Help with our zone please.

Sounds something like the diet our daughter who works at the quarry is on.

 

A couple of days ago Val covered up the potatoes, right to the top of the second box, with plain topsoil. I didn't have the heart to remind her what I said I was going to do. Anyway, last evening, I removed almost 5" of that topsoil from the boxes and found the potatoes, not in very good shape.

I had added some mulch to the boxes after Val added all the extra soil in order to preserve the moisture, and perhaps also to help keep the soil temperature a little lower.

When I was removing the extra soil (I got about 30 gallons removed) I noticed that the soil was indeed quite warm. I put just a small amount of mulch back and checked again this morning before the sun was up too high to see how things were progressing. I'm not actually very sure of the current status, as the plants had all their leaves turned upside down by the weight of that extra soil. A few seem like they are trying to return to normal, but it's a bit hard to tell just yet. Another check will be in order tomorrow. I may need to add more mulch today as we are expecting a moderately warm 33ºC high later this afternoon.

 

Back to the east deck for a moment, this is the pair of gates that were added a couple of days ago. Not that I think the deer will actually venture on to that deck, but we did watch one climb right up the concrete steps by the driveway some time ago! This is just to give as some insurance.

 

Over the past several days, the potted plants which Val has continued to add to the deck have been doing very well indeed.

I was advised late yesterday that I would be installing several hooks to hang some of the pots from. It will certainly make it easier to see the flowers.

 

Out of the four Angel Trumpet plants, there is but one that is flowering. I don't know what prompts them to flower, or not as the case may be, but the one in bloom has the most gorgeous fragrance at the end of the day.

 

Early morning photos of the three Angel Trumpets without the trumpets! They all seem to be perfectly healthy, but no sign of any bloom just yet. I might make note that Val was given these as cuttings just last year, and that they were overwintered in the workshop with temperatures that may have been very close to 0ºC from time to time, as there is no heat in said workshop.

 

The parent plants from which these cuttings were taken live in Vancouver. They are at least 8 feet tall and are moved in big pots on wheels into the garage over the winter. I don't think these will reach that height (maybe) due to our shorter growing season and far colder winter temperatures.

The lone flowering plant has been elevated to occupy a position of grandeur on the patio table.

 

Here are the remaining plants on the deck this morning. The sun made a brief appearance as I was going downstairs to shoot the small pine tree.

 

You showed us the damaged bark on the small pine tree but I think it will recover. Please don't shoot it.

 

Hahahaha! I don't think I really meant you to take it literally! Besides, I don't have a gun.