Minor Maintenance

This week has involved more observation than upkeep of my plant population. Just about the only action I’ve taken was to pluck off a few dead leaves from two of the indoor hobgoblins. Want to guess which plants these are from? Go forth, live on the wild side, make your selection.

Outdoor Bulbs

Pre-emptive planning and prior maintenance has paid off in this battle round with the squirrels. The conniving little buggers have dug into a patch of dirt next to the buried hyacinths, but the chicken wire has successfully protected the bulbs from cradle robbing. It looks like these babies will live to see next spring.

Right around the corner, the irises are not waiting for the weather to warm up. They have made a significant amount of vertical progress, despite the very cold weeks we’ve had and the chicken wire semi-barrier. I hope this bodes well for their overall durability, and not demonstrate a premature emission that may impede later growth.

Winter Ready

At the back of the house, the compost-tomatoes have definitely take note of the freezing temperatures. The stems have shriveled and the fruits have turned a very pale yellow-green. At least *someone* knows when it’s appropriate to conserve their energy and hibernate.

I am also feeling confident about the basement hibernation spot for the fig trees. While the trees themselves are quite obviously asleep, the rich soil at the base has produced a few happy weed sprouts, which seems to me a good indication that this window-adjacent location is sufficiently sun-informed and not-frozen to only take the plants to the brink of death and not go all the way.