Home Depot in Fridley, MN has Summer Bulbs, Tubers, Etc.

Ventured over to HD this afternoon and they had two big racks of Dahlias, LA Lilies, Glads and Elephant Ears. Unfortunately, the lilies and dahlias were sprouting. They had placed the bins right under a big heat vent that was blowing very warm air. I mentioned something to one of the girls over there and she said she'd tell someone about my concern. I went off and picked up what I went there for in the first place and decided to go back and see if there was a decent package of LAs. I found one and decided to plant indoors tomorrow (10 bulbs for 6.96 mixed colors)) and see what happens with them. They also had oodles of pink and blue Hydrangea in 8 inch pots. Seeds were 40% off. And potted tulips that were done blooming on clearance.

Afterwards, I went over to Cub and they had some really nice Cyclamen. I picked up a beautiful looking plant with rosy-pink flowers. And then I decided, since we were having another snow storm, that I'd throw a few columbine seeds in one of those tinfoil baking pans (picked up some in the baking aisle), put it outside and see what happens. I wasn't going to experiment with winter sowing until next year, but thought why not. So now I'm off to read up on winter sowing.

This is what happens when you go shopping without a list.

I should get in to mine and see what's going on - it's been a few weeks now. Walmart around here has most of their stuff in.

Beaker - you doing dahlias this year?

Al

Just a few, Al and after a number of years of not having them. Where I'm tearing out my Currant bushes, I'm planting Princess Diana and Prince Charles Clematis and in front of those, I'll be planting Honka. It's a cactus. Haven't quite decided what to border with yet. I was looking at some shorter pink ones at Swan Island, but then I decided I had too much going as it is. I may just use annuals. I will also have a few pot Dahlias. One is Silentia and for the life of me, can't remember the other one, but at the time, I just had to have it.

I've been staying away from Dahlias because the last summer I grew them we had storm after storm after storm and it was just too disheartening to find them all broken and beaten down. I'm going to try to use a cage of some sort on the Honka this year and see if that offers better protection than the garden stakes I used before.

I invested in rebar for staking my dahlias now.

Hey you have Cub there? I buy a lot of there $5 gallon shrubs - do they have those by you?

Yup, they are all over the place. I usually don't see too much for plants there that interest me, but I caved on the Cyclamen today. They looked just great.

What is rebar and why is it better than a garden stake? Would it be better than a tomato cage?

shrubs are in their summer outdoor setup if they have it.
rebar is steel rods. it's heavy duty.


btw - this thread was on staking
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/559258/

This message was edited Mar 15, 2006 9:18 PM

OK Beaker - I went out looking around today for local dahlias.
Menards seems to have a much better selection this year - best of any chain store. I always buy some at Stein's because you can buy single tubers there.

I'll check it out. There's one just up the stree from me.

I was really quite pleased with the large selection at HD this year. The best I've seen for summer bulbs there in a long time. (And I work at HD.)

Beaker, what kind of currants will you be trashing?

Red Lake - I use to make make Currant Jelly every year because it was my favorite glaze for ham. But I don't anymore. The birds get them all and then I have red poop all over the place. The robins especially love them.

I've really tortured myself for the past few years about taking them out, but I have a small yard and I need room for the plants I'm really interested in. Do you want them? They are really established. I don't know if I could get them out in one piece, especially since I've lost so much strength in my hands. If you want to take a shot at them, be my guest.

That is what I was thinking, if I could have them, but I have had Red lake too. Really I would only want to try if it were a variety I have never had.

For digging them out, might I suggest a grub pick. It has a long single thick pick on one side and a grubbing blade on the other that can be sharpened. Cut the shrub near to the ground to get it out of the way. Remove dirt around until you hit the larger roots. Than swing the grub to cut those root off. Using a shovel to cut roots is the pits. Believe me, a grub pick is well worth the investment.

The other way is to tie a rope around the shrub, then to your car, and pull them out.

Well, I'm no pro at removing shrubs, but what I've done in the past is use a pruning saw to cut through the roots. Do you think this grub pick would be easier? I bought a hachet one year to make kindling for my fire pit and I wasn't able to get the strength behind it to make a dent. My next purchase was a cute little chain saw. Makes my neighbors real nervous whenever I fire it up. TWANDA!

I've often thought about using my car to remove shrubs, but I figure bumpers are on a car for a purpose and it probably would not be a good idea to go without one.

Well I guess to start, you wouldn't tie it to the bumber. Some vehicles actually have tow loops under the car, or else you would tie to to the car's chassis, or what the bumper attaches to. But if you don't really know what I'm talking about, best to leave that solution alone.

Just in case you were possibly contemplating, DON'T ever put your chainsaw near dirt. The chain will dull immediately. If you can swing a sledge hammer, than the grub will cut the roots much faster. But I am now guess that will require more strength than you have. Cutting roots with a hand saw is a good (and safer) option. Of course that will dull the saw somewhat too, but not as bad. I keep one saw that I use for roots exclusively , so my others will always stay sharp. And of course, use a pruning saw, not one made for cutting lumber(carpenter's saw).

If you have a trailer hitch it works. At least last summer when taking down a tree at our cabin we used one. The tree got hung up on some branches of another tree and didn't come down so we hooked it up to the bumper hitch and pulled it down.

I noticed that the Costco in St. Lousi Park has bulbs now and that Menards is advertising them too. Spring must be coming soon.

lol beaker on the TAWANDA - I have been wanting my own personal chain saw, but I still have to ask Skip to cut things down for me. Our chain saw is a huge Stihl - too heavy for me to feel safe with. I do use the electric hedge trimmer and blower/sucker. Time for a girl to admit being a girl - all three are too hard to start for me. I always have to ask Skip or Josh to start them for me.

For cutting roots, I use loppers if the roots are clear enough, or a pruning saw. Like Leftwood, I have a specific saw for this.

We have used the truck and trailer hitch to pull dead trees out of the tree line. We try to leave them for the birds and critters if they don't seem dangerous, but otherwise they get pulled down in the winter. We drag them out on the pond ice, so they sink in the spring and give the fish structure to hide in.

Electric chainsaws are the lightest, but have a chord attached, of course. For gas, the little Echo's are the best by far. They start a bit differently: choke>>pull until it sputters>>turn off choke>>start it up. But they start every time. Because Echo builds their engines with tighter tolerances, you get more power out of a smaller engine. And only use Echo oil. It is far superior to all other 2 cycle engine oil.

ahhh -- good to know. I don't know if Dh will allow a brand in the house other than a Stihl, but if I buy it on my own.....

Thanks!

I have an Echo. The saw itself is only about 12 inches. It's really small and good to use when the pruners just won't do it and alot faster and easier than a saw. Now, if it only came in pink....

Pink chain saw. Somehow that makes me think of pink lego, that never did get off the ground.

We inherited a craftsman chain saw that my dad bought 30 to 35 years ago. It is heavy and still going so we can't seem to justify buying a new one. Maybe that would be a gift for my Dh for Father's day.

Echo you say. The electric one would be great, but that means a mighty long cord.

Ya know, I am not even sure Echo makes an electric one. And I wouldn't be able to speak to the quality if they do. Although I seriously doubt Echo would make a fair quality anything. If you come over to my place this spring, Zen, you can try it out. Mine is a 14". (And that will be before Father's Day, too.) Costs more, but well worth it, to me.

BTW Zenpotter, welcome to Dave's!

Thanks leftwood, I plan on being there this spring so get I will try out that saw.

Be sure not to cover your columbine seed...columbine seed needs exposure to light to sprout.

I'm afraid of power tools, LOL!