Planned Spring Planting

 

Song:  Kareha No Machi

Artist:  Yuki Saori

I love plants...

especially colorful...

fruiting...

or fragrant trees and plants.

As I already have the placement of my Japanese Maples picked out...

I had ordered some fragrant wildflowers...

and four 2 year saplings of Chilean Cherry Trees.

They are self pollinating...no need to cross them with other cherry trees.

However...

whether or not the pollen will carry in the breeze from blossom to blossom

by the wind alone...

remains to be seen.

There are very few flying insects this high up...

but...

perhaps the blossoms will attract some pollinators.

If not...

I have another plan.

During a strong breeze....

I will go to the most upwind tree...

and shake it wildly  :)

Okay...maybe not  :)

I may just hand pollinate them with a large puffy on a long rod

like they do in other parts of the world.

According to my research...

they have a chance at growing here...

albeit more slowly...

but the cherry blossoms will have to be protected if subfreezing weather hits in Spring

(I will spray the trees with water to form ice...

which will then protect them from subfreezing temps).

I love cherries...

and whatever I cannot eat...

I will freeze for later consumption.

And once the trees mature to any great size...

I will have more than enough cherries left to feed wild birds...

and other animals which will start coming around to feast on them.

They will eventually grow from 15 to 35 feet tall...

so I will need plenty of space for them.

I am thinking of planting them around this area...

just to the side of the second deck...

but where I will be able to see them blossom from the great room.

As this is on the leeward side of the ridge...

this area will have all day sun...

and will be protected from the predominant Westerly winds by the ridge 

and by the large trees to the West of the planting area.

I am also thinking of getting a small greenhouse to grow tubers and root plants

(such as Japanese Sweet Potatoes...Diakon...and perhaps some herbs).

But that is in the future sometime.

-----------------

I just finished making beef udon for my meal.

It was so good.

Tomorrow...

I will be going to the Asian market as I had just finished the last of my udon.

I will also be trying a dumpling restaurant while I am in Colorado Springs.

Yes...

it is still up.

My sisters are thinking of coming to visit this Spring.

I want them to see it.

I am thinking of leaving it up for another year...

until I buy a large sofa to enjoy the views through the great room windows.

I will still put it up for a few months every year thereafter.

Whenever I am up in the loft...

I turn off all the lights in the house except for the Christmas Tree.

It keeps me company with its beautiful lights whenever I am in the loft.