Garden Club V: Herbs, Vegetables, and Blooms

[RJDiogenes]

Is there anything you can bring back for your own garden?

[scottydog]

Is there anything you can bring back for your own garden?

Good question. The Wife says that Richmond's growing "zone" is completely different and so we can't grow California's exotic plants there

[huggle]

It depends. While it might get difficult with big perennials, you can easily grow annual plants from California in Richmond. The summers there are warm enough for them.
And smaller perennials could be grown in containers and put indoors or in a garage or shed during the winter. Even palm trees survive mild frost. I'd give it a try. If nothing survives, you aren't worse off than with leaving all behind. But chances are good that a few plants will be suited to their new home.

@Elara: for impollination I use a fine brush like you use for watercolours. It works very well.
I inherited my grandfather's cacti collection. Some of them were 80 years old. Last year they caught a virus that got spread by aphids and all but 2 died (plants, not insects...). Pretty frustrating.
To remove pests between the thorns I use the tiny brushes from Corona test kits. I had a few kits left that were past the usage date and had to be thrown away, but I kept the brushes and they fit their new purpose very well.

[RJDiogenes]

Good question. The Wife says that Richmond's growing "zone" is completely different and so we can't grow California's exotic plants there

What about some kind of a greenhouse?

I inherited my grandfather's cacti collection. Some of them were 80 years old. Last year they caught a virus that got spread by aphids and all but 2 died (plants, not insects...). Pretty frustrating.

Oh, no. I'm so sorry to hear that.

[Cayla]

The crocus, daffodils, and forcythia are in bloom. The trees have buds. Once this week's cold snap is over, I believe spring will be here, early.

[RJDiogenes]

I haven't noticed any buds yet. It's still been hovering around freezing overnight.

[huggle]

here, everything blooms pretty chaotic. Plants that ought to flower one after another suddenly flower together:
witch-hazels, hazelnuts, willows, snowdrops, forsythias, crocuses, magnolias, cherries, sloes, dandelions, hyacinths, veronicas, daisies, tulips, anemones and daffodils. The climate change puzzles even the plants.

[RJDiogenes]

I noticed buds this morning! On one tree.

[huggle]

Congratulations! In my town all prunes, cherries and mirabel plums are in full bloom and even the pear trees start to open one or two blossoms even though we had a bit of frost this morning.
The daffodils and hyacints are flowering and the magnolias start, too.

And my tomato and pepper seedlings indoors are almost 2 inches high

[Cayla]

The magnolias and umbrella trees are in bloom. The hyacinths, too.

[RJDiogenes]

We're starting to get a lot of buds now that the days are in the 50s.

[scottydog]

Sometime in the next few days I'll till the soil in our veggie garden using sharp metallic instruments that will bring the necessary earthen upheaval necessary for future faunic growth.

[Cayla]

The cherry blossoms are in bloom.

[RJDiogenes]

Our trees are definitely showing signs of life this week.

[Cayla]

Half of the trees have tiny leaves. The azaleas are blooming.