Saturday Gardening Thread: The Spring is Sprung [KT]

The spring is sprung, the grass is riz
I wonder where the boidie is?
They say the boidie's on the wing
But that's absoid. The wing is on the Boid

Boid in a Bloomin' Tree

Happy First Week of Official Spring, Horde! It is spring where I am. Is it spring where you are? I understand that there are some warmer storms headed for the Plains and for the South. I'm thinking that the underground refrigerator linked by Misanthropic Humanitarian in an ONT some time ago might make a suitable tornado shelter with a little re-engineering. I'm not so wild about its appearance above-ground. But once buried in the garden, the interior should hold a few Morons in an emergency.

Then again, I know nothing very specific about storm cellars. Do you know anything about them?

Fiddle Leaf Figs

If you are stuck indoors because of the weather, you might as well have an interesting plant to look at. Not long ago, CrotchetyOldJarhead mentioned that he would like to have a bird of paradise and a fiddle leaf fig if he had the room. It seems that the fiddleleaf fig or Ficus lyrata, has overtaken Ficus benjamina, the Weeping Fig, in popularity. There are some nice photos of the new Glamour Fig at the link. And lots of growing tips.

You've seen them. They're everywhere. They're lush and sculptural and they make for excellent eye candy in photographs of some of the most beautiful apartments you see floating around the Internet. . .

They do have a dramatic look:

Apartment Therapy

Big plants are pricey, in the $200.00 range. But maybe CrotchetyOldJarhead could grow a smaller, cheap and easy to find fiddleleaf fig. He could keep for a while, then give it to somebody he really likes when it gets bigger. Here are ten tips for keeping your fiddleleaf fig fit as a fiddle.

Fiddle leaf figs will also grow outdoors in tropical or near-tropical climates like coastal Southern California and Hawaii. They won't take much frost.

If you need some motivation to go out and get your own fiddleleaf fig, here's the late, great Herman Johnson playing Fiddling Around, Oklahoma-style. Dance music. They got movin' at dances back then. Herman was a great guy. But he didn't know how to read music.

The fiddle is the State Musical Instrument of Oklahoma.

Oklahoma Garden Prep

The weather sounds sort of threatening in parts of Oklahoma in the near future, so maybe it would be a good time to do a little garden reading. Here's a post on the best veggies to grow in Oklahoma. Has anybody tried the Super Fantastic Tomato?

I've grown the Contender Bean. It is THE early bean for the South. Nematode resistant, developed in Alabama. Pods have a "beany" flavor after the seeds develop some. A flavor compatible with ham and onions. And potatoes.

It has another old name, "Buff Valentine". You can use the buff-colored seeds as shelly or dried beans if you like. Black Valentine is another old dual-purpose green bean. It is not as early as Contender, and its seeds are smaller. Great flavor as a shelly, though.

Contender is not a good choice for fall harvest (unless you are going for shellies). Although pods remain stringless as the seeds start to mature, they develop a plastic-like membrane when nights get cold in the fall. This is a bean for spring.

Contender Bean

You might also visit the Oklahoma State Extension site. Your tax dollars at work. I did notice that this agency puts the names of actual people who work there right on the site, along with services they provide. There is a plant I.D. service. And a Plant Disease and Insect Diagnostic Lab. One disease which gets special attention is Rose Rosette Disease. It affects garden roses, but it is particularly associated with the Multiflora Rose, a big Japanese rose bush that blooms in spring. It has gone feral in some parts of the country. The flowers smell like honeysuckle.

Rose Rosette is a viral disease that is spread by grafting, propagation or by mites. The multiflora rose is quite susceptible to mites, which is probably why it is associated with the spread of the disease. One symptom is a growth pattern called Witch's Broom, or Rosette, in which many branchlets start at the same point:

This is not how a rose should look.

So they are considering spreading this disease to control Multiflora roses even though it affects garden roses? Hmmmm. One nice garden rose is 'Oklahoma'. Very fragrant. Very tall. Does best in drier climates.

This is how a rose should look

The OSU extension agency also has recipes, like Choctaw Hunter's Stew. It's a venison stew.

Gardens of The Horde

Speaking of venison, last week in the comments, Illiniwek asked for some ideas for deer-resistant plants, including some for the edge of a pond.

Do you have any suggestions? Remember not to comment on old threads. I have a list of relatively deer-resistant plants, but I am quite useless at telling the difference between various ornamental grasses. Except for the ones I hate.

We have had some weather here in the San Joaquin Valley this week. Rain still seems strange. They had inch and a half hailstones further north in the Valley. Not good for people, pets, gardens or farms. Flooding is a possibility in the area this spring.

All our stone fruits have finished blooming. Apple bloom still pending. In our town, the city has planted two kinds of ornamental pears (the Bradford type pears, Callery pears). One blooms very early and the other, which I think is prettier in bloom, just finished blooming. Wish I knew which cultivar it is. "The Authorities" in many places are trying to stamp out Callery Pear hybrids because they are considered to be invasive.

Oklahoma Redbud is also blooming here. Always nice to see in spring. Anything interesting going on in your yard or garden? Or your neighbor's?

Spring Blooming Trees

Hope you have a great week, with a little time to garden.

Posted by: Open Blogger at 12:12 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Finally getting much needed rain here.

Posted by: HH at March 25, 2017 12:06 PM (DrCtv)

2 Cursed be the ground for our sake. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for us. For out of the ground we were taken, for the dust we are... and to the dust we shall return.

Posted by: Insomniac - sin valor at March 25, 2017 12:10 PM (0mRoj)

3 HH,

Rain is always a relief when you need it. Wish we would have gotten some of this year's rain last year, when they predicted it.

Posted by: KT at March 25, 2017 12:12 PM (qahv/)

4 Not storm cellars , but have built lots of wine room racks and 1 small wine cellar.

Posted by: Skip at March 25, 2017 12:12 PM (GPaiX)

5 Finally warming but cold again tomorrow. But thinking of starting seeds and need to get compost in the garden.

Posted by: Skip at March 25, 2017 12:13 PM (GPaiX)

6 Skip at March 25, 2017 12:12 PM

Could that wine cellar have served as a storm cellar. You know, in a storm?

Posted by: KT at March 25, 2017 12:15 PM (qahv/)

7 Sorry to punk out, but I had a migraine in the night and I need to take a nap. I'll check back later.

Have fun.

Posted by: KT at March 25, 2017 12:16 PM (qahv/)

8 The recent cold snap has screwed up everything. My front yard tree that is normally leafing by now hasn't yet budded and the grass is now only starting to grow for spring, weeks late. I'm throwing down crabgrass preventer fertilizer, lime, and 10-10-10 just because nothing else comes with phosphorus any more.

Posted by: Hugh Jorgen at March 25, 2017 12:17 PM (3QfvT)

9 Yeah KT, it is. We've had a number of "No Burn" days in KS. Lots of grass fires all across the state. But right now we have a weather system that is basically circling around us and giving us rain. Which should really help with the drought situation.

Posted by: HH at March 25, 2017 12:18 PM (DrCtv)

10 I have a gardening question. My chives have sprouted a layer of moss in the pot, I can't figure out how to get rid of the moss and not harm the chives.

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at March 25, 2017 12:20 PM (39g3+)

11 No, the wine cellar was in the office I use to work, it was a elevator pit that wasn't going to be used. Had a ship ladder I made down to it and built wine racks all around. It had a fake stone walls outside and had a window looking down into it from the foyer.

Posted by: Skip at March 25, 2017 12:22 PM (GPaiX)

12 Watching Mutiny on the Bounty, never seen a breadfruit or at least never ate one I think, so maybe the mutiny spoiled its popularity.

Posted by: Skip at March 25, 2017 12:25 PM (GPaiX)

13 We got some much needed rain the other day, unfortunately, some of it came in the form of quarter to golf ball sized hail with a 40 mph wind behind it. I had put my car in the garage, though, so I don't have any new dents or broken glass.

Posted by: huerfano at March 25, 2017 12:26 PM (Eu36q)

14 We finally have true Spring here, not Psych! Spring. I was pleased to see many daffodils and other early flowers on my trail walk.

The cherry blossoms were bowed but not broken by the big freeze and are said to be in peak bloom today and tomorrow (I'm too lazy to drive down to D.C.):

http://images.havecamerawilltravel.com/index/G0000XEn0haQW8qg

Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at March 25, 2017 12:27 PM (PhYV5)

15 10 I have a gardening question. My chives have sprouted a layer of moss in the pot, I can't figure out how to get rid of the moss and not harm the chives.
Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at March 25, 2017 12:20 PM (39g3+)

You need to Keep Calm and Chive On.

Posted by: Insomniac - sin valor at March 25, 2017 12:27 PM (0mRoj)

16 how doth the little busy bee
improve each shining hour
and gather honey all the day
from every opening flower.

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at March 25, 2017 12:33 PM (WTSFk)

17 We had a blizzard pass through last Thursday night and Friday morning. The moisture was bigly needed.

Posted by: Ronster at March 25, 2017 12:35 PM (CDUSe)

18 "the poet's plaint"

ah, tis spring,
the flowers are abloom
and the sap is rising,

to which the poet's wife exclaimed -
since you're getting up,
take out the garbage.

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at March 25, 2017 12:36 PM (WTSFk)

19 I have sweet olive trees on my property.

They smell heavenly. I wonder why no one has put their fragrance in a household spray?

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at March 25, 2017 12:38 PM (5VlCp)

20 After having the roof blow off the house a second time (we're just outside Tulsa city limits) we finally installed a storm shelter. Garden-wise, our weeping redbud and sand cherry look great. The weeping redbud is a mutated redbud grafted to normal redbud roots. We replaced a blown-down maple with a 10' Kentucky coffeetree. We'll see how it survives. The coffee trees are supposed to be drought, ice, and wind-resistant.

Posted by: Grim at March 25, 2017 12:43 PM (+bodw)

21 The cold snap in northern Virginia got my hydrangea and roses. They were just leafing out because of the warm snap that preceded it. I don't know yet if I lost the flowers on the hydrangeas and I tell myself that the roses needed pruning anyway....

Posted by: Lirio100 at March 25, 2017 12:47 PM (JK7Jw)

22 Thinking the chives are too wet.
My plants are in the garden and are just coming up. Normally they would have been up all winter as they are just grasses.
Did out moss and maybe replant to get rid of spores,

Posted by: Skip at March 25, 2017 12:47 PM (GPaiX)

23 We don't do cellars much around here. We have high water tables in the Winter and very low percolation rates with the clay. You have to keep your in ground pool filled in the Winter or the soaked ground will float it out of its hole, breaking it.

A friend who keeps a feeder says that he saw the first goldfinches this year. I've been watching the hummingbirds singing - they sound like the grating of a pebble under you shoe on concrete - and the Turkey Buzzards have returned. Spring at last.

--Oh, and I saw a Bald Eagle over West Salem (Oregon) last week too. As long as we are talking birds.

Posted by: Kindltot at March 25, 2017 12:51 PM (0hI48)

24 I love the fiddleleaf fig. I have one in my screened porch. I need to repot it.

I bought it at Home Depot about a 2 years ago it was marked down. It was sick.

It has the brown edges on some of the leaves. I'm sure I over watered it as I always do.

Posted by: CaliGirl at March 25, 2017 12:53 PM (u8Ywb)

25
Da sky was lousy wit stars an da boids wuz yappin in da trees - jeez.

Posted by: unknown poet at March 25, 2017 12:56 PM (kUJ8E)

26 We were too warm to get the blizzard Ronster got, but we did get maybe .3 inches of rain and we had the wind gusts, one of the dead elm trees went down. Angels guided it down in the best possible direction, it didn't even damage the wire fence or rubbermaid cart in its vicinity. My procrastination of not emailing to get a burn permit all winter doesn't seem so bad now with new brush that will be added to the pile

Posted by: PaleRider at March 25, 2017 12:57 PM (Jen0I)

27 I pulled up all the moss but the spores are there still :/ I'm hoping if I keep it down the sun will kill the rest. We get a lot of moss around here in Oregon

Posted by: Christopher R Taylor at March 25, 2017 12:59 PM (39g3+)

28 I was out this week using the hedge trimmer on my feral climbing rose. It is gorgeous in bloom, but it had grown to the dimensions of a Smart car blocking the passage between the house and the shed.

I figured out - after [redacted] years - I could then take the hedge trimmers to the pile of cuttings and chop them up that way, and use a garden fork to load them into the garden debris can.
I don't compost rose or blackberry because they will sprout from cuttings.

I also started cutting back blackberries that were growing in my oceanspray (Holodiscus discolor if you are interested) and one vine tagged my left ear. Being a guy I ignored it and discovered that blood dripping off your earlobe can be icy cold on the neck in the early Spring.

I am still crossing my fingers over some apple grafts I tried this year.

Posted by: Kindltot at March 25, 2017 01:04 PM (0hI48)

29 I have sweet olive trees on my property.

They smell heavenly. I wonder why no one has put their fragrance in a household spray?

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at March 25, 2017 12:38 PM
---------------------

Is that the same as tea olive, which I've seen in nursery catalogs? I like that they don't grow too tall.

About the fragrance...I've wondered the same thing about magnolia. You can get that fragrance in the house by snipping off a blossom and bringing it indoors...IF you have a tree, or a neighbor who'll let you take one now and then...or last ditch, purloin one.

Posted by: EyeTest at March 25, 2017 01:08 PM (5x9My)

30 Early spring in Iowa is an off and on time of the year. Gentle, long rain today. 40 and chilly. Spinach, kale, and golden beets poking up. Gardening is good for the soul and the stomach.

Posted by: colfax mingo at March 25, 2017 01:13 PM (PX+kj)

31 Then again, I know nothing very specific about storm cellars. Do you know anything about them?

I have a storm cellar/bomb shelter/wine cellar. It is the deepest part of the house, buried under about two feet of soil, cement and block construction. It has ventilation to outside.

I stucco'd the walls, added tongue and groove cedar ceiling, added brick pillars and racks for wine storage. It would probably survive a direct hit from the nastiest storm mother nature could throw at it.

Posted by: E Depluribus Unum at March 25, 2017 01:14 PM (ZFUt7)

32 That is good, you not only save the wine from the tornado, you also have something to take your mind off the sirens.

(make sure to keeps some crackers and that shelf-stable cheese in there too, just in case you need to cleanse your palate. )

Posted by: Kindltot at March 25, 2017 01:18 PM (0hI48)

33 Oh, and I saw a Bald Eagle over West Salem (Oregon) last week too. As long as we are talking birds.

Posted by: Kindltot at March 25, 2017 12:51 PM (0hI4

That is so cool. You are very lucky. I've never seen a wild eagle in person.

My GH owl is in the nest. The dad is in the tree next to her.
We made her nest so big, I can't see the mom in the nest.

Posted by: CaliGirl at March 25, 2017 01:19 PM (u8Ywb)

34 It would probably survive a direct hit from the nastiest storm mother nature could throw at it.

Challenge....accepted.

Posted by: The Great Red Spot at March 25, 2017 01:20 PM (LAe3v)

35 Had a beautiful male Gila woodpecker at the hummingbird feeder yesterday, out here in the west valley area of Phoenix.

Hung upside-down right next to the window so we could see the underside of his tail. At first I thought he was a flicker, not being familiar with the Gila. The flicker is a little bigger, and is spotted on its breast and belly. Not so for this.

Posted by: Les Kinetic at March 25, 2017 01:21 PM (FOLru)

36 I pulled up all the moss but the spores are there still :/ I'm hoping if I keep it down the sun will kill the rest.

Good plan. More sunlight and less water.

Hope it works for you!

Posted by: JQ Flyover at March 25, 2017 01:23 PM (044Fx)

37 I counted 19 bald eagles a few weeks ago fishing the open waters of the Iowa River. It makes for a joyous feast for the eyes.

Posted by: colfax mingo at March 25, 2017 01:23 PM (PX+kj)

38 I don't have a storm shelter but I have a basement under the pool house that I use as a wine cellar.

We really don't need a storm cellar here. I have friends that have buried shipping containers on their ranches. They are ready if the SHTF.

I wonder if they'll let us in.

Posted by: CaliGirl at March 25, 2017 01:27 PM (u8Ywb)

39 Back home along the CO front range, a little before we left for this road trip, we had a sharp-shinned hawk perched on our deck railing for long enough to snap a pic.

We see red-tailed hawks routinely. I figured the little guy we photographed was a traveler, because he likes the edges of the coniferous forests, and we're out on the plains.

Posted by: Les Kinetic at March 25, 2017 01:29 PM (FOLru)

40 Posted by: colfax mingo at March 25, 2017 01:23 PM (PX+kj)
That is so fascinating. I love all the critters.

Posted by: CaliGirl at March 25, 2017 01:30 PM (u8Ywb)

41 39 Back home along the CO front range, a little before we left for this road trip, we had a sharp-shinned hawk perched on our deck railing for long enough to snap a pic.

We see red-tailed hawks routinely. I figured the little guy we photographed was a traveler, because he likes the edges of the coniferous forests, and we're out on the plains.
Posted by: Les Kinetic at March 25, 2017 01:29 PM (FOLru)

We have red tails here. They have a nest near my pool. I don't know what a sharp shinned hawk is.
The other hawk that has nests here are sparrow hawks. I think the real name is a Cooper's hawk.

Posted by: CaliGirl at March 25, 2017 01:32 PM (u8Ywb)

42 Most of the early bulbs are blooming here-- daffs, hyacinth, crocus, a few early tulips. (Found a clump of snowdrops, yay! Thought they'd all disappeared.)

Trees just broke buds last week, so maybe can put the snowshovels away now. *fingers crossed*

I remember seeing the storm cellar doors at g-g-dad's place in OK. Just a pair of big metal doors, flat on the ground. Never saw down into the cellar, though.

Posted by: JQ Flyover at March 25, 2017 01:32 PM (044Fx)

43 CaliGirl, it's great that the GH Owl is using your nest.

Posted by: Ronster at March 25, 2017 01:32 PM (CDUSe)

44 Here's a photo of the nest we made for the owl

http://tinypic.com/r/zmbf5i/9

The dad owl, watching over the nest.

http://tinypic.com/r/142tz82/9

Posted by: CaliGirl at March 25, 2017 01:35 PM (u8Ywb)

45 Ya know, there are such things as storm water vaults and utility vaults, they are precast concrete structures for underground installation. I see them at a materials yard, I think they are staged up for some sewer work around here this summer.
They also make pre-fab panel enclosures that are shipped flat.
I think that would be a hoot to have under the back yard, or set up at the back of a garage as a secondary pantry

Of course, if cost were no barrier I would dig and emplace a B-Werk bunker

http://bunkersite.com/locations/germany/saarland/bwerk-1.php

Posted by: Kindltot at March 25, 2017 01:36 PM (0hI48)

46 To my surprise, the snow/ice storm last week didn't do too much damage to the blooming plants. The daffodils came through okay and even the cherry blossoms by the DC Tidal Basin weren't wiped out. However, I noticed the juncos and other cold weather birds are still around. Makes me wonder if we still have some cold nights ahead. March is a weird weather month in this area.

Posted by: JTB at March 25, 2017 01:38 PM (V+03K)

47 I dethatched the front yard, put down fertilizer, over-seeded and watered. That's about half of today's to-do list and I fizzled out. Oh well.

Posted by: Weasel at March 25, 2017 01:38 PM (Sfs6o)

48 CaliGirl, you can see condors down there, so you have that!

When you have spare time (I know, farmers don't) you could go up to Sitka or Ketchikan and they have eagles galore up there.
Around here the prey on the canada geese.

Posted by: Kindltot at March 25, 2017 01:41 PM (0hI48)

49 Still a month too early to put down seed for the odd bare patches. Anything I attempt now would be either eaten by the rabbits and birds or lost in the frost. So, I wait for another month. Traditional outdoor planting in my area is week before Memorial Day, and then hope for no more frost.

Posted by: mustbequantum at March 25, 2017 01:42 PM (MIKMs)

50 "After having the roof blow off the house a second time (we're just
outside Tulsa city limits) we finally installed a storm shelter."

The roof, you say. A second time, you say.

::: hastily rethinks plans to relocate out of Commiefornia :::

Posted by: torquewrench at March 25, 2017 01:42 PM (noWW6)

51 Here's a question for you smart people. There is a nesting pair of broad shouldered hawks in a tree on WeaselWoman's school property. She thinks it would be fun to have a hawk cam - anyone know of a bird group or foundation that does that sort of thing (for free?)

Posted by: Weasel at March 25, 2017 01:43 PM (Sfs6o)

52 One of my favorite blooming tree/shrubs is this

http://tinypic.com/r/2gxmyab/9

I don't know what the name of it is but I love it. The bees love it as well. The rest of the year it has tiny green leaves.

Posted by: CaliGirl at March 25, 2017 01:45 PM (u8Ywb)

53 When you have spare time (I know, farmers don't) you could go up to Sitka or Ketchikan and they have eagles galore up there.
Around here the prey on the canada geese.
Posted by: Kindltot at March 25, 2017 01:41 PM (0hI4

Going there is on our bucket list. My husband took a guys trip to Ketchikan when he was in college. He said it's beautiful.

Posted by: CaliGirl at March 25, 2017 01:47 PM (u8Ywb)

54 I'm a know-it-all, I think it is a ceanothus.

Blue, aster-looking flowers and dark green foliage for the rest of the year.

Posted by: Kindltot at March 25, 2017 01:49 PM (0hI48)

55 Is that the same as tea olive, which I've seen in nursery catalogs? I like that they don't grow too tall.
About the fragrance...I've wondered the same thing about magnolia. You can get that fragrance in the house by snipping off a blossom and bringing it indoors...IF you have a tree, or a neighbor who'll let you take one now and then...or last ditch, purloin one.
Posted by: EyeTest at March 25, 2017 01:08 PM (5x9My)

Yup, it sure is! They do smell like a bit of heaven and they do not grow big at all.

When you see a bald eagle in flight, you realize what a huge bird it is....massive wing span.

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at March 25, 2017 01:52 PM (5VlCp)

56 Alaska is beautiful. My sister lived on an island in a logging camp when I was in high school and we visited.
Fishing, crabbing, digging clams, hiking, my cousin had a skate line for halibut, it was all fun.
She really never had a decent garden up there, though

Posted by: Kindltot at March 25, 2017 01:52 PM (0hI48)

57 That's one gorgeous shrub, CaliGirl! Sorry, but I don't know what it is, either.

Are the flowers as *blue* as they look in the photo?

Posted by: JQ Flyover at March 25, 2017 01:53 PM (044Fx)

58 Posted by: Kindltot at March 25, 2017 01:49 PM (0hI4

You are correct, I didn't know the name. I really like that shrub/tree. It's so pretty when it's blooming.

Posted by: CaliGirl at March 25, 2017 01:53 PM (u8Ywb)

59 Kindltot, I bet you're right about ceanothus-- a.k.a. California Lilac.

Wow, so pretty.

Posted by: JQ Flyover at March 25, 2017 01:55 PM (044Fx)

60 Are the flowers as *blue* as they look in the photo?
Posted by: JQ Flyover at March 25, 2017 01:53 PM (044Fx)

Yes, it's prettier in person. It looks as if the common name is California lilac.

Posted by: CaliGirl at March 25, 2017 01:55 PM (u8Ywb)

61 10 Christopher Taylor, if your chives are anything like mine, repotting them will not hurt them, at all! I bought one of those 4 inch pots last April and planted it out (a month before our last frost date, I might add). They grew so fast that I dug them and divided them into 4 clumps, by just ripping them apart. Later in the season, I took up one clump and potted it for a neighbor - a second clump, I ripped into 9 parts to replant in a permanent herb bed (during the heat of August) - the other 2 were buried during our Boise area Snowpocalypse (we had 3 or 4 times our usual snowfall in my area). All clumps are healthy, even the 9 that were ripped apart and replanted in August heat, then buried by snow and hit by near-record cold. The total of the chives that I now own, is probably about 15-20 times what I bought!

Posted by: Pat* at March 25, 2017 01:55 PM (qC1ju)

62 oh, wow. They are native to CA! and are called California Lilacs.

They are a nursery shrub up here.

My asian quince and narcissus are blooming, I took some to work in a quart jar as a bouquet

Posted by: Kindltot at March 25, 2017 01:57 PM (0hI48)

63 California Lilac:

http://preview.tinyurl.com/kukwdq2

Posted by: JQ Flyover at March 25, 2017 01:58 PM (044Fx)

64 We had a warm spell in February that caused all the bulbs to come up, then as the daffodils and crocus began to bloom we had 2 nights with a hard freeze. We covered up as many as we could and now the house if full of cut daffodils, Lilacs are close to blooming and the forsythia is in full bloom.

This is always an excitting time of year even when ma nature gives you a surprise like heavy, wet April snow.

Posted by: colfax mingo at March 25, 2017 02:00 PM (PX+kj)

65 I love the color of Quince. Mom had a bright orangey-pink one when we lived at Spokane. Had vicious thorns, iirc, but the flowers!...

Posted by: JQ Flyover at March 25, 2017 02:02 PM (044Fx)

66 http://preview.tinyurl.com/kukwdq2
Posted by: JQ Flyover at March 25, 2017 01:58 PM (044Fx)

I sent that to my friend. She just moved to a ranchette and needs drought tolerant plants. I showed her the photo and she thought it was a jacaranda tree. (It's a little too cold for those at my house and her new ranch).

The only problem with her house is she doesn't have deer fencing. I have deer fencing.

Posted by: CaliGirl at March 25, 2017 02:07 PM (u8Ywb)

67 My tulips and hyacinth have already bloomed and burned from the heat last week.

The plum trees have bloomed and have leaves already. Some of the fruit trees have blossoms now but I forget which tree is which.

Posted by: CaliGirl at March 25, 2017 02:11 PM (u8Ywb)

68 Posted by: CaliGirl at March 25, 2017 02:07 PM (u8Ywb)

Las Pilitas Nursery looks like a place I'd love to spend an afternoon (or a week!)

Do Jacarandas survive at all in conus? Haven't seen them except in Hawaii. Huge, they got!

I'm sure your friend will get deer fencing... soon... or maybe a large freezer? j/k

Posted by: JQ Flyover at March 25, 2017 02:19 PM (044Fx)

69 Having a garden for a few years now we are concentrating on items we REALLY want and use. This season we're going to emphasize tomatoes, cucumbers, summer squash, and salad greens.

But we want to do more with herbs. We eat at home more and more often and almost always cook from scratch. That means flavor. So we hope to have chives, oregano, dill (a lot of dill), tarragon, rosemary, thyme, and maybe one or two others. The idea is to have enough to dry that will get us through the cold months.

Posted by: JTB at March 25, 2017 02:24 PM (V+03K)

70 JQ Flyover

I don't know what conus means but jacarandas and mimosa trees grow around here really well.

I live in a micro climate that's hotter in the summer and colder in the winter.

I think the jacarandas need more water also. I need drought tolerant trees.

Posted by: CaliGirl at March 25, 2017 02:26 PM (u8Ywb)

71 Hairyback Guy at March 25, 2017 12:38 PM

I'm jealous that you have Sweet Olive plants (Osmanthus fragrans).

They use them in Japan to flavor tea and pastries, sort of like vanilla, which the Japanese apparently don't like much.

There are some cousins of O. fragrans that bloom at different times in the year.

Posted by: KT at March 25, 2017 02:27 PM (qahv/)

72 Love the bird report, Kindltot. Especially on the song of the hummingbirds.

Posted by: KT at March 25, 2017 02:29 PM (qahv/)

73 CaliGirl-- CONtinental U.S.

Posted by: JQ Flyover at March 25, 2017 02:30 PM (044Fx)

74 JTB at March 25, 2017 02:24 PM

Sounds like a good plan. You going for quantity or quality on the cukes? Do you have a favorite cultivar?

Posted by: KT at March 25, 2017 02:30 PM (qahv/)

75 Les Kinetic at March 25, 2017 01:21 PM

Even without seeing it, I'm glad that there is such a thing as the Gila Woodpecker.

Posted by: KT at March 25, 2017 02:32 PM (qahv/)

76 I'm thinking that the underground refrigerator linked by Misanthropic Humanitarian in an ONT some time ago might make a suitable tornado shelter with a little re-engineering. I'm not so wild about its appearance above-ground. But once buried in the garden, the interior should hold a few Morons in an emergency.

++++

I would say you should take a closer look at the photo of the one sitting above ground in the apartment complex. The one with a man on the ladder. Look at his size compared to the size of the shelter. Especially look at the bottom of the shelter and how small the flat part on the bottom is. All the sides are taken up with shelving, so no place to sit or put chairs.

Everyone would have to stand in that small center circle. It looks to me like only one person could be in there comfortably for any amount of time. Two if they are intimate. Very intimate.

I would say you should at least get a look at one in person instead of ordering it online.

OK, I did a quick search and found their website.

http://www.florisschoonderbeek.com/en/studio/groundfridge-2/

There's a video there and you can get a better idea of the size of the thing. I guess two people would be ok for a hour or two, but it would be very close quarters. Also, it looks like it isn't intended to be fully buried. They put a bit below ground, but a lot of it is above ground and covered with dirt. So, instead of having the thing out of the way, you have to be willing to give up that amount of space to install a small hill.

Posted by: Anon Y. Mous at March 25, 2017 02:33 PM (R+30W)

77 That bird looks arrogant and proud, like a capitalist. I would like to take him down a notch or two... with a beebee gun.

Posted by: Hillary Clinton at March 25, 2017 02:33 PM (vRcUp)

78 68 Posted by: CaliGirl at March 25, 2017 02:07 PM (u8Ywb)

Las Pilitas Nursery looks like a place I'd love to spend an afternoon (or a week!)

Do Jacarandas survive at all in conus? Haven't seen them except in Hawaii. Huge, they got!

I'm sure your friend will get deer fencing... soon... or maybe a large freezer? j/k
Posted by: JQ Flyover at March 25, 2017 02:19 PM (044Fx)

Her husband has a large freezer and is a hunter. Let's not tempt him to poach.

His daughter watches him skin deer. The little girl is tougher than I am.

My favorite photo of her, she's holding a dead coyote by the ears and smiling. She's very pretty and blonde.
The coyote skin is her favorite thing too. Her papa (grandfather) gives her the skins/fur.

Posted by: CaliGirl at March 25, 2017 02:33 PM (u8Ywb)

79 CaliGirl at March 25, 2017 01:55 PM

That California Lilac of yours (ceanothus) is also host to the Pale Swallowtail butterfly's caterpillars. I saw one of the butterflies once. They look sort of like a smaller, pale Tiger Swallowtail.

Those shrubs can be short-lived. They are indeed drought-tolerant. Check the Sunset Western Garden Book for the best varieties.

Some of the flowers are said to smell like popcorn.

Posted by: KT at March 25, 2017 02:36 PM (qahv/)

80 The dogwoods are beginning to bloom and everything's covered in pine pollen. Supposed to rain this afternoon, so hopefully my allergies will get a break. Other than a two-day freeze, spring is way ahead of schedule. My four little beehives are rocking along quite well, looks to be a good year for honey production!

Posted by: cornbred at March 25, 2017 02:36 PM (Or+Yn)

81 Two weeks ago I cleaned out the critter and blossom habitats around the house since we had two hard freezes in December and I laid down some new soaker hoses. The butterfly wall got planted today with potted stuff. The butterfly wall (cedar rail and horse fencing) is 110 feet long and 8 feet high.

All this was done under instruction from the management. I spoil all women, children and dogs.

Posted by: Dave at Buffalo Roam at March 25, 2017 02:38 PM (LheKO)

82
73 CaliGirl-- CONtinental U.S.
Posted by: JQ Flyover at March 25, 2017 02:30 PM (044Fx)

Duh!

The jacarandas are all over coastal California. I think they are so pretty. My husband doesn't think they will do well at my house, or they'll need too much water in summer.

Posted by: CaliGirl at March 25, 2017 02:38 PM (u8Ywb)

83 Those shrubs can be short-lived. They are indeed drought-tolerant. Check the Sunset Western Garden Book for the best varieties.

Some of the flowers are said to smell like popcorn.
Posted by: KT at March 25, 2017 02:36 PM (qahv/)

Every time I get close to the shrub, California lilac, the blooms are covered with bees. I do see butterflies but I barely know the names of the plants, let alone the butterflies.

Posted by: CaliGirl at March 25, 2017 02:40 PM (u8Ywb)

84 Posted by: JTB at March 25, 2017 02:24 PM (V+03K)
You forgot my favorite herb, basil.

Posted by: CaliGirl at March 25, 2017 02:42 PM (u8Ywb)

85 I do keep my few precious bottles of wine I have left under my stairs, safest place in case of a tornado, not any room left for people with the racks I built.

Posted by: Skip at March 25, 2017 02:42 PM (GPaiX)

86 KT,
I searched, I see the pale swallow tail butterflies all the time. They like my herb garden.

Posted by: CaliGirl at March 25, 2017 02:43 PM (u8Ywb)

87 cornbred at March 25, 2017 02:36 PM

Dogwoods!

I read once that pine pollen was not supposed to be very allergenic. Not true?

Posted by: KT at March 25, 2017 02:44 PM (qahv/)

88 Part 1 - Things are moving quickly in Idaho's Treasure Valley, even though this week was cooler and rainier than last week. We spotted the first asparagus sprouts! The tulip leaves seem to have reached their full size, though only 2 have buds so far. The rear hyacinths are gorgeous - we're still waiting for the front ones to bloom (they might manage it this week). Our flowering trees have not flowered yet, though I have seen some around town that have. The row of lilacs that are part of the windbreak, those DO have flower buds! I hope our wild roses will bloom this summer - so far, just some new leaves coming on.

Posted by: Pat* at March 25, 2017 02:44 PM (qC1ju)

89 74 ... Hi KT and thanks for another garden thread. The cuke we plan to use is Southern States hybrid sweet slice cucumber, a burpless variety. We had some luck with it last year even though the pickling cukes didn't do well.

I can make a good size snack out of chilled cukes with cider vinegar, salt, pepper and fresh herbs sprinkled on them. It makes a good side dish with a grilled steak.

Posted by: JTB at March 25, 2017 02:45 PM (V+03K)

90 What we called a sparrow hawk going up is really a kestrel falcon. He's little but he's a true falcon.

Posted by: Dave at Buffalo Roam at March 25, 2017 02:45 PM (LheKO)

91 Part 2 - We got the first seeds in the ground - I turned the soil in bed 3, and planted a row of radishes and a row of Bibb lettuce. We also transplanted 6 small clumps of red raspberry roots, dug up from where they were getting out of bounds from their initial area. They got watered in by a good rain the next day.

Husband is at a class today, so I plan to spend most of the day outside. First, though, I gave the inside of my car a good cleaning. Then it was time for stapling a plastic liner into the 2 new beds, so we can get the soil in, sometime this week. After this lunch break, I will be working on raking out a patch of snowmold-affected grass behind the house. (The grass is growing enough that we may have to mow it even before the irrigation comes on!) If I get done with that patch, I will start trimming dead iris leaves. (I will be going to a boardgaming gathering tonight, so I do have to quit in time to get cleaned up!)

Posted by: Pat* at March 25, 2017 02:46 PM (qC1ju)

92 Part 3/end - As far as birds, we do still sometimes hear a great horned owl. Husband thinks the hawk he's seen several times is a Sharp-Shinned. We still have the seed feeder outside my window, with small birds (eating less now than they did mid-winter, for sure), and doves/squirrels batting cleanup, but I have not seen goldfinches yet this spring.

(50 torquewrench, get out of Commiefornia, before they decide to confiscate all of each emigrant's possessions at the border! That Train to Nowhere ain't gonna pay for itself, ya know, they Feelz they needz all your money. We've got room up here in Idaho's Treasure Valley - if you're tough enough for zero F in the winter and 100 F in the summer. But hey, I have a CCW I never could have gotten in Cali, and 2 acres I never could have afforded, and I bought this house/land for 1/3 the cost of the house plus almost no useable yard I had in Cali. I can view gorgeous mountains on the drive to my grocery store, and grow and can lots of my own food. If I'm selling you on this idea, let me know - I'm on this thread each week!, and I usually check back multiple times over the weekend.)

69 JTB, don't forget parsley - I think that's what we use the most of. We got an electric, 4 shelf dehydrator and I rushed to dry a bunch before winter closed in. My English thyme, I just cut some branches and left them sitting on a tray, and it dried by itself - I suppose I could have covered it with a paper towel to keep out dust. And if you are anywhere near Boise, I will gladly give you some proven healthy and tough chives!

Posted by: Pat* at March 25, 2017 02:46 PM (qC1ju)

93 I have had Broad Wing Hawks in or near my yard for years, when they statred they were in a tall pine next to house. Thought then would be neat to have a cam, they moved to a pine just off my back corner.

Posted by: Skip at March 25, 2017 02:47 PM (GPaiX)

94 Dave at Buffalo Roam at March 25, 2017 02:38 PM

Wow! A butterfly wall!

Care to share any of the details about what plants you chose?

Posted by: KT at March 25, 2017 02:48 PM (qahv/)

95 84 ... caligirl, We haven't had much luck growing basil but we enjoy it. We'll have space for it this year so maybe we'll give it another try. Thanks for the reminder.

Posted by: JTB at March 25, 2017 02:48 PM (V+03K)

96 Anon Y. Mous at March 25, 2017 02:33 PM

Thanks.

Posted by: KT at March 25, 2017 02:49 PM (qahv/)

97 Dogwoods!

I read once that pine pollen was not supposed to be very allergenic. Not true?
Posted by: KT at March 25, 2017 02:44 PM (qahv/)

Not sure, I just know that my sinuses are flowing and my eyes are watering lol. I suppose it could be the pollen exploding from every other plant around here at the moment.

Posted by: cornbred at March 25, 2017 02:50 PM (Or+Yn)

98

Be careful when pruning those palms.

The thorns can be toxic.

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/palm-tree-puncture-wound-treatment-32058.html

http://www.medicinenet.com/plant_thorn_synovitis/article.htm

Posted by: artisanal 'ette at March 25, 2017 02:52 PM (0mz2+)

99 Pat* at March 25, 2017 02:44 PM

Yay for home-grown asparagus!

Posted by: KT at March 25, 2017 02:52 PM (qahv/)

100 Nood. Pets.

Posted by: HH at March 25, 2017 02:53 PM (DrCtv)

101 JTB at March 25, 2017 02:45 PM

I'm glad you found a cucumber that works in your climate. I have found that it is important which one you plant. I plant the same one every year, Summer Dance, plus maybe one or two experimental cultivars. Many of those don't work out.

Posted by: KT at March 25, 2017 02:55 PM (qahv/)

102 The jacarandas are all over coastal California. I think they are so
pretty. My husband doesn't think they will do well at my house, or
they'll need too much water in summer.

I'd never seen a blue-flowered tree before seeing Jacaranda in bloom. And, yeah, they probably need more water than you'd want to sacrifice. Besides, you've got that gorgeous blue bush already!

Lol at the coyote skin. Hmm-- lots of cottontails here-- if I wanted to skin and tan them, could make fur coats or something.

Posted by: JQ Flyover at March 25, 2017 02:55 PM (044Fx)

103 Pat* at March 25, 2017 02:46 PM

Progress from your bitter cold earlier in the season.

Posted by: KT at March 25, 2017 02:56 PM (qahv/)

104 I have lots of luck with basil, bought plants at grocery store last year that I think were ment to be indoor, threw them out in the garden and they grew like crazy.

Posted by: Skip at March 25, 2017 02:57 PM (GPaiX)

105 92 ... Pat, OMG!! I forgot about parsley! (Must be this damn head cold.) We use a lot of it in fresh salads, of course, and dried it goes in soups, stews, and on chicken. We have one of those four tier electric dehydrators which has really worked well. Just have to have the patience to let the herbs dry properly.

We are at the other end of the country but thanks for the offer of chives.

Posted by: JTB at March 25, 2017 02:57 PM (V+03K)

106 The open decanter is for show, if it isnt drunk by evening its done for.

Posted by: Skip at March 25, 2017 02:58 PM (GPaiX)

107 ***Posted by: KT at March 25, 2017 02:48 PM (qahv/)

Milkweed, Esperanza, honey suckle, plumbago, hummingbird bush, wisteria, cuphea, red salvia, Duranta blue sapphire showers, Amistad, monarda, blue mist flower and butterfly bush (buddleia).

Posted by: Dave at Buffalo Roam at March 25, 2017 02:59 PM (LheKO)

108 JTB at March 25, 2017 02:57 PM

Giant Italian Parsley. Trust me.

Posted by: KT at March 25, 2017 03:00 PM (qahv/)

109 Dave at Buffalo Roam at March 25, 2017 02:59 PM

Fantastic. What is Hummingbird Bush?

Posted by: KT at March 25, 2017 03:01 PM (qahv/)

110 ***Hummingbird Bush?

Fire bush and scarlet bush are other names. Hamelin patens is the I Love Science name.

I am reminded by management that we have yards of cypress vines along the front fence and a bunch of Hot Lips plants. Italian parsley is the preferred snack of Monarch caterpillars by the way.

Posted by: Dave at Buffalo Roam at March 25, 2017 03:10 PM (LheKO)

111 108 ... Thanks KT. I believe that is what we have. It grew very well last year. Which reminds me, I should look up my recipes for tabbouleh. Reason enough to grow parsley.

Posted by: JTB at March 25, 2017 03:12 PM (V+03K)

112 I like tabbouleh, too, JTB.

Posted by: KT at March 25, 2017 03:17 PM (qahv/)

113 For my personal victuals I shall plant pinto beans, brown crowder peas and cilantro tomorrow if wifey leaves me a few feet of unplanted soil.

Posted by: Dave at Buffalo Roam at March 25, 2017 03:25 PM (LheKO)

114 Dave at Buffalo Roam at March 25, 2017 03:10 PM

Don't know that I've encountered Hamelia patens before. Are you on the coast, or are you growing it as an annual?

Is your "Hot Lips" the salvia, or another plant? Cypress vines sound great for hummingbirds.

Italian parsley is a favorite snack of Black Swallowtail caterpillars. Or if you are in California, the Anise Swallowtail. They have stripes like the Monarch caterpillars that you may find on your milkweed (which you should probably not let loose onto neighboring farms).

I love the "wall" idea. What kind of milkweed did you find for sale in a pot?

Posted by: KT at March 25, 2017 03:27 PM (qahv/)

115 Dave at Buffalo Roam at March 25, 2017 03:25 PM

Interesting choices in the victual department. Do you eat the pintos and brown crowders as shellies? Snaps?

You can use pintos like green beans when they are young. But they have a string.

As far as cowpeas go, I live in Blackeyed Pea territory, though my neighbor prefers Cream Peas.

Posted by: KT at March 25, 2017 03:32 PM (qahv/)

116 I am on the prairie between San Antone and Houston along the Brazos River. We found gold and scarlet milkweed in gallon pots but they are hard to find. Most people just use seeds because even the specialty nursery has trouble getting them to pot size.

Posted by: Dave at Buffalo Roam at March 25, 2017 03:33 PM (LheKO)

117 I have shelled bushels of peas and beans in my life. I like black eyed peas, purple hulls, red rippers and butter beans but brown crowders are my favorites.

Posted by: Dave at Buffalo Roam at March 25, 2017 03:36 PM (LheKO)

118 The butterfly wall is also known as the Shit Neighbor Wall. It's huuge and luxurious!

I'm gonna shut up now.

Posted by: Dave at Buffalo Roam at March 25, 2017 03:40 PM (LheKO)

119 Well it looks like it stopped hitting the freezing mark here in NoVA which means I can finally get started on my balcony garden. I don't get much sun so I'm limited to what I can grow out there. Mostly wild flowers and coleus, ferns, stuff that blows in on the wind. Its a low maintenance garden. My favorite kind. Can't grow any food. Not enough sun.

Posted by: Puddleglum at March 25, 2017 03:42 PM (rZ/5M)

120 Dave at Buffalo Roam

Sounds like you have Tropical Milkweed. Probably the most attractive milkweed to Monarchs and Queens. You might even get the stray tropical milkweed butterfly from time to time where you are.

The plant may be perennial where you are. "The Authorities" want you to cut it down in fall so the Monarchs continue to migrate South. Don't know if their theory holds up.

You might consider growing a hoptree (Ptelea) for the chance to grow some Giant Swallowtails of your own.

Posted by: KT at March 25, 2017 03:58 PM (qahv/)

121 I want to rotate my raised beds this year but I've heard not to plant where nightshade (tomato or eggplants) have been the year before. Is this true or another urban gardening legend?

Posted by: keena at March 25, 2017 04:02 PM (8PL60)

122 Thanks KT.

Posted by: Dave at Buffalo Roam at March 25, 2017 04:18 PM (LheKO)

123 Posted by: keena at March 25, 2017 04:02 PM (8PL60)

I've had no problems using the same ground that tomatoes occupied the previous year. fwiw.

Posted by: JQ Flyover at March 25, 2017 04:24 PM (044Fx)

124 Keena I think there are books written about the best rotations, but I'm fairly sure there is no danger of the next veggies having the toxin from the tomatoes growing there.

I don't think I've ever even heard any warnings about composting tomatoes and it is the leaves that have any concentration of the nightshade compound.

Posted by: PaleRider at March 25, 2017 04:41 PM (Jen0I)

125 keena at March 25, 2017 04:02 PM

The nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers) are susceptible to some of the same diseases. Rotating between them may not be useful, depending on which diseases are in your soil.

You can rotate with veggies from other plant families, though. If you look in the interwebs, you can find rotation schemes.

Posted by: KT at March 25, 2017 04:44 PM (qahv/)

126 My dentist said that she and her husband plant tomatoes in spaced rows, but instead of cages they put up parallel hog fencing panels: It is fairly stout wire mesh with a space big enough to put a hand through, but very stiff.
It is about 3' tall

They hang it on those T-bar fence posts. She was quite positive about how well it worked.

Posted by: Kindltot at March 25, 2017 04:58 PM (0hI48)

127 Here is one crop rotation method:

http://preview.tinyurl.com/lnhjlqg

Posted by: JQ Flyover at March 25, 2017 05:10 PM (044Fx)

128 My narcissus is self centering on the living room mirror...is this normal?

A rolling stone gathers no MOSS so..............

Posted by: saf at March 25, 2017 05:38 PM (+zN6H)

129 Kindltot at March 25, 2017 04:58 PM

Parallel rows of hog fencing or cattle panels always seemed like a good idea to me for tomatoes. We have tomatoes on field fencing with similar spacing to put your hand through. Spacing is narrower at the bottom, which we put at the top. It's about 4 feet tall.

We could only get it in 300 foot rolls, though. Only available in farm/ranch country, I think.

Posted by: KT at March 25, 2017 05:59 PM (qahv/)

130 Thanks guys!

Posted by: keena at March 25, 2017 06:01 PM (96vZg)

131 saf at March 25, 2017 05:38 PM

I think it is completely normal for your narcissus to self-center on the living room mirror. Better than a pool of water.

Posted by: KT at March 25, 2017 06:01 PM (qahv/)

132 A rolling stone gathers no MOSS so..............

...plant your chives in a rotating stone pot?

Posted by: JQ Flyover at March 25, 2017 06:03 PM (044Fx)

133 KT
I don't know if you'll read this or not. We need to start replacing trees. Our pine trees are healthy but they are at the end of their life cycle. They are putting out a lot of pine cones.

I was thinking eucalyptus trees. And maybe some more cypress trees.

We also have redwoods and willow trees,coast live oaks and valley oaks. Just to give you an idea of the trees that are growing here now.

The grove of trees is far enough from my house that it doesn't matter if they are messy.

My husband doesn't want to replant pines because of the pine beetle.

Any suggestions?

I also have bay laurel, horse chestnuts. I can put drip on the trees to get them started, but I'd prefer trees that can handle drought.

Posted by: CaliGirl at March 25, 2017 08:43 PM (u8Ywb)

134 There is a vacant lot down the block from us. For the last two years some guy has tilled and planted it, apparently as part of some urban farmer program. Then, about July, he just abandons it, except that he shows up now and then to harvest some greens.

The first year I got buckets and buckets of tomatoes, plus some peppers and a lot of basil. The basil went to seed, so the second year it was Basil City. I didn't get as many tomatoes, but I can get all of the basil I can handle without even making a dent. It's that really stinky cat pee sort of basil that flavors stuff so good.

I call it the auxiliary garden. My wife grumbles some when I go pick from it, but if I'm not doing it, it just rots. And she does not grumble when she wants a lot of basil for pasta sauce.

Posted by: Gordon at March 25, 2017 10:26 PM (vXUzT)

135 @131 KT:

I saw what you did there.

Posted by: Gordon at March 25, 2017 10:29 PM (vXUzT)

136 KT, try Lowe's and try the local place that casts concrete pipe, they use a similar material.

Posted by: Kindltot at March 25, 2017 10:38 PM (0hI48)

137 Hey, CaliGirl.

Here's an article you might like-- covers trees, too:

http://preview.tinyurl.com/ldctugm

So many choices!

Posted by: JQ Flyover at March 25, 2017 10:52 PM (044Fx)

138 133 CaliGirl - no eucalyptus!, particularly not close to your house. They're non-native, and they burn well... If you're in the SF Bay area, I would say look into California Bay Laurel, California Buckeye, toyon, and madrone. You can use the "bay" leaves in cooking (stronger than culinary bay leaf), the buckeye has big plumes of scented flowers in spring, the toyon and madrone have colorful berries, and the madrone wood is an interesting red-orange.

Posted by: Pat* at March 26, 2017 12:12 AM (qC1ju)

139 CaliGirl at March 25, 2017 08:43 PM

I don't know that I would go with big Eucalyptus trees now because of that introduced Eucalyptus beetle. It is tempting, though, in your climate especially. Lots of interesting Eucalyptus species out there. Might take a little study.

There are lots of other possibilities for you. I'll give it some thought. Any consideration to planting something with an edible component, like nuts?

Posted by: KT at March 26, 2017 01:02 AM (qahv/)

140 Gordon at March 25, 2017 10:26 PM

"It's that really stinky cat pee sort of basil that flavors stuff so good"

They use that comparison for black currants sometimes, too. Heh.

Posted by: KT at March 26, 2017 01:05 AM (qahv/)

141 Kindltot at March 25, 2017 10:38 PM

Are you talking about concrete reinforcing wire? It would be very similar if it didn't rust. Lots of people use it for tomatoes despite the rust.

Posted by: KT at March 26, 2017 01:08 AM (qahv/)

142 Exactly KT. Dad made a number of round tomato cages out of that stuff about 1975 and I am still using them. I don't think it rusts too fast.

Also, I am sending more flower pics

Posted by: Kindltot at March 26, 2017 03:51 PM (0hI48)

143 Thanks, Kindltot.

Posted by: KT at March 26, 2017 06:01 PM (qahv/)

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