Hops & other vines

I planted this hops (part sun) 2 years ago and this year it is really putting on a show. I have 2 iron trellis' attached together to get more height. The vine grew the full height and then flopped down, reattached and up again.

Here's from a distance.

Silver Lace vine on the arbor with John Davis rose. Honeysuckle on the back fence

Unknown wine color clematis with a hardy kiwi, Passion Flower vine over 10 feet tall with Bittersweet Celastrus, and other annual vines in container combos

The President & Jackmani Clematis, John Cabot rose, Sweet 100 tomato & Scarlet Runner bean

Out of control,
John Cabot rose, Sunrise Serenade Morning Glory, Cup & Saucer on the clock, and behind at the fence trellis is Blue Bird Clematis and an Engleman Ivy

Different angle

Really nice! When do you get your first frost? I've read that the female hops plant can get really stinky when the cone become over ripe .. have you noticed anything?

X

No, haven't noticed any stench yet. Our average 1st frost is Sept 15th.

My hops plants are in their first year and still small. I imagine and hope that next year they will take off .. they were grown from seed.

X

Wow, zone 3 and you can grow all those? Hops can be hardy here in Anchorage. We planted one this year in the most favorable location we can give it, near the corner of our south facing living room wall, and it climbed its string (12-14 feet I think) and started falling in front of window and keeps branching and growing. Next year, before the surroundng peonies, etc are up so I have more ladder room, I will extend the string over more of the the windows, and maybe put one round the corner of the house. That should handles it. You probably have warmer summers than we do - I'm not actually anticipating flowers, altho someone local told me he has had hop flowers. I hope so because I think they smell wonderful when they are drying. (Tho where I'd have them do that I don't know)
Thanks for all the photos.

joannabanana

I just love your flower box's seeing this thread with the pictures you have posted of your garden has inspired me to install window box's on my home? What kind of flower do you plant in them? I love they way they trail and are very vibrant colors. are they hard to maintain. Your Garden is Oh My God unbelievably beautiful. Gardening is something as of last year I have found that I just love. How long has it taken you to get your Garden in this shap. It must have taken several years. I want something like this for my yard and I find I want it over night. Any advice? I live in Texas and I know our climet is very diffrent.

Lori

SFD, I think there are different varieties of Hops so do check them out to choose the best one for what you want. My sister (Zone 1A if you could imagine) has had hops for years and it can be quite out-of-control looking if you do not have a tall trellis. My trellis is actually 2 zipped tied together to get the height that that plant needs.

Lori,

Thanks for the nice comments. I had a couple of window boxes made a few years ago and then decided to have a window box under all my windows. They are made with cedar ( won't rot) and stained. The flowers are all from seed (otherwise it would cost a fortune). I love petunias and of course it is difficult to deadhead up there, so I choose the Waves, Opera Supreme, Ramblin' and some Grandiflora hybrids that are free flowering. There is swan river daisies, silver falls and a few other annuals from seed. I bought a 42" watering wand to water all of them with ease.

This thread http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1009136/
has some before & after of 10 years. I start most of my plants indoors under lights and now have a greenhouse. The yard is always under construction with never ending changes. As the kid grew the toys disappeared and opened up new areas for gardening. Until last June we had a huge trampoline in the back yard. 22' swingset went a few years ago (which I converted into a greenhouse out of desperation the 1st year that I got my indoor seed starting stand.

This Spring I will be changing the front yard a bit. The neighbor has removed all of their mature 60' spruce trees, so now that will allow a lot more sunlight in areas that was quite shaded. 3 of the trees were in between our lots.

Our season is short and it is very dry here. Depending on the plant, I start up the indoor seed starting in January. March 1st is when I start up the GH - not enough daylight hours before then. I also wintersow a number of annuals, which is low maintenance for seed starting. We don't get the summer heat like you so I'm not sure what to recommend for plant material.

Joanne

Lori,

Another important tip, take advantage of any plant shares in your area. It is very easy to start filling in your garden with perennial divisions and such. What out for the rose bug. If it bites you, you will end up with a 100 roses in one season. There are so many to choose. Climbers, shrubs minis .........

joannabanana,

Thanks for replying. Are all the plants in the flower beds perennials? Also in the 4th pic the one with the dragonfly what is the blue flower hanging just below the dragonfly? Do you fill the flower box with potting soil or do you leave the flowers in their pots? Can you give me the name of the company you buy your seeds from. I am always afraid of getting ripped off. Many questions hope you don't mind. Oh yes and I want some hops. I went looking for some seeds or plants and one place on ebay had 5 seeds for 3 something plus shipping 5 seeds does not seem like very many?

Lori

Lori,

All my flower beds have a real mix of everything: perennials, bulbs, annuals, shrubs, roses...

Under the Dragon Fly: that is a bag of Sapphire Lobelia (started from seed). This was the 1st time I tried planting up a bag and it turned out great.

Yes, I use Premier Pro-MIX BX for all my containers. I line the pots & window boxes with cheap landscape fabric so I don't loose the soil thru the drain holes. I also use Smart-Cote slow release fertilizer for Hanging Baskets in all my containers. The cocoa lined or sphagnum moss baskets are lined with plastic with couple of drain holes. The clay pots, I plant up a slightly smaller plastic pot & insert it into the clay pot. We are extremely dry here, so that's what I do. If the humidity was higher, I probably won't do that.

I order my most of my seeds from Vesey's Seeds & Stoke Seeds and about 8 other CDN mail order suppliers. They are Canadian, but do ship to the US. Perhaps inquire on the seed germination forum for recommended seed suppliers for the US.

Hops: I planted one root. It was a puny thing about the size of my thumb. I was certain that it would not amount to the grand vine in the catalog picture. Wrong. It took off and grew like mad. The vine is located in a part sun area. If you plant it (seed or root), only do one & make sure you have the space to accommodate it.

how offten do you have to replace or amend the soil in the box's Your garden has filled in nicley and nothing looks to crowded how do you space your plants according to the plant instrunctions or just stick someting in a bare spot. you have a lot of greenery in the flower box's besides flowers what are some of them. some or traililng and some are fern like. And tell me about the bag planting? Is this something new.


Lori

I replace the soil entirely every spring in the smaller pots & containers with Premier Pro-Mix BX. At planting time, I add Smart-Cote Slow Release fertilizer for Hanging Baskets 14-14-14, which has a 6 month release time. The slow release fertilizer needs to be below the soil level (not laying on top) and for it to work the temp needs be over +20ºC, which is +68ºF. The soil must be damp as well.

The big pots (1/2 wooden barrels) I mix in about half and half of new soil/previous year soil.

Yes, I tend to stick in the annuals in spots in the flower beds....sometimes I forget about bulbs and such.

The window boxes with the pink & yellow petunias contained: Opera Supreme Pink Morn petunia, Limoncello F1 Hybrid grandiflora petunia, Brachycome (Swan River Daisy), Purple Knight Alternanthera, Angallis (Blue Pimpernel), Ivy Geranium, Dichondra (Silver Falls)

The flower bag is a plastic tube style pouch that has 10 spots to insert seedlings. I planted it up and left it laying flat for a few weeks to root in then I hung it. I inserted one more plant at the top as well. Most garden centers sell the bags

Here some info on another thread about the soil mix that I use
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1064577/


This message was edited Jan 4, 2010 7:19 AM

Lori,

Here's an up close of the pink/yellow boxes - Full Sun

This message was edited Jan 4, 2010 10:05 AM

Here's a shot of the boxes in the part sun front yard

Joanna,

Thank you so much for all your guidance. I have ordered seeds and located a place here in Texas that sells the Pro Mix BX. I want to do a plant bag I have found the bags on line and will be ordering them. I should be all set for the upcoming planting season. I have my window box's installed I was planning on leaving the plants in there nursery pots but now have decided to just fill them. I will need to buy the L shaped bracket for more support. I too want to start my seeds inside I think you said one seed per cell in one of your other posts? With this new project I may pop in from time to time to get your advice. You have been most helpful. I can see the wonderful work you have done and feel better asking someone who I can see all the hard work they put into their garden appose to posting a question and getting many people’s advice. Since I have no gardening skills but I know what I like it is easier for me to us other people’s ideas. Please share with me any new garden pictures and creative ideas so I may borrow some more of your ideas for my garden.
I know it can be exhausting answering a lot of question. I thank you for taking the time.
Lori