I'll look for them in a bit Star :) Getting everything ready incase we have tarnado watches out tonite, I hate it when the weather turns like this! When I find them I'll post them for you.
It was beautiful today finished up cleaning dead plants out in the front beds today, got four big bags of leaves and there is still enough leaves down to keep them comfy until it stays warm lol
Gardening: Cottage Garden Seed Swap & Chat #32
what ever survived the winter doesnt need any protection at this time of year and I hope your weather is good to you I hate those warning to, had a couple of close calls over the years and do not want a repeat
Oh my. I didn't really hear you say you considered growing Creeping Charlie on purpose did I Robin? That is one of the most evil plants on the planet...unless of course it's the only plant you ever want to have. It's fairly easy to pull out of my beds but it's impossible to get it out of the lawn. I have all but given up on any dreams of a perfect patch of green grass.
I actually dug up an obedient plant from behind my old work place and transplanted it in my yard a few years ago. I had no idea what it was at the time, I just thought it was a pretty flower. It only came back once. I never thought I'd be thankful for my rock-hard clay soil. LOL.
for green grass with no other plants in it use weed and feed it will get rid of the unwanted stuff in the lawn it worked great for me I had sumack growing every where
Did you have Creeping Charlie Mona? I swear that stuff is unstoppable. I've tried everything I can think of and even called into some radio gardening shows asking advice. They weren't too encouraging either advocating physical removal as about the only way of eradicating the stuff. But I have so much of it that physical removal seems an impossible task.
some of the gardener on here have complained about it had some a few years back and I found that the only way to get rid of it is killex it wipes out everything with it and I had it in the lawn and in some flower bed and I just removed the plants that I wanted to keep washed off the roots to make sure I had none of the other stuff and planted them in pots and then I went to town with the killex on the grass it made dead spots so I waited the recommended three weeks and then added sod to fix the mess
it worked but my lawn looked awfull for a month lol but it worked
also if you use proxide half and half with water or if you can get the 35 per cent them one cup to two gallons and spray them but be carefull it will kill everything bleach works also
but same thing will kill everthing
Yeah, that's the bummer. If you want to kill the Charlie you have to kill everything else too. I was tempted at one point to disc up the whole lot (the grassy areas) and just start over, but I've already put so much work and money in it that I'm balking at the idea now. I have all the clover and other weeds gone and the grass has really thickened up. (It was a pasture before I started gardening back there so you can imagine how terrible it was.) My remaining hope is that I can get the grass thick enough to choke the Charlie. LOL there's surely a joke in there somewhere but I think I'll just leave that one alone.
LOL - Lala, no, I'm not growing it on *purpose* - it's a very healthy volunteer. The one good thing about it is that it's green now, when a lot of other stuff isn't, so I can spot it and get rid of what I can get my hands on. The landscaper the previous owner hired was an idiot - seemed to try to create a cottage garden but it was mostly "one of everything" - including a Chameleon plant - which I'm still battling with, but I think this may be the year I finally get it all out. I had Purple Loosestrife (planted on purpose) in three different areas - it's been fun cleaning up after a "landscaper" who didn't know what the &*%&^%*&^*) they were planting. Another thing I want to get out of the yard in the next couple of days are the brand new baby dandelions....
The good news is the basement isn't flooding like mad anymore. There was a little side drain thingy that the sewer folk found and unplugged, and while we had some water back up last night during the storms it wasn't bad at all, no sump pump required. Which means that the guy who told me I had to spend over two grand to let him dig up my entire front yard will NOT be digging up my entire front yard, and I can spend that two grand on getting the basement jackhammered up and the broken sewer pipe fixed.
Yeah Robin! I'm glad you won't have to tear up your yard, it's so pretty!
Since we were chatting about invasives, has anyone else found Monarda to be invasive? I planted some back at the same time I had the obedient plant, and it's a wonder I didn't just move! It was a nightmare. Now, I'm seeing all different versions of it, and some are SO pretty that I'm tempted again, and wondering if there are some types that are less of a problem than others. I do think that it was a self-seeding problem (unlike the obedient plant, that sneaks all over underground), and now that I'm more attentive I could perhaps keep up with the deadheading better. Any thoughts?
I had one variety of Monarda (a wine color) that was aggressive, but I wouldn't call it invasive. It was an old variety that always got mildew, so I didn't bring any to my current garden. The named varieties I've tried have been fairly well behaved, red varieties (Jacob Cline, Cambridge Scarlet) spread fastest for me, but aren't problematic. Marshall's Delight is very tidy.
LeBug, if you don't find yours, LMK... I've got Victoria Blue from the piggy swap (probably from you!), and the packet looks quite enough to share.
Disobedient plant... LOL.. doesn't seem to be reseeding for me, but boy oh boy it's a fast spreader. I'll be digging lots of it this spring. Anybody decides they want some, just LMK.
Monarda is a semi fast spreader but I find if you dig it up it doesn't leave behind tons of little pieces to battle like the obedient plant does. I would never be without my jacob cline even if it was invasive it is the hummingbird's favorite plant here. I love those little birds. This is a picture I posted in the plantfiles http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/162122/
Everyone that comes in my yard wants some of it - so I am always worried I won't have enough!! : )
I'd have to agree on Monarda not being that aggressive. I've got some in the back and it does spread, but it's so easy to pull up without leaving little things behind. And I MUCH prefer pulling that out just because it smells so great while you're doing it :-)
I'm having a dreadful time getting my seeds to start this year, not sure what's going on, but I'm about to restart three full flats of things that have refused to germ.
Dryad, when the city no longer allowed the downspouts to go into city storm drains, I had a terrible basement flooding problem. My handyman cured it by having some of the downspouts go into a pvc pipe on the side of my house (hopefully you can hide it behind plantings), then attached hosing to that to carry it away from the house.
Yeah, the problem here is the neighbor's had their gutters redone, and the folks who did it illegally ran the downspouts to the sewer lines. I'm seriously debating getting in touch with an attorney and having those roofing folks pay to have my basement fixed since they're the one's who caused the problem. Our downspouts either carry the water to the street or elsewhere in the yard, or are run directly to rain barrels. Maybe I can talk my neighbors into some rain barrels.......
If your neighbors won't deal with it and their installation was illegal, I'd call the city inspector before paying for a lawyer.
Inspector's already been here - and is ready to write them up. Problem is, we get along with them really well.....I'm going to have to jiggle them today and remind them. Then I'll call the inspector and ask him to come around for another "visit" - they'll end up getting a warning, but that should do the trick.
Well, if you get along with them really well, then they should understand your problem and be willing to fix it quickly if it's their fault. If not, then guess you don't get along with them quite as well as you thought, and you may have to end up having them not as friendly, but you probably won't feel as friendly either. Some things can't be helped.
For real, and it gona cost you out of yoru pocket and maybe even mor emoney down the line. If th epositions were reversed when it come shouses and money that coems before being neighborly for sure.
It's their roofer's fault that the downspouts were put in improperly - that contractor did it knowing it was illegal. That's why I think they're the likely candidate. (We sat on our front porch and watched them do it while sipping iced tea....I shoulda said something then, silly me.)
I live out in the boonies lol country and I have every weed known to man lol so I start the spring with week and feed on the lawns and do it again in summer and again in early fall it keeps it pretty good back back do not want to weed if I dont have to
last fall I notice this week growing in the back garden it is a mess of about 80 by 120 feet and there is a million of them growing in there I am going to have to use something to get rid of them I did notice that they made a zillion seeds so it will be a down hill battle for a while trying to think of something that will kill the seeds maybe I will put down 3 or 4 inches of news paper and then some much so it doesnt look to bad and that will germinate and kill them I hope cant think of anything else to large of an area and to many to use killer or something will cost a fortune
Star, found the Victoria blue seeds there are plenty probably about 50 in there, they will go out in tomorrow’s mail :)
Robin, I’ve been fighting that Chameleon plant for years in my shade garden just when I think I have won the battle it pops back up again!
What has refused to germinate for you, I’m curious :)
I’m soo glad you don’t have to have your front yard torn up but that’s not good about the basement either, guess it’s better than the front yard though :) Good Luck! I hope your basement isn’t like mine it would take two years to clear a space to dig a pipe up lol You know you saw it :)
At the end of the summer I move some Jacob Cline to the middle flower bed and before freeze time it moved about a foot, I’m wondering about that at least it’s moving toward where I have my host garden and not towards the rest of the flowers! I planted about four different kinds of Monarda there should be interesting this summer :) At the same time it’s gonna be purdy! I just know I’m going to have to stake that Jacob Cline and that’s going to be such a pain, too much wind back there.
I saw I had some Jacob Cline sprouts yesterday while digging around. Looks like it reseeds but I don't think it will be a problem. Not sure where I will put the extras as my big clump looks to need dividing.
Lea yesterday while out digging around I found the dark sedum you sent me last summer. I thought the drought had done it in as it did not grow much at all. Looks healthy and spry. Yaaayyy. Do you remember the name of it? Is it 'Purple Emperor'?
Good night all I'm going tto bed and read awhile
Veronica
perennials do not die when it gets to dry, they just go dormant
had it happen to me many times, I even buy perennial that are in very bad shape or if happen to be at a garden center and they are garbaging plants that look dead I ask if I can take them, free is always good
Veronica that JC multiplies by runners, last summer was my first year growing it and can tell it's gonna run lol And yes that was purple emperor if it's purple I had some to reseed last year from so much rain doesn't look like it did this year I've been looking I really like that one, some of my other ones are coming up too, that's not all I sent was it are any of the others coming up? My tri color is up and ruby glow whatever that is I may not have the name right that's the one the kids took my metal tag to. I did get a grass planted and some sedums around it that should be nice this year I've been wanting to do that for years lol I have this wonderful lady that keeps sending me grasses I'm in sedum and grass heaven lol I love DG's!!!
Does anyone know if you can clip the Jacob Cline so it doesn't get so tall? and when would be the best time to do it if you can?
all plants should be clipped as soon as they finish flowering for the season so they can build buds for the next year and notice if it blooms on old stems or new ones if its new one then you can cut it right back and if its on the what is called old wood then cut but not to much and keep the new growth trimmed and shorten over a few years
Do any of you have any extra Datura seeds? I cannot find the packets that I got from the Piggy Swap. I am so bummed. They didn't grow little roots and run away. I have never grown them and I was really looking forward to it.
what kind of daturas are you looking for
Any kind. I am not picky as I have never had one before. I had seeds for the Double yellow and a Purple and White.
Lynn, I have a bunch of either double or tripple yellow I just found some seed heads that were lost :) I just couldn't tell if they were double or tripple don't know the difference in them lol I'll look and see what I have in datura seeds sure doesn't look like I'm going to plant a bunch this year lol Apparently my tail is loaded down with lead this year!
LeBug, Thanks a bunch! Let me know if you want an envy or send you $. Do I have anything that you would like?
Don't want any more seeds :) I'll just send them out tomorrow when I send Star's :) I found some white too, they are a year old but should be good they've been in the fridge, I might have some purple I'm on the hunt lol
OOOOOHHHH, Thank you!
You guys get way too much rain/snow. I am jealous. I don't get a break. Pasture from across the creek. I did nothing. Except enjoy. Can't keep up with the weeds. Will end up having to direct sow many of my seeds. Oh well.
WIB,
SW
Your welcome, thank you! I just found some other seeds I was looking for LOL Those little squirts just hide everywhere!
SW, your pasture looks like it has flowers already do the butterflies like it?
Lea- the monarda can be chopped back in the spring to prevent flopping. I have become quite a chopper of the flopper and monarda is one that bounces back well from an early pruning. Of course your blooms will be delayed a bit but it beats the heck out of staking IMHO.
How tall should I let them get before I chop them sure don't want to miss those blooms, don't care if it's delayed I saw those blooms last year and they are huge! Someone sent me some in a trade by mistake guess they had a runner in with a plant too many plants to figure out who it was in that area lol I had them in afternoon shade and they were so unhappy I'm surprised they made it till I got to transplant them in the fall and they started multiplying soon as I transplanted them lol
La, those purple datura seeds that you sent me are they the tatula do you know, how tall do they get? I think I want to try some in pots for this year.
This message was edited Mar 12, 2009 2:50 AM
Lea I cut my Monarda back last spring/summer when they had reached about 1/2 their height...maybe a foot tall?
I really don't know anything about dats. Last year was my first time growing them so all I can say for sure is that the lavender seeds I shared came from a HUGE plant. In fact I'm not growing it this year for that reason, it was just too darn big and took up too much space. I doubt it would work in a pot. When I dug it up last year I had to dig quite a hole to get the entire root.
I pinch tall Monardas too, when they're about a foot to 18" tall. If its a big clump you can leave the center stalks to grow tall and pinch the outer stalks. The shorter, bushier growth around the outside of the clump holds the taller stems in the center up. I like doing that with tall Phlox too.
Lets see, what's not germinating you asked Lea; I've sown 3 kinds of Nemesia without a single sprout. Those have been the only total duds for me so far, then there are a couple of things that have only produced one lonely seedling, bat faced cuphaea and red and white bicolor salvia, both of which I've sown twice.