It has been a while.......

Greetings to everyone. I am confessing that it has been a while since I have been on this forum to do anything other than respond to posts about the Plant Swap which took place on June 9, 2007 at Hart's home.

So, I am going to make a point to begin readying more faithfully and getting back in touch with those of you who mean so much to me. Once again, things are going so fast at our household that I haven't had much leisure time the past few months. I feel as though I am behind on several things and need to begin addressing them.

Just glancing at some of the threads, I see that once again our Ladygardener1 has started several interesting threads. Ain't she the very best? I too have come to love looking at the pics that everyone posts. I have been taking some and at some point soon, I will sit down and post them here.

One observation I have made this season is that it seems to me at least, that many of my plants are a bit ahead of themselves in terms of blooming and such. I though my gladiolius and hostas blooms were mostly during August last year. I may be wrong though.

Anyway, again I will let all of you know how much it means to me to be able to come here and update you all about my goings on and finding out about all of yours. I hope that everyone had an enjoyable 4th. Take care and good to see all of you who continually post and keep this board alive. Thank you.

Ruby

This is a busy time for us gardeners. Planting, weeding, watering, clipping, and the list goes on. I must admit I'll get on DG and read the posts and think I'll respond later after I do my chores and then forget.

I love reading about everyones comings and goings, and enjoy the pictures.

Ruby I am making the same observation, I think some of my plants have been early too and then some seem to have started later. Go figure.

One plant that I am always checking on is my delpiniums, I started these from seed this year and have been watering and feeding them. I noticed that one has started to set a flower stalk! I'm like an expecting parent! If all goes well I'll be growing more next year to plant by my new fence.

I also look forward to checking on my DG buddies often. This means of communication fits so easily into today's lifestyle, or mine at least. You can't beat finding friends who NEVER tire of your plant talk!
ruby, the daylilies are growing and happy
Good day to all, and ladygardener, the delphs will look fantastic in front of that white.

"You can't beat finding friends who NEVER tire of your plant talk!"

You said it! :-)

I've got some oriental lilies opening now (the perfume from them is amazing), and I know they are a good 3 to 4 weeks ahead of schedule!

Lady, I think those tall delphiniums are going to look great against your new fence!

All this rain is making the grass and the plants look pretty happy! I guess I should take advantage of the moist ground and go out to do some serious weed pulling today. The rain is supposed to continue on and off, which puts a damper on my plans to go pick blueberries today (didn't get up there Tuesday after all, which I know Miata won't believe after all my big talk!).

all what rain? It mostly skips us!
thanks for reminding me to pick BBs before the birds do.

Critter, please send some of that rain North-west to me. Every time they predict rain it moves to the south of us. It will be almost a month since I had any rain that measured in the rain gauge. I hope they don't enforce a watering ban.

We have several wells that feed the community reservoir. But a good soaking rain will be a blessing.

We've been skipped (or merely spit upon) by a bunch of passing rainclouds also... but now we're finally getting measurable precipitation. Too bad there isn't away to send some of that flood-producing deluge elsewhere in the country to places that could really use the water...

Ruby... good to see you here with the rest of us. I so enjoyed my chat with you, though brief, at the swap. I look forward to seeing much more of you here. And I promise... one day I will get those recipes on here for you. (I know, I know... I said that before... I'm sorry!... 8-(

Karen

BTW... I agree with the "What rain???" statement! F'burg has been on the miss side of the usual hit-and-miss T-storms of summer. We are very dry here....

That rain is all over at my place. It's made the ground nice and damp for weeding which is just where I'm going for a while.

Ruby, it's good to hear from you. Like everyone else, I've been up to my eyeballs with garden stuff. We are finally getting some rain today, thank heavens.

I am very jealous of those of you getting enough rain. I loved the way that critter described what has been going on here also - being spit at. Besides being so good for the garden, I like to occasionally have a day or two of rain so that I can rest and relax a bit. For some reason, during rain I don't feel obligated to do anything much. As I analyze that thought, the thing that comes to mind as maybe the reason for that being, I was raised on a farm and that was just about the only time we were allowed to not have to work. Very interesting.....

I went away today to shop and run around town because I thought that we were going to have rain and that what is a daily job usually of watering the plants was going to be done for me. So much for that. Not even a good spit today. There is always tomorrow though.

Chris, you joggled my memory. I thought that I bought Delphinium seed and now I can't remember seeing it lately and as far as I know I didn't get it planted. Maybe it is stuck to another seed packet and I will find it. They are beauties.

Off to start dinner. Good seeing everyone.

Ruby

Ruby, I have a lot of seeds that never got started also. Some came to late in the swaps, so they are waiting for next year.
I ordered my delph seeds for T&M I wanted this deep blue color http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/us/en/product/4219/1
If they grow like I hope, I'll start more next spring for my new fence.

The man putting up the fence asked me what side I was going to plant, I said without hesitation "Both" LOL I think I have all the right elements for a "cottage garden" now.

Need to get the watering can out this evening, plants at the end of the yard are starting to droop! 8

Hey There Chris - No droopy plants allowed. ha-ha If that were the case, I would be in trouble quite often. Good thing that some plants droop so that we can give them water. The plants that don't warn you that they need water have sometimes been really damaged due to lack of watering here. Oh well, thankfully I don't lose too many plants due to that. I sometimes have a tendency to over water.

It is the weekend again. Have a good one all.

Ruby

Hi All,
Yes we have been lucky also to be getting some rain here and there... We have had about 4 or 5 inches now ... It really needed it....
I am going outside to build a screen around some of my dalhia's (sp) as the japaneese beetles a killing them so bad... So I have to do something... I dont think I am going to grow roses anymore as they destroy them every year... I dont want to put things down to kill the good bugs or the hummers... but this is awful... I am going to put my gloves on and go around once again and kill the buggers...LOL
Nice to see every one... Hope all are doing well....
Susan

Oh I am sorry I also wanted to show you one of my best friends who was not to happy with me after a trip to the new Petsmart that they opened here...LOL
She is saying MOM!!! did you have to buy another dress......
LOLOLOL
This is my Rose... she is 8 this year.... she is my sweet heart and one of my best friends....
Hugs to all and licks from Rosie...LOL
Susan

OMG!!! Hi Rosie!!! (waving!!!)

She is ssoooo cute!!!

She is my heart... When my other dog Cindy died this little lady pulled me through some tuff times.... She does not really mind the dress... on her collar it say's DIVA... How true.. We have 5 chi's...LOL
Thank you.. Rosie is waving back...
Sue

Awwwww! She's so cute! And so little. And so well dressed. LOL Do you have one of those little pocketbooks she can ride in? Hugs and kisses back to you, Rosie.

She hates being put inside of one of them so I just carry her when we take any of them out with us....
Thanks Hart and how ya doing?
Susan

Susan, Karen took the words right out of my mouth. Sooooo cute!!! I have three male dogs who mean a lot to me too. Starting about ten years ago I got Lucky who helped me get through some very, very rough emotional times. A few years later Dagmar and Blue came to live with us. Those two are very, very special too.

John and I both are very, very "into" our dogs. They get treated like royalty around here. I know that some people who visit us wish they weren't here sometimes, but hey, they are our most well behaved kids. ha-ha

I have threatened but never done it yet, to buy Dagmar, who is the smallest pup a winter sweater. Whenever he goes outside during the winter he shivers so badly. John said not to bother, that he was never outside long enough to really, really get too cold.

Susan, the Japanese Beetles have done some damage around here this week too. Daggone pests. This is the first time that we have had problems with them. We are using a poison to get rid of them though. Sure is ugly, seeing the white powder thrown on the pretty blooming flowers though.

Susan, John planted the Iris on Thursday. He said thank you very much. They are planted along the back yard fence and I can see them from my kitchen window. I hope that some of them are white!!!! Have you gotten any of yours in the ground yet, or will you wait?

Speaking of John, here he comes, so I will be scooting along. I hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Ruby

Ruby, you can get Sevin in a spray now. You can even get it in a sprayer that attaches to the hose if you want.

I know everybody says they just draw the beetles to your yard, but I use the traps. They work well when you have a yard this large and can place them well away from everything. So far I haven't seen any besides the original couple I saw on one of my roses and the traps are getting pretty full.

The bugs of all kinds this year have been horrible the last couple of weeks. I'm sure it's because of the mild winter although I was hoping those late cold snaps would help. I think I'm going to have to look at putting out some beneficial nematodes and/or milky spore because I'm tired of fighting bugs.

I had a miserable couple of weeks after getting umpteen chigger bites, now I have a blistering bite between my toes that is either spider or ant bites.

Susan, I'm fine. Reminds me, I owe you a dmail.

I think dog sweaters are a great idea if Dagmar gets cold. Java has a sweater and a jogging suit that's cute as can be. With her short hair and no fur on her belly, she gets really cold in the winter.

Oh, you have to post a pic of Java in the jogging suit. How cute!!! I think that some of Daggy's shivering is to make me feel guilty. ha-ha It works.

I will tell John to buy the Sevin in a spray the next time Hart. Hopefully we won't need it too much more. What makes them so bad this year when in the past I haven't had any problems with them at all? Is it because of the mild winter?

Thanks for all your tips Hart. You are a walking encyclopedia it seems. We need you here, that is for sure.

Again, everyone have a great weekend.

Ruby

Tell him it's in red bottles. I know WalMart carries it and I imagine Lowes does too. They have the hose attachment stuff or concentrate you can put in your sprayer and just stuff in a regular spray bottle.

I think they're bad because we've had a couple of mild winters and because they've been bad the past three years or so. More bugs, more grubs, more baby bugs.

They were horrible here the past two years. I don't think they're quite as bad this year but that may be because I got the traps out a lot earlier. I bought traps back in April, as soon as I saw them. The last couple of years, I had to scour the earth looking for the traps. In fact, last year all I could find was the refill lures and I had to jerryrig my own traps.

I think the milky spore is probably the best solution and it lasts for several years. But my yard is so huge, it would cost beyond a fortune to buy that much milky spore.

Alright, I am interested in knowing more about the milky spore. Time to turn to that page in your brain, Hart. ha-ha I hope that you slept well so that you are on top of things when I ask any of my very many questions. ha-ha

Oh yeah, just realized that when I first started working in soil during May there were loads of grubs, especially in one particular bed. I bought some concoction then to put down, but didn't get around to it. I am certainly sorry now. I will treat for the grubs in the fall, which is another possibility for treatment.

So, I hope that everyone will enjoy their Sunday.

Ruby

Ruby: Seeing your posts reminds me I have a question for you. You gave me two daylilies at the swap. John said one was yellow and that you didn't know the cultivar. That's fine. And the other one was "Ben 5." That's the one I have the question about. Do I have the name right? I couldn't find any daylily of that name on-line. Thanks!

Hi Devon - John is in charge of the Day Lilies. ha-ha He is off fishing this morning, but I made a note to ask him when he gets home if there is another name for it. Since you opened up the dialogue, I also have a question for you.

First of all, thank you so much for the Japanese Maple. We have had several compliments about it. Growing in the
Maple pot is some sort of leaf that is two-toned. It seems to be kind of a very dark maroon in the center of the leaf and green around the edges. Do you have any idea? If you need me to take a picture of it, I will do that if you are'nt certain about what I am asking about.

I will get back with you later today if I can. Take care.

Ruby

I know the fat white ones are Japanese beetle grubs but there are other pests that have fat, white grubs too. None of them good.

Milky spore is essentially a bacteria that spreads in the soil and kills the grubs but doesn't hurt humans, pets, toads, birds, etc. You put it down in the fall and it lasts for several years, spreading and killing the grubs.

There's a company in Orange that manufactures the milky spore. Lots of info on their website.
http://www.milkyspore.com/milkyspore.htm

If you mail them some of your grubs, they'll even tell you what they are. I'm glad I don't work in their mail room. LOL

But you don't have to mail order it. I've seen it at Lowes and other garden places.

ruby, is the dark maroon in a chevron pattern?

I found one of those too in with ajuga. If it's the same as the little plant I found, it's Persicaria Lance Corporal. Is this it, Ruby?
http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/b/bp/PELCP.html

I was so tickled to find it. I just love persicarias or polygonums as they used to be called.

That's right, it if has the Chevron it is Lance Corporal. It reseeds very aggressively so you might want to cut off the flower stalks after it flowers, but I like the plant.

Thanks for the info.

Ruby