Hi I'm new

I've been around Dave's garden for a few years. I would like to introduce myself. I'm Sue. I live near Boeing. I'm getting ready to re-vamp my whole yard (2 years worth of neglect). I have hired some help with our ever so present Himalayan Blackberries. All of the beds are still there. Many many perennials. The Vegetable garden is first in line. Hope to chat and get to know you all.
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Hello and welcome! Other side of the country but always photos of progress appreciated.

Hi Sue and welcome. I used to live in Seattle but now in Bremerton. I too am revamping a neglected yard so I will look forward to seeing your progress. I have an old thread that hasn't been posted on for awhile but haven't been able to post pictures for some reason. Good to have you here.

Hi Sue. Welcome. I am in Kalma Washington just North of Kelso/Longview.

Hi Sue. My daughter Julie and I live in the Buckley area and have been active on DG for a couple of years. We have had some changes in our personal lives that has kept us pretty quiet for a while, but hope to get back into the swing of things this year.

Hi Sue and welcome!!
I live north in Lake Stevens. Take pictures we want to see how you progress. So fun to see the yard unfold.

Hi Sue! Welcome. I live in Salem, OR. I can't wait to hear about your yard and gardens. I garden on 2 acres. My main gardening interests are perennials and starting things from seed.

Hello, and welcome! I live on Vashon Island (actually Maury Island which is attached by land bridge to the main island, Vashon) on an acre of what used to be a currant farm and orchard. All that is left of that is a few old fruit trees. I started out with mostly an open field, and in the last ten years have added a large vegetable garden, raspberries, blueberries, a few grapes (which I need to figure out how to prune effectively), several apple trees, a pear, a cherry, and two plum trees, as well as some ornamental gardens. My specialty is garlic. I have grown several varieties of garlic for the last 30 years.

This sounds pretty good, but really I have no idea what I am doing with the ornamental aspect of things and end up plunking in trees shrubs and perennials wherever the whim, or an open spot, strikes me. I am easily lured by plant sales and come home with pretty little babies in need of a place to spread their roots, so in they go (or else languish on the back porch if I have no time to prepare a place). I am in dire need of a better plan, but I have had fun thus far and have learned a lot about, hmmmm, what not to do, as well as what works.

Currently, I am working full time and also taking college classes half time, so my garden is somewhat weedy and overgrown, and will be until I am through. Don't even look at the miserable state of the housekeeping, If I have an extra moment, I go pull a few weeds rather than dusting or tidying the house.

Ha, That sounds like home. I'm in the basement going through stuff if it is raining and outside pulling weeds if it's above 50. With hardwood floors most of the junk on the floor blows into the corners or under furniture. And I have to read once in awhile so no housework for me.

I will add my welcome as well. I'm up at the north end of Snohomish County on 15 acres. We've raised two sons and numerous farm animals over the years. We are now tearing down fences, letting the pastures do as they please, and blurring the line between yard and wildness. Net result is too many beds and not enough weeders! But enjoyable nevertheless.

Maury, I also have some grapes that I have struggled with over the years. I have 5 vines of unknown variety. Each vine has its own post and then they are allowed to sprawl on top of a ladder trellis about 5 1/2 feet above ground. I get beautiful luxuriant foliage every year, but relatively few clusters of grapes. I prune it back pretty hard in the spring, keeping all the side shoots to about 6" and spaced 4-5" apart. Not sure what I'm doing wrong, or if I just don't have the right micro-climate. They are planted east-west on a slight slope in mostly full sun. ?? I long ago gave up on any meaningful harvest and enjoy them as a plant, but if there's a magic answer I'd sure be interested.

BH---Grapes set fruit on 1 year old wood, so you should leave some long canes every year if you want fruit the next year. If you cut it all back, you will not get any fruit. Also, an application of bonemeal may help. I have 29 pinot noir grapevines, that are only 3 years old---so I'm still learning, too. I cut mine entirely back last year so that the vine base could grow fatter----but that means I will get zero fruit this year.

Hey everyone, thanks so much. I'm getting ready to post my first few pictures. Yard cleanup begins today. I spent two hours pressure washing my patio on Sunday. Still back ouch. LOL!

Ahem. Pix?

Thanks to all, Missingrosie, Willowind2, FairyFarm, springcolor, koskor, mauryhillfarm (Vashon!), bonehead - Hi I'm still here. I'm in the middle of a house remodel too. We should be done by mid May. I can't wait to move back home. In the mean time, (no photos yet sorry, but I can show some old stuff of how it used to look), I had help with my himalayan blackberry brambles, and cherry tree samplings. Also lots of trim work. It was the best money I've spent since putting money into the house. I'll be there tomorrow. Photos coming up.

Hi Sue! I live in Twisp and am also fairly new to this forum. They are a great bunch of happy gardeners! Good luck with your project and can't wait to see some pics. I've let my yard get seriously overgrown, weed infested, and neglected in the past couple years. Maybe your project will inspire me to shape things up around here.

Hi Sue:

I'm a newbie here too . I'm up in Skagit County and am tackling my back yard with a vengeance this spring. I've only been in my house a year now and didn't do much gardening last spring because I wanted to see what the previous owner had planted. Now that I know what's here, I'm trying to create a cottage garden, however I have lots of ground cover to tackle....ivy, ivy and more ivy. Lily-of-the valley is invasive also.

Welcome!

Welcome ravenn51!! I going up to Christensons and Skagit Gardens nurseries today. Love to see your yard, take some pictures.

Hey there springcolor!!!!

I'm going to Christianson's today too. It's my favorite nursery of all. The staff there is so knowledgeable and helpful. Although in truth, it's very dangerous for me to go there....I spend waaay too much money and end up bringing home plants that I hadn't planned on buying...then I walk around my yard trying to figure out where to put the darn things!! I'm a garden addict.

Hi Ravenn

Welcome to the world of garden addicts! Nice to see you here. You list your location as Renton.....is that no longer valid?

PNW Mountain Girl:

Oops..forgot to change my location. Not sure what I am doing on this website. I thought I just uploaded some pictures but I don't know where they are.

I am a garden addict and fanatic. I just came back from the nursery. I started out with a list of specific plants but no sooner had I gotten there, than I was buying, buying, buying plants that I have no idea where I'll put them. I need to have my hand slapped!

HIGH FIVE!!!!!! SLAP!

Ok, I'm stumped. This is the second time I thought I uploaded photos with a reply. I don't see either. What gives?

Welcome, Sue! It sounds like you have a lot of simultaneous projects.

I live just south of Everett - between Everett and Lynnwood. I have a tiny patch in a Manufactured Home park. It was clay, so hard that most weeds could barely get a toehold. (Of course blackberries and slugs managed to thrive.)

I've been excavating, digging drainage ditches, amending, and raising beds.

my most recent gardening "Oh, Boy!" was having some Italian heirloom leaf broccoli overwinter and then go into flower once spring sprang.

If I try to send more than 1-2 photos per post, DG loses the post.

Here's more shots of the Italian leaf broccoli (last summer it never headed, budded or flowered - just leaves and shoots, which are the edible parts.


Spigariello Liscia
Broccolo Spigariello
Brassica oleracea var. 'Spigariello'

Cool pics. Yes, if I try and upload more than 2 pics, they don't post. Just post 1 or 2 at a time. Welcome Ravenn

Are you highlighting the thumbnail photo and them clicking open? That should do it

Ok. I'm gona try this again. This is my front yard.

My husband built this for me years ago. I call it my "Orcas Wall"

Your "Orcas Wall" is neat! I have seen some sheds built like your wall. Is it wood from an old barn. Love it!
I found a new sedum at the nursery yesterday called 'Ring More Ruby'. Has bronze foliage, a tall upright.
Your yard is beautiful!

The Orcas Wall is just made out of cedar that my husband bought. I moved to Skagit County after he died and haven't gotten it up at my new place. Hopefully one day soon.

I haven't planted any sedum...should I? I'm trying to achieve a cottage garden look.

I spent over an hour at Christianson's yesterday...perhaps I even passed you in the nursery!

Nice yard! Glad you figured out the picture thing. It alwys takes a long time to load, which can be frustrating.

Raven and SC - we should coordinate our Christianson trips and meet up together some day. It's my fav as well. I go to Skagit Nursery occasionally but for some reason I don't like that one near as well.

The Orcas Wall is very cool, all the more so since your husband built it. I'm sure it will bring a fond smile to you whenever you pass it. My condolences on your loss.

Sedums - yes, plant some. The smaller ones make good fillers while waiting for things to bulk up, and the larger ones mingle well. I have some that self-sow and pop up here and there - definitely adding to a cottagy look.

I agree on the sedums. Autumn Joy is a large one and color later in the year. They are getting some really great ones. Love your wall too. Is the flowerbed your new home or the old one? It's really nice.

Willowwind...the flower bed is my old house in Renton.

Bonehead and SC: Yes, let's do coordinate our trips. It would be fun to meet, look around the nursery (you'll notice I said 'look' and not 'buy' (fat chance of that) and maybe have lunch.

By the way...I just got back from Christianson's a few minutes ago. Only bought 2 things (I'm proud of myself)...a dwarf buddleia and a lilac candytuft.

Willowwind: Sorry..I misread your question. The other picture is my current front yard.

Oh, lilac candytuft? Sounds pretty.

It is pretty. Here's a picture.

OH LUST. Have to have one of those.

Beautiful yard, garden, and Orcas Wall, Ravenn. It's so great to have you here! Your husband was very talented.

I put in two sedums last year, 'Neon' variety. I love them. Hot pink in the fall. For some reason, I didn't take any pics.

I walked around the yard tonight, and took lots of pics. The lighting was perfect.

Here are my favorite two.

1) Akebia vine in bloom. Beautiful up close. But not very dramatic when you step a couple feet away from it.

2) Centranthus ruber (red valerian, Jupiter's Beard). This self sows over abundantly (sorry neighbors, I see it in your adjacent flower bed), but I love it. Extra seedlings are really easy to pull out.

Kosk:
I have some of that red valerian but I never knew what it was! Thanks for identifying it for me.