Planting plans et. al.

Since we plan on starting a small "farm business" once we are established over in Belton, today I've been reading up on propagating some of the plants that we already have, from cuttings. I already do this with gardenias, and honeysuckle, with a lot of success. Apparently, I can do the butterfly tree (chaste tree) which is a vitex cannabifolia, and camellias, although they need different techniques to the gardenias and honeysuckle, which I start in water with rooting powder.  

There is also a difference in rooting times, my gardenias are pretty quick, 4-6 weeks before they have rooted nicely and are ready to be transplanted into pots to "settle" for a couple of months. The honeysuckle is sometimes a bit quicker.  Apparently, camellias have to be started in a potting medium, with rooting powder but can take up to 9 months to start rooting. The chaste tree cuttings also have to go in a potting medium, having been dipped in rooting powder, but they have to be under plastic, to keep moisture in, and can take 6-8 weeks. 

It seems I will be busy, but happily so, as I do love propagating plants.

I'll also be starting off some of my houseplants, the spiders as they have babies, and the traily pothos. Years ago, in Germany, and then - again - in Florida, I had pothos that trailed all around my living room walls. The barn we are erecting has plenty of window space, so I can position some tables in front of windows to get plenty of light.

I have bulbs to go in a "rockery" area near the pond, and under/between some of my bushes, as I want to provide as much bee/butterfly and hummingbird food as possible for as many months as I can, hence plantings that bloom at different times, and the fruit trees that fruit in different months, as well.

Finally got the engineering plans for the barn, that we needed to apply for the permit, so that's now been done and the wait for it begins. I can see that there are 2 lots of fees to pay during the process, but as long as it gets approved, no worries.  We just need to be able to put the tractor, trailer, mower, tiller, and all the plants inside out of the weather, and to keep them from being stolen. 

Even once we get the concrete pad done, it can take 6-8 weeks for them to come out and build the barn so it's not a quick process by any means. At least we are moving forward though, and that's a load off my mind.