I decided that I would have a food forest and planted Kentucky Wonder climbing beans next to an up and coming cherry laurel in the garden. They grew, and it was 2011 and the beans they made were like toothpicks from drought, but apparently fertile. Still pulling baby bean plants out of my garden. Pic from yesterday:
Don't know if a mistake per se but planted salvia madrensis in a semi formal bed. It grows in an unruly manner so made area look messy, I had to yank it out.
Planted salvia Argentine Skies close to sprinkler head and it grew so vigorously it chocked and decimated some LA irises.
Planted ophipogon japonicum (mondo grass) as bed edging and didn't watch it closely. Very quickly encroached into other plants. Another yank out job.
Castor bean: ditto
my 2nd worst is probably the chocolate mint that was so well behaved during the drought, and I liked it for tea so I put it 3 or 4 places. Hunting and digging is underway, has been for a couple of years.
I'm in a never ending process of trying to get rid of my biggest mistake. My front yard, such as it is, has a large magnolia tree that provides a lot of shade. The rest of the yard was either a mix of St. Augustine and who knows what (but all green when mowed) or just naked. Since I know that Mother Nature doesn't like to be naked, I was constantly mulching that area. So then I get this big idea that I should plant a ground cover. I knew not to plant ivy. I'm fond of Asian Jasmine but everyone in Dallas seems to have some. Now this was years before I really knew about native plants, but I did see a ground cover in one of Howard Garret's books. It looked nice and it was evergreen. Had someone plant it and also put down some large pave stones. Looked nice. What was it you ask? Purple Wintercreeper Euonymous fortunei 'Coloratus'. The problem began when the ground cover became a mess of trip wires. I was worried that I needed extra homeowners insurance. Slowly I started clipping them and pulling what I could. This didn't help as it made them grow into large bushes and were robbing some other plants of nutrients. Had to pull out some mahonias but didn't know why at the time. Once again I am on the attack but am determined to win. Given the thick roots, it will probably take some time without interruption. Here's a picture of one bush that grew from snipping one tripwire. I've actually discovered some of the pavestones that were totally covered. (I don't know why but it looks like DG wants to upload this picture upside down so will work on that and add the picture later.)
This message was edited Apr 19, 2016 10:19 PM
Here's the offender. Note the pavestones that I'm discovering. Forgot I had as many as I do. There's also some sick looking mahonias in the background. Someone who works at the Texas Discovery Gardens advised me on how to trim those so they will bush out. I've done that but after thus picture was taken.
This message was edited Apr 19, 2016 10:26 PM
Gypsi - What happened to the cherry laurel? Did the beans overtake it?
I got a groundcover-type plant at a roundup. Don't know the name but it has pretty varigated leaves & makes a little pink pompom flower. And spreads everywhere. But it's easy to pull up.
And in the past, before I knew more about gardening, I'd fall for the pretty specimens at places like Lowe's, plant them & watch them die:(.
The beans climbed the cherry laurel and flung seeds all over my garden. They were kentucky wonder beans but they take a lot of water to produce edible green beans, even cooked they were like wood. I am still pulling the bean sprouts. Cherry Laurel grew to 20 feet in 4 years, I took it down twice then paid a tree company to grind the roots out. If you plant a cherry laurel plan on a full size tree very quickly. Birds planted mine, I now pull volunteers when they are small.
I was wrong. The winter creeper was my 2nd mistake altho still the worst. When I bought my house in '98 the backyard was mostly bare. I bought a small rosemary just to see if something could grow. It did grow. And grow. That would be ok except it occupies the sunniest part of the backyard, meaning it's not shaded by any of the oak trees. So now I have a sun hog. Smells good, but a sun hog nonetheless.
Wow, that's a big puppy! My hubby loves to stroke a rosemary whenever we walk past one & smell. I like the smell too. I don't remember how I knew this but when I planted my rosemary in my herb garden I kept it in it's big clay pot. Must have read that it spreads. It's been thriving & behaving.
Thought I'd give y'all an update on the state of the Purple Wintercreeper. I finally got all the 'shrubbery' removed. However, I haven't removed all of the roots. They don't want to die. Someone is coming over tomorrow to help me work on the roots. Will have to be careful not to damage any roots from the Magnolia or the Mahonias. Don't think they've crossed over to the other side (of the driveway) to reach my Oakleaf Hydrangea. I might end up pulling out the remaining mahonias but haven't decided yet. I still can't believe the roots of 'the evil one' went underneath the green metal barrier and choked some of the mahonias to death.
So here's a few pictures, assuming I can upload them. They show what the roots looked like after I did an 'off with their heads' on the shrubs. Finally got rid of what you'll see and it would be foolish to think that the roots are gone for good. That's why they are going to be attacked tomorrow. wish me luck!
This message was edited May 29, 2017 10:52 PM
I don't do jasmine and I sure don't want that creeper!
I hate to call them mistakes, since they are wonderful natives in their own right, but my Southern dewberry, Missouri violet, lyreleaf sage, and frostweed have all gone from one plant to hundreds... (I don't mind the violets and sage, since they are beautiful as tall groundcovers. My dad on the other hand hates them)
Brandon
my lyreleaf sage is also making a departure. I put the frostweed where it wouldn't be a problem and so far it isn't. will dodge your dewberries and violets I think.
If you deadhead the frostweed vigilantly after the flowers bloom and before they go to seed, it'll be a perfectly behaved butterfly plant. The keyword is vigilantly. One missed batch and you're looking at pulling hundreds of seedlings the following spring.
ooops. that explains a thing or 2, I didn't deadhead last year
It's a special feeling of utter despair to see an endless patch of those seedlings haha. And even more so when you find more after you thought you'd gotten them all. Good thing they're easy to pull when young, even in Blackland Prairie clay. It's actually kind of therapeutic, in that sense.
my worst plant is the Mexican Petunia, purple. The pink is not so bad but the purple comes us any where there is a spec of dirt so I spend lots of my time pulling them up. Also vinca vine. You will never get rid of this. alday
Vinca vine I do NOT compost, goes to the city dump. I'm not a fan of the purple ruella either. I dig the roots out when in a place they will get out of hand. didn't plant them
Has anyone successfully kept dahlias in the ground in north Texas?
I keep thinking I've listed my worst gardening mistakes. But now I'm realizing that there are more in the 'competition' for worst.
Maybe I should stick to giving away pots for those who need them. Have plenty, all sizes, that I get for free. Wish we could figure out a way to have a RU again. I miss y'all.
I need pots badly, esp 1 gallon
Gypsi - how soon do you need the pots? You're somewhere around Ft. Worth, correct? I have access to tons of pots, including gallon sized. When the weather stays nice and when the moon is in the Seventh House and Jupiter aligns with Mars (or something like that), I'm going to deliver quart and gallon sized pots to Frostweed in Arlington. Maybe all of us can rendezvous or maybe 2 of us can or whatever works. Got 4 new tires on my car so I'm ready to roll.
Which brings me to tell y'all about my score of the day. I rescued maybe 9 of those large size planters that trees are sold in. Someone put them on the curb for next week's bulk trash pick up. Too bad some were cracked. Neighbors probably thought I was cracked! The thing is that the planters should be recycled and not filling up the city dump. And when not in use for planting, because they have good drain holes, I can turn them upside down and viola! I've got a plant stand. Or give them away to anyone who wants one.
A few years back I used 2 such planters to hold my 2 Flame Acanthus plants. These 2 plants began life as mere twigs in styrofoam cups. And then, with very little help from me, they grew. And grew. And the bigger one is in full bloom right now.
next wednesday i could be in arlington for a bit. need pots by 10th I think
Wednesday is 'iffy'. Depends on whether I can talk to a worker bee ( pardon the expression -- just remembered you have bees) about timing. Should be ok but want to check first. The 10th is totally ok.
So 2 more things to consider, not in order of importance. Weather. Really would like rain but not to drive in it.
And Frostweed. If she's available, then cool. If not, where's a good place to meet? Dallas near Love Field? (my selfish choice) Somewhere else in Arlington? Somewhere near you, wherever that is? Or some other point in between? I'm pretty flexible except as it pertains to weather or really really very early in the morning.
Maybe we should continue this chat in email. Then I can send you my phone number. Plus, not everyone will care about the details.
Let me know if you want any other size containers and if you'll want a certain number of them or just as many as I can scarf up.
Anyone else reading this who wants in on this caper, speak up.
Frostweed-- if you're reading this then we need your input. Thanks.
wednesday in arlington. farthest I can go and my only and best day. Thursday I am having a discussion with some bees in joshua
Just saw this after first sending you a D-mail. Didn't know that you talked to bees. But that's ok. I talk to everything, living or not.
