Wind wind and more wind
Its been windy out here at the little octagon house on the prairie. I love the wide open spaces we enjoy but they do tend to get filled with mighty winds. Thankfully, we don't get twisters but we do often get dust devils and just weird wind vortexes, so mini mini tornadoes, except without the water. But this year and the years to follow I imagine, is different from years past because this year we actually have a mini crop of orchard fruit. Now when the winds are howling, I look out at my peach tree (seen above) bent heavy in the wind and fret. Oh, dear, oh dear. I sound like piglet. Will the fruit survive? Will the tree break?
I have an unlucky spot in the south perimeter garden. Every tree I plant here dies. I have lost count how many, this year it was a Silk Mimosa. I don't know what is going on but I think there might be an animal who tunnels to my hole underground and then takes water from the tree hole. The problem is the tunnel brings drying air to the trees roots and they die before they ever have a chance. This is my theory anyway. But it has an emitter so I am obligated to fill it.
We only lost one orange tree after all and it's trunk was chewed and it was struggling before the low temps of 2011-2012. So that was appreciated. Our bush mulberry 'black beauty' although it has yet to set fruit has really taken off on the north swale. It's at least four times as big as when I planted it.
As you might have guessed from the above picture we got chicks. The kids really wanted some cute animals to hold and I really wanted more eggs so we decided to do the whole chick endeavor again. This time let's hope we improve our luck with the ratio of hens to roosters. We have two Silver-laced Wyandottes named Priscilla and Sissy, two Americanas named Pippa and Poppy and two Buff Orpingtons named Molly and Polly. I said I would not get anymore Americanas given that my favorite chicken Annie died so suddenly but then I caved because she was so cute and had such great personality. With the death of Mark our Buff Orpington hen we are down to only 6 layers. "Earl(y )"our new rooster is doing well but he eats more than Ned did. Next week we will be moving the chickens back to the garden for the summer. The chicks will stay inside for a few more weeks and then we will construct a temporary coop for them. We are handling them everyday because I want friendly chickens darn it! My first flock is unfriendly but this is my fault. I harassed them when they got out and their rooster and I had many physical and verbal confrontations which ended badly for him...
So here are some pics from around the farm. The small rose is rosa virginiana which I started from seed and I am exceedingly proud of. The funny thing is I didn't order it. I ordered rosa rugosa and they were out so they sent it in the rugosa's place. I was a little disappointed but tried it anyway. And I am so glad I did. It smells divine and it's tough. Good medicine. I also have a rosa rugosa which I am very attached to since I started it from seed as well. Those roses. I never gave them much thought until I met the wild ones.....
The purple flower is fragrant sweet pea. They have been coming up in this spot for two years now. I encourage it. They live up to their name with sweet perfume. It used to be a multi-colored sweet pea but now after going to seed several times it's all purple.
These are various shots of the herb garden. The white yarrow from seed has really come into its own now and is a huge colony. A second grape vine is being trained to get to the arbor and the first is looking like it might set some fruit this year.
You can see a small bit of the pond beyond the windbreak guild in the picture below. We lost our water view but we gained protection and cooling. The second picture is my ever growing collection of potted plants under the arbor waiting for permanent homes in the garden. I germinated some small interesting acorns from a park in Chico which I think are a southeastern oak. And wisteria, woad, japanese yams, violets, pineapple mint, black locusts, Nettles, Black elder, Boston ivy, poke, New Jersey Tea, an unknown chinese herb, honey locust, various oaks, silk mimosas, a mystery desert shrub tree from seeds collected at the experimental gardens at UC Davis. I am letting most of these plants get larger. I made the mistake of planting out a black locust last year and it died. I had started it from seed and so I was very sad. My licorice died from unknown causes as well.
This is a favorite shot looking southwest. This time of year the herb garden is full and in flower. Later in the summer season it looks more dried out and tired. I love the shade that the garden and porch cast and the added touch now of the grapevine making its way to the arbor. The view from here is nice with the Yolla Bolly Mountians in the distance and trees on the south swale.
I have an unlucky spot in the south perimeter garden. Every tree I plant here dies. I have lost count how many, this year it was a Silk Mimosa. I don't know what is going on but I think there might be an animal who tunnels to my hole underground and then takes water from the tree hole. The problem is the tunnel brings drying air to the trees roots and they die before they ever have a chance. This is my theory anyway. But it has an emitter so I am obligated to fill it.
We only lost one orange tree after all and it's trunk was chewed and it was struggling before the low temps of 2011-2012. So that was appreciated. Our bush mulberry 'black beauty' although it has yet to set fruit has really taken off on the north swale. It's at least four times as big as when I planted it.
As you might have guessed from the above picture we got chicks. The kids really wanted some cute animals to hold and I really wanted more eggs so we decided to do the whole chick endeavor again. This time let's hope we improve our luck with the ratio of hens to roosters. We have two Silver-laced Wyandottes named Priscilla and Sissy, two Americanas named Pippa and Poppy and two Buff Orpingtons named Molly and Polly. I said I would not get anymore Americanas given that my favorite chicken Annie died so suddenly but then I caved because she was so cute and had such great personality. With the death of Mark our Buff Orpington hen we are down to only 6 layers. "Earl(y )"our new rooster is doing well but he eats more than Ned did. Next week we will be moving the chickens back to the garden for the summer. The chicks will stay inside for a few more weeks and then we will construct a temporary coop for them. We are handling them everyday because I want friendly chickens darn it! My first flock is unfriendly but this is my fault. I harassed them when they got out and their rooster and I had many physical and verbal confrontations which ended badly for him...
So here are some pics from around the farm. The small rose is rosa virginiana which I started from seed and I am exceedingly proud of. The funny thing is I didn't order it. I ordered rosa rugosa and they were out so they sent it in the rugosa's place. I was a little disappointed but tried it anyway. And I am so glad I did. It smells divine and it's tough. Good medicine. I also have a rosa rugosa which I am very attached to since I started it from seed as well. Those roses. I never gave them much thought until I met the wild ones.....
The purple flower is fragrant sweet pea. They have been coming up in this spot for two years now. I encourage it. They live up to their name with sweet perfume. It used to be a multi-colored sweet pea but now after going to seed several times it's all purple.
These are various shots of the herb garden. The white yarrow from seed has really come into its own now and is a huge colony. A second grape vine is being trained to get to the arbor and the first is looking like it might set some fruit this year.
You can see a small bit of the pond beyond the windbreak guild in the picture below. We lost our water view but we gained protection and cooling. The second picture is my ever growing collection of potted plants under the arbor waiting for permanent homes in the garden. I germinated some small interesting acorns from a park in Chico which I think are a southeastern oak. And wisteria, woad, japanese yams, violets, pineapple mint, black locusts, Nettles, Black elder, Boston ivy, poke, New Jersey Tea, an unknown chinese herb, honey locust, various oaks, silk mimosas, a mystery desert shrub tree from seeds collected at the experimental gardens at UC Davis. I am letting most of these plants get larger. I made the mistake of planting out a black locust last year and it died. I had started it from seed and so I was very sad. My licorice died from unknown causes as well.
This is a favorite shot looking southwest. This time of year the herb garden is full and in flower. Later in the summer season it looks more dried out and tired. I love the shade that the garden and porch cast and the added touch now of the grapevine making its way to the arbor. The view from here is nice with the Yolla Bolly Mountians in the distance and trees on the south swale.
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