Shall We Introduce Ourselves? -Part 2

A fresh start to introductions. If you would like to read the initial introductions here is the thread: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/575282/

-Garity

Smart idea!! Any plant sales going down in our neck of the woods, Garity?

Hi All !

I live up near Lake Erie, have been playing in the dirt with flowers and plants most of my life. I am an empty nester, living with husband (a non-gardener) my small dog Dutch and two cats Kate and Fred. I work fulltime and gardening is my way to unwind and relax.

I was happy to find DG site as I have attempted several times to start a garden journal and failed, once I got the hang of the journal on this site I can't stay away. I hope to add pictures as my many plants come into bloom this season. I consider myself a plant collector, if I like it, I buy it and then try to find a place to plant it.

Interesting thought there ladygardener.....A plant collector. I do the same thing.....find something that I like, purchase it and then find a place for it.

I am only on year number two of gardening at this house. I am only a beginner. There have been a few things that I have had to move around, but most things usually end up staying where I planted them originally.

I love the looks of a well planned garden, but that doesn't suit my personality. If I become too bogged down in the planning stage, the "doing" stage never gets done. I am gonna have to think about this concept and see if I ought to maybe spend a little more time in the planning stage. haha

But thanks lady for giving me a name that I can call myself. A plant collector. Love it!!!

Ruby

Or how about this "The Plant Whisperers" Has a nice ring to it eh? Heck I buy plants and can't find a place for them...so sad!!! That's when stuff gets moved from the living to another area...plants come first!

LOL at plant whisperers. In my non-plant life, I am Squirrel Whisperer. My cousin in Montana who heads up fish hatcheries is Fish Whisperer. My sister in PA who oversees a facility for elderly retired clergy is Priest Whisperer. Plant whisperers is a great name for the garden obsessed, which I suspect we all are.

You gals in Fredericksburg and Stafford aren't that far from me. It's only a hop-skip-and-jump to Fredericksburg from here via the Potomac River Bridge. I think there's someone else in this group who lives right up the road in Chesapeake Beach too. We should have our own little get-ta-know-ya gathering.

annie

Annie,
I believe you're right!!! I remember following coaches the "back way" to get to MD and wondered how the heck we were getting there via the way they were going. Get there, we did, though!!
A get-together would be nice!!

Hey, I NEVER whisper nothing! Suffer from a loud voice and whispering ain't my forté!!

A local get together would be ok in my book, whispering 'an all!!

Ah come on - some of you have got to be ancient like me...remember that commercial: "If you want to capture someone's attention...whissperr" LOL
Now Becky...you took the last one of the cactus...talk to your connections there and tell them I NEED one!!! LOL I'm hitting the Dumfries one on my way home tonight...LOL (that'll be 3 down...a million to go...LOL)

Edit b/c I lost my mind and double posted....just as bad as double dipping - LOL

This message was edited May 24, 2006 4:14 PM

OMG, you are as obsessed as I am!
I promise never, never, never to grab the cool cactus, or post a picture of one if they don't have several! Or, if I buy one I have to make sure I get you one as well! Hows that!?There are so many Giants and so little time!

You do know modern science has never come up with a good treatment for the insanity we all seem to suffer from!!

Maybe I should start up a "plantaholic" group! Though it can't anonymous, our obsession is too visible!
So, who's got a hubby that is handy and can help my put up new, wider windowsills??
Mine is the same as the hubby in the "Rant!" thread, he is not allowed anywhere near anything that involves weeding, tools, plants, electrical or anything of that nature!!

Annie has a great idea for a get together thingie. I would be up for meeting some of you folks. This Saturday I am going to attempt to go to the Plant Swap that is being hosted by JennaStone. Will any of you be there?

Can we meet when I come back from my long awaited vacation????????

I'll be the non-whispering Norwegian chick with the red hat!! :)

I will more than likely indulging in some fresh Norwegian Seafood when y'all are swapping plants!! (sorry)

Ah Becky - no worries...you go right ahead...all is fair in purchasing of plants. It dawned on me why I liked it so much - the same type has been on my "watch" list on an ebay "buy it now" for weeks...LOL Too funny, eh? Did you look at Franj's photo of his that the person who ID's yours referenced? VERY nice plant!!!
I work for a psychiatrist and I'm just not thinkin' there's a med to take care of this issue!!!
LOL - I keep saying I need a 10 step program for plant purchasing!!!

Ruby - sadly I cant' make that one this Sat. - I was hoping to but my son's got the state tournement for his travel team this entire weekend. Hmmmm, maybe they'll have some out of the way nurseries down there eh? LOL

Yes, and it's just the one I have, yuhuuuuuuuuu. Can't wait to get my first cacti bloom!! I will feel like a proud mother!!

Does it have buds?

LOL no, I wish. Nope just looking ahead to the future!

Bec-No-Va. "Maybe I should start up a "plantaholic" group! Though it can't anonymous, our obsession is too visible!"

Do we really want to be cured???? And we are making the world a prettier place to live. : )

Personally, I don't want to be cured...I rather like my obsession. BTW, Becky...strike 3 Giant #3...although they did have one I liked....but I've become so picky about what I buy any more...ah, the challenge of it all. I have 3 more Giants...make that 4 (I"ll be in Manassas tomorrow night)...that I can stalk still...LOL

I'm an obsessed plant collector & seed starter.

And what's this about cactus? (Sorry ... missed the beginning I think). I have
some big clumps of optunia & I really regret it. I am waiting for them to bloom
and then I'll dig 'em out. They are just awful to weed around. I always am
getting stuck!

Tam

Hmmm....Tammy did you say Cactus? LOL What color are the blooms or do you have pics. I'd be interested in getting some rooted plants off of you if you'd be willing...after you've dug them up. I'd be happy to pay you for postage and send you up some seeds. PLMK and thank you.

You can have 'em. Yellow bloom & REALLY easy to root. Here's a pic
from last year. This year will be even more glorious.

Let me give you one more warning/story: I ruined a pair of wonderful gloves
when I dug out one of these babies. The needles were embedded in the
leather and stuck me every time I wore them. They were bionic gloves - just
wonderful wonderful gloves.

So... you've been given the warnings. I can pack up as many "pads" as you
like to root & see how much rooted plant I can save. You'll have plenty.

Tam

I live in a fairly rural community about 20 miles outside of Richmond. I have been in this old farmhouse about 9 years, but theis is the first year I have decided to dabble in gardening. We have about 7 acres of yard, and the previous owner left of many plants. Unfortunately we have not taken care of them, and have no idea what they are. We have a pear tree, 3 walnut trees, a pecan tree, 4 apple trees (all different), hundreds of iris, daylillies, and 3 very old rose bushes. I am actually ashamed at how I have let things get so bad. So, this year I made it my project to weed, feed, mulch, support, and trim. You know what? I am LOVING it. I am having so much fun, that I went to a wonderful perrenial place here and bought a few peonies, and a new rose bush. My MIL, accross the street, has greenhouses, so I have even tried my hand at some seeds this year. I just put in Lupine, foxglove, moon plants, asparagus, and four o'clocks. I know all of them will be a lot of work. Anyway, I found this site in the last few weeks, and LOVE it. I read almost everyday! My two daughters and I are enjoying our yard so far this Spring.

Chantell, are you coming to the swap Saturday? I can bring you all the opuntia (prickly pear) you want. They have gorgeous yellow flowers followed by red fruits.

Hello brr. I lived in Richmond for 10 years and am very familiar with Hanover. Welcome to gardening addiction! LOL

Welcom brr!! We head south to your neck of the wood for baseball tournements - beiautiful area!

hart, you're so sweet - sadly baseball will be what keeps me away from the get together this weekend. I wanted so much to come but I've missed many of my son's games this season and promised him I'd be at all of them this weekend!!!

Tammy, I have a question for you.

I have the same cactus that a friend gave to me about 3 years ago. It has never bloomed for me. Each year when I think it is setting buds they turn into leaves, that should I be looking for, could you describe the difference between a leaf (guess you call them pads) and a flower bud.

Thanks

Hi Brr,

Welcome to the wonderful world of gardening! You will have so much fun. Could you post some pictures, maybe we can help you figure out what you have, I like playing ID that plant.

Ladygardener- you can see the flower buds on that picture. I'll have to look at my
cactus to see if I can find leaves & flower buds to help you with that question. I have
my cactus in hot sun sun sunny spot.

Tam

Tammy, Your cactus is way ahead of mine in growning, it is just pushing out new growth. We have had some very cold rainy days here. And my late tulips have just dropped their petals.

I have my cactus planted at the foudation of the garage rear the driveway, it gets hot sun from noon on, and not much water, as it is under the eaves.

I have been looking for flower buds every spring since I planted it, it's a habit of mine, I poke around the daf. leaves very early and look for buds and feel the iris leaves looking for the bulge of a bud. LOL

Sounds like me looking for signs of germination from my seed sowing! I go crazy every winter
and start way more plants than I have room for but it keeps me sane. (well - you know what I
mean. Perhaps non-gardeners may not agree I'm all that sane when they see my operation! LOL)
I've poked around the pots to see if the big seeds have opened (for stuff like peonies or other
seeds that are big & take forever to germinate).

And I live on a southern facing ridge of a "mountain" here is NE Pa. and am ahead of even
folks a few miles from me. And on top of that, the cactus is planted on the southern side of my
greenhouse, which is warmed through the winter (heat loss thru the glass) and reflected heat
from the windows too. So I've got a double edge on top of my zone6b location.

Tam

Hi,
My name is Gaby. My husband, my 4year old son Callum and I moved to New Jersey 2 years ago form Northern California. We will probably only live here for another 5 years and then back to the West coast we go. Mean while, I am enrolled in college in pursuit of a degree an Landscape Architecture. I am a novice gardner and really have little skills in this field, but have an eye for design. I love working outdoors and hope to learn alot working at a bio-dymnamic farm near by.
I was wondering if any of you could recommend any essential books for me to add to my growing landscaping/gardening library. I am focusing on organic growing but would like to find a good plant ID book.

So glad I found this group..
Thanks for help with my azalea..
Take care,
Gaby

You all have been very busy since the last time I checked in.

If you plant whisperers want to have a get-together this summer, I'd be willing to host one as long as you understand that we are just ordinary folks with a big veggie garden and you aren't expecting Longwood Gardens or anything like that. I grow fancy veggies but have nothing else spectacular except the woods around the house and the extraordinary vigor of the weeds..

If we wait a bit to get together, you can go home with some of the produce that will come pouring from the vegetable garden. Through the kindness of my next-door neighbor, who has gone way beyond plant whispering to obsessive seed starting, I ended up with 21 tomato plants this year. This is for a family of two. To say there will be extra is massive understatement. I'm not only willing to share, I'm insisting.

If you'd prefer a more central location, perhaps someone else would like to host this one.

Deer got into my granddaughter's garden and sheared off her pea plants at ground level. My beans just popped up and I'm afraid they'll suffer the same fate overnight. Wish I had a deer fence.

Sciurus

I put out those poles that use battery to zap the deer. Little bait to attract
them and then zap on their nose. Well ... the bait brought the deer but
the zap didn't seem to work. I've got more deer damage then before!
Argh!

Tam

Scirus -What about getting together in August? You are about 80 miles from us which is quite doable. Anyone else up to planning a Mid-Atlantic get-together?? If Prince Frederick doesn't work I can talk to John about having one here....

Maybe you want to start another thread to see what kind of interest there is?

-Kim

Hi- I am new here!! just started gardening although my mother has been doing it forever. I am in Baltimore , Maryland and am now addicted to perennials!! I have started a garden 4 feet wide by about 120 feet long!!!

Hi, Orzo. So tell us what you're planting in your new bed. With a gardening mama, I'll bed she's been able to share lots of good stuff with you.

I didn't see the the 'Part II' thread. I'll go ahead and post my message here too. Thank you for the warm welcome on the other thread!

Hi,

I'm Elizabeth, from Waynesboro, VA. I discovered DG a few weeks ago and finally decided to become a member. My DH and I bought our first house last fall and finally have our own yard to work in. I'm having a blast! Although, with two preschoolers I'm finding it hard to get as much done as I'd like. There were a few nice things in place when we moved in - mostly trees and bushes. We have a beautiful mature weeping cherry and a hugs maple in our front yard; as well as some climbing roses, flowering quince, peonies, dogwoods, locusts and oaks in the back. There were a large clump of iris that I divided last fall as well as an abudance of daylillies. Those daylillies are just about to bloom and I'm anxious to see what they look like. I have been dividing them and planting them in all my border beds that surround my house. I've also added coreopsis, hostas, tuplips, daffodils, freesias, mondo grass, delphiniums, columbine, verbena, St. John's wort, ajuga, sweet woodruff and some other stuff.

Happy Gardening!

-Elizabeth

Hi, Elizabeth.

I hope you get different colored daylilies! I really like my collection they bloom at different times so I get a real show!
Sounds like you have a good verity of plants and you are having fun, thats what it's all about, Fun and getting your hand in the dirt, and the payoff is lots of flowers to grace the yard.

Here is one of my babies to bloom, Siberian Iris,New Wine

Hey all!!!! I've been on DG for almost a year now. Live in Glen Burnie, but I'm a native Jersey girl!

This message was edited Jun 10, 2006 8:23 AM

I wasn't avoiding DG all week. I ended up spending all last week in central PA in response to an unexpected family emergency and didn't have internet access.

Wow! I was thinking August would be fine until I took a look at my calendar. The first two weekends I will be on vacation. Then I have a commitment the weekend of Aug. 26-27 that I'd forgotten. I do have the weekend of Aug 19th, all but the first weekend in July free, and nothing special planned for Labor Day weekend. Do any of those dates sound acceptible?

II came home to a crispy garden (hubby couldn't manage to turn on the sprinkler?) and bugs all over my cauliflower, broccoli, and eggplants. For as dry as it's been, the weeds seem to manage very well. Spent all day yesterday in the garden hacking them out from around my onions and leeks. At least we got some rain finally.

sciurus/annie