Category Archives: Ye Olde Garden

2013 Gardening Notes

January and February has seen waves of warm weather alternating with cold. With temperatures rising into the 70s at times, winter landscape was tricked into showing some green. Even our weed lawn sprang into verdant purple bloom this month. However, there was also enough rainfall to entice some of the herbaceous plants to put out new growth, as seen in the pot of Oriental Limelight artemisia growing on our doorstep. I expect to see one or two more cold snaps before we permanently warm up for March and outdoor planting. As of this morning, I rescued a cutting from my old succulent planter to place into a tiny sake cup for planting. If it takes root, I’ll be able to resurrect one of the winter-killed plants.

Leeks are so robust! These are three roots I saved from the kitchen scraps and dunked in some water.

2/7/2013 Leek Bulbs 1 2/7/2013 Leek Bulbs 2 2/7/2013 Leek Bulbs 3

Spring is coming…the evidence in photos below.

2/7/2013 Garden Notes 2013 (4) 2/7/2013 Garden Notes 2013 (5) 2/7/2013 Garden Notes 2013 (6) 2/7/2013 Garden Notes 2013 (7) 2/7/2013 Garden Notes 2013 (8) 2/7/2013 Garden Notes 2013 (9) 2/7/2013 Garden Notes 2013 (10) 2/7/2013 Garden Notes 2013 (11) 2/7/2013 Garden Notes 2013 (12) 2/7/2013 Garden Notes 2013 (13) 2/7/2013 Garden Notes 2013 (14) 2/7/2013 Garden Notes 2013 (15) 2/7/2013 Garden Notes 2013 (16) 2/7/2013 Garden Notes 2013 (17)

Wishlist plants: Golden Japanese Stone Crop (Sedum makinoi Ogon) and Bleeding Heart ‘Golden Heart (Dicentra spectabilis).

Cuttings and seedings

I plan on populating the new garden bed cinder block wall with oregano and thyme cuttings. I divided the newest thyme (elfin) in 2 and already planted them in 2 blocks. I took golden oregano, variegated oregano, variegated lemon thyme, and lime thyme cuttings yesterday. Oregano, especially the golden variety, tends to be a very tricky plant to take cuttings from, since they are very sensitive to disturbance. Both the mother plants and baby plants suffered serious wilt. I decided to bring the cuttings indoors and keep them under artificial light. I’m not sure that the golden oregano will make it. The variegated oregano had tiny white flowers when I divided it; unfortunately, the mother plant is not doing so well. The cuttings however look as fresh as the day I took them. Too bad I can’t grow these things from seed.

I did take some verbena cuttings as well. I have one big mother specimen that survived the last two summers that I’d like to increase. The purple bed looks especially lovely because of them.

8/14/2012 Cuttings and Seedings (1) 8/14/2012 Cuttings and Seedings (2)

I decided to sow my Toy Choy and Guy Lan seeds today. It’s about the right time of the year for the fall harvest season. I hope I get to feast on Chinese broccoli and baby pak choy  this coming October. I also started Bride Eggplant and Red Rubin basil indoors. I need some ornamental pepper seeds to grow in time for the October/November holidays.