2015 Fall Plant Swap General Discussion Thread

Sure, I can see it; it's better than any photos I've managed to get of feeding finches.

Great photo of the goldfinch, Gita.

haha--birds need fingers to 'twitter'--good one!

Jeff, I should NOT have been drinking coffee when I read that! *choke, sputter*

Gita, be sure you are not using your zoom while in macro mode (that magnifying glass symbol for taking close-up photos). Those are either/or functions. I have a bunch of blurry pics of a cute gecko to prove I had to learn that the hard way.

I noticed yesterday that I have a lot of seedlings around the edge of my H. helianthus variagata clump. I potted a few but can grab some more if there's interest. New leaves have the most variegation, but the blooms continue all summer. Seeds for the birds, too.

Haha...nice Critter :-)

Jill--

I don't remember what setting I had it on. Thanks for the tip though.
I was not aware of that.

I am still using that $60 Nikon camera you "helped" me buy. I no longer
like it..for several reasons...

1--The lens aperture no longer shuts..it goes almost shut and then just quivers.
I have to close it--re-open it--and shut it closed properly by smacking it with my hand.

2--I want a camera that can macro closer than this one-which is no closer than 4".
So much for taking great close-ups of flowers and bugs.

3--I HATE the "touch screen" feature. Did not realize what that was when I bought it.
I am tired of taking pictures (accidentally) of my feet...the top of the table...the sly...etc.
and then have to delete them all as I upload them. I can just be holding the camera,
or putting it in my pocket--and I hear "click'....."click".....

I will go (soon) to a nice camera store and ask them about a reasonable, new camera.
I also have a place bookmarked that has long lists of available point-and-shoot cameras
and all their features. Maybe a X-mas gift for myself?

I want a new, better point and shoot camera!!!!! Period!
Gita

diff'rent strokes, Gita... I love the touch-screen on my camera enough that I got the next generation one a couple years ago (now not so cutting edge LOL). I find it easier than twisting through the dial settings, and I like being able to tap a spot on the screen to tell the camera "focus there, yes on the flower and not on those leaves!" It might help that mine is pretty thin; maybe that helps it not go off in my pocket. I think your camera has plenty of resolution, so you can always get "closer" using a photo program to crop the image. The problem wtih the lens cover jamming is a bummer... and probably no longer worth taking it to a camera store to see if they can fix it.

You're probably right, time to figure you got your $60 out of it and look for a new one during the holiday season sales! Go to a store or look online at reviews and features, decide what you want, and then watch for a sale (or an Amazon Gold Box special). Sounds like you want a super-macro mode (on my camera, looks like a double magnifying glass symbol) and/or a small minimum focusing distance. Touch screen vs. not, you'll be trading off against the size of the viewscreen.

I've got a Sony that's waterproof and bump-resistant, definitely increases the amount of time I have it in my pocket (more than my cell phone!). But mine wasn't $60. :-)

I need to explore the "focus on this" and find out just where "the spot" is on my
viewer screen.

I never pay much attention to the finer points of anything. I also never read
the instruction booklet--nor watch the DVD tutorial. My problem!!!

I HATE...HATE reading instructions of anything.....this is very hard as I get loads of
papers from my bank and investment Guy. Tax prep kills me!
This even applies to following recipes to some extent. i just do my thing.....

A lot of this has to do with mt very short attention span. I am NOT a reader of anything-
as I read about as fast as I talk. After about 5 minutes of reading anything---
my mind wanders off to who knows where--as my eyes keep on reading, but I no
longer know what i am reading...
Then I "wake up" and have to go back to where I left off and start all over again....

ADD? Sure! G.

Next time you're about to take a picture, just try tapping on the screen where you want the camera to focus. If a little square box appears there, then your camera has the "focus HERE where I tell you" function. :-)

Is anyone interested in some of my Filipindula rubra (Queen of the Prairie) seedlings? http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scened624.html#profile
I have about a dozen seedlings ranging from 2-4" tall.

If not, I'm going to plant them by the creek sooner rather than later (i.e., probably tomorrow) because they're growing at a snail's pace in their pots by comparison with the ones growing in a sunny, boggy area in my backyard, some of which are about 2' tall.
I know the seedlings will really take off once they're planted by the creek, if the deer don't eat them that is : - )

(BTW, my apologies if anyone besides Sally got Blue Lobelia seedlings that I had marked as Cardinal Flower. I seem to have mixed them up!)

Now I know where to move my struggling F. rubra! I'd like a seedling, please, in case mine doesn't make it. Good to know they volunteer -- good winter sowing candidate!

btw, the variegated helianthus is half the height of the H. hel. v. scabra... and both add sunny yellow to the garden from early summer to frost.

Yes, Critter, I'd say the muckier the area the better. I have mine growing alongside Swamp Mallow. I'll set one aside for you, and I'll try one of your variegated Helianthus. I'll probably be tempted by more plants after I finish planting the stuff I have already!

LOL, same here! I mis-typed... it's Heliopsis helianthoides, I think, although when I got it, the tag said heliopsis variegata. I've got one of its "big brothers" (the v. scabra) blooming happily in part shade, in the middle of the fence row (bird must have dropped a seed).

I knew which plant you were talking about : - )

This message was edited Aug 15, 2015 9:54 PM

LOL... besides... well-behaved, blooms all summer, well behaved, seeds for birds... what more do you need to know? Poor transplanted seedlings were looking pretty rough this morning, might need to try again after the heat backs off.

Wanted to mention again that I have 9 pots of divided Mouse-Eared Hostas.
These are cute--and the blooms are so pretty.

Also--I have 6 pots of Delaware Valley Azalea rooting. They are OK--but will have to
spend this winter outside to be fully rooted and show new growth.

Also-also--I have several trays of "Red Volunteer" and Frans Hals Daylilies
(from the dug up clumps) that are putting out nice new leaves.
Anyone want to give these a new home?

1--Mouse-Ear Hosta divisions
2--DL roots growing nicely
3--Delaware Valley Azalea cuttings--been growing since spring
4--Seed pods on my Swamp Milkweed

I'm sure the Mouse ears will find a home.

My swamp milkweed bloomed much earlier and the pods have long since dried and been collected. I think they split before getting very brown, when barely yellowing.

Jill, if I can get the Maypops wet enough, or we get rain, I will pot some and get them to you when I can, if not swap. They can be fussy about transplanting. Fair warning again- if they take to your deck bed, they will spring up everywhere within and without it, and grow all over whatever is in there. Mine is now blanketing my Van Houtte Spirea. I figure the dammm spirea is so vigorous it helps me to slow it down by shading it. The only time the Maypop died on me was either too much shade , too dry, or voles liked it.

Sally, I have been longing for passiflora incarnata for a long time now. If you have some to spare, could I have some?

I have Passiflora caerulea, but it does not host as many different fritillary species as incarnata does. Plus, it doesn't grow maypops. ;-)

I still have a pot of Passiflora incarnata on my patio, and the P. incarnata I have growing on my garden arch is doing fabulously, so I can divide my pot for CatMint and Critter. As I recall, Sally gave me at least 10 starts, and I potted about half. I will divide, up-pot and let you know.

I will try to get a few Maypops up with roots on them.

thanks so much, Muddy and Holly! :-)

thanks guys having my Maypop back! I wonder how well they do from seed? I must have 'pops ' out there by now.

You're welcome! I divided the starts and will take good care of them in the hope that they will forgive me for separating them. So far, they look good.

Thanks, Muddy! :-)

You're welcome; I'm glad it worked out.

Anyone who wanted the Mistflower from me, can you wait until spring? It's blooming so nicely right now and I just don't have the heart to cut it down and divide it up. I think it was Muddy, Pat, and Jill. I'll have plenty for the spring though, sorry if this is inconvenient.

No problem; I don't really need any anyway. If you deadhead Mistflower, it will keep blooming until frost. It's a great plant!

No problem Spring would be just fine with me.

I'll bring some--I have so much of it right now, I'll just dig some up rather than divide it.

Ok, thanks. I was walking around digging swap things yesterday and the mistflower clumps are just so big and woven in between everything that it would be a lot easier on my to dig it in the spring.

we're talking blue Conoclinum coelestinum (if I spelled it right) that Muddy gave me seeds for? It is so pretty right now. I have clumps more easily dug. When it goes to seed here, I think I'll 'always ' have it.

Yes, you'll 'always' have it. :-)

Here's a photo from my first bloom in June.

Yeah It doesn't seed about as much as everyone says. I find it to be an aggressive spreader via rhizomes though. Mine is lit up right now and the butterflies love it.

I had a couple sprouts grow up in the grass and, despite weekly mowing, still have not died.

Seq4, I hear ya, but give it a couple more years to decide if it reallys seeds 'that much' lol. That's my experience with Eupatorium serotinum, Late blooming Boneset. Then again, my yard is much less manicured than yours. I have area under trees neither mulched nor much weeded.

Oh my, that would drive me nuts. You probably have less time to work in the yard than I do. My two main gardens don't look very 'manicured' but everything within is a plant I planted. There was a pokeweed growing in an area that is extremely difficult to reach but it was in the middle of an annual I liked so I couldn't spray it with RU. Drove me nuts seeing it. Anyway, after my ROS removal this weekend I was able to get it. I felt such relief.

Cutting pokeweed down to the ground works ok too, although if it's established you have to chop it down a couple of times before it gives up.

I'm ok any time with the mistflower or maypops -- thanks, all!

I was wondering also about maypops from seed... I've tried a couple of times with trade seed, without success. Maybe they have to go "through" a bird?

less time, maybe. Less energy, probably! ROFL

I'm not sure Mark is 100% in love with the au naturale parts. He originally wanted the trees bare under, but now I have lots of rose campion, daffodils, aforementioned serotinum, volunteer dogwoods and hollies, etc etc. I do weed out mulberry, maple cherry etc trees, poison ivy, V creeper, grapevines and more.

What's really hard to maintain are the mini hedgerows that develop between neighbors after decades. After many years neither may know who's really responsible or what the other side prefers. And getting under old shrubs is such a trial.