Next year's projects

One of my developing interests is in bonsai cultivation, which is a long-term venture in which trees or shrubs are either grown from seed, or to speed up the process, collected from "the wild" so as to find a specimen that already has the desired trunk thickness.

I have identified several plants with potential to become bonsai. A privet hedge I planted at my rental property about 10 years ago has been slowly dying because of its proximity to a black walnut tree (which is poisonous to many other plants) There were two left still alive, but suffering, so I dug them up and put them in pots. I've been watching them all summer and they seem to be rebounding, so by next Spring I'll probably choose just one to begin training by cutting off the tap root, and any branches that don't fit into the design I decide on.

In May I was working in a national cemetery where they happened to be digging out a row of Yew bushes, so (with permission) I salvaged one from the trash heap and brought it home. I'm afraid it might be dying, but I'll wait until Spring to see whether it grows any new leaves. You can see the Yew in the picture to the right of the glider. The two privets are in a pot and a bucket to the left of the glider.

The third possibility is an American Elm tree I noticed in my parents woods. It has a nice gnarly trunk base, so with permission, I cut back the height of the tree to about 1/3, and pruned the roots to about a 14" circle. Next Spring I'll dig it up and pot it. I don't have a good picture yet.

Isaac lending a hand

When I come home from work, Mindy is ready to be done with Isaac, so I have to be creative at how I get things done around the house and in the garden. I was spreading compost on several of the vegetable beds that are done for the season, so when the wheel barrow was empty, I put Isaac in it to take him with me on my trip to the back of the yard. Then once it was full of compost, I set him on top of the load sitting on these lawn bags. Too bad I didn't get any pictures of that, but here's Isaac trying his hand at the wheel barrow - as you can see, he loves it, but isn't getting very far!

Hornbeam progress

Here are the plants in November of 2007 where I kept them over winter before being planted outside in Spring of 2008.

Here was the hedge in May of 2009 after one full year of growth.

Here's my hornbeam hedge today at the end of their 3rd season. Most of the plants have branches higher than I can reach! The lowest phone wire you can see is about 7' high. Next spring I'll shear them to have flat sides and train the branches into an arch over the opening where the path goes through.

Orchids in my Seoul

I had a two hour stop over in Seoul on my way to Singapore. Apparently Dendrobiums do actually bloom. Maybe mine will oneday look like these.

Orchids everywhere in Singapore - I hope to visit the orchid park/botanical garden later this week, so I'm sure I'll have more pictures to show.

Dad, this is for you - the triple 7 I spent 18 hours on. Business class is nice, the food was superb, the bed was a little uncomfortable though. Next time maybe I'll bring a thermarest mattress along.

My first rebloom ever

I bought this Phalaenopsis at Home Depot (you can do it, we can help) in bloom, which lasted many weeks. Now it is producing another flower spike. I'm thrilled to have this happen in my home under my care. Praise the Lord!

Could this be a flower spike?!

My dendrobium orchid that I've had for at least three years appears to be finally producing a flower spike. I can't be sure, it's very tiny, but I have hope. Here's a picture:
This is the first time a bud has appeared at the top of the cane. I understand that orchids of this variety need at least three or four canes before they can bloom because energy is stored in the canes (pseudobulbs).

Sequence of events

I am not feeling well today, so I don't feel like doing anything; but I had fun taking these pictures of Isaac playing.
Here he is checking out the blocks

The connoisseur explains the subtleties of the yellow cylinder

5 minutes later I return...

Don't be fooled by his mild demeanor

This foreign structure must be destroyed!

I pummel you!

I grind you into the dust

Enough said

Just a kid at heart

Today I pruned the Maple tree again, but before I finished, I made Mindy come out and take some pictures of me climbing the tree. Yes, I admit I have fun climbing the tree even if it is 32 degrees and snowing. This year I attached a level to a long piece of wood molding to make sure the top of the tree is perfectly level. I'm pleased with the results.

I have been pretty patient all Winter, but now I can't wait for the growing season to arrive. I am so ready for spring to arrive to see the fruits of all my planting labors last fall not to mention witnessing the miracle of rebirth of green shoots coming out of previously frozen root balls.

I joined the National Arbor Day Foundation for a huge donation of $5, for which I'm supposed to get two each of the following trees: flowering dogwood, crab apple, Washington Hawthorn, and redbud. I have some ideas where to put them all, but haven't finalized my decisions. I also went out with Isaac to Home Depot and bought some seed packets for early Spring planting: sugar snap peas, spinach, broccoli, carrots and cabbage. Cant' wait!