Share your yarden?

Show us your zinnias! I didn't used to care for them but they sure pack a punch in the late summer garden. These are from a few seed heads left over from last year ~ and they've gone nuts.

Well, cripe! How can I even show my zinnia picture after you posted that one of your beauties, Moby?!? LOL

(and btw, if you like zinnias there are lots of zinnia threads going on the Annuals Forum)

What got my lilies?--well, the moles and voles, then the rabbits, then the deer. And I think some rotted. And they need more sun. And I carefully made cages from chicken wire for the bulbs last year, too. And used deer-off and scram and so on. Oh, well, lilies just aren't meant to be in our garden right now.

But, I do love all of your garden photos. It isn't very often that we get to see the whole garden bed and they are so pretty and interesting. If you get your magnifying glass out you might be able to see my two surviving Lily 'red hots' (out of about a hundred bulbs) in the border!

Wow Tabasco! Even without showing us your Zinnias and even without lilies you have one sweet looking yarden. :) More pictures please!

Diann

How nice and relaxing it looks! It's lovely, t.

Oh, beautiful gardens!

Thanks, everyone, you're so sweet!

I found one pic with a lily in it (sort of). Mostly this summer I have been planting flowers for the butterflies. Lots of fun...

That's an awesome pic! What are the b-flies enjoying there? Glad you posted that ~ we don't have many Swallowtails around here and for the first time today I saw one that wasn't in flight.


This message was edited Aug 17, 2007 5:04 PM

Well, Moby! It's exciting that you got a swallowtail to stop and visit! I found a site that lists the Nebraska butterflies by county for you--

http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/map?_dcs=1&ds=28

That's a buddleia in my picture -- I think maybe 'potter's purple'. Pretty good butterfly attractor and can be grown from seed or cuttings.

I have seen the butterflies on my few lilies too, which kind of surprised me. They like liatris too, which is a native to the Nebraska prairies--you probably already have that one, though, don't you...

I can share some butterfly nectar flower seeds this fall if anyone wants some, although I think from looking at everyone's garden pictures, everyone probably is well stocked with them already! Anyway, please d-mail me if you all want some.

Beautiful! What a lovely yarden tabasco, I ditto what everyone else has said.

Moby, everything you plant grows well. I'm so jealous! My garden is winding down now with a few late daylilies, species lilies, Cleome & zinnia with an occasional canna bloom. So sad.

I have lots of Weed blooms.....

Me too! But then I have been busy redoing my stream bed in the hope of eliminating some of those pesky weeds. I will post pictures on a new thread.

What is it they say... pride goeth before a fall? Well, they sure fell!
Had a nasty storm Monday night that even pushed the tomatoes and their cages over.

Looking a little wind-blown here with everything suddenly facing East. I'm lucky that I only lost a couple plants that were broken beyond repair, when others in town had huge trees come down on houses and cars.

Edited to add: the wind had quit by the time I took this pic ~ they were all stuck that way!



This message was edited Aug 23, 2007 12:40 AM

Aw Moby, I'm sorry.

Diann

Oh what a bummer. Glad you didn't lose them all.

My tomato stalks are pretty tough. They can blow over and when I prop them back up, they're not broken.

I had to go buy rebar and concrete remesh two months ago because the cages weren't working any longer. And I've even had a couple of sections of the stronger stuff go over in these storms. But the tomatoes keep on producing.

I have been roasting 2 or 3 pans a day of tomatoes. Whew!

You're right ~ the tomato I got from you took a beating and popped right back. Everything is looking better today, though a little thinned out.

TwinLakes, you and those tomatoes ;) . A woman after my own heart. I'm so impressed how many tomatoes I have had from your seedlings. They keep producing and they are the best tomatoes I have got. I've canned sauce, made fresh salsa everyday. It's been quite a treat, and I thank you.
(Did I tell you I have used epsom salts on them for the first time this year? Wow! I can't believe the difference!)

Oh, mag,
that warms my heart - I have a neighbor that loves the tomatoes and it is so fun to share with her. It's hard to believe there are people in this world that do not care for fresh tomatoes. Before I learned to grow them, I would drive 20 miles round trip to the farmer's market once a week and spend $ 20-25 for fresh tomatoes; this is the first year that I have not bought ONE tomato.

One neighbor I have given tomatoes to twice and she appreciated it so much she brought my dh and I dinner last night. (she must really like tomatoes).

We helped host a sailing club lunch and brought the tomatoes; some people didn't even know there were colors other than red.

What a beautiful, colorful platter! I could just virtually snatch them right up. Yum! I wanna be in that sailing club ;)
This is the first year I have not bought one Farmers Market tomato either. Funny you should mention that. And mine have all been sooooo delicious too. Honestly, it's been my best tomato year ever. Which reminds me, time to make salsa...

Oh, darn . . I just thought I was getting the hang of growing them . . . maybe it is just a good year; good thing to know so I don't get my hopes up too much next summer.

No, TwinLakes, you ARE good at growing them. I credit mine to the great start you gave them ;) Thanks again.

I grew Persimmon and Silver Fir Tree tomatoes this year. And my neighbor brought over White Beauty, Yellow Boy, and a pink one. Silver Fir Tree was definitely the best tasting, according to ME, with Yellow Boy the runner up. But SFT tomatoes are quite small, as is the plant.

Lefty, are you tomatoes Heirloom and are you saving seeds?

Maxine

Sorry to be hijacking lilies but I have to say my two best this year were Orange King and Stupice.
My reasons . . they came on fairly early and are still continuing to produce plus they are blemish free.

I also grew Patio Princess here at the house. . very manageable at only 2 feet tall (no staking) and produced early medium sized tomatoes that were so perfect they looked like they came from the grocery store. But they don't have the flavor of Black from Tula, Orange King, and many others.

The plum lemon have no taste really but I am going to roast them and see what happens.

Gold Medal and Long keeper have not turned yet. It's been fun.

Persimmon is heirloom, and I assume Silver Fir Tree is. SFT I got in a swap from a knowledgeable grower. I am seed saving, and they are the only tomatoes I grew this year, only about 25 ft separation. Is that enough? Persimmon came from the Friends Sale in St. Paul. They are described as "large deep golden orange with a luscious, sweet flavor, meaty texture,and minimal seeds." That's exactly what they are, sweet and good, but not brimming with flavor. Better than White Beauty, IMO. Should have seed if you'd like some.

I came in here to read posts before coffee, (a dangerous thing, indeed!) having forgotten you'd veered over to "tomato lilies" and started reading about Orange King and was thinking "Oh, is that related to TLG's "Orange Crush"? lol

Nothing like a good laugh at myself to start the day... I'm still waiting on my first tomatoes of the season. Soon, though. Yours all sound wonderful and delicious!

I guess when the lilies were done blooming the only thing left to think about was tomatoes. I grew persimmon a couple of years ago and it was ok.

Lefty, would like to try the Silver Fir tree tomatoe. I also have some heirloom seeds if you are interested in some. Should say tomatoe seeds to keep things in perspective.

Are you going to Bernies RU? If so I could bring some along.

That'd be fine Maxine. D-mail me with what you might have, and your address, but I don't require a trade to give seeds away.

I will be up at our cabin by Ely, MN at the time of Bernie's get together. Sorry, to all of you. It's been so hard to get away this year, and I haven't been up there since last fall. The "requirements" at work have been tortuous for my position, and now after the fact, I am really angry at myself for taking them so seriously. Anyway, I would extend an invitation to anyone to stop by my house on there way to or from Wisconsin, but I won't be around. However, there is still an open ended invite to any DGer that might be wandering up Minneapolis way an any time. Just let me know.

Actually, I have three species of lilies blooming now, and still one to go.
L. formosanum
L. speciosum var. rubrum
L. sp. wild from China via Chen Yi - haven't figured out what it might be yet.

And L. phillipinense to go yet.

Oh bummer, that you can't come Lefty, but glad that you're able to get away.

I have one lily blooming but I have to say that platter of tomatoes is gorgeous! Makes my mouth water!

Coburg Fright Wig is still blooming....

And good old Arachenephobia has sent up another stem....