Welcome to our to our chat thread. Here we talk about almost everything under the sun.
Our plants and gardens and what is going on in our lives. If you have questions we will try to find answers for you.
Even if you live out of our Beautiful State you are also welcome to join ups
We came from here
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1292527/
Love love that camellia, Sandy. Do you know which one it is?
Sorry no I took that picture over at the Mckay State Gardens in Tallahassee, Florida. I plan on trying to find out it's name and adding it to the picture. But I do know it is a extremely old one.
This one I toook at the Tallahassee Nursery.
Sandy
Yum, just perfect. Looks like Im going to have to take a day trip next year during bloom season.
They are blooming now. They have camellia "tree" that are around 70 to 90 years old Another good place to see camellia is the National Camellia Gardens up near Fort Vally, Georgia. But it is best to call there to find out how the blooms are doing.
I get 2 nice bushes(see pictures below) at Tallahassee Nursery in January. That is when I took most of these pictures
Sandy
Mine were/are in full bloom, then the freeze hit last week, now all the flowers are brown. I hope there are a few late buds left. The azealas are all brown too :-(. . They were blooming so nice too.
We where luckier up here but then we are usually warmer during the freezes that y'all down there are.
Y'all do not know how glad I am that I can come on line and actually be able to comment with out fighting with this computer. This stupid laptop has been a real pain for over 6 months.Then it crashed right ofter my surgery(which did not help) in January. And I spent all day watching the Geek Squad go online and fix it. Working wonderfully . Now if we can only get my health fixed. I will not bore you with all that but just say this year started off crappy.
Sandy
Good morning everyone
It is so wonderful that my laptop is now FIXED!!!! I have get caught up with all the threads that I was behind on.
Been fighting with this problem for over 6 months. Every one please be careful that you do not accidentally click on something that is called (if I remember the name right) "Sweet'em" it is very bad news and most anti-virus programs do not see it as a virus. Now if I could only get the old body fixed.
To catch up with what is going on in my yard. We (my yard guys mostly) are fixing up the yard. Some of the things work some do not. The walkways are fixed in front and we have 2 new flower beds added. One has winter flowers in it right now and the other has 'butterfly' host and nectar plants. Another bed has been redone and now is full of Fennel and parsley-come on Black Swallowtail butterflies. The 2 raised beds in front will need to be redone. But this time we will take our time. The lower one has a nice ground cover of Frog Fruit. (host plant for 3 kinds of butterflies.)
Now to get busy on the other raised bed.
Will that is enough for now the old fingers are not use to all this typing.
Sandy
My yard is such a mess after the storms last weekend. Limbs and branches everywhere. I wish the weekend was going to be a bit warmer. I hope this is the last chance of a freeze, I want to get cleaned up and started on a new garden season.
My daylily seedling are coming along nicely tho. The warm winter is going to get me some first year scapes, and thats exciting. I think Im going to try to add a rose or two.
Off the subject....does anyone know how to kill off english ivy. Its really taken over most of the back and is really hard to dig thru to plant, plus it sufficates the new plants. Ive got a gazillion of those vines with the heart shapped leaves and thorns that get in everything and choke it out. I have tried for 13 years and they are worse than ever.
Off to look up frog fruit.
Frog Fruit is a common weed but it does make a nice ground cover. Host plant for White Peacock Butterfly
'Anartia jatrophae',Common Buckeye Butterfly 'Junonia coenia' and Phaon Crescent Butterfly 'Phyciodes phaon'
Sandy
We moved on up to the East side, to a deluxe new thread in the sky-y-y... spirit of George Jefferson leave this body fortwith.
Thanks for the new thread, Wren107.
Sylvain
LOL!!!!
you sound in good spirits!!!!
Sandy
I have always liked that Camelia a lot Sandy. (I think I might have told you that in some thread somewhere?) It is special...
Just wanted to say I completely understand what you have been saying about time, downloads, dial up, and the rest....so...just wanted to say, "Hey! I'm here!
Frog fruit!...? That's one to research and sounds interesting...
I believe that awful vine you have is called Catbriar or Saw Greenbriar GG. (Smilax bona-nox)
If that is the case, the only way I have found to get rid of it is to dig down and get every bit of that sometimes huge potatolike root out wherever it is. I have actually had to dig down and almost had to unearth large Crape Myrtles and Azaleas to untwine those potatos from their roots...Good luck! Even a small piece of that root can regrow in time. Try to get the most you can of it out where important.
here is the full name Frog Fruit 'Lippia nodiflora'
http://www.butterfliesetc.com/frog-fruit-regular-butterfly-host-plant.html
Sabdy,
Will the frog fruit spread? I have some empty spaces inside butterfly garden section. If it chokes out weeds I need it.
Bonnie
Yes!! And you can mow it and keep it low. It does like moist soil but will grow well in other times of soil but not as fast. I will try to get some pot started to bring with me to the RU
Good morning everyone
Sandy
Thats it David....Greenbriar. I had brain freeze on that one. I used to call it potato vine, until I found out potato vine didnt have thorns. There is no way I coud dig up as many as I have, especially the ones I would have to dig thru all the Ivy. I think Im going to try to do 5 a day or something like that and just see if it eventually helps
As for the frog vine. I know it well. Altho I dont have any, I used to love that when I was litttle.
I'd like to get a creeping ground cover for most of my back yard. I like the grass in the front, but want "less maintenance & more visual effect" in the back. Last year the back was 99% weed and I do NOT need that for this year.
Once you get the frog fruit thick it will smother out some of the smaller weeds.
I so love being able to use this laptop with out wanting to throw it across the room!!!!
David, just thought I would introduce myself. Been a member of DG for some 7-8 years. Has enriched my life beyond measure. Even after all this time I don't know ANY Latin names and don't intend to clutter my 71 year old mind trying to learn them. Ask me what is in my flower garden.......well, the are some, some yellow, some purple, some red, some short, some tall plants. Not trying to be ornery, just too lazy I guess.
You will not meet a more wonderful group of people than these people. Seldom ever does anyone criticize, more like they would attempt to be of help with any kind of problem you are willing to share. The Garden Showcase is a new feature and I'm sure many don't even know it is there.
Creatures of habit, you know.
I "watch" multiple forums/threads and go for weeks with no comment but I lurk a lot. Depends on my "life situation" as to just how chatty I may be. Be careful when I decide to post because, as you see, don't know when to stop.
In a nutshell, please don't judge DG so quickly. We are all very giving and loving individuals whose lives are sometimes really heavy.
Welcome to one of the best places in the WWW.
Christi
Christi is so right. wither I post or not depends on the state of this old body or the laptop. today the laptop is working great but the cold has get into my old joints.
So I am out of here for a bit.
Sandy
Sandy, anxious to try that frog fruit. Sounds like it's just what I need cause in that bed I have to crawl around on all 4's to weed.
Worked outside most of today still chippig wood and sure was cold. The wind made it difficult as all the stuff blows right in your face even tho I wore safety glasses. Hopefully tomorrow will be the end of that job. Next step will be to mulch all flower beds with it.
I need a nice warm shower to thaw out.
Tomorrow night supposed to get real cold. Hope for the best for everybodys plants.
Bonnie
Bonnie mine grows about 4 inches tall in the bed but it can be trimmed back.Out in the yard where it is mowed in hugs the ground. Only a few taller weeds come through. How thick does it grow? Some mint that I planted in the same bed is struggling to grow but some larger plants are fine. I started with 2 pieces that I dug out of the yard and it now covers a 8 by 8 bed and is starting to flow over the edges.
I watered the best I could
I really need to go now.
Good night everyone
Sandy
Ive got to go out and bring some plants in...I dont want to, Oh how I dont want to. Ill bring in more for tomorrow night, tomorrow.
Tommorrow night is the one I'm concerned about too GG and likely us all ... lets hope its over after this!
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LouC,
Your words are very appreciated and thank you much. We will look forward to hearing from you again Christi...{:-)
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Sandy,...The more I look at 'Frog Fruit' I am thinking it is something I have grown up with all my life,... and especially at Grandpa and Grandma's place in the country here. I am beleiving it is the same plant we old Florida Crackers called 'Matchsticks'. When they lose the ring of flowers around their edges they look like match sticks if it is the same plant. (like very tiny Cattails too)
David yes it is. a very common weed but a very good one to grow.
I think so too...What grass I have Ieft is the worst this time of year especially. On one side I have that creeping wandering jew with the tiny blue flowers trying to take over and its beautiful. If I could snap my fingers and have the whole grassy areas be only that for instance,....It would already be that way.
Hi, all.
We, too, are expecting dastardly cold nights tonight and tomorrow.
So, I'll play Noah today. I won't build a boat. I'll be saving 2 cuttings of each cultivar to replant my beds if a hard freeze should hit. What is it I am missing here? This whole mess is about global warming, not about freezing Florida.
Take care, everyone.
Sylvain
It was above freezing when I got up this morning. I hope tonight stays a few degrees warmer than the forecast, cuz Im not bringing everything in again. Im tired of it.
I have a pile of old trash cans that are perfect for up ending over plants a/way from the house. Those close to the house & fence are protected. 2 weeks ago some of my more tender plants got a bit nipped and most of those already have new growth coming out.
Got a chuckle at Church this AM with the women in HEAVY winter coats. Told them I must still have some northern blood in my veins. Even in MD I never had coats as heavy as what they were wearing!!!!!
Don't you think it feels colder because of the dampness? I had a friend from Alaska who told me he had never felt as cold up there as he did in SC. I was in the NC mountains last week and was comfortably wearing just a fleece vest. It is 20 degrees warmer down here and I am in thermal undies when I walk the dog on the chilly mornings. LOL
I don't think you will need to worry too much about a hard freeze in Delray tonight Sylvain! Way up here in DeLand we are just facing it, so you should be O.K......
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You are lucky in Gainesville to have had those temps last night GG! We got down to 32 here in DeLand according to my yards thermometer. Tonight is the one I'm hustling for...... I hate last minute surprises too....March?!!!
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You have expressed all the thoughts I have had too Qwilter on this last minute freeze thing,...and the Winter coat story was fun! {:-)
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Ha! I think there are serious truths in what you have just said Alice... "Down to the Bones it is!"
I only get down to 40 here on top of my tiny hill, but then I am not far from water. We are usually 10 to 15 degrees warmer in this tiny area than it is on the west side of the river
Ours is a different kind of cold I think I cold is wetter if that makes sense. My dad was a seebee in the Navy and he served up in Alaska, he said they sometimes ran around in tee shirts but when he came home it felt a lot colder.
I agree; the dampness makes cold a lot colder (as well as a lot hotter when it's summer). When I got up this morn. (before 7) it was 38 & they had predicted 31. They always predict colder than we get here. Tonight is supposed to be 25 but I'll eat my hat if it goes that low.
It's 37.9 here now & really nice outside. But there is no wind & the humidity hasn't yet risen.
I just stepped outside and my thermometer is reading 29. After coming all this way this Winter and everything growing like they are....
David - head north - 35 here!!!!! 48 inside the GH!!!!
Good morning
I am at 39 degrees but the News says it is 30 degrees
It is 37 here this morning, what strange weather.
You made me thing about my little GH too Qwilter, so I grabbed the camera and snapped a pic. It was at 55 inside there and all I use is a small electric oscillating tower heater. Even when we had those hard freezes a couple of years ago that took us down to the low 20's this little heater kept the GG at 50. It was a great buy for only 29 dollars!
Temperature differences and weather are an enigma to me sometimes. It is also amazing that one patch of Canna's is toast and right next to the ones that are toast are some that seem uneffected. New growth on one Hibiscus fried and 10 ft. away another is unscathed?...
micro climates. I have a number of them.
