Yesterday we woke up bright and early, put Grady on a bus to school and went out to walk the property and prune our orchard. Yes, orchard. By definition, we have one!
orchard: noun: a place where fruit trees or nut trees are grown; also: the trees of such a place
The neglected persimmon trees were sprinkled with this gorgeous mustard-colored lichen pictured above.
lichen: noun: any of various complex lower plants made up of an alga and a fungus growing as a unit on a solid surface
We took a little inventory and we have the following:
2 persimmon trees
1 ornamental plum (my 40th birthday present last year from the guys)
1 asian pear (with two volunteers sprouting up nearby)
1 "some kind of a pear"
1 peach
3 cherry
3 dwarf or semi-dwarf apple (unknown varieties)
1 fig
1 loquat tree...I think
I found out that weeding after it rains takes far less effort than waiting until the middle of summer to start this backbreaking work. An ounce of prevention is my gardening motto this year. I must get a jumpstart on the weeds. I started by clearing out my herb bed which was overrun with mint and various weeds. I uncovered the oregano and purple sage in the bed and yanked out all of the mint tentacles as best I could. I don't mind it coming back and it doesn't mind being mostly removed. It has that kind of personality.
mint: noun: 1. a place where coins are made: 2. a vast sum: 3. of a large family of square-stemmed herbs and shrubs; esp. one with fragrant aromatic foliage used in flavoring.
Calendula, chamomile and voodoo lily volunteers are sprouting up all around the garden.
volunteer: noun: 1. a person who of his own free will offers himself for a service or duty: 2. a plant growing spontaneously esp. from seeds lost from a previous crop.
I like to use the calendula flowers in salads and for small cut arrangements. I'm happy they have sprouted up and taken over where weeds once were thriving. The voodoo lily, on the other hand, is a stinky, stinky bloom. It has this amazing deep purple petal and almost black pistil. Little bit phallic and a whole lot of dramatic.
Dracunculus vulgaris is a species of aroid in the genus Dracunculus and is known variously as the Dragon Arum, theBlack Arum, the Voodoo Lily, the Snake Lily, the Stink Lily, the Black Dragon, the Black Lily, Dragonwort, and Ragons. In Greece, part of its native range, the plant is called Drakondia, the long spadex being viewed as a small dragon hiding in the spathe.[1]
The above shots are not so glamorous, but worth mentioning. We have dozens of rotting orchard boxes that we unearthed when we moved here. They have seen better days and I'm trying to figure out a use for them in the garden.
Our handy-dandy galvanized trash can with the holes in it is where we dump our kitchen compost. I've lived here four years and have yet to make compost and use it in my garden. The books all claims its easy-peasy, but that hasn't been my experience. Could it be that because I forget to water it, turn it and add paper or twigs to it - therein lies my problem? Probably. However, this batch feels like it could actually turn into usable soil. I have big plans for it.
compost: noun: a fertilizing material consisting largely of decayed organic matter
We have been busy here and hopeful that this year will be the year of growth, bounty and lessons learned (preferably the easy way, but most likely the hard way). I've signed up again for the Virgin Harvest and hope to learn how to plant a cover crop, prune our orchard and can some peaches. I can check one thing off the list today!
flock: noun: 1. a group of birds or mammals assembled or herded together 2. a group of people under the guidance of a leader; esp: congregation 3. a large number
Next week we welcome 8 new chicks into our flock. Oh, spring. You are just around the corner.
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