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applestar
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Snapshots of my Edible Landscape/Mini-forest Garden: Updates

Here are some photos from my garden:

8' diameter keyhole-style Kitchen Garden: A clock-wise jumble (not nearly as clearly defined as last year) of self-seeded Cilantro, Red Acre Cabbage, Purple Vienna Kohlrabi, (not in photo Moskvich tomato), Tin Tin Baby Romaine, Pansy, Lemon Balm, Windsor Broad Beans, Sugar Ann snap peas, (Yellow Bell tomato), self-seeded Chamomile, Chinese leeks, overwintered Raddichio, self-seeded Calendula, Red Russian Kale, Garlic, Thyme, Wild Mustard, Carrots, Japanese Black Trifele tomato, Radish, Mullein, Potato Cranberry Red, Onions and a shallot, more Cilantro, Mache, Tin Tin lettuce, Red Cross lettuce, Rosemary. In the center in containers - Strawberries, onions, radish, Burgundy Red okra to sprout, Blue Vine Milkweed seedlings, Parsley, Nasturtiums, Anise Hyssop, a maple and an elm for possible bonsai. And, of course, Mr. T in his bath :()
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image6829.jpg[/img]

June Update - overgrown JUNGLE! :shock:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7275.jpg[/img]

8'x12' former Sunflower House: Tall Telephone peas along near fence with onions. Double Red Sweet corn in between. Watermelon in the corner (not sprouted), Cauliflower, then Garlic along left with another Chinese leeks, a few onion seedlings, Red Russian Kale, Windsor Broad beans, some more on the other side of entry, volunteer Purple Podded Pole beans, scattering of Dill, Spinach, Carrots, more Double Red Sweet corn, Parsley, Lincoln peas along right edge under bamboo support, Caraflex cabbage, Cauliflower, Red Acre cabbage, Red Russian Kale under the row tunnel along with a few Lincoln peas, and spinach. Planning to plant peanuts and Delicata squash here later. Onion. A cotton plant is hardening off under the tunnel to be planted in the near-right corner.
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image6843.jpg[/img]
-- June Update from the same viewpoint. Tallest peas are 6'+.
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7282.jpg[/img]
-- July 16 Update -- the peas have been cut down to be used as mulch. As you can see, the corn didn't do very well here -- too close to the peas, and this turned out to be not very vigorous variety (Double Red Sweet). I knew I was pushing it though, and I have the same corn planted elsewhere, so I'll be satisfied if I can get some decent seed corn for next year:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7637.jpg[/img]
I found a bag of blue seed potatoes sprouting in the fridge. I've no idea if they're still viable (the shoots and roots look fresh), but I've nowhere else to plant them, so I tucked them under the pea mulch. If they manage to establish and sprout, I'll pile some compost and hay over them.

****

My "tropicals" grown from seeds and tops: Two kinds of Pineapples, Mango, Avocado, and Pomegranates. Citrus collection is elsewhere.
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image6862.jpg[/img]

-- July 11 update: Mango is growing another set of leaves....
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7500.jpg[/img]

Kiwi Gold raspberries:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image6848.jpg[/img]
Triple Crown blackberries:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image6822.jpg[/img]

Some of my espalier:
Pristine apple (I know, I know, that lower right branch needs to go.... I just can't bring myself to cut it :roll:). Underplanted with Nodding onion, Red clover, Egyptian onion:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image6850.jpg[/img]
June Update:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7280.jpg[/img]
Overloaded with fruits -- forgot to thin them so little bite sized apples, the front one is ready to pick:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7281.jpg[/img]

Magness pear. Underplanted with garlic and potato onions, Red clover:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image6851.jpg[/img]
June Update - no fruits this year due to Seckel being too young to flower and Tyler loss to fire blight:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7279.jpg[/img]

Arkansas Black apple. Underplanted with Nodding onion and garlic and a mystery volunteer plant:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image6852.jpg[/img]
June Update - hard to see in the foliage but there are 4 fruits:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7278.jpg[/img]

Rumex crispus and dandelion are growing in the espalier fence row as dynamic accumulator and mulch plants. Grass along the fence is cut and used as mulch as well.

All along the OTHER side of the fence -- California black-eyed peas.
Last edited by applestar on Fri Jul 16, 2010 8:17 pm, edited 5 times in total.

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gixxerific
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Look like you have been busy. You have quite a variety of stuff going as well. looks like everything is doing well, something I can't say about my garden.

Good luck

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rainbowgardener
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Wonderful! I love how you garden, AS! I don't know anyone who gets more different stuff in an 8' circle!

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soil
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great job applestar, love the espaliers. I have an apple on going myself.

GeorgiaGirl
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NICE!!! It all looks fantastic... thanks for sharing!!

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cherlynn
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Applestar,
My goodness...you're headed to no grass at all!!! Yummy, raspberries and blackberries, too. What haven't you planted!!! I love how much has self seeded!!! Are you doing any rice this year? Love the "tropicals"! I am so far behind!!! Your key hole area is amazing! You are amazing!!!

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Sage Hermit
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O:) No way you got a turtle named Mr. T! Thats cool.

Thanks for the great photo.

Just got 10 lbs of sunflower seeds. Probably will have a few thousand sunflowers growing from now until fall sometime. You will be so jealous.

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applestar
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Thanks! It's a work in progress, and every year, I seem to eliminate another patch of lawn or two. 8) I've mostly staked out the garden beds in the backyard and have moved out into the front yard. I'll post some photos of that later, after things grow up a bit. But I posted a list of plants that went in the new "Front Fence Row" in reply to [url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=133007#133007]Attractive veggies for front yard?[/url] thread.

This year's rice is in [url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=24875]this thread[/url]. Not much going on yet though I AM pulling out the imposter red stemmed grass.

Speaking of grass -- I'm trying to grow some Moso bamboo seeds. I blithely used my usual homemade seedling mix. BIG MISTAKE! My seedling mix is NOT weed-free. I now have grass-like weeds growing in these pots and I've NO IDEA which one is, or even if ANY of them is bamboo.... :shock: :oops: :roll: At this point, my plan is to just keep growing them and see which ones grow the tallest. :>

Oh, and here's [url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=23773]a thread about Mr. T[/url] with some more photos. :()

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cherlynn
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Applestar....your front yard sounds like it will be Beautiful!!! I'll be watching for updates! Thanks for the link to your rice thread. Oh my...bamboo :shock: Is Moso bamboo easy to contain?!?! I love the look of bamboo, but shudder when I think of how invasive it can get! Hmmm....if Moso isn't invasive maybe we could plant a bit in Florida!!! Good luck with finding the "real" bamboo.

I love how you "get into" every aspect of gardening!!!

"Mr. T" looks quite content!!!

ronbre
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I esp like the espaliers, as I haven't brought myself to do them at this point..I think about it..but when I get my apples or other fruit trees..I just tend toward planting them smack in the middle of my gardens..and plant around them..

but they are going to be loverly

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Ozark Lady
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I love the espaliers, but like Brenda, I tend to plant in my present garden, hence, if you look too close at some tomatoes, you see the peach limbs hanging down, loaded with fruits.

Apple, did your sprayed plants recover at all? My sprayed area is now looking great, I will go take some photos, if you will, :lol:

I really need to borrow you for a few days to figure out what needs to go where. Could you handle planning out a huge area? Nearly 3 acres, between house, outbuildings and gardens.

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applestar
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You people with your acreage! Go ahead, make me jealous! :>

But I can say I have 3 apple trees, 3 European plums (almost didn't mention them because these are useless! One is coming down this year, to be replaced with Northstar pie cherry tree :wink:), 2-1/2 pear trees (2 are not fruiting yet, 1/2 because the whip pear (Tyson) planted last fall came down with fireblight and I had to cut the top 1/3. It's down to a stick with undeveloped buds now and I'm waiting to see if it recovers), 1 peach (with developing peaches!), 1 mulberry (laden with fruits -- the catbirds visit every day to see if they're ready :lol:), 1 serviceberry, 1 nectarine (no fruit), 1 persimmon (flowered; waiting to see if they turn into fruits), 1 Chinese apricot, and 2 cherry trees (not fruiting yet) in my 3/8 acre suburban lot. In addition, I have 1 June berry shrub, 11 blueberries, 3 raspberries and 3 blackberries quickly turning into a rows, and 4 beds of strawberries. More stuff I haven't mentioned, too, but yep, I'm packing them in as fast as I can plant them. :wink: Oh! Forgot the PawPaw -- one is struggling to grow. The second one died so I have to get another one. :()

Nearly 3 acres! I'd love to listen in and watch you develop your planting designs. I'll speak up if I have anything to contribute. :D

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Ozark Lady
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Apple, nothing to be jealous of.

You have more in your yard than most of us do, acreage or not.

Having acreage, just means you have to walk farther to where you are going! Not any more productive!

And you would work yourself to death trying to make it all awesome, like your yard!

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applestar
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:lol: and loving every minute of it! :lol:
You're probably right OL -- I get tired enough as is, walking/working around my tiny garden. :roll:

I finished my New Tomato Bed area, with concrete reinforcing wire fencing (NOT rolled into cages) doubling as one side of the vertical trellis sandwich for Luffa. (the other side is a string trellis). Concept is to grow the Luffa in what will become an inaccessible area since they won't be harvested until much later. The 7' trellis hopefully will be covered by Luffa as well as the tomatoes and will shade the hot Southwest wall of the family room. The string trellis, 1' away from the house wall, will help keep the vines away from the wall and provide for air circulation. Am growing the Purple Podded Pole beans in the more accessible section of the trellis since they'll be harvested throughout the season, except for the hottest part, if last year's performance is any indication. (This will all work out as planned or else that whole side of the house is going to turn into an absolute jungle! :shock:) I'll post photos later so we can compare the BEFORE and the AFTER. :wink:
cherlynn wrote:Hmmm....if Moso isn't invasive maybe we could plant a bit in Florida!!!
Um... I think Moso will grow into regular TREES in Florida, we're talking 4~6" DIAMETER and it IS a RUNNING bamboo. It's kind of awesome when you remember that these are members of the GRASS family....

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applestar
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Here's a photo of the tomato/luffa trellis. Yeah, space is tight as usual. :wink:
I suspect I'll have to add steel posts to strengthen the uprights, but I don't have any right now. The gap between the trellises are just wide enough for me to squeeze through. There are Carolina Wrens nesting in the birdhouse. No sign of bat occupation yet... and once the tomatoes start getting bigger, I'm not sure if there will be sufficient airspace below the bat house, but, oh well... :roll:)
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image6916.jpg[/img]
June Update of the Tomato Jungle :lol:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7270.jpg[/img]
Another View:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7271.jpg[/img]
End of June:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7361.jpg[/img]

Luffa -- funny story: I've had two starts growing in 1 Qt deli containers. They were languishing -- pale leaf color, etc -- due to some error in soil mix. I was looking everywhere for the rest of my seeds to plant between the trellises, but no matter how much I looked, I couldn't find them. I did already sow some seeds by another trellis, but I'm pretty sure I had some left. So I finally realized -- I should just PLANT the seedling starts. They'll be out of the container mix that is most definitely NOT working, this area has the warmest micro-climate because of the protected Southwestern exposure, so despite the high 40's/50's nights for the next week, it should be OK, especially with cloche to protect them. PROBLEM SOLVED! :D

That White Swamp Azalea (fabulously fragrant flowers) had 3 of the Praying mantis ooths (egg cases) in it. I see the little ones running around occasionally, so the tomatoes and the luffa should be safe. :wink:

---
I posted a new thread/update about this project [url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=151314#151314]here[/url].
Last edited by applestar on Sat Jul 17, 2010 4:13 pm, edited 3 times in total.

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applestar
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Some photos from my Front Yard:

Potatoes shoots are starting to leaf out. I'm pretty sure this is All Blue:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image6941.jpg[/img]
This one's Adirondak Blue -- sorry it's a bit blurry but isn't the color amazing!?
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image6940.jpg[/img]

Chocolate Cherry sunflower seedlings. If these colors are any indication.... 8)
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image6942.jpg[/img]

I've planted some flowers around the poor Tyson pear. I transplanted some Purple-veined Lyre-leaf Sage here and one is starting to flower. Other seedling sages are Salvia coccinea Forest Fire and Lady in Red, and perennial Wild Blue Salvia azurea. The bronze-leaved red-flowered wax begonias should play off the other colors.
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image6946.jpg[/img]

Further out in the front lawn I have these:
Some kind of volunteer maple. I'm REALLY hoping this is a Sugar Maple:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image6933.jpg[/img]
I think it goes well with the small-leafed but same red leaf-stemmed Japanese maple nearby. This was grown from a seedling from a friend's old house and hers was a small spreading tree:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image6934.jpg[/img]

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supagirl277
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Your backyard sounds gorgeous! I love the amazing variety you have. I wish my plants were that successful. I only have a small amount of things growing but I'm wanting to do more herbs and tasty stuff. I love all the beauty of it all :) I want a big luscious garden like yours someday. Great use of space!

GeorgiaGirl
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LOVE ALL THIS!!!!! Awesome stuff... thanks for sharing!

ronbre
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I'm jealous of the mulberries and paw paws..been trying..I have ordered mulberries more than once and they keep substituting wild plums saying the mulberry crop failed..so I gave up.

and then I planted paw paws and they didn't make it..so a friend sent me ripe paw paws and I put in the seeds..but they evidently rotted or something as I still haven't seen any paw paw babies.

wahhhhhhhhh

Toil
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it's just beautiful! I love a living yard.

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applestar
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Here's an update on my Front Yard fence row featuring the chickenwire potatoe towers. DH asked me why I'm growing "silos" He is not happy. :roll:

As you can see, the potatoes are starting to flower. :D
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7002.jpg[/img]
The black bottomless pot contains Bushel Gourd that just sprouted.
I need to mulch this one some more.
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7003.jpg[/img]
The black bottomless pot contains Atlantic Giant Pumpkins that have just grown their first true leaves.
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7004.jpg[/img]

You can see the popcorn starting to grow. Oh -- I only have one sunflower left. Predation by slugs and snails (presumably) has been devastating. I've resorted to using organic slug bait/killer (Iron phosphate) after returning from 3 consecutive slug hunt mornings with a cup full of slugs and snails. With corn and sunflowers, if they can just outgrow the slugs, they'll be OK.

Quinoa hasn't sprouted -- old seeds, Blackeyed peas have been spotty, and Azuki beans have sprouted. I guess I'll just sow more Blackeyed peas.

... and no, I have NOT told DH about the giant gourd and pumpkin plants.... 8)

June Update:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7288.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7287.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7292.jpg[/img]
Last edited by applestar on Tue Jun 22, 2010 11:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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applestar
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I know you were all just dying to see the Citrus Collection :wink: The newly purchased Myeri Lemon has recovered from the uppotting and is now bursting with buds/blooms.
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7025.jpg[/img]

There were some folks talking about polyculture/polycropping. Here's mine :D
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7016.jpg[/img]
The lone pea that sprouted and grew (out of an entire row along the near string trellis) is basically done and needs to be cut down. Cabbage has pretty much headed and is ready to be harvested to give the tomato room to grow. The daikon seeds are almost mature enough to cut down the plant. You can see the melon seedlings in the near left corner, poised to take over when the lettuce are gone.
--------------
June Update:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7273.jpg[/img]
Yep, I gotta get that cabbage out of there. :roll:
--------------


[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7021.jpg[/img]
(The garlic looks almost white, but that's just light over-exposure from the westering sun)
I planted a few sweet potato slips in available empty spots.
Last edited by applestar on Tue Jun 22, 2010 11:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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applestar
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Oh. I forgot to mention that those Azuki beans were planted from a bag of organic dry beans purchased 2 years ago at a Korean supermarket. Kept in ordinary cupboard.... The Blackeyed peas are from a newly purchased packet of seeds.... I did sow 3 to a spot for Azuki and 2 to a spot for the Blackeyed, but c'mon! Azuki seedlings are growing in each and every spot! :roll:

Hmm... :idea: Maybe this goes back to the Native plant vs. Non-native plant problem. Could it be that the local slugs and snails are not familiar with/unable to digest the Korean Azuki beans and aren't eating the sprouted seedlings?

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gixxerific
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You may be on to something there Apple, but don't put all your chickens in one basket they will learn to eat them if they need to.

By the way looking good as always. I truly admire your style. :D

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applestar
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Thanks everyone! :()
I love the beginning of the season after all the winter plans and schemes for the garden have been implemented, and they start to grow and show a promise (hopefully) of turning out the way they were envisioned. :-()

... of course I still have a few more NEW PROJECT! on my list ... :wink:

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applestar
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Update photos of my Potato "Silos" Potato flowers are SO PRETTY! And the bumble bees are going nuts over them -- looks like they're gathering pollen.
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7147.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7148.jpg[/img]

Those are the Atlantic Giant Pumpkins on the lower right corner :D

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applestar
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More photos of the Front Yard Edible Landscaping.
I *like* the way the Potato Silos look. They look like big shrubs in planters:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7180.jpg[/img]

Atlantic Giant Pumpkins. Since this photo was taken, I went out yesterday evening and found the first two corn in the photo bitten off and lying on the ground! BUNNIES :evil:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7188.jpg[/img]

Bushel Gourd. Lone remaining Chocolate Cherry Sunflower in this location in lower left corner next to some kind of mushrooms that sprung up in the Bumper Crop soil amendment used as mulch.
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7189.jpg[/img]

So the potatoes are in full flower now, which should mean that a month from now, they'll be harvested and the pumpkins and the gourd will have more space to sprawl (I hope I'll have the room to harvest the potatoes). I can use the potato mulch as needed under the vines. I could flatten the chicken wire against the fence in case they're inclined to climb (I don't want them getting in between the fence where the espalier are planted because there are other things planted there already). Hmm... on second thought I probably shouldn't let them climb... I momentarily forgot that these are GIANT vegs. :roll:

-- Update photos from 6/29: Atlantic Giants are starting to vine. There were 2 male flowers this (7/2) morning too :() --
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7398.jpg[/img]
The Bushel Gourd is also taking off in two different directions (there are 3 plants). I'll get a photo to post tomorrow. The potatoes in the far silo behind the gourd have started to flop over (they were taller than the fence) and got bent on the edge of the chickenwire fence, so I'm just piling them on top of each other inside the silo so as not to shade the beans and the gourd.
Last edited by applestar on Fri Jul 02, 2010 9:17 pm, edited 5 times in total.

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Ozark Lady
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I found a tree today, that is totally loaded.

We were looking over the black cohosh, and looking for gingseng, and one tree, we both stopped and looked, it was familiar, finally, our eyes kept travelling upwards, and what was nestled up in the canopy?

A harvest fit for a king! Hmmm did I say that I adore Paw paw's?

[img]https://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww281/Ozark_Lady/100_2550_phixr.jpg[/img]

If we can beat the raccoons and possums, we should have seeds for anyone who would like some.

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applestar
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"Where oh, where is Miss Ozark Lady?
... Where oh, where is Miss Ozark Lady? .... "
https://kids.niehs.nih.gov/lyrics/pawpaw.htm :wink:

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Ozark Lady
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Hey cool! You know it is actually a patch. Both locations have dozens of paw paw plants, but this upper patch only has one that has fruit.

I didn't mean to steal your thread. Do you want some seed when they get ripe? I do need to warn you, the foliage has a lovely appearance, but can't take sun, and they have a rank smell to the foliage.

The fruits taste great! But you might need several to get one to produce, I wonder if they are alternate years, or just I have alot of male trees?

These are wild, not cultivated ones.

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applestar
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Don't worry, I love seeing photos from your Edible Landscape too!

As for the seeds... YOU KNOW IT! I'd love some seeds! :lol: :wink:
Could you maybe manage seeds from 2 or more different fruits, individually marked? (You know, "A", "B", etc.?) That way, I can sow 2 or 3 seeds from each one and end up with 2 or 3 trees with hopefully different genetic combinations that will allow for cross pollination. I'm pretty sure fruits from the same tree is OK.

(Please someone correct me if I'm wrong.)
I do need to warn you, the foliage has a lovely appearance, but can't take sun, and they have a rank smell to the foliage.
I've heard about the smell. :o And the part about the sun, maybe that's my problem with the one seedling tree I have. The 2nd seedling tree that was planted with it died, and this one is not growing very well either. This year, the front yard popcorn, once they grow a little bit more, will help shade it, and right now, I'm letting all kinds of weeds grow all around it in hopes that they'll nurse it along.

I think I'll try planting the seedlings from your seeds in the backyard by the back fence where it's perpetually shady from the Mulberry and the Oak trees. I can give the front yard seedling a pollination companion, too. 8) (See, I'm counting the chickens already... :lol:)

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Ozark Lady
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If I get the energy, I will wander down the hill, and look in the ravine for more paw paw's, that will really give ya some diversity.

I really like to eat paw paw's so needing to get you some seed from a little more distance, at least a different tree is just a good excuse.

The tree these are on is only about 10' tall. Huge canopy, and it really gets about an hour of direct sunlight per day? I don't know if it matters, but my eastern sun paw paw died. But all the productive ones get just the setting sun. The ones with no sun at all, have no fruit! Hmm?

Oh another interesting thing... it has a huge wild rose growing right beside the trunk! That helps keep critters out!

But, I bet you can keep these pruned to a reasonable height. Just remember to keep it second story, not top!

These are right beside my forest garden, and are alot of the reason that I have to clear so carefully, the mulberries on the east and the paw paw's on the north. Thank goodness the black cohosh on the west isn't so tall or thick!

sweet thunder
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Applestar, any chance of seeing some more wide shots of your garden? I'm so impressed by what you're doing with your suburban lot but I have a hard time imagining how you fit it all in. I would love to see photos of an established permaculture landscape as a whole, especially as I am working on designing my own.

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applestar
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But Sweet thunder, if I showed wide angle views, you'll be able to see all the flaws I'm trying not to reveal! :lol: OK... Let me work on that. :wink:

Joyfirst
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Wow! You guyes are having so much fun with all of this!

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applestar
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Are these the sort of wide shots you mean, Sweet thunder?

30'+ section of Front Yard Fence Row. The shrub is Corylus americana (American Hazel). The bed to the right contains the nameless Rhubarb and two blueberries as well as some strawberries, borage, yarrow, and sedum, plus a volunteer ornamental gourd.
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7286.jpg[/img]

There's a gate and a gate arbor just to the right of the photo. Let's go inside, shall we?
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image4956.jpg[/img]

Same fence from the back yard side. Gate arbor with Trumpet Honeysuckle. (7/2 update: Ruby-throated hummingbird(s?) have been visiting. I noticed about 3 days ago, and it/they have been coming around every day. I can see this arbor from my bedroom window :() Typical seasonal schedule to have them arrive for the summer in beginning of July and stay around for daily visit until some time in late Sept. I did see a fly-through male in mid~late April during their Northward migration. Still trying, but not succeeding to get them to nest in or around my garden :?)
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7284.jpg[/img]
I'm going to plant Blue Vine Milkweeds (grown from Biwa's seeds - thanks!) on the other side of the gate arbor. Just cleared the Japanese Honey suckle from there which was a volunteer that had a temporary reprieve until the native honeysuckle established. It was a home to a Robin's nest earlier this spring. 3 babies were successfully reared and fledged, but they didn't return for repeat -- I don't know if Robins do that like Mourning Doves and Cardinals or not.
The bird house on the Front Yard side -- which faces North -- isn't occupied (yet?), but a pair of House Wrens have moved into this one, so the Garden Patrol will continue. 2 Starkrimson Rhubarb, a Royal Black hot pepper, and a couple of Borage as well as a volunteer curcurbit of some sort (to be ID'd) along the first fence panel. Kiwi Gold Raspberries are along the 2nd fence panel.
Here's the Robin's nest:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7267.jpg[/img]


Pan to the right and you'll see the Old Sunflower House garden, the Hayflake/Modified Haybale New Sauce Tomato Bed beyond, and the Espaliers against the fence.
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7285.jpg[/img]

Same fence from further back with the Yellow Crookneck in the foreground. Bamboo stakes will support spillover heirloom tomatoes, also in the Sunny Meadow Garden. A row of Green Cotton beyond the Yellow Crookneck. I also planted a Giant Orange Bell pepper somewhere in there.... :wink:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7277.jpg[/img]

... and from even further back. The Carolina Gold Rice Paddy, which will henceforth be the Native Bog Garden, is to the right of the photo in the corner of the last fence panels. You can barely see the mulched spot at the right edge of the frame where I planted the Viburnum trilobum (American Cranberry Bush):
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7274.jpg[/img]

There! A nickel tour of this part of my garden. :D
Last edited by applestar on Fri Jul 02, 2010 9:58 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Ozark Lady
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Hold it!
Where is the lawn swing, or garden bench?
With such a gorgeous back yard, I know you spend alot of time back there. Don't ya ever get tired, and want to just sit and enjoy?

Don't tell me a master gardener, has only a fold up chair, which you drag out when you go?

Or, or, works so much there is no time to just enjoy?

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applestar
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:lol: If you look [url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=143280#143280]here[/url]. You'll see that the tour ended at my hammock under the plum trees. :wink:

Where the folding chair is, I want to put down a tiny flag stone patio and one of those metal cafe table and chairs. But a folding chair will suffice for now. :D

BTW, I supplemented many of the previous photos in this thread with update photos from late June. Take a look if you'd like to see the progression from Spring to Summer. 8)

sweet thunder
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It's beautiful, applestar. Thanks so much for posting those. It must seem like there are surprises around every corner in your garden!

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applestar
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Thank you for your kind words :D Some day, I'll get everything the way I envision.... Half the fun is in the planning though! 8)

...and the plants have a way of surprising you.
For instance, I'm not sure if I allotted enough space for the yellow squash.... :shock:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image7410.jpg[/img]



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