So, what are everone's lawn and garden plans for 2011?
Mine are to finish removing the popcorn (Chinese tallow) trees along the back of the property, as well as remove the Chinese privets. The Japanese honeysuckle will also be removed. I hope this year will see an end to the "Asian Invasion". My new neighbor granted me permission to remove a small popcorn tree and small oak tree that are growing along our fence line. In exchange, I will plant two nicer trees in better locations on his property. Currently, I'm considering Red Maple, Loblolly Bay and Sourwood. The soil here is thick, damp clay with a pH of 5.4 so that kinda limits my choices since he says no pine trees.
As for flowers, I'm going to do mostly native wildflowers. I have a large flower bed on top of an old popcorn tree stump. It will be planted with crimson clover (already coming up), plains coreopsis, tall larkspur, purple coneflower, California poppy, Joe Pye weed, indian blanket, dotted St. John's wort, foxglove beardtongue, Drummond phlox, black-eyed Susan, scarlet sage, fire pink with swamp milkweed coming later. These are all seeds of course. Pasture rose seeds have been planted in a small bed in the back yard.
My Carolina Jessamine is starting to put on buds. They should be bearing their trumpet shaped bright yellow flowers in a couple more weeks.
Plans for 2011
I plan to do whatever suits my fancy on that day--LOL ! I have built my last flowerbed, and will only be maintaining and enriching the beds I have this year.
I am trying to change my gardening life from--changing everything to maintaining everything. My health and age is limiting me now and if I bring something new in, something old must go out. Only room for a few annuals around now.
I have a jasmine, but did not notice any buds on it today just walking by-I will have to take a closer look when I go by again.
I am Sandra--what does your J stand for??? Jack or Jane--LOL
Jody, named after my father.
Interestingly enough, my mother's name was Sandra.
My theme this year is "maintain and/or par down" I would like to do some rearranging of beds but no new beds for me either.
Tyring this week to get all my crape myrtles, grasses and roses trimmed and my fertilizer put out. If I get all that done, I'll be doing good! lol
Terrye
Terrye, I have fertilize on my list, I used all I had last year. Did you do 10-10-10 this year?
I do have a little plan in the back of my mine. I would like to take that strip on the woodsy side of the house and have only hydrangeas in it, but I will have to find homes for the daylilies there, Thinking that would be a good place to have about 4 hydrangeas.
I planted my Japanese maple in my secret garden bed a couple of weeks ago. I am going to get Jerry to move the concrete bird bath to that strip and put it on the front.
Well, Jody--LOL---I still don't know if it is Miss Jody or Mr. Jody--could go either way-LOL--Welcome anyway !
I'm kind of like Sandra and Terrye. I've run out of room for new beds! I am going to take a little small patch of grass I left last year in the back and just include it in my bed. Also I have a small bed in my front side yard that I can enlarge a little a more and think I will do that. After that it's just moving things around in the space I have. I need to prune and clean everything up. I still have pine needles all over the place. Those that have fallen in my beds I'll just leave. But I need to get the walk ways clean. Seems I move things around every year. They get bigger than I thought, needed to be about a foot further back, etc, etc.
We say all this as we already plan a shopping trip--LOL---
We will see how well we behave when we go, Charlotte and Terrye, Jody if you would like to join us it is the week end of April 25th--the 24th is in Memphis and then Jackson TN to see Rita Randolph that day.
It's mister. It's a "Y" not an "IE".
Every year I hear how everyone is going to scale back or maintain, but those cars will be packed full of plants come April. LOL I've already started buying so I admit I have no control.
Terrye I saw that turtle at Homestead the other day so make room for it.
What are you buying already Kenny? Spill the beans !
Yeah he always sneaks off to the nurseries before we get there. Then he will buy hardly anything looking like he isn't as manic as we are. We love you Kenny but we've got your number.
My plans are laid out for me. I will continue to clean up after the flood. Hopefully then enjoy.
Yes I agree we're got Kenny's number! I've also noticed how he buys very little on the trips but gets mentioning "oh I got one of those last week, etc." I think he's making his runs early and getting the cream of the crop!
I'm going to be shopping for things for my containers again. I liked the stuff I got last year. I bought a new container last week - don't know where I'm going to put it. But I just can't seem to control myself when I find a nice container at a good price. I found this one for half price at Hobby Lobby. It's about 16 inches tall and the opening is 18 inches. It's a dark blue also cobalt. It's made out of terra cotta that has been glazed blue on the outside. It was only 30.00. Hopefully it will hold up for a few years. Some of the containers I bought last year didn't hold up very well outside this winter. Going to need some work done on them. I bought a bunch of lightweight but not plastic. Fiber glass maybe? I wanted some light weight ones that I could move inside easier, but some of the finish has chiped off. I only left a few outside - the others had brugs in them and went inside so they are ok.
I have some of those too Charlotte and have had the same problems. My unglazed stained terracotta ones I got at Hobby Lobby crack easily even without soil in them. The ones I got at Paul Michaels have held up better.
What I've bought so far are a few clematis, ears and cast irons and that's been off the computer. I've not bought a thing from Homestead or Dabneys, but that's because nothing is coming up good for them yet.
Hi Jody! Nice to meet ya!
My plans are still 'under construction.' I didn't have any plans, just maintain what I have because my beds are full, but Dave's building a new bed for me in front of the house, when they built the house they built a hill to put the front half of the house on and the hill is eroding away, so Dave's building a barrier that will stop the erosion and give me a long skinny bed! He's also got a neighbor cutting the trees down in our backyard, they've cut 16 pine trees and that's about half so there's a lot more work to do. That will allow me to build more beds! So who knows, but it sounds like this gives me a very good reason go to nursery hopping with y'all, how can he say no now???
LOL!! Kenny we all have your number
purdue;
I have seen those lightweight synthetic pots. I think they are made of some kind of resin or epoxy. I liked the ones I looked at.
crissy;
Any excuse will do for a new bed, right?
Jody I think you are right about the pots. I like them too. I just learned that I don't need to leave them outside during the winter. I was looking for big lightweight pots when I bought those and they filled the bill. Just not really cold winter hardy! I have a lot of brugs and wanted some lightweight pots I could easily move inside by myself.
Plans? Let's see...no new beds, just tweaking the existing perennial beds a bit. Tomato and pepper plants were started last weekend and a most seedlings are up already!!
I really want to redo my front entry beds but not sure exactly what I want yet. I've thought about this for quite a while and shopped the nurseries last fall, but nothing has really inspired me yet. I've even narrowed down a few border perennials and plan to leave a couple of things in place but remove most of the existing shrubs. DH can do some of the heavy lifting (removing) and I'm thinking of calling in a landscaper at this point help. It's frustrating to see things in a magazine that look good but then I can't find it when I go shopping or else it's something that grows too large for the space. I don't want to spend my weekends pruning shrubs!!
Triple 10 is what I'm using this year, Sandra. I usually go with Triple 10 or Triple 8, whatever I can find, but Lowe's had both this year. The 10 was cheaper so I got that. I plan on putting it out after work today if it's not raining too much.
I did get my trimming done over the weekend. With as many grasses and Crape myrtles as I have it takes two days to trim and then clean up.
Terrye
I need to put some fertilizer out this year. Need to go buy some. I started cleaning my yard and beds this weekend. Need to trim my crape myrtles.
The clean up after pruning is what I hate!!
I hate pruning, it hurts my wrists to cut stuff back, I need to do that too,
I still have not gotten mine, I hope to get it one day this week and put it out.
I am getting lonesome to see some of you all, I miss everybody.
I got an e-mail from Ruth, she has to go next Monday, the 28th to see Buddy Williamson about a 70% blockage in her neck. Terrye, isn't he a surgeon? I asked her if she thought she might have to have surgery, but she hasn't answered me yet.
Gosh 70% is a lot! How else would they correct it other than surgery?
I don't know, but I surely dread it if they have to operate on her.
All this talk about what new we're going to be doing t his year, makes me sad, All I can think about is, how am I going to maintain it this year. argh!
I still might have to downsize, but not sure how. it took me 3 hrs the other day just to cut off all the dead so the new can spring forth without any trouble.
I'm affraid work is going to take over my life and I'll have no time to do the gardening. but I do hope that I can work it out so I can spend time in the gardens maintaining them. That's all i'll be doing this year.
Except the veggie garden.
Kathy Ann you love your plants too much ! Something else may have to be neglected but you need your plants!!
Speaking of plants...do any of you have experience with Globe Colorado Blue Spruce (not the standard), but the true variety (Picea pungens 'Glauca Globosa')?
I'm digging conifers ever since I planted some around my pond and am thinking of this one for my front re-do. Would love to find some 'Crimson pygmy' Japanese barberry to plant around the spruce if I can find both.
Buddy Williamson is a surgeon. If she is seeing him looks like they may do surgery. They may have already tried medications. I hate to see her get put to sleep for that but it is a quick surgery.
terrye
Ug poor Ruth! I hope they don't have to do surgery too, she's been through so much already!
I am desperately needing to landscape the front of my house..... but still can't decide exactly what I want to do - then when I do decide on some specific plants, I can't locate the ones I want!! It is very frustrating..............and I did call in a professional landscaper and I HATED the design he came up with!! so, I am still just looking at this blank slate trying to decide what to do!! Have it laid out and tilled, and ready to go....just need to be brave and start putting plants in it.
Other than that, looks like I will be spending the rest of the spring and summer fighting weeds and grass in my existing beds. I want some new beds so badly in certain places, but I do not be seem to have any luck keeping the grass and weeds out of the ones I have !! So, my husband says we do NOT need anymore beds to try to maintain.
I still have to get out and trim my crepe myrtles, and all my salvias back. Do I need to cut my buddleia back to the ground? I have one that is quite tall - about 5 ft, and it has small green leaves all over it already? I assume if I cut it back I will lose a lot of the new growth? But a lot of it still looks dead....suggestions?? Have lots of small mums I need to get trimmed as well. I better hurry - things will be growing like crazy soon..... the weeds already are...... I have that weed with the purple bloom all over my yard!! I hate it....
Genna
Genna, it may be a little late to cut back your buddleia. You really should cut it back severely in mid-late January I think. I cut mine back around the end of January or early Feb before it started sprouting. It might be ok, but I believe it blooms on new growth so you'd probalby be cutting off the new buds if you cut anything now Wait until next winter and then prune in the late winter. You can cut them back pretty severely and they will be ok. I would not say 'to the ground', but I cut mine back to about 2 feet and it stays under control and stays around 4 feet every year which is manageable for me. If you have some dead canes after another few weeks, you can safely remove those.
That purple weed is henbit. You can mow over it and spray with Weed-B-Gone, but it will likely just partly kill it and if your neighbors don't get rid of theirs it will be right back next year. The good news is it is short lived. I hate it too.
Good luck with your front bed. I remember you trying to figure it out last year, lol! I'm about to tackle a re-do of mine too...been researching new plants for mine and they must be deer proof. Already re-done a small area around on the side and still waiting for some plants to come in to the nursery. They are really low this time of year when I'm ready to go...
Yeah that is problem around here too. I would prefer to have planted most of it in the fall but NO ONE had any selection!! I wasn't going to plant the whole thing, but I wanted the major plants to be in place and have some time to get established before the heat.....but no one around here wants to have any plants until it is already WARM! Then you have to fight to keep them alive thru the summer!! Last year was so extremely hot and dry that i HOPE that means this year won't be as bad......
I don't have to worry about neighbors....live out in the country, but my yard is huge and FULL of weeds and unwanted grasses...... if i got rid of everything I didn't want, I don't think we would have any grass left in the yard. I keep wanting to try to establish some nice grass HOPING it will eventually choke everything out, but so far I haven't gotten that done either! It will take a LOT to do my yard so I will just have to start in a few places and hope it spreads! I hope to start next to the foundation beds and work my way out from the house...... we'll see how that goes!
I have lots of bahaya grass which I hate and lots of bermuda or something that sends runners everywhere and overtakes my flower beds and then TONS of nutgrass!! Then I have lots of grass that i don't know what it is - but I am sure it isn't good....and lots of weeds that fit the same description! If I could just get rid of the weeds we could probably put off mowing at least another month! Instead we have to mow the weeds!!
I have been looking at cryptomeria dwarf globosa nana for a primary foundation shrub. Love the foliage. There are also some nice crypsthat are pyramidal for corners. I am probably using Black Dragon somewhere when I get started. And some others I have written down I will send you info about.
That would be great Elaine! Never heard of any of those.....not good with shrub names and then when I write down some I like I can never locate them in the nurseries! Just dmail me the list and I will try to look at pics here on Dave's.
Genna the next time you are in Little Rock, you need to visit some of the nurseries here. I bet you can find some of the things you're looking for.
Also Genna most of them have web sites that list a lot of what they carry. Most also have a link where you can email them with questions. A couple I would try are Cantrell Gardens and River Valley Horticultural.
Where are those Charlotte? Obviously, I would assume cantrell gardens is on cantrell. Is it the one that is only a block or so from Mississippi? Is River valley on Kanis? Seems like I remember seeing that name out that way once years ago....I have never stopped at either. Don't think I have ever been by when they were open.
Genna I meant to say Good Earth not Cantrell Gardens. Cantrell Gardens is the one on Cantrell fairly close to Mississippi. Good Earth is further out Cantrell and is a much larger nursery. It is on the left hand side as you are going out Cantrell towards WalMart and Chenal but before you get to either. River Valley is way out Lawson Road. You would not have just driven by it. It is about 7 or 8 miles out of town. Good Earth and River Valley are the two nurseries that carry the most foundation type plantings. If you google both of them you will find their websites. I would just call them or send an email if their is a specific type shrub you are looking for. Also if you go you need to ask for help and let them take you around because they have plants back in areas that you would not find on your own. Also I've noticed that a place called Grand Designs has some nice shrubs. It is on somewhere in the Mississipi area. I think they work out of there home. But they have plants somewhere. I've noticed there stuff at the Flower and Garden show. They do landscape design but they also sell plants.
Thanks Charlotte. I have been to Good Earth - love that place! But have never been to the others. Will need to try to get up there while there are open!
Genna
The Asian Invasion has been taken care of. As of Thursday the popcorn trees, privets and honeysuckle have been cut down and hauled away.
Unfortunately, we tore up a large area of the yard so I'll have to get some topsoil brought in and spread out. Hopefully the ground will be dried out enough by next Thursday to get the tractor in there.
My you are working hard!!!