South Jersey Gardeners?

Looking for some gardening neighbors:-) I am in Camden County. Anybody nearby?
Debbie

I live in burlington county in Browns Mills

Hi,
I am in Cherry Hill. I would love to discuss perennial gardening, vines, good annuals, ponds, shade gardens, but sorry, no vegetables!

Cathy

Hey I'm in Monmouth County - is that South Jersey enough? Wish my tomatoes looked that good!

Hi All,
How's it growing:-) My neighbor accrross the street picked a red tomato today. It was cause for celebration! My plants are doing well, but they got clobbered last night with that nasty rain. Anybody growing zucchini or yellow squash? My plants look great, but the fruit turns to mush at about two inches long. Too much rain?
Deb

Hi South Jersey! I live in Collingswood. Hey, Deb, where did you get the pavers you're using around your vegetable patch? Really keeps it all nice and tidy. Your vegies look great.

My focus is on native gardening and gardening to attract wildlife. I'm not a purist, though, and have many non-natives in the yard. In fact, I just picked my first tomato of the season!

Fireweed

Hi Fireweed!
I would love to share some of my wild life! (like the squirrels!) I feel like Snow White everytime I walk outside. This year I have seen tons of Goldfinches, and last year I had a pinkspotted hawkmoth that was in my garden every night for months:-) (The truth is he scared me, but I sure missed him when he was gone:-))
Thanks for the compliment on my pavers. I scrounged about sixty from my old vegetable garden. The rest I bought from assorted places in dribs and drabs since I started in March: Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart, just a few EPHenry blocks from McNaughton's- where they were way too expensive. There are 290 blocks in 5 raised beds. I am very happy with the results.
How was that tomato? What variety was it?
Your neighbor,
Deb:-)

Tomato was good but not the real Jersey tasting Rutgers tomato that I love. Thanks for asking. Frankly, I don't know what kind it was. I bought it at the Collingswood Farmers Market and they didn't know what kind it was either. I kind of plunked it in the ground back in May as an afterthought. I also put in a Rutgers plant but it isn't producing yet. My yard is so shady that I don't normally have much luck with vegies.

Yeah, I hear you about the squirrels! The little buggers are constantly cleaning me out of birdseed. But I'm delighted to look out my kitchen window and see chipmunks, woodpeckers, goldfinches and cardinals. I'm thinking of putting in a small pond to attract frogs and turtles.

I googled your pink spotted hawkmoth. What a beauty! Something that big might have scared me, too! Do you recall what he was eating? I'm very interested in native species and wonder if it was a native or non-native plant that attracted him.

Your beds are gorgeous. Nothing in my yard is so neat! That's why I was asking about the pavers. Perhaps they would neaten me up a little. lol I'll have to get the digital out and take a few pics to share.

I'll end with a little story about McNaughtons. I was there a few weeks ago and admired a birdbath. I checked the price and it was $135--way above my budget. Later that day I went to the Acme and saw the exact (and I mean EXACT) same birdbath for $65. (Yes, I bought it!) In the future, I'll look at McNaughtons but I'll buy somewhere else.

I'll be talking to ya, neighbor,
Sherry :)

Hello all!
I have two approx 20' hedges of 6-8' forsythia growing along a damp shady woodland border of my property. I neglected to prune them immediately after they finished blooming this year. (yeah, alright, and the past 2 years also) I was wondering just how much damage I'd do to next year's bloom if I hacked at them now? A very wise old gardener whom I learned much from as a child, told me the best time to prune is when your tools are sharp and you have the time. I recently replanted and neatened up the lowers growing borders between and adjacent to the forsythia so it's making the unruly shrubs look extra sloppy and overgrown. What do you think? Is it worth the risk of reducing next year's golden bells or would I still have a decent show of flowers?
Thanks for your info and opinions.
Cleo (me)