The biggest challenge in my garden is:

WEEDS!!!

We do have a rosemary bush that is three feet tall and four feet across...

I put not enough space because I want to grow absolutely everything. Veggies, trees (fruit and otherwise) flowers, vines, I want 1 or 2 of everything and I have 1/3 of an acre.
Time is also an important factor. I still work full time with an hour commute each way. My garden and I live for weekends.lol.

Pillita, that Rosemary must smell heavenly when you brush up against it; that's a big herb plant! Do you remember what variety it is?

My mom brought it with her and she was not in the practice of keeping tags. Never bloomed for either one of us, so no clues there. It is a wonderful scent, but unfortunately it's right next to a large lantana which, to me, has a very stinky smell. So, I don't get one without the other and they definitely cancel each other out.

DEER!! Never been a bad problem until this year. Of course weeds are a problem, especially with the amount of rain we've had this year, but we soldier on with the weeds. I've sprayed the deer repellant every week for over a month to keep them from eating everything, including green tomatoes, but missed last weekend because we were out of town. They must have had a party because all my green tomatoes were gone except for one and a handful of cherry tomatoes. Okra was mowed down and so were the beans and new squash plants. My garden wasn't worth the time and $$ put into it this year, but the deer really enjoyed themselves.

I vote 'all of the above at one time or another'. The other morning DH, Meiko our kitty, and I were sitting out, enjoying a cup of tea and admiring the garden in the early morning sunlight. A lovely picture, yes? Well we were dressed in long sleeves and pants with rubber bands at the ankles (remember this is August), socks annointed with Deep Woods Off, and an incense burner wafting scented smoke, all to stave off the clouds of misquitos that have plagued us this year. I guess it's all the rain we've had. The corker is, a skunk came waddling across the grass, paid no notice whatsoever to us, and disappeared under our deck. OMG! We looked at one another, open mouthed and big eyed (Meiko's eyes were closed so she didn't see a thing, thank goodness), and immediately ran in the house leaving tea cups and incense pot where they sat. We did take Meiko in. Now every time I go out there I'm afraid of meeting up with Mr. (or Ms.) Skunk. Eeeeewwww.

Weather, too hot, too cold, too windy, too muddy, too dry. The wind is a big nuisance, it snaps our storm door open, breaks the closure with me hanging onto the door and sends me spinning outside. Not good on tender plants either here in central Missouri.

Planted eggplants four times this year, husband did two of them--still nothing. We had torrential rains and the poor tomato plants were washed out of their beds and into the walkway--then the grass came, the sturdy kind--I call it July grass which was trying to strangle the tomatoes before I was able to pull it. The onions gave up and the beets refuse to grow. I'm getting ready to plant lettuce and radishes, hope they do okay.

The time that we've invested in gardening makes me wonder why we do it. Guess it could be two Carolina Cross watermelons growing in the garden, they keep getting bigger each day. If one reaches 100 pounds we're going to have a watermelon party.

I just wish I had more room... Maybe double the space would be great. But then i would have to vote not enough money! So I enjoy the space I do have and pack in the plants. Ronna

Wow a lot to take in...

I agree with Gloria, Lasagna gardening works if you have crap soil. You can put one on top of rock even. I know, I have the worst soil in the world and the article from PARSONS WAS GREAT, worth further experimentation. As in lasagna gardening, you could start now, but it won't happen over night, but it could happen soon in one area. If you put the cardboard and straw down now in several layers, add those dreaded, soon to fall leaves to it, Voila, by later winter(especially if it is wet, you should be ready to plant some stuff in your first bed.)

The weeds are a tough problem, but I know a great trick if you are prone to liking weed cloth for some areas or paths. It is that rolled roofing paper. If you get the thicker grade, it really last a long, long time, but the cheaper stuff, still works. Then put wood chips etc over it.

My dogs run on it and it gets sprinkler water and nothing, no weeds get through either. Even in a flower bed or planted bed, you can use it in strips that you tear to keep weeds out in between.

Now that I solved your issues let me say, my yard and climate suck and seem overwhelmingly hopeless sometimes with all the obstacles. Time is the enemy. A lot of the solutions take a long time and money or work.....uh oh and more time.......Did I mention time?

The woman who's husband won't let her plant more than two more patches in the yard. I feel for you, my husband is that way inside. I miss my x husband's, Do what ever you want with the house and yard, just leave me out of it" attitude. That is all I miss though.

I'm there with the vote for weeds. It is getting better the longer we have lived here though.

Time is definitely the challenge! Our yard isn't fenced in, and if I take my wild toddler outside with me, he heads off for parts unknown the minute my back is turned! When his older sister was his age, she was already interested in helping me with the plants, but he just wants to smash things and endanger himself. Typical boy ;-D.

I automatically thought - the deer! the rabbits! and the solution - add color through (hopefully not too many) garden ornaments......

but I have changed my mind.... my biggest obstacle to doing what I want to do is physical strength and stamina. I don't manage the heat as well... I can't dig for as long or cart things across the yard like I used to be able to do.

I just poop out. It causes great anxiety and frustration because there are a million things to do... I can truly find the time... I just ain't up to the task. oh woe is me... (snort!)

I voted other, because so far I have enough space. Pests are not a big problem...no large ones anyway, just a few catapillars, ocasional aphids or mealy bigs. Money is not a problem. We're in texas so we have a nice long growing season, but the heat does make watering more necessary rexulting in a $200 water bill last month. We are retired so we have enough time.

My biggest gardening challenge is I am continually aquiring too many plants. And I show no sign of stopping. I plant a lot of seeds, mostly wintersowing. I propagate through cuttings, I trade seeds and plants on Dave's and I STILL buy more! I keep saying I will quit, cut down... Uh... And I also keep giving them away to anyone who comes near our place. No one leaves here without at least a few pots! It seems though that for every plant I give away I have 2 or 3 more coming in!

Plants. anyone?

I voted space because when we bought this 55 year old home a little over a year ago it looked pretty open and workable.
Only .18 of an acre but that is some what typical in Fl in town.
Then as soon as I started to divide up areas for beds and purchased plants online and made all these plans then I started to dig, or rather I should say I tried to dig. My husband came home to find me close to tears in the yard, I had removed yards and yards of sand 3 inches deep from on top of all the coquina rock that had been used as pavers from fenceline to fenceline covering what seems to be every inch of the back yard, now our first tool when making room for a vine along the ugly fence is a sludge hammer...cool roots warm tops, I must say I have beautiful vines. My wonderful husband removed the rest of the 3 inchs of sand covering the coquina rock of coarse set in with concrete many years ago, he had a 5 yard truck bring in soil one day I came home to all the plans I had made in above ground beds on top of the rock, there is a benefit to marrying a master carpenter who doesn't want to see you cry as you throw a shovel across the yard in disgust...LOL Now 1 1/2 years later I have the startings of beautiful gardens even he is amused with.

Space, space, space... and a DH who thinks one must have a lawn!!

Would love to have 2-5 acres to just do and plant whatever I want........*sigh*

Job, grand kids, house work and husband. It gets crazy at times. Some times it seems as though theres not enough hours in the day.

ptooming--- Hey, you gave me such a good idea, you know, the shovel? Maybe if I wait till my husband & at least one teenage son are home, I can throw my shovel across the yard, my sweat mixed with tears, and one of them will come running out and help!...but how do you know when someone is looking out the window?

Too much shade and then too much sun. We have many big trees in our yard and the surrounding neighbors yards so I planted Hostas which did very well. Then one of the neighbors cut her tree down and all of a sudden there was too much sun - fried all of my hostas. I am constantly moving plants around.

1.) Clay soil (Think Frankoma Pottery!)
2.) Weeds that grow to China in stupid clay soil
3.) Time to remedy the above
4.) Rain: Too much and too little
5.) Weather: 100 to 108 for ~ 2 months

Mix all that together in one big bowl and dump in on your plants. Unless they are tough and hardy, forget about 'em.

I have this clay soil junk that is goopy when wet and rock solid when the 100 degree temps make pottery (complete with huge cracks).

Why do weeds still like to grow when my sweet plants do not. I just love Crepe Mrytles; they can take the abuse Oklahoma dishes out.

Rain, rain, rain...when it arrives, it usually provides gully washers with flash floods, hail and tornados. When it does not, our plants have adjusted to the gully washers and they are starved for water and could use water at least 2 times a day. People and businesses with beautiful plants in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area use way too much water in July, Aug, Sept every year. Crazy fluctuations in the amount of rain cause many problems.

What can you do when the rain has stopped but the sun continues to boil dirt?

Sigh...I loved the soil we had in Upstate NY; dark black, rich, full. The plants begged to be tucked into that soil. I don't miss the lake effect snow that helped make that beautiful soil great.

LOL


Oh...why

Like a lot of you, my biggest problem is WEEDS! It's a constant battle! Acquiring new plants isnt a problem--there are always plenty of generous DGers who are willing to share what they have. Probably at least 50% or more of the plants in my gardens have come from DGers! Also, like some of you, my aging body is a problem, along with our Arkansas summertime heat. I have to get outside in the gardens very early in the morning or late in the evening. It's much too hot in the middle of the day to work outside.We also have fire ants here. I'm thinking of hiring a professional to deal with them--they seem to be multiplying exponentially!




This message was edited Aug 28, 2009 9:05 PM

5 fenced acres so I don't have the horrible children (and their 2 dogs) who presently live next door trying to destroy everything I plant. A kicked ball hit the pickup truck last night, and broke part of my Toad Lily the night before. The Toad Lily is just coming into bloom, and it will take the broken part of the plant a year to recover. Me? I am tired of trying to talk to parents and children who have no respect for other peoples property. Their dogs have actually jumped into my raised beds!

Sure wish I could all of the people who voted for weeds. I don't mind it at all, but don't see too many job openings for weeders!

Dogs (and people) that don't respect boundaries can be a problem. You might consider reporting them to animal control hummer_girl.

Damien the Spawn of Satan Tree Rat. He is immortal and truly evil.

Climate for sure. I live in the Phoenix Area with hot, hot summers day and night. No rain or humidity because we've had no monsoons. Of course the soil is poor with caliche and the water we do have is very salty and hard on the poor plants that do survive. That's about it!

tree rats? There is only one way to deal with squirrels, similar to martial art techniques: take their existing momentum and follow through to use it against them.

The squirrels aren't going away. If you trap a few, the neighbors will move into the new territory. I suggest baffles, rubberized "hardware cloth" (nice term for chicken wire), and a diversion: I had a hinged metal box full of nuts-in-shell or other large seeds. Other folks prefer various corn impalements.

I kept my costs down: I'd sweep up acorns or black walnuts in season. I gleaned feed-cornfields (post harvest - lookup gleaning - protected right in some states). When the furry buggers planted sunflowers, I'd let them grow if they were in a spot that wasn't terribly out of whack, then I fed 'em the seed-heads. They also enjoyed apple cores, peach pits, cherry stones, pumpkin & mellon seeds, etc.

Ah the gluttony torture. Very sneaky holeth.

RAIN....RAIN....go away. Don't come back another day.

most of my garden rotted away. the ground turned black. YUK

and for August 29-30.....lows of 49-51? whats up with that!

I want my summer back.

Well petalpants:
As it was I had hundreds of dollars worth of plants begging for me to have a a couple of days off so they could be tended too. When that day came my Honey decided he had some time to himself and went swap shopping for Motorcycle parts an all day chore I hate, but it rocks his boat!!! so after many hours when he came home and saw the mess I had made large piles of worthless sand everywhere and the mess I discovered all these huge rocks set and concreted in, he felt really bad he knew how badly I needed to have a garden. It took about a week but he helped out in the "NEED" department this doesn't often happen mind you. I most often have to cry, sweat and maybe draw a bit of blood before the point hits home.
You can try throwing your gloves at the window when some walks by when they look start pitching a major crying fit whine a little...it helps really I know this for sure. Then when they come out explain what you need done, excuse yourself to the bathroom get some drinks and lavish them with "my goodness I have the greatest boys" I wish you would help more often I adore your company, just keep stroking...LOL

Oh, ptooming--- You are so cleverly deceitful....I love that idea! Thanks! =)

Aunt_A (from Tulsa): I have relatives in OK., & when growing up we went to visit almost every Summer for 1-2 weeks; I Believe you when you say it's hot; I actually think it's worse than S.TX, depending on Who gets rain! One Summer while up there playing with my cousins, we wandered to the street, and the asphalt was actually melting---and the black, gooey stuff was hot and stuck to our bare feet! ( Frankoma pottery---my Mom had a whole set of those dishes; we used them the whole time I was growing up; they were greenish, and durable.)

Petalpants,

Frankoma was made with this wonderful??? Oklahoma soil that eats foundations and plants for dinner. They went out of business not to long ago but started back up again. The originals might be valuable some day. LOL

Mine was no of the about but its really all of them plus bad soil and water. Have ph of 7.1 to 8.9 in the soil and our water is sodaie, not sure if thats a word, it taste like and test like you took a glass of good water and put a cup of baking soda in it. Makes it hard to get things to grow so my yard is the servival of the fittest. Susan

HARD RED CLAY AND ROCKY SOIL! Plus, we live on sloping ground, and the upper side of the hill is very dry and the lower side is very wet. Raised beds and amending the in-ground beds have been our solution - more laborious, but worth it to be able to enjoy a garden!

marsue has edited me out!!!
The story of my life!

Potagere

LOL, Potagere!!--I thought maybe I had embarrassed you with my marriage proposal!! LOL

edited to add: Hey! I just noticed that we are in the same zone! How cool is that?!!

This message was edited Aug 29, 2009 4:09 PM

Well, you know how those zones go! Even the G-zone seems to be "negotiable"!
Dmail may be mre appropriate.
What do you think?

Oh that Corgy is so cute.
Stop flirting you two. This is all about us day. Your day is next month on the 31st.

Soda water, yuck, but I relate to the rich mineral bath, not working well for the plants.