GARDENING

We have many Norway Maples around (The only tree I hate) and they are prolific seeders (the reason for my hate). We had a carpet of green earlier this month of maple babies. Back breaking work, pulling them up. I have been working on this garden for the third year this year. I convinced the landlady to start using mulch, convinced her that OLD DARK mulch is best suited (yay!). We have been tinkering with what will work and what won't in this shady, clay, poor-soiled garden in the city. What seems to work quite well: liriope, some carex, some lamium, huechera, huecherella, viburnum, and japanese anemone - not a bad list. I've been trying to shoot it at around the same time each year. The time is when the shad blooms. We just had the annual cleanup crew buzz through.

Nice, K.

neat work, fits the space really well, Your work?

PSanybody have experience with PAW PAW trees?

I do but I don't talk about it nowadays.

don't let the pawpaw flower do the talking for you

seriously, can anyone provide me with any experience on these fruit trees? Ive never eaten a pawpaw but the descriptions sound really good. It sounded so good that I was wondering if they were like wild persimmons (only good for possum food)

First rhodo-bloomer of the assembly.


....why do people fertilize.

Impeccable landscape.

The first tomatoes of the season are starting to form. In the background is one of the very young leeks I planted.

I see you planted "patio" tomatoes, excellent choice for container gardening.

Thanks Fman. I didn't start the garden or cut the edge (mine edge would have been less wavy). But, I have been working at the garden for a few years. I think I have a good hand in it now. The small tree-rose of sharon is likely dead and will be replaced this year (with something different god-willing).

Don't know anything about the fruit of paw paws.....

More snaps of the garden at the place I rent......

Japanese ghost fern (quite adept at surviving in dry shade)


Dark huechera with chartruse creeping jenny (careful with the later, it can be invasive)


An outstanding heucherella (heuchera x tiarella) called either geisha or stoplight


A white columbine


Meadow rue (thalictrum) about to bloom


A tiny rock geranium


Japanese maple with citron and caramel heuchera




And in the bed by the road.... geum with white cristata


White cristata

Yep, two of the "patios" and one of the better boys you told me about.

My next project is to rig up some kind of fence with a gate that is high enough to keep the dogs out so I can work in the ground instead of the raised box.

I also have my eye on a couple spots for a pomegranate tree and maybe a persimmon tree. The climate requirements seem to fit within ABQ's weather and when I heard there were both at the Bike World shop on Coors near Eagle Ranch Road and I went there yesterday to check it out and see what condition they were in. Seems they do well and get a full fruiting season here.

Garden update:

More tomato children are starting to pop up on the other plants now:



And I'm hoping that my little windmill and other terrorist scare tactics will keep the birds away long enough for me to get the first ripe strawberry in a few days:



Here's a long view. The green onions and leeks should be ready for eating in another week or two:



And the unusually early summer rains the last few days have the roses in the front yard blooming:

groovy

This week I will ask my gardener friend if he can remove the pine tree from my rear sideyard or if I will have to hire a contractor, which will be expensive. I want to create a large garden spot for Butrflynet. It will require a fence to keep the dogs out of the garden.

BBB

Virtually no 'gardener friend' will tell you to hire a contractor. OK, maybe, once in a while.

He or she may or may not be correct. Nor... will, necessarily, be the contractor.
Some contractors are idiots and or money makers. Alternately, some are very astute - some very, very astute. There has been a mild pulse on this in california, re state boards.

Still, there are appropriate practices. Please do some online investigation.

On pomegranate, punica, I've grown it in west LA, and specified it more. Very pleasing. I'm interested.

that big huh, consider your insurance

and are you really that fond of persimmon

Persimmon, I'd be surprised if it worked here.