Photos of the day....
The chinese cabbage is doing well.
Three baby robins have hatched.
Sorry for the blurry photo- I had to be fast to not upset mama and the angle is hard to see.
That's not a stick- it's a LOG!!
Mystery solved?
Debbie gets the prize. I finally managed to identify this (I think) as an Autumn Olive. It is an introduced species that is considered invasive and has been classified as a noxious weed in some areas. I have seen good and bad things about it so I'm not sure if we should leave it or not. It has some uses- wildlife habitat and food (and the berries are edible). It fixes nitrogen in the soil and is a great stabilizer for stream banks. However, it also tends to crowd out native species and can form monoculture plots that are difficult to eradicate. I sent an email to our local county Extension Office to get some advice. I don't know how much of a problem this plant is in this area- but, it is pretty.
Is this similar to Russian Olive? I do believe I read about RO in a few permaculture books as being useful
ReplyDeleteCut the lower branches off and groom it into a tree instead of a bush. I like the trees myself. We have several around the yard. They smell good and I love the silvery leaves. I didn't know you could eat the berries. (olives) Your cabbage is pretty!! ...debbie
ReplyDeleteStephanie- they are similar- different species/sub-species. There are evidently quite a few different varieties- all of which have evidently now escaped from cultivation and have been expanding their range. They do have lots of uses so I'm weighing the pros and cons. Evidently these have a history of invading wetlands and essentially wiping out everything else. What to do, what to do...
ReplyDeleteDebbie- I'd make sure it's the right bush before you go eating berries. I'm not sure how good they taste- several reports I saw online said they were edible but not that tasty- others liked them.
Judy
Your cabbage looks wonderful! I know Russian Olive gets about 80 ft high here, glad it's not that at least, LOL! I need your dog to come visit and clean up the woodpile!
ReplyDeleteWe just planted four Russian Olive trees this weekend. Mark Shepard recommended them during a permaculture tour of his farm. I heard they are invasive too though. Have a great week !
ReplyDelete