RKayne's Blog

Well, while my brethren beside me, Orange and Japanese Elm, have their own things going this weekend, I get to do something VERY exciting!!! I Get potted! I get to have my very own bonsai pot.  I have waited over 3 years for this to happen and now I get to have it!! YAAAY! I have been very compliant and a happy grower this whole time thinking 'pick me! pick me!' and now is my time.  For the last year I have felt like a bonsai, I have looked like a bonsai...down to making sure I have a nice, natural mossy ground cover, but there was the 'pot thing'.  I will make sure they get pictures for I am very happy I get my pot!!! After I get potted I will be getting a trim, but not to downplay Japanese Elm, it is nothing like that...just a few clips here and there!

Hi, I am 'Japanese Elm'.  I was once just a regular tree but someone looked at me and said, Bonsai... you must be.  Here I am and enjoying the new 'digs'.  I have gotten a little happy though and been getting a tad 'leggy' so I am scheduled for a haircut this weekend.  I am looking forward to it as I have been feeling a bit 'full' lately!  I understand there will be a photo journal of my cut :D

Hi, my name is 'Orange Tree'.  That's my new pal, 'Clover' behind me.  I know this is a good home when someone realizes the importance of clover! I have been promised a glorious future.  As my new owner, RKayne has taken note...I am taking very quickly to my new home, I love it here in this new pot that is SO much bigger than the one I lived in for so long.  I know I don't get this pot forever so I am taking advantage of it and growing very fast, she put me in this pot about a week ago and I already have new growth sprouting all over.  The ploy worked and she took notice of my very fine efforts.  Guess what? I get to start training to be a bonsai this weekend! I am so proud, wonder what my parents would think. Maybe the old grove owner will see my progress and let them know! RKayne told me she would take a photo journey of my progress so this weekend you get to see what becomes of me, I know this won't be easy but I am eager to join the ranks of some of the finest trees on this planet, Bonsai!

So, anyways, I got a good sized chunk of catnip.

Yep.

So it WAS.  Overnight, how does that happen?

Damn Cat. LOL!!! So, I unplugged what was left, and got a hanging basket...and hung it, WELL away from the edge of the roof or patio.  There is an area that has plexiglass over it so it gets plenty of sun, as of now it is recovering nicely, but here is what I found...the carnage...in it's new basket!

And what I did to keep it from the edge of the roof at ALL!!! LOL!!!

 All thanks to Max. "I rip up your plants" *quote from Max*  WHO BROKE ONE OF MY BONSAI THE OTHER DAY THE LITTLE #&$&%@$. Not the one he is 'walking' over... Ok, now I Feel better.

I love having houseplants. So there I am, at the store...getting a hanging basket (you will find out soon enough WHY) and I look over and see some succulents, so I grabbed a Jade that I will bonsai, and an Aloe because NO house is complete without it.

The long overdue Sugar Snap Pea trellis is built! I had scrap wood.  Dowels (thick) and some runner poles I picked up off the side of the road!  After I measured out the height of the dowels (so my short self could reach the top!) I measured out the width and then notched the dowels evenly, on both sides.  I ran Hemp twine all the way around each pole at the notch then all the way around the 4 poles, then criss crossed it on 4 platforms.  They are already reaching for the second platform of twine! I plan on, when they reach the top, cutting the twine so I can reach in an pick them easier.  I figured a platform would be best with our limited space as they can spread out across the top nicely! It sits a bit over 4 ft tall by itself, add a foot for the raised area. Max likes to hang out in the garden with me :D

Have to get pics, have more on the way...My Mom got me tree's for my Birthday! So far, I have an Orange, Tangerine, Key Lime, and BONUS Lemon.  I say BONUS because I unplug it last night to pot it, and go 'Hm, that's odd'...and get an *emergency* pot...it had a little one next to it.  So I go to plant it again, after potting the little guy.  Think...'Hm, that's odd'...and get ANOTHER emergency pot.  I have 3 Lemon tree's! WOO HOO! These are all bound to be bonsai.

 I will put up pics soon as I take them!

Thanks Mom! 

So, tis the season for Bonsai to look great! Decided to have an update on how they are doing.

Needs a trim, hehe...

One of the Wisterias...

One of my Favorite Japanese Maples (almost 4 yrs old)

Babies...and strawberries that are going in the ground tonight!

I got two new family members and am so excited! I got a....wait for it...BLACK PRINCE TOMATO!!! WOO HOO!!! Not just that, but I got a Brandywine! Of course I got them at the Farmer's Market. They are not the most attractive things but damn sure are when you are eating them. I bought a couple of Black Prince that were so wonderful, and I enjoyed a guilty pleasure of mine for dinner, tomato sandwiches. Next it will be drizzled olive oil and herbs on halves, covered in mozzarella or parmesan and a bit of breadcrumbs then Broiled, hehe...oh it is going to be grand to have REAL tomatoes this year!

I am so sad. I was all set to get bird feeders, enjoy them out in the yard...nice cat proof ones.  But no, now I can't. Seems that some birds here in Seattle have contracted Salmonella and the birds are dying.

Seems they are passing it by sitting on the feeder then the next bird gets it by stepping in the last birds 'mess'.

Oh well, hopefully (for the birds) this will pass soon. 

I decided to put some Sweet Peas in the bed that had the Tulips in it, they just do not last long and the bed is SO bare now. The second level is where they are going.

Since there were so many seeds, I figured they would go well next to the sugar snap peas well and bring a bit more bee happiness to that area as well! I have some coming up for the 'Tulip' bed...

So, bet you are wondering how the hell I link projects and oregano together? I can! REALLY! I have a lot of projects going on, the trellis, the 55 gallon FISH tank top...this will be it when I finish the last two
cuts.

I was granted some oregano from the lady who gave me the garlic, onions, and pots. I took her some Japanese Maple babies and some Basil. This oregano is like a blend of french and greek, I think it will be a welcome addition to our family. I really want to get some Cuban to grow inside...

So, now between four people I have all the pots I need...for the moment. And that is how I get the subjects together! :P

My baby Radishes...they are an early variety, harvest in 22 DAYS! So I will plant a second round when it is time for these...and I love snacking on radishes :D

Then there is the garlic, I went to get some free pots (I love free pots, I use SO many) and she gave me some garlic...and some of what she thought might be volunteer garlic but when I dumped them out of the pot I very carefully separated them and planted them...sweet white onions :D

So there were a few days here that SERIOUSLY baked and I got worried about the sugar snap peas I had sowed so I few them epsom salts and watered it in really good and KABAM! Let there be sugar snap peas!  I have the material I need so I will be building a nice platform/Japanese style trellis for them this weekend.  I was working on the fishtank cover but HAVE to get the trellis done...will try to get them both done as I really want to get that tank going, it is 55 gallon. 

I grew up on a farm, I am growing some veggies right now (have some radishes going NUTS right now) but  I like to Bonsai.  Since I am no longer on a farm it is nice to just grow something 'just because' :D  Here is am example, granted this is a rental but there will be a lot of these seeds not only going with me but going to several people around the states (at least when the seed pod dries!).  You HAVE to let the pod dry, completely.  Collect the seeds and keep them in the garage (or similar) for the entire winter. Sow with just a tad of dirt over them in the early spring, past frost.  Simple.  Then you get these!

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Once there was a Peony, my honeys Peony. This was part of her Grandmothers so it is understandable that she would be so attached to it. It went with her several places over the last 8 years. It landed in the ground in one spot for about 2 of those years, the last couple. It bloomed when she first had it but has not yet...so we went and got it out of it's last home not too long ago when we moved into our new house. It sat in this ugly falling apart wooden bucket for a couple weeks, then I put it in a pot of it's own, to stay for a long long time as I think it likes it there. Just a few weeks it has sat there in it's new pot...transplanted twice, not too nicely I might add...and it did this. Yes, we were meant to be together, the Peony says so...