It's March In The Front Yard (Page Two)
We had another mild winter and plenty of sunshine so the plants think it is already spring! We worked the front yard for a couple of days getting it back into shape! We had to get the beds back into shape!
The other reason we had to work so hard on the garden is that "Tomatomania" is coming to Roger's Gardens in Corona Del Mar! Tomatomania! kicks off another spring season with an event that's become our source of interesting tomatoes and the largest garden event of the year at Roger's Gardens.
It opens Friday the 4th and goes three days! We find everything we need to have a perfect season (including over 175 varieties of tomatoes).
OK, so we were orsing around
A volunteer tomato from last year... It already has small tomatoes on it!
Last year this tomato grew so large it ended up in the orange tree
The Artichoke look pretty good! He got new mulch and a good feeding!
Did You Know? - The artichoke was first developed in Sicily and was known to both the Greeks and the Romans. In 77 AD the Roman naturalist Pliny called the choke one of earth's monstrosities, but many continued to eat them. Historical accounts show that wealthy Romans enjoyed artichokes prepared in honey and vinegar, seasoned with cumin, so that this treat would be available year round.
It was not until the early twentieth century that artichokes were grown in the United States. All artichokes commercially grown in the United States are grown in California.
In 1947, Marilyn Monroe was crowned the first Queen of the Artichokes!
Not ours... Vicky's yellow tree is a real standout
Swiss Chard is starting to grow
- The plant has numerous monikers,
including silverbeet, Roman kale, and strawberry spinach.
Our apple tree is beautiful!
Blossoms are on two of the three apple types grafted onto this tree!
Did You Know? - Grafting or graftage is a horticultural technique whereby tissues from one plant are inserted into those of another so that the two sets of vascular tissues may join together. Apple trees are typically propagated by grafting because seeds do not produce true-to-type varieties.
The top part of the graft is the variety of apple that will produce the fruit and is called the scion. The bottom part is called the rootstock and forms the roots. The choice in rootstock is determined by the special characteristics it offers. Some grafts are done to produce dwarf forms of apple trees; other times it is to take advantage of creating disease-resistant trees.
The plumb tree is coming out of its dormancy
Plumbs will be here soon!
Of every blossom has fruit, we are in trouble!
Our new little avocado tree seems to be happy!
Another 30 days and we will be having potatoes
Kumquat,
plum, and lime down the driveway
Shelling peas are growing strong
The fruit trees are loaded with blossoms and fruit!
The grapefruit tree had hundreds of fruit on it this year!
Did You Know? - All citrus fruits originated in the Old World, except grapefruit. Grapefruit originated sometime in the late 18th-century in the Caribbean. No one knows for sure, but it is probably a natural mutation of the pomelo and another citrus fruit.
- Grapefruit are hand-picked, no mechanical harvesting is used.
- Grapefruit trees can produce for 30-40 years.
- The United States produced 1.23 million tons of grapefruit in 2006.
- A Frenchman, Count Odette Phillipe, planted the first grapefruit trees in Florida around Tampa Bay in 1823. Today, Florida produces about 1/3 of the world's grapefruit. (1998).
- World production of grapefruit is almost 6 million tons, the United States produces over 60% of this total.
- Some mature grapefruit trees can yield up to 1500 pounds of fruit in a season.
- The average yield is 350 pounds.
Orange juice almost every day!
The beds are clean up, mulched, and fertilized... Awaiting veggies!
(Also awaiting Paul's back to feel better)
The lemon tree needs to be shortened!