February 1, 2015
I cleared the traces of star jasmine along a 15 foot stretch of the back fence.In that space, I put back up the three conduit-and-wash-line trellises. I put the trellises about 6 inches from the back fence. They were 1-2 feed from the fence last year.
I filled the wheelbarrow with the last of the compost from the fall and put it all in from of the large trellis.
I took the dirt from the old location of the two small trellises and moved it in front of their new locations.
The papaya tree was in the middle of the dirt I moved, and all its leaves were wilted. I first removed all the leaves, then broke the trunk near the base. The inside of the trunk was still wet, and was probably still alive. I left two young papaya trees nearby.
I finally swept the leaves from the breezeway and back patio and dumped them in the mulch pile.
I used my new ARS pruners to remove all but the longest cases from the muscadine vine, something I should have done when I brought it home.
I cut back the pomegranate sapling to the bottom two feet, then trimmed the removed part and planted it in another pot.
The arugula is starting to grow more quickly after staying very small for months.
The five rouge lettuce plants are about 8 inches tall.
A lot of beet and maybe spinach seedlings are scattered in patches here and there.
The scallions, shallots, and garlic are all multiplying, up to four individuals in each bunch.
The broccoli and cauliflower plants near the back fence have large yellow areas around the edges of several leaves. I yanked those off and left them on the ground nearby.
All those plants are growing heads. The broccoli should be harvested soon.
The dog (or large cat) shit that was deposited a few weeks ago is still intact.
The butterfly bush is producing new leaves.
The shrimp plant has been flowering for a while. I yanked the star jasmine away from it.
The lantana has a couple of small leaves.
A third milkweed is growing by the two I planted by the west fence last spring.
A plant I got from the native plant society, and whose name I have forgotten, looked like it wouldn’t survive, but its old leaves are now gone, and about five leaves have appeared close to the ground.
I pulled the flowers off the biennial Asteraceae. I need to eat the leaves before they get bitter.
Crickets started singing when the sun went down.
February 10, 2015
I watered the garden thoroughly in the morning.I saw a crane fly in the house for the first time this winter.
February 11, 2015
It was foggy in the morning.I put the tarp back over the top of the leaf pen
I picked up some bags of grass for the first time this year. I wonder if chemical fertilizer or herbicide has been put on the grass, and if so, whether much of it remains on the grass clippings.
February 15, 2015
I transferred eight more seedlings to larger containers.I added more grass to the first compost pile of the year.
February 18, 2015
I transferred eight more seedlings to larger containers.February 21, 2015
I transferred the rest of the seedlings to the larger containers.I completely removed the large bok choi I had transplanted in the early fall and cooked it with cleavers, aster leaves, onions, etc.
February 22, 2015
The live oak leaves are falling heavily on the front yard.I mowed the leaves, which broke them up pretty well and exposed a lot more of the grass to sunlight.
I swept the driveway, sidewalk, and street, putting all the leaves on the pathways around the garden beds.
I noticed a small amount of arugula in the small area where I had spread some seeds Alicia gave me in the fall.
The honeysuckle is leafing more now that I hung it up on the fence.
A couple of the mustard spinach plants have bolted and are producing small yellow flowers like those of the bok choi.
It was quite warm all day, and I saw a good number of bees and anoles.
The broccoli plant nearest the house has produced secondary flower heads since I harvested the primary one a few weeks ago.
The rouge lettuce is getting close to harvesting size. I have four individuals of different sizes.
The multiplying onions behind the rouge lettuce have 5 individuals each.
All the bok choi left from the ones I grew from seed have themselves produced seed pods. They are past the point where I would eat them.
yellow wood sorrel, violet wood sorrel, false garlic, dayflower, henbit, prickly sow thistle, and other Asteraceae are flowering.
I have been pulling the flower stems off the Asteraceae before they go to seed.
The stems of one Asteraceae on the mound were covered with aphids. This is the same place were aphids covered my black eyes pea plants in the early fall.
The peas are starting to grab the climbing lines.
The tropical milkweed is flowering.
The lantana is vigorously producing new spring leaves.
The fig tree is producing its first leaves since I brought it home.
I found a patch of buttercups with a few flowers on the east side of the live oak.
The winter grass Buck sows on the east side of my house is doing better than it did last year, but still not so great.
The azalea has begun producing new leaves and looks like it will start flowering soon.
I spotted some small black bumps on my muscadine, and I’m hoping they are new leaves.
Geraniums have filled the big pot on my back patio, as they did last year. No flowers yet.
The cleavers in my herb bed are growing faster than I can eat them. I will start clearing them from my herbs more aggressively.
The dill is becoming substantial.
The loropetalum is blooming like crazy.
