Introducing myself

Hi! I am Seandor. I am a rookie gardener. We live in this terrific Victorian home in a historical district in Springfield MA. Since we moved here five years ago, we have replaced all the lawn (with seed - can't afford turf) and have done some landscaping (with various degrees of success!). This fall I managed to convince my very understanding husband to tear up a large part of his lawn to put in a fragrance garden. I started entering the plants in my fragrance garden journal. Now I am afraid I have taken on too much! Then I read that Grandpa has ordered 50 roses! I thought I was extravagant ordering 8! Anyway, I will probably turn to you for advice and support.

On Jan. 27 I have invited friends and neighbours to my house to swap lies about our gardens, to pour over seed and plant catalouges (I ordered dozens for this get together) and to swap plants and seeds. My guess is that 4 or 5 people will show up. If any of you are in the vicinity, you are welcome to come. Just post me a line, and I will give the details.

Cheers,
Seandor. :-)

Hi Sean,
Welcome aboard, I live in the NE cyberworld. There's nothing wrong with being a rookie gardener, it's a lifelong learning process.
Your get together sounds fun, you might have better luck with a plant swap in spring though.
I work in lawncare and prefer seeded lawns over sodded so don't feel bad there.

best of luck with your new hobbie,

Al

Hi, Seandor! Welcome to NE gardening. we are a friendly bunch and a little crazy ;0)

I should introduce myself if I'm going to be an example LOL. I'm just gram (my DH is papa). My name is jan. I really don't make a habit out of ordering 50 roses. My birthday/Christmas gift this year is a rose garden (DH also loves roses). So we're going all out. I expect by the time I'm done it will have at least 100 plants. So I feel like 50 is being conservative (hee, hee). You'll have to forgive me. I'm go excited about this project I'm like a little kid.

I would LOVE to see a pic of your Victorian home. We have a very nice NEW home and there are advantages to new, but how lovely to have an authentic old Victorian. What year was it built? (ignore me if I ask too many questions).

What 8 roses have you ordered? I'm assuming they are all very fragrant.

I think a get together in winter to chat about gardens is a great idea. You can swap seeds and promises for plants or cuttings in the spring and talk about plans. What fun! Wish I lived nearby.

Please do turn to any or all of us for advice and support. That's what Dave's Garden is all about. I've been amazed at all the real experts that hang out here.

jan

Hello Seandor and welcome! Remember, there is so much to know in gardening that there is no such thing as a silly question. I've been gardening about 10 years and there are still times I get totally lost on DG. (but maybe that's just me?!).
Enjoy and let me know if there is anything I could do to help orient you.
Dave (Not THE Dave)

Al I am curious as to why you said this "I work in lawncare and prefer seeded lawns over sodded so don't feel bad there." Just curious to know why this is??? I hope you don't mind me asking. TIA.

sorry Michaela-small sidetrack here


Dawn,
I have never seen scientific proof of this, but sodded lawns have always had more quackgrass than seeded lawns. Also they usually have more thatch problems like surface insects and slow recovery from damage. Root diseases like summer patch and necrotic ring spot are also much higher - mainly due to the sod being grown on nice loamy soil and being placed on poor draining soil. Seeded lawns take a few years to fully establish, but are more rooted into their homes.


Hey I grew Kelvin Floodlight last year also.

Thanks for the info Al - that was interesting.

Hi to Jan (aka Grandpapa).

Our house was built in 1899. It looks like a European burghermeister house. It was designed for a middle-class family who could afford a live-in maid - but not so affluent they could have a butler. Its about 4000 sq. feet. and has the original victorian bar in the 3rd floor games room. when you buy an older home, you have bought a 20 year hobby! My darling husband works very hard at restoring it. for instance, all the ornate brass door hinges had about 7 layers of paint on them. dave has been taking hinges off, boiling them (to loosen the paint), after removing all the paint, puts them back. Even the coat hooks in the front door way (which looked like they should be tossed) turned out to be these exquisite art nouveau styled hooks. :-)

As for the roses: Here is the list: Betty Harkness (small shrub); Margaret Merril (white shrub); Welsh Gold (apricot/yellow shrub - see picture); TESS OF THE D'URBEVILLES (red shrub); SCENTSATIONAL (2 minature roses);DARLOW'S ENIGMA (fragrant rambling rose); MIDNIGHT BLUE (dark purple); THE POET (small yellow shrub). All are rated as highly fragrant. I ordered them from Heirloom Roses, so they will be very small for two or three years.

I will get David to send me a picture of the house so I can post it. Any advice on the care and feeding of roses is much appreciated :-)

Cheers,
Seandor

Hi, again. your roses sound like a nice list. I'm familiar with most of them. funny thing..I just ordered 3 from Heirloom tonight myself. I tried mostly to get larger plants, but they had a couple I couldn't get elsewhere (Braveheart, Well Being and Orange Waves).

you might want to drop in over at the rose forum. at least to read some of the advice in the 'sticky'. I'm there all the time. wonderful folks with LOADS of both roses and knowledge. here's some basics. 1. first thing is what everybody says, dig a $50 hole for a $5 rose. 2. unless you have 'perfect' soil...amend, amend, amend...compost & manure 3. don't fertilize a newly planted rose. 4. Plenty of water! 5. at least 6-8 hours of sun a day.

your house sounds wonderful! I like the way you describe it as a 20-year hobby (bet it's more like a lifetime hobby LOL). but discovering that nice coat hook under umpteen layers of paint is part of the fun. wish I had the energy. will be looking forward to seeing it :0)

Welcome Seandor! Your house sounds lovely!! Right up my alley. I'd love to see some pictures of it as well. As for gardening, I'm just starting the wintersowing time of the year, so I have tons of seed to work with. I'll probably organize a seed swap in a month so keep your eyes alert for that.

Anita

Hi Seandor. Nice to "see" you! I'm in MA, too. We moved here 8 years ago this month.
I don't do a lot of posting on the boards as I rarely have anything interesting to say. However, I learn SOOO much here.
And about your fragrance garden... If you haven't already discovered peonies, please check them out. Many of them have a lovely smell and would look fantastic with your roses.

LoraB.

PS. Are you British? Just asking because of your "Cheers,". :-)

Hi LoraB,

I am an Anglo-Canadian originally from British Columbia. The population on the Canadian west coast is very diverse and people borrow words from every language. For instance, I often say "danke" instead of thank-you and people think I am German, etc. :-) We had peonies in BC - and they are wonderful - but I have limited space and need to get the most bang for my buck - that means seeking plants that will flower for months - not weeks. :-) On the other hand, if we are not successful with the roses, they may be replaced with peonies.

How do the large flowers of peonies fare with the torrential downpours in Massachusetts? I grew up in Vancouver and I never saw monsoon rains like I have experienced here!

Cheers,
Seandor :-)

Seandor, You will probably need to do more staking here. Wind & rain can really mess up the peonies.

Seandor, I was at the dentist yesterday and what did I find to read in the waiting room? Victorian Home magazine (I think that was the name). anyway, I was thinking about you while I was reading it.

Hi Seandor,
Welcome to the NE forum!! Your house is lovely, I can't imagine living in an old house like that. The history those walls must hold, if only they could talk! Looking forward to seeing pictures in the spring of all your plants, especially thoses roses!

Well the roses will be little tiny babies for a few years, I think. I have bought lisianthus to temporarily fill in the bald spots - also freesia. We'll see what luck we have with those.

Seandor

Baby roses often bloom very soon, although many people say you should let them put their energy into growing strong roots the first season and forgo the flowers.

hi seandor,
welcome to dave's and hello to a fellow springfield gardener. i wish i had read this post earlier , about your get together. well actually i'm in florida and couldn't come, but i sure would have wanted too. :-) perhaps another time. :-)
i live over towards the east longmeadow side of springfield, You? your home sounds like a work/play of love. how exciting to find those gorgeous hooks underneath all that paint. quite the adventure really.
welcome..........
debi z and my little doggie franklin

Hi Seandor... sorry for taking so long to welcome you... Welcome to DG... as you probably have figured out, this is a wonderful group of people... specially at the Northeast thread and the rose forum... could not be better!!!!!!

I don't live so far from you... well, at least we are in the same state!!!! and Spfld is part of my area of work for the past 9 years.... and is the home of the Big E.... oh sweet memories of mini donuts ... I only eat mini donuts at the Big E!

I love the charm of old victorian houses... I looked for one for several months before buying my current house... but I could not afford the one I wanted... oh well, so I am trying to plant a rose garden but my house was built in 1971... I keep thinking that it may not really go, but I love roses way too much to stop myself... and like Gram I also ordered at least 50 roses for this coming spring! well, there is way too much grass to bury this year.... I don't like grass too much... I feel like I live in a golf course... all I see on my street is grass...

I am planning to go to the flower show in Boston... Laura( the master gardener that got me hooked on DG) said is a great opportunity to see all the vendors and see new plants and get ideas... I can't wait to see tons of flowers... it has been too long for me!!!! and of course get some plants and seeds....

When is the flower show in Boston?

Hi Seandor! Good question! It's March 17 - 26. I'm aiming to go around the 19th... maybe 20th... not exactly sure. Anybody else going?

Harper

Harper, I will be there.... maybe we could all meet there!!!!

Anyone going to the CT flower show? I think it is Feb. 20-24.

Where is the Conneticut show held? Hartford is a lot closer than Boston :-)

well, I think the one in Boston is the New England Flower show... so Dave can also come to Boston!!!!!! lol....

I am so new at this that I don't know where the flower shows are yet!!!!

Welcome Seandor. I'm a novice gardener too. Good luck with your garden. I've not had good luck with roses, so I can't wait to hear how the rose gardens go for grampapa and you. Would love to see a pic of your lovely home!

I posted pictures of our house to this forum on Jan. 13 :-)

The CT flower show is on the north side of hartford at the convention center. Most of these shows are free if you get American Horticulture magazine(and are therefore a member of AHS)

Yes! I am a member!

Wow! Just took the tour of your home and garden. It's all so charming. I wanted to make a pitcher of ice tea and spend a couple of lazy hours sitting on your front porch. Love the walking path, I can't believe you and DH made the concrete stones yourselves. Your roses are going to look fab!

Michaela, where are the pict? I am dumb but I have no idea where to look for!!!!

Just go back a few pages in this forum until you find submissions from mid-January. I submitted them on Jan. 13.

Michaela

thanks!!!!

Hi Seandor! I've "seen you around" on some of the other forums. I don't post a lot here but do read a lot.

My second love (after gardening, of course!) is old houses. Oh how I wish, wish, wish I had an old Victorian. I grew up in an old industrial city in an area of gorgeous, huge, old houses - mansions, in a kid's eyes (and now converted into 6 apartments, etc., sadly), and I have always wanted one. Unfortunately, it seems in my neck of the woods, all the most beautiful houses are in areas where I'd be afraid to walk down the street at 12 noon on a sunny day! (Including the neighborhood I grew up in!). The houses themselves are cheaply priced, but I'd be afraid to live in them! Plus, DH is not handy and doesn't want the expense.

So, had to settle for my boring 50's suburban cape - which, as I point out to DH a bit too often for his liking - has had to have so much work done to it that it is probably comparable to having a Victorian, lol! Oh well...

I'm going to go find your old post and do some drooling. Just wanted to add that it was very kind and generous of you to invite the folks here to your house. Thank you!

:)
Dee

Michaela, I saw the pictures.. really charming... I love New England and the gorgeous victorian houses...Great pictures too.!I hope this year we have a long spring and summer... so all the roses can grow!!!!

If you like rugosas there are some threads at the rose forum that are a must read!

See you!

Thanks Dee and Kassia . . . we are very lucky. We live in probably the best neighbourhood in Massachusetts - fabulous homes - super low prices - and a safe neighbourhood because of its historical district designation. I could never afford this home anyplace else. Maybe when the flowers start blooming, I will make flower arrangements and take pictures of the flowers in various rooms of the house.

Right now, my husband is downstairs starting the renovation in the dining room - we won't be able to use that for about 4 months! He does fabulous work so I never complain.

Seandor - welcome to the Northeast Gardening Forum. We have a great group of folks here: a few who even managed to sneak in when we weren't looking!

Thanks Pirl, I am new to the Northeast in every sense of the word. Where is Southhold NY that it gets such a warm hardiness zone?

Way out on the North Fork (Wine Country) of the east end of Long Island, 14 miles before the very end - Orient Point. We have many more growing days than the "other fork" where the Hamptons are. It's why the vineyards are numerous here, not there.

It sounds wonderful! do you grow grapes as well? Alas . . . I would grow concord grapes in a heart beat but we are overrun by squirrels in our urban neighbourhood. . . .