Tag Archives: planting

Acorns: Spring planting

11 Mar

We removed dozens of trees @ Owl Creek in 2019…Some had been dead for a long time…  Some were volunteers too close to driveways or barn…Some were contortions of trees…bent, split, broken.  Several logging projects in the past 50 years harvested hard woods…walnut, maple and oak trees.  Our understanding is that oak seedlings are difficult to locate.

 

To get 2020 spring plants off to a bigger start, I gathered acorns from the backyard.  Mostly green, squirrels had not run off with them.

“How to Grow Oak Trees from Acorns” Shelly Wigglesworth Oct 16, 2018, published in New England Today, Living

How to Grow Oak Trees from Acorns

I like the idea of refrigerating with peat and barley in a sealed container over winter.

Shelly recommended discarding acorns with pin holes.  They are made by “inch” worms exiting the hull.  I believe the worms enter under the cap.  After checking closely and drying  about two weeks, I discarded 20 acorns of the 60+ I had gathered from our backyard.

Here we “grow” again…today March 11, 2020…

Responding to the loss oak seedlings ruined by squirrels going for the meat of the acorn…I have turn the table!  Using a small cage to keep wild life out and protect future tree…rather than keep animals IN.  45 acorns in peat pots.

Hmmmm…what yield will we have?

 

 

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Gardener’s dilemma

17 May
"It's my day to sleep in."

“It’s my day to sleep in.”….”Did you say fresh catnip?”….”I’ll be right down!”

 

Spring mix of perennial volunteers...catnip, lemon balm, oregano and mint...an island in the garden plot.

Spring mix of perennial volunteers…catnip, lemon balm, oregano and mint…an island in the garden plot.  All (except the oregano) take a lot of effort to keep from taking over the garden.

Horehound

Horehound

Rue

Rue

 

Love the foliage and the tameness of these perennials.

 

 

 

 

Tomato seedlings

Six Tomato seedlings

Melon seedlings with room for vines to run along retaining wall.

Melon seedlings with room for vines to run along retaining wall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I chose very young plants this year due to the unseasonably cool weather.  May need to replant.  I also chose to add a path for access to the six tomato plants.

 

 

 

Path-Before

Path-Before

Dilemma?  25 years ago my kitchen garden was two 8’X8′ raised beds in full sun.  Over the years the transition has been to nearly full shade.  The Earth Angel and Golden Edge Hostas  as well as bird bath and feeders were the new look.  A sweeping retaining wall replaced the original box plots enclosing about 400 square feet.  The dilemma for this season is that we are back to full sun due to the loss of ash trees to disease.  The hostas may not survive a hot August.  Rather than fine tuning the stepping stone path (and have to redo), I took them up and mulched the path.  Check back in the fall on how this season worked out!

 

Path-After

Path-After

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“Blooming-ton” containers, before pictures

10 May

Yes, there is room for annual flowers/plants in the lawn of perennial flowers/plants!  We choose to use containers for annuals.

Last year I planted “Wave” petunias in the old containers.  These hang like photos on a wall in an indoor room by decorating the fence “wall”.  Cost = $3 each.  I planted lantana and verbena this year….”Citrus” and “Raspberry” photos below.

Wave petunias

The next project was filling hanging baskets.  These have another variety of “Wave” petunias.  We did three more baskets with begonias.  Cost = $5 each (including new cocoa fiber liners).

Hanging baskets

Three pairs of foam containers flank the front porch step.  My tradition/habit is to have geraniums and spike plant (foliage).  I choose variegated Salvia for the largest of the containers.  Cost = $4 each.

Front step containers

Last but not least is a pair of containers for purple fountain grass by the garage doors.  This terra-cotta looking container has weathered well over 10+ years (unlike the real thing).  Cost = $8 each.

Purple fountain grass

Container contents Total = $74 plus some potting soil and mulch to top off.

Raspberry Verbena

Raspberry Verbena

Citrus Lantana

Citrus Lantana

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