Unfortunately the lime tree ended up dropping both of the little limes, so no limes for me this year. It does have a lot of new, healthy growth which is exciting though.
2 Little Limes were Sitting in a Tree…
…G.R.O.W.I.N.G!
Maybe anyways. An unfortunately timed heat wave here last week stressed the key lime so out of the ~15-20 flowers only two turned into limes that stayed on the tree, and it is quite possible that it’ll drop those soon as well. That’s okay though, the flowers were exciting and lovely themselves and now I know to be ready for next year.
Lime Tree Blossoms and a Brief Update
Hello, it’s been a while. I’m still here, still making things (and selling them on Etsy here and here), still growing plants, and still learning. I’m also still sick and looking for treatments that help (so far not much luck). I do hope to start writing a bit more or at least sharing my projects sometime soon, and the format of this blog will likely change but I’m not sure how yet.
Anyways, that’s not really what this post is about. This post is about my Key Lime tree. Remember it? I started it way back in 2013 (four years ago) and shared updates about its growth on a fairly regular basis. Well, it’s time for another update: there are flowers! My key lime tree is flowering!
I’ve been pretending to be a bee and pollenating the flowers with a paint brush and doing a bit of reading to see what I need to do to help the tree set (and keep) the fruit, so we’ll see what happens!
The Red Leather Studio
I’m so excited to finally be able to share a project with you all that I’ve been working on for the past year and one of the reasons I’ve been so quiet: The Red Leather Studio on Etsy (@redleatherday on Instagram). Right now the shop is mainly handcrafted traveler’s notebook covers, but there’s plenty of room and plans to expand in the future. I’ve had a lot of fun setting this shop up and improving on my leather working skills and I’d love if you’d check it out and let me know what you think. Also, this week I’ll be running an opening/Thanksgiving sale and the code THANKFULLYOPEN will get you 10% off your purchase (excluding Perfectly Imperfect covers). The sale starts tomorrow and runs through November 28th.
Well, that’s really the big thing since my last post. My health hasn’t improved any and we’re still looking for answers. I do still hope to return to blogging regularly, just like I hope to be able to continue my education, I’m just not quite sure when I’ll be able to. Oh life with chronic illnesses… always an adventure.
Hope you are all having a wonderful Autumn!
Hiatus
A health flare that seems to have no end and some big projects for grad school mean that I’m going to take a hiatus from blogging for a bit. Hopefully I’ll be back soon to continue the Herb of the Month posts (and finish up both March’s and February’s herbs) and share updates from the garden. Until then I hope you have a wonderful spring!
Herb of the Month: Lavender (Lavandula sp.) Part 1
March’s herb of the month is lavender.
This growing information is for Grosso lavender (the variety that I planted in my front garden last year), but other lavender should have similar growing requirements. Grosso lavender is hybrid of cold-hardy English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and heat-tolerant Portuguese Lavender (L. latifolia). It is the primary commercial variety for the production of lavender oil.
Grosso Lavender Care
Size: The Grosso variety of lavender can get up to 2.5 feet (76 cm) tall and wide.
Water Requirements: This lavender prefers soil that is kept between dry and moist.
Soil Requirements: Grosso lavender grows best in neutral to slightly alkaline soil that is well drained.
Light Requirements: Grosso lavender does best in full sun.
Temperature Requirements: This lavender grows well in USDA zones 5 to 8, though may not survive the winter if the temperature gets below 0F and there is no snow to insulate the plant.
Nutrient Requirements: Lavender actually prefers a soil with somewhat low fertility.
Pruning: For continued blooming, remove faded flowers. About every three years, prune back to 8 inches (20 cm) tall in the spring.
Pests: This lavender is susceptible to root rot and leaf spot.
Blooms: The blooms of this lavender are lavender in color and very fragrant. Blooms appear from June to August.
Sources
Missouri Botanical Garden
Pantry Garden Herbs – Lavender, Grosso
Mother Earth News – Herb to Know: Lavender ‘Grosso’ Plant
March Garden Update
It was an unusually warm and dry February here in the Midwest. The plants have started to wake up from their winter slumber and I’ve started to plan what I’m going to grow this year. I’ve decided to focus mostly on the vegetables that I eat, with a few new ones that I’ve never grown before just for fun. While I don’t have the layouts quite figured out yet here’s what I’m hoping to grow this year.
Community Garden Plot:
Carrots
Green Beans
Tiger Eye Beans
Onions*
Celeriac*
Garlic*
Basil
Sunflowers
Marigolds
Calendula
Flax
Deck
Currant Tomato (just one this year)
Spinach
Beets
Chives
Lemon balm
Oregano
Thyme
Rosemary
Sage
Thai Red Roselle Hibiscus*
Ginger*
Lemongrass*
* denotes plants I’ve never grown before
I’m still waiting on my order of ginger to ship, and I still need to find a source of lemongrass, but otherwise I have all the seeds/plants. My spring break is next week so one of the things I want to get done during it is get my seeds started. We also have a planting day at the community garden next Saturday so I’ll find out which plot I’ve moved to. Gardening season is SO close!
What are you growing in your garden this year?
