On a  glorious day like today, there are few things I like better than an afternoon out in the yard. I just finished my Dr. Death duties (Weed B Gone and Round-Up*) and now I am ready for a little digging time in the flower bed.

I have been watching my 2 peach trees with growing interest. If they are going to bloom, it is usually on Mother's Day. Despite our late spring, they did not let me down. I spotted 2 blossoms in full bloom--1 on each tree. I am of course hoping for more, because there is nothing like a home-grown peach.

Last summer was rather abysmal. Only 1 lonely peach total. That one was a surprise because I did not even see the blossom! In years past, I have had bumper crops. But lately it has been pretty much a miss.

My peach trees are 2nd generation, from a volunteer. I think a squirrel probably planted the first one from a stone out of the garbage or a tree in someone's yard? I noted the young tree in the early 1990s and thought it looked like a fruit tree, so I just let it grow. A few years later it was adorned with hundreds of pink blossoms on Mother's Day. That tree has since died, but I did plant a number of pits from those peaches, so the volunteer tree lives on in a way.

Peaches, even when professionally grown are rather short lived; often they only live about 15 years. So I am enjoying mine while they last.

Another bonus of blooming trees is that they seem to attract migrating birds. The orioles are already singing high in the trees. Sometimes they will stick around through mulberry season. 

Got to go. Time to weed and transplant.

Enjoy the day. 

*I hate to use herbicides, but sometimes they are the only thing that will work. My preference is Round Up. I was told it was a vitamin and causes the plant to grow too fast for its root system. It also breaks down into inert substances in 24 hours. Draw back is that it kills everything it touches. Benefit is that it is the only thing that will kill certain thistles. I tried for years to pull out the smaller thistles from my flower beds and that treatment only seemed to increase their numbers. Finally I resorted to painting on Round Up with a art brush. That worked.

Weed B Gone is nasty--it stays toxic for days. Its benefit is that it does not kill the grass. I use it sparingly and try to spot treat as much as possible rather than spraying the whole lawn. 

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