Signs of Spring

N/A | 29 Feb 2012 | Sarajevo

[Sarajevo]

Due to the mild/non-existent winter we experienced this year, plants are blooming sooner. Here are a few of mine:

Apple tree

Citrus tree

Kiwi

Strawberries

Buds on Mulberry tree

Peach blossoms

Japanese Loquat (finally bearing fruit!)

[Sarajevo]

The Loquat has been in the ground since 2006, but the new buds were frozen back every year. The peach trees produced about a quart of ftuit last year, but each delectable peach was the size of a quarter. I’ll trim the trees for better production this year. The apples are a new addition. Texas cultivars that I found in Medina, Texas.

[DManA]

Had a root’n toot’n blizzard in Duluth Mn. today.

Cherish your blooms.

[Sarajevo]

Gardening ping!

[Sarajevo]

I heard about that on the news {shivers}

We're in Crocs, shorts, and not much else down here.

[varina davis]

Her in west central Florida the azaelas are early and in full, brilliant bloom. Gorgeous.

[mylife]

Daffodils have been up for weeks here.

[DManA]

There is nothing as precious on Earth as a good peach. To call the disgusting things they label peaches in stores up here is just a mockery.

[Sarajevo]

Daddodils? That’s deer fodder in the Hill Country. The little varmints are everywhere.

[DManA]

Only one we’ve had this year. By our standards we haven’t really had a winter.

[Sarajevo]

Same here. Last year, I was fighting to keep the greenhouse warm enough to support my tropical plants, and that went on into March. I’m not griping though. We’ve had more rain this year than the previous 2 years combined.

[mylife]

They are everywhere in hill country.
They are pretty sparse here but I saw about seven this summer.

[Sarajevo]

Send me a self-addressed, stamped container and I’ll send you a few. The citrus tree in the photo was nipped by one about an hour after I took the picture. The tree is OK, but the deer has a rear end full of 20ga shot.

[The Cajun]

St. Augustine grass and the hated Dallas grass never died off this winter, already had to cut the grass twice this year.
Going to have to start once a week cutting which I can normally put off for another month..........Blahhhhh.

[Fiji Hill]

Here in Southern California, it’s colder than normal. I saw snow on the ground as I drove over the Cajon Pass north of San Bernardino and Halloran Summit, north of Baker. These are usually well below the snow level.

[mylife]

Where I grew up they are thick as thieves and will wipe out a garden in an instant.
Made a snowman with my kid once and they ate the carrot nose!

[randita]

Daffodils started emerging around the 1st of Feb. here in NE PA. Earliest I can ever recall.

[CrazyIvan]

“There is nothing as precious on Earth as a good peach. To call the disgusting things they label peaches in stores up here is just a mockery.”

As much as I loath Garrison Kealler’s politics he did a very
funny routine about gardens. In it he says something about
the grocery store produce that “they strip mine in Texas”.

[sockmonkey]

Did you get your kiwi around here?

When I was in BiH, the kiwi vines were so thick, and people grew them as shade cover over there patios..Well, that was south of Sarajevo.. but still it snowed and froze there in the winters.

I’ve always wanted to try the patio cover thing with them ,but haven’t seen them at any nurseries in SA, or in the Hill Country.

[DManA]

Yea, he was talking about tomatoes.

Keilor is like that uncle that you hate and love. You are just about ready to wash your hands of him then he charms the heck out of you.

He is what he is.

[arthurus]

Spring and winter have alternated every four or five days here since mid January. Everyone has been sniffling from the pine pollen that drops every “spring.” In the fall we had more acorns than I have ever seen. I thought that was supposed to portend a cold winter but maybe I remember that wrong.

[arthurus]

When I had just got out of the AF I drifted up to Washington and picked peaches for a bit near Wapato. It was second picking and those peaches were bigger than grapefruit- very good, too. Now when I look at the Georgia peaches where I live now I think, “berries.”

[Sarajevo]

I bought my kiwi through Burpee. They sent 4 plants (2 cultivars, male and female). One of each died off in the drought last year. Apparently, they aren't too tolerant of the salts in the high pH of the wellwater in my area. I occasionally see them in an HEB or Sam's Club, but you may be able to grow your own from the seeds of a ripe fruit. I had some success a couple times, before the deer ate the plants....

If you're in the S.A Area, try looking at Millbergers (NE 1604) or Rainbow Gardens (Hwy 16 inside NW 1604).

I recall the kiwi's and other plants on the trellisses in BiH. It always made me envious. [BTW- mine is just a screen-name. I'm a Texan:)]

[Sarajevo]

Those sound like some real nice peaches! I have to prune my trees for a good crop next year.

[norton]

"Here in Southern California, it’s colder than normal. I saw snow on the ground as I drove over the Cajon Pass.."

Here in Long Beach (SoCal) we've been through the every other decade hail storm and the garden is just short of produce...the community farm up the street has been selling stuff for a couple of months.

I'm trying to talk them into holding classes.

[eyedigress]

The Robins are going nuts here in Mid TN trying to find an adequate nesting site. About 2 weeks early IMHO.

[sockmonkey]

[BTW- mine is just a screen-name. I'm a Texan:)] Yes, I remember..I asked you about it once because some friends of mine from BiH moved to a couple of miles from your locale..

They sold their place near you, and are headed to WA state..Bought an apple orchard there. Guess, they got tired of waiting for the Lake to not be -52 feet

[Sarajevo]

Bought an apple orchard there.

OK, I'm envious;)

Guess, they got tired of waiting for the Lake to not be -52 feet

The next gullywasher is just a couple months away. The lake tends to fill up real fast. BTW- Do you remember the slivo? ;)

[sockmonkey]

BTW- Do you remember the slivo? ;)

As in Plums or Plum Brandy? I am more of a Pivo Drinker, but I remember it.

My friends there were located in the wine/tobacco region. We were there once when the first batches of wine came in...ugh, we were pouring wine in potted plants..They could sure drink us under the table.

I thought it was funny when scientists said "zinfandel" grapes originated in the region, as it was common knowledge there long before "scientists" declared it.

I can remember at the open markets that bees would be crawling all over the peaches, grapes, and plums, and the peaches smelled like heaven, not like at stores here.

I also remember the small arms fire..
"oh, it's probably a wedding,"

Explosions..
"Oh, it's just kids fooling around.",

And one big explosion that rattled everything..
"oh, the kids got carried away that time".

Found out that Kaboom was a mosque getting blown up.

[sockmonkey]

Here is one of my friend’s family’s place in BiH. Fabulous food. Second best Semolina cakes ever. It’s really beautiful. In the Spring tiny wild snapdragons bloom along that river road. Great for bike riding.

http://www.motel-most.com/

[Sarajevo]

That is one nice place they have there, and it’s so close to the coast! I really miss the old world architecture and foods in the Balkans. I used to hang out in Split and on the island of Brac on my R&R’s. In fact, I nearly bought a B&B on Brac back in ‘99. I kick myself for not purchasing it. It’s worth over $2.5M now.