new thread!
we came from here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/988276/
I'm still potting up, dividing and planting here... hope everybody else is all caught up!
Cottage Garden Seed Swap & Chat #37
La la
My garage is not heated but attached to the house. Unless it is very cold it stays around 40° I guess we have not had severe cold since I have had the Black and Blue. This year I had enough for 3 big bushes out of my original 1 plant 3 years ago. So far it is not blooming much but it may b e kind of early. Hope so.
The pineapple sage tha t I took cuttings of last fall got kind of big and it has a few blooms and it never has bloomed for me until Sept. Don't know what is going on.
I continue to find casualties from the spraying for the dandelions. I don't think I hate dandelions enough to ever do that again.
thanks, neal. will try cuttings again using your shopping bag method.
Had good day in the garden too weeding and planting all those odds and ends plants that I had accumulating AND cleaned the garage (at least my messy garden storage section) and cleared the little patio of all kinds of random pots and planters (washed and put away).
I'm feeling like I should get my daughter to have her wedding here this month~~it's so clean and orederly! (of course, she isn't at all interested in marriage right now).
So far, from my recent seed sowing this past week these have germinated : Tithonia (dwarf), sunflower seeds (short), zinnias whirlygig, zinnias benary's 'hot crayon colors', zinnias 'berry basket', and cosmos sulphurus (only a few of these so far), and clarkia (?) about a zillion of these germinated but I have no idea what they are like. Still waiting for nasturtiums to germinate.
I'm having fun messing around with my seed box contents.
There is just something so wrong with this way of thinking.
How often do we as gardeners shake our hoe at the rabbit nibbling our lettuce? Actually I remember seeing that scene illustrated in a book when I was a kid, LOL. But it's true! I've grumbled and moaned over the little %^$ chewing on my tender vegetation more times than I can count. However when it comes right down to it apparently I'd rather spare the rabbit and spoil the veggies.
As my noble steed and I were out perusing the garden tonight at sunset I was giving him thunder for jumping through my nursery bed. I could tell by his excitement that he'd found something interesting and the next thing I knew he was hell bent for election with a little yelping ball of fur in his mouth.
"ALDO DROP IT!!!!!!"
And he promptly did. I don't think he had chewed on it or hurt it in any way at all. I rather believe he looked upon it as he does the kitties next door whom he's always seen as potential playmates. (The poor guy just doesn't understand why the kitties have never seen things the same way.) I scooped up the baby, tethered the dog, then I just stood there. What was I going to do with it now? LOL! The mother wouldn't take it back after the dog and I had both touched it and obviously I couldn't bring it inside. Aldo would have been beside himself with...um...enthusiasm, and I just wasn't up to the chaos that I knew would follow.
In the end I talked the neighbors into taking it. I promised that I would find a cage (which I did) and an eyedropper (which I did) and I also promised that the bunny would be big enough to turn loose in a week or two. (Like I have the slightest clue. But I'd have promised the moon if they were willing to take it off my hands and leave me with a clear conscious.)
So the bunny lives to see another day. It lives to eat my cosmos, my marigolds, my zinnias and my peppers. It lives to hear me grumble and to see me shake my hoe in frustration.
Or maybe we'll be like the lion and the mouse. Maybe he'll remember that it was I who spared his life and forever take his lunches from the farmer back the lane. Now wouldn't THAT be a fairy tale?
LOL!
I almost feel a little guilty posting my funny Aldo picture. He really IS a sweet well behaved boy.
Most of the time.
That's too funny!
I can relate, though. Two baby bunnies spent a couple weeks in a "nest" between some potted hostas on the back deck... we didn't do anything to discourage them. Now they've joined the horde of other rabbits bounding around the yard. Today we set out Grandpa's rabbit trap... what kind of contradiction is that? LOL
It's definitely time to start the rabbit relocation program up again. My rule of thumb is that when I can count 10 or more bunnies in one circuit of the yard and garden, it's time.
Oh, my!! That's a fun story and your doggy is a cutie!
We have a few rabbits around here, too, but I can't say I've seen 10 in one circuit around the yarden! Your numbers will require some action if you want to keep your garden, I think!
I'm studying the backs of my perennial packets, trying to figure out which ones I can start now and get growing to plant in the garden in September (and be vigorous enough to survive the winter). Any ideas?
Beautiful day here and more seeds to sow. (-: t.
Tab I would do any that are hardy to zone 5, can't go wrong if they are a tad hardier than your zone - right? : )
I've tried starting seeds after the temps. get hot and haven't had much luck do you all start them in the house?
My Jack Flash that I babied all summer last year, one plant is all I got, is blooming! I hope it reseeds! It's almost an orange like the m. cross but I love them!
Have to go it's storming :)
La I love that picture of your dog smiling!
Yes that's true Lea, I've had the same problem. Stuff I've started too late in the season doesn't seem to germinate well and if it does it doesn't grow well after. Perhaps indoors would be better.
I started my zinnias and sunflowers outside in covered plastic vegetable cartons in light shade. I checked on Tom Clothiers site to make sure I wasn't starting seeds that liked cool spring weather to get going.
I do know that the heat and dryness in August is a killer for seedlings around here, so I do plan to keep these annuals shaded and babied too. I read somewhere that plants stop growing when it gets to be around 87 degrees (if I recall correctly) so that accounts for some stunted growth, too. I think it's an element of the measure called 'Growing Degree Days' counted for each particular area/region.
I looked up 'Jack Flash' (silene?) germination and it said to start the seeds at 59 degrees or so, so they probably wouldn't do well in the heat we have on and off around here. I think I'll wait to do most perennials until it's wintersowing time unless I really want to baby them.
Lala, what a great picture of your dog, he looks soooo lovable. And that he dropped the bunnie when you told him too is great! By the way, go to this site to find out more about what to do with baby bunnies you find in the wild. Very helpful ... http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/orphan.html
Thanks for all the info. about starting cuttings for salvias ... I want to try my May Night Salvia.
I tried overwintering my Black and Blue in the basement one year ... way to messy and white flies galore. Maybe I should have tried the garage ... well, if I find a plant marked down this year I'll try it.
Last year I tried cuttings for roses, russian sage and clematis. I did the cuttings with growth hormone in vermiculite with a plastic bag in the shade. I managed to get one plant of Russian sage. Sigh.
Critter, you can borrow my cat ... 10 bunnies - yikes! We were making fun of Ahi the cat cause we would find him sitting on the porch with 2 bunnies in the yard. Hubby told him to get to work and get a bunny or 2. Then 2 days later, there was a 'present' on our front porch. I made hubby clean it up since it was his suggestion. lol
toofew
toofew, I just rooted some May Night cuttings I snagged from a friends plant. They were very easy, I just dusted with rooting powder and stuck them in pots outside. That's been about 3 weeks ago and they're growing and starting to bloom again. Did you let your Black and Blue go dormant when you brought it in before? May be best to let frost hit it, then dig up the tuber and store it dormant (like a Dahlia), I think that would keep you from having bug problems.
While I have been completely unsuccessful at raising a single seedling that would actually be sellable, once the tiny, pathetic things get in the ground they grow like crazy. So, still dreaming of vending some day, but today I'm just enjoying and appreciating so many wonderful plants from all of you in the garden :-) The last week of April I planted these Vinca (from starlight) and Salvia argentea (from Lea) and the biggest one was perhaps 2" tall. The vincas were yellowing, so although tiny, I went ahead and planted them. Now its hard to believe how pitiful they were!
hahahahahah Love the bunny story and love the doggy pic. If the bunny out side in yoru veggies and such it big enough to stay out there.
We accidently mowe d anest and got momma , gras was so tall and didnt know she wa s there. brought th ebabie s hoem and trie d to feed and they wasnt doign os hot, put bakc outsid e an d they was good to go.
During heat of sumemr I start plants indoor on kitchen table and then mov e to unde r trees to shady shelter and if it hot an dhumid and air so thick ya cnat breath seedlinsg cant either, so i put a fan out ther e small rotating one on table and let it go back an dforth and that helps hold off diseases an d stops seedling s from doign the death dance . it especially hard her e cuz july an d august when starting pansies
My recently sown Zinnias are starting to germinate. Some other stuff too but those have the most happening so far. Actually I have to go check the Sunflowers they are a little out of the way of the others, those are usually quick too. I have stuff from last years swap blooming, everything is so nice. I'll have to get organized and post some pics soon.
I've got a volunteer sunflower right at the edge of my patio! it's pretty much in the way (right on the path into the side garden), but it's so cute... LOL It has a bud. I can't pull it if it has a bud...
Should I plant out my little echie babies? They are about an inch or two tall. Or should I pot them in a 4" pot and overwinter in the GH until next spring?
Lynn I woudl put them ina four inch pot for now and bury the pot in the ground. That way the root s won't get lost and the crown either. The in th efallI would pul th epot up and over winter in like a 6" or a one gallon. Now that just what I woudl do if they wer emine. I have doen that before with special plants I don't want to lose and just puttign some babie s in th eground they get lost to fast and too easily.
I've got to take my hat off to you people who are still starting seeds. Of course you may not have gone quite as over-board as I did this winter and spring. LOL. I'm down to 3 flats of seedlings left to plant out plus my WS echies. Oh, and all the coleus and gerberas that are left from my plant sale. I guess we should go ahead and up that to about 6 flats left to plant.
Lynn I WSd echies last year and had so many that it didn't occur to me to be cautious with them. When they needed thinning from their WS container I planted them into 3" pots. I probably would have gone ahead and planted them out but I didn't have their bed ready. I planted them in the ground when they were about 3" tall and I think every one of them returned and are just now breaking into bloom. In fact I had to divide them this spring because (thinking Id lose some of them) I planted them too close together. If you only have a few you might want to baby them as Ella suggested, but if you have plenty of them I'd go ahead and plunk them in the ground. Keep them marked and the bed well weeded this year and I think they'll be OK.
Thanks for the advice.
I did go overboard, as this was my first year to w/s or even to plant seeds. I did over 300 containers, from the Piggy Swap, only about 30 didn't sprout. I still have a lot left to get planted though. I am learning the hard way that I should have had the beds planned and prepared. Now I am just poking them in the ground, hoping for the best. I am absolutely amazed at how fast they are growing, especially the ones in the ground now. I even have a few blooms! (marigolds, sweet peas, petunias) Happy Happy!
Lynn the same thing happened to me last year....the "poking them in the ground" part. I was leaving on vatacation and was scrambling like mad just to get things in the ground before I left. Let me tell you I had surprise after surprise this year! I had things come up that I had absolutely no memory of planting!
I have holly hocks from last year's swap starting to bloom right now. I was a little disappointed that they're yellow as opposed to the expected peach but they're still quite pretty. Some day when I have nothing better to do (yeah, right) I'm going to educate myself on hybrids and why sometimes their offspring revert and sometimes it doesn't. So far this year I've had peach hollyhocks that bloomed yellow, red salvia that bloomed purple, and I'm holding my breath on the cone flowers. The seeds came from various cultivars but so far I'm seeing an aweful lot of purple.
I'm waiting for some hollyhocks from the last swap to bloom. They have buds, they are supposed to be the nigra. Not sure if those run true to parent. It has a lot to do with how close the other hollyhocks are. If you want to keep the color strain pure they need a great deal of distance. I'm sure you could find the exact distance but I think it's like 100 - 200 ft.
Last Fall, i was pushing HH seeds into the ground hoping for some this year... in one bed, i put Black and yellow seeds... thinking that would be a nice color combination... just like Double Red and Double Whites... i have not seen ONE seedling... quite disappointing. though i do have volunteers coming up from last years blooms.
Lynn! I need yoru help. For the piggy swap Lynn had sent me an apron she hadn made and embrodere d with my name and soem flower son it. was beautiful.
Well, I thought i had taken pic of it befor e wearign it but when lookign back at pics, it must have gotten delete d when puter crashed and I have no ide a how to do back ups,
Well, Lynn, I need ot knwo how do I wash it. I sure dont want to wreck it. Afte r i get it washe d then will show ya folks. People love d it and I don't know if Lynn sews them for sale or not, but if she does and ya want a great Cristmas gift for a friend they simply beautiful. : )
Wow how nice! tcs the hollyhocks I grew from seed indoors sprouted very well. I saved half of each pack and planted them out in fall. I ended up with 1 seedling outside. They probably don't like the spot they are or something could have ate them or thgey might surprise us and sprout next year.
Meredith... i'm really hoping for that surprise. i put the seeds behind where taller plants would grow... i think it's NE Asters .... also... it's in a bed where i widened it from the back side... so i'm, hoping that the additional soil i put there did not put the seeds too deep.
only time will tell. I may be begging for seeds come Aug or Sept. again.
I'll be back home the first week of July so i'll be looking for seedlings.
One of my kids have been tending to my plants ... but I'd never ask for them to look for seedlings, as they'd have no idea what to look for... but at least he's been keeping my plants alive -- the ones that are not in the ground yet.
Terese
Don't Hollyhocks sometimes sprout in fall? I would be on the look out then. If not I'm sure I could send you some seeds. I grew a bunch from some seed I got on ebay and I was diligent in starting them early and getting them planted out early. I think I planted them the first week of May. Well guess what... some are sending up bloom stocks! I didn't know whether to believe they could bloom their first year but they look like they are going to!
The reason I got them on ebay (even though I had seeds from last years swap and from some trades) was because these were listed as red hollyhocks.We'll see if they actually are red but I figure the chances of at least some of them being red are better if they were collected from a red plant. Fingers crossed, I want red for the hummingbirds. Plus my pool garden needs some very tall plants for behind it and I am trying to stick with a red and pink theme or there. Of course a few other colors will be mixed in with annuals but I want the foundation to be pink and red. Mostly so I can watch hummers going to the flowers while I'm relaxing by the pool. : )
Meridith. Ther e are several hubrids of th eHolly hocks that wil bloom the first year. I wil startign her ein a coupel of weeks, holly seed for ned year. Wil start in littl eplug trays, pu timna 4 onch pot and just le t sit out sid e all winter with the hicory tree leave s for mulch that fall in th efall. The I plant mine in th epsrign the one s that stil alive.
Don't think I have ever seen a pure re d holly hock. humm, gonna look into that one. Your s are lookign real good. Dolettign youres just grow naturally or do you treat your s to make sur e no holyl hock rust gets on them?
One of the neighbor's on the highway has red HH and they are just beautiful they look like doubles, another neighbor turned her against me a few years back so I can't snich seeds lol But Tunik sent me some red ones I think. I didn't get any planted for this year though I'm still going thru all kinds of things here from dad passing and haven't even been able to keep up here or my beds!
I have all of these nice coneflowers from fairy's coop and can't get them in the ground, my poor Kew Blues are blooming in their 3" pots :(
My sister is taking me to court so I'm going thru paper work like mad haven't even had time to finish paper work for dad yet she started at 10:00 in the morning the day after the funeral :) So far my lawyer bills are $1000 and haven't even went to court yet, wish me luck :)
And some of you are starting seeds LOL I NEED to get my hands dirty, haven't even cut the grass for three weeks :) I'm alright though just a little frazzeled LOL
LeBug, my thoughts and prayers are with you. Sounds like you have had your hands full this summer and have so much to deal with.
M., I have some corally red single hollyhock that I planted from seed that came in a mixed seed packet from Renee's
http://www.reneesgarden.com/images/seedphotos/hollyhock-indianspring.htm
I bought them especially for the hummers, too, but the hh's are planted where I can't really see if the HBs are using them. I surely do have a lot of hummers this summer, though, and I attribute it to this big stand of red and bright pink hollyhocks acting as a beacon to the hb passersby stopping to nest and sip. Out of the 10 hollyhock plants, 4 or 5 have red flowers and one has white, the rest dark and light pinks. I will try to collect the red ones' seed and keep those separate for sharing.
Happy to report some of my milkweed cuttings are rooting.
God bless to all good fathers on this special day for them! Even those in heaven.
t.
Thanks t, I knew this day would come the day I moved out here so I have been preparing for it for a while now just some lose ends I need to tie up are a little tangled, everything will be alright as my dad said all the time 'What will be will be' :)
I've got so many nice flowers along with a bunch of weeds that need attending in my gardens dad is going to get a very special boquet this year, Happy Father's Day to all of the wonderful father's out there where ever they are :)
t, those HHs must have really attracted your hummers more for this year, I've only had one red throated one for some time now, I only have three feeders out right now but that's enough to keep up with for now I'm hoping to have more by the time they all hit here :)
Did anyone get any of those 'Rustic Colors' Rudbeckia from Suzy's Stokes swap the last time? I have one stand of them that are just beautiful and full they remind me of the sunset! And I thought I lost my 'Irish Eyes' Rudbeckia last year I didn't have any but this year I have a beautiful stand of them too that reseeded in a different spot I kept wondering what they were then it dawned on me :) My middle bed is looking soo good this year it's a shame I have all of those weeds in it :)
LeBug.. don't feel bad abotu the weeds. I probably got mor ethan anybody that needs pulled. More so becuas e the load of cow manure that I got in that looked so good and planted in now ha s more wed seed up in it than I have flowers planted.
I hoping some magic weed genie will appear and will do it all fo rme in the middle of the night.
You did just giv eme an idea though. next door ha s one of thes e like big light s ya put out at night for coming in and out. Wonder if he would turn it on and aim it my way so I could eed at night when it cool. Hummmmmmmmm wonder if he will. Think I gonna ask. Just so long a s I have enough light that I can make sure no snakes out there with me.
I've got a headlamp (LED lights and little battery, so it's lightweight), and I use it at night in the garden, especially when it's just too hot during the day.
I want a magic weed genie! If you get one, please SHARE. :-)
LOL Star I've been waiting for that same person they must be too busy in someone elses garden lol
Those snakes will hit the road as soon as you russel those leaves out there Star :) I have a friend from NY on here that has taken the head lamp out to her gardens in the evenings I bet that is a site for myself at this time of year the skeeters would carry me off in the dark LOL
I hate watering and feeding my plants when I have so many weeds I feel like I'm taking care of the weeds too LOL I'm getting ready to go out and use some of my Messenger and Mighty Plant right now and finish planting one seed tray of snaps in a planter, I've had this M & MP for a few years now and haven't taken the time to use them lol This is the year got to make those weeds stronger and bloom more LOL It's cloudy today and we might have showers but I hope not I really need to cut the grass after the dew is off of it, at least after today we don't have any more rain in the forecast! Everything is so water logged.
LOl you guys are too funny! My DH already thinks I'm nutz when I am out there all day into dusk. Nevermind if I put a flashlight on my head! ha ha
And I can just picture the giant swarm of mosquitos flying off with Lea! THe same thing would probably happen here. It's mosquito season here for sure. The second it gets dark enough for them I get a minimum of 3 bites on my way to the door! lol
Tab that would be great - even if they are a mixture they sound like just the color combo I need. I would ven love the white ones. I need more white flowers here. : )
I hope I finally found the updated picture I wanted to post. This was from yesterday. The Hollyhocks are lovin the rain! I forget to answer star about the treating... I haven't treate dthem but they are growing in vegetable quality growing conditions and haven't gone with out water for quite some time. The leaves are a tad chewed.
Closer up.
I saw my first June Bug today :( I don't have the time to mess with them this year!!! LOL
Meredith, your HHs are looking good!! We have skeeters thru the day here!
It started raining about half an hour after I sprayed the Messenger on my plants LOL It didn't get the ones on the porch though LOL
I have two more hummers today too :)
Thanks Lea! I am so suprised at how ell they are doing in the really good soil.Last years went in to pretty much my natural dirt here. Perhaps with a little compost added. They were very slow...
Man I thought I was the only one getten bitten by the buggers in broad daylight! Congrats on your Hummers! I have had them on the PIneapple sage you sent. : )