Thursday, March 21, 2013

Micro-microclimates

This is a story of three apricot trees.
Two trees, out front, are "Royal Blenheim," in back, a "Katy."
The Katy is the oldest, the front yard trees are roughly the same age.
They develop slightly differently, though.

The Katy blooms and leafs out first -- it's just a wash of spring green right now.


The slightly larger Blenheim is next -- still blooming, but at the end of its run for this year.


Finally, the one to the east end of the yard, still a bouquet.


They're not wildly different, just enough to notice.

Elsewhere, I'm trying to make a bird-free microclimate:


Bird netting -- threadlike nylon fishing net, cuttable as each intersection is a knot -- up one side, and Reemay along the other. Unfortunately, I may have out-clevered myself. The triple trellis of twine precludes arching netting over the bed.



With luck, the beans will be robust enough once I pull the covers off to resist the birds. One of the pleasures of growing things is trying out new approaches. Sometimes they work, sometimes they're information for the next time.

I really just want beans.

2 comments:

Erin said...

You had me with the pretty blooms, then BAM! You snuck that photo of the bird netting in there... I am terror stricken by that stuff LOL! Comes from the year I tried to "save and reuse it"... the following year I almost had a mental breakdown pulling it out again. I think that's how we should punish prisoners, just roll them in that stuff and leave them to their own devices :)

Stefaneener said...

Erin, you crack me up.

The bird netting is a clothy kind from Lee Valley -- I'm hoping it won't be the evil that is black plastic.