Wild in the Woods
09/05/2008 12:34 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
izmeinaIzzie is such a sad sad green serpent. In spite of having a grand total of 52 hours pay for the last fortnight, did not stop this serpent flashing the plastic and spending the best part of 150 silver sickles on all sorts of assorted weeds
Did have the grand plan of doing most of our annual planting between now and the end of August. After this year's stinking sizzling summer - not going to chance anything after September or so. It will simply get sizzled before ever getting a chance to settle in properly
But then the Diggers winter catalogue popped in the mailbox on Tuesday and it was just temptation beyond endurance.
Many moons ago paid an exorbitant $$40 or so for a baby pecan tree. But due to lack of decent drinkies and being tramped on once too often by Uncle Vernon, it eventually departed this mortal coil
Been looking for the last year or so and the little buggers are now nowhere to be found. And the big fat juicy macadamia nut tree that was $$20 or so when Izzie acquired one some seven years ago are not to be got for under $$55 these days.
So it was with utter amazement that the Izzie sees a page of baby trees with macadamias for $$9.95 and pecans for a mere $$7.50. Absolutely unbelievable. Maybe they are only ickle twigs at that price but that's no problem at all. Babies adapt much better than grown up trees to the terrors of transplantation
So ordered 4 pecans and 2 macadamias plus another 2 Andean walnuts (which are the only variety suitable for hot and horrid Dursleyville
Then there were more delights and temptations including the utterly evil stone pine - source of some seriously delicious nuts. They too were a ridiculous $$9.95 per tree. But Iz was most peeved indeed to discover that they are not supplied to the Wild West. Such a bummer - it's usually Tasmania that gets all the quarantine restrictions
Decided to show a bit of restraint and stay away from the avocadoes and the very interesting looking Buddha's hand citrus. Gorgeous but a bit pricey and with 2 oranges, two limes and 1 mandarin tree already - there's plenty to keep Izzie happy on the citrus front. At this stage - looks like less than a month until our oranges will be ready.
Of course - finding places to put 4 pecans, 2 walnuts and another 2 macadamias on a 360 sqm block is going to be a bit of a challenge but there's always the possibility of letting the ma adopt a baby tree or two
The council verge is the perfect place - loads of room there but there's no proper reticulation and Izzie's worked out long ago that unless you get the water sorted out, planting anything is just like digging a hole and throwing ten dollar notes into it.
So now will need to be getting the nests ready for the next batch of babies who hopefully should be arriving within the next 4 weeks or so.
The sad South Brits like to think of this time of year as autumn but it's infinitely more like spring. Every day some new beastie comes to life. The nasturtiums are growing wild and most of the back garden looks like a potato patch. Such a magical time of year. Crisp and crunchy starry nights, lots of frogs and wicked weeds everywhere.
And one thing about gardening - you get your window of opportunity and if you miss it, there's no getting around the fact that you simply have to wait until next year. Nature calls the tune and you fit in or ship out. If it's instant gratification and quick fixes that you are after, gardening is not the way to find them
Did have the grand plan of doing most of our annual planting between now and the end of August. After this year's stinking sizzling summer - not going to chance anything after September or so. It will simply get sizzled before ever getting a chance to settle in properly
But then the Diggers winter catalogue popped in the mailbox on Tuesday and it was just temptation beyond endurance.
Many moons ago paid an exorbitant $$40 or so for a baby pecan tree. But due to lack of decent drinkies and being tramped on once too often by Uncle Vernon, it eventually departed this mortal coil
Been looking for the last year or so and the little buggers are now nowhere to be found. And the big fat juicy macadamia nut tree that was $$20 or so when Izzie acquired one some seven years ago are not to be got for under $$55 these days.
So it was with utter amazement that the Izzie sees a page of baby trees with macadamias for $$9.95 and pecans for a mere $$7.50. Absolutely unbelievable. Maybe they are only ickle twigs at that price but that's no problem at all. Babies adapt much better than grown up trees to the terrors of transplantation
So ordered 4 pecans and 2 macadamias plus another 2 Andean walnuts (which are the only variety suitable for hot and horrid Dursleyville
Then there were more delights and temptations including the utterly evil stone pine - source of some seriously delicious nuts. They too were a ridiculous $$9.95 per tree. But Iz was most peeved indeed to discover that they are not supplied to the Wild West. Such a bummer - it's usually Tasmania that gets all the quarantine restrictions
Decided to show a bit of restraint and stay away from the avocadoes and the very interesting looking Buddha's hand citrus. Gorgeous but a bit pricey and with 2 oranges, two limes and 1 mandarin tree already - there's plenty to keep Izzie happy on the citrus front. At this stage - looks like less than a month until our oranges will be ready.
Of course - finding places to put 4 pecans, 2 walnuts and another 2 macadamias on a 360 sqm block is going to be a bit of a challenge but there's always the possibility of letting the ma adopt a baby tree or two
The council verge is the perfect place - loads of room there but there's no proper reticulation and Izzie's worked out long ago that unless you get the water sorted out, planting anything is just like digging a hole and throwing ten dollar notes into it.
So now will need to be getting the nests ready for the next batch of babies who hopefully should be arriving within the next 4 weeks or so.
The sad South Brits like to think of this time of year as autumn but it's infinitely more like spring. Every day some new beastie comes to life. The nasturtiums are growing wild and most of the back garden looks like a potato patch. Such a magical time of year. Crisp and crunchy starry nights, lots of frogs and wicked weeds everywhere.
And one thing about gardening - you get your window of opportunity and if you miss it, there's no getting around the fact that you simply have to wait until next year. Nature calls the tune and you fit in or ship out. If it's instant gratification and quick fixes that you are after, gardening is not the way to find them
