sleeping snowy landscapes at my house, not so long ago!

I was posting a word description http://davesgarden.com/forums/p.php?pid=3330692 of the various garden and landscaped areas in our 1/2 acre yard, and Gita wanted to see pictures.... I tend to focus on flowers and bugs and smaller groups of plants when I've got my camera in my hand, but I do have some snow scene photos that should give you a general idea of the layout here...

Our lot is shaped like an elongated, lopsided pentagram. The shortest side is along the front sidewalk (we live at the end of a cul-de-sac), and the front yard is fairly small. The rear lot line in back has two sides that join at nearly a 90 degree angle.

This first photo is taken from the back patio (center back of the house), looking toward the right rear lot line. The tree at the far left of the photo is just about where the rear lot lines meet. The "fence row" of trees is (barely) on our property -- hooray! The field behind the trees is unfortunatly slated for development in the next couple of years (we were pretty sure that would happen eventually when we moved in, so while it's not fabulous, it's not a surprise that we'll lose our view).

The perennial garden area runs in front of the fence row... the oriental lily bed is about in the center of the photo. All the way to the left, you can see the remnants of pepper plants that were at the far end of the veggie bed last year.

There are little daffs in bloom all around the mimosa tree (right side) now -- what a difference a few weeks make!

The crooked willow is at the corner of the left side and left rear lot lines. You can see my nectarine tree to its right. My back yard neighbor hates my landscaping (because his ideal landscape contains perfect grass and absolutely nothing else -- he told me so), so he put in that row of Leland cypress trees.

Our "orchard" is about 75' x 28' and runs along the left rear lot line (until you come to the fence row trees) -- 10 dwarf fruit trees, 2 semi-dwarf cherry trees, and 2 pecan sticks, er, trees. A 50' x 6' veggie bed separates the orchard area from the "designated lawn area" where I'm not allowed to encourage anything other than grass to grow.

There's also a raspberry bed, maybe 20', running along the left rear lot line. I didn't prune much the first couple of years, maybe a mistake, but the canes were struggling so that I hated to cut off anything! Now I need to look up the information on pruning... I think it's different for the red and the black raspberries. (Yes, I know now that "they" say not to plant both red and black in the same bed... but Miller sold me the assortment as a "family berry patch," so I planted them all in one patch!)

I'm sure I'll find some less snowy photos to post... but I thought these were entertaining in their own way! LOL

One more... just because! :-)

More, more! this is fun, virtual touring.
Rasp- I have Heritage red rasp. You may find a lot of dry dead canes in there to get out, that would be good. Also, whatever has the sideways sprouts at the top- that was fruit last year and that part for sure should come off. And go to the ground and get out the little spindly canes from last year. You'll get new canes this year. (Saving the mantis eggs of course) Console yourself that if you thin, the remainder should be in better shape and bigger healthier fruit. I have about ten feet of red rasp and get plenty . Even had the nerve to cut all to the ground last winter and came back strong.
PS are you really a critterologist? I know somebody with a degree in entomology but he plays piano for a living...

I've got a degree in biology and a master's plus (didn't quite make it to dissertation) in neurobiology... and if you ever saw Hodge Podge Lodge as a kid, I'm sorta like Miss Jean as far as the neighborhood kids & nieces & nephews are concerned... taught at an environmental ed center in coastal GA for a year also...

I put "critterologist" on my tax form, because it sounds like more fun than "homemaker"... DH puts his occupation down as "code wrangler" (he works on the computer end of developing air traffic control systems)... imagine the look on the IRS guy's face if we ever get audited, LOL.

Oh, and thanks for the advice on pruning the raspberries... 2 of them are 'Heritage', but the tags got pulled out too many times, so I don't know quite which ones, LOL.

Oh man am I with you on the dreaded 'occupation' space on taxes. Bon bon eater? Devoted wife and mother? (they'll think I croaked) Barefoot- but -not- pregnant- anymore? Domestic engineer? OK, "none"
My BS is in 'water resources,' agriculture college- ask me how a sewage treatment plant works. Yeah that really comes up in conversation at the PTA meeting!
I'm sure there's stuff on Google or U MD extension.for pruning. Just double check that black rasp get the same treatment as red. I think it''s blackberries that fruit on the second year canes.

I found my Stark Bros growing guide, and it's got info on pruning raspberries, so I'm set. Old canes (that bore fruit last spring or earlier), prune to the ground. Canes that bore fruit on their tips in fall (like Heritage), just take off the tips -- the lower part of the cane will fruit this spring. :-)

Yes the lower part on Heritage will fruit some, those side branches will grow out from the end down, fun to get some early ones, the main fruit will still be on the ends of the new canes. Get leather gloveson, you'll end up with a nice big pile of prickly stuff to bundle up

Thanks, Sally!

Some of the black raspberry canes are huge and trying to leap the gap to the veggie bed (or to the neighbor's lawn)... but I think they are new canes that grew just last year... so if I cut them back, I won't get fruit, right? Or will they put out fruiting side shoots if I cut them back by, say, half?

I'll try to train them to go back within the bounds of the bed, but that's going to be challenging...

BTW, good ID on the snowy mantis egg case!

Well, a mantis case is one type of brown gold to me~~
I think you've got a pretty good plan on pruning. I got my Rodale book out, but they vary it a little dep on exctly what type of bramble it is. I think you'll do fine with your judgement, certainly you'll like to try and get dead canes out, and thin if they're still thick, but that will be a bit of a pain, maybe literally, !
Rodale (paraphrasing some) Black and purple raspberry- bear on second year canes with most fruit on sideshoots.During the summer, cut off the tip of each cane when its 2 1/2 - 4 feet high, this will force sturdy side branches the first year. After harvest cut the spent floricanes back to the ground.

I missed cutting those tips on the black raspberries last summer.... Do you think I should cut them back this spring?

Thanks for your patience!

gee, maybe split the difference? i think you're doing good if you still know which plants are which ( I would have lost th tags by now)
waiting for a phone call, not imposing on my time....!

LOL... actually, I don't know which varieties are which, but I do know which half of the bed the black and red raspberries are in, respectively!

Even if I *sniff* get a few handfuls less this year, it's probably better to get the canes under control. Thanks!

This message was edited Mar 30, 2007 12:32 PM

Jill,

Thanks for posting the pictures and remembering that I wanted to see your yard--what there is to see this time of year.....with snow on the ground....

I found your discussion with Sally on Raspberries interesting and read it all. Remember, that is one plant I was considering putting in the bed by my shed I am now emptying. I still think this bed is too narrow for raspberries. They do ramble/bramble. No longer sure on the blueberries either. I just have a feeling that both of these will tend to get out of control size wise and therefore, maybe(?) I should not plant them there. Sometime we dream of certain plants to have--then a couple of years down the road we wake up and say, "Why on earth did I ever plant this thing here???". Can't stand it!!!!
If all else fails--it will be tomatoes in this bed. Besides, they like moisture.

Hey Critter, in case you are not revisiting the old post, I have now dug up the rest of my Lilies of the Valley and anyone that wants some can come and get them. It is not as much as what you got. I have about a 12" HB piled full. That is it. Pass the word if you hear of anyone wanting some. First come............

How are all your dug up rootlets doing? Still in the garage? Bummer on this weather!!!! Now we are getting a Noreaster monsoon this weekend. Geez!

Sally, if I ever decide to plant a Raspberry bush, I will come to you for advice.

Gita

All my dug up plants from you are doing fine -- but it's been too wet to plant! Even in the amended beds, the clay soil just compacts way too much if you dig around in it. If we end up getting a lot of rain again this weekend, I'll be heeling them in at the edge of a bed, probably also potting some up. They're outside so they can get sun and rain, and I don't think there's a frost in the forecast anymore, but I'll be vigilant in case I need to pull them back into the garage.

One good thing about trying tomatoes in that bed... you'll be able to figure out right away this year if they work there or not. Raspberries take a couple of years to get established...

Gita - you can come to me for the whole plant not just the advice!
( i hate this- if you are composing a repy, and go click a picture earlier in the thread, you lose your writing, apparently)Raspberries don't get all brambly like wild blackberries. See critter's- you can easily keep them thinned with once a year easy pruning. Get about five feettall but do arch over somewhat.
Blueberrries- my lowbush and highbush, all are only couple-3 feet wide after ten years

Sally,

Thanks! I even know where Millersville is. It is off of 301 on the way to Bowie. I have good friends that live in Bowie. No longer sure what is what since they opened up I 97. Now I get all confused. I just used to go on 301 to #450 and turn right.

If you ever come to White Marsh Mall, I am 1 1/2 more miles away from that--and from I-95.

Yep, that' s Millersville/and Bowie. So much change in the last 20 yrs or so. Can only imagine how my parents see it, last 60 yrs around Baltimore.
Do you know Md Flower and Foliage? I think its a wholesale type place but may allow retail customers too. Between home construction and my seedlings I really shouldn't be plant shopping, but......