Cherry Trees at Lake Balboa -- It's almost time!

It's almost that time of year again. Rosanne and I took at walk at Lake Balboa yesterday and I noticed that a few cherry blossoms are starting to open on the smaller trees around the lake.

I would expect a full bloom in a week or so. When this happens the lake undergoes and amazing transformation. The first time I happened upon it I was utterly dazzled.

Set aside some time to do some photowalking around Lake Balboa and I am sure you will get some great pictures.

On a disappointing note, I saw that all the huge wisteria vines, which used to produce an amazing display of blooms, have been cut back nearly to the ground. Not sure what brought about such a hatchet job. Probably someone decided the arbors needed maintenance or something. There are ways to train a wisteria so you can still maintain its supports, though. Sheesh! It will take years for the vines to regain their previous stature.

Link: Photo Gallery from 2003 Bloom
Link: Lake Balboa Information

Wisteria in the Spring

Wisteria in the Spring
Originally uploaded by dewelch

Our wisteria is starting to pop open its leaves. Checking my calendar, I see that it is pretty regular and has opened this week several times in the past.

We have had more rain this year already than last, so I am hoping for a good year and maybe even some blooms.

More photos:

Video: Hymini Portable Wind Generator

This is a neat, little piece of technology...a wind and solar power generator that can charge your iPod, cell phone and a host of other electronic gadgets. If you have a little wind in your garden, this could be an interesting way to keep your iPod playing A Gardener's Notebook podcasts the whole day through. (SMILE)

Here is a video from Treehugger.com




GREEN DEETS 014 Greener Gadgets Hymini from George Spyros on Vimeo.

Flowering Trees in LA

Flowering Trees in LA
Originally uploaded by dewelch

These flowering trees can be spotted all over Los Angeles this time of year. Not sure of their name, though. Can anyone help?

Finishing the Lavender Bed

Click to Play

We finally get the lavender bed planted!

Elsewhere Online: Trench composting saves the day

Jane Perrone, over at Horticultural has a post on trench composting and it sounds interesting. I have much more waste than a typical compost pile can accomodate, so I might think about adding a trench or two to my garden instead of sending out tons of leaf mold, etc in the garden bin.

Googles Search: Trench Composting

Trench composting saves the day As fellow composter Simon Sherlock pointed out in the comments to my previous post, it will be some time before my new worm composter can take all my kitchen waste. Add too much in the early stages and the worms won't be able to eat it before some of the stuff putrefies, making the worms unhappy, and possibly dead. I forgot to say earlier that my solution to the excess kitchen waste problem, now that my allotment site has banned it from compost heaps, is trench composting. I am assuming the powers that be won't object because in trench composting,...

(Via Horticultural.)

More compost in the garden

More compost in the garden
Originally uploaded by dewelch

Despite the fact that I am suffering from the beginnings of bronchitis (meds already started) I had to get out of the house a little bit today.

I had enough energy to continue emptying our old compost bin and got too more loads for the bed being refurbished in the front garden.

It was a bright and beautiful day and I even shot a quick video for our Seesmic friends.

Compost is ready! from A Gardener's Notebook

Click to Play

Compost is finally ready here in the Welch garden and my ad hoc compost sifter isn't doing too bad of a job.

Snobells

Snobells
Originally uploaded by dewelch

Out working in the garden today and found these Snobells looking quite happy. I am sure the rain has done them a world of good.

One more picture of emerging Daffodils below