Lawdamercy, what have I allowed to occur?! The whole heritage apple orchard was largely overrun last year by a wild hops vine, hence the twistiness of all those trees, but this!!—THIS will require some cleaning to sort out scion from rootstock and figure out which cuts I’ll need to make this year.
The Distinct Leaf Scar of the Paw Paw Tree
Once you’ve seen it, you’ll always recognize it. North America’s largest native fruit tree, and an escapee from the tropics: Asimina triloba, commonly known as the Paw Paw.
Hazelnuts Hurting Themselves
Crossed branches on one of our hazelnut bushes. The rubbing is creating damage and an entryway for disease, so it’ll have to be cleaned up. This will be this bush’s 3rd year on the property, I think. Looking forward to some hazelnuts before too long!
Elderberries Waking Up
Not a good sign: these things are actually pushing leaves, and we’re still two weeks away from February!
Snake Sighting in the Heirloom Apple Orchard
It was so warm today, I went out looking and sure enough, saw this little dude (or dudette). S/he lives somewhere near the Rosa rugosa in the heirloom apple orchard.
More Straw for the Yard & Garden
I’d LITERALLY just cleaned out Dr Frasier Crane after my trip up north and here I junk him up again! Picked up more straw from Abbot’s: we need it to cover grass seed in the front yard and for our large raised bed, “The Barge.”
Bird Tracks in the Snow
The birds have been out scratching for seed, and they should be finding some! We’re putting out a cup every day for them.
Bumbling Around on Monday
I’m indoors mostly today, sadly, with lots of boring house chores to finish, but the weather is beautiful (if a little chilled) so we’ve opened the windows and set about our tasks. I did manage to get out for a little bit this morning though and saw this fellow/gal bumbling around the flowering cherry tree….
Why On Earth Would You Do This To Your Yard?
Being the First Part of an Update for Fall Despite living and gardening on Main Street, SoBo, just a few blocks from churches, an upscale neighborhood, local government offices, downtown restaurants and businesses, I confess that our yard has, over the months, at times, just a little bit, to some people’s eyes, looked, well…a little…
Maybe It’s Mayhaws
Are any of my Southern gardener friends out there growing Mayhaws? Crataegus sp. is one fruit-bearing member of the Rosacea family I don’t have; I’m pretty well-stocked on apple varieties, have a hawthorne (Crataegus azarolus) yet to plant, and just added “Jubilee” Rosa rugosa from Burpee (also, yet to plant). Ison’s Nursery out of Georgia is…
The End Game of Gardening
It’s the Simple Pleasures This morning, I took a break from stacking wood to make myself a snack. I pulled a persimmon out of the fridge, two slices of rosemary toast from the oven, and green tea with honey from the microwave. As I sat at our kitchen table in the winter morning sun it occurred to me that…
A Drop in the Rain Barrel
A Small Success We just enjoyed about 16 hours of rain and it couldn’t have come at a better time. I’d just about emptied our “rain barrels” in recent weeks watering in all the new trees, vines, and bushes I’ve planted (72!). Now I have 96 gallons of fresh, nitrogen-rich rain water ready for several weeks…
The Main Street Gardener 