03 February 2012

garden friday | wintry, barren edition


Look who busted out her big girl camera. And look who's committing to a regular blog post (again)! Well... only time will tell. But, the thing is, after a much needed break, gardening is just now getting under way again here. And, last year I did a pretty crappy job of documenting the garden's various seasons and stages.

So, this year, I just want to get out there, shoot stuff, document stuff... both for the fun of sharing what's growing, and for the obvious benefit of record-keeping. Not all crazy Thomas Jefferson-style, but a little data from one year to the next would help. Ya know? Hopefully it'll be somewhat interesting to observe. Expect at least one garden-y photo here on Fridays.

So, right now... Winter is still in its (albeit Californian) full effect. Some beds are empty and covered with chicken wire/sticks (oh kittehs), some plants are hibernating and others are slowly getting their game on. The regular (non-espaliered) apple tree is, as usual, of two minds: it's still dropping its leaves for winterizing (it's a late one) but some of its buds are swelling for Spring too. It'll get pruned into its Year 3 shape soon... actual apples are getting closer and closer.


garden friday feb 03 2012
Gravenstein apple espalier, year 3. I'm starting to get the hang of the pruning and training. Don't you love the freckles? I adore these beauties.


garden friday feb 03 2012
Blueberry bush, one of three. Thinking of getting two more this weekend. Last year's harvest was meager, but they suffered some transplanting. They're all in the ground now, so this year looks pretty good so far. Lots of buds.


garden friday feb 03 2012
Pretty Girls Make Graves... asparagus graves, that is.
I couldn't get that band/song name out of my head while digging a few asparagus trenches. Not much going on here yet, but my IG friends will remember the crowns pre-planting? So weird.
The 8 or so crowns I planted are part of the plan to put more perennials in the garden. Also added, and even less photogenic than a trench: 5 'red heritage' raspberry roots/crowns/whatever they're called.


garden friday feb 03 2012
Another perennial addition: Kiwi vine, mostly for Jacky. He loves 'em, Toby & I can leave 'em.
It seems happy and is coming to life.


garden friday feb 03 2012
Trimming and whacking back the 40'-long perennial herb strip, containing various lavenders (including Provence, above), thymes, sages, geraniums.


garden friday feb 03 2012
A couple of weekends ago, we did a bit of exploring in the final frontier of our property: the back 8 or 10 feet. Which had been consumed by monster blackberries and the neighborhood thugs (jasmine, nasturtiums, morning glories). If you consider our yard is 25' wide, that's a lot of space to give up. We found some pottery shards (nothing ancient, unless you consider the 1950s ancient), a rotted tree stump, and lots of roots to dig and vines to bag for the friendly compost man (20 bags and counting). Sooo, the takeaway: Jacky's finally getting a long-promised Playhouse. Up here, with the best view in the garden, right by the kiwi vine and mama's veggie beds. He CANNOT wait, obviously.


garden friday feb 03 2012
And, from the dept of keepin' it painfully real... here's what my winter mess garden currently looks like, including complimentary toddler pot "rearranging."

I really do have to remind myself that Summer always comes. Those exuberant pictures shocked me the other day, when I dug them up randomly. Californians are so used to the accepted wisdom that we don't have much in the way of seasonality. But, my frigid feet and the difference in these photos tell another story.



And you, anything growing in your garden this week?

8 comments:

  1. I am just itching to start my garden beds. I really wish I could do an apple espalier like yours. Have you had any issues with borers? That's exciting about all the extra space and Jacky's Playhouse. Looking forward to seeing your lovely garden in full swing in no time!

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    Replies
    1. Kim, no borers so far (I think? Not sure what that looks like--holes in the ends of branches?), thankfully. Thanks for being an enthusiastic garden-post reader :)

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  2. "And you, anything growing in your garden this week?"

    Yes, thanks for asking!
    Our avocado tree graced us with two small, but incredibly delicious avos -
    Could I share my post?
    http://rosekraft.blogspot.com/2012/02/home-grown-avocados.html

    Great move on planting the asparagus -
    our small asparagus bed has been going strong since the late '80's...

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    Replies
    1. Awesome! I'm in awe of avocados in SF. And your asparagus plot -- wow. It really is an investment isn't it.

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  3. you're killin' me with your:
    gardening prowess, consecutive-day-posting and real-camera-using!

    hi-fives, friend!
    (i'm feeling jealous on all three counts!!)

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  4. Blake, I love your garden! It looks like you have such a beautiful place. It's making me dream of when we will have a place with ample garden space. Beautiful!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Colleen! The garden is one of my favorite places at home. It's a demanding additional "child," but so worth it.

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