Lucky you, Annette. It's hard to beat the fragrance of hyacinths in spring and that reminds me to cover mine with mesh or those deer will find them.
We're due for 50 degrees tomorrow, which will be heavenly.
Winter dreaming of clematis...and chat, of course!
Sorry I didn't get back to you all on the phlox sooner. I have been working on two power point presentations for gardening , Susan has been down in her back,..Now I am down in my back in the meantime everything else goes on.
I don't know the name of the phlox I have had it for years.. It is as fragrant as most phlox which at least for this old nose isn't very .
John
Hope everyone feels better soon, John. I'm on medicine for my back, also. That's what happens when you try and flip mattresses at my age.
Even the phlox touted as very fragrant leave me puzzled. I can't smell a thing with them.
Well we had decent weather today and i can't believe you say it's going to 50 deg Pirl? Nice...even though I will be at work.
I have 2 daffodils blooming...can you believe it?
I was out cleaning up some front gardens today and guess what I found....one of the clems i have is Comtesse de Bouchaud. I had no idea I had this....
I bought a bunch of tiny clematis about 3 yrs ago...and planted them in front of my house. Today when i was cleaning up the garden i got close and pulled out name tags...i have Comtesse, Ruutel, the president and Elsa Spath. I knew i had the last 3, i totally forgot i had comtesse. I think these were from 3-4 yrs ago, clematis from a coop. If this is year 3 i hope they put on a show. Elsa Spath was nice last year..the other 3 were tiny.
Have a good week ahead everyone.
P.S. I love the smell of plox.
Back issues are no fun, I've herniated yet again another disc, and have to go see the orthopedist this week :-(. I'm dreading what he's going to say.
Everyone feel better and get those backs healed. Spring is right around the corner.
What a nice find, Maureen. Then to have daffodils in bloom while mine are just 3" tall is amazing but you are warmer in your area than we are out here.
Good luck, Annette. I hope there's some relief for you aside from surgery. I have three degenerating discs but that kind of matches my whole body - degenerating!
Hope all your backs feel better. It must be awful to have constant back pain.
I am giving my back a rest now. I know I have my work cut out for me this spring, But even with the back pain and knee pain I am ready to start diggin in dirt.
I'm ready to go, too. I did so much in the fall and even into December and January that I'm far ahead of the usual spring jobs.
Thanks pirl, let's hope there are some new miracles in modern medicine to prevent another surgery.
I told my DH today that I was having my last hurrah in the yard doing clean up and planting some bulbs I hadn't been able to get done. I hope I'm wrong.
Maureen, good luck with your clematis this year. May you have many beautiful blooms.
Sorry for those of you having bad weather. We actually had a nice weekend. temps in the low 70's . Spring is starting for me. My almond trees are either flowering or have tons of buds same with the plum, peach and apple trees. Everything is starting to wake up. When you all are getting started I will be coming here for plant fixes since at that time we will be burning hot and a lot of plants will be fried!!
Take photos of all your pretty trees. It will get us through until spring arrives. Thanks.
Cem here's thinking of y ou and all the other bad backs.
DD do send pics
Just a beautiful Spring day today...temp was 51...no bulbs sprouting here yet, but helleborus is budded by the stone wall....cannot bear for it to get cold again! My back is arthritic as well, but walking seems to help.
The chicken wire was purchased today to put around the stumps I am going to grow Clems this summer( well I hope they will grow this summer).
I also had to buy a new seed spreader because my old just seemed to disappear. Was hoping for some good deals on outside stuff that was left over from last year, but that was not the case.
When in the garden center I was asked by a worker if I needed any help, I told him no, I was just wishing for spring and summer. He said it is coming faster than you think.
While I was there I looked at some garden carts. Does anyone have a favorite that they know is a good quality and works well with hauling stuff and maybe dumping?
It was more than a bit windy here so aside from a few stalks being pulled I did very little outside.
Marie - no big favorites here, just our trusty old wheelbarrow, though I do enjoy using those barrels of varying sizes that are not rigid. They're lightweight and easy to dump in the chipping or compost areas. We bought them years ago from Gardener's Supply but a quick search only showed these (still useful):
http://www.gardeners.com/Colorful-Garden-Tub/VegetableGardening_Accessories,35-592,default,cp.html
http://www.tractorsupply.com/groundwork-reg-garden-dump-cart-600-lb-capacity-3502213
I was thinking on the line of something like this Pirl. Have you or anyone used one or have one that they think holds ip well to their abuse?
My back yard was full of robins this morning, drinkig water out of my dogs dish. Doe's that means Spring is near, or they just got confused and stopped in the only yard that have flowers in the neighborhood.Anyway, I guess I have to wait no matter how long it is .
Looks good, Marie. Would your normal haul fit everything? I once bought a child's wagon and found out too late the handle was far too short for an adult to use.
Etelka - robins are a sign of spring around here so I wouldn't be shocked if you've already experienced the start of spring. So much to look forward to and enjoy!
Pirl, I will take pictures tomorow if I see them. I have 2 Hakonechloa Japanies grass, does it supose to turn brown or it died on me. They where planted in container, kept in samy shade, never grow much, it just set there. Now it is looking like it is dead. I think I seen on one of your pictures that you had them, that is why I am asking. I hope you are both well. Etelka
That is what I use now Pirl. a little red wagon but it does not hold much and yea the handle is so short even for my 4 ft 9 height. I will be checking them out this spring.
It probably just looks dead, Etelka. You can check this photo and the others on the listing for it in Plant Files:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/332939/
Just be careful if you go to cut it back. You do not want to cut into new growth so poke around a little with your fingers and then just cut the old leaves off. New leaves will soon emerge.
Feel free to divide it. Mine grows quickly from a little chunk I remove and it looks good in a short amount of time. You don't have to divide the clump you remove from the mother plant but it's easy to divide and make more. Just plant five pieces at a time (or more) so it doesn't look bare.
We cross posted, Marie. There I thought I had the answer with the little red wagon and I'm 5'5" so you can imagine how much shorter that handle was for me. At least I ended up having a granddaughter who enjoyed it.
I'm sure I've seen some with wooden sides to them. Maybe, come spring, we'll see more being offered.
Kiseta, my grasses die back in the winter and put up new shoots in the spring. The voles ate my first one, this time I put it in a pot.
I have two different garden carts and Love!!!! them both. One is of those pictured to the right of the main pix on tractor supply, (I got mine at wallmart) The other is one of those deep two wheeled carts out of plastic. I use them ALL the time. From dropping weeds into, hauling plants into the garden, tools, hauling compost or dirt. The one I got from walmart has the ability to drop any of the sides down or even take them off (cotter pins). My plastic one has cup holder depressions and holes which sometimes I put my garden umbrella in to give me shade while working in the border. the plastic one has a crack in the front where it has been tipped over to dump soil so many times, (is about 10 years old and now receiving duct tape to extend its use, lol.
Marie...you need to decide what you'll be hauling most. If you go with a open cart like my metal one you would have to use pots to haul the dirt or line it with a tarp, (I use 5 gallon pots). I wanna say my plastic one is a better homes and gardens one ( I think). Cost of either is about $50-60.
I use my son's Radio Flyer wagon to take heavy objects in the garden. The sides are wooden and removable and the handle is long enough for me to pull at my 5' 9".
I try to keep my garden tools organized in it as well. It's very sturdy.
I was leaning more to the plastic one, but I also like the Metal one for caring pots around. Hec, I should just get both, one for each project.
Tuesday was great for being outside and gardening. I counted 41 of my clems where axil buds were beginning to swell. Wednesday was cold and forecasts are for colder weather coming in over the next few days. One low in the next 3 days is a predicted 17 degrees.
I did quite a bit of weeding Tuesday and planted lettuce and sweet peas. From what I hear I will have no problem with the lettuce. Probably too early for the sweet peas.
Louisville has been changed from zone 6 to zone 7 .
I hope all are well.
Sounds good, John. We don't sow the peas until St. Patrick's Day and often the garden isn't ready at that time.
Someone else told me zones have changed but when I went to the USDA maps it was the same old map and zones. Where did you get the updated maps?
I saw some where that my zone had changed, I forgot where I was. I think i just looked up zone on Google.
According to the new map i am a 7a. Some parts of LI are a 6b.
I saw the new map about 2-3 wks ago on yahoo under news or top headlines.
I really want ARCTIC QUEEN but can't find it anywhere. No one has this for sale:-(
any suggestions?
A friend told me that now I'm in 7b. I'll Google it.
Maureen - when in doubt go to Plant Files. Here you'll find two vendors who sell it. Try Hummingbird as Joy Creek's shipping fees are out of sight. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/64511/
Google didn't show me the map but did have a site that reported the following for my zip code:
USDA Hardiness Zone: 6B
Last Frost Date (Spring 2012): 5/9
First Frost Date (Fall 2012): 10/4
They must be kidding. I had caladiums in bloom in November and picked tomatoes through Christmas day.
Wow, I'm in zone 6 now!!! I thought I was in zone 5a or b, lol. Gosh that opens up a bunch more plants to me. Gosh anymore nice surprises out there for me?
This message was edited Feb 9, 2012 8:05 PM
Where do I find the zone map? My clematis are waking up! Lots of new growth. I am excited for spring!
If I knew I would tell you, DD!
Congratulations on having your clem's wake up!
I have been shopping for shrubs. I am planning to change the back fence into a mixed shrub border. While shopping I came across a site that had me type in my zip then it gave me my zone. I believe it sited the arbor day society as its source.
www.arborday.org
Have fun shopping and let us know what you buy.
I'm in the mood for roses so I've already ordered some from Pickering in Canada and now working down the list.
Then there are the fantastic annuals from Mischel's Greenhouses. Temptations await us everywhere.
It may be awhile. I buy everything with my discover card for the 1 or 2 %. As that accumulates I am going to be buying shrubs. I call it my "hedge fund".