Birthday Shenanigans and Garden Stuff

[botias]

A's birthday was on Saturday. I presented him with one, two, three, geek t-shirts which he seemed to like, and the weekend has been a great deal of kid-free fun and relaxation, courtesy of his mom. Today was work fun. I planted 4 berry vines (two blackberries, a loganberry and a boysenberry) which was harder than it may sound because I had to create the bed I planted them in first. Also I got one of my blueberry bushes in the ground.

My main experience of blueberries is of the tiny, intensely flavored ones that come in a little can with the Betty Crocker blueberry muffin mix. All of the blueberries I've seen on bushes are much larger and don't taste much like them. This 'Rubel' variety I've planted is supposed to be like those tiny ones. I hope so. :)

My crocuses are beginning to bloom and the daffodils I planted in the fall (this time) are coming up well. I planted daffodils much too late last year, late spring instead of fall. Many sprouted anyway, but none of the bulbs in one particular spot. Today I noticed they are coming up this spring, a happy surprise.

In other news: I am reading Sanditon by Jane Austen... and Another Lady. Apparently the first eleven chapters are by Austen, and I haven't yet left those behind, but I have no regrets. Even if the rest is bad, I am hungry for this new material from one of my favorite writers. Perhaps fanfiction has accustomed me somewhat to enjoying unfinished works.

Still left to plant:

• Rome Beauty Apple


• Tayberry (2)


• Nectarberry*


• Huckleberry


• Grape


• Twinberry (2)*


• Willow*

*plants I'm not sure exactly where to plant

ETA: No frogs nearby this year, but frogs down in the marshes, faintly heard, are giving me this vague sense that I should be doing something... answering the phone perhaps? :P

Comments

[silverusagi]

I read Sanditon a while ago. My copy just ended, though, it wasn't finished by someone else. I think it was in a book of Austen's incompleted and earlier works.

[botias.livejournal.com]

I still haven't gotten to the 'other' part yet. I'm interested to see how it goes. :)

[prophecygirrl.livejournal.com]

I am living vicariously through your gardening. I've always wanted to plant blueberries, and just the idea of crocuses and daffodils right now is making me all swoony. It's wicked cold out here, but no snow to speak of, thank goodness.


I'll have to check Sanditown out! You're right -- if I can tolerate in in fan fiction, why not from Jane Austen, of all people? *thumps self on head, but not too hard*

[botias.livejournal.com]

Glad to be of service. Nothing like a heat sink the size of the Pacific to alter one's climate for the milder. :) If it makes you feel better, I can't grow tulips unless I want to dig the bulbs and put them in the freezer for the winter.

I know! I can't believe I let some Austen lie. Really, though, I only found out about her unfinished works in the last few months.

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

Oooh, gardening. We're expecting 6 inches of snow tomorrow...

[botias.livejournal.com]

Snow is nice too. It can be really pretty. For coast dwellers, it's also a once-in-a-decade novelty.

[louise39.livejournal.com]

We have the large blueberries but yours sound tasty. [The birds get most of ours now anyway.] You have a lot to plant yet. Please send pictures of your pruned trees. The short-iness sounds interesting.

Lucky you! Oh, for crocus and daffs. We are weeks away from ours.

[botias.livejournal.com]

I do need to take pictures. :) I would love to show off my trees.

Here's a link to what I am aiming for:

http://humgardens.com/fruit_orchard/fruit-tree-framework-pruning.htm

[louise39.livejournal.com]

I never saw that idea in print. Good luck with your orchard. You have such a variety of fruits too. Will your trees produce at different times?
And you'll have all those helpers at harvest!

They are forecasting 6-12 inches of snow...