Weekend at the Farm March 1 - 3, 2024

 

This is New Zealand Lemonade lemon tree.  I have it growing in a pot.  They can't take the cold.  There is no sweeter smell than a citrus in bloom.

Friday I had 5 yards of mushroom compost delivered.  I spread it over the small asparagus bed and the bed next to it.  I spread compost around my Anacachoe Orchid tree and the Two Winged Silverbell nearby.

Saturday.  Up early.  I worked in the Rose Garden for a couple of hours.  I side dressed all the roses in pots and a handful of them in the ground.  Cleared out wildflower seedlings that were going to crowd out my perennials.  More to do there.  Side dressed some of the daylilies and lantana, the tiny Copper Canyon daisy and Flame Anacanthus.  I planted 2 New Gold lantana (my favorite lantana, it blooms so much better than all these new cultivars that have come out recently) and side dressed them.  I planted a True Sincerity rose in one of my buckets, added lots of compost.  True Sincerity is a red, yellow blend.  I have one in the garden that I planted last year, and I thought it was a good bloomer.  But the real reason I bought it was because it was $12.99.  Roses (and everything else) have gotten so expensive.

I worked some compost into the middle bed and planted 3 tomatoes.

I turned over the soil in the bed that I spread compost over yesterday.  Sowed 4 eight foot rows of green beans.  Planted a New Zealand Lemonade lemon tree in a pot in the Vegetable Garden.  It is a hybrid of a lemon, a lime and a Mandarin.  Semi-dwarf.  Mulched around my thyme growing in a bucket.  I spread compost over the big asparagus bed.  We are already getting lots of asparagus.  Weeded and raked while I was in there working.

Next, I went down to the Orchard.  I am really trying to love my Orchard so that I will take better care of it.  Last summer I let it get really out of hand.  It was still in bad shape for Max's wedding, but luckily no one went down there because all his friends spent the entire time drinking or standing in line at the bar!  The Mexican plum is in full bloom and smells wonderful.  The apple blossoms are on the wane.  I watered the new Pawnee pecan tree that I planted for Charlie, the Mexican sycamore that I planted for Henry, the Methley plum, the Celeste fig, the wolfberries and the pomegranate.  I worked in the blackberry bramble at the front of the Orchard where I let all the crabgrass grow last summer.  I pulled out all the debris and pulled up as much Cleaver weed as I could reach.  Pulled out dead canes.  

Watered the Vegetable Garden.  Did some watering in the Rose Garden.

I headed back to the Vegetable Garden.  I added compost to 2 beds and sowed lettuce seed.

Sunday.  I pruned my 2 blue Vitex and finished pruning the remaining branched on the pink Vitex.  I side dressed the Salvia Madrensis with compost.  It has still not emerged yet.  I side dressed a few other things in the Star Garden.  I cut down all the red shrimp plant debris, not really cut, I just snap the dead branches as low as I can go.

Drove to the Thames for a NPSOT meeting.  I drove over to Michael's house and he gave me a tour of his property.  Wow.  It is amazing, so many natives.  

Headed home to Houston after that.