Mr. B's Garden: Garden Update for August 29, 2013

Despite the loss of the avocado tree after transplant, I hadn't given up on my plans to create an espaliered fruit tree and recently acquired a Hollywood Apple tree for that purpose, while also adding to my collection of apples. Today we finally had a day with cool enough weather in the forecast for me to transplant the tree, which I'd already begun shaping. Next I need to stall the espalier framework, which is being made from old chain link fence poles I've had laying around for some time. I'll string wire between the poles to train the branches on in whatever design I settle on, although I'm leaning towards a chevron pattern.

Hollywood apple waiting to be espaliered.

Yesterday I found an ad on Craigslist for free pallets and headed over to pick some up. The ad said they were smaller than the usual pallets, but what it didn't say was that they weren't slatted, but had a solid plywood top. I put as many as I could into my SUV, which turned out to be a dozen and decided that they would become the floor for the greenhouse I'm going to build. I now have enough to build a greenhouse that will be roughly 8' x 9', but am thinking about going back to see if they have any more, since just eight more would give me a 9.5' x 13.5' greenhouse. I'll have to remove the strips of wood from the tops, but other than that, they're as close to perfect as I could hope for.

These pallets were an expected find.

On the 13th, I wrote about transplanting the sage into the ladder planter and thought I'd give an update; all of the plants have survived, and the top one is thriving, so I'm confident that these wonderful 3 year old plants will be providing leaves for cooking for years to come.

Just a little over 2 weeks after transplant.

I found out from one of my gardening buddies on Facebook that Dollar General was having a 90% off clearance sale on seeds and seed starting kits, so I went to one over the weekend and bought 15 seed packets for $0.55, then went to another one on Tuesday and it had a much better selection. $3.76 later, I left the store with 23 seed starter kits, 2 5-packs of fiber seed trays and another 3 dozen seed packets. Wednesday I went to a third one and it was really picked over, although I did find a pair of Harvest Gnomes for $10. I bought so many seeds I had to buy another organizer to hold them all. I've already used some of them including moss rose Portulaca grandiflora, African Daisy, Dimorphotheca aurantiaca, and Zinna 'Dwarf Pumila Sprite' in assorted colors.

Here's the cute couple.

All the seeds safely stored and mounted on the wall of my air conditioned shed.

The Stapelia gigantea is blooming again; this one bloomed on Monday and the unopened one in the top of the photo bloomed yesterday, with one more bloom yet to go.

This plant has bloomed every year for the past 10 years.

I found a few gardening related treasures lately including a bulb box I'd been eyeing for some time at Target; once it went on clearance I snapped one up. I also found three antique seed boxes from the 1920's at an antique store for $3 each; two of them are in shadow boxes I already had lying around and the third needs one, so a trip to Michael's is in my future. I also picked up a great vintage planter at Goodwill for $4 and now need to find something to plant in it. With all the seeds I bought, I should be able to find something.