Enjoying Spring

This is a spinoff of the thread "Surviving the Winter". I hope you'll tell about some of your springtime 2011 garden activities.

Grayson

My DH decided to spruce up all the lattice work that surrounds our very raised deck. In the process, he practically destroyed all the clematis vines that were attached to them. I'm reserving my tears and tantrums until I'm sure they're totally gone. Can't risk a scene and then have the little darlings showing up after all.

In the meantime, I've ordered more from al co-op and have sown some really nice vines indoors. The list includes blushing susie, lots of Japanese morning glories (small leaves and all day blooming), and tubers that produce tropical vines.

Used the last 3 days to start cleaning up before the rainy week starts. 7 yards of top soil were dumped in the driveway so that we can spread it around to beef up the beds.

I tried editing this picture out, but I can't find it on the "edit" page. Don't know where it came from or how to get rid of it.



This message was edited Mar 21, 2011 9:30 AM

Grayson, is that in bloom now, and what is it, do you know?
Roses- huge sigh, those things happen and what can ya do but...huge sigh. Then go out by yourself and beat up on some defensless weeds.
Might have intended a different picture?
Some of these noid daffs are blooming here

The picture was taken last spring - probably mid-April. They bloom just before the redbuds. It's some variety of cherry - dark red/black with large pits and little flesh. They're very good, though. They grow at the back of the yard and may be seedlings from when the house was part of a farm well over 100 years ago. The farm was engulfed by the city in the 1920s, when it was divided into building lots.

Grayson

Roses I would think your clems would be just fine I cut mine back every year. There are different varieties some bloom on old wood some bloom on new wood. If you have ones that bloom on old wood you won't get flower this year but they should be just other wise.

I'm wondering if the vines were strong enough to be ripped out by the roots, Holly. Actually, I learned that while he was doing this, he discovered that a leader pipe had come loose under the deck close to the house, and would be causing some water to collect in the basement. It's fixed and the clems might have been sacrificed for a better reason. I enjoy thinking that there usually is a positive result from a seemingly negative experience.

We were surprised with the amount of snow on the ground this morning.

"snow on the ground this morning. " WHA ? we just had thunderstorms.

I felt a bit of your pain, Roses. The dog who stupidly refuses to just accept a new big rawhide and CHEW it for cryin out loud, takes it and buries it in my fluffy nice daylily bed. When I uprooted it, she took it to my fluffy new Grean Leafy Vegs bed.
Grrrrr

Our topsoil was delivered yesterday, so we worked with some and then covered it to keep the "rain" from soaking it. It's covered with snow......no rain.

Does one teach a dog and a "DH" in the same manner when trying to keep the plants safe??

So here are a few pics of my Black Pussywillow.
It started out last month with the black katkins emerging. It is one of the first things in my yard to emerge.

Beautiful, Holly. I couldn't get mine to root.

Then the catkins start to change. With a red bloom.

Then they extend out to a more silvery look.
Roses the good news is Vickie and I will both be bringing cuttings to the swap and I will try to get them rooted before the swap.

Holly, the three cuttings of black pussy willow that I got from you at the seed swap have rooted in the water glass I stuck them in. I'll be potting them up one evening this week. They are looking good.

Great. I am so glad. I know that Vickie has already cut and started rooting some of hers for the swap.

Roses, Hoping your clematis makes it. They may surprise you, this usually happes after you buy replacements.

We had thunder and lightling last night woke me up.

When I got home today I spotted my Dwarf Iris blooming, could not get out for a picture but here is last years blooms.

Mine haven't bloomed yet but I am looking forward to them.

I have to check mine---I have a few----

I don't think they are up yet--or I would have seen them....

I got them from someone on DG--if I remember right....years ago!

G.

Thanks, Holly. The funny thing is that, when i use the pruned pieces of shrubs as trellises for my seedling vines, they start rooting (don't want them to). When I try to root something that I really want......nothing happens.

Any suggestions for things to be planted with angel-wing begonias in hanging baskets?
How early in the season have you planted white clover?

Snow, rain, clouds and cold are predicted through next Monday: maybe partial sun tomorrow, but that's it.

Grayson

I'll try that, Lady. DH will probably not be the least bit surprised or concerned if I use that method. He's seen me try some pretty wild stuff to get him to pay attention. Mostly, it amuses him.

I failed obedience school, snicker snicker. Ric

Garden Pests and Diseases: perhaps something useful in that forum?

Ric- "WE" are not surprised!!!!!!!

Angel wings- I'm thinking something airy and small scale--Bacopa? Is that one of the newer fine textured baskety things I've seen?
I have never planted white clover.

garyon--

I grow Angel Wing Begonias--the cane type...

B/c of the beautiful color to the leaves--the pink bloom clusters--
right away I thought of something deep blue---like "million bells"
petunias....they come in many colors...
Yes! White Bicopa added would look pretty.

To balance the eventual height of the AW Begonia--
something long and trailing would be nice...maybe the Bicopa would suffice...
How about trailing Vinca?

Just a few suggestions....Gita

I have been using a lot of Bacopa the last few years I just love it. There is a blue version that I really love but I always get the white. It's a nice trailing plant without being too heavy. I use it with trailing Vinca. I love the variegated Vinca and it gets much longer than the Bacopa.

Grayson, Plant your white clover about the same time as you would sow grass seed. The thing it not to wait till the dry season hits. I just scratched the soil added a sight coat of compost and laided the clover seeds. Tapping them gently down with my shoe to settle them. It you can do this before a warm spring rain that helps.
I agree with something trailing with your AW. Just have to watch the sun/shade thing. AW needs some shade, so it doesn't burn. Do you agree, Gita?

Garyon, Why are you planting white clover? Are you mixing it in with your lawn?

Tete a Tete just opened today

Lady--

I know that any Begonia would sun burn if it sat in full sun.
I keep my big one on my front steps which face NE--mostly North.

I think it can take some sun--and then the leaves would get really dark red...Pretty!
So--AM sun for a few hours would be OK.

Grayon--

My sister lives in Alaska---and a few years ago, she ordered White Clover to grow over her lawn.

I have had white clover "colonizing" over my lawn--there is too much now....Is it a weed???
I am torn--whether I should spray it and kill it--or leave it go. Normally--I have a nice, grassy lawn.
This is green and compact--but it is NOT grass.....

It is known that White Clover fixates Nitrogen....
Someone please tell me what "fixates" means in this context?????

Holly---There is a blue something-or-other that blooms in all kinds of containers.
It is not as gentle or draping as Bacopa--but it sure lives through all kinds of weather.

The blooms are small, star-shaped--and the stems jut out sideways....Lots of leaves too.
I have seen this a lot in the HUGE planters around Shopping Centers....Name????

Grayon--Is this the AW Begonia you are talking about????

Gita

Thanks for the planting suggestions, everyone. I don't know Bacopa and will check it out.

HollyAnn: I like clover in the lawn, so I plan to reseed bare areas with the clover, and also extend the lawn areas with clover. Deer come to the yard anyway, so perhaps if I grow enough clover they'll prefer that to some of my other plants.

Gita:

I have four varieties of cane begonia that I started from cuttings. Only one has bloomed so far. It has large pendant clusters of light pink flowers. Another has leaves similar to the one in your picture. One is a smaller plant with small pink spotted leaves. The fourth has leaves that are mostly silver.

Gita- when I sprayed clover to kill it I then got patches of OTHER weeds which were worse.

Clover roots get little nodes with blobs of good bacteria that make N from the air go into the soil.

I had one of Gitas big AW begnoias last year by my mailbox. Even though it was in the shade of a sycamore all day, it seemed faded and unhappy, it must have been the late afternoon sun that it didn't like at all.

Ric planted our back yard with clover/grass mix many years ago. He wanted a good tuff lawn for the kids to play on. It held up very well in the play areas. Only problem was that you really needed to keep on a mowing schedule one day off and the clover heads would pop up and the bees would come out and the kids would get their toes stung.

Holly, That is a good point about the clover, clover = bees, and if you have kids or even if you like to go bare foot in your lawn best to keep the clover out of the seed mix. We always had clover in our lawn as a kid, never had any problems, and a favorate past time with my mom was looking for four leaf clovers.

I have grown my AW Begonia for eopns now---maybe 25-30 years...
Each spring I take the growinf tip cuttings and start new plants.
I cut out the bare "canes" and get rid of them.

The mama plant will re-grow---About every 3rd year--I take the
whole plant out of the pot--shake off the old dirt,throw out the
spent roots, keeping the good ones. Then re-pot it in fresh soil mix.
Mine grows in a 10" pot...

An aside---Tip cuttings will bloom sooner than the new stwms that
have to re-grow.
As far as ligh--they appreciate some AM sun--makes them more
colorful, and they bloom better...

I would post another picture--but I am at work and have no access
to my photos.....

Gita

Thanks, Gita

Was your photo of the mother plant?
I have cuttings taken over the winter from my small plants - tip cuttings, mallet
cuttings, petiole cuttings and leaf cuttings. All worked well except for the leaf cuttings.

Do they grow rapidly after the weather warms up? I may put three small plants per hanging basket so that they fill out more quickly.

Grayson

I was out walking the yard and all my hellebore are blooming. I really need to get out there and cut back the winter damaged leaves and get some pictures of them.