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Blogs and Diaries / Re: Robert's and Jasmin's Garden Paradise
« Last post by Robert on February 13, 2025, 10:12:12 PM »Stormy weather returned to our part of Northern California at the beginning of February. There have been a few pauses in the precipitation. This provided an opportunity to finish most of the winter pruning in the garden. The pruning might be finished, however the garden is a mess with most of the prunings still scattered under the fruit trees and maples. The soil is too soggy to deal with the weeds. For us, a messy late winter/early spring garden is just part of the yearly rhythm/cycle. With warmer and drier weather the garden will get cleaned up and put in order.
I have been training our Acer rubescens ‘Silver Cardinal’ in a niwaki-type style. I can’t say that I know what I am doing, however it is slowly taking shape and I am pleased with the results.
When our mature walnut tree was removed in early July 2024, the west side of our Acer rubescens became severely burned. At first I thought that this might be ugly, however now I have second thoughts and believe the burn scar could be turned into an asset. I hope the scar will eventually give the tree character, something like an ancient tree that has survived a lighting strike and other adversities. It will be interesting to see what develops over the years. Over the next few years I will grow pole beans, sunflowers, or Tithonia on the west side of the tree so the burning does not kill the remaining part of the tree trunk. This is a good excuse to grow some common plant species that I enjoy a great deal.
[Jasmin]: Actually, we planted a couple of fruit trees to buffer the plants we did not move to the front. The fruit trees we will espalier, to maximize our space and the shade screen they form. Around each tree, we created water basins of the soil, to maximize water for the plants we desire, and to diminish weeds. Seasonally within these basins we will plant various annuals, either early spring and spring-blooming California natives, and perhaps some sweet common violas. Interspersed between the fruit trees, we will set the containers of pole beans, sunflowers, and Tithonia in alternating cycles for shade until the fruit trees grow a bit more. I need no excuses. The satisfaction of gardening isn’t all about challenging, difficult, and rare. It is inclusion, for what does well, and what we enjoy. Ultimately, if it does not bring us joy, if we do not deem it beautiful, then what is the point?
Our Aristolochia californica is in full bloom now. It is an early late winter bloomer.
Carex multicaulis is one of my favorite California native Carex species. This species remains reasonably small and has showy white flowers. It is a clumping species so I do not have to worry about it running all over the garden. [Jasmin]: Grass skippers apparently enjoy it, as they do Tithonia.