2014 Spring Roundup?

This message was edited Apr 6, 2014 3:21 PM

Okay, I'll take the plunge, and open up discussion about having a Round Up this year. Anyone besides me interested? Does anyone want to host it? I don't mind hosting again, but someone else might like the opportunity to host the event and show off their beautiful garden. I always learn a lot by looking at other folks gardens. :-)
I have a lot of extra plants started but will wait to provide a list until we have a couple of people showing they are interested in a get together.
Sounds about right to me.
So folks, chime in, and let me know your thoughts. At this point I'm open to place and time. Although, it's usually best to have the get together on a Saturday. I may have trouble getting a ride any other day of the week. :-)
I have been really busy in the garden this year and have been growing a lot of 'new to me' seeds. I'm working hard to improve the butterfly host and nectar plants. I still have a lot of succulents and some tropicals growing. My greenhouse is morphing into more of a working place and less a rehab facility. Although, me and my handicapped dog still enjoy swimming in the pool. I've almost got all my strawberry plants out of the ground and either hanging in bags or (almost) planted in a raised planter. I built it myself, with a little help from DH when I needed four hands, and I forgot to take photos of the process. OOPs!
Here's a photo of the almost finished project. I'm not happy yet with the spacing between the bags, and will probably adjust that. As it gets settled in, it appears to be tilting, so I'll have to correct that. Still and all, it sure beats bending over to pick strawberries and I no longer battle the slugs and snails for the berries. :-D
You should see the passionfruit in there. I can already see lots of fruit forming. It's great. Even better, I was talking to a restaurant owner who is interested in my excess fruit. :-) My blueberries are starting to fruit, too. I'm really happy so far with what I'm accomplishing.
I digress. Please let me know what's going on in your gardens.
Walk In Beauty~
SingingWolf

Would enjoy a RU near my area - South lake Tahoe.
Anyone near me?

Yep, that's a long ways from So. California, but a really nice place, SPGardens. I hope you can get a couple of people up your way to do a round up. Or at least a garden party. :-)
I'm hoping we'll start getting some folks interested in attending over the coming weekend.
WIB~
SW

I'm interested in a RU in the greater LA area.

Being a newbie on DG I have no idea what's involved in hosting a RU so I won't volunteer however I am willing to help others who are interested in hosting.

Well Hi, Shorty! : - D
Welcome to the wonderful world of DG Gardening. Lots of great gardeners here. : - )
Thanks for starting this thread. I don't have to use the kindle to go on-line which makes things easier. Yea!
Okay, we are considered to be in the greater LA area. I forget where Manhattan Beach is but it would be lovely to have a RU out your way someday.
Usually a bunch of DG'ers decide to get together for a RU, which is a gathering to share gardening tips, ideas, plants, seeds and food. We sometimes do other things as well. Sometimes we can have someone come in to speak on a topic, or we will do a craft, we try to have something fun to do. We usually take a garden tour, and out here we usually do a hayride farm tour. Might be getting old for some, but it's pretty easy for us to do since we do stuff that all the time. We are always open for ideas and suggestions. The only that I ask, if I'm hosting is that someone else make the coffee. I don't drink the stuff, and haven't got a clue how to make it taste good. I do have a nice coffee pot though. I like my guests happy. : - )
Some of the years I've hosted the RU, I forgot to take photos. Please take lots and share.
People from all over have come to the RU. Some folks in AZ used to come out for the RU. Dee came all the way down from Arroyo Grande last year. What a treat it was to meet her too!
Last year was the smallest RU we've ever had, but it was still very nice. We had the nicest time hanging out with Samigal and Darwin, Sylvia, and Dee. Darwin took a nice nap out on the hammock. If he is able to come back this year, I'll reserve that hammock for him again. :-)
Anyway, Shorty, I hope that answers some questions for you. If you have more, post 'em here or drop me a dmail.
WIB~
SW

Jules......Happy to see you are up and running on your PC again. I've had some health issues in the past month, however I'm getting better I think. You know I;d love to come to a RU at your home. It's always so enjoyable.

Love ya,
Sylvia

Hi SW,

My real name is also Sylvia. Shorty is my nickname. I'm the shortest in my family..lol.

Thanks for the info about the RU. I can't host one this year but I'm more than happy to help. I cook and bake everything from scratch and I can make coffee.

My yard is full of weeds and poorly cared for plants and flowers. That's why I joined DG to learn how to get it back in shape. Last year I moved back with my mom because she can't take care of the house due to several health problems. She's 86.

Manhattan Beach is a few miles south of LAX. I was born and raised in LA so driving isn't an issue for me as long as it doesn't require an overnight stay.

Welcome to DG, Shorty. You will meet some great gardeners and so friendly too. I'd love to go to a RU, but with DH's health so bad we only seem to get to the doctors any more. I really would love to fatten him up and get healthy food down him so we can go places.

My yard is full of weeds and poorly cared for plants too (and I must add a lot of junk) even though I've been with DG for a very long time. I try, but it seems the more I do the worse it gets.

Here's a picture of my latest challenge.

I asked the person whom calls himself a gardener to "prune" one of the junipers. As you seen in the picture he destroyed it. My only option now is to have it removed. This isn't the only juniper he's ruined. Both of them were over 45 years old.

His level of skill in differentiating weeds from flowers is equally as poor.

I've destroyed several hundred aster seeds. Nothing I try to get them to germinate works.

Hi Sylvia, I'm glad you're feeling better. I thought we'd let people have this weekend to speak up if someone else wants to host the RU. If not, I guess I'm up for it. :-)
Shorty, I hope you don't mind if I call you Shorty, since 2 Sylvia's might be confusing. I'm the shortest in my family too. :-)
If we do the RU here, I'll be happy to take you up on the coffee offer. :-)
I'm glad your Mom has you to take care of her, and the yard.
Okay, now I can place you. We're about 60 miles from LAX, so maybe it wouldn't be too far to drive. Overnight stay is not required. What kind of plants do you need for the yard? I can load you up with a bunch of stuff.
Take photos of the areas that need fixing up, and post them here. I'm sure some of our members have suggestions or plants that they'd be happy to share or trade for.
Sami, sweetie, I know you're having to container garden these days. Is there a plant you have been wanting for a while that I can plant for you? LMK, ok?
Bees are thirsty these last few days, so I have to do some of my gardening late in the day, when they don't get annoyed by my presence.
WIB~
SW

Oh no Shorty! They butchered your Juniper. :-(
I can see that you have some subtropicals in the background. What were you thinking of replacing the Juniper with?
Why Asters? Have you tried other flowers? I can probably fix you up, and I guess I'd best start compiling my list of plants to share tomorrow. :-)
More then.
WIB~
SW

SW, sure you can call me Shorty. My nieces and nephews do :-).

I ordered an Empress Wu hosta. It hasn't arrived yet and it is probably very small. I'll have to talk with my mom about what she'd like to replace the juniper with.

I was trying to germinate Asters for the front yard. I'll take a few pictures tomorrow of the two beds I'm thinking about. Both are a mess.

I have no problems direct sowing seeds. I can also germinate annuals indoors. I haven't been successful with small seed perennials even though I soak them and then put them in the freezer for 24 hours.

I used to fly to work, no joke. I worked in a different state or country every week for over 20 years. Driving 60 miles is nothing for me. I also have a sister that lives in Reche Canyon in the IE. It's a 75 mile drive.

Thanks Shorty,
Hey, DH just informed me that it's about 70 miles to LAX from here. We are familiar with Reche Canyon.
Sounds like you worked for an airline, or lived in Alaska. :-)
I'm growing a lot of cottage garden type plants, most of which attract butterflys. Maybe something will be suitable for the front yard.
Seed sowing. I used to be so miserable at it, I gave up for a long time. However, if you want a lot of the same kind of plant, it makes sense. I have trouble getting them pesky tiny seeds started too. I am thinking you have to give them the exact amount of water they need and not a drop more. I've been misting them with a spray bottle. That really helps with the germination. Others require light to germinate. Misting helps with them too. I don't think that warmth would be a problem, but I don't know your plant starting area. Could be any of the above. I thought you just had to put them in the fridge overnight? That's what I've been doing anyway.
Hope it helps.
WIB~
SW

I am a software analyst. I help companies install specialty software. Where ever my customers are that's where I work.

I've read in other forums here that some people quick start the stratification process by putting seeds in the freezer for 24 hours. I'm reading Deno's books now as it appears there are numerous ways that people germinate seeds.

I have a 4 ft. x 8 ft. raised bed that DH set up for me several years ago and I still plant in it. One section, he divided it in half I have only one tomato plant, but it is doing nicely. The other half I just stuck in some plants here and there hoping they do well. Also have an old long sink that I put succulents in and it is getting overcrowded. Pine needles rain down on them constantly from the trees on the other side of brick fence. Oh, how I hate those pine needles. My plumeria's are still in pots, don't know if I will ever get them planted in the ground. Right now it seems I'm only interested in a lilac bush, Jules. Since I don't drive and DH is in a bad way I doubt if I'll ever get out your way, but believe me I'm praying that can change.

Hi Sylvia, hadn't heard from you in a while. Sorry to hear you have had some health issues. My main problem is my back and how can you go out to play in the dirt when that stops you. I take may "time outs" and a pain pill once in a while. Well back to check in on DH and see if I can get him to drink a little something.

Yep, lots of ways to start 'em. Depends on the type of seed, mostly, Shorty. Don't do well on computer stuff, but I try. My kids are much better at it. What you do is way beyond my comprehension.
Sami, I'll take a couple of cuttings of the Lilac to root for you. Somehow, we'll get you the plant. Now what color do you want? Purple, Pink or white?
I was heading over there this coming week anyway to weed. So I'll take some cuttings when you let me know what color. This will be fun, since I haven't tried doing cutting on the lilacs before.
ES is going to Lowes, and said I could catch a ride with him. I'll check back in later on.
WIB,
SW

Hi SW,

Here are a few more pictures.

I talked with my mom about what she'd like for the back yard. She said she'd love anything that blooms, annuals or perennials. I'm happy to pay for postage.

These pictures are from my front yard which is west facing. The flower pots are on the porch. Except for the Japanese Irises, roses, snap dragons, gladioli, ranunculus, pansies, marigolds, and Amaranths everything else has volunteered. I think they're all weeds but I'm waiting a little while longer to see if any of them bloom.

All suggestions are welcome!

LOL, Shorty, I'm waiting for my weeds to bloom, too!
I sowed a bunch of seeds in a very weedy patch of ground, and now I'm worried that I'll pull up actual plants! =) I think my neighbors all think I'm crazy, watering my weed patch...

I would like to know why the weeds bloom so well without any help while we struggle with a lot of our plants. Very nice yard Shorty. Jules, I only remember lilacs in purple, but would love any color. Whatever you can start will make me happy. Never appreciated those wonderful blooms when I lived in Minnesota. Of course, I was too "busy" to garden with working and going out with friends. Didn't know how great it was playing in the dirt.

Hey all,
It's a beautiful day. I saw my first caterpillars. :-)
Shorty, it looks like you've got some holes to fill in. Well how does your mom feel about Iris's? I have some that I lifted last September that are needing a new home. Some of them are a pretty purple and some are white. I'll look for photos. I already started a bunch of seeds and now have too many seedlings. I'll write down all the stuff I have and post a list.
You might like some of my subtropicals too. I'll take a look around and see what's growing pups.
How about some succulents? Aloe seems to grow just about everywhere.
Wifeygirl, I think we all have weed patches in our gardens that we are waiting to flower. I have decided that some weeds are pretty in their own right. :-)
That pot needs something tall in it. Let me think about it.
I've got to get to transplanting some of my seedlings, and weeding, watering, and hopefully scoring a couple of four raised planter boxes today. Wish me luck!
WIB~
SW

SW,
Irises and succulents sound great!

It is a nice day today and I just went outside feeling overwhelmed by the number of weeds that need pulling. It seems like a never ending task.

Here are a few more pictures I couldn't post yesterday. I planted some Pennington Wildflower mix in early February. I'm coming to the conclusion that it was mostly weeds.

Well off to start my weeding.

Okay folks,
Anyone want to set a date? I am pretty sure I'll be hosting this RU. :-)
I'm open except for May 3, in May. I may have some short trips to take in June with DH. Right now though the schedule is open. I really do need to have the RU on a Saturday. What seems to work for most of you?
LMK.
I'm going out to start making a list of plants. I'll be back!
WIB~
SW

Whew! HI ALL!

What a day. I had no idea I'd been so busy!
Here is my partial list.

Mexican Petunias I have a lot of seedlings.
Rose of Sharon I have 10 in pots.
Red Hollyhock TBP
Fortnight Lily TBP
Wild Blue Indigo TBP
Giant White Moonflowers 5 in pots.
Musa Bananas 2 in pots.
Blue Thimble Flower TBP
South African Foxglove 18 small pots
Lunaria TBP
Baby's Breath TBP
Bushel Gourds 5 in pots
Mother of Hundreds - I have hundreds of seedlings TBP.
Iris - I have a couple of shopping bags full of rhizomes.
I have lots of other things started, but they haven't all sprouted yet. :-|

I'll be putting down more amounts later, as several of these are getting transplanted tomorrow. TBP, means to be potted.

Speak up, stake your claim, and post your trade list, or you'll miss out! :-)
WIB~
SW

June is good for me.

Asclepias curassavica
Pregnant onions
Cannas (short yellow mostly)
Hardy ginger (red flowering type)
Prickly pear (not too pokey type for tortoise food)
Geraniums (I'll just bring a bunch of these, lots of new cuttings rooting as we speak)
Sempervivums
Crassula "Gollum"
Crassula capitella "Campfire"
Sedum makinoi
Crocosmia "lucifer"
Watsonia (orange flowering)
Yellow-eyed grass
Rain lily (White)
Agaves: Parryi truncata, Desmettiana varigata, Weber's blue, Franzosino, Americana, Varigated americana and another really big one that's gorgeous if you have the space (I have the name somewhere)








This message was edited Jun 5, 2014 4:16 AM

Woo hoo, you've been busy too, Dee! :-)
Can I have dibs on some of the rain lily's? I like pink or white.
I'm going to have to look up some of the plants you listed.
I don't know, if we go too late in June we run into Graduations and Father's Day, but maybe we could get together on June 7th? That would be the first Saturday in June.
The Tapeworm or Centipede plant sounds intriguing. I think it might do well in a coastal climate, or in my greenhouse? Hmmm.
Crocosima lucifer? Wow, I have some of that! I had forgotten what it was called. Visuals are wonderful.
Say, does your red ginger have a fragrance?
Hens & chicks? I loved the ones Samigal gave me so much last year, I killed them. May I have some? I promise not to water them too much.
The sedum makinoi I got from you last year was mostly consumed by my lousy chickens. I have since captured them all. However, last week, that rotten hen 'Blondie' got out. We fixed the hole but haven't recaptured the wily fowl yet. :-(
The photos online of the watsonia are gorgeous. :-)
Hopefully, I'm growing something you want Dee. ;-) LMK.
Shorty, go online and see if you like anything we've listed for your Mom's yard.
Gosh, it is so late, and I did want to watch the weather on the news.
So I'll be checking in tomorrow.
WIB~
SW

Unless a miracle happens we won't be coming to a round up this year. DH hasn't been driving for a while and I think he is anxious to get strong enough to get behind the wheel again. Dee, you really are a busy gal with all those plants.

The tapeworm plant grows on a dry hillside here, should do just fine outside even in the desert. You know I can't remember if that ginger has any fragrance. I have a white one in my greenhouse that smells wonderful, maybe I can find you some of that. Not too many plants get to be "planted" in the greenhouse and it's one of them.
I can come June 7th, but if you want to keep it in May, how about 17th or the 31st?
I think Memorial Day weekend is the 24th so let's not do that, the traffic will be awful.
Samigal - Sorry to hear you probably won't be able to attend.

Sami,
Even if you don't make the RU, you will be there in spirit. :-) I hope if you want something of mine, you speak up. I'll put one by for you.
I don't know when, but I was going to ask DH to drive me out to see you and drop off some plants. Don't worry, I'll let you know before we do it. We have to co-ordinate.
We all want Darwin to work on getting better, stronger. I pray for you guys every day. :-)
Okay, I'm off to work on putting all those seedlings into pots.
WIB~
SW

Either of those dates would work for me, Dee.
People please state your preference. I'd like to get the date settled by next Monday.
May 17th
May 31st
June 7th
Please vote for the date that works best for you. The date with the most votes wins.
Sound good?
WIB~
SW

May is graduation month for me. June 7th would be good.

I vote for June 7th with May 31st a close second.

Singingwolf - Here's what I want.
Rose of Sharon
Wild blue indigo
Moonflower
Bushel gourd (definately want this, and i will bring some seeds for other gourds I'm doing this year)

Opps, gotta go I have some plant customers coming soon.

Hi All!
I ran out of potting soil, and decided to see if anyone was going to take me up on some of these extra plants. I didn't realize how many swamp milkweed I planted! Will be able to put some on my list next time I edit it.
Whew! I'm going to have to put a fan in the gh. It's been hot in there! I had to rig up the shade cloth inside the gh, because the sun was so strong it fried some of my seedlings.
I've decided I need more shelves. The plants take up a lot more room when they go into individual pots. :-)
I'll put you down for the plants you requested Dee. I knew you'd like some of the wild blue indigo. :-) Can I talk you into some Baby's Breath? I have way more than I want. It's a 2nd year bloomer, though and won't be blooming this year. People who have/like cut flower gardens should like this one. :-)
Thank you, thank you, you for taking on some of the bushel gourds. They love to climb and would prefer a fence or trellis to climb on. They have nice flowers, but the best part is watching the gourds grow. I'd love to get some regular birdhouse gourds. :-)
I'm planning on demonstrating the gourd tunnel I want the guys to build for me next year. Rehabbing the cabin, prevented them from building it this year. Sigh. But, I have that middle kennel room, that no one is using, and it's covered with bird netting, I forget why, so it's going to be the perfect site for the gourds. It'll be nice and green and shady under them. There is even a water faucet handy for watering them. Yea! One problem solved.
Oh, and Dee, I'd like to try that Tapeworm plant.
Okay, I'm off to corral my son and have him take me to the store.
Back later to add to my list. :-)
WIB~
SW

SW I'll take anything extra you have. I don't have milkweed or baby's breath.

I have so few plants that I'll have to check everyone's want list and decide what to buy.

Shorty - If there is anything on my list you want let me know. I have sooo many extras I've taken to selling them just to get rid of them, cheap, LOL. So I have no trouble sharing, it means less watering for me.
One of the "martin" gourd seeds germinated today, I'm so excited, they are supposed to have a really thick shell, perfect for bird houses! I'll put a few in 4" pots out in the greenhouse and see if I can get some started for you Jules. I also have luffa and coyote gourd seeds. I'll bring a baggie of spare seeds with me too. I have been so bad with the seed trades this year, I have so many extra seeds I won't need any seed for years. I'm actually kind of running out of room in the nectar garden for this year.
I would like some babies breath, I used to have it out in the flower garden and after many years it finally just got old and died. I also want some swamp milkweed, I have been trying to get some to germinate with no luck at all.

Sweet Dee,
I lost most of my Cinderella MW seedlings, to the hot weather. I probably transplanted the few survivors too early. Save seed if you have or get some. I'm really surprised by all the seeds that sprouted.
After my Dad died, lots of DG'ers sent me seeds. That's what I've planting this year, except of course for the berry seed, (still to be planted), and the milkweeds I bought for my b.fly gardens.
I am thinking that next year we need to co-ordinate so we don't have so many of the same plants, or maybe not. I'm glad I'll be able to give you some of my extras.
Considering some of that seed is 8 or 9 years old, I'm amazed.
I haven't added them to my list, because I'm still working on it, but I also have Lunaria 'Honesty', which is also a 2nd year bloomer, but gosh it sure looks pretty when it blooms. I'm not sure what's going on there. I have lots of starts though, for some reason they are really happy.
About the gourds, I'd love a Martin gourd, and if you'd rather you can bring seed. The bushel gourd seed came from a gourd that I bought at least 10 years ago. I never thought all the seeds I planted would sprout, but it appears that they have.
I do have customers that have requested more gourds, and different gourds from what they find at the gourd farm in Fallbrook. Since they grow quite well here, and I really enjoy watching them grow, I thought I'd grow them for sale this year. Please give them a good home Dee.
The luffa and coyote gourds grow wild here, but others might like the seed. :-)
By all means, bring your seed stash, and let us raid it. Evil grin, and chuckle. :-)
Speaking of seed, I have some from the Project Apis group that is up for grabs.
You know Dee, I totally forgot to add the water hyacinth that you liked so much last year. I have a lot more, if you or anyone else is interested. I need to work on that pond this year, and clean it up good. The chickens love the excess water hyacinth, so it doesn't go to waste.

Shorty, hey, how are you doing? I want you to look up the Lunaria too. Show photos to your Mom. I think she'd like them. I'm still trying to figure out something for that pot on the porch, give me time. :-)
Yep, you are certainly welcome to some of my excess Baby's Breath. I just like the looks of it, and have never seen it in a garden setting. I figured that it must grow around here, but I've only ever seen it in cut flower bouquets. I like spreading my experiments around. It may not grow for me, but it might for someone else.
I am loving Milkweed. Which is the host plant for our lovely Monarch B.flies. I'm planning on selling some this year, because I most certainly plan on spreading it as far as I can. I like to give my DG friends some, because I've gotten incredible plants from some of them. So you actually get it before I ever put them out for sale. Remember folks, we are only open seasonally at this point. However, I'm considering having a plant sale, just so I don't have to do so much watering. I should get some tips from Dee.
Do be careful what you wish for, Shorty, you might have to rent a trailer to take all your booty home. :-)
Best get to work, I have so much to do, but you know it's a happy making thing. :-)
WIB~
SW

Oh, just thought I'd share some pics of my Echium wildpretti in bloom, it takes 2 years to bloom too. And my son-in-law made the t-rex, looks great in the greenhouse entry.

Sniffle, sniffle, pout. I am so sad that mine died. :-(
Yours looks beautiful though! :-) Look at that hummy hovering there! Lovely photo, Dee. Does your SIL take commissions? I really like that t-rex. I can just see all the little kids swarming it when they come visit the farm. I've been working on a little tyke play area. :-)
You know I was potting plants all day, in between other chores, and I'm really happy to say, I have enough Baby's Breath to supply a florist for a long time. Dee and Shorty, I put some in a six pack and you can take some of the pots, if you'd like too.
DH is taking me on a scouting trip tomorrow to check out a couple of bee locations. Hopefully, we'll find good roads and lots of plants in bloom. I think we're headed into the Santa Ana Mtn.s and I love taking photos of whatever I see along the way. Last year I saw that Bobcat up in the tree. I doubt I'll see anything like that again, but I'm sure I'll see something just as wild and beautiful.
I will check in on Friday, and see what's going on. I'll be updating my list this weekend. I'm finding all kinds of plants, that have starts. :-)
WIB~
SW

My SIL is trying some different materials at present. This version isn't stable enough for kids. He has been volunteering at a place called "Maker's Space" where people can get a membership and use all the fancy equipment. He made this with a saw that is hooked up to a computer and cuts all the pieces using your specs as scanned in on a piece of paper. Pretty cool. We've been discussing making a teradactyl out of heavy styrofoam sheeting so it could be hung. It's fun stuff.
I'm excited about the babies breath. I can find some spots for that.

Hi all.

Been busy weeding, seeding, transplanting, and deadheading. I really love springtime. I always seem to have a lot to do, but I don't seem to mind. So much potential waiting for me to discover out in the garden. I always get a kick out rediscovering old plant friends while doing the spring cleaning in the garden. Planning the new flower beds, expanding on the old, it all gives me a chance to create a beautiful scene, in my garden, using colorful flowering plants.
Maybe it was the rain or maybe it's just because it's springtime, but I feel inspired today.

I just wanted to pop in and see if everyone has agreed on a date. Otherwise, I'm planning on hosting the RU on June 7th. If this date does not work for you, speak up now.

I'm still having some problems with my computer, but will be editing my plant list soon.

Off to walkabout the farm and see what happened during the rain.

WIB~

SW