What have you done today in the Garden?

AA— I’ve been saying that about Pac’s spread for a while. What you say is so true.

Daniel— mate, what do you know about Jutta Leerdam?!! You surprise me so often. It is a pleasure watching her slide.

I enjoyed seeing your piccies. You already have a great deal of flowers in bloom.
I am curious to see how the strawbs do for you this first year. What kind are they?
The rose is a real looker and those snow peas look so healthy and strong. I think a “well done” is in order here.

 

What a stunning Rose @Daniel W , it's gorgeous. Is it fragrant?

I managed a bit of a session out in the garden before our son and girlfriend arrived for their stay with us.

I started a job that I've been meaning to do for the last few weeks...cutting back the faded Hellibores blooms before their pods disperse their seeds. I still have 13 young plants that I dug up and potted up last year waiting for a permanent home.



Still have a few more to do yet before I can tick✓ the job off from my never-ending list.

 

Hahaha Sjoerd. Our water bottles are all matchy matchy. Distant cousins separated by an ocean. They do look like they want to go out and play. Your tomatoes look amazing! And so healthy!

The last two days was a lot of potting up. I'm keeping one eye on the weather and another on the pot sizes. I potted up all of the tomatoes to one gallon pots ( 20 tomatoes in all....I think if all do well my daughter will be getting some extra tomatoes, or I'll pop up my portable greenhouse - we shall see.). I potted up my dwarf Janey marigolds, and the large cabbage (OS Cross) and the Italian sprouting broccoli.

I created a hap hazard but efficient section of grow lights so that I'm not carrying any flats of plants up steep stairs. All of the flowers and veggies hang out in the kitchen now on top of my electric piano, and in the window. The tomatoes and peppers and some flowers are driven down to the greenhouse in the back of the truck, and back up before the temperature drops. They all live in my daughters room under grow lights. No one will be going out to play for a couple of days after today. We're expecting a cold front with some flurries tonight and tomorrow, then it looks like nicer weather is on the way. A couple days break of packing plants around will be good.







And in amongst the boulders that surround the house and are my flower gardens, these little gems showed up.

 

Wow look at all of those tomato plants!

Mine are due for some up-potting over the next few days.

I planted the rest of the strawberry plants. The variety is "Ozark Beauty". They are described as ever-bearing and good flavor.

I repotted the Mandevilla vines. It was interesting to discover they have tubers.



Mandevillas are sort of new to me. When I bought the first one, I didn't expect to overwinter it. Now there are two. They are ready to start a new season. I'm making it up as I go along with this one.



Not much else today.

 

Sometimes I surprise myself too LOL.

 

Today I made a new gate to veggie garden with what I had around. Sowed some spinach. Planted cabbage, kale and swiss chard seedlings.

 

I transplanted my smallest fig tree, a tissue-cultured Chicago Hardy. I think this is its second season, still quite small.

It was in a row that falls within the 5 feet to 30 feet intermediate zone for wildfire risk mitigation. And very close to the 5 foot safety zone. When I'm done, that area should be compliant with fire safety risk reduction.



I also decided to air layer branches on my favorite fig trees there, so I can plant them in the other fig tree grove. There are no fire concerns in that location Air layering should give a larger new tree, faster, and easier compared to cuttings. I'm using this method -



(He talks a lot, but it's a good description. Also, he's doing it later in the season).

Removed bark and cambium - very easy right now.




Wrapped in sandwich bag with wet potting soil.



Then I wrapped with aluminum foil, like he did.

I will do a few more tomorrow, to increase my chances of success.

I think I'll see how the other figs trees in that row, do this year. To be honest, several are not productive, or not reliably so. So why an
I keeping them? I think one is small enough to move this fall. I'll only really feel the loss with two, so I'll try the air layering.

 

Looks like you will have a clear zone and prepared for wildfire season. Good job. Especially once the metal roofing is complete all your efforts will help with fire insurance coverage rates as well a protecting your home.

Our fire insurance continues to go up. We live next to a forest. I never would have ever imagined that fire season now replacing summer would ever become a dangerous time of year , especially in the PNW.

And thank you for showing the grafting technique . Very interesting. Similar to a process I have done but I don’t use foil to seal. Never thought of that . I pack the graft lightly with damp moss, then wrap with stretch plastic wrap and secure with good ole duct tape only touching the stretch wrap.

You have a lot on your plate this summer. Keep us posted.

 

Daniel you have done well with the fire zone for your property. I've tried air layering with the tall azaleas and blueberries with no success. I watch this guy called Mike Kincaid.
He does a lot of propergation with fig trees, Rhodes and other plants.

 

Yesterday did a bit more weeding, but today it's raining so nothing at the moment.

 

I did a bit yesterday

Cut the lawn and ran the strimmer down the right edge where it meets the path. Mixed up some potting compost and grass seed for the areas where there had been some moss. Then fed everything. The azaleas surrounding the sambucas are coming out...at different times, there's plants for you.





Earlier, I sorted out the front door. It's difficult to open if there is a mat immediately behind it which has always been the case. The bottom of the door is a bit too close to the carpet, as it's fairly thick. So you have to move the mat before opening the door.
It's on top of underlay and before the new carpet went down, a decade ago, I laid hardboard over all the floorboards in the house, this provided a perfectly flat surface above the floorboards. It was always a bit of a bind moving the mat away before opening the door.

But I've sorted it. I bought a door plate from Homebase and drilled extra larger countersunk holes in it, for longer screws than the "Micky Mouse" ones provided.
Also, a new substantial door mat, which I trapped under the edge of the plate. Then screwed it down really firmly. Now the bottom of the door just brushes over the pile on the mat.
The bit of mat to the right I cut to fit is for my gardening clogs and visitors' shoes.






All this has come about as I got out our Vax "smart wash" and did the hall, lounge and dining room earlier in the week. It wasn't really that dirty, as no one walks on the carpets in shoes. But it's surprising how much dirt comes up. We've had it three years and used it now twice! I've the stairs to do. But that can wait until later in the week.

I should have got round to it years ago.

 

Looks very nice indeed @Doghouse Riley .

We don't wear outdoor shoes indoors either, but it's still surprising how much is gathered up despite daily sweeping and every other day vacuuming!!....and we're not intentionally messy people...honest!!

 

Nothing today outside it's raining, but might sow some wallflowers, haven't made up my mind yet.

 

Yes bit damp here too!!

I've pricked out and potted up the remaining Cosmos and 75 Coleus most of which are for the garden but some will be kept back as houseplants.

 

Me too, Pac. It took awhile to sink in, but I know it's true. My neighbors are still planting big rows of Leyland Cypress, and another neighbor has massive fir trees within the extended zone for my house. I can't do anything about that. The canopy is probably less than 30 feet from my house.

I decided on a bid for the metal roof. I can only do what I can do. They may be able to schedule it this week or next week.

Thank you Logan. He certainly has a lot of enthusiasm and like his fig trees! They sell those air layering balls on Amazon. I was tempted to buy one. I hope the sandwich bag method works the same.