Yardening end of April 2014 continuation

I spent most of the day indoors, other than chores in the barn, garage, and GH. I also had to run some errands, shop, clean, and cook. Needed to take it a little easy, rather sore today. It was also overcast and breezy most of the day. The Bahamas' spoiled me, I expect the sun to be warming. I was hoping to start hardening the plants I remover from the GH, but they are calling for 40*F tonight.

yes, it sounds like a full day to me, too! Hope you give those aches and pains some good rest, Ric! :-)

I better check the low temps here...Now that everything is outside--it is crucial.
Nothing sensitive is actually planted--but everything is sitting under my patio
roof on 2 tables.

I tried so hard to get motivated to do spome of the BIG stuff--but, instead, just kept
potting up some of the plants I have bought. Like--find a nice pot--mix up the soil--
plant the plant---water it in, and only then done. NEXT!!

BTW--HD has, again, the sale on Bonnies veggies and herbs. 5/ $10.
Good through 5/7--I believe.

Also--1qt. perennials---3/$10. And--Vigoro 4" annuals--4/$10. Bought several geraniums
tyoday . SO pretty---three different colors.

--Here's the main display rack by the front door.....ALL geraniums! $2.50 ea.

--Stopped at Lowes on the way home....WOWSA! Ever seeh Gerbera daisies like this?

--Heres a bit further away shot of the Gerberas....these were TALL! Massive plants!
Wonder what they grew these from??? Did not see the price...Big pots, for sure.

G.

Gita! Those Gerbs are gorgeous!

Gita, what beautiful, healthy plants! That HD is lucky to have you there taking such good care of the plants. :-)

Paul--

I know nothing of them--but you can see on the tags they are called "Lollipop"
If you want--I can make another trek there and get more info.
They look like they are on steroids.....
I stop there once in a while to see what is on their clearance racks wayyy back
It is on my way home...

Lowes also had big pots of, what looked like, deciduous Azaleas. $20.
Their garden yard is humongous--like 4X the size of our total garden.
But ours is neat and tidy.


These Gerberas are right up front--by the cashiers. G.

Gita,

Thank you for the offer. But I don't not need them. I have a favorite vendor for annuals, franks nursery, behind Costco in Columbia.

I've heard that Catoctin growers in thurmont are really cheap but I can't justify driving there for a few flats, even 10 flats.

Cat--Thanks--BUT,,,,,

I DO NOT really have much to do with taking care of these beautiful plants.
It is ALL in the hands of Bell Nursery. We do not "do" anything with them.

Our responsibility (HD garden associates) is to ALWAYS water all the
Bonnie veggies racks (usualy every day) and the trees and shrubs and evergreens.
Whomever has to water is so assigned on their schedule to do so.
Thanks to all the rain--the majority of the watering has been taken care of.

Now--IF I see wilting plants--I will not hesitate to water them--no matter whose they are.
Sometimes--all the houseplants in the GH fall in this category.

Otherwise--we are bogged down helping customers find things--educating them
if they have made the wrong choice--as in using cheap "Top Soil"-to plant their
flowers and vegetables into. The label "Top Soil" is very deceiving to most people.
I will NOT let them do it...and I explain WHY--until they "get it"...
Then I walk them over and sell them the right stuff....

Another area of many, many errors is people wanting to seed their lawns--
but also wanting to use the Crabgrass pre-emergent at the same time.
DAH! A seed is a seed--and it will kill all seeds...takes a lot of explaining here...

And--so it goes....Sometimes I end up chatting with a customer way too long....
like the other day--a man looking for something at the veggie tables--and I asked
"Can I help you?" He said he was in all things healthy--no junk foods...
We ended up having the most amazing 1 on 1 conversation. I was mostly just listening...
but by the end--I was in tears...This man should not have been alive!
Ad he just proceeded to tell me his story....it was not busy--so we talked a long time.

He had gone to Johns Hopkins to die. His lungs were shot. He was, literally, a day away
from dying when, miraculously, a set of lungs became available from a young man,
named Joshua, who had just died. It was a perfect match and they were in perfect condition.
Out of the blue! Just like that! He knew it was God's hand that had intervened..
This man was so touched by all his total recovery--that he felt his mission was to
tell his story to everyone....I ended up being one of many to hear it.

He was not just any ordinary man--he was a writer--a Poet--a musician. Well known too..
He said that after his transplant--he could now sing in the range of two octaves.

I am a sucker for people like him. He even pulled up his shirt and showed me the scar--
called the "clam incision" where his chest was totally opened up--all across his chest..
He had gotten a lung transplant just hours before he would have died. ONE HOUR the Dr. said.

Now he was planning to drive to KY to see Joshua's mother and to tell her his story and
how much he appreciated her sacrifice. He was a bit nervous about doing this.
I told him not to be--as visiting the mother would be a very healing experience for her loss.

I also suggested he plant a tree in his garden and call it--"Joshua's Tree"....

Anyway--there was a lot more we talked about. I know I will see him again....

His name is Joe. And--mine is Gita........

Terp: Hmm, Catoctin growers in thurmont is just 20 minutes or so north of Critter -- field trip, anyone? Do they carry perennials, do you know? I don't "do" annuals, for the most part....

Gita: Quite a story!

Is this it? http://www.catoctinmountainorchard.com/produce.asp

They don't advertise selling live plants, but it sounds like the kind of place that would....

Gita, I think your customers are very fortunate to have you there to help and guide them--or just listen. I know I appreciate sales associates who spend time answering my questions and helping to make the right choice for a garden question. I've encountered too many who don't do this...

wow what a story.

ecnalg, I gotcha - hydrangea is tagged for you guys- Well mentally anyway, PHYSICALLY gotta wait till after work tomorrow. that was my reason to be outside all day, gotta work tomorrow.

Thanks, Sally. Sorry you have to work tomorrow. Is this the fabulous hydrangea we saw that is toward the front in the far side bed? I remember it from your swap.

What a story, Gita!

Sorry to say it is not that pink one. It is lavendar blue, at least in my soil. I got it at Holly and Rics first swap about 4 years ago? and have never figured out who gave it to me. The pink one did survive winter and I hope it grows a lot so I can get cuttings to share from it.

The pink one is luscious. I hope it survives. I'm too behind to ask for a cutting this year, but I'll definitely be begging for one next year!

This sounds just as lovely. Glad to hear the pink one made it through this awful winter.

It looks like our main casualties were 2 pyracanthas that we've had for years, and it looks like the main trunk split. They were so handy for the birds waiting to get to the feeder.

Gita, That is some story, when I worked at Lowes I had a few customers and slow days. It was always interesting talking to them.

Lunch and Dinner -- I love it!!!

Happy- no idea.

Muddy---

Your name is very appropriate.
Is the muddiness of your yard the reason you chose it? G.

LOL Muddy--and poor 'Lunch' and 'Dinner'! :-D Sounds like it was quite a job. Maybe when it's all done you can post a pic for us?

Has anyone else seen this? I thought it was kind of a fun quiz and am hoping others will play along. According to this quiz, I am 100% a Michaelmas Daisy! :-) I guess that makes sense, since I like different colors and enjoy having the pollinators visit! :-)

http://www.selectsmart.com/FREE/select.php?client=flowery

So, anyone else want to play? What kind of flower are you? :-)

The Hamburg parsley seeds I got from Greenthumb & Ecnalg are sprouting! yay! thanks for sharing such interesting plants with us all! :-)

Critter, the plant we were talking about that I thought might be my pentas coming back (id is not what I'm best at--my visual memory is too poor for that)--well, you were right about the taproot! I think it is the tall goldenrod from last year coming back! I decided to thin it back to just a few plants in the area where I want them. (Of course, I could spend a lot of time thinning over the summer, but I know how the pollinators love it, so it's worth it to me.) :-)

This message was edited May 3, 2014 7:15 AM

Catmint thanks for posting the quiz, according to it I am 100% passionflower. I knew I always liked them but haven't grown them yet. Might have to get one or two now.

I'm a forget me knot. LOL

Yes we definitely need to fix you up with some passion flowers at the swap Catbird! :-)

Forget me not-- that's great Holly! And you know we will always remember you! :-)

I have a snake! I've always wanted a snake in the garden but now that I have one I'm freaking out! :O

It was flopping around under the viburnum so it may be shedding its skin

Ohh I think that would freak me out a little! :-o

My results were "Anemone"...odd--I have never grown one...

SS--a snake is good to have. it will be afraid of YOU! very reclusive.

If it is shedding its skin--I want to have it...for my weird collection...
OR--save it for Karen's little boy, August. he is so into nature, bugs etc...

G.

Gee, I'm a Forget Me Not too, seems appropriate you'd find us in the same bed. LOL


All that rain just has the weeds and grass growing so fast. I wonder if I'll ever catch up?

This message was edited May 3, 2014 10:22 AM

Gita, I love anemones--they are beautiful, shade-loving plants! :-)

Aww, Ric--so nice you and Holly growing together in the same--er--bed. ;-)

Just wanted to show you how long these daffodils are hanging on---
They are so long-lived in bloom....
These are the "Salome" ones (now I know)--the ones that are around
the still-empty KK Hibiscus bed...It will start growing end of May.

Potted up 2 pots of the Geraniums I bought at the HD yesterday.
The Vigoro ones--- 4/$10, Seems i always do the same thing--in the same spots.

G.

And--this is for YOU, Ric.....eat your heart out.....

Hope these grow as well as the ones last year....

OK. So I have a question. I'm not much of a clematis grower and Gita already sent me some good information on the different types. Mine I believe is the most common.

I want it to grow up a truss I made but am timid on cutting it back because every terminal end has a big old bud on it.

Advice please.

Pictured are the truss and plant. The truss is yet to be installed it is waiting (patiently) for paint.

Paul---

NO!!!! Do not cut it back at all!!!! Those are bloom buds! !!!
May not be the ideal tome to dig it up and move it.....Not sure on this...Anyone else??

Your Clematis is still young--so it will grow and fill out nicely.
I notice its roots are exposed....you may want to put about 2" of good soil over them
as a top dressing. Anyone else agree to this?????

It is when they get all tangled and dry after the winter that you have to
cut them back in the spring. The "buds" you will then be looking for is fat leaf-buds
on the lower stems. Cut back as needed--about 12"-14" above ground.

Your truss looks sturdy! My only thought is will it be too fat for the Clematis'
tendrils to twine around? Just let ot all go--and see how it works out.

G.

Thanks. I know it needs soil and mulch. After the flood we had a considerable amount of washout.