Yardening late May 2015

from here
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1391493/#top
general lawn and garden chat, newbies and neighbors always welcome to chime in. It only takes one post to be no longer a newbie!

Picture of my lawn...

just kidding of course

Muddy I really like the sound of aerating, top dressing, and consistent watering as a great way to foster a healthy soil foodweb and un stressed plants.

Haha Muddy, I almost did fire them but the manager came out and walked the lawn with me. He gave me some assurance but so far he hasn't followed through on his promises. I called today but they gave me the cold shoulder...I guess we'll see.

I agree with you SSG on the look of a mulched path or green lawn walkway between gardens. I would prefer the mulched path though. Over time, I'd like to convert all the lawn to garden >:-)

I sure like the look of lush green lawn. I just can't personally commit to the work and $$ of it.

Anyway- I found three caterpillars while working in my patch of antennaria/Pussytoes
http://bugguide.net/node/view/488
American Lady
Cool!

Whether in Utah or Arizona, I find it the height of self-indulgence when people move to a desert environment and want to recreate their non-arid landscaping. If that is what you want, then stay in that climate, don't piss away a scarce, absolutely essential for survival resource trying to recreate where you came from. There are actually those that want to pipe water from the midwest to the southwest so that they can live like they are somewhere else. Not unlike people moving to Alaska and wanting the rest of the country to heat the state for them so they can have the scenery, but not the cold....but I have no opinion on the matter.

This message was edited May 19, 2015 10:26 PM

Hear hear!!

Hear hear!

Sally, that's so cool. I noticed today that my Pussytoes were going to seed and collected some, but didn't look for caterpillars. I'd forgotten that Pussytoes are one of the few host plants for American Ladies. I like their scientific name: Vanessa virginiensis. I'll be on the lookout for some Vanessas!

Ha ha! Our posts crossed.

One link said those cats make a small silk hideaway to eat - I may have roused them from those, while digging up spiderwort. When the blooms go to seed, they flop down and maybe the little silk things are hidden among the blobs of seed fluff.

Muddy, that is too funny!!!!!!!!!

There were good photos of their hideaways towards the end of the link you posted.

oh, I see. Maybe that's why the plants look so 'messy' sometimes. Duh.
Still getting swap plants in. I cleared a place near the Oakleaf Hydrangea (doing GREAT this year, thank you again Jan) and planted Jack in the Pulpit from swap. Thanks Jeannieijayne!

I think I brought back a tomato seedling in a square black 2 inch pot- anybody think that was theirs and what kind was it?

Seedlings of a milkweed of some kind in round terra cotta color plastic 2 inch pot- what kind? A. perennis from Muddy?

I moved two pansies from sun to shade today. I'm not sure if it's worth trying to extend the life of pansies that bloomed all winter already, but why not try?

I have a bunch of spiderwort now moved to a holding area for future swap. I guess I am now officially planting in the abandoned strip (7' by 30') of neighbor's property that she oddly left OUTSIDE of her privacy fence a few years ago, bordering my back corner. It has SOMEHOW sprouted a small redbud and elderberry bush in the last year...will be a challenge to make it look accidental LOL if she ever looks back there.

LOL Sally, isn't it funny how gardens can just "accidentally" come to be when one is not looking? ;)

It's looking like today promises to be a beautiful one, and thankfully I am OFF! So, I get to play outside today; I shall finally take care of the Laurel that's been needing my attention, clean up all around her, and then install all the new babies I brought home the end of last week: Hypericum, Lamium, Yarrow, Geranium, .. and whatever else I'm not remembering.

Well said GT! My parents live in Phoenix and there are a fair amount of people who have grass and swimming pools. The grass needs to be planted twice a year. Once in spring and once in fall. There are two seasons of grass. The pool people lose about 4" of water a week from their pool. Both are nonsense if you ask me.

Have a fun day out in the yard Speedie!

Seq, that so interesting that the pool loses so much water via evaporation, but it makes sense. I remember in Vegas, my hair would dry within minutes.

Yeah it's pretty crazy. The humidity is in the 20s most of the time unless it's the 'rainy' season, then the humidity spirals out of control to the 50s....

We have a pellet stove in our house and our lower level usually runs around 30% humidity all winter. When doing wash, we hang our jeans down there to dry and they are usually dry in 2-3 hours. I remember I was out there in August of '11 and we went to the one zoo on the west end of town. It was full sun and 108 degrees. I was wearing a hat and the brim of the hat was hardly moist because of the evaporation. It was nice and didn't seem that hot at all. A lot of times it feels hotter here when it's 85 and 70% humidity.

Goofy DG, posted me twice.

This message was edited May 20, 2015 1:19 PM

Had the worst of both worlds living on Guam for 2 years. Over 100 degrees most days and some terrible humidity. Even at 3 in the morning, you walk outside and it's hot and humid. Every day. Day after day. Pretty cool at first, perpetual summer, no shoveling or driving in snow. But man, that oppressive heat and humidity gets old fast. And after a couple years, you miss having seasons.

Cam are you a diver?
Just doing a little light gardening today. Got the small bed by the front walk way planted. 3 big red dark leaf begonias (12-18in) and a flat of dwarf begonias. Added a few potted house plants. The big pots will be filled with caladiums later today.

Nah, can barely swim. Haha But I used to do a little reef walking off Guam. Dangerous, but since I had just left the German autobahns behind, I need to get my rush of adrenaline somehow. :)

Nice use of that small area, Holly... very nice.

Sally, it's possible that is one of my A. perennis, especially if it's in a sturdier-than-most plastic pot. I recall having one in a pot like that and I don't see it now. I thought I had everything marked; maybe not!

I wish I had given away more seedlings; I just didn't have time to get them sorted. I up-potted some Lobelia cardinalis and Lobelia siphilitica tonight and have lots more to do. I'll be all set for the fall swap, at least.

My hardy hibiscus is finally up! Wow, they weren't kidding when they said these were late in waking up. They're later than even the hardy begonias and indian pinks.

I'm having really bad luck with direct-sown vegetables this year. But I have at least 3 volunteer tomato plants coming up.

Muddy, I'll look again, maybe it's written on the backside of the tag.

ssg, I have a hundred volunteer tomatoes! babies of Sungolds I bet, because I just could not keep up with the waves of ripe fruit. Since I did grow my own tomato plants, I am pulling all the volunteers with their possible mixed genes.

I got cukes and squash seeds planted today, pretty much on time actually. I want to try more squash, maybe green beans, and sweet potatoes.

Lettuce is great and I am actually keeping up with harvest too. I need to cut mustard greens and add lambsquarter to the mix too.

Talk about volunteer tomatoes you should see Ric's Veggie garden they are popping up like weeds I bet he has at least 50 of them. We are pretty sure they are those little yellow pear shaped tomatoes.

It's interesting how the volunteer tomatoes came up later but are much bigger and more vigorous than the ones I started from seed indoors. :/

Unfortunately I had to weed them out because they were crowding the carrots.

Yeah, they are delicious.
When I was in LVN there was a commuter strike and if you missed the rental you had to walk most of the strip to get to the convention. It was so dry you could walk in a suit and not be uncomfortable. The day Holly and I left it hit 17% humidity and it was sweltering. LOL I don't mind the humidity if there is good air, like near the beach in Fla. Inland can be brutal. In Pa. (our area), I hate the cold with humidity, it just soaks into you.
I'm getting a start on the veggie garden, it's slow though, I've had a pretty bad week.

aw, sorry Ric! Weekend looks awesome

Despite the cooler and damp weather. Ric and I got a good bit done. Moved all the house plants out side, planted some more annuals and Ric dropped some of the tropicals out in the yard where they will spend the summer.

After all the rains that have passed through I found some of the beds to still be pretty dry.
I'm going to put up my rain gauge and keep track for awhile. If we don't get significant rain in the next week I'm going to re-think deep watering our permanent established plants.

Sorry to hear you had a bad week, Ric. TGIF!

Today was a great day for replanting my bog plants because I had to find sticky clay that would stay clumped together even when underwater. Those of you with potted water plants probably know the yukky, mucky, smelly soil I'm talking about!

Haha SSG, isn't that amazing? I winter sowed Hesperis matronalis in containers and had good germination. I literally threw the leftover seeds in the garden afterward. Those have germinated as well and are much larger than my WS plants...LOL

Hesperis matronalis eh? It's no wonder they germinated well, everywhere.
http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=hema3
it's kinda invasive.
; ^)

Yeah, yeah....I read that too but wasn't concerned. They can't be any more 'invasive' than myosotis sylvatica or columbines. I know they're non native but they are just so pretty I couldn't help myself.

I had a slew of Tomato volunteers too--most of the the Yellow pear. Some red too.

I potted them all up in small yogurt cups and took them to work.
They took all of them.

You know--I feel like i am SO behind with all my gardening and planting--
but then I realize--it is still May! Maybe I am not as behind as I think.

My tomatoes have been "in" for 3 weeks already. Doing well.
I am just behind with all the annuals and plants I have bought--and they are
still sitting there. Many of the Swap plants as well.
Worked my tail off today--a good 7 hrs. in garden. Will plug away some more tomorrow.

Sunday I am at work--bracing myself......all the big sales--all the customers
buing everything in sight--lots of stuff for cook outs....and--I will be watering
all day, except for all the interruptions to help customers. I'd rather deal with customers.
More fun to chat and help them do the right thing.

I REALLY don't want to have to cover anything outside! Plants are on all kinds of tables
and the floor, etc...etc...I will hope for the best.

BTW--what does "Coleus Canina" look like? Anyone? Did not get anywhere on PF.

Thanks--G.

I'm sure you won't have to cover anything. I don't think it will be that bad. Good luck Sunday though, it sure will be busy!

Gita, it's there: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/76035/

It's common name - the Scaredy Cat plant - got me interested, so I found this article:
http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/scaredy-cat-plant/growing-scaredy-cat-plants.htm
which says: "While scaredy cat coleus does have a distinctive skunk smell, which is worse when someone brushes up against the plant or bruises it, there’s no proof that this alone will keep any animals away from the garden."

This message was edited May 22, 2015 10:46 PM

That's cool, had never heard of that (Scaredy Cat Coleus) plant before. Thank you for those links Muddy. :)

Ric, is your week getting any better yet? I sure hope so. Is your back ok?

Gita, I'm also bracing myself for a BIG day at work.. today though. No Sunday hours for us. Yesterday was MAD. I'd gotten 1 annual delivery late Thursday afternoon (near 5:00), went in early yesterday to finish pricing and placing them. Got a perennial order late yesterday morning, (thankfully those come in pre-priced/labeled), got those accounted for and put away.. then mid-afternoon got ANOTHER annual order (including hanging baskets), got those accounted for and 3/4 of them priced and put away. Will head in a bit early this morning to make sure that's completed before the mad rush starts. I tell ya, I'm getting too old for this crap! ;)

Oh, that explains why, when I googled images, there were cats in the page!

Good luck, garden workers!

Trying to pull it together still not up off the couch, had my pills and coffee so I am just about ready to start moving.Dear DIL is coming over this morning to put together hanging baskets for her home I picked up 4 HB from my daughter yesterday so we just might do some for her as well and I have several for myself maybe this morning is hanging basket day.

Planted 25 shrubs and flowers today.

Moved my Crape Myrtle "Natchez" further away from the house, on advice from Jill (thanks Jill, even though it was a lot of work). With all that extra room after I expanded the bed, I put in 6 Orange Rocket Barberries, 4 Guara "Gaudi Pink" and moved my four Daylilies from the plant swap. That bed looks a bit bare now but when those plants mature, should be stunning.

Also planted 3 Samur Calla Lillies where I had some space at the end of a bed.

I bought a Tricolor Sedum then started reading about it and ended up putting it in a large pot, appears that pretty little guy can be nasty invasive.

And I put a new bed in the back yard. Put a pressure treated 4x4 in concrete, painted it white, and mounted my bird feeder on it. I put 4 really gorgeous Orange Tiny Sensation Lilies around it. When I'm done with that bed, it may be my favorite landscaping project ever. :)

I'm exhausted but what a glorious day ! Hope everyone is enjoying the great day !