A rainy afternoon here. Nice and cool around the 15C (59F) mark so I headed out to the farm to dig more holes. The clethra graciously gifted to the farm from the neighbours (thanks Mike!) are in the ground right next to the lilacs along the driveway. Even in just the two weeks since getting those planted they’re establishing well and thriving. I also finally picked a spot for the silver-leaf dogwood front and centre of the view to show off not only the variegated foliage in warm weather but the bright red stems in winter. I’m not sure if that will go all shrubbery on me or if I can groom it over time to be a bit more formal. It’s hard to tell with dogwoods.
The pot of dill from June has started in earnest but the sage seeded at the same time is only just beginning to peek out since it’s been mostly cool until now. The new herb bed I cut in at last report finally got some non-potted residents too. I dropped in a lonely peppermint start left over from the apartment plantings but if the conditions are as favourable as I think they are it will fill the entire patch knowing how mint runs. Unstoppable and perennial once it gets going in a spot, especially in our cool, damp climate. The goal there is to have so much I can fill the kitchen with bunches all summer long.
I also put a spare rosemary in front that will hopefully corral it a bit. I’m particularly happy with this tiny little plant simply because it’s the first time I’ve gotten rosemary up from seed. Most people wisely rely on softwood cuttings from mature plants or even grocery store herb packs to propagate but I wanted to see if seeds were a viable alternative. Plus I didn’t have a healthy plant big enough to start whacking off the new growth tips to make more seedlings. A mere five long winter months with grow lights and heating pads – not to mention keeping curious cats out of the pots – and they popped right up. Yes, now that I’ve done it once I’ll most likely go back to using cuttings.
The horseradish pot is growing like a monster again and I need to sort out where to put it permanently. I know I’ll need to keep it in check because I noticed the spot from where I moved the pot just a few weeks ago had fresh new seedlings sprouting up from bare ground. That stuff will grow anywhere it lands and I eat enough of it to want a big patch. If you’ve never had freshly grated horseradish – prepared properly with salt and vinegar and allowed to mature overnight – then you’ve never tasted real horseradish. It’s a whole new nose-clearing experience compared to the ready-made jars.
Oh, and I think I found a honeysuckle that had gone missing in the deep growth but it could easily be that the thug life natives have just seeded the pot and taken over. We’ll see if it climbs up the stake and puts out those funky long red flowers soon enough.
The best news from out there is that the apples have set fruit. Lots of it. That crucial time frame between blossom and pollination is always touch and go but we seem to have avoided wind and storm at just the right time this year. Yes indeed there will be apple pies and cider galore come fall.
* Thanks again to Mike for both the clethra and for seeding the gnomes while he was out at the farm.
