Phaedra's 2023 Adventure

[baymule]

I just had an I, one that you might have already thought of. Since you propagate your already established plants, take pictures of the blooms and put the pictures in the plant display so people know the colors of the flowers. You might not always have blooms available for display.

 

[Phaedra]

I just had an I, one that you might have already thought of. Since you propagate your already established plants, take pictures of the blooms and put the pictures in the plant display so people know the colors of the flowers. You might not always have blooms available for display.

Yes, I have the same thought, so far I took a lot of photos for this purpose. Also for some seeds~

It could be a lovely small business, can't wait.

 

[Phaedra]

It's harvest day again, and there is a lot of food. Some of the harvest today is to create space for the interplanting crops.

The leaf chards look pretty, but their leaves are too big.

After picking the outer leaves and harvesting scallions (re-grew from the supermarket scallions), the outdoor tomatoes, okra, and soybeans have much better space.

I chopped the scallions and green onions, spread them on a tray, and sent them into the freezer. After two hours, they are ready to be stored in a bag. With this method, they will remain loose and very easy to use in the future.

The fresh veggies and flowers for our neighbor~

The mini cucumbers should be ready in another few days.

Cauliflowers are on the way.

Hopefully, I can harvest some good grapes this year.

 

[digitS']

Yes, I have the same thought, so far I took a lot of photos for this purpose. Also for some seeds~

It could be a lovely small business, can't wait.

Something that you may already know:

Commercial greenhouses spray plants with a growth suppressant. This allows them to bloom without suppressing their time for blooming (or suppressing it much). The result is tiny plants in bloom.

The customers may be accustomed to buying plants already in bloom. I'm not sure of the significance of the spray but some customers may prefer that the plants, and even ornamentals, are organically grown and not sprayed. They would also be more likely to grow better if not blooming for the first few weeks of being set out. But, photos might really help with sales.

Steve

 

[Phaedra]

Forest Garden Patch N°1

This year, one of my primary focuses has been plant propagation. Whether through seeds, cuttings, runners, tubers, basal or side shoots, I've dedicated myself to honing this skill. Through extensive practice, I've successfully grown numerous young plants without spending any money.

As my gardening knowledge and experience have grown, I've begun to tackle landscaping projects on the west and south sides of the garden. Creating new flowering borders or patches requires a substantial number of plants. Whenever I watch 'Love Your Garden' hosted by Alan Titchmarsh on ITV, I'm always amazed by the number of plants needed for each garden renovation, often numbering in the hundreds.

With our garden situated on slopes, we face the challenge of transforming this predicament into a blessing while minimizing costs. Drawing from the lessons learned through trial and error in previous years, the concepts of forest gardens and food forests emerge as our potential saviors.

(volunteer comfrey, I dug them out and relocated them.)

A pretty leggy Lilac growing from a runner - I dug it out, trimmed it back to half height, and repotted it. After two months, the new roots are growing well. So, let's move to a new paradise!

During digging, I 'harvested' some old bricks from the soil, so....I just used them as a border.

I'm simultaneously working on two areas. This one on the southern border is nearly complete after some hard work. This patch now boasts over 30 plants, including fruit trees, berries, shrubs, flowering perennials/annuals, potatoes, pumpkins, volunteer tomatoes, comfrey, and various herbs.

The plants look a bit sad due to the transplantation shock. They will perk up soon.

From the other side - everything was transplanted from somewhere else in this garden.

In short, in this Patch N°1:

Canopy layer: 3 Japanese Plums 'Fortune' (such a lovely name, isn't it?)
Lower Tree layer: black elderberry, lilac
Shrub layer: Blueberries, gooseberries, gojiberry, roseX2
Herbaceous perennials: sedum, aster, dahlias, echinacea, wild sage, geranium (needs to dig out for overwinter) and various herbs (Sage, Clary Sage, St. John's Wort, Basils, Lavender, Anise Hyssop, Catnips)
Rhizosphere: Garlic, Potatoes, Comfrey
Ground Cover: Strawberries, Pumpkins
Vertical/Climber: GrapeX2
Annual plants: nasturtium, volunteer cosmos, snapdragons, pansy, volunteer tomatoes, sunflowers, foxtail amaranth,

I am proud of myself again.

Let's see how far this gardening project can go.

The next step is to turn this slope into several mini terraces.

 

[baymule]

This is fun! Your beds have such a mix of plants, it will be interesting to watch them grow. I love your brick borders!

 

[Phaedra]

This is fun! Your beds have such a mix of plants; it will be interesting to watch them grow. I love your brick borders!

Yes, I am happy to see they already perk up today. I plan to turn the entire patch on the slope into a productive area.

 

[Phaedra]

Terrace on Slope N°1

Okay, so DH and I decided to try something on our sloped garden. Terracing seems like a practical solution.

The first terrace is right below the Forest Garden Patch N°1, located on the top of the southern border. As we have a lot of old pavers from the renovation, we dug a small trench and used them as the wall.

The initial earthwork was done, and we added some homemade compost to the created surface. I will use cardboard to create a layer that blocks the light for the weeds underneath and then add new soil and more compost.

Can't wait to say hello to our first terrace.

 

[Phaedra]

Terrace on Slope N°1, DONE!

I can’t wait to complete the creation of this Terrace N°1. After breakfast, I used the greywater for the flower bed and began selecting plants from various garden corners.

Since the chosen spot basks in almost full sun, only plants that thrive in such intense and extended sunlight hours were potential candidates.

The fortunate ones to occupy this terrace are Dahlias, Asters, Chrysanthemums, and overwintered Chili Plants, totaling 8 pots. DH brought me a pack of peat-free soil and homemade compost, setting the stage for the show to begin.

Considering the need to maintain both flower beds, I used another three old pavers.

So, 7 were transplanted due to the limited space instead of 8. However, I have plenty of spare seedlings to fill the gaps: Tomatoes from suckers, Marigolds(Tagetes tenuifolia), Petunia, and self-seeded pansies. Besides, I also transplanted the leeks bought from the supermarket. They regrew in one raised bed happily and are about to blossom now.

I chose two different colored Petunia (sown in mid-May) and hoped they would grow like a small curtain from this terrace to the next.

Tagetes tenuifolia, the seedlings are cute.

The Terrace N°1 was done, and I am satisfied with the final presentation.

 

[digitS']

You know, Phaedra ...

Europe has some problems with invasive North American species. But, it's nice to see "American" flowers in your garden!

Shasta daisies and Gaillardia ... others . Hey! If you want to see a picture of the mountain that was the source of the name "Shasta," here's a LINK. When you arrive in California, on the interstate highway from the north, this view is what you have.

Steve
sorry that you have to deal with the black locust trees, if you are not someone needing long-lasting fence posts