Hi,
I was wondering if anyone has any plants they would be willing to donate to a good cause?
I recently moved into a new house and although I have alot of new space for plants (1/2 acre), I don't know where to begin!
I currently have a lot of seeds going (winter sowing) but dont really have much to trade at this time. I do have some Vinca minor (was here when i moved in). And some other bits. I will keep my list up to date if anyone wants anything in the future! Oh and I could start cuttings off my Roses- Joseph's Coat Climbers (I planted 3 last year and they fared well over winter! Yay, my first roses!)....I should add that it would be my first time doing cuttings so I dont know how long it would take.
Anyway, anything you may be willing to part with would be very helpful. Please, I would be indebted to you!
I have sun and shade and live in zone 6a.
Thanks so much,
Ness ;-)
(PS. this is a repost from plant trading forum- someone suggested i post it here.) Thanks
New (huge) yard. Help!!!!
In my area, at the plant swaps people always have extras and are willing to give to new gardeners without a trade. This happens all the time. So I would investigate plant swaps in your area. Usually the plants you will get will be the 'common ones' but this is good as these are usually hardy for your area! It is a good way to meet people too. You might also check if local garden clubs are having sales. This is a good way to get plants cheap and that are hardy for your area. Look for them in spring time.
One thing it is good to have a general garden and landscape plan. I would try to draw up a rough plan of garden beds. You can do this on graph paper. Or if you post pictures here people will give you ideas to help you get going. Without a plan, you could have things be haphazard and have to replant things to organize at a later date resulting in more work.
Sue
Hi nessie, met you on chat last night? not sure as it goes so fast on there.
Sue has given some excellent suggestions.
A pic of the yard you are hoping to fill would help.
Give us a chance to know you and your situation and I'm sure some help will be forthcoming. Some of us have been stung by folks who weren't quite what they said so it may take a bit.
being way out here in the high desert of Utah, I've probably little that would translate.... but how about a few liriope? they are beginning to show already. and they are spreaders. low growing. ~Blooms
Hi again Blooms,
It was a pleasure meeting you last night! Sorry i had to go so soon. lol
Thank you for the offer of liriope but some one has offered me Monkey Grass already (I believe its the same- right?) i dont want to be greedy!
I completely understand what your saying about being wary. In fact I feel a bit sheepish about having asked for help.
I have gone over my property and have found some other things to trade that i previously overlooked. I guess since i didnt plant them- i over looked them.
I am constantly trying to update my trade list.
I urge anyone who is considering sending me anything to please let me know if i have anything that might interest them. Iwill have more later in the season from seed if successful. LOL
Sue- I appreciate your advice, thank you. I want to join my local Garden club but so far have not made it to any of the meetings (i've been a bit busy with our latest edition to the family- Aidan- our 15 mo. old. not to mention the other 3 keep me busy as well..LOL) But i am dying to go. Not only for gardening aspect but my sanity as well! lol.
I will try to post some pics as soon as possible!
I did try to graph the yard to the best of my ability and then i made templates to represent gardenbeds so that i can mix and match sizes.
Last August my DH -after listening to my grand ideas- went and borrowed a tiller from a friend as a surprise- and proceeded to till an area about 25' X 50'. (And an area behind the garage about 6' X 20' maybe. I planted my roses there with some sedum, Morning Glory, Sempervurnum- (seedsand seedlings too but the ducks and rabbits ate those.) So far the rest are doing well. I wrapped soaker hoses around the roses. Its really hot back there but the roses seem to like it, when i checked them a week ago none of the cane looked winter damaged at all.)
I was thankful but geez when he does something he really goes all out.
So anyway, the larger area down the hill was previously cover in thistle, touch me not, etc. so i covered it with a black tarp after raking it even and watering. (hope to kill weed seeds). I'm trying to go as organic as possible because i have a stream running through and i dont want the run off poisoned.
And there it sits waiting..looming..lol
Perhaps i should be asking for donations of time instead..lol!
Anyway thank you all for your help. I look forward to getting to know you all!
Ness ;-)
oh, Ness, do join them if you can find the time. Someone to talk to that is over 3 feet tall can feel so wonderful. LOL
Been there done that with the kid thing. Had three in four years. 58, 59,61 There was a point where I had been pregnant 'FOREVER' and then there were the wonderful years where one can NOT turn one's back long enuff to do anything because they would be up to something dangerous, sure as shootin'. mixing cereal and powdered laundry detergent on the kitchen floor comes to mind.
25 by 50 feet is as big as some folks' whole yard.... no wonder you are overwhelmed with the whole thing. AND he TILLED in the thistles? oh mi goodness.... black plastic is a wonderful idea. The summer's sun on the plastic should kill off a bunch of it. Maybe only plant a half to fight the weeds in this year??? touch me nots? the ones with the seed heads that burst open when you touch them???
Gotta run, someone's pulling in the driveway. ~Blooms
NessieGirl - wow you have your hands full! Take it slow don't try to do too much too quickly. You need to enjoy time with your children. So I wanted to clarify that the garden club plant sales I was thinking of are the ones open to the public. You need not be a member to get plants. In my area, all the clubs have sales as a fundraiser for the club's activities. They use the money to beautify town building and traffic islands with plantings so it is for a good cause! So I too since I work am not able to go to any garden club meetings but usually the sales are held on a Saturday morning or some morning during the week. One suggestion is to get there early as these are popular in my area.
Sue
LOL about the cereal and detergent!!! I've had those days. Cell phone in the dogs bowl comes to mind here!
Well, I ran around trying to cut down alot of it before he tilled it in, but i knew that i couldn't have possibly got it all. Besides who knows what weeds lurked in there still.
(and I needed the extra time it would take doing it with a tarp... too many projects at once.)
Yep the yellow/orange ones that burst. I hope a few come back further back behind the beds. I like them. But i noticed bfr we started that they seemd to be dying. I think maybe the neighbors behind us didnt appreciate them and sprayed the area. It was probably a stand of em 8' X 15' X 4-5' high.
It screened of my veiw of their house. Now its a Wide open gaping view.
I think some Crabapples, Hydrangeas, Viburnum? may be in order.
I've got to get out there and take pics- its just it looks so ugly and bare, i'm almost embarrassed to post pics. It looks much better when the trees have leafed out.
Of course neighbors are taking down all the dead trees so its looking even more sparse....I liked having some dead trees for the wildlife, bats, etc. but people are so concerned with not having dead trees fall into their living rooms.. sheesh! LOL
Gotta go
Ness ;-)
Sedum
thanks i will look into that. I am going to call the local GC and see.
I think i am only going to plant part of the area this year. Already i made the mistake of telling DH that under the Sugar Maple where the grass wont grow is a future shade garden....Man! He almost jumped right on that bandwagon! Was makin plans to borrow so-an so's trailer and pick up a bunch of topsoil from the city! (its free)
I had to tell him No! Not yet! Just ideas-Future plans! LOL
If only I could get him to plant....need to devise a bribe or something....hehe.
Ness
;-)
If you spread more than an inch or so of topsoil over the established tree root it can be bad news - let's see who do we ask on DG about that? There was somebody giving good advice on that here sum'air and my nurserry guy guru said it a nono to do it overall. pockets was all right.
But a whole truckoad i am sure would be bad for the tree.
I _know_ that is is bad to bury the roots deeper than their normal 'drink' level. however do not worry about making holes that may be full of the fibrous roots.... don't worry they will grow right back... LOL until when you go to move a plant somewhere [for some reason] you will wonder how it managed to get any of the water you were putting down.