Marie - it's true! Even those we love and respect can get us crazy but flowers are pleasant companions.
My husband said he wants to give up vegetable gardening. We'll see what happens when the seed catalogs start rolling in during November and December. I could have a lovely dahlia garden in place of cucumbers and beans we just give to neighbors and tomatoes for the crows breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Good morning from Ga, Pirl I am impressed with your husband garden, but I used to say it is a waste for all that work and you have to beg neighbors to take your vegt. The saying is you better were out then rust out on your rocking chair. All that gardening keeps him young. Also all that walk with the puppy.
I still have some white dahlias in bloom, but I have to plan where I would plant them next year to have better results. All of you have such a nice collection of dahlias, I wish I can grow some. Maybe it is the hot weather, but I never see any of them in the local gardens.
Just survived a big dinner, the church gave a Birthday party to a 100 year old gentle man. I cooked his favorite meal and made a huge Birthday cake, it was half chocolate and half lemon and 130 people showed up. I just realized I have 4 days off, and my garden lookes terrible dry, it is time to pull up some flowers and the pansis are out in the stores. Took some cuttings from coleus and left the others to flower, seems like the bees like them. Off to clean the kitchen at the church, I can take my time till 3 pm, and after that I am freeeeee for 4 days. Etelka
What a great garden. I just have three little raised beds 4x8' new this year. Anything I put directly in the ground goes to worms and slugs. I think the soil that was brought in had some slugs buried in there somewhere so I may have to figure a way to purge them of the eggs. I believe that sluicing the surface with a 10:1 water bleach mix would do the job in the spring. Then just wait to plant. Hope it works. I am going to wrap the upper perimeter with copper to keep the little buggers from climbing up the outside.
Good morning from damp Long Island, Etelka.
One neighbor takes an unlimited amount of cucumbers and another uses four pounds for one of her favorite recipes. Most others just get 3 or 4. They can't grow them due to the deer but our garden has protection from the scoundrels.
Maybe other people, on the Mid-South Gardening forum, could advise you as to what works best for dahlias. Here they produce such lovely blooms until frost, mid-November generally.
The birthday guy must have been very pleased with having you make his favorite dinner. How big was that cake? In order to feed 130 people it had to be huge!
Happy 4 days of freedom!
Mary, sorry I was delayed with my post. Thanks. I love the garden but the crows are winning the tomato war.
You can use Ortho's Bug Geta Plus (or Sluggo Plus) to get the slugs. They are so repulsive. Recently I was planting pots of lilies that required deleting ajuga. The amount of slugs around the ajuga was amazing. They all got the scissors treatment. The sooner you use either product I mentioned, the sooner you'll be rid of the adult and baby population of slugs. Then treat again in early spring to get the slugs that got away.
I have a supply and will apply ASAP. Thanks. I have ajuga but either it is too healthy for the slugs to make a dent in or they don't like mine.
They don't seem to be eating mine but making their homes under the leaves: gross.
I am growing less veggies and more dahlias, since the dahlias are prettier and make me happy :)
Arlene, your husband's garden looks great! He must enjoy it!
I do miss home grown tomatoes. Thanks, Carol. His garden has been wonderful for the last 20 years but he's tired and losing his will to weed.
Watch, as soon as I make plans for a dahlia garden (the present vegetable garden), he will change his mind.
