If you have read my blog for long, you know I love berries and fruits. That being said, when I saw apricot seedlings for our zone on Facebook Marketplace, I was all over it. I bought four of the nicest little seedlings. I like getting plants when they are small because they seem to acclimate better. Getting plants is a crapshoot around here. Everything is out to get them: deer, aphids, voles, chipmunks, mice, dogs, and who knows what else. The little apricots are no different. I bought fencing,
My husband and I fenced them, watered them, fertilized them, and covered them with hail netting. The very next morning one was eaten by something during the night. Drat. Now I have plastic collars, and fine fencing around them, inside the other fencing and under the hail cover. Argh.
On a positive note, I made cherry maple turkey jerky. It turned out amazing. I am very happy with the results. My resident hawk has been super protective of her territory. I went for a walk down by the pond and she scolded me from every tree. On a smaller front, I have a different hummingbird hanging around. A female red-throated, not the red rufus I had a few weekes ago.
I am very happy about my chubby little sunflower. He is a stout fella. He is covered by hail netting and fenced from the deer. On the deck is my scented rose. It is really thriving. I love the smell. I was so happy this weekend, as Dollor found a friend. Our neigbors come out a few times a year and this year they brought their dog Bella. She is about Dollor's age and they had a blast. Despite the heat they chased each other around back and forth. Then after a rousing game of tag they stopped for a drink. It was so fun to see them enjoying themselves. I don't have much else. What are some of your major pests? What do you think ate my apricot? It is still hot and dry here. We had a couple of rains but could always use more.
We are getting rain today but it will s humid so it has a swamp feel. I know nothing about apricots so no help there. Fun to see the dogs playing.
ReplyDeleteCathy
It’s amazing how a determined creature can thwart defences to get to something tasty. Our worst pests are wood pigeons. One somehow defeated out netting but we had no idea how. It didn’t either as it couldn’t get back out.
ReplyDeleteHot and dry here also. We've just had an alligator removed from our pond, and we have an armadillo that is determined to tear up my entire yard.
ReplyDeleteYesterday morning I saw our compost bin dumped over. Only thing that could do that would be a bear. It didn't find anything to eat in there. Not sure what scent brought it to the bin. Last evening we righted it and shoveled what was composted in there into the raised bed. It's back in place now. My food scraps go into Milli first then into the compost. NOthing for the bear to eat.
ReplyDeleteSquirrels, squirrels, and more squirrels. Guess that's what we get when we love in a forest of oak trees. Dollar, like Millie, enjoys company too. However, it has been almost too hot for them to run and play. I love your pictures. Good luck with the apricots.
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