Pacific Northwest Gardening: End of the off-season, 4 by LakeLivingRos

LakeLivingRos wrote:
Oh tomatoes from seed! I tried last year but ended up getting starts from a friend.. but I want to try again maybe next year!

I have a Japanese exchange student who will be living with me for the next year so this last weekend I had her come to the nursery with me and pick out what she wanted to grow while she was here, so we planted a goumi tree (elaeagnus multiflora) which she said she loves to eat in Japan, as well as two varieties of table grapes (I can't remember what they were off the top of my head at the moment though)..

One thing I noticed however, in my garden it seems.. everything blooms at least 1 week to 4 weeks later than everywhere else!! I can't for the life of me figure it out. It is across multiple species of plants too.. For example, my mother and I will purchase the same plant and we planted them at the same time in our gardens in similar conditions (ie. amount of sun etc). Her plants always bloom first, and noticed that other people who may have the same plant will bloom before mine as well! I was thinking it must be because my house is on a slope on the water? Just one mile down and the neighbors flowers will be done before mine even start! Although, I only use organic methods so maybe since I feed my plants with banana peels over fertilizer makes the difference.

I planted a 3 grafted dwarf cherry tree roostalk from raintreenursery.com last year in February "ish", and noticed this week the blooms opened for the first time!

One of my early tulip varieties has just bloomed this week.

It has been raining so much here the water level is actually hitting my bulkhead, when it normally sits around the 2nd dock piling.

My rhubarb has taken off like crazy! I can't wait to harvest it for rhubarb fruit leather!