Maine Garden Ideas
  • Home
  • Garden Thyme Blog
  • Themes
    • Butterfly Gardens
    • Moon Gardens
    • Sensory Gardens
    • All About Fairies
  • Flowers
    • Annual Flowers >
      • Alyssum
      • Cosmos
      • Geraniums
      • Marigolds
      • Morning Glories
      • Nasturtiums
      • Petunias >
        • Reviving Petunias
      • Snapdragons
      • Sunflowers
      • Sweet Peas
      • Zinnias
    • Perennial Flowers >
      • Golden Glow (Rudbeckia laciniata ‘Hortensia’)
      • Lupines
      • Purple Coneflower (Echinacea Purpurea)
    • Maine Wildflowers
  • Veggies
    • Warm Season Vegetables >
      • Beans >
        • Growing Beans
        • Growing Pole Beans
        • How to Make a Teepee Trellis
      • About Corn >
        • Growing Corn
        • What is Baby Corn, anyway?
        • Can you grow corn in containers?
      • Cucumbers >
        • Grow a cucumber in a bottle
        • Growing Pickling Cucumbers
        • Growing cucamelons (Mexican Gherkin)
        • Why do cucumbers blossom but fail to set fruit?
        • Trellising Cucumbers
        • Making Cucumber Relish
        • Powdery Mildew on Cucumbers
      • Melons
      • Peppers >
        • Growing Peppers
      • Squash >
        • Growing Zucchini
        • Spaghetti Squash
      • Tomatoes >
        • How to Harden Off Tomato Plants
        • How (and when) to Prune Tomatoes
        • Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt) for Tomatoes
        • Blossom End Rot in Tomatoes
        • Growing Cherry Tomatoes in Hanging Baskets
        • 4 Best Tomatoes for Short Seasons - Early Tomatoes
        • 5 Early Maturing Tomatoes for Short Season Gardening
        • How to Ripen Green Tomatoes
        • How to Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes at Home
        • Grow Your Own Amazing Pomato Plant - Tomatoes on the Top and Potatoes on the Bottom
    • Cool Season Vegetables >
      • Cole Crops
      • Greens >
        • How to Grow Spinach
        • How to Grow Malabar Spinach
        • How to Grow Swiss Chard
        • Harvesting and Cooking Beet Greens
        • How to Grow Microgreens
      • Onions & Garlic >
        • How to Grow Garlic
        • How to Grow Onions
      • Peas >
        • Growing Garden (shelling) Peas
        • Growing Sugar Snap Peas
      • Potatoes >
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Containers
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Hay Bales
      • Root Crops >
        • Growing Beets
        • How to Grow Carrots
  • Herbs
    • Growing Basil
    • Growing Chives
    • Growing Lavender
    • Herbal Tea Garden
    • How to Grow a Culinary Herb Garden
    • How to Grow Herbs in Sponges
    • Colonial Herb Garden - Classroom Project
    • Herbed Butter
    • Making Herbed Oils
  • Gardening Basics
    • Seed Starting Basics
    • Grafting Basics
    • Soil >
      • Starting a New Garden
      • How to Prepare Soil
      • How to Test Soil Drainage
      • What Type of Soil Do You Have
      • Soil Mix Recipe for Containers
      • How to Make Compost Tea
      • How to Use Mulch
      • Control Blister Beetles
  • Birds
    • Hummingbirds >
      • DIY Hummingbird Feeders from Recycled Bottles
      • Annuals for Hummingbird Gardens
      • Perennials for Hummingbird Gardens
    • About Birdseed
    • Choosing a Birdfeeder
  • Fiddleheads and Fairies
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • How to Marinate Roasted Vegetables

'Tree of 40 Fruit' is as beautiful as it is practical

12/30/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
SAM VAN AKEN a professor at Syracuse University developed the 'Tree of 40 Fruit'.
A friend of mine shared this image with me today. I'll be honest with you, I have seen ads in seed catalogs that advertised grafted fruit trees that produce several types of fruit on the same tree, but I never really took them too seriously. I figured it was a gimmick to make quick sales.  I assumed that the trees either would not produce well, or would produce inferior fruit. I'm beginning to rethink that.

This tree, referred to as the Tree of 40 Fruit is the brainchild of Sam Van Aken, a professor from Syracuse University. In an attempt to save heirloom stone fruit, Van Aken grafted over 40 different stone fruits to one rootstock to create a tree that produces over 40 fruits, such as plums, peaches, apricots, cherries, nectarines and even includes almonds. According to Van Aken the tree produces fruit throughout the summer with manageable amounts of each fruit.

Van Aken grafted the growing tips (scions) of fruit trees to the original root system (rootstock) using chip grafting. The rootstock is approximately two years old and takes another two  to four years to produce the first fruit. 

Chip grafting involves cutting a wedge shaped section in the rootstock and removing the wood. An identical cut is made on the scion just below a bud so that the end of the scion fits perfectly into the cut out wedge in the rootstock. The scion is positioned in place, matching the cambium layers and taped. The tree is allowed to rest over the winter. In the spring, the wood from the rootstock above the graft is cut away to allow the grafted scion to flourish and produce new growth.

If you are interested in trying your hand at grafting your own trees, check out these Easy Grafting Techniques.  I know I will be giving it some serious thought this year!


                                                               Until next time . . . HAPPY GARDENING!



0 Comments

Grey squirrel pays visit to bird feeder

12/20/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Red and Gray Squirrel
I got a surprise this week when I opened my curtains to look at my bird feeder. I had been watching goldfinches, nuthatches, chick-a-dees and little red squirrels feed for days. What a shock to open the window and discover a HUGE grey squirrel hanging upside down on the feeder!

I've lived in this house for 6 years and it is the first time I have seen grey squirrels here. Are far as I can tell, I only have one and he comes back regularly to feed. Fortunately, he can't raid the my fly thru feeder and spends most of his time cleaning up stray seeds on the ground. Of course, I would be lying if I said I didn't throw a few extra seeds around just for him.

I'm not sure why, but here in Maine grey squirrels are typically seen in more populated areas and aren't that common in rural areas. Perhaps they choose to remain in the woods when it is available, but to be honest, I've never seen one in the woods.

Grey Squirrels
  • The grey squirrel's body is 9 to 11 inches long with a 8 to 10 inch fluffy tail. From nose to the tip of the tail the grey squirrel measures 17 to 21 inches.
  • It weights 14 to 21 ounces.
  • It may be grey, reddish-brown or black with a white tummy.
  • Grey squirrels bound across the lawn.


Red Squirrels
  • The red squirrel's body is 6 to 8 inches long with a 4 to 6 inch tail. From the tip of the nose to the end of the tail, the red squirrel rarely reaches more than a foot long. Because the tail is curled over the back, he appears much smaller.
  • The red squirrel weighs 7 to 8 ounces.
  • The fur on the red squirrel is reddish-brown with a white belly.
  • Red squirrels prance, making short jerky motions, on branches or before they run off.





0 Comments

Homemade Christmas wreaths brighten the holidays

12/12/2014

0 Comments

 
homemade Christmas Wreath
By Nannette Richford
Other than trying to force my poinsettias into bloom for Christmas, I've been a little behind the game this HOLIDAY SEASON. As usual, the days between Thanksgiving and CHRISTMAS go way too quickly. Before I know it, Christmas is nearly upon me and I rush around finishing up my Christmas decor.

I finished my big wreath for the front of the house today. You may not be able to tell from the picture, but this wreath is nearly 36 inches wide and cost a total of $5 - $6 to make. The decorations are all dollar store finds along with some natural cones and balsam fir from my backyard.

I like to try something new each year. One year I made one with gorgeous coral-peach roses and lace. Another year, I went with blues and whites. My intention with this wreath was to go with red and white by adding delicate silk baby's breath with the roses, but when I couldn't find any baby's breath I decided to go with silver and red instead. I am pleased with the final result. 

Although I no longer traipse through the woods to find the perfect Christmas tree - I visit the tree farm instead and let the nice man cut it and haul it for me - I do still enjoy picking the boughs and making my own wreath. I guess making my own wreath is as close to gardening as I can get in the midst of winter.

Wishing you a joyous holiday season and a MERRY CHRISTMAS.


                                                       Until next time . . . HAPPY GARDENING!










0 Comments
    For more nature photography, check out my photography site.

    Archives

    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    July 2019
    April 2019
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    June 2017
    June 2016
    May 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012

Copyright © 2014 Nannette Richford



Photo used under Creative Commons from MyArtfulLife
  • Home
  • Garden Thyme Blog
  • Themes
    • Butterfly Gardens
    • Moon Gardens
    • Sensory Gardens
    • All About Fairies
  • Flowers
    • Annual Flowers >
      • Alyssum
      • Cosmos
      • Geraniums
      • Marigolds
      • Morning Glories
      • Nasturtiums
      • Petunias >
        • Reviving Petunias
      • Snapdragons
      • Sunflowers
      • Sweet Peas
      • Zinnias
    • Perennial Flowers >
      • Golden Glow (Rudbeckia laciniata ‘Hortensia’)
      • Lupines
      • Purple Coneflower (Echinacea Purpurea)
    • Maine Wildflowers
  • Veggies
    • Warm Season Vegetables >
      • Beans >
        • Growing Beans
        • Growing Pole Beans
        • How to Make a Teepee Trellis
      • About Corn >
        • Growing Corn
        • What is Baby Corn, anyway?
        • Can you grow corn in containers?
      • Cucumbers >
        • Grow a cucumber in a bottle
        • Growing Pickling Cucumbers
        • Growing cucamelons (Mexican Gherkin)
        • Why do cucumbers blossom but fail to set fruit?
        • Trellising Cucumbers
        • Making Cucumber Relish
        • Powdery Mildew on Cucumbers
      • Melons
      • Peppers >
        • Growing Peppers
      • Squash >
        • Growing Zucchini
        • Spaghetti Squash
      • Tomatoes >
        • How to Harden Off Tomato Plants
        • How (and when) to Prune Tomatoes
        • Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt) for Tomatoes
        • Blossom End Rot in Tomatoes
        • Growing Cherry Tomatoes in Hanging Baskets
        • 4 Best Tomatoes for Short Seasons - Early Tomatoes
        • 5 Early Maturing Tomatoes for Short Season Gardening
        • How to Ripen Green Tomatoes
        • How to Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes at Home
        • Grow Your Own Amazing Pomato Plant - Tomatoes on the Top and Potatoes on the Bottom
    • Cool Season Vegetables >
      • Cole Crops
      • Greens >
        • How to Grow Spinach
        • How to Grow Malabar Spinach
        • How to Grow Swiss Chard
        • Harvesting and Cooking Beet Greens
        • How to Grow Microgreens
      • Onions & Garlic >
        • How to Grow Garlic
        • How to Grow Onions
      • Peas >
        • Growing Garden (shelling) Peas
        • Growing Sugar Snap Peas
      • Potatoes >
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Containers
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Hay Bales
      • Root Crops >
        • Growing Beets
        • How to Grow Carrots
  • Herbs
    • Growing Basil
    • Growing Chives
    • Growing Lavender
    • Herbal Tea Garden
    • How to Grow a Culinary Herb Garden
    • How to Grow Herbs in Sponges
    • Colonial Herb Garden - Classroom Project
    • Herbed Butter
    • Making Herbed Oils
  • Gardening Basics
    • Seed Starting Basics
    • Grafting Basics
    • Soil >
      • Starting a New Garden
      • How to Prepare Soil
      • How to Test Soil Drainage
      • What Type of Soil Do You Have
      • Soil Mix Recipe for Containers
      • How to Make Compost Tea
      • How to Use Mulch
      • Control Blister Beetles
  • Birds
    • Hummingbirds >
      • DIY Hummingbird Feeders from Recycled Bottles
      • Annuals for Hummingbird Gardens
      • Perennials for Hummingbird Gardens
    • About Birdseed
    • Choosing a Birdfeeder
  • Fiddleheads and Fairies
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • How to Marinate Roasted Vegetables