Winter

Winter

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Wednesday---Day 3

This morning, outside it looks like the beach. High clouds, cool air and after it warms up I am sure it will be another wonderful day. March this year came in like a lamb and it is going out like a lamb too. NOT normal. I keep waiting for the wind. I expect that our March weather will come in April.

This year around the first of March, my husband started grafting trees. When we were kids one of our favorite pages in the encyclopedia was about learning to graft trees. When we met somehow we found out that we always wanted to graft trees. So he has done it. I watch. Here is a picture of one of the little tiny branches he grafted from one of his Japanese Maple trees to his root stock.


See the tiny leaves and the little bit of bandage around the little trunk? He has used three different kinds of things for grafting. His favorite though is what hospitals use for wounds. It is this gauze like stuff that one side is sticky and when you pull it and wrap with it, it sticks to itself. He has had the best luck with that.

 This picture isn't very good but there is a tiny bit of what looks like bandage on this crab apple. This limb came out red while the parent tree is green. He grew these crab apples from the seeds of the parent tree and
grafted a limb from the parent tree back to the seed tree.

When we were kids and we went on field trips, one of the places we visited in Fresno California was an underground garden. It is called Forestiere Underground Gardens.
It is an amazing place. There are orange trees with, lemons, grapefruit, growing on one tree. After visiting there even though we both didn't know each other, we both wanted to learn to graft trees. I tried and tried when I was about 10 or so to teach myself how to graft rose bushes. I never had very much luck. That is why I love that my husband has done this, it is like watching a long ago dream come true.

Today I am really too tired to work outside so I think the heaviest think I am going to lift is a rug hook and a needle and thread. That is if I can make myself stay inside. I am really enjoying the weather.
It doesn't stay like this very long.

I hope you have a lovely Wednesday.

~Kim~

21 comments:

Alica said...

I've never seen tree grafting...thanks for showing us these pictures! Isn't that neat, how you both had the same ideas, long before you knew each other?!

Maryann said...

I am hoping our March goes out like a lamb...it certainly came in like a lion. I enjoyed seeing what your husband has done with the trees. I have a friend who is very good at grafting roses, I have never been very successful...t's okay though she is more than generous :)
Enjoy your day

Debbie said...

can you hook, outside on the porch?? the best of both worlds!!

TexWisGirl said...

love the blooms! and i agree w/ debbie's suggestion. :)

Connie said...

It is very hard to stay inside this time of year . . . good luck on the rug hooking. The truth is you may not pick up that rug hook until next winter, LOL. Enjoy the warm and wonderful spring that you are having :) Here's wishing you a marvelous growing season.
Your blogging sister, Connie :)

Meg said...

Well the nice thing about rug hooking and sewing is that you can take it outside, and get the best of both worlds! That is really funny that you both wanted to learn grafting when you were younger. It's weird how God works. :)

Beth said...

The flowers are beautiful. Very interesting info about the grafting.

Debbie said...

We really have had a wonderful spring haven't we? I find the stories about your tree grafting fascinating. How neat that you both share this interest. Enjoy your day!

Kathy ... aka Nana said...

Enjoy your lovely weather!

It's interesting to read how you both visited the same place as children and had the same desires ... and how granted those desires in such an interesting way. ;-)

Gumbo Lily said...

Grafting is so cool. It reminds me of how Jesus grafts us into the vine. All kinds of us living in the Eternal Vine of Christ. Cool.

Mary Ann said...

Oh, my, this is my second grafting post I have read in a week! So interesting! Amazing that you both wanted to do this. The other grafting post was at www.crankypuppy.blogspot.com, and they grafted tomatoes!

camp and cottage living said...

Kim
Your husband must really love a challenge, because that is how grafting hits to me. It has to be rewarding when the attached piece joins with the original to become one. I'm sure there's a lesson in that somewhere!
Was that a lilac in your 1st photo? Oh, I had such beautiful lilacs when I lived in Missouri. I had pink, French pink, and white. The French were the most fragrant ones. My husband still manages to find a bush growing in an abandoned yard to bring a bouquet to me every summer. Well, I getting a little wistful here-must be that ol' cabin fever.
Take care-Kimberly

Miss Debbie said...

so glad you are enjoying your week. and it is so sweet that you and your hubby had the same experience and the same desire to graft trees. just like God to put you together!!

Christine said...

How wonderful for you to have some time for you this week!
Hope you have a relaxing time hooking today!
God bless
Christine

Kessie said...

I love the little grafted branches! I always wanted to do it, too, but I never had the materials. I wonder how many kinds of fruit you could get to grow on one tree?

Julia said...

Kim, it's so nice seeing updates on your husband's grafted trees. I'm sure that he always take extra care to get such good result. It's such a cool hobby.

I too have been interested in grafting trees but never tried it. However I've done some air layering for plant propagation with success.

Hooking is a great way to relax this week and I hope that you share your progress soon.
Our snow is starting to melt and we are seeing some patches of grass showing from under the melted snow.

Hugs,
JB

Pom Pom said...

You guys are true tree people.
I hope you DID spend the day hooking. You need to rest every now and then!

Bonnie K said...

I know what you mean. We have a wild apple tree down the road. It has the best apples, but I know it has been sprayed when they spray the ditches. Then last year the power company almost killed it clearing the trees under the power line. I would love to graft that tree on to some of my apples. Maybe I should try it this year.

Nancy said...

I think it's wonderful that both of you enjoy grafting because when a couple have common interests it's always more fun doing things together......My hat is off to you because it looks like a very delicate process....

mr.abu said...

My field of dreams......sangat bagus, menarik, inspiratif.
Saya sangat suka....
Selamat atas karyanya yang bagus.
Thanks

mr.abu said...

thank you very much.