or lunatic farmer (even more organic) comes into the hardware store, the modern farmers look away or scowl.
I dig holes for plants, but digging is quite limited. The foundation of plant nutrition is the fragile fungal network connecting plant roots with sources of nutrition and water. I fertilize with wood mulch, one of the best (and slowest to decay) soil additives. The rain and fungus work away at the wood and the fungus network is strengthened.
This is God's design and impossible to refute. Creation will improve on its own, because its inter-connected software does that. It is automatical - as we say, based on an ancient funny story. ("In this district, I thought the doctoral degree was automatical.)
For example, the daisies were planted primarily to host the Tachnid fly, which attacks aphids by laying eggs near them. All the aphid powders and sprays are a joke, because they kill every beneficial insect but not necessarily the aphids.
Yesterday I planted five Hostas known for their bright yellow color. Years ago I learned Hosta flowers were good for hummingbirds. Then I watched them buzzing our Hostas, so I planted more Hostas and provided more hummingbird and butterfly plants.
After I planted the new Hostas yesterday, the clouds came in and watered them steadily. First I soaked them in rainwater for a few hours. Every shipped plant is a bit dehydrated, so a rainwater soak is idea. I did learn that typical plants do not like all-night soaks, while roses can soak for a week or more.
Ranger Bob admonished me for wanting to take down a Mimosa tree. "It's a hummingbird tree. Don't you know that?" I looked it up and he was right. The Mimosa stays. The five feeders for hummers are filled. Joe Pye is warming up for a summer of Creation displays, fragrances and flowers and pollinators.
More rain came last night and even more is expected the rest of the week.
I do my rounds to help plants along. Roses needed more help or elimination. The wild roses offer little but one set of dark red roses and a summer of long, thorny, canes. Newly planted ones get extra rainwater, peat humus (Ivy League manure), and pruning.
I even added red wiggler earthworms, though they are already growing in the yard. They arrived a bit skinny from the trip, dehydrated. I dropped them in little lumps around our garden and two neighbors' gardens. It rained that night. My first order years ago, came very late after shipping. I spread them around anyway, because of possible live ones and eggs. Soon a fresh batch came and I scattered them. The garden became much lusher in two weeks. They produce usable nitrogen and sweeten the soil, so they are as dependable as the rain in garden improvements.
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| Do much garlic do you like? This is giant Allium. I may have a few smaller ones. |
