A few weeks after we moved into our new house, a group of landscaping professionals spent two full days pulling out three dump truck loads full of 40-year-old overgrown shrubs, invasive cherry laurels, and anything else that was not well suited to the climate. Unlike many lawn enthusiasts, I am of the opinion that if you have to fight and work overtime to keep something thriving, it is probably not the best choice for the spot in question. Additionally, it was exceedingly difficult to travel up the front walk without being assaulted by encroaching branches.
I left a couple of Camellia sasanquas that needed some serious pruning, a Yuletide and an unknown-to-me pink one, a few cycads (Cycas revoluta), a smattering of old fashioned azaleas, and a large-ish holly that will no longer be topiaried into a giant gumdrop shape. Is topiary a verb? I’ll just verb it anyway. There is a fragment of oak / hickory forest on the back and side of the property, and a small grouping of young, native cabbage palms that I will nurture the best I can. The lion’s share of the yard is now lawn and empty planting beds. That leaves me with quite the canvas upon which to paint.
So far I’ve gone full speed ahead with a food forest. I don’t know who could move into zone 9 and not plant an avocado tree, so in went a Joey cultivar. Joeys get some bad press online for small fruit, however, as someone who lives with the avocado indifferent, I regularly buy the minis. I have already managed to convince a neighbor to plant a Type A tree, Joeys are Bs, so that we can potentially increase pollination, and, thus, the harvest. Read more about it here.
In went a Sugar Belle tangelo, a newer cultivar from the University of Florida that resists greening, as well as a Ray Ruby grapefruit. The grapefruit was chosen simply because it is what was available at the nursery, and it is looking a lot happier than the tangelo, having produced flushes of new leaves and some clusters of flower buds. I should cut the flowers off and let all that energy go into making vegetative growth to help the tree establish itself, but I can’t quite bring myself to do it yet. Cutting the flowers off the avocado was painful enough.
A Thai lime tree went into a large pot that was placed on the front porch where the bricks will absorb enough heat that it may feel a little more at home. Hypothetically I could put it in the ground, but this past winter would have frozen it into oblivion, so I’m going to make sure I can trundle it into the garage if necessary.
For decades I have collected the odd, irresistible tropical, and all of those plants made the journey from my parents’ backyard over to the new house, undoubtedly to the relief of all parties. There are various cycads, a Beaucarnia, and a Formosa palm that was a start given to me for identifying it back before the days when one could shoot a photo and ask the internet. I also received a bag of calamondins for that particular task. Despite all our efforts to cover and protect the sensitive cultivars, and despite dragging the most delicate items into the greenhouse, the cold snap nipped just about everything. Fortunately, it all should come back from the roots.
A smattering of herbs have been potted up or started from seeds, and vegetable seeds are portioned out in peat pots to distribute to various friends and relatives, including a cousin with acreage. He also received the small glass jar of Romano bean seeds that I saved, and they are reportedly already up and happy to be in a warmer state. My Mom, who is having a crew clean out the old garden area we cultivated when I was quite small, will host the remainder. We have an HOA now, so I will be able to place some attractive cultivars here and there in the landscape, but the sprawling indeterminate tomatoes and whatnot will be off site, albeit close by. It is lovely to be back in an area where so many people grow gardens and are happy to share.
It feels odd, planning things so early in the year. I am also re-acclimating to the intensity of the sunlight. Normally I would be looking out at the snow in annoyance. Today I’m looking regretfully at the packets of (now) winter greens and vegetable seeds that are on my desk. Next year. Hopefully I will catch up with the spring and summer planting seasons before they pass me by.