Birch Seed Clusters forming - Garden Slow to Bloom

13 July 2012
4:10 PM

Sunset at 12:06 AM in direction 334° North-northwest
Sunrise at 3:48 AM in direction 26 °North-northeast

Civil Twilight all day

Earlier this year I described the properties of birch trees as I experienced them:  The Texture (and Abundance) of Birch Seeds.  At one time, I thought we had birch seeds on our deck all year.  That shows how the mind can over-generalize because, if that were so in the past, it certainly did not happen this year.  But the seed pods are forming right now.  They are still very green, and not as long or fat as they will become, but forming.

And for whatever reason, my front garden still is not in full bloom, nor are the plants on the pots on the deck in any hurry.  I bought some very healthy nasturtiums from a local green house, and the foliage is outstanding.  But I still see just a few starts of buds.  I also bought less healthy appearing plants, but hardier since they were started out doors.  Although the foliage is not thick or lush on those plants, I have deep orange blooms on those somewhat scraggly plants.

Pansies I bought from the same greenhouse as the first nasturtiums are blooming very nicely, but the marigolds are lack luster.  I have hardly any pansies or johnny jump-ups in my front garden and the foliasge from the columbines has fairly eclipsed other areas where blooms might be lingering.  I have too much shade in my yard.  There is no way to get around it.

Today Gary and I talked over plans for a raised garden, and then raising the level of the lawn behind it. It will provide a nice long row of shrubs and flowers, but to get any real beauty, I am going to have to sacrifice some trees, birch trees.

But the seed pods are forming right now.