Today in plants
May. 7th, 2026 07:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
magidI worked from home today because I wanted to check out the Arbor Week event at the library today. The city arborist was there with seedlings people could take. The choice was red maple, some kind of birch, redbud, or lilac. I chose the one shrub, because I know that lilac is edible (I’ve made lilac liqueur, which means lilac syrup also works). And I grabbed one of the little seed-implanted bits of paper they had in the shape of a tree.
There was also a table with information about a couple of city programs organized by GreenCambridge, which I didn’t know about before. The Canopy Crew offers a tree planted on private land by paid high school interns learning about forestry and environmental careers. The types of trees were chosen to provide habitat and provide biodiversity, as well as provide shade, clean the air, and reduce the chance of flooding. The other program is focused on Alewife Brook Reservation, which offers informational walks and the chance to help clear invasive species; I’ve joined the mailing list.
Once I was home, I checked the pawpaw seeds I’d put in the fridge last fall to see whether they’d survived without drying out or molding. Some looked ok, so I planted three in the corner of the back yard near where the neighbor’s cherry tree used to be (ie, it’s sunnier there than it used to be), along with the lilac seedling. The internet says I’d need to have at least two different varieties to get any fruit, because apparently the pollen isn’t ripe at the same time as the flowers being open (essentially), which seems like a non-optimized design….
I took the seed-implanted tree paper, along with some other similar bits of paper with seeds, and put them under dirt in the front yard, in a corner that looked rather patchy. Some of the shrubs in front had some dead branches, while others were getting overgrown, so I spent some time pruning. It’s not at all perfect, but it’s definitely better. I left the debris underneath, to decompose back into the soil. The only downside was that I managed to pinch some bits of my palm between the handles of the snips.
There were petals of tiny pink flowers that had fallen onto the moss in the front yard, which I hadn’t noticed before was so beautiful. I really do love having moss around, such wonderful colors and textures.
There was also a table with information about a couple of city programs organized by GreenCambridge, which I didn’t know about before. The Canopy Crew offers a tree planted on private land by paid high school interns learning about forestry and environmental careers. The types of trees were chosen to provide habitat and provide biodiversity, as well as provide shade, clean the air, and reduce the chance of flooding. The other program is focused on Alewife Brook Reservation, which offers informational walks and the chance to help clear invasive species; I’ve joined the mailing list.
Once I was home, I checked the pawpaw seeds I’d put in the fridge last fall to see whether they’d survived without drying out or molding. Some looked ok, so I planted three in the corner of the back yard near where the neighbor’s cherry tree used to be (ie, it’s sunnier there than it used to be), along with the lilac seedling. The internet says I’d need to have at least two different varieties to get any fruit, because apparently the pollen isn’t ripe at the same time as the flowers being open (essentially), which seems like a non-optimized design….
I took the seed-implanted tree paper, along with some other similar bits of paper with seeds, and put them under dirt in the front yard, in a corner that looked rather patchy. Some of the shrubs in front had some dead branches, while others were getting overgrown, so I spent some time pruning. It’s not at all perfect, but it’s definitely better. I left the debris underneath, to decompose back into the soil. The only downside was that I managed to pinch some bits of my palm between the handles of the snips.
There were petals of tiny pink flowers that had fallen onto the moss in the front yard, which I hadn’t noticed before was so beautiful. I really do love having moss around, such wonderful colors and textures.
Yay!
Date: 2026-05-08 02:43 am (UTC)Re: Yay!
Date: 2026-05-08 11:39 am (UTC)There’s a plant and seed swap in a couple of weeks at work, and the posters say explicitly that people don’t have to bring things to attend, so I’m hoping I’ll find a couple of plants there, too.
no subject
Date: 2026-05-08 11:42 am (UTC)