In The Pink & A Winner!

There’s plenty of pink in the garden this spring.  I expect the pink Candytuft to explode later; but in the meantime…

Azalea – George L. Taber

 

Peach – O’Henry

 

Camellia – Mrs. Tingley

 

Christmas Cactus – Nutty Screwy

This weekend

• The espalier lines were tightened after all the tie downs were removed.  Not many blossoms were sacrificed. 
• Tomatoes from last summer were brought out of the freezer in order to make some garlic heavy spaghetti sauce.  Italian parsley and Thyme from the garden added to the seasoning.
• Scare tape was hung above the hanging plants to encourage the twitterpated mourning doves to build their nests elsewhere.
• The garden fence was washed down in anticipation of Farmer MacGregor’s paintbrush.  Rain prevented the application of paint.

 

The winner of the Hometown Seeds Kitchen Herb Value Pack is Donna.  Congratulations Donna.  Please send me an email so I can make arrangements for delivery of the seeds to your garden.

You Ain’t Nothing But Trash

The camellias have bloomed beautifully this winter.  They were planted in October 2009; so in just a little over a year these young Mrs. Tingley’s (Camellia Japonica) have exploded.  As the blooms faded, they get a bit yellow, then orange, then brown.  Some drop to the ground while others hang on till the bitter end.  I asked someone that enters camellia shows (just like her award winning grandfather did) if I should remove the fading buds and rake the fallen blooms away.  She recommended to keep the camellia beds clean of any litter to prevent any blight or the spread of blight.

Since the snow level is almost kissing the valley floor, this afternoon was the perfect time to get out and rake without even the thought of sweating.  Crap.  It was pretty stinking cold.  The cold temperature encouraged me to finish the task of cleaning the camellia bed faster than I normally would.  The pink petals matched the color of my nose and cheeks (both sets). 

It’s some of the prettiest yard trash I’ve ever collected.  Now turning yard trash into compost is my next gardening effort.  Better to keep my yard waste in my garden than to donate it to the local green waste facility AND pay to have it hauled away.

Costco (Yes – I’m a member.  Some think this is only for the privileged.  Don’t ask.) now has all of its gardening related stuff in stock.  One item I’m considering is a tumbler composter.  I would prefer a portable type but really haven’t found a suitable composter.  The Lifetime Composter they are selling is $98.99 with an 80 gallon capacity.  All the reviews mark this as a great buy.  I’ll give up portability for a sturdy good buy unless someone screams in with a negative review in the meantime.

Grafting Espalier Fruit Trees

Okay.  I’m beginning my adventures in grafting.  Two of my espaliered (Am I even using that Frenchy word correctly?  I know what I mean.) fruit trees are a little sparse with their lateral branches.  My goal this year is to learn how to graft.  I’ve never done it before – ever; so I’m a bit apprehensive hoping that I don’t cause damage at worst or the grafts don’t take at least.  So here I go into my exploration.

My tool was a pair of sharp, disinfected pruning shears.  Making a clean, sterile cut helps the odds of this experiment working.

The O’Henry Peach Tree is in need of two lateral branches.  When the tree was planted as a bare root there weren’t any lower branches and none have sprouted in the two years it has been in the garden.  Two sprouts with buds were clipped and placed in a labeled plastic bag and sealed.

The Fantasia Nectarine is in need of three lateral branches.  One of the middle branches was removed because it died.  I think it may have suffered sunburn…not sure.  The same clean cuts were made on the nectarine just like the peach.

The cuttings are in the garage refrigerator.  I was instructed to let them rest there until the buds on the trees begin to swell sometime in February. 

Courtesy Gardening Know How

 

At that point, I make a “T” cut on the tree where I would like to make the graft.  I’m getting several bits of advice for the next step.  Do I use wax, tar, or foil to seal the graft?  The image above suggests to simply bind the graft with some twine.  My research continues. 

 

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Now I need to consider espaliering (How do you correctly use that Frenchy word?!) the camellias.

Crop Review 2010 – Camellias

In October of 2009, Mrs. Tingley (Camellia Japonica) Camellias were purchased from Nuccio’s in Altadena, California.  After over a year of growth in the garden, the plants are finally popping!  Even though these shrubs were planted in 2009, they’re included in the 2010 review to mark the 1st of many Decembers to be full of camellia blossoms.

 

• ease to grow - Fairly easy.  Each plant is in rich, well drained, acidic soil.  These plants are on the north side of a very tall wall.  When summer sun threatens to burn the vegetation, a temporary shade is erected for the summer. There is hardly any maintenance with this plant.  Removing the occasional weed and pruning out any unwanted stems is about all the maintenance needed.  Fertilizing is recommended April, June, August, and October…just don’t over feed.  Don’t over water either.
• pest & disease resistance – So far, I haven’t noticed any pests or diseases at all.  The shrubs were dormant sprayed during the winter.  Having a hardy plant is a huge bonus. 
• appearance  - Are you kidding me?!  Just look at that soft pink color.  The bushes are still a bit immature to make a striking appearance.  I was considering pruning these as espalier; but ended up keeping with the natural growth.
• production – Each bush produced only leaves during it’s 1st year in the garden.  During the 2nd year, blossoms are popping!  Blooms are expected to continue into April. If you need immediate gratification, you may want to consider something else; but to have beautiful blossoms all winter long seems like it’s worth it.
• scent - I haven’t noticed any scent with this variety.

 

   

My rating for the Mrs. Tingley is 4 out of 5 flowers because there is no scent.  Being unscented may be a bonus to you so add another flower if you like.