The invasion is coming

[botias]

I ordered berries this morning. The awful truth is that I've been given raspberry starts from time to time, even purchased some--and allowed all to perish unplanted. I think I worry somehow that they will take over my yard and leave me cowering in my house, afraid to go outside. Too much Stephen King as an adolescent? Or is it just the 12 foot high bramble patches that appear wherever feral blackberries are allowed to get a foothold around here? Sadly, examples of this are all too near. My neighbor's back yard is a delightful blend of blackberry tangles, broken down cars and aggressive dogs. Either way, this time will be different. *vows* I found some berries at the local farmer's market that have won my heart forever. The man had no idea of the variety, but I ordered tayberries, loganberries, boysenberries and marionberries, and hopefully one of these varieties will be The One or similar.

Still left to acquire: strawberries, they're going to form a useful edging around my dahlia garden; and one or two apple trees. You see, I'm going to hell, and the apple trees are meant to ease my troubled soul. There are two 30 or 40 year-old fruit trees in my yard. I am itching to cut down at least one of them. They are a pain to prune and maintain, and make shade where I want sun.

To prepare for a more hoped for invasion, I ordered three varieties of California/western native milkweed seeds. These are the food plants of monarch butterflies. I was sternly instructed by monarch conservation websites not to plant milkweeds from Mexico or east of the Rockies, so I only looked longingly at the brilliant magenta Eastern Purple Milkweed. Seems those monarchs are a separate population and like a different brand of poison than their Baja to B.C. relations.

Maybe it's time I started a garden blog. :P

Comments

[prophecygirrl.livejournal.com]

You know, I have a raspberry plant that I transplanted from Mom's garden that is dying a slow and terrible death in a container because I'm afraid of having to rip miles of them out in a couple of years. The Great Lemon Balm war of '09 will do that do you.

How cool that you're supporting the monarchs! That's gotta get you in good with the PTB!

[botias.livejournal.com]

Bwah!! I too am a veteran of the Lemon Balm War. At the heart of the giant, tough-as-nails clump, I found a plastic lemon balm plant tag that I kept as a trophy. Ten years later I am still wary.

I hope to be supporting monarchs. They are not as common around here as other butterflies. I only saw them once growing up, in a field of flowering alfalfa, but a local native plant gardener says he has had some success with native milkweed. I also plan to plant bronze fennel for anise swallowtails. I may also plant some stinging nettle in an out-of-the-way corner for other species. O.O I understand that it's that caterpillar food plants that are particularly important. Nectar plants are always in adequate supply.

[louise39.livejournal.com]

I don't know if they grow in California, but we have blueberry bushes - easy to keep under control, white blossoms in spring, red leaves in fall and blueberries in September.
We have monarchs breed in parsley plants!

[botias.livejournal.com]

Blueberry bushes love it here, and they are very pretty in the fall. But, I only really like the little tiny wild blueberries. Maybe I should try and buy a bush that makes those. :)

Neat! I think they ate mine too back in Colorado, though it might have been black swallowtails.

[botias.livejournal.com]

Now I have plans for a blueberry hedge to take the place of that awful english ivy 'thing'. I blame you. :)

[lotorsgurl.livejournal.com]

Hey botias have you ever thought of thats if you like them boisenberries or gooseberries they are good to eat and have the ability to magickily make pest disapear.

[botias.livejournal.com]

I've never tried gooseberries. How do they make pests disappear?

[lotorsgurl.livejournal.com]

Alright they are harmless to humans but if insects even try to consume them they die where they started to eat.Oh if you plant mint it burns the mucusoidal membranes in rodents so they will no longer be a problem.I bought a book from B&N that tells you what plants or veggies to plant that are naturaly offenseive to pest animals and insects.


So now I no longer have a Black Thumb but a bright Green Thumb.

[zanthinegirl.livejournal.com]

My mom has thornless raspberries-- might be worth looking for! Much, much easier to pick!

[botias.livejournal.com]

I think at least three of the varieties I ordered are thornless. Maybe those will be the winners. :)