Tag: In The Garden

Strawberries Round Two

The strawberry plants I bought for BG look like they are going to put on another round of strawberries now that we are starting to cool off again. She only got maybe half a dozen the first round, so she is really excited to see a berry again.

It was a fun experiment that I’m going to expand for her if I can manage it. I’m going to make sure she has more than just a couple of plants next year. Ones that have their own little bed instead of struggling in a pot. I’d really love to give her enough space for a lot of these, I just haven’t quite worked out the logistics of doing so.

For now, it looks like the ones in the pot are still doing well enough and I have time to figure out how to give her more.

Lemon Tree Progress

Remember all those lemon trees I sprouted last year?

Baby Lemon Trees
Baby Lemon Trees

I’m slowly but surely getting mini-trees out of them.

I am down to only 5 of the original 14 or so that sprouted. I had a couple of pots that the plants just refused to grow in and others that just never got healthy. Of those 5, only two have grown nice and tall and look really healthy. In the other group of three, two have still stayed small and one that has gotten taller, but the leaves look like they are struggling. The fact that I still have any at all is shocking, so I’m just giddy.

Today I transplanted them from the pots they were in (some were sharing a pot) into bigger ones to give them more room and to, hopefully, allow those that don’t look as good to get a little more breathing space.

I also just realized today that lemon trees apparently have thorns. I had no clue that was a thing.

The one that is really thriving the best (top image) is now about 10 inches tall. The other one that is also doing well is only a couple inches shorter. I may still lose the smaller ones, but I’m hoping the transplant today will help their chances. The fact I haven’t killed them yet is amazing!

Strawberry Season

The strawberry plants I bought for BG are putting on berries. She’s been able to pick probably a half dozen or so. Just enough for everyone to have a taste and for her to have a treat here and there.

Three plants won’t be enough to have a large batch, but she has been having a blast going out and checking every day to see if she has one ready to pick. It has been fun to watch her enjoy it and 3 plants in a pot is easy enough to take care of.

I should have enough lettuce and spinach for a salad or two soon as well. That has definitely been a learning experience. I really enjoy the idea of having a few things like this growing. I just need to figure out a better place than these pots if I want a few more next year.

I don’t want a full blown garden, but these little bits have been fun.

Dianthus

I still have to get these and my lavender in the ground. That is my goal for the day and hopefully the ground isn’t too wet.

The one issue is that I have to be careful where I plant my lavender because I can’t actually be around it for any length of time or it will trigger a migraine. I love lavender, though, so I could no pass up having some. I just have to make sure it’s where I can see it more than smell it.

My lettuce and spinach seeds have already started sprouting in my indoor pots and the larger pot outside is sprouting one, but the other hasn’t started yet. I think it is the spinach, but it is still too small to tell and I didn’t mark the sides, because of course that would be the smart thing!

My shasta daisy seeds also haven’t sprouted yet, but I didn’t expect them to just yet.

I am probably going to have to do a major thinning on my irises once they are done blooming. They have absolutely filled the areas I currently have them planted in. While it is good in that it creates a perfect barrier for any weeds, it is also not good in that they are beginning to encroach on some other plants I have in the same beds.

The display is absolutely gorgeous though!

Iris Flower Bed
Iris Flower Bed

Pale Purple Iris

This particular iris is interesting because I have two that are near each other and almost the same color, except this one is a little bit paler. The other one’s color is more even and doesn’t lean towards white on the lower petals. The differences are extremely subtle and you wouldn’t notice them unless you were right up on them. I’m not certain if they are the same but presenting different for some reason, or if they are actually different types that just look very much alike.

In all, if you count these as two different ones, I think I have 4 different purple classic irises. I have a dark purple, a medium purple and these two different pale purple ones. The dark has several buds on it and will be open soon. The medium are still a ways off.

I have a few other colors and a siberian iris that are also still a ways off. The ones that are currently open are my white, the purple and cream, the pale purple, my one rust colored one and the dual color mauve/rusty one that photographs amazingly well (have yet to post a photo of that one this season).

I so desperately want to go and get some more flowers to plant, because these aren’t going to last long, but… I’m just not sure if I’m desperate enough. Hubby suggested I go early morning during the week, so I’m considering it. The area I live in is still relatively untouched by the virus, so the risk is lower than in a lot of areas. That is the only reason I’m even considering it. Whatever I decide, it won’t be over the weekend. Not with Mother’s day tomorrow. That isn’t a crowd I want to even contemplate.