I need to get out and take some photos! I have some of the old fashioned purple iris that are just about to bloom. I just noticed it yesterday. The flower stalks just seem to have shot up over night!
March, 2012!! Spring has sprung (or is springing-maybe).
We did a cross post Elaine. I have the same trouble posting pictures. I've tried several and just finallly had to give up.
I really that plant/shrub with the drooping white flowers. What is that?? I think Cindy posted that or something similar.
That is the Japanies Pieris (or some call it Japanese Andromeda). I love it. Evergreen too! It isn't even into full bloom yet...about 1/3 full I'd guess.
Well, I can't type this morning...Japanese. Charlotte, try only posting 3 photos at a time. That seemed to work. If I tried 4 or 5 and 'Preview' it didn't work. Just hit 'send'.
Been out working in one of my pitiful beds...... it has bermuda grass or whatever all thru it - some of it on top of the mulch and lot of runners all underneath the mulch!! Anyone have any suggestions. I am thinking about trying to get just out what I can and put out new mulch but I know it will just continue to spread. I feel like I am fighting a losing battle. I have just about eliminated the vast majority of the nut grass (nut sedge) and that has taken me three years! NOW THIS! Should I just give up and move everything I want to save out of the bed and roundup all summer?? Just not sure what to do!
I love the bed but it isn't pretty when it is full of grass and weeds! Will preen kill bermuda grass? I am assuming that it will not. Any suggestions greatly appreciated. thanks! I have tons of newspaper saved.....should I put another layer between what is there and the new mulch? or just go on top of the old mulch.....
Photos are really pretty Elaine!
Back out to the fight.......
Genna
Oh, and would you suggest trying straw instead of mulch? didn't know if that might cut down on some weeds better?? I have heard it does but not sure why.
Genna I have had better luck with pine straw against bermuda, but that's just me . Select is a chemical that you can spray over most ornamentals to kill bermuda grass in your beds. You will have to get it at specialty chemical store for farms. Post is the same thing and you used to could find it in hardware stores but not sure if they still make it. It will not kill wide blade grasses. Bermuda is a tough grass to kill since it roots easily wherever it touches. It is also called wire grass because it is very thin so this doesn't give much surface for the poison to adhere to. You must add surfactant(sticker/spreader) to the grass poison . Dish soap will sometimes work in a pinch. Preen and any of this type herbicide in a powdered form is a preemergent and will only prevent seeds from germinating.
Thanks Elaine for posting your pictures. I am all tuckered out tonight. My sister, her young neighbor and I raked thirty 55 gal trash bags of pine straw. Hopefully that is all I am going to need to finish out all the beds. We dug up about 40 more daylilies I'm moving so she could get starts off them. Now I've got to get these back in the ground down the drive . It is a lot easier digging them up out of prepared beds that preparing a place for them to go. I will not be good for anything tomorrow.
Cindy your a glutton for punishment!!! LOL Your drive is going to be gorgeous when you get through!!! I got a little done today but just a very little. I hope I can find a least one full day this week I can work on the yard. I bought some stuff for my booth last night and I had to go pick it up today and get in my booth. Of course that meant moving a lot of other stuff. I have to start dinner by 4 everyday so I had a short afternoon.
Charlotte I hope it will be pretty. If we have another hot dry summer it will be bad because I can't get water down the drive. Normal rainfall will be enough for the daylilies if we get it. Glad you were able to buy some pretty things.
All that pine straw will help hold the moisture also. I put some hydrangeas that we're given to me in an open spot behind the azaleas. My sprinklers don't get back that far. I did change a sprinkler head trying to get it back as far as I could hoping they would get a little water. They kept really wilting until I finally put a really heavy layer of pine straw mulch. I had some pine straw on them but I finally just really piled it up. It worked. Between me hand watering occasionally and the little bit of water from the sprinkler they started doing ok.
Wish I knew someone who had a bunch of pine straw! We have some pines out behind our house, and Leigh thinks we can rake and bag it...... but it would be a LOT easier in someone yard where it didn't have all the limbs, cones, etc in it! Guess I will need to try it and see if that helps. I have a friend who uses pine in all her beds and swears it keeps out all kinds of weeds and grass better than mulch............I know I won't be able to get enough to do all the beds! But, I might try it....just don't want to find any snakes while I am raking and loading!
We had a guy stop a couple of weeks ago because he was going to bring me a bunch of horse manure and hay combo that he was cleaning out.... i got so excited because I was going to use it to do some layering for a future bed..... he never showed up with it! I guess in reality I do not NEED another bed when I cant get what I have clean! I just have a spot in my back yard that I have been wanting to do...... but I still have my front to finish. I was just going to start layering all the stuff and let it sit until fall or next spring - but I guess he went somewhere else with it.
I am sure your drive will look beautiful when you are thru..... hopefully we will have some rain - and in your case, not too much to flood them!
I worked in my bed until about 5 yesterday, then made a trip to El Dorado to get some mulch..... only 20 bags, but I will need way more than that unless I am able to get a lot of straw! I also bought some chemical - can't remember the name of it - that I am going to spray on my yard. It is SUPPOSED to kill current weeds and future weeds for up to 6 months. I think if I can get some of the weeds out of my yard, it will help keep them out of the bed. Of course, we live out in the country and stuff blows thru the air, but with weeds right outside the bed, it is hard to prevent them! I have henbit taking OVER my yard, and so I am going to try it and see what happens. Already have dandelions coming up in my beds!
Genna
Genna tell us what you are using on your lawn. Henbit is everywhere here too. Can sure sympathize with you about the country. It is a trade off. Open land lots of weeds. Is El Dorado the closest place to get mulch? How dare you come so close without coming to see me??LOL!!! I know you only have so many hours of daylight to work. It is a shame we only get to see each other at RUs.
I don't know anyone with straw either but my sister does. We raked at an elderly couples house yesterday but there was lots of limbs and cones. We had had some pretty high winds in Feb so most everyone with pinestraw has trash in it.
Well, I can buy mulch at our local walmart.... but i hate the mulch they carry. I totally forgot we have an Atwoods now - not sure what type of mulch they carry, but even after driving to home depot - they did not have the no float mulch that I prefer. Oh well....the ones I got were 2.57 a bag - think I was paying 1.89 last year! So, I guess I better get out there and see what I can rake up because I would probably need 200- 300 bags to do the foundation planting out front that i have started! At that price, I won't have any money left for plants! :) I really need to just drive south one day and get back down there to see you! My weekends are just so crazy having to drive to LR every week!
Cindy, I can't remember the name of the stuff that I am going to put on the lawn..... I remember it was made by Bayer and is in a blue bottle. They had 32 oz for 23.00 says it does 5000 sq ft. They had a bottle that had the sprayer nozzel that you hook to a water hose, or just a regular container without the sprayer for the same price. We ended up buying two of the ones with the sprayer to try. No idea if it will work, but we sure need something. I only have a little 2 gal pump sprayer and it would take forever to keep mixing and spraying to cover my yard.... hard to tell where you stopped at , etc so we just thought we would try that. I will have to look to get the name and let you know.... and I will let you know if it looks like it is working. IF the wind is not blowing I hope to get it out this evening! Of course, if it kills all the weeds, I may find that I do not have any grass !!! ^_^
And somehow SOON we have got to go prom dress shopping, plus Jessica needs some clothes for the state FBLA convention, and her trip to Atlanta. I am hoping to find some cute dresses that can pull double or triple duty.... FBLA, Atlanta, and Alex's wedding.... we'll see how successful we are with that! :) We are rapidly running out of weekends!! This coming weekend she has a state Quiz bowl...the next Saturday starts Spring break. We have contemplated trying to go to the Dallas area shopping a day or two of Spring break, but not sure how successful we would be since we don't know our way around there. We have also considered just hitting LR and NLR - then going to Monroe and Shreveport if we have to....... Mainly just wanted to go to Dallas for a break - but since we are both trying to lose weight, I think we might do better to wait til summer to go down there. She has to leave for Atlanta on April 12 and prom is the following weekend on April 21. Since she works a lot of Saturdays - that doesn't leave us much time!
The wind blew all day long yesterday while I was outside working....my hair felt like straw after being out in it all day - and my face was chapped! Guess it has been too long since I have worked outside!!
I live in the city and I have Henpit every!!! I also don't have any weeds in my lawn. We have a guy that comes by every 3 months and treats the lawn. So so much for the theory of weeds in the lawn getting into your beds!! LOL Cindy is right about there being trash in pine straw where ever you get it. Where there is pine straw there is also pine cones! Also pine trees always have little dead limbs falling. I just leave the pine cones and small sticks. My back yard has a natural layer of pine needles and I don't have any problem with weeds back there. The only place I have weeds is between my stone on the patio area. Years ago I planted aguga between the stone and came home one day to find Richard had hired someone to clean the backyard and he had weed eated every bit of the aguga.
I have used pine straw in my beds since I was about 23 and believe me that's a long time!!! We built a house that backed up to the woods and I would go into the woods and bag up pine straw and put on my beds - especially my azaleas. Don't have any idea how I knew to do that. I guess someone must have told me. But I've used pine straw on my beds every since then.
Genna There is a place in Minden that is known for Prom, Bridesmaid dresses etc.
My daughter in law dug these up and an old house place. I think the blue one may be wood hyacinth. The pink one appears to be the hybrid hyacinth gone back to native. Anybody else know for sure what they are? I guess I should put them on the ID forum.
Genna, you pretty much need to dig up the bermuda to get rid of it. You can spray Round-up or spray with a grass-killer but it also needs to be warm enough (I think it's 55 degrees but check the bottle) to kill it. And then you still need to dig up the roots or it could come back like someone else said. Our garden has run-off on one side from the fertilizer and we had a real problem with bermuda getting into the garden. I finally couldn't take it and spent one spring digging it out with a shovel and a spade thingy and made a nice edge. Now I keep it sprayed every summer but that dang stuff keeps trying to get back in. I fight it off for the most part with the spraying but occasionally have to dig a few roots again. The older roots get really deep.
I use pine straw exclusively now. It doesn't blow away or run off like the bark mulch does. Cindy that's a lot of straw y'all bagged!! No wonder you is TIRED!
Y'all need a tractor and one of those pine straw rakes behind it. DH got one last year and he can have a big trailer full raked up in no time and we just mulch the beds from the trailer in no time. If we have some left we just pile it up next to the barn or somewhere out of the way until I need more again. We don't even bag it anymore. Love your pictures!
Yes, it was almost too windy and chilly to do much work outside this weekend. Between going to soccer games, funeral service, and other things I was doing I didn't do much outside, but I did get some tomato and pepper seedlings transplanted. They look pretty good!
Hi girls! So sorry for Debra and family. My sympathy and prayers.
You all have been so busy!!! I spent the weekend trying to clean out and organize my garage!!!! No I didn't finish and now I'm sick with allergies, sneezing and runny nose. I bought 2 of the restaurant style rolling shelf units, and they are great. Makes that side of the garage look really clean. Plus, I can move them around if I need to. Why didn't I think of this sooner? Putting the first one together wasn't the easier though.
Yes, we went to the place in Minden last year.... didn't find anything. But we ventured on to Bossier and got one there last year. This year will be more difficult because we need the prom dress and the other dresses. She needs dressy, but business looking.... not sure exactly what that is - but she has a banquet that she has to have it for at the Coke thing.
Elaine, I didn't know they made a rake for Pine Straw!! That wouldn't do me any good in the woods though.....
Sarah_Claire I have not met you yet. Welcome to Mid-South!!! We are glad that you have decided not to just lurk and join the merriment or craziness which ever way you choose to describe us!!! LOL!!!
I glad you mentioned Debra. I saw a post on FB concerning Debra but couldn't figure out what has happened. I meant to ask this AM and forgot.
Genna, look at Ann Taylor dresses...they have some that are 'business looking' and would work for the banquet and for wedding luncheons and things too and don't break the bank. You can always throw a sweater, jacket or shrug over it if it's cool. Another place to look is at the on-line sales at Neiman's and Nordstroms...I'm NOT kidding either. I got one for $100 that I wore to my niece's bridesmaids luncheon. It had been almost $400!! You never know what you might find. I'm a buyer, not a shopper...know what I like and don't like so it doesn't take me long to make up my mind. And I absolutely hate to go to a mall and wander around looking for something.
If you can get a tractor thru the woods, you can get this rake thru there!
Yeah, my SIL has sent me several links to Nordstroms..... for Mother of the bride dresses that she liked. I just hate having to return stuff that doesn't fit so I am hestitant to order off line unless I am familiar with the brand and sizing. Jessica found a dress on line that she loved and wanted for prom and it was really reasonable in price (MUCH cheaper than what we paid last year) but there are NO returns! Even at an inexpensive price, I am afraid to try it with a no return policy...... I have tried to get her to print out a picture of it and let's take it to a local woman who makes dresses. She can make anything with or without a pattern! Wish I had that ability! I can sew, but I HAVE to have a pattern for anything important! :)
She has a black sleeveless dress that is really nice and she usually puts a sparkly cardigan over it. I am sure she will take that, but she will have to have some additional ones too. And, she needs a nice pair of slacks that FIT well!
I like the thought of raking it up with a tractor (or an impliment behind it ) so I am out of reach of the snakes! But, I just plan on making a LOT of noise!! ^_^
By the way..... what type of clippers do ya'll use? I have GOT to have a new pair. Bought a pair a couple of years ago and buried them in mulch the very first day I used them! I have NEVER done anything like that before, usually just use them til they won't cut anything else, then get a new pair. But I wondered if anyone had a brand that they liked? I just need something to trim crepe myrtles, and other things that need to be trimmed back to the ground or shaped up...................
Also, Marilyn, do you usually cut your salvia back to the ground? I have just left mine in years past but just wondered if it would do better if I cut it off. One of mine dies all the way back to the ground each year and I do cut it off.
What about butterfly bushes? They have kept at least a few green leaves all winter........ do I trim them back or just let them go?? I guess it has been too warm for them to completely shed their leaves.........???
Get yourself some Felco pruners, Genna. Best pair I have ever had. I ordered them online because I couldn't find any in town. I think they are Felco #2's. There are several types, even for lefties! I've had mine several years and never even sharpened them. They even have a handy red handle so I can find them...:~)
I always keep several pairs of clippers on hand. I have two favorite pair. The first one is a pair of racheting clippers (don't remember the brand) that I bought at Sam's several years ago. I only paid around $30 for them but I can cut HUGE branches with them with no effort. The handles also extend so I can reach things up high. My neighbor tried them and immediately went out and got him a pair. My next favorite is a pair I bought this year at Tuesday Morning. They are a small light weight pair that also rachets. I only paid $10 for them. They are Fiskars. I keep meaning to go back and see if they still have them and buy another pair I like them so well. Total effortless cutting. I do lots of trimming so I need good easy to cut clippers. My third favorite thing is a big cross saw that will cut anything! I had hired a professional trimmer from a landscape company to cut some stuff off a tree that was too far up for me to get. They were having a terrible time sawing them off until I got my saw and let them use it. Took the branches right off.
Jeri, I am Charlotte's friend. Have been going on trips with ya'll, etc. but had not joined until just recentlyl! LOVE the Mid South group!!!!
Well it is so nice to meet you and look forward to doing it in person soon!!! I need to see my buddies!!! Hopefully things will straighten out some around here this summer and if my long lost DH ever comes home long enough we may just make a big circle and visit.
Well Jeri, you are so welcome here! Hope things do get straightened out so you can come to Little Rock. Have a friend in Lafayette - she was so impressed with the hills, rivers, etc. here. She said everything there was "FLAT"!
Sarah, Jeri and her DH have one of those HUGE motor homes and travel with other folks with motor homes. Can't think of what that is called. They were here several years ago when Kim did a RU at her home.
Hey Sarah I didn't realize that was you - welcome ABOARD!!
Ok, when I get these clippers...... should I cut my butterfly bushes back or just let them go...they all have green leaves on them- have kept at least some green throughout the winter I guess because it has been so warm!
I was thinking that Marilyn said she did not cut back her hot lips.... it doesn't have any green on it yet so I figured if I need to trim it I better do it soon.
I spent a little more time this afternoon pulling more grass and weeds.... getting closer to being done,but not there yet! It will take several more afternoons just working a little a time to get finished! Then I am going to put out some preen which i HOPE keeps new weeds from germinating,.... I have disturbed the mulch so much that i am sure I am exposing more seeds to warmth and sunshine! Hope to stop them in their tracks.
Cindy I forgot to look at the name of that weed killer.... got busy pulling weeds and the wind was still blowing here - but thankfully not as hard as yesterday - so i decided not to try to put it out today.
Have a good night everyone!
Genna
Sarah I love LR!!! We've been through there many times!!! We use to caravan with about 20 different RV'ers all over the US, Canada & Mexico. We also belong to Crusin Cajuns and rally with over 200 motor home owners around the state of La. You haven't lived until you try to keep up with them OLD people!!!! LOL!!! I age about 15 yrs. every weekend we camp with that group. We have live bands and dance and eat and play Bingo and eat and have some wild and fun thing planned for each rally.
Charlotte did you get you calidiums? Mine came last week. Now I need to really get busy with my yard so I can get them planted.
Genna, Marilyn will be along to answer what she did about the hot lips, I am ready to cut mine back now. salvia should not be cut back in the fall, but wait until spring, they have hollow stems and freezing rain could kill them in the winter.
No Jeri I haven't gotten my caladium bulbs yet. I figure you and Cindy got yours because your in a warmer zone than me. But I bet mine will be here soon.
I took a few pictures late this afternoon but didn't get a chance to upload them tonight. My white azalea in the back has a few blooms that are actually open!! My lungwort is blooming and a bunch of other things. I have some columbine that has buds just about ready to open. My clematis is really leafing out too. I'll try to get some pictures tomorrow.
I just ordered 3 more trees through Entergy. They are free. Don't need any more trees but I decided to get them and put them in pots and eventually I'll find a home for them. Just can't pass up free trees!! One I ordered was a Sourwood. I had never heard of it before but it has really pretty fall leaves and is a understory tree. I may try to figure out a way to keep it. I got a red maple also. I have one of those already in a pot. I got it from Entergy back in the fall.
My cousin just posted this on FB. I thought it was worth sharing. She said it was in her church bulletin yesterday.
Letting Go
To let go doesn't mean to stop caring, it means I can't do it for someone else.
To let go is not to cut myself off, it's the realization that I don't control another.
To let go is not to enable, but allow learning from natural consequences
To let go is to admit powerlessness, which means the outcome in not in my hands.
To let go is not to try to change or blame another, I can only change myself.
To let go is not to care, but to care about.
To let go is not to fix, but be supportive.
To let go is not to judge, but to allow another to be a human being
To let go is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes, but to allow others to affect their own outcomes.
To let go is not to be protective, it is to permit another to face reality.
To let go is not to deny but to accept.
To let go is not to nag, scold, or argue, but to search out my own shortcomings and to correct them.
To let go is not to adjust everything to my desires, but to take each day as it comes and to cherish the moment.
To let go is not to criticize and regulate anyone, but to try to become what I dream I can be.
To let go is not to regret the past, but to grow and live for the future.
To let go is to fear less and love more.
Genna, I normally cut my butterfly bush back in late January-early Feb. Haven't done it this year and I'm worried that it is too late since it blooms on new growth & never lost all its leaves either and is already leafing out new ones. Unless yours is really big and needs to be cut back some, I'd probably let it go this year and cut it back to about 1/3 it's current size next year. Yes, that's right...1/3! That's what I've always heard. Mind is still relatively small and doesn't need to be cut back much anyway. If you do decide to prune, just prune some of the larger/taller branches and thin out in the middle some and let it go at that. Does that make sense?
As to Nordstrom's prom dress policy, it's because girls were ordering, wearing the dresses with the tags still on and then returning them. I can't believe people would do that (well, yes I can) but it's true.
Charlotte, I meant to say, Sourwood trees are pretty and they make the BEST honey. If you ever get a chance to buy sourwood honey buy some! There are loads of sourwood trees in Tennessee and they are famous for their honey...mostly in the Knoxville/Smoky Mountain area. Hope they do well for you.
My Butterfly bushes never lost all there leaves either. I cut mine back several weeks ago. I have a couple in my front flower bed that got so big and heavy last year they were falling over. I had to stake them with a big metal stake. So they had to be cut back this year. But like Elaine said, they don't actually have to be cut back unless they are just really big for the space.
Have you ever tried Stein Mart in Little Rock. Don't know what they have as far as prom dresses but they have a lot of dressy clothes.
Dillards also has a lot of dresses and prom dresses. Like Elaine said a I've noticed the trend in business attire now seems to be sleeveless dresses with jackets. I have a friend that works in an office that wears very traditional and conservative office attire. They do bank consulting work. She wears suits that have sleeveless dresses and a matching jacket. A dress with a jacket you can dress up or down. With the jacket it is professional attire. Without the jacket you can dress up or down according to the type accessories you choose.
I have not been in steinmart in several years.... might have to venture by there since it isn't far from Alex's house!
Elaine, the prom dress she saw wasn't from Nordstrom's or any name brand place...... I REALLY think it was one of those 'storefronts' from China that make the dress to your size after you order it. But we were really concerned that if it didn't fit we would be stuck with it. I am still trying to get her to at least take a picture to Ms.Jimmie and see what she says she can do with it. I have no doubt that if she can obtain the fabric, she could make the dress! She is super talented, but in extremely poor health. She is on oxygen and has a hard time breathing and it makes Jessi really uncomfortable to go there. She says it is too much of a strain on her - and that may be correct, but it is also her livlihood so I figure as long as she feels like she can still do it - it must bring her more pleasure than pain. SHe is so talented - there will be a big void in our community when she goes!
We really haven't looked anywhere for dresses yet due to a lot of conflicts in her schedule and mine. Especially her work schedule. That is one reason we will probably have to go while she is out for spring break. We just need to try to get it all done that week! She is losing weight slowly and I figure by the wedding she might need it taken up some, but either I can do that or take it to Ms Jimmie...... but in order to have it for April 12 - that will be about the only chance we have to go shop! State FBLA contest actually in March sometime and she has to have at least one outfit by then for competition day.
Thanks for all the ideas ..... I HATE shopping for clothes, but she loves it so hopefully we will decide soon which direction we are headed! :)
Genna I don't know if you have a Stage any where near to you. They had some absolutely gorgeous outfits the other day when we stopped by. I'm with Charlotte on Stein Mart too. My favorite store is Coldwater Creek. Joann and Terrie always picked out their outfits when we were in NO or Houston but BR has gotten some better I think.
Oh my prayers are with Debra and her family, that's horrible.
Karen LOVE all those iris! Last spring I separated mine and put some on Craigslist for $3.00 a piece, I made like $30 doing that. If you want help separating those let me know. Way cute girls!!
Elaine those are so pretty!! I love the pieris too!!!!
I have all kinds of stuff coming up too. My tulip tree bloomed and I missed it, my two peach trees are in full bloom, daffs are obviously in full bloom, the veggie garden should be starting to grow here real soon, we've already planted a bunch of stuff, and my peony's that Dave weedeated down last year are coming back. One of them is mid shin high and the other one is just breaking ground.
Genna I cut my hot lips back almost to the ground, it's stuck back in a corner that it doesn't have much room to grow, I cut it at the beginning of Feb. Bee Balm and Canna all get cut down in Dec, most of the time I wait until all the stalks are dead so all I have to do is pull lol