Spring-2016 Gardening anyone? What do you plant? or not?

foxxycat · May 21, 2016

yes you can order it online-we just fixed a screen because Jon locked himself out of the house on Friday...we just installed new screen on the frame-its pretty easy to do-the hardest part is getting that ribbing to get into the groove with the special tool-we learned the hard way to snip the cord in the middle of the straight area-not in a corner where a piece of it sticks out no matter how much i mash it in with that tool. I remember someone saying you can get cat proof screen so you can still get fresh air.

sadly i have only worked outside for an hour. the bugs were just too much. need a good breeze to blow the blackflies away from me. They make big welts on my skin. I used bug spray yesterday and I wasnt able to shower it out of my hair even with two shampoos. So forget it...stayed inside reading the threads in the kitten section...want a kitten for Honeybee but I know we are at our limit with 3 right now.

Norachan · May 21, 2016

DreamerRose said:
The color of hydrangeas depends on the pH of the soil. If it's acidic, the flowers will be blue. If it's alkaline, they will be pink. If the pH is neutral, they will be purple. You can change the color by adding acidifiers or sweetners (lime) to the soil. You can also have half the bush in each color.

That's interesting. I live in the middle of a pine forest and there are rows of hydrangeas growing along the side of the road. All blue so I guess the soil must be acidic. I often see pink and purple ones in people's gardens though.

I think I might get one next pay day and see if I can get the flowers to stay purple. I'm trying to get the front of the house looking pretty this year so a hydrangea by the front door would look great.

DreamerRose · May 22, 2016

Norachan said:
It's going to be nice when it all grows in @foxycat I have some little clumps of creeping phlox too, only a few small clumps as it's only been there since last year. Over here it's called shibuzakura, which means lawn blossom. I like that name. Creeping phlox sounds like some kind of disease that people died of in Charles Dickens novels.

There is a park near here with huge carpets of the stuff.

That is just gorgeous, Norachan! All that pink with Mount Fuji in the background!

I am sore all over from my digging efforts yesterday. Today, I think I will just pull weeds - something easy before I tackle planting more shrubbery.

DreamerRose · May 24, 2016

MoochNNoodles said:
I have now found 4 holes from yellow jackets in my garden! I'm almost done prepping the ground and 1 bed is planted. When i was weeding and pulling roots I noticed a hole about the size of my pinky in the soil. At the end was an actual yellow jacket! It was alive; but it didn't fly off. thanks to my google search I'm pretty sure they were males. I didn't find any actual nests under the ground; just the yellow jackets themselves. So I'm working out there totally covered up as I finish prepping the ground!!

Does anyone know what I can do to deter them!? I'm mildly allergic to bees. I don't want to know how I might react to one of them!!

(I also removed a huge ant colony full of larvae today.

I was NOT prepared for all that right in the corner of a raised bed. If you drove by you'd have seen me running around with a shovel of dirt in one hand trying to find a bag to toss them into.

)

Get some granular Home Defense and sprinkle it on the ground around the holes. Those ground wasps can make a huge nest if you don't stop them, and believe me, they will ALL attack you at once if you disturb them then. The Home Defense will also get rid of the ants. We have a kind of ant here that makes huge underground nests also, and if you disturb them, they all come out, climb up your hands and legs and sting you. They are almost as nasty as the wasps.

I finally got my shrubs planted, and now must go to the hardware store for clamps to repair my hose. Each spring, there is a new leak in it. Pretty soon, it will be holey enough to toss and get one of those nice retractable hoses. It's gotten dry here, and it's supposed to rain tonight, but NOAA doesn't say how much, and everything needs a good drenching.

MoochNNoodles · May 24, 2016

DreamerRose said:
Get some granular Home Defense and sprinkle it on the ground around the holes. Those ground wasps can make a huge nest if you don't stop them, and believe me, they will ALL attack you at once if you disturb them then. The Home Defense will also get rid of the ants. We have a kind of ant here that makes huge underground nests also, and if you disturb them, they all come out, climb up your hands and legs and sting you. They are almost as nasty as the wasps.

I finally got my shrubs planted, and now must go to the hardware store for clamps to repair my hose. Each spring, there is a new leak in it. Pretty soon, it will be holey enough to toss and get one of those nice retractable hoses. It's gotten dry here, and it's supposed to rain tonight, but NOAA doesn't say how much, and everything needs a good drenching.

oh man I'll have DH look for that kind. He had to spray a nest they decided to build on the eve of our tiny front porch. I caught some birds pecking at the marigolds I put in my garden the other day. I need to go outside and see if they are ok or if I'm going to have to replace them. It looks like they pulled the flowers right off! These crazy birds nest in the roof of my neighbor's (very dilapidated) house.

I forgot I need a new watering wand. I got one a few years ago that lets me easily reach the base of each plant to water it by hand. But the control valves inside keep breaking. DH fixed it before but it's time to recycle it. It constantly stays on. Which means rushing around the yard with it if I don't want to waste water. We are on a well; so I think about that stuff. I need him to hook the extra hoses up too. I can't reach the rhubarb and tomatoes at the back of the yard with the one we have out now. We've had enough rain that I haven't been out to water in a few days.

AbbysMom · Jun 1, 2016

foxxycat - I don't know if you got your wave petunias, but the Lowe's near me had all of theirs marked down yesterday.

I'm back from vacation and now the yard work has to kick back into gear. I need to weed and plant the vegetable garden and get all of my pots planted up.

foxxycat · Jun 1, 2016

yeah I saw that they had some 12 packs for 2 for $12 total of 24 plants. but probably be cheaper soon as well.

on june 25 is a library book n plant sale-I usually make out like a bandit at this one-this is where I bought all my perenials 9 years ago and they sold them as six packs $1 each. I always keep eye out for plant sales at libraries-that's how I did it.

on news front I got some tidal waves planted them this weekend. they are blooming but still small. We need RAIN. I ran around this morning watering everything. I will post pictures soon.

AbbysMom · Jun 6, 2016

The vegetable garden finally got weeded and planted on Saturday! :woo:

Norachan · Jun 6, 2016

I've been wondering how everyone else's garden is doing. Rainy season has just started here and all the wild forest stuff that grows in my garden is going crazy.

Love these big ferns, the mature ones are about 1 meter across.

Garden24.jpg

Norachan
Jun 6, 2016

Garden23.jpg

Norachan
Jun 6, 2016

This is a blueberry bush. I have about 6 of them altogether. I was still picking fruit up until the end of October last year.

Garden22.jpg

Norachan
Jun 6, 2016

DreamerRose · Jun 6, 2016

That's a lovely forest setting, @Norachan I would love to have blueberries, but don't have the location for them. I'm going to drink another cup of coffee, and then go outside to tackle the thistles. I still have a lot of plants to put out, but the thistles are getting ready to bloom, and I don't want those seeds scattered. Thistles are the bane of the Midwest. They are impervious to just about anything except a double dose of Roundup, but they grow so fast and tall it's hard to get them sprayed while they are small.

jtbo · Jun 6, 2016

It has been subzero temps during the night now, but today during the day it was bit warmer, yesterday temp did stay below 50F.

So if I would of planted anything they would of frozen, instead I have been focusing on killing stuff, some plants that are not native species are invading space from native species so I have been cutting those invading species out, but there is quite lot of plant life on this yard so need to get more fuel and do more tomorrow.

MoochNNoodles · Jun 6, 2016

JTbo said:
It has been subzero temps during the night now, but today during the day it was bit warmer, yesterday temp did stay below 50F.

So if I would of planted anything they would of frozen, instead I have been focusing on killing stuff, some plants that are not native species are invading space from native species so I have been cutting those invading species out, but there is quite lot of plant life on this yard so need to get more fuel and do more tomorrow.

What kind of temperatures are considered a hot day for you?

I need to weed about a million tiny weeds from all my veggie beds. I ordered more seeds for beans because only a few sprouted! I have no idea what the problem is; whether it was too hot or what. I planted them in the bed that I grew peppers and summer squash last year. I planted carrots in that section this year also and they are sprouting fine. I really like the fresh Italian style bush beans. They are so tasty. My potatoes, peppers, tomatoes and onions are looking good. I'm finding some cucumbers self sprouting in with the onions. The Lima beans got planted last and they are starting to sprout now.

I'm wondering if my super rainy May (preventing me from planting when I usually do!) is causing some of these problems. It went from super wet to hot. I bought bird netting for the strawberries and I'm thinking of putting it over the bed with the beans and carrots for now too. That was where those birds did the most damage to the marigolds. They picked them down to tiny stumps! But they are regrowing nicely now. I still want a new wand for watering but I haven't gotten to Lowes yet. They had one with good reviews for a nice price. Some are so expensive!

My petunia planter is filling in nicely! I will try to post pictures of that soon. I've taken my hanging plants down. The Calibrachoas that I have in pots are doing much better than the ones hanging. Even with monitoring the water closely.

jtbo · Jun 6, 2016

MoochNNoodles said:
What kind of temperatures are considered a hot day for you?

I need to weed about a million tiny weeds from all my veggie beds. I ordered more seeds for beans because only a few sprouted! I have no idea what the problem is; whether it was too hot or what. I planted them in the bed that I grew peppers and summer squash last year. I planted carrots in that section this year also and they are sprouting fine. I really like the fresh Italian style bush beans. They are so tasty. My potatoes, peppers, tomatoes and onions are looking good. I'm finding some cucumbers self sprouting in with the onions. The Lima beans got planted last and they are starting to sprout now.

I'm wondering if my super rainy May (preventing me from planting when I usually do!) is causing some of these problems. It went from super wet to hot. I bought bird netting for the strawberries and I'm thinking of putting it over the bed with the beans and carrots for now too. That was where those birds did the most damage to the marigolds. They picked them down to tiny stumps! But they are regrowing nicely now. I still want a new wand for watering but I haven't gotten to Lowes yet. They had one with good reviews for a nice price. Some are so expensive!

My petunia planter is filling in nicely! I will try to post pictures of that soon. I've taken my hanging plants down. The Calibrachoas that I have in pots are doing much better than the ones hanging. Even with monitoring the water closely.

Anything over 70 and I can't do much of anything because of the heat. We had many of such days recently, after 75 I tend to stay indoors as I'm constantly sweating outdoors at those temps.

I like it at or below 50, there are no blood suckers then.

Too bad our plants have not figured out yet how to grow well at those temps!

Next week I can put potatoes to ground, hopefully, then it is interesting to see if they make out before autumn chill comes.

I can't imagine what life is there where is no snow and stuff grows year around, I would probably melt like an ice cream in such places :lol3:

foxxycat · Jun 6, 2016

my wild petunias are already coming up threw the rock walkway! They don't usually show up until mid July. Saw their little leaves on memorial day weekend. We FINALLY got water. Rain hard all night. The brook out back is roaring away. Gonna have a bumper crop of strawberries this year too! And I still have to plant the rest of my flowers-will do it tomorrow after work. They are holding up well to their little sixpack containers.

The woodchuck has grazed a few times on them-these are tidal waves-they grow 4 to 6 feet up and out-so they grow fast-you cut them back to grow thicker. plus if you want petunias to bloom all summer=make sure you snap off the seed pods before they mature-the plant keeps making flowers so it will seed-if you let it seed then that branch wont have anymore flowers=at least that's what they told me at the greenhouse=so after the flower is done-snap those ends off-and it will grow another nub which a flower will come out.

My daisies didn't come back on that side garden by the road as much this year-so I wonder if these are biannuals=every other year?

the lupines are doing good=got one pink one=I planted this one 3-6 years ago=bloomed once=-and nothing since until this year. So maybe the white lupine will come back next year?! Will post photos in a bit.

MoochNNoodles · Jun 6, 2016

JTbo said:
Anything over 70 and I can't do much of anything because of the heat. We had many of such days recently, after 75 I tend to stay indoors as I'm constantly sweating outdoors at those temps.

I like it at or below 50, there are no blood suckers then.

That is my ideal temperature; 75 by day 60s at night.

It all depends on what you are used to I guess! The first winter I moved here I didn't need a winter coat until February.

Margret · Jun 9, 2016

I noticed something strange in my back garden yesterday. First, some background. Our house was built in 1980; we bought it from the first owners in 1988. There was a large rosebush already in the back garden, which I did some research on. It's a heritage rose, one of the very first to be cultivated. Five or six orange petals, yellow at the center. Except for the color the flowers look just like wild roses I've seen.

Heritage Rose 2.jpg

Margret
Jun 9, 2016

The bush is quite large, long branches coming up from the ground. I never water it and it seems to do just fine, no matter what the weather is like. I've only pruned it a time or two, to remove dead branches.

Last year a couple of the branches blossomed with yellow flowers; I didn't get a picture, unfortunately, and it didn't happen again this year. Something much more amazing happened this year.

New Rose.jpg

Margret
Jun 9, 2016

I have two branches, both coming up from the ground, that are showing these red, fully double blooms. It appears that this bush actually has two root stocks, and for some reason it took around thirty years for the second one to manifest itself. The branches with the new roses are just as long as the others, and the leaves look identical. And it's too bad I was unable to get any pictures yesterday evening when I first noticed the new flowers, because they've already begun to wilt a bit.

Does anyone know what variety these new roses are?

Margret

DreamerRose · Jun 9, 2016

There's no telling what kind of rose it is. What is likely to have happened is that the single yellow is the original grafted stock, and the double red is the root stock. For some reason, the root stock sent up shoots of its own. I have had grafted hybrid teas die, but the root stock come up and bloom on its own - a completely different rose. Dr. Huey is a very common root stock; in this picture it is pink, but usually it is red.

https://www.heirloomroses.com/care/rootstock/

http://hedgerowrose.com/rose-gardening/2011/06/08/growing-dr-huey-rose/

jtbo · Jun 9, 2016

I couldn't put potatoes yet as today it snowed again, so despite there was some kind of heat wave last month, it is not quite ready for planting sensitive stuff yet.

It is soon mid summer festival, usually weather gets better after that, also I don't understand why it is mid summer festival when next month is our warmest month, should be more like beginning of summer festival.

It is longest day then though, nightless nights and all that.

Some plants have gotten frost bites as they are dropping leaves, some are even yellow as in autumn.

edit: They describe it as midsummer madness https://www.lonelyplanet.com/finland/travel-tips-and-articles/76682

Margret · Jun 9, 2016

DreamerRose said:
There's no telling what kind of rose it is. What is likely to have happened is that the single yellow is the original grafted stock, and the double red is the root stock. For some reason, the root stock sent up shoots of its own. I have had grafted hybrid teas die, but the root stock come up and bloom on its own - a completely different rose. Dr. Huey is a very common root stock; in this picture it is pink, but usually it is red.

https://www.heirloomroses.com/care/rootstock/

http://hedgerowrose.com/rose-gardening/2011/06/08/growing-dr-huey-rose/

You're right; that's almost certainly it. Thank you.

So, if I understand correctly from the first site you posted, if I want to protect my heirloom bush I need to either weed out the Dr. Huey or take a cutting from an heirloom branch and root it and plant it elsewhere. Is that correct? If so, am I too late to root a cutting this summer? I kind of like the double rose bush, but I don't want to lose my heirlooms, and I could use some more roses out front. Or, since I haven't been dead-heading this bush, perhaps I could collect hips and plant them? Or would I end up with some kind of hybrid that way?

I have a friend who is taking me to a meeting of her gardening club this evening; I'll ask there as well. Since it's local they should have a better idea of growing seasons.

I'm such a horrid cat mommy. I actually locked Jasmine in the bathroom for ten minutes this morning so I could take pictures without the little escape artist getting out. It was horrible! (Never mind that she had food, water, and a litter box; it was still ten whole minutes!

And when she got out, of course, she decided it was time for a nap.)

Margret

I understand why they graft hybrid teas; it's practically impossible to propagate them by seed, but I'm surprised to see an heirloom rose being propagated this way.

foxxycat · Jun 10, 2016

I would think you can root anything as long as it has time to establish in the ground before winter.

Someone told me of an interesting way to graft or add in a rose if the original flower over the dead rose plant. Basicly its cutting a new rose with good cutters and cutting a place in the old plabt then wire tie it around the new rose. I have to find the details. Its been a few years since I read and heard about it. But basicly using twine or wire to root in a new rose bloom in with the establed plant. Sorry for the confusion. Have to see where I put the information.

I finally got some photos of my yard.will post in a bit.

Spring-2016 Gardening anyone? What do you plant? or not?

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