Cold Climate Gardening

Actually found some crocuses in bloom in the lawn, which is still brown. And , a sure sign of spring in the UP, a flock of Canadien geese went over, headed north. Guess we’re going to have apring up here, even if it is going to be in the
thirtys the next few days!

Popularity: 2% [?]

When we moved into this place there were three original apple trees of undetermined origin, a pear tree of also undetermined stock, and a concord grape vine. The three apple trees continue to plug along, producing fruit, or attempting to produce, every year. Harvest from the grape vine has been erratic as well, again due mostly to late frosts in spring and early frosts in fall. Most recently the grape vine was afflicted with black rot. I used this as an excuse to move the grape vine out of its old location, which wasn’t very good in my opinion. In the process of moving the grape vine I managed to get five plantable sections . . . I could have planted more sections, but five was enough to fill up the length where I was planting.

Then there is the pear tree. Of all the original stock on this property the pear tree has been the ultimate problem child. I don’t know what variety it is. Perhaps part of the problem is that the previous owner planted a pear type that isn’t meant to grow in this climate. In any case, this pear tree was small and rather uninspiring to begin with and in the many years that we’ve lived here it produced fruit only once . . . three pears if I remember right. Sometime shortly after that point it contracted either an infestation of some time of bug or else a disease because most of the tree promptly died. But, oddly enough, not all of it. One, and only one, branch of the pear tree remained alive. As a source of amusement, and an object lesson in hope I suppose, I left this sawed-down-one-branch-stump-of-a-pear-tree supported with wire to grow or die as it would.

Popularity: 5% [?]

I finally sowed most of my seeds - 11 kinds of tomatoes, 3 types of eggplants, 5 kinds of peppers and a tomatillo. I still have to label them all - I have a detailed schematic, but if I lose that, I am in trouble. I used popsicle sticks last year, but I am out, and couldn’t get those kids in the car today.

In the mean time, I used cut up playing cards and crayons as markers. I also sowed Mexican sunflowers “Torch” , helichrysm “Bikini Mix” , matsumoto china asters, venidium zulu prince and orange prince, annual butterfly weed “silky red”, Cook’s Garden Snapdragon mix, spaeralcea incana, Blood Red Wallflower, White Stock, Hollyhock “Happy …

Popularity: 3% [?]

Has anyone besides me noticed how many different kinds of seeds The Bookish Gardener is sowing? She lists them all in the sidebar. That woman is ambitious! Where ya gonna plant them all, Chan?

Popularity: 3% [?]