Backyard Orchard and Bee/Butterfly/Hummingbird Garden

[PlainJane]

One of the pluots is being used to grow arugula as an understudy now that cooler weather is here.
The yarrow and Strawberry Blonde marigolds have perked up and the Roman Red salvia hasn’t quit all summer.

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[PlainJane]

Lemons are coloring up.

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[PlainJane]

I weeded the herb garden yesterday in prep for garlic planting and noticed the saffron crocus are starting to open.
I saved stamens from 3 and will catch the rest as they flower.

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Pole beans going strong with this moderate weather and recent rain.

[PlainJane]

Herb garden needs weeding but the garlic is coming up strong. Last pole beans still producing a bit.
The Brussels sprouts went into the ground this year instead of grow bags and are coming along.
Lots of fennel, parsley, chervil, sage, lovage going and I managed to get a few oregano seedlings to survive. Don’t know why I have trouble growing oregano from seed but there it is.

That’s Spencer next to the second fava bean crop, keeping an eye on me.

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[greenthumbomaha]

Wow your garden has really exploded since I was last able to see pictures on this site. Great selections of edibles as ornamentals! The added hardscape is just perfect too. I remember when it was kind of a older blank slate, but a fully blank slate would have actually been easier. Is it time to sit back and enjoy yet?

- Lisa

[PlainJane]

Wow your garden has really exploded since I was last able to see pictures on this site. Great selections of edibles as ornamentals! The added hardscape is just perfect too. I remember when it was kind of a older blank slate, but a fully blank slate would have actually been easier. Is it time to sit back and enjoy yet?

- Lisa

No sitting back as there is still a huge pile of stone in the middle of the lawn that has to be turned into pathways. And there’s irrigation work pending, both in the raised beds and orchard area.
It has come a long way though.

[GoDawgs]

Ah, Spencer the Supervisor! I'm sure he's quite a "helper".

It's lookin' good, PJ. Now go grab that shovel and start graveling. Oops... not today. You're probably up to your knees in rain and wind. We've got an inch so far and we're just on the western edge of this mess going up the coast.

[PlainJane]

@GoDawgs I am going crazy with this rain. Non-stop gusty downpours all weekend and since I had a guest last weekend this makes for a lot of missed gardening work.
I’ve cleaned closets, pantries junk drawers and made a vat of soup. Arrgh.

[PlainJane]

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Out here trying to weed between bouts of rain but I noticed the Kalibos cabbage is just starting to head.

[PlainJane]

The Scarlet Beauty plum is flowering and the salvia really doing well.
Mr. hummingbird appreciates them; I hear him squeaking away out there.

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[PlainJane]

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Fingers crossed that these Wurtz avocados make it.

[PlainJane]

Baby limes.

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[PlainJane]

Loaded up Scarlet Beauty plum. Only sporadic pollination on the pluots, sadly.

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[PlainJane]

Orchard in spring growth.

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[bower]

Pluots always look interesting from a northern POV. A bit of plum hardiness for the sensitive apricot? I'm curious as to the poor pollination. We have the worst late springs here so may be those are foolish dreams...

[PlainJane]

@bower, I’m having pollination issues as I don’t quite have the various bloom times synced well. I think my solution will be to put in a low chill 4-in-1 plum giving me better overlap with the pluots. Getting flowers just not a ton of fruit set. Lots of folks grow pluots in northern climates so I can’t see why you couldn’t.

[PlainJane]

It’s been so dry I’m worried about losing my first fruit on the Wurtz avocado. Think I’ll get out there with the hose today.

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[PlainJane]

New composter to replace the old rusted out Jora.
This one was a bit fiddlie to put together and had some very awkward angles for inserting screws.
Should have checked the videos first.

At least it won’t rust!

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[PlainJane]

Remaining fennel has become the swallowtail nursery.

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[PlainJane]

I couldn’t figure out what was smelling so good and it turned out to be the banana shrub (Michelia Figo).
Only one small flower is open but fragrant 4 feet away. Couple more buds swelling so that’s exciting. It’s still only about 3 ft tall.

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