Thanks. I agree about Norway maple - it's horrible. Shallow, hairy roots grow through everything and 5 billion seedlings every year. Almost impossible to grow under them.
What have you bought so far ?? Part 6
Candyce, I've been really lazy about taking gardening pics lately. With all of the rain, I doubt the azaleas have many blooms left. It's been puring here for days and I'm so sick of it! Anyway, I need to get better about gardening pics. I found some I took of my herb bed a few years ago and I was shocked at how much it changed... and how much neater it looked then... some things that were there before I put it in are encroaching on it. Lily of the Valley and some weed whose name I forget, but it's impossible to eradicate - comes back stronger every time, but I'm not giving up the fight!
I want a green house so badly so I can overwinter nifty things like tropical fruit. I've always wanted one of those grafted orange-lime-lemon trees. I could set up a bar next to it and entertain in the greenhouse in the winter!! Ahhh... it's nice to dream...
Cocktails in the greenhouse - I'm there!
We have at least 3 different maples right around us, I don't know what they are. I do know that we had thousands of seeds on the front lawn yesterday, and DH mowed and then there were none, until today, there are thousands again.
J. maples do it too, but at least you get a phenomenal tree so it's not so bad.
Norways have shallow roots??? Darn, might have to rethink this.
Ok... I took some pics when the rain broke and I went outside. They're just taken with my Blackberry phone so they're not great. Here is a pic of the new azaleas in front of the now finished forsythia, which needs a lot of work since it's been neglected for a long time.
Here are four Fisher Salmon I haven't planted yet. If anyone wants to see how insane I went with seeds, just check out my blog. I actually made a list but haven't organized it yet...
Here are some buckets of stuff I didn't buy but got from a lady on freecycle. Yes, that is a HUGE bucket and I put the screw driver in the pic for reference. The giant bucket is entirely grape hyacinth! It was actually overflowing when I got it home. I've given some away, planted quite a few and still have tons. I'm putting in a lot of beds this year, though, so it shant go to waste. If any one wants some, just let me know - I'm up for trading! The other buckets have mystery tulips and mystery daffodils and some kind of small white star shaped flower that blooms later (now) than the other stuff.
This purchase isn't a plant, but I'm really proud of my new composter. It was $110 at HD. I was going to make a composter (been saying so for years) and planned on doing it on the cheap. I hadn't figured out where to hide it where it would still be close to the kitchen door. I saw this and realized I wouldn't have to hide it, and I could even actually show it off! It's oak so rain and weathering will just make it more beautiful, and it's recycled. It's purple inside and still had the "merlot" tag on it ;)
I had a couple of fescues that did well for a few years until the myrtle (one of my mother's many "wish she didn't" plants) but thy did grow very slowly.
Sherri--you've done a ton of nice work--changed the whole atmosphere--I like it. MissF--nice wine barrel--it will make a nice composter. I bought 10 heritage tomatoes at WFF Tomatomania--names like Acker's W. Virginia, Orange banana, Box Car Willie, & Rose de Berne---they were expensive, but they were giving away Black Angus burgers---Yes---WFF now raises cattle across the road from the store. The burger was delicious, but I don't have a freezer anymore, so no place to store the meat. The tomatoes are strong & sturdy, & I can't wait to plant them. Also bought some jazzy salvias at a local nursery--the place is an amazing jungle--you never know what you'll find--a lot of stuff isn't labeled, but I know these salvias will be truly interesting! One is blooming now with med. pink bell-shaped flowers.
Yes, I love stopping at little local places too! We found lantana at a nursery near where we had to go today for a boring bridal shower (because I didn't know anybody). Of course I had to stop and get that, and as long as I was there. I got a little bit of lobelia - they had the trailing kind which I'd not been finding in my usual circles.
Hello again, Miss Fabulous (that's twice in one day) and I was thinking of putting in a LOT of muscari, but maybe I should look on Freecycle?
My mom has a beautiful shade arden under her norways, so it is not impossible nor is it hard, she's in her 70's . They have always just mowed the seedlings off with the mower when mowin the lawn and that takes care of that in short order, now if you don't mow your yard then you'd have a problem. Seedlings are very easy to pull up unlike Locust...........................
We have Jap. Maple and 3 other maples and very rarely do they reproduce. The Jap. never. The one Maple I have 2 seedlings this year. I was told it's a suger maple, it gets fire red leaf stems and buds in the spring, fall color is beautiful, from yellow to bright orange and finally red. Any one have a clue as to what they are?
Sugar maple does get beautiful fall colors. The seedlings in the lawn are no problem. In the beds they are a pain. My large JM produces thousands of seedlings each year. I truly wish it did not.
Carrie - I sent you a DM. Freecycle is a good way to find perennials. This just happened to be a fluke - she was offering rose bushes (just moved in and deathly allergic to bees) and all the muscari was in a spot that she's putting concrete.
Robin - the coolest thing about the barrel is that it's on a frame with four wheels that face UP, so it spins easily! The wider part of the barrel keeps it on the frame. I just love that thing! I bought it with my new tiller and field trimmer so they gave me 10% off everything, too - sometimes all you have to do is ask!
Sounds like I am going to hafta check out my local HD for a composter like that one. I love it, and I don't think that DSIL would object keeping it near the house. Thanks for the heads up on that one.
Candyce, I fell in love with it when I saw it. It's so nice looking, easy to use and they drilled air holes in it, too, so it's just all around effective and well designed. Spinning compost is definitely easier than turning it! I'd get over there soon - there were only a few left at my store, and you have to look them over because some of them have flaws (cracks, etc that might not matter but worth noting, and maybe to yield a discount :) and make sure they call other stores for you if they're out. I'll still keep a big leaf/misc pile elsewhere, but with this I have no worries about rats!
i saw something at WalMart that looked just like a big bag that was supposed to compost yard waste. Anyone know anything about that? It drives me crazy to just throw stuff away here. Back in STL, where dumpsters are in alleys, every block had 2 or 3 "Yard Waste ONLY" dumpsters. Here, i can only put them in the garbage - all i can recycle is paper (not cardboard), #1 and #2 plastic, glass, and metal.
sigh.
Amethyst, I don't see why you couldn't compost in a bag that had some air holes in it. Vermin could be a problem, but turning it would be easy enough by just smooshing the bag around. I think hanging a bag would be the way to go, with the holes at the top, made out of a good thick material. One of the other gardening websites I follow is Doug Green's gardens, http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com and he's always talking about compost tea. You collect the water from the compost runoff and use that in your gardens. Seems like a canvas/etc hanging bag over a bucket might be an easy way to do that without too many problems. Might even be some creative ways to make it look nice (or interesting anyway LOL) too. I haven't seen the Walmart bag, but I'll ask about it next time I'm there.
It was inexpensive, and not very big. i live in an apartment complex, and the area that i garden is fairly public, and parts are visible to at least 6 apartments from their windows, so i am limited as to how much "stuff" i can have around...
Hmm... thare are always ways to hide things! That wood lattice/trellis stuff is really cheap per sheet. Anyway to hide a compost area behind any of that? Maybe you can get some eco-friendly neighbors to pitch in? It's worth a try and you might inspire others!
I composted in "contractors bags" I think Glad or Husky makes them, bought at HD.
Just fall leaves, stored bags at side of garage poke hols in bottom tie at top. it takes an entire season for any composting to happen.
What great suggestions from all of you.
I'm hoping to get to HD soon, but first must build up my bank account ~ LOL. Such a trivial thing, having money, don't you know. But such a necessity when dreaming about gardening and garden improvements!
Just returned from Wayside Garden Ctr. Not affiliated w/Wayside mail order.
Golden Creeping Jenny -2
Aconitum "Snow White"
Huechura "Venus"
Huechera Pewter.
Toad Lily "Seiryu" dwarf
Painted Fern "Pewter Lace"
Jo Ann ~
That's a gorgeous haul from Wayside!
Is the Pewter Huechera the one that looks all silvery in the photo? I think that it just might be another 'must have' for me!
Yes it is. I grew it at my old house and It was beautiful in the early morning and evening on the patio. It almost shines.
Looks good w/ Painted fern too.
I like similar colors together using different plants for a change of texture.
It should be easy to find, it's not a rare plant.
This message was edited May 19, 2008 10:55 AM
Oooooh... I love huechura. I didn't know this, but it's native to the Northeast. I just bought my fist one a few years ago and it's one of my garden favorites. I'm noticing a recent obsession to accumulate more and more... I love how attractive the foliage is, and it's one of few tall flowers that I don't mind at the front of the border because the flowers are so delicate. I'm going to try some from seed... I'm skeptical it will work, but hey... I'm going to try!
My fingers are crossed for you, Shirley.
I didn't think I could grow coleus from seeds, but lookie here!!
Go toit girls!!!!!!!
The coleus looks great! I had some luck with coleus one year, too, Candyce. I think seeds that tiny are what makes me skeptical. Can a big plant really come outta that?? LOL I'm always more confident about bigger seeds, like nigella. It's a gift that keeps on giving, too, and not in a bad way. I started with a few plants a couple years ago, and every year, they reward me with more pretty puffs!
Thanks, Shirley and Jo Ann. Growing the coleus from seed has certainly taught me patience, for sure!
LOL there is nothing I hate worse than the fist several days after planting seeds. I'll walk out several times a day to stare at the flats full of blank soil. It's like going to the frig to get something to eat, not seeing anything appealing and then doing the same thing again every ten minutes. Won't find anything new in it!
Ive been thinking about that compost barrell. We go to antique auctions frequent. A lot of times old barrells come up. Sometimes a lot of barrells and sometimes one or two. One recent one went for 15 bucks. It has some writing on it something that it came out of Boston, I think a brewery.
I have seen them all sizes. They have the metal banding around them. I am just thinking that "IF" they were to be got at an auction, the only thing would to rig up a base to hold it and turn it. By what I can see it dont look that hard.
Now I am going to keep my eyes open for barrells !
Yes, it is actually a really simple design. It's also a very, very heavy, thick oak barrel. I have some old barrels around here that are much thinner and wouldn't last as long as a composter, but probably would work for several years. I think the trick to making the frame is to do it the right size for the barrels so that it stays stable and the wheels need to be high enough to keep the widest part from dragging. I might make another one from a barrel I have and just think of it as temporary, but I'm not sure how I'll cover the front (top) of the barrel. I'm not so good at cutting perfectly round things! I'm sure I can manage a door, but the cover I don't know. Maybe I'll use sheet metal or something else. I don't know... it's not like I don't have enough projects already!!!