Augusta West - Not

It's time for the Masters' Tournament in Augusta, Georgia.  That golf course is famous for its azaleas.  My garden is not.  In 2009, we planted a bunch of camellias and azaleas in the garden.  Wrong.  They did bloom, but then they went kaput!  Only one azalea survives today.  Thriving in their place are thornless boysenberries

 George L. Taber Azalea

Garden Update:

Tomatoes (Better Boy):  Farmer MacGregor could not imagine a summer without homegrown tomatoes.  So rather than solarize the raised beds to eradicate the nematodes, he opted to plant a variety resistant to nematodes.  This is what we grew last summer in another bed. Planted last week.

Bell Peppers (Golden Bell):  Three plants should be enough to take us through the summer. Planted today.

Hot Peppers (Serrano):  Pepper poppers are a favorite around here.  MacGregor also prefers home grown salsa. So...Serranos were planted today.

Note:  I still cannot bend so Farmer MacGregor has taken on the task of planting.

Nectarine (Fantasia):  What's nibbling on the nectarines?  Ants?  Grasshoppers?

Fantasia Nectarines

Espalier:  All the espalier fruit trees (except for the Granny Smith apple) had a spring pruning.  Nothing too heavy.  The leaves are necessary to prevent scald.  The most vigorous growth was on the apricot and plum trees.

In The Pink & A Winner!

There’s plenty of pink in the garden this spring.  I expect the pink Candytuft to explode later; but in the meantime…

Azalea – George L. Taber

 

Peach – O’Henry

 

Camellia – Mrs. Tingley

 

Christmas Cactus – Nutty Screwy

This weekend

• The espalier lines were tightened after all the tie downs were removed.  Not many blossoms were sacrificed. 
• Tomatoes from last summer were brought out of the freezer in order to make some garlic heavy spaghetti sauce.  Italian parsley and Thyme from the garden added to the seasoning.
• Scare tape was hung above the hanging plants to encourage the twitterpated mourning doves to build their nests elsewhere.
• The garden fence was washed down in anticipation of Farmer MacGregor’s paintbrush.  Rain prevented the application of paint.

 

The winner of the Hometown Seeds Kitchen Herb Value Pack is Donna.  Congratulations Donna.  Please send me an email so I can make arrangements for delivery of the seeds to your garden.

This Bud’s For You

With the moist winter we’ve been experiencing and the warmer, longer days, the buds in the garden are bursting or on the verge.  Today there was light rain in the San Joaquin Valley and a dusting of snow in Tehachapi.  It was a nice surprise to top off an afternoon drive up the hill.  Before the drive, we went to the citrus tasting at White Forest Nursery.  The only thing I bought was a couple packets of Teddy Bear Sunflower seeds. 

Here is the promise of spring:

 

 Strawberry

 Dandelion

Lilac (lobelia in background)

 Chrysanthemum

Santa Rosa Plum

O’Henry Peach

Granny Smith Apple

Warren Pear

Fantasia Nectarine

  Blenheim Apricot

Lantana – Purple

Oxalis

Lantana – Yellow

  Begonia

Azalea - George L. Taber

Lemon – Variegated Pink

Here Comes Spring

The buds are forming.  Some are even swelling so much that they are about ready to burst.  Here’s what’s going on in the garden:

Wisteria – My dad gave me this vine.  I’ve had it quite a few years and thought I lost it in the transplant.  Looks like it may thrive.

Day Lilies -  These rarely bloom.  I’m keeping them crowded to see if that might work.

Lilac – Love, love, love lilac.

Apricot – See the sap running?  I don’t like this cut and may correct the pruning later after the blossoms pop.

Nectarine – Thought this tree was scorched this summer and might need to be replaced.  Glad I was wrong.

Pear -  The buds are pointed and oblong.  Don’t know if these are leaves or blossoms.

Apple – Notice how orange the bark is?  It has a copper like shimmer to it due to the dormant oil spray.

Plum – This may be the earliest to bloom of the fruit trees.

Brussels Sprouts – The sprouts are finally starting to form.  These have some raindrops on them.

Camellias – This is my first year with camellias.  I don’t know if these buds are leaves or flowers.  Stay tuned.

Azaleas – See the pink starting to break through?  I’ve killed every azalea I’ve ever had and intend to break that trend.

Cauliflower – Old reliable keeps on giving and giving.

Roses – This Pope John Paul II and my Jaune Desprez along with all the other roses in the yard are all starting to leaf out.

The rain continued today.  It was soft and gentle but continual.  Lovely.

Nuccio’s Camellias & Azaleas

Today we took a road trip down to Nuccio’s in Altadena to pick out camellias and azaleas for the back garden.  Wow.  I could have stayed a month looking at the acres of beautiful plants they have to offer and learning all kinds of interesting stuff at this family run nursery.  They’ve been around since 1935.

Altadena is in the hills above Pasadena.  The hills are dry and recently were on fire.  Luckily, Nuccio’s was untouched by the fire.

Under the shade structures are gobs and gobs of camellias, azaleas, gardenia, and rhododendrons.  There were a few azaleas in bloom.

We picked out Mrs. Tingley camellias and George L. Taber azaleas.  I’ll have more pictures of them later after they’re planted.  I plan to espalier the camellias to keep them in as much shade of the back garden wall as possible.  The Bakersfield sun could bake my purchase in a few hours if I’m not careful.

I need to keep the height under control unlike this gigantic beast!

Jim Nuccio didn’t cooperate in sitting for a portrait; but he was as helpful and attentive as could be expected from one of the owners of this fine family business.  Their website isn’t so great; but the nursery is awesome if you want to see and learn about these acid loving plants.  I plan to return in the winter to see the place in bloom.  Santa Anita Racetrack would also be on that visit!