Sunday Morning Garden Chat: Garden in Progress

Lyrebird, Please send us pictures of your bounty. I love fresh tomatoes but this year I’ll probably buy at the local stand. I still have spring cleanup to do.

Earth Day

The first Earth Day was a big event at San Jose State University.

Senator Gaylord Nelson was a 1939 graduate of SJSU and the mastermind behind many earth friendly laws.

History of Earth Day:
Gaylord Nelson, an SJSU alumni, was the mastermind behind the first Earth Day celebration in 1970. After graduating from SJSU in 1939 (at the time it was still San Jose College), Nelson went on to get a Master’s degree in Law at the University of Wisconsin. Fast forward to 1962, Nelson was elected to the U.S. Senate and was the representative for the state of Wisconsin for 18 years. During his time in office, he wrote legislation to develop a national hiking trail system and sponsored/cosponsored several important environmental legislation laws. His continuous environmental efforts led to further legislation including the Environmental Protection Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Clean Air Act.

Nelson took the senate seat in Washington during the time of the Vietnam War. Inspired by anti-war activists, he organized an enormous grassroots demonstration focusing on environmental issues. April 22, 1970 marked the first Earth Day and successfully demonstrated the nationwide concern for environmental degradation. Each year since 1970, Earth Day has been celebrated around the world.

Way back then we knew that unless drastic changes were made humans were going to kill earth as we knew it. The student union was filled with educational displays about a catastrophic future. The Washington Post Magazine today is filled with articles about sea levels raising, glaciers melting, storms getting stronger and forests dying. Not unlike what I learned about in 1970.

Of course, Trump (the know all on all subjects) says he doesn’t believe our Government Scientists. Impeach him just on this immoral leadership.

@rikyrah: Good morning.

I put my maters in the ground last week: 3 Mushroom Basket, 3 Wood’s Famous Brimmer, 2 Pink Brandywine, 4 Amana Orange, 4 Green Zebra, 4 Mallorcan, 1 Yellow Pear, 2 Bumble Bee, 2 Amish Paste. Some of the strongest plants I’ve ever grown. I did something different, too bad I have no idea what it was. I usually have more Grape/Cherry maters but of the 4 Yellow Pear starts I had, 1 didn’t make it, 2 I gave to a friend who, after I made the mistake of giving her an extra last year, requested more this year. None of my A Grappoli D’Inverno from last years seeds made it :-(. I had started 4 Orange Icicles to go with 4 Amish Paste and ended up with just the 2 AP. Not near enough paste tomatoes for me so I went up to the MFA and got 6 Romas to fill out my canning needs. Picked up another Brandywine too.

The Mushroom Basket and Woods Famous Brimmers are both new to me so I’m looking forward to seeing how they do. Really excited to find the Mallorcans, I’ve been looking for them for some time. Last year none of my Green Zebras made it so their return makes me very happy (I loves their citrusy flavor and neon green flesh).

Got a couple of dueling Barred Owls outside my window right now. All is well in Ozarkistan.

@OzarkHillbilly: One year I grew green zebras and they do have a magnificent flavor.

An ongoing series of bomb blasts struck luxury hotels and churches across Sri Lanka on Sunday. At least 140 people and 560 have been injured in the coordinated terror attacks, which have put the entire country on lock-down.

The first wave of attacks struck at the heart of the country’s minority Christian community during busy Easter services at churches in the cities of Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa on Sunday morning.

@raven: Betty put up a post below. It’s so sad.

@Raven: Some horrific incidents need repeating. I’m sure that trump will tweet his regrets soon.

@OzarkHillbilly: Yellow Pears are my favorite. Our neighbor’s daughter used to love to eat them straight from the vine when she was just a little thing and would come over to “help” with the garden. She called them “the yellow bells”.

My grandfather always grew them, and saved seeds got passed down year by year.

@JPL: I was going to say no, because it’s brown people from what he considers a shithole country. But if it was Muslims at fault, he’s going to use it for propaganda and more.

I am fighting weeds mostly these days. Does anyone have a strategy for dealing with wild violets? They are multiplying across all of my front beds. They look pretty in bloom, but if I don’t slow them down, I will have nothing but wild violets.

@OzarkHillbilly: thanks!

@Lapassionara: I had something pop up in one of my sunny beds last year, rather delicate foliage but just taking over that bed. BUT… The day lillies don’t seem to mind it at all (yet anyway) and neither does another bulb (which I have forgotten it’s name of course) appear to. I have some blazing star there that has yet to pop above the growth but I am betting it won’t care either because I suspect this “weed” is shallow rooting.

@Immanentize: satby dozed off between her last comment and this one. If I remember, late wilt struck a few of my plants that year too. Cooler wet weather helps the spores spread. I didn’t know then but there’s a site you can watch to see if there’s an outbreak in your area, and this article here talks more about preventing it.

@Immanentize: I continue to try to finish murdering my forsythia planted too near the house on both sides 😄. Like wisteria, it keeps sending out new shoots. After I cut it down I should have tried to dig out the roots, which were at least 10 years old and big; but I just planted around the perimeter. So later I may have to just dig the whole foundation bed out and start over. Intend to do the same with the evergreens in front.

My patio herb garden is doing well, we had a late frost that bit a few peppers that had to be replaced.

@satby:
Forsythia are persistent. I dug one out, (behind an air conditioning unit)…. Well I thought I had but I had to battle the root remains for a couple more years.

Roses. I mentioned I transplanted some volunteers, but two of them are hardy root stock, but not very nice roses. I am taking your advice — ripping those out and buying new.

But one is a beautiful lavender drift rose bush. I need to figure out how to propagate that one.

@Immanentize: I have tried Rutgers several times, partly because my parents and one sister went there, but they’ve (the tomato plants) never done well for me, alas. Had wonderful results with Azoychka last year.

I planted petunias, mulched and weeded yesterday and picked up oranges that had lingered at the top of the tree, too high for picking. Its covered in blossoms and smells lovely. Milkweed is sending up shoots and has is increased a lot over the year. The hollyhocks are staring to bloom and if I’m up for it after the Easter meal, I’ll seed start some nasturtiums and zinnias.

@jeffreyw: @Immanentize: So beautiful! Perhaps you would consider putting in a nice garden bench for us to sit on when we spend the day in your peaceful garden.

@satby: Thank you for this info. I suspect this blight might be what attacked my tomato plants two years ago. I’ll keep the preventative measures in mind,

@O. Felix Culpa: Well Rutgers were NJ designed for Campbell Soup, I think, and mostly then for the old New York farmers. Maybe my climate is more in sync?

@WaterGirl: One of my brothers lived in Aurora. Near the casino. While at the laundromat, waiting for his pantalones to dry, he’d frequently order some tamales from a woman who took face-to-face orders from everyone wearing their mismatched clothing bits (hey, it’s laundry day), go home to cook up the orders, and deliver them piping hot. He said they were the best thing he ever ate.

@WaterGirl: you meant that for Ozark, didn’t you ? 😃

@satby:
I’ve let one of my Forsythia plants (down to 2 finally) grow a bit too big. It’s time to cut all the woody parts to the ground and see what comes back.

My service berry tree (I trained it up) is also in bloom!

Asked and answered.

@OzarkHillbilly: Not to mention the torture inflicted when we walk down the drive to get the mail!

@satby: Can’t have. I am permanently relegated to the Group W bench.

@jeffreyw: It’s beautiful.

@jeffreyw:

I’m so envious. I don’t even know if we have crocuses because of all the wet leaves covering every outdoor surface. We had an early snowfall and it never melted.

@jeffreyw: No, for being a public nuisance. My 2 sons were bonus points.

@OzarkHillbilly: Are they on the Group W bench, too? There are disturbing implications, if so.

@jeffreyw: One is my left hand, the other is my right hand, and neither knows what the other is doing.

Last year, truth be told, my potato crop was less than above reproach.

This year, determined to avoid last year’s mistake of planting them on the Fourth of July, revive an old timey family tradition and not let the uneighbors know I remain capable of physical work (they might ask me for some help), I stealthily spaded the spuds in under the light of the Good Friday moon.

Yesterday, aching from my midnight exertions, I trudged up to West of Eden to survey the fruits of my labor. Only to be greeted by my neighbor DeeDee Plorable and her new boyfriend Stewart Pid, Phil Anders having been booted for alllegedly having cheated with his wife. Stewart festooned in his red MAGA cap informed me that rodents had been digging in my garden.
Oh, well.

@oldgold:

Stewart festooned in his red MAGA cap informed me that rodents had been digging in my garden.

So he informed on himself? That was kind.

Man, most of a pot of coffee drunk and still feeling sleepy. May not be that productive of a day if this keeps up.

@satby

Coincidentally enough, just a few minutes ago included this among a small order of assorted goodies.

An enjoyable footy weekend so far: TOON’s Ayoze Perez pirouettes, leaps, and pounces to his first hattrick, 3-1 against Southampton; proving the rule that any given team in the Prem can beat any other team, which rule is nearly always used to excuse ManU losing, Everton absolutely crushes United 4-0, during which Lukaku has the grace not to score against his old side; and I suspect Liverpool will have very little trouble with Cardiff City today, kickoff shortly. Arse game is on the stream side which is annoying as it’s against Palace,an unpredictable lot, also kickoff shortly.
In the garden, the heliotrope azalea, at about 8 feet, completely overruns the 7.5 foot holly. The red azalea next to it will start blooming one day after the heliotrope starts to fade, making one’s eyeballs twist. Owing to unspeakable arthritis in both hip joints I am unable to do much of anything but dream: bareroot columbines await planting by…somebody, and I have high hopes of a bright yellow foxglove returning soon.

@NotMax: that might just lure me away from my snooty bone china 😂!

@TomatoQueen:
I think the problem at United is the first team, whose mismanagement began during Sir’s declining years in charge. The run of poorly thought-out signings began during that decline, and has continued through all the managers since. Ole needs to break free of his Sir Alex worship if he’s to be the manager United need. He needs to make clear that poor performances on the pitch are not a good way to negotiate oneself a better contract.

@frosty

Creeping phlox?

@frosty: I can’t remember — are you in Texas? If so, Neil Sperry’s, “Complete Guide to Texas Gardening” is a must for such problems.

I dragged my large self watering pots into position and put the potting soil back in them but it’s too wet to plant. I bagged it all up last to keep it from getting soggy but we had a lot of snow and where I stored the bags apparently had a lot of drifts, so soggy soil resulted. I really wanted to plant peas even though it’s a bit late here. The sudden onset of heat sometimes makes them iffy but my husband loves them so much I try anyway

I’m contemplating getting my other knee replaced in June so I’ll talk to the surgeon at my 6 week post-surgery appointment this coming Thursday. It’s not as bad as the other was but bad enough (he told my husband that one had much worse arthritis than the X-rays suggested and I’m sure that’s true for the remaining natural knee). We’ve met the annual deductible, my office will be closed for 3.5 weeks in June to move it, so why wait until next spring like I was originally thinking? I’m not yet fully functional on the first knee but the PT thinks I will be more than good enough by then. Then it’s just one year of trying to get fully back into ski condition instead of two.

@jeffreyw: Is that on your property???? If so, holy cow-ski! I will not only come for dinner, I will stay for the week just walking your property and sitting on benches. (Fine print: not just dinner, but all meals.)

@WaterGirl: Yes, it’s ours to hold and to mow until death do us part. We dug the pond a few years after we moved out here, it’s about an acre.

Here in SW W Va, the redbuds have done a great job, but the leaves are coming on now, so the blooms are being concealed and will fall soon. Our remaining wild dogwoods (there is some kind of blight for those, dammit!) are doing great. The Service berry trees didn’t bloom this spring, for some reason.

The daffydills were great, are nearly all gone now but for a few late bloomers scattered in. We inherited old beds of double-bloom daffodils when we bought the old farm and shack, and when we moved into the 1994 newer home we built, we dug those beds and put them in along the driveway to the new house, up in the woods. So now we have more than hundreds along that drive.

Virginia Bluebells are doing well. White violets are thriving around the (le mort) pond, it has a leak and needs dug up and rebuilt, is about 16×8 feet between the front door and the cliff, is there because a spring formed the first rainy season after we moved in, it intercepts all that water and throws it away from the house foundation.

My cultivated Ramps (a slightly pungent wild leek common in the eastern mountains) are dong quite well. No blooms, but tasty spring tonic greens. I commonly buy ramps from roadside sellers, eat some, plant some. We can support a couple of meals from the forest floor around the house. Ramps were once ubiquitous but were harvested to extinction in may rural areas as people attempted to not starve during the depression events caused by unregulated capitalism. Still common (so far) in the higher mountains of WV, and I’m doing my part to reestablish them locally.

The moss covered boulders are glowing velvety green goodness, and the ferns all appear to have survived the winter, such as it was. Maidenhair ferns are the last to show. Japanese painted ferns are thick in one spot, a couple of tiny bits in other fern beds are coming along. Ostrich ferns, autumn ferns, locally common wild ferns, all doing well.

We bought a few trillium plants, we had a bunch that grew with Jack-in-the -pulpits, both of which have evidently moved on. They are repeating flowers by virtue of going to seed. The Jacks have pretty big seeds which move downhill mostly, and are spread more widely by birds. It’s been cool and rainy here since Friday, which was needed, it’s been pretty dry here.

That’s the spring wilderness garden report for this week. For Cynthia doesn’t seem to be a problem plant here, was a favorite among the family places in the old home town, we don’t have any here but some neighbors have enough. We make do with spring daffydills in various shades of yellow and cream.

We are fortunate to have close friends on both sides who garden in a big way, so we inherit fresh foods from their efforts. We live in deep shade with no space for actual food gardening, would need a serious fenced plot to do so… Stalag-style fences to keep out marauding vegan deer packs.

@debbie: Those people are blasphemers and must endure punishment.