For the Love of Bees
We finally got the olive liners and some bottlebrush liners planted onto the north and south swale. We had great help from J and C. We were hoping to get some rain today and tomorrow but the wind is blowing so much it seems to be blowing the rain away without any hitting the ground.
Here are some pics of the growth on the swale. Many of the peas and beans are flowering. This is when you are supposed to cut them for maximum nitrogen release but I find I can't. The bees are so busy collecting nectar that I am allowing them to grow more. I see a pattern here with me... I was talking with someone from Australian and she told me one of the native bees from there is big and blue with black stripes!
We have been closely monitoring our soil moisture. We got a moisture meter from Peaceful Valley and it tells us what the soil is like up to 18 inches down. It has really been critical in getting an accurate read on what is going on with the plants. Stephen has been working so hard on all the irrigation lines. It's hard and complicated work and I really appreciate it. The plants will too I am sure.
Alfred is almost done with the arbor. We are currently waiting on some more lumber. It looks fantastic and really makes the area feel like a different space. I took some pics of the arbor but they didn't come out. Our camera is getting old and unreliable.
I constructed a small oasis on the west side. I call it my westside virus. I am starting very small to infiltrate this incredibly tough area with a little respite from the heat. I bought some water hyacinth, parrot feather and another water plant to put in the small pond here. I constructed a small fence with left over reed from the building plaster, some bales and bamboo. I also planted some bamboo. The soil here is very dry and incredibly hard. I don't think the bamboo will be able to wander. I will watch it. I have seen it in other yards and it just stops dead at the water line.
And finally I planted another grape at the base of the new arbor. It was on sale at Home Depot and the last one for $2.99. I think our original two grapes may not be alive. They both survived the grasshopper invasion but seem to have given up this winter. The red clover I planted as a cover crop has really taken off in the herb garden. I am also waiting for it to flower for my beloved bees and then I will chop it. You can see some of it here.
Here are some pics of the growth on the swale. Many of the peas and beans are flowering. This is when you are supposed to cut them for maximum nitrogen release but I find I can't. The bees are so busy collecting nectar that I am allowing them to grow more. I see a pattern here with me... I was talking with someone from Australian and she told me one of the native bees from there is big and blue with black stripes!
We have been closely monitoring our soil moisture. We got a moisture meter from Peaceful Valley and it tells us what the soil is like up to 18 inches down. It has really been critical in getting an accurate read on what is going on with the plants. Stephen has been working so hard on all the irrigation lines. It's hard and complicated work and I really appreciate it. The plants will too I am sure.
Alfred is almost done with the arbor. We are currently waiting on some more lumber. It looks fantastic and really makes the area feel like a different space. I took some pics of the arbor but they didn't come out. Our camera is getting old and unreliable.
I constructed a small oasis on the west side. I call it my westside virus. I am starting very small to infiltrate this incredibly tough area with a little respite from the heat. I bought some water hyacinth, parrot feather and another water plant to put in the small pond here. I constructed a small fence with left over reed from the building plaster, some bales and bamboo. I also planted some bamboo. The soil here is very dry and incredibly hard. I don't think the bamboo will be able to wander. I will watch it. I have seen it in other yards and it just stops dead at the water line.
And finally I planted another grape at the base of the new arbor. It was on sale at Home Depot and the last one for $2.99. I think our original two grapes may not be alive. They both survived the grasshopper invasion but seem to have given up this winter. The red clover I planted as a cover crop has really taken off in the herb garden. I am also waiting for it to flower for my beloved bees and then I will chop it. You can see some of it here.
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