads- I'm not as fond of them anymore- but I do miss the lamb's ears. Mabye I will try to move them to a different spot, because I love seeing the blue salvia thrive. I even saw two hummingbirds fighting over the space this week! 

I find I'm not too keen on the yellow salvia under my trees anymore, or the sensitive fern that looks terrible half the year, or the 'autumn joy' sedums that the deer munch on so they don't look great and have very few blooms. My lilac appears to be suffering, some branches have died, and my lavender is much reduced in size, but I cut out a lot of dead stems and hope it will grow back.

Today I pulled out a ton of mock strawberry in and around some garden beds, and straightened out one whole brick row of edging, on bed 4. I thought I was lining the bricks up straight enough, but then when I got to the end the last brick wouldn't meet the corner one square. So I took them all off again and ran a string line from one end to the other. Redid it- much straighter! Packed the clay soil in tight underneath and hopefully I won't have to re-do this one for several years (the clay gets pretty solid). I'm pleased because this bed has always had a crooked edge where the stump of an old tree never came out. I finally broke up and removed most of that. Then planted some calamint (nepitella) along the edge- which I'd pulled up when trimming in the front bed. Stems had rooted where they trailed on the ground. Easy to move and put in more areas. Such a bright, sharp scent.

The lovage there at the end wasn't doing too great but a few weeks ago I cut out yellowing foliage, weeded around it, mulched and watered. It's perking up a little bit.

In bed 1, I yanked out all the mock strawberry but left half a dozen of this plant that's growing there as volunteer (or weed) also. I've always left a few of these around the yard, they seem to get eaten more by the insects - so I view it as a decoy or trap plant. I still don't know what it is!

I was also pleased to see that the little broken stone "mowing strip" I dug in along the outside base of bed 1, is mostly still in place! There were some weeds in the cracks but once I pulled those up, it was far easier to make this a clean edge when mowing. Encourages me to continue with that project (I have a lot of rocks stacked on my bench intended for this). There are more edging bricks to straighten too (as visible on the left).

Here's the few herbs I have: parsley, thyme and chives. All bought as starts from the nursery months ago, I didn't do anything from seed this year. With my cat Eliza in the window.

She was meowing at me.

I had basil and mint also, but they died. I forget to water sometimes, still. I've removed and dumped the soil from the planter boxes that hung on my deck railings. One was badly cracked and spilled- I'd fixed it with duct tape years ago but it wasn't holding and looked awful. Another was warped, and all four the plastic really faded and discolored. Not sure yet if I will replace those or use them somewhere else. 

It's a lot of work but I'm trying to just do a little bit at a time. Mostly focused on rebuilding and fixing structures in the garden, improving the soil again (when I pulled off the bricks, nice to see the soil was still dark and healthy-looking under the dried crusty top inches), and getting rid of weeds. Have to figure out a fencing solution too, or the rabbits will just eat everything I grow. Oddly, I have not seen many squirrels in my yard this year. We do have red-tailed hawks, an owl and foxes that come through regularly, I wonder if they have just reduced the numbers. Or if they don't have as many nuts to bury, or if they aren't interested in digging in my garden because the soil got so hard and compacted without me working and amending it.

young fig leaf

the plants are both fully leafed out now, but it makes me happy to see new leaves growing in too

green fig

leaves, lovely

winter spot

Most of the plants I've been overwintering by the basement sliding glass door have been doing well. I have not paid much attention to them this year, aside from weekly watering and once in a while misting the palms. In previous years I had moved the cardboard that blocks the draft on sunny days, and closed the curtains between plants and glass on the coldest nights. This year I had a taller sheet of cardboard and didn't shift anything at all.

Only lost one geranium, not a big deal. Here two geraniums, the cuban oregano between them, grown back from a severe trim when some stems got nipped by the cold (I brought it in too late back in the fall).

Citrus geranium doing really well- I'll just cut it back come spring and replant some of the stems.

Bay leaf is lovely, glows with health. I didn't cut any to dry for cooking this past season but will soon.

Arp rosemary looks pale to me, but definitely survived its first winter! Have used a few sprigs for tea to fend off colds in the past months.

My parlor palms might look sad, but they're actually doing much better. All the new green growth is since I repotted them with wood ash for potassium boost (um, a whole year ago). The older leaves are fading now and I'm hoping any new foliage remains green- there's new fronds unfurling on each.

Happiest is to see one of my fig trees breaking out spring leaves! Just yesterday. It feels time to start planting stuff, now (indoors).

two new

things growing for summer- I have ripe figs now! Small, but pretty good. Rose of sharon is blooming- at least, the oldest one. Younger and smaller haven't started yet.

I planted some stuff

perennials from the swap, mostly. In various edges of the yard, the yarrow, artemesia, spiderwort, strawberry begonia, blanket flower (with red/orange coleus moved next to it), ostrich ferns, and creeping jenny- divided into bits to make a little row of it. Some were looking very sad and I don't know if they'll make it- it rains tonight so I hope that helps. I was in too much of a hurry to take pictures, before a thunderstorm passed over. I did take clippings of the creeping jenny and put in a jar of tank water, see if they convert and root can plant some in the aquariums.

Also momentarily brought my fig trees in the house to repot- slightly larger- they barely gained an inch or two all round. These are the largest pots I have. Might be time to buy some nice very large planters for them.

beautiful leaves-

fig outside in the sun

lemon balm after steeping for tea-

ladybird beetle

Hanging out laundry, found a ladybug on the wicker chair.

Coaxed it onto my hand and moved it

over to a plant

my miniature geranium! because yes the geraniums got to come outside yesterday too-

In the morning bench is on one side of the deck to stay in shade, 

and by afternoon when I move it to the other side, it's warm enough to bring out the geraniums too

feels like spring

It's going to just touch 60° today. All my little seedlings are out on the table (the greenhouse is scorching!)

I set outside the pot of chives, and brought out from the basement window spot the figs, cuban oregano (how it seems to glow) and bay laurel. 

They're on the lower deck in a shady spot on my wooden bench- will come outside for a week or so on warm days like this to acclimate before I move them to the upper deck in the sun. 

Figs are unfurling their new leaves.

green inside-

Snow, ice and cold outdoors. Inside some new growth is sprouting. My figs have a lot of fat buds

and what looks like nascent fruits forming. I don't remember them starting fruit so early before? Will have to begin setting them outside on warmer days (next week maybe).

Not new, but in the same space down there by the large cool basement window, my citronella and lemon geranium are doing fantastic

and the new (reddish) leaves on bay laurel have almost reached the height of the older stems.

I have been somewhat concerned about my palms. The newer leaves have kept their green, and a younger shoot is growing in the center- but they always seem kinda poorly. Learned something in a book I just read about tropical plants. Palms need higher levels of potassium, and that deficiency shows as browned leaf tips and yellowing. Maybe these brown tips aren't from dryness or over-watering like I had assumed. The parlor palms need larger pots soon, so I will mix some ash in with their new potting soil and top-dress to give them a potassium boost, see if that helps.

Smaller jade that I trimmed lately, has new leaves sprouting

Pot of chives has looked sad since the last time I cut it to eat. Guess I overdid it. However one new leaf has come up! Will refresh the potting soil soon and see if it does better, or start new seed.

One more violet cutting is growing! Can't see the leaf nubbins yet but I see the signs of soil pushing up. Here it's sitting on my plant shelf in the living room- surrounded by lettuce and collards seedlings, spider plant, coleus cuttings, arrowhead, tradescantia zebrina and crassula.

zygo buds and more

My little thanksgiving cactus is getting ready to bloom again- right about on schedule!

Started bringing in some of the pots on colder nights-

Figs

Scented geranium- needs a trim!

Bay Laurel-

I took cuttings of this for the first time, hung some to dry for the kitchen

Also the mini geranium, cuban oregano and citrus geranium. Upstairs the pot of chives and ice plant. These down in the basement window area share space with avocado plant-

Which hasn't been doing too well. I'm starting to think it will never just be happy in this house. Gotten so spindly looking.