Welcome to the Weekend coffee share! Can I get you a cup of coffee? Tea? It’s 6am and I am sipping my first cup of coffee from the French press. I am excited about a fun filled day today. We finally have warmer weather. We have highs around 68-72F/20-22C and we have lows in the mid 40’s. (Yes, there is an explosion of pollen.) They are predicting a hot summer, otherwise these are normal summer temperatures. At least it used to be. It’s been sunny all week this week, next week we’re getting some rain 2-3days in the middle of the week.
Since it is much warmer outside, and it seems like the cold nights are a memory of the past, I decided to start the giant pumpkin seed I told you about last week. I soaked it in water for about 12 hours, and then planted it in a medium sized pot (about one gallon, slightly over three litres.) I did this two days ago. I’ll keep you posted about the progress.
On the schedule today is plenty of time in the allotment garden. I’m going to plant beets, and cornflower from seeds. I’m also transplanting a couple winter squash, and a couple summer squash from pots into the ground. It’s slightly early to plant squash in the ground, they might die, or they explode with growth with the rain expected next week. It’s not a big deal if they die, I have more plants at home, but if they don’t die they get a kick start on the growing season. Sometimes you have to take chances like that. These plants have been at the balcony 24/7 for the past ten days and are doing great there, of course they’ll be more exposed to the elements in the garden, but it is also much, much warmer. They’ve survived a couple freezing nights in a protected area at the balcony. I’m also transplanting some green onion, and it is pretty much the same thing with them, it might be too early, but probably not (and I have more plants at the balcony.) The plants that I don’t transplant this weekend is going into the ground next weekend.
Have you heard of family trees? They are fruit trees where several different trees are grafted into one. Sometimes there’s different types of fruit trees grafted together, but those often don’t live as long (please prove me wrong!) However there are many benefits if you do this successfully with one type of fruit, like grafting a few different type of apples together. This is especially true if you garden in a small space, like an allotment garden, or a small yard. Some of the benefits can besides saving space be combining good traits, like resistance to diseases, and bountiful harvests from different trees. Another benefit is that the harvest season can be stretched out during a longer period of time, and if the weather isn’t cooperative all year, you can still get a harvest part of the year, if the varieties that are grafted together are chosen wisely. Naturally there has to be a lot of challenges as well, like if the different varieties grow in different ways etc. but I don’t know anything about this yet.
Apple trees usually grow well in our area, and I’ve found a family tree suitable for our region, that have three different types of apples grafted together, with a harvest season stretching from summer to late fall. I’ve ordered one online and it is expected to arrive next week. I also ordered a plum tree suitable for our area (not a family tree.) I know where I am going to plant them, and I’m going to prepare the site today. As you can tell I have a very exciting day ahead. I better get started 🙂
How is your week so far? Tell me in a comment! Thank you Natalie for hosting the Weekend Coffee Share.
Love,
Maria
GreenDreams 
You are a busy gal! I have heard of grafted fruit trees. My Mom had two different apples on her grafted apple tree years ago.
Enjoy the gardening my friend. And let us know how the pumpkin grows!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! When it comes to gardening I like being busy, it makes me feel so good. I hope you are well. ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Spring is such a busy time in the garden– sometimes it is hard work, but at the end of the day, one falls into bed satisfied! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes indeed! Yesterday I had lots of coffee in the afternoon and watched Sweden win the Eurovision. It didn’t matter that I stayed up late (it was very difficult to keep my eyes open at the end, besides all the excitement,) I still woke up before 5am thinking about what I want to do in the garden today. I hope all is well with you and your garden.
LikeLike
It is wonderful to wake up excited for the day, esp. in the garden. 🙂 I’ve started buying my annuals even though it is still too cool at night for them. If I wait, my favorites will be sold out, so I must do the inside/outside thing for awhile. This coming Wed. there may be a frost, but it will warm thereafter…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am sure you of all people will succeed 🙂
LikeLike
Aw, thanks for your faith in me!
LikeLike
I hope that your garden grows like a weed this year, Maria! I like your new hat. Your high temperature is below our low temperature this time of year in the desert, 91F today, Maria. The 100s will be back soon. Happy weekend! ❤️🇸🇪
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much John! Happy weekend!
LikeLiked by 1 person
😊😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s so exciting to get your allotment garden going, the grafted trees will be a nice addition too! I hope all that you plant take off with lots of growth in the coming weeks!! I love reading about your beautiful garden! 🤩❤️
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much Diana! I really hope so too 🙂 Are you enjoying spring?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I forgot to wish you a Happy Mother’s Day! ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Happy Mother’s day to you too!! ❤️❤️❤️
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes! I’m really wanting to start a small veggie garden in my containers. I’m going to work on that this next week hopefully. I’m really happy it’s Spring! ❤️🌷🌞
LikeLiked by 1 person
How wonderful! Looking forward to see what you are going to plant 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope you are getting a lot of garden time 🙂 Enjoy the warm weather.
LikeLiked by 1 person
OOOO YES! Thank you 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
An exciting beginning of a new garden season. I hope the weather continues to cooperate so your garden grows well as you had planned. Thank you for your weekend coffee share.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes indeed, thank you very much Natalie!
LikeLike
Growing a giant pumpkin would be fun (I have a number of fictional pumpkin stories rolling in my head, haha). I’ve tried growing an apple tree a few times. They do really well in the pot but die when I put them in the ground and I’m not sure why. I haven’t tried again in a couple years, but perhaps I should.
Hope you have a nice day.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, we’ll see, that seed have not germinated yet. All “my” seeds (that I saved from my own plants) are growing fabulously.
Could the bad history with apple trees have to do with the PH of the soil? It is rather easy to check and fix, if that’s the reason. Best of luck if you decide to try again.
I hope you are enjoying a wonderful week, it is Wednesday and the last workday for me, Thursday is a national holiday and I’ve taken a vacation day on Friday. It’s going to be a lot of gardening!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think it might actually have to do with the PH in the soil. We had some other garden troubles, but I haven’t tested.
Hope you’re having a nice week so far, Maria.
LikeLike
I will be eager to hear how your grafted family does. I’ve read about them, but have never known anyone who has had one. Your gardening plans sound great. I’ve been spending a lot of time in the garden too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much, I’ll be sure to share how it goes. What grows in your garden?
LikeLike
Howdy, I have often wondered about grafting varieties together. I am so excited for you & your treasures & all the wonderful produce your going to benefit from. We had our first Apples from our apple trees & oh my crickey the difference in flavor, from store refrigerated is incredible. We are extremely blessed. Have a wonderful week ahead & I love the hat.( ;
LikeLiked by 1 person
Me too, It’s going to be exciting to try. I’m so happy for you that have already started to harvest your own apples. I think it makes a lot of sense to grow your own. On a regular week I’ll probably purchase 5kg of apples. Have a wonderful rest of you week!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Look at the potential in that seed. I love it when those kind of seeds burst into life. Just amazing! The prospect of the fruit trees also sounds great. I look forward to hearing about the progress and what you do with the fruit, albeit I know it will be a while. One of my apple trees hasn’t flowered this year. I think it might be taking a holiday this year. The one that is supposed to take a holiday is in full flow….I’m hoping the bees get to it soon.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes! Lots of potential. I have followed the manual of how to germinate the seed, it was a lot of extra care compared to how I usually do. Still I have not seen any signs of it bursting into life. We’ll see! The other pumpkins and squash are growing a lot.
I hope your vacationing apple tree will be back next year. If you think about it apples are a fantastic fruit, delicious, great storage life, can be eaten in so many ways – everything from fresh from the tree, to desserts and tasty dishes.
Have a great rest of your week!
LikeLike
Once again, similar weather, except we’re hitting upper 80s on the west coast. Yuck. Record breaking again. That is a big pumpkin seed, Maria, best wishes on a giant pumpkin 🎃 I like the idea of grafting trees. Apples grow very well in Washington, Hans planted 4! He tells me his grandfather of German descent, grafted over 1000 trees and plants in Chile over 80 years ago! Have a great week!
LikeLike
Sounds like you had a great time planned in the garden. I’ve heard of those trees, but not referred to as “family trees”. I like that.
LikeLike