Beginning of Summer - Bamboo Shoots Sprout
Happily soaking up today’s immovable rain. So are all the plants in the gardens and the bonsai on the benches. Even Boone our red ticked coon hound is in a lounging mood after our wet and playful morning run.
Geranium sanguineum ‘Max Frei’ beginning to bloom in its micro ecosystem along a stone wall.
///
GARDEN
Eventful week. Always continuing stewardship, making adjustments here and there based on weather and growth of plants. Wednesday was the beginning of the major planting projects this year, with about 150 woodland shrubs to be added along the property line where buckthorn was removed this past winter. Fortunately, a team of helpers joined in the effort, and we finished placing the shrubs in their new homes before lunchtime! Honestly surprised with the quickness and efficiency of the day’s work.
Unloading shrubs from the delivery truck and lining them up as we layout flags for planting.
Thanks for the help everyone!
Continuing garden work that day, my mentor and I were able to go over some gardening suggestions and projects for the upcoming days. In a few areas, Aster macrophyllus ‘Twilight’ was growing aggressively, hampering it’s neighbors. I’ve replanted the ones suffering nearby and have begun thinning the aster. A good number will be transplanted to another section of the property that is a bit wetter, this should act as a parameter to keep the aster from spreading beyond.
Reviewed a new garden design and all signs point to go! With my momentary break from the gardens, I have been quantifying how many plants I will need to fulfill the design as well as sourcing the leaf litter compost to be added to the native soil. Hope to begin preparations and plantings in the next few weeks.
Yesterday we began the first installment of our veg garden version 2.0 at home. Chloe and I have been gardening at the farm she works at and our propagations will now Ben used both at the farm and at home. We are using the home base to experiment with a No Dig approach, made popular by some including Charles Dowding. If no competitive weeds have a strong grip on the site, one can simply place cardboard on top of the ground in the desired orientation, lay 3 - 5 inches of compost or soil on top, and begin planting immediately! There are some subtleties, for example, compressing the soil by walking on top to offer a better hold for roots and how that is far different than compacted soil.
Compressing soil a bit.
Mixing cotton burr compost with local mushroom compost.
Planting dry beans.
///
BONSAI
With the majority of trees leaved out, not much to be done these days. Allow for proper balance of water and oxygen in containers, sunlight for food, and fertilize where needed. Picked up a purpleleaf sand cherry (Prunus x cistena) and cherry from a local nursery, always ensuring a safe transport home.
“Still buckled in back there?”
Collected a few trees from the back forest last fall, trunk chopped aggressively, and I have been somewhat concerned for their recovery since. Haven’t seen any budding where all the others are flourishing. But alas! The other day both trees presented the tiniest of buds, but a number of them and they continue to enlarge. Happy days.
///
PODCASTS & LITERATURE
Podcasts this week:
As of late, Peter Warren - Saruyama Bonsai on the other side of the pond has been my biggest source of learning and entertainment. His recent live video streams arises largely as a countermeasure to the Covid pandemic. After seeing how his wife’s dance group gained tremendous benefit and happiness from meeting in online video conferences/groups, he thought he’d try offering that for the bonsai community at large. What a joy it’s been listening to others and needing out over trees.
Asymmetry - ep. 137 Peter Warren
Featured in this podcast are both Peter Warren and Ryan Neil, profound bonsai professionals and friends discussing apprenticeships in Japan, current work and sources of inspiration, all whilst catching up and joking around.
This American Life - ep. 307 Stuck!
STUCK! Ever been in a rut or in a holding pattern? A few stories of others who can relate to such feelings and situations.
Books:
Referenced many gardening books this week for additional inspiration. Here they are:
Gardening with Nature: Meadows, Outdoor Rooms, Garden Screens, and Borders - James Van Sweden
New Small Garden - Noel Kingsbury
The Know Maintenance Perennial Garden - Roy Diblik
///
Will continue rainy day sketching out designs and learning about trees. About time for afternoon tea. What’s your favorite? Today it’ll be earl gray with a bit of oat milk.
Until soon,
-M-