Three photos dated April 23, 2005:
(1) bamboo shoots the first year of bamboo regrowth
(2) American Currants under a Peach tree — this is a common assosication of Prunus species with a Ribes underneath
(3) Rosa rugosa and Comfrey growing through straw mulch
This picture was taken on February 1, 2005, to demonstrate the effect of house temperature on the garden. On this particular date the temperature was approximately 0 degrees celcius / 32 farenheight. Therefore the snow was right on the verge of melting. The melt pattern illustrates the warm microclimate near the house, which is a few degrees warmer than the surrounding area. Thus, on a day like this, the snow has already melted in the warm microclimate.
If you are familiar with the garden you will note that the Japanese Timber Bamboo is not visible in the above photo. It was added in 2005 after this photo was taken. This specimen of Phyllostachys vivax was planted in 2004 into this little microclimate but it was about the size of a blade of grass at this stage. The large tree in this photo is a Black Locust which was removed later in the summer — the same black locust and apple are pictured just below from a different angle, in August 2004.
Two photo samples, dated to late August 2004:
(1) what we see here is overgrown lawn grass and hay-bale mulch (pasture grasses) with a couple of bronze fennel plants visible and a couple of lemon balm plants and other herbs visible. There are likely seedling trees and shrubs dwarfed by the herbatious plants in this picture;
(2) apple tree with egyptian onions and dill planted understory in hay mulch. This is the apple tree closest to the street, to put it in perspective. To the far left is an encroaching fast-growning Black Locust tree — several were planted and they were removed after a few years when they got 15′ tall — they were intended as a legume to supply nitrogen to surrounding plants.
Floral Survey of the La Casa Garden compiled in the fall of August 13, 2004
Bamboo
Phyllostachys sp “Evil Tree” Bamboo (’03)
Fargesia dracocephalus (’04)
Phyllostachys dulcis Giant Timber Bamboo (’04)
Phyllostachys vivax Golden Bamboo (’04)
Phyllostachys aureus
Phyllostachys aureosulcata (’04)
Phyllostachys N. Henon (’04)
Phyllostachys nuda (’04)
Copses
Curly Willow Salix sp
‘Flame’ Willow Salix sp
Herbatious
Alfalfa Medicago sativa
American Columbine Aquilegia canadensis
Anise-Hyssop Agastache foeniculum
Asparagus Asparagus officinalis
Catnip Nepata cataria
Chives Allium schoenoprasum
Clover Trifolium pratense
Comfrey – Russian Symphytum x uplandicum
Echinacea purpureum Echinacea purpureum
Egyptian Onion Allium proliferum
Horseradish Armoracia rusticana
Iris -Blue Flag Iris versicolor
Ironweed Vernonia sp
Lamb’s Quarters Chenopodium alba
Lemon Balm Melissa officinalis
Mustard Brassica sp
Oregano – Greek Origanum vulagare hirtum
Sage Salvia officinalis
Spearmint (all over) Mentha spicata
Stinging Nettle Urtica diocia
Strawberry – Everbearing Fragaria sp
Strawberry – Honeyoye Fragaria sp
Taragon – French Artemisia dracunculus sativa
Valerian Valeriana officinalis
Nut
Trees
Black Walnut Juglans nigra (50′ tree on site)
Hazelberts – Ozmun #2 Corylus americana x avellana (’03)
Chinese Chestnut Castanea mollissima (’04)
Shrubs
Black Currant – American Ribes americana (’04)
Black Currant – European Ribes nigrum (’03)
Chokeberry – Black Aronia melanocarpa (’04)
Elderberry – American Sambucus americana (’03)
Hibiscus – Rose of Sharon Hybiscus syriacus (’03)
Gooseberry – Red Ribes sp (’03)
Nanking Cherries Prunus tomentosa (’03 & ’04)
Red Currant – Red Lake *seedlings* Ribes sp. (’03)
Rugosa Rose Rosa rugosa (’03)
Serviceberry – Pembina Amelanchier alnifolia ‘Pembina’ (’03)
Tree
Fruit
Asian Pear – Yakumo Pyrus pyrifolia (’04)
Apple – girdled (’03 – girdled Auvil Early Fuji)
Apple – Sun Fuji Malus pumila (’04)
Manchurian Apricots Prunus mandshurica (’03 & ’04)
Mulberry – seedlings Morus nigra
Nectarine – Fantasia Prunus persica var. nectarina ‘Fantasia’
(’04)
Nectarine – Mericrest Prunus persica var. nectarina ‘Mericrest’
(’04)
Peach – Harrow Beauty Prunus persica ‘Harrow Beauty’ (’04)
Peach – Red Haven Prunus persica ‘Red Haven’ (’04)
Peach – Saturn Prunus persica ‘Saturn’ (’04) –Raintree source
Peach – Wild Prunus persica (’04) — Oikos source
Pear – girdled (’03 – girdled Bosc)
Plum – girdled (’03 – girdled Green Gage)
Tree
Legumes
Honey Locust Gleditsia triacanthos
Black Locust Robinia pseudoacacia
‘Millwood’ Honey Locust Gleditsia triacanthos ‘Millwood’
Rubus
Japanese Wineberry Rubus phoenicolasius (’03)
Black Raspberry Rubus occidentalis (’03 & ’04)
Red Raspberry – Heritage Rubus idaeus ‘Heritage’ (’04)
Umberlliferae
Dill Anethum graveolens (’03)
Dill x Fennel hybrids … ??? (’04)
Fennel – Bronze Foeniculum vulgare dulce ‘Rubrum’ (’03)
Queen Anne’s Lace Daucus carota
Tansy Tanacetum vulgare (’04)
Vegetables
(including volunteers)
Broccolli Chard (volunteers)
Daikon Radishes
Garlic – hardneck purple skin
Lettuce (volunteers)
Nasturtium
Pumpkins (’04 – grew out of the compost)
Tomatoes – Purple Calabash, Orange Roma (’04 – volunteers)
Tomatoes – Pink Oaxacan, Costocuoco, Jewish #1 (’04)
Vines
Hops – American Humulus lupus (’04)
Morning Glory Ipomoea tricolor
Grape – Himrod Vitis sp. (’03)
Grape – Muscat Ottonel Vitis sp. (’03)
Composite photo dated July 2004:
Basically what we see here is that a ton of perennials were planted and there was manure, cardboard, and hay mulch applied around the new perennials so that they could beat the lawn grass and what not.
