Yarden chores - Late fall, early winter- begins 11-16-12

Paul, They both sound great but Peg Leg sounds better. Ric

Back to decorating, then mayhaps some yarden chores.

This message was edited Dec 4, 2012 10:39 AM

Everyone -- I know most of you may raise your eyebrows at this offer, but I have dug out tons of ditch lilies (Hemerocallis fulva, http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/201/) -- if anyone has a use for them, let me know. They are great for erosion control -- aggressive, but in my experience not invasive (I have had them for 20 years and they have expanded but haven't jumped into other gardens). They formed a line at the bottom of my awful front hill. I am keeping the line of ditch lilies, but reducing its depth. I'll pitch them if I don't hear from anyone.

ssgardenener -- thanks for your posting -- but you know, I didn't realize until yesterday that I needed the fill dirt, so I wouldn't have asked for the dirt even had you posted. Didn't see this one coming. I'm going to buy top soil by the b ag at Home Depot - it is pretty cheap.

Happy, I would love your excess ditch lilies! So, the problem comes with how and when to get them as my working transpo is limited right now.

Here is a wild and crazy idea...as you get your bags of "soil" slit them the long way, poke a few holes in the bottom and fill them with lily clumps you've dug up..they will survive like this til spring if need be as long as there is drainage. Or, use those clumps as "mulch" in the new soil . Just set them on top (not planted) to hold the soil around your new plantings and then they will be easy to remove come spring. Let me know what works for you.

And if there are other takers, that's fine, too. Maybe we could meet halfway some where...Hey ssgardener, you could get your hydrangeas and maple trees, too.

Ah, this weather is great, but it will not last, but today so much seems possible to get done! Out I go.

Judy

Judy: I can definitely keep them -- they are in a large garbage can right now -- no worries -- I'll figure out something.

For you all--it is that time of year again when we harvest the ripe "fruits" of our
Compost piles. and spread them around in hopes of better things to come--next year.

For those of you who were not around in 2006 , Here is the link to The beginning of
a gathering of minds and poetic prowess --all to do with the golden "POO".

We had such a good time--the "ditties" flew. Some serious--some totally insane.

Take your time--bookmark this if you want--but read it all.....

The Forum is "Soil and Composting"
The Tread is: "Poetry on the Pile"....
The rewards will be full of healthy laughter and lots of chuckles.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fr.php

Gita

LOL Gita, Ric has bedecked our home with beautiful lights. So I am trying to clean up the flower beds. Just cutting back a few things that weren't previously done. The other day I did the lamp post bed and when I got back home after a shopping trip with a friend, Ric had it looking all beautiful and sparkly. Today I removed the Hyacinth Bean vine from the Arbor in the Secret Garden and cleaned up the front raised rock bed. I need to get the front porch cleaned off as Ric put up the new Christmas lights but the old summer decorations are still there. I need to get out there an take a few pics. I must say that the Nandina are looking really pretty right now. Think I will put on my jacket and take care of the Chickies and take a pic now.

That above link was not the rght one. Sorry!

Here--try this one. Takes you right to the thread--part #1.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/664716/?hl=Poetry

Gita

So here are the promised pics of the Nandina. These were a bargin $1 apiece last year when I was working at Lowes. I have a row of 10 growing along the fence for the dog yard. 8 of them are looking pretty good, the 2 that are growing between the chickie pen and the fence aren't growing well but I plan to move the chickie pen and they should catch up.

Holly--
I only have one Nndina--by my shed.
It DOES look spectacular this time of year.

Love the red leaves and the clusters of berries....
G.

Are those Domestica? They look wonderful! The color is so rich and they look so happy!!

I'm hoping to get some outdoor stuff done today when I get back from checking out the school this morning.. but of course DH has always got ideas of what I should do on my days off as well... for some silly reason he thinks I should be baking cookies! HA! ;P But, but, but, I have LEAVES to be raking up out of my big bed out front!!! (and, please don't pull out the pea-shooter, but I actually still have one left-over tomato plant in a container out front that never got tossed! Eeeek!) I have no time for baking cookies! ... wanders away mumbling shaking her head.....

Speedie, I have a leftover tomato in a container, too. Mine is by the back gate in the dog run so it isn't as noticeable but it is still there. LOL I will have to look for a tag with the variety, could have swore I put that in my journal but it isn't there.

Believe it or not--I have a yellow rose blooming right now.....

I think most of my stuff is done--I DO need to rake some more leaves and to mow the lawn one last time.
Perhaps I can combine the two?
Should mulch a few things.....sounds like a couple more days of work--doesn't it?

Then--have to put away all the chair cushions and stack up all the chairs and settee and covering that with a tarp.

I "should" put up a few Christmas lights---haven't done that in years.....but mu neighbors have done it and
my house seems so dark........:o( Oh, well....
G.

I have a few blooms on my Quince and the other day I noticed a hedge of them in bloom when I was out shopping. Also I have daff bulbs putting up a few shoots and Lamium blooms were peaking out of the light snow fall we got last week.

Amazingly, we have a single bloom on our Clematis 'Josephine'.

I've still got Petunias and Alyssum blooming! Sheeesh, don't they know it's bedtime!?

I like to plant a lot of Alyssum it is always one of the last annuals blooming in my garden.

My fall pansies are settling in and starting to bloom
: ^)

Starting to!?!?! WOW!!

So, needless to say, I didn't get any outside work done yesterday... after getting lost going to school (darn it, all those streets that start with an "M"!! Turned onto a wrong one... thinking "Well, THIS doesn't look familiar at all!!"...), got home way later than I'd wanted to, then ended up in the kitchen the rest of the day. On the upside, there's fresh chocolate chip cookies and brownies!! < =D

Journey of a thousand miles ...starts with brownies.

Rain! We need this rain!

Yep, yep, can't go wrong with brownies and rain.

I've had to stow and unstow my hose several times since before Thanksgiving as my containerized garden is so dry. Walking that fine line of not dormant trees (JMs) and bushes (hydrangeas, etc) still needing moisture to live, but too much runs risk of root rot. Will probably have to add some water to unheated porch stored tropicals, too.

Hoping for a window of watering opportunity this weekend.

Oak trees have finally dropped their leaves this week but my raking enthusiasm has waned for the year! May just settle for a little more mulching with the seven bags of shredded leaves I rescued.

Otherwise everything else is on its own as I am yardened out for 2012!

Happy decorating all.

Judy

Coleup, I sent you a private message to schedule a time to pick up those JMs and hydrangeas! :)

Good rain, nice and soft, a soaker. This would be a good day to work on the pot storage. Ric

terra cotta, Ric....one hopes

No the thousands of little and big plastic pots we hoard for spring. I tend to just toss them into piles and stacks. Dear Ric is trying to get a handle on them by organizing them into sizes and shapes and storing them on shelves. Right now quite a few of them are blocking the isle to the freezer. Holly

Yuppers- I have them strewn gaily about the yard from March to October too. Always a right size plastic pot for anything you dig up!
I did assemble some into nicer stacks of same size, and cleaned the shed a bit, a few weeks ago. Mark was pleased.

I have been warned**** Next year I will have to stick to some kind of organize as you plant program. Ric said he has spent a good 2 days cleaning up my pot mess. LOL

He is right I did have a real mess. (blushing)

Right now, I have foxgloves that have been blooming for 2 months, and pink dragon wing begonias that have been blooming since May!

The foxgloves were wintersown in January. I have about 5-6 that were wintersown at the same time, but this is the only one blooming at this odd time.

I need to dig up that article about how to save foxglove seeds and wintersow some more next month. :)

Ssg. Aren't foxgloves pretty good at reseeding themselves. When I have saved mine I usually just cut the stalks and let them fall into a box of some sort. They are easily lost. I have never winter down them, or anything for that matter. Just let mother nature take them. Somebody jump in here if I'm wrong but will they have time to make seed this late in the season?

Terp, I'd love to know if there was an easier way to propagate them. What do you mean you let them fall into a box? I'm *terrible* at seedling ID, so anything that self sows will probably get weeded out...

I did get really good germination with wintersowing. I was hoping to propagate this one (very pretty lavender color), but you're right, it's probably too cold for them to be making seeds :-/

I just cut them at the base and let the stems fall in to any sort of container. Once I have them in a container I'll just throw them wherever. Granted I wait until the seed pods are splitting. I am working on winter sowing, perhaps this year. It seems to be quite a commitment. I still have some columbine I sowed? In an open container. I guess survival of the fittest is my philosophy.

SS--

Paul is right! Foxgloves will self-seed readily. You need not do anything....They come up later in the summer--
or early fall and the little clumps survive the winter. You can move them at this time or in early spring.
The smaller they are when you move them--the more chance for uninterrupted development as it grows.

The following spring--the clumps just continue growing. While they are small is a good time to move
them wherever you want them to grow in the summer. Just dig--and re-plant at the same time. Quickly.
Being that they can grow to 4'-5' tall--you can imagine that you would not want them in your borders.
So--replanting gives you the control to where they will grow.

Now--IF yours is already blooming--I think it may skip a year--as the seed has already germinated this year
and is blooming--but will not make new seed (it will be winter) to grow the following year.
But--the same plant "might" continue next year...

I have collected the seeds by picking off the pods and letting the "dust" fall out in a container.
The seeds are miniscule--literally--like dust. They are also as toxic as any other part of this plant.
Try not to breathe them in--and try not to rub you eyes or face or mouth if you are handling these seeds.
I have read horror stories about the reactions some people have had.
If you do not want to have seeds germinating all over the place--cut the stalks off before the seed pods mature.

Biennials (which the Foxglove also is) like to drop seed in the end of summer--and then survive the winter and
come up when it is time. Just like the "Forget-me-Nots", or "Cleomies" or 4 O'Clocks...

Hope this helps.....Why Wintersow something that does it automatically on its own--au naturelle????

I tried winter sowing some perennials one year--and was not happy with the process.....Too messy--too
much work keeping them happy, transplanting etc....Hated doing it with the gallon milk bottles...
SO inconvenient to get inside them or to water....
You can use the high-domed, perforated produce containers like grapes and salads come in.
Much easier--top is already perforated--and so is the bottom..It is clear--so light will get in--
plenty of ventilation, etc...I have not tried it--but i do not see why these would not work.
Just look at containers and think "outside the box".......:o)

Gita

I have used those produce containers for winter sowing with some success.. have also used yogurt/sour cream containers, plastic coffee "cans", 20-oz sized water bottles, and clear juice jugs too. All with some degree of success or another. My best successes have been with the deeper containers, allowing for deeper rooting and taller seedlings. My best successes have also been when we've had a REAL winter, with freezes and oodles of snow. This last "Winter" (2011-2012) was a real washout, not nearly Wintery enough.

My "Winter's Snowman" Camelia is a'bloomin' away gaily...just beautiful single white blossoms..jeese, at least SOMETHING is white in my yard, even if it isn's comin' from the sky...!

I probably mentioned this last year, but I'll reprise it here. Being lazy, getting milk from the dairy in bottles, and already missing part of my left thumb, I no longer wrestle with gallon milk jugs for winter sowing. I go to a local restaurant supply business and purchase a sleeve of 50 quart deli containers for $7 or $8, and a sleeve of 50 lids for a couple of bucks. (The container they put 2 pounds of Grandma's Potato Salad in at the deli counter at your local grocery.) I invert the stack of containers and drill about 10 3/16" holes in the bottoms, piercing around 7 or 8 at a time. Drill the lids in a stack in similar manner. Fill 2/3 full with potting mix, tamp down, sow seeds and cover. Slap on a label and waterproof it with clear packing tape.

Saves time and money since one does not have to buy a lot of milk or carry-out, not to mention calories. Works great if you need only 25 plants or so rather than 100, and requires about 1/4 as much potting mix as milk jugs. Takes up a lot less space to boot.

Absolutely brilliant greenthumb!!! I think you win the "You Da Man" Winter Sowing award!! =)

Whew. Just finished putting down my last two bags of mulch on the side hill. I love the winter clean up and mulch look. Probably won't get to the rest of the beds, but at least I got the bed done that I missed in the spring. Ha. Ha.

David, I remembered your suggestion, and thanks for reposting it in detail.
Paul, dear, picture is worth a thousand words. if you have a chance, I bet we'd ooh and aahh over your yard...Esp as MY winter look seems to be 'blown leaves!"

Rain, yay! Good weather for writing Xmas cards and wrapping gifts. This will be the first time in years that I get my FL box to the PO before the last week (knock on wood). And this last few days , my winter greens seem to be growing a lot. Radishes are starting to get 'radishes'.

Sally-

Pictures may be worth a thousand words but when I take them they never seem to do the shot justice. Two different angles, the path is lined with regular liriope. I cut it down with a mower and hand cut what was left.

LOVE a woodland garden, and we all know how much work it was to gather leaves from that. Well done!

Oh that sure is looking good. Down right manicured.