Gardening

[Marsha Cassada]

I have envied peonies in people's gardens. Last fall I contacted a peony grower and asked about a variety that would grow in my area. I am so happy with it! The flowers are beautiful and so fragrant!

 

[amysue]

Those are beautiful. We had white ones in my yard as a kid. They always smelled amazing.

 

[Debby - LB]

That is so PRETTY! I love those.

 

[KLJcowgirl]

My grandma has had peonies as long as I can remember and I just adore them! Between them and the lilacs her yard smells incredible. Those were two plants I always knew I wanted in my own yard (just gotta get a yard now...) Your flower is absolutely beautiful. Almost looks like tissue paper. Congrats!

 

[paintponylvr]

I agree that flower is incredible! Peony - hmmm... May have to look into those, now too.

How are you doing with your Espaliered Apple tree (s)? did you start them yourselves from twigs or did you purchase them already started and then build supports for them? I ask as I found a nursery here in NC that sells young fruit tree trees - some have been started in Espalier fashion and I've been thinking about them...

We are building up an area circling our 60' round pen - using a combo of shredded paper, cardboard, pony manure (mostly well composted - but some not as I remove it from the round pen where we've had ponies in constant residence for a year now), chicken coop compost (AMAZING how the chickens are turning the sand under their coops into usable compost - when I add weeds, dirty hay/shavings/straw, pine straw, limited pony manure, leaves & all kitchen waste to their coops), rabbit manure/alfalfa hay. There will be "trenches" on both sides of the mounds for the tree areas that are catching the rain water - wish I'd had a little more done before this current system hit us - would have been nice to "catch" more of the run off. The trees will be a combo of actual Dwarf varieties and larger ones that we will keep well pruned to prevent them from getting over 12' tall. Hopefully, this will allow us to work with the natural water flow on our property and utilize it, give us shade while using the round pen (whether for training or "living") AND provide us with fruit! We haven't planted any trees yet, though. Getting there...

Looking at putting in a line of grapes and raspberries with other flowering plants between our driveway and the pasture fence. This would aid in the run-off from the driveway (didn't appear to be any before the storms hit last year - now it's very obvious we have quite a bit). - again retaining water & rerouting it for use to the good. And may be able to use other fruit trees along other pasture fences - also for shade & to soak up some of the excess water from rain. Right now - only installing/working on the "beds" where hoses will also reach as we don't have permanent drip lines in... (another reason starting around the round pen - I'm in that area daily - with ponies and chickens). I've got another section of fence where we are putting in black berries (thornless) have the first two - but not in the ground yet - Ouachita variety. 2 honey berries going in by our house - haven't decided exactly where just yet - they'd started blooming in February when it got warm - we were recommended at that time to put them in shade to prevent them from doing full bloom(s) and not fruiting this year. Now they need to be planted in full sun... Not sure if they will actually fruit this year or not.

Don't have a tractor right now, quotes for having someone do what I want done are higher than we've had $$ for and I'm now a lot older and not nearly as fit since I went to a varying part/full time desk job. So, we move by hand/small equipment/ponies, dig by hand and build by hand - slow going!!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

My espaliered trees are loaded with fruit again this year. I do have some gall on one of the apples. I had to send a photo to Stark, where I purchased the bare root trees, to ask what it was. I have a feeling the gall must have been on the tree originally, as there doesn't seem to be any way the bacteria could have got on it here. The other Stark apple tree does not have it. Not going to do anything right now. Some trees can survive it. If the gall girdles the trunk, it will be a goner.

BUT, I cannot prune the other trees after it without disinfecting the pruners.

 

[Cayuse]

Beautiful peony! I bet it smells heavenly.

I'm jealous, mine always have itsy bitsy ants in the blooms.

 

[REO]

That's gorgeous!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Two deer were circling the garden last night, eyeing the loaded apple trees. My husband yelled at them and waved his arms, but they just kept ogling the apples. I went out with the camera, but they had moved away by then. I know there wouldn't be an apple left on the tree if they were not enclosed in the garden.

We are eating potatoes, onions, kale, lettuce. Cherries are over. Beans are blooming. What's in your garden??

 

[candycar]

This is my gardening effort this year. It breaks up the big white side of my garage. Two cutouts from TSC, giant zennias and paving bricks from the streets of Ashland KY that are 100+ years old. I love those bricks and have them bordering all my landscaping.

 

[Miniv]

We've pooped out on our big vegie garden this year, I'm ashamed to say.........Just have tomatoes, onions, potatoes, and some herbs growing.......but we do have plenty of flowers! Especially humming bird attracting types........IF they ever get here! I'm really upset that our normal hummers OR the swallows haven't shown up! What gives???

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Love that historical touch, and your zinnias are gorgeous. I have trouble with powdery mildew on them in my area.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

We've pooped out on our big vegie garden this year, I'm ashamed to say.........Just have tomatoes, onions, potatoes, and some herbs growing.......but we do have plenty of flowers! Especially humming bird attracting types........IF they ever get here! I'm really upset that our normal hummers OR the swallows haven't shown up! What gives???

We've had swallows, but not as many hummingbirds are usual. Usually the red yucca is a prime hummingbird attraction and I've only seen them occasionally so far. That sounds like a pretty good garden to me!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Gala apples are finished but these gold delicious are just about ready to harvest. Good apple harvest, but over all it wasn't a good garden year for me. This cucumber vine is gigantic and loaded with blossoms. I am finally getting a few, but for all the blooms it is disappointing. Lack of pollinators, I think.

 

[Cayuse]

Wow, that is a hearty looking plant! I see a sunflower peaking out, I just bought a bunch today. They make me smile. We have had a nice show of tiger lilies this year. They are just about down to their last blossoms and I will miss them when they are gone, they are my favorite flower. And our hibiscus has gone wild with huge blossoms, orange with pink centers. They are so vibrant in their coloring that they don't look real.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Sorry. The giant sunflower is tin. It goes in the garden every year. I helped judge at a Fair last week and there were two giant sunflowers entered. Also saw a field of sunflowers near us for the first time. I wonder how they are harvested?

 

[Ryan Johnson]

I had a bad last season with Cucumbers too Marsha. Your espalier trees look wonderful. My SIL has 6 of them , I pinched one of her mandarins off the tree last week and it was really nice.

Im very much looking forward to getting back out in the garden. Its been such a cold crappy winter here and I am hanging for some sunshine

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I had a bad last season with Cucumbers too Marsha. Your espalier trees look wonderful. My SIL has 6 of them , I pinched one of her mandarins off the tree last week and it was really nice.

Im very much looking forward to getting back out in the garden. Its been such a cold crappy winter here and I am hanging for some sunshine

What are the espaliered trees supported on? I am ready for a season change here, too.

 

[Ryan Johnson]

They are supported on trellis. My SIL is a horticulturist and was given them two years ago. She has pruned them right back and has been feeding them. Its amazing how much new growth and extra flowers she has this year.

 

[Cayuse]

Sorry. The giant sunflower is tin. It goes in the garden every year. I helped judge at a Fair last week and there were two giant sunflowers entered. Also saw a field of sunflowers near us for the first time. I wonder how they are harvested?[/quote
Bummer about that sunflower lol, it looks like the real deal in the picture. I wonder if the field by you is grown for seeds or for flowers? Either way, what a happy crop to grow.