After the Rain
Ten days ago we had a rain storm move through during the afternoon. When the rainm moved through the sun came out, meaning there was a rainbow somewhere to be seen….
It was right in front the house. This was probalby one of the brightest rainbows I’ve seen, with a very faint second one above it.
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Here Come the Apples
This past week the apple trees started blooming. Our long……wet……spring seems to have been just what the flowering trees needed, especially the apples. Last year there were no apples, none, not a one. That’s not uncomming for apple trees, many produce every other year. These trees will produce each year if the conditions are good, usually one year is a great harvest the second slightly smaller. It’s hard to say what made them not produce last year, most likely three years of drought and windy days during bloom window.
The good thing is that we made lots of cider the year before, so we still had some in the freezer. For the most part, these old (over 100 years old) trees produce cider apples. There are a few varieties that are good for making sauce, drying, and eating, but we typically make lots of cider and freeze it in gallong jugs to enjoy all winter long.
Do you grow fruit? How are the trees doing this year?
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The First Tanager
This past weekend Mr Chiots and I spotted our first scarlet tanager of the season. It wasn’t super close, so I couldn’t get a great photo. It’s always exciting to watch for birds to return in the spring. The first bluebird, indigo bunting, robin, and phoebes always give reason to celebrate.
For bird idenficiation, we have both ‘The Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of North American’ and ‘Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America‘ and use them both regularly. If you’re into birds they’re worthwhile additions to your library.
Are you a bird watcher? What birds do you most enjoy seeing in spring?
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New Itoh Peony
Two weeks ago I happened to be at my local Sam’s Club picking up a few items. I spotted an Itoh peony for $35, which is a great price. I’m not typically one to purchase plants from these kinds of stores, but the peonies looked healthy and well cared for (often the plants look less than happy). Lucky for me, I had a $25 gift card to use up, so I got my Itoh peony for only $10.
I selected the perfect spot for it and planted it right away. Yesterday I noticed it had a few buds on it already. This is a great plant for my peony collection. I have a lot of herbaceous peonies (probably 20 total) and a few tree peonies (2 total). Peonies are one of my favorite plants. I’m actually considering turning the potager behind the house into a peony garden.
Do you love peonies? Do you have any of the other types or just herbaceous?
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Friday Favorite: Homegrown Lettuce
The longer I garden, the better I get at succession planting. It can be difficult to keep on the correct schedule and to figure out what schedule works for your garden, soil, and climate. For example, I have found that seeding every two weeks it too often for me. The lettuce seems to all come ready at once. When I seed every four weeks, I can have beautiful butterheads for salad all summer long. If there’s a bit of a lull between the lettuce forming heads, I simply harvest the outer leaves.
For me, growing lettuce is one of the greatest joys of edible gardening. There’s nothing quite as beautiful as a row of perfectly formed butterheads, they look like giant roses. If I had to choose one thing to grow in my edible space, it would definitely be lettuce.
Do you grow lettuce? Do you have a favorite variety/type to grow?
