Just did a little weeding and inspection of plants struggling to regenerate after our horrific freeze in Texas last February. My sick 25' loquat tree finally got a few shoots way down at the trunk base (just in the last 2 weeks). No shoots visible on any branches higher up though . I fear the top of the tree has totally died, but many branches are stil "flexible", so it's a waiting game now. Then last week I spied 3-4 tiny, barely visible shoot nubs pushing out between trunks. Those are now 5" full-leafed shoots already. So the seemingly dead loquat's roots are a good sign. After the ice/snow storm:

But those barely visible ¼-½" shoots a week ago are fully leafed out today, and get this......4-5" long already...........so the tree's roots are NOT dead.



A mature tree root system should be able to support healthy new branches at a much faster regrowth pace, I imagine. I may lose the tree shape of this plant, but the shrub shape that comes back off the roots can be shaped as desired downstream when the new growth has matured and the tree is more able to be declared "recovered". At least I'm not having to just chop down the tree, which I feared. I love loquats for making loquat preserves.

Peggy8b said:Just did a little weeding and inspection of plants struggling to regenerate after our horrific freeze in Texas last February. My sick 25' loquat tree finally got a few shoots way down at the trunk base (just in the last 2 weeks). No shoots visible on any branches higher up though . I fear the top of the tree has totally died, but many branches are stil "flexible", so it's a waiting game now. Then last week I spied 3-4 tiny, barely visible shoot nubs pushing out between trunks. Those are now 5" full-leafed shoots already. So the seemingly dead loquat's roots are a good sign. After the ice/snow storm:

But those barely visible ¼-½" shoots a week ago are fully leafed out today, and get this......4-5" long already...........so the tree's roots are NOT dead.



A mature tree root system should be able to support healthy new branches at a much faster regrowth pace, I imagine. I may lose the tree shape of this plant, but the shrub shape that comes back off the roots can be shaped as desired downstream when the new growth has matured and the tree is more able to be declared "recovered". At least I'm not having to just chop down the tree, which I feared. I love loquats for making loquat preserves. :)

Yay for stubborn tree roots!

I love loquats. I'm trying to grow some for the yard now. They are currently about 5 inches tall. I've got a ways to go.

I am going out to finish roto-tilling the North garden after which I will plant corn, chiles, tomatoes and broccoli plus some squash and carrot seed.
Put in the onion last evening.
The garden on the South side of the house here, (actually South East) is always warmer that any other direction, even in a hard winter due to being between a fence and the house that reflect heart, so I maybe could have put in the corn earlier but I had no urge to do so.

I will head home to the South garden in a day or so and there I did put onions in and tilled part of the garden a week or so ago but I have a lot of work starting with uncovering the roses.
I went to Menard's yesterday and was going to get some Cocoa Bean Hulls but they were all gone, so I will see it they have then down home at the Menard's there.
I loathe Menard's but they are the only ones up here that still have them.

I spent much of the day outside. I pulled a few weeds, did a little mulching, put down landscape fabric, and did some much needed watering but did not get it all watered. Will have to finish that in the morning. I doubt we get any of the rain coming into Iowa.

I planted out 6 small replacement Nandina 'Firepower' shrubs along the front edge of my front yard flower bed. The 4 that were there in 21" pots did not survive our arctic freeze last February in Texas. Those that were in the ground during the freeze came through just fine, so the replacement plants are seated comfortably in the ground. Should we ever get another freeze that severe, they will at least have a CHANCE to survive.

It was a cloudy, gloomy, cool day today so nothing got done outside. I went to my DB's plant sale and helped for 3 hours but had little business. I picked up tomato and pepper plants from him along with some Geraniums. It will be a few days before I get them planted. I need to get the areas prepared first. Then DH and I drove an hour one way to pick up some 16" x 16" pavers for our sitting area under the shade tree from Menards. This should be all we need now.

A few recent pictures.

The garden has a daily rhythm
of weed, plant, water , etc..

today weed the beets
plant tomatoes ,
water yesterdays transplants..
oh and pick flowers for house

take leftover tomatoes to local community garden.
wait for rain

had the tree people out Friday to trim the branches off the willow oak that were way over my roof. they did a very good job. also removed dead limbs , etc. cut back the crepe myrtle to a reasonable size. that too was way over my roof. then I had them cut the photinia hedge back 2 ft and give that a good shape up. they cleaned up and chipped all the debris. I raked the trimmings from under the hedge because I have dahlias coming up there. I know where to walk-they don't. I spent the remainder of the day raking and cleaning out as many beds as I could. watered a lot. continued the clean up on Saturday and finally moved 4 day lilies to new spots. that job and that bed is finished. I had to trim several stalks off the Queen Anns Lace in order to give the dahlias more light and grow room. did a head check on whats up and what isn't. by that time it was getting late and I had to grocery shop. Sunday back at it. finished one bed out front with the mushroom compost. what a chore! crawling around the hydraneas and hostas, working the compost into the soil. did some pruning as I went along. did some weeding as well and watered the day lilies. that took most of the day. I was almost glad to go back to work today-if only to give my body a rest.

Rain today
started more seeds
Zinnia , ogen mellon , & basil.

@breith95 Wow, you really got a lot done over a couple of days. Good going. I still have a lot to do with the gardens and flower beds but a little at a time is all I can do. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a good day and I can mark a few things off my to-do list.

I transplanted a 21" potted Nandina 'Firepower' into the ground in my large side garden. It was the only one of 6 (all were potted) that took the brunt of our February Texas Ice/Snowpocalypse and 2º-12º for 3 days straight. They were very much out front in their bed location and exposed to the elements. I knew they were freeze hardy and did nothing to protect them. Big mistake, as potted nandinas are NOT so freeze hardy, it would appear. But then MOST potted plants don't fare well in freezes I have been told. I planted 3 replacement Firepowers today also, (really small specimens) right along the same cedar fence beside the "survivor". Should provide a nice bank of red color there next winter. All my Firepowers that were in-ground when the arctic blast hit us survived quite nicely. Not a shrub I'll ever try in pots again.

weeded an iris bed and edged with stone.

planted winter squash and transplanted to large pots tea hibiscus.

now out to mow the lawn

Beautiful Irises. The colors are stunning.Iris are some of my favorite flowers. after work I'll plant the coleus thats been patiently waiting for me to get out of the garden and onto the porch so they can go into a nice roomy container. I promise. whats left to do: rake up the piles of debris and start thinking about staking the dahlias and ordering mulch in that order.

I planted 10 salmon double Portulaca cuttings. I also laid out some small decorative white limestone rocks around my new Meidiland White groundcover rose bushes. I dig them up in the yard all the time when digging holes for plants, as this city sits on the Edwards Limestone Plateau that runs the length of Texas). I'm afraid I or my husband will accidentally step on the wee rose bushes (or worse, trip over them, fall and hurt ourselves) while they are still young and only have 5-6" shoots. This will make them more visible when we get into that bed to weed.

I rooted 3 of my shrub plants, I need one or 2 more to take roots. The last 3 in the water didn't work, now I do the dry hormone powder route.

I had to water before work. Too busy chasing thirsty plants with the hose to do much else, the new ones run out of water so fast.

I planted all of my peony roots from Wild. They just arrived after I made the previous post.

Oooh. mulch is on sale at Home Depot 5 bags for $10. guess that's on this weekends to do list. I won't get it put down but I'll have it at the ready. watered everything after work and got the coleus container ready to plant. I ran out of time and energy so the "wicked hot" coleus will have to wait a bit more. my gotta do list keeps getting longer. throw in laundry and grocery shopping and you're back to work on monday morning in a blink.

I keep crossing things off my list as they get done, but the list keeps getting longer. I got some vegetable plants planted yesterday. Peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, cucumber, and kohlrabi. I still have a couple mounds of cucumbers to plant and a couple pepper plants to put in.

We are finally getting the much needed rain. I go around the yard every day taking pictures of my new Iris blooms. Here are a few from the last couple of days.
NOID but is similar to Immorality


TB Obi-Wan-Kenobi


NOID


NOID


SDB Cat's Eye


Total Recall


Second Act


Metro Blue


Let's Be Friends


Yesterday I noticed a hummingbird drinking from this Columbine. I was so pleased to see it there. I put out sugar water for them but was happy to see them enjoying my flowers.

just lovely. a nice way to start the day looking at beautiful irises. I want them all. you have a great clump of columbine. mine came with the house and I transplanted it when I was having a patio poured. it has a tendency to "wander" through out that bed. it's pink with 3 layers of petals but no spurs. I'm thinking of adding another next season. I'd love a yellow and a purple. several years ago I planted 3 pots of Valerian. no the red St Johns wort but the white variety. it moved from the original site that it was planted in and settled into my raised bed area. I assume by seed. right now they're almost in full bloom and the scent is heavenly. the entire garden smells intoxicating. somewhat like purple heliotrope. this makes weeding and raking alot nicer.