Month: June 2019

Flower walking

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Lilacs are blooming everywhere, and while I’ve always loved lilac, they seem too civilized, predictable, tame. Here’s some more interesting flowers that caught my eye lately.

I’m very happy to have this photo of blue-eyed grass. I spotted it next to a rock in the herb border. The blue is so beautiful and the stems are so oddly flat. The next day the blooms were dried up.

This is blooming all along the roadsides. My PlantSnap app identifies it as American beech. But I’m skeptical about that. Will keep an eye on it.

Finally the lovely iris blooming in the field.

Dye garden

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I’m planning a dye garden this year. The seeds are from Grand Prismatic Seed in Utah, except for the garland serrated chrysanthemum which are from Fedco.

These were planted in soil blocks in May 31. None of the Navajo Tea have sprouted yet. Only one cosmos, and only two hollyhocks.

I’m going to plant the marigolds in the main garden, and maybe the cosmos, for their gladdening effect (and pest deterrence). I wish I could get more marigolds and cosmos, maybe I will direct seed them in the herb garden. The four Hopi Black Dye sunflowers are going along the north border. The others are going into two rehabilitated raised beds that I dug free of quack grass and amended with leaf mulch.

For future reference, here’s a blog post from Grand Prismatic about dyeing with some of these plants: https://www.grandprismaticseed.com/blog/2019/5/1/shirt-of-many-colors.

Transplanted tomatoes

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Sam transplanted 38 tomato seedlings under cattle panel trellises this afternoon. They look really good.

Timeline:

  • April 24: planted in tiny blocks made from Fort Vee medium from Vermont Compost. They spend time inside the house will waiting for germination.
  • May 4: transplanted into larger blocks also made with Fort Vee.
  • Spent time in the hoophouse mostly.
  • May 30: potted up using leaf mulch to give more growing space. This may not have been necessary, but I wasn’t sure how long it would take to get them in the ground.
  • June 6: set out in the garden.

Why is this turkey hen perched up there eyeing my garden?

Pin cherry in bloom

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I’m trying to identify more plants growing in my area. Starting with this tree, which I love to see in bloom. I realized we have a little nursery of young ones (also blooming) inside our garden fence behind the shed.

The guide “Forest Trees of Maine” says about this tree:

…not used commercially and has little value except as a protection and cover for the soil on recent clearings or burned areas.

It’s also known as fire cherry and bird cherry.
Pin cherry in bloom between the garden and the forest
Young pin cherries in a grove behind the garden shed
Pin cherry blooms