Phaedra's 2023 Adventure

[Phaedra]

I started summer pruning and prepared those stems for the compost.

 

[Phaedra]

The collections are having progress.

We have good amount of rain, just lacking the warmth.

Sunflowers are growing actively, although the sunlight hours are not as many as the first half of July. I removed some of them and cut the stems into pieces for composting.

 

[Dahlia]

The collections are having progress.
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We have good amount of rain, just lacking the warmth.
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Sunflowers are growing actively, although the sunlight hours are not as many as the first half of July. I removed some of them and cut the stems into pieces for composting.
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Phaedra, your pictures are so amazing! You could add blank note cards with your beautiful pictures printed on the outside to your future shop!

 

[Phaedra]

Phaedra, your pictures are so amazing! You could add blank note cards with your beautiful pictures printed on the outside to your future shop!

Thank you, @Dahlia! Sometimes, I am a bit worried that my photos might be too many and annoying.

 

[Dahlia]

Thank you, @Dahlia! Sometimes, I am a bit worried that my photos might be too many and annoying.

It could never happen! I think everyone loves to see them!

 

[Phaedra]

The rainy and windy days remain, so I could only work during the pauses, mostly pruning. However, I had a lot of seedlings and cuttings waiting; I finished most of them this morning.

Let me share the charming Calla Lilies 'Captain Rosette' - my 2023 favorite variety in the cut flower patch. I am keeping them in the pots (to avoid them from voles) and feeding them every several weeks. Hopefully, I can multiply them successfully in some more years.

Newbies that are waiting to be transplanted or turned into cuttings, checked.

Petunia cuttings, my first trial - 9 among 10 survived and rooted well. I changed them into 7cm nursery pots. I plan to have them growing in the window box of my shop.

I cut and prepared the upper parts of potted basils into cuttings right after taking them home. They usually root within two weeks in the water and can be transplanted into areas with some shades before they are further established.

One of the Azaleas I divided from one pot and prepared as a Bonsai -

One day, I shared a lesson I learned from plants with DH. Through the years, I am no longer the person I used to be. Parts of me died and are forever gone, but meanwhile, parts of me are sprouting, growing, and trying to embrace what is brought into my journey.

This Azalea reminds me again about that lesson.

Another hour of manual hard work - pruning for the next batch of compost

I am thinking of the 'support species' in the Permaculture that people use to cut back and let them become nutrition for other fruit trees. It isn't easy to carry such a method in our garden, but some plants, like Forsythia, might play a similar role. They produce so many new shoots and easily become monsters. However, those green woods are wonderful materials for adding to the compost.

I also cleaned up some sunflowers these days and cut the stems into smaller pieces. Well, with all those green, brown materials and chicken manure - I am confident about a self-sufficient compost supply for next year.

 

[Cosmo spring garden]

Thank you, @Dahlia! Sometimes, I am a bit worried that my photos might be too many and annoying.

Never! I wish I could clone you so
one of you can come help me

 

[SPedigrees]

Sometimes, I am a bit worried that my photos might be too many and annoying.

NEVER! I love to look at your beautiful flower photos.

 

[flowerbug]

...I am thinking of the 'support species' in the Permaculture that people use to cut back and let them become nutrition for other fruit trees.

commonly called "Chop and drop." in an arid climate it's very very useful to have any kind of shade and windbreak but also to have any kind of organic matter helping to hold in moisture and also for the humic acids which help offset the alkaline nature of many arid soils.

life supports life. we just help it along as best we can and try to pay attention...

It isn't easy to carry such a method in our garden, but some plants, like Forsythia, might play a similar role. They produce so many new shoots and easily become monsters. However, those green woods are wonderful materials for adding to the compost.

they're so pretty in the spring with those bright yellow flowers.

 

[Phaedra]

I have picked some harvest today and felt so content.

I love our runner beans!

The lemon balm leaves I collected on Monday are fully dried, so I ground and stored them in a jar. Then, I picked again some sage, mint, and raspberry leaves.

I harvested more scallions, too. It's really nice to have an outdoor working bench where I can directly clean the veggies and immediately recycle the water.

Life is quiet and pleasant.