any gardeners?

“As apt dwellers we are left mostly to container gardening, we also have jackrabbit bunnies galore! We did plant a Pink Climbing Jasmine next to the Honeysuckle that was not doing well in the mostly shaded area near the porch and almost under the Liquid Amber tree. I bought some Jalpenos, and some Cilantro that we are already cutting back for use, (these are in pots). I am wondering, are there any plants/flowers we can grow that the jackrabbits won't eat? This is my husband's garden, he's better at it, I suspect I might kill it if I actually did more than buy it.

I am highly jealous of those pictures, GORGEOUS, AMAZING!”

“wehave loads of wild bunnies in our area, I see em every night when I pull up after work at the house, all over the damn lawn...yet they dont touch my flowers or my veggies at all and I dont have a fence to keep them out either. COOL! :)

Someone just offered up a couple of nice white trellesis on freecycle and I was actually the first to reply for a change...Im crossing my fingers I get em! I'm hunkering for a couple of grape vines to add to my edible landscaping. My long term goal for my garden is to have a compleatly usefull and envriomentaly friendly garden...edible/medicinal plants and flowers, shrubs and trees, and wild life friendly plants as well.”

“I've heard a lot of bugs and critters hate marigolds; true?”

“We have bunnies around here too and they got my parsley crop a few times over the years. Woodchucks are much worse and can do a lot of damage. They can dig under and climb fences, too. They must be able to smell broccoli and beans plants from a distance and seemed to go after those first.”

“The wild rabbits pretty much leave everything around here alone excepting new bean and pea shoots and lupines. Everytime I plant some they eat them right down to the dirt those fuzzy bassturds!

Still to wet to work in the yard doing anything but weeding. Grrrrrr.”

“Nope, the pumpkins are dead. :(
It's too early to put stuff outside for more than a few hours.”

“Maybe you should stick to just boiling bunnies twigeater. ;-)

It's still too cold at night to paint anything around here. I don't think I've had a morning yet were there wasn't frost on the ground. Not that it matters that much because the only thing I've ever been able to grown in a garden has been rocks.”

“That's a shame. Maybe some frost hit them, but even if it didn't, like you said it's just too cold yet to plant outside. Besides the cold killing plants, they don't really grow well when it's cold out. I remember one year I planted tomatoes early and it was still cold for a few weeks. They didn't die, but they didn't grow either.”

“Many critters hate marigolds. There are some varieties of marigolds that are even more repulsive then your usual ones too. They have pretty little single flowers.

I haven't gotten the trellis ready for our grapevine yet, but the vine doesn't care. It's growing like gangbusters in its pot. It's too wet to work out on the yard today. Hell, I have to get the house ready for the outlaws today, what am I talking about?!

Our reel mower works pretty well, but since the grass got really tall with seedheads it was a b!tch getting it all mowed down. Some areas are getting weed whacked instead.”

“I had to plant the grapevine. One of my fish died some time in the night, so I buried him with the grapevine over him. He was a 10 inch long (not counting the fins) hariwake, which is white with a pretty yellow pattern down his back. This sucks.”

“I haven't actually planted anything outside, was just putting my plants for some sun during the day.

zac, do you know that lobsters right now are around $16/lb!!!! I've never in my life seen them so high.
Bunnies in the lobster pot it is!”

“Treebait, we've been using a reel mower exclusively for about two years now. It works great as long as your grass doesn't grow horizontally (like crabgrass) and it doesn't get too tall. Our lawn has never looked happier. The neighbors still make fun of me though.”

“I used a reel mower when landscaping at Colonial Williamsburg. The Japanese tourists watched me and begged to take a turn. Grudgingly I allowed them the privilege and sat in the shade talking to Thomas Jefferson the whole afternoon. It was like Tom Sawyer whitewashing the fence.”

“I got some funny looks from truckloads of Mexican yard workers yesterday as they drove by that's for sure. There were also looks from the Beemer drivers as they went by too.


Poor Hariwake. The fish spawned the other day, and I think he overdid it having fun. Everything in the holding bin is covered in eggs. Well, they were. I moved some of the aquatic plants that eggs out so they can develop. If the adult fish find the eggs they eat them.”

“

This flowering bush in my garden is bigger than an azalea, but smaller than a rhododenron. Any guess what it is?”

“hey sass...how much you selling your VW for?”

“Looks like some kind of lily.”

“I have tried a couple times to grow marigolds here but the slugs munch them immediately to nothing. Slugs love the dahlias and marigolds.

edit: they also love the primrose.
last edited: 5/04/07 6:38:37 PM”

“USA, is that a flame azalea? http://images.google.com/images?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLG,GGLG:2006-24,GGLG:en&q=flame%20azalea&oe=UTF-8&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi

SC, $3500.00. It is also a money pit though, and parts are hard to find. But, I do believe we've replaced almost everything. I posted a link to pictures of it on the "Crazy Mike needs a ride" thread.
last edited: 5/04/07 7:13:02 PM”

“we just got rid of the money pit LOL sold it today...

someone wanted it bad. It was in excellent condition, jsut a car that takes too much maintence for our budget.

USA...
I dont evny your slug problem. back in CA ya couldnt grow hardly anything because of slugs and snails, here, we have so many toads in my garden I have no problems at all and can grow anything that would normaly not stand a chance.”

“I've got to work out how to work a lawnmower again now, I haven't used one since, well a long long time.

Twigeater - I can see the lobster pots outside the front of the house here. It's very tempting to hook a buoy or two and see what's inside.”

“Flame azalea. (Rhododendron calendulaceum)

We have a winner. Give that gal a prize!”

“Place a shallow pan of beer under the bushes, in the morning dispose of your drunken drowned snails & slugs. They cannot resist the stuff; keep on doing it until you have rid yourself of your pest.”

“The only worse than a slug is a drunken slug. Next thing you know word will get around and then there will be slug violence in my back yard. Do I dare ask what brand of beer they prefer?”

“i'm pretty sure they are a cheap date.”

“

Here is my sorry looking red rhody with hasta in front. Couple years ago we had a really bad ice storm and in my misguided attempt to "save it" I weakened some of the branches.”

“I work in a Garden Center and it's driving me nuts to have a place of my own to plant loads of the most beautiful plants I deal with on a daily bases.
It's so cool that I am working here as when I am ready I should be able to take care of all my plants with great ease after learning so much about the different ones.”

“Welcome to the site, frostbite1976. I do know marigolds grow extremely well there in Montana.”

“That's a huge deal Frostbite1976. I kinda stumble through and occasionally ask the right person what I'm doing wrong, lol.

USA, what's my prize?! ;) I don't want any drunk slugs.
last edited: 5/05/07 7:10:05 AM”

“I used to work work in a garden center - and LOVED every minute of it. If I wasn't pregnant, I'd be working at one this summer too.

We have grass growing under the spruce tree! And my newly planted hostas are doing quite well. One more week and I'll be planting annuals and veggies.... Yea!”

“new thyme! I'm so excited I added a new thyme plant to my garden. I hope it spreads fast so I can divide it around :) I just love it!





It's called 'Highland Creme'

I've just got to brag here...
organic, no pesticides or chems at all...and look, NO HOLES IN MY SPINICH LEAVES! :)

Or my coles!


(laughs and points at everyone with no garden toads)
Yes, I have slugs...and I have catapillers and other pests....
but the toads eat em and everything ballences out....”

“Something is eating your spinach in the lower left.”

“What did you feed this screen to make it so big?”

“That was my cat.”

““oooo lemon balm. How could I forget that herb???? you HAVE to get a lemon balm plant!”
spirit coyote
9:10:14 PM
5/01/07

no!no! don't do it!! if you really want lemon balm, come on over to my garden, i have LOTS!! my biggest garden mistake was planting the mint and the lemon balm. damn stuff spreads worse than bishops weed.
oh yeah, and the hardy explorer roses that grow to 10' and cannot ever be killed were a bit of a mistake too. they're very pretty and flower most of the spring and summer but a bit too big (& thorny) for the locations they ended up in. i cut them to the ground regularly now but it's a losing battle.”

“yeah, dont plant mint in the ground plant them in pots...but lemon balm doesnt spread like that!

It stays in a little clump unless you let if flower and go to seed, then you have a few pop up aroound the garden. I never let mine go to seed and have grown it as long as I can remember and it behaved itself.”

“I know. I have spearmint gone wild and a thick carpet of young chamomile plants. Tea anyone? Next Sat. is the herb & garden faire at Landis Valley Museum in Lancaster County. My annual treck to buy my annual herbs and other goodies. I can't wait.”

“I planned to establish a garden below my garage and about 50 yards from the trout stream. The site was plowed and the soil is rich and black, nice looking for a garden. Next step was to put up some posts and install a deer proof fence. When digging the first hole, I hit water at 32" and promptly moved the site to just south of the pole barn. The new site is a mix of sand and clay, not appearing to be as nutrient rich, but should be fine with a little llama manure and a couple of years of working the soil. The fence is coming up nicely.

I continue to look at the old spot and am wondering if I can grow "something" there, as in something edible that the deer won't devour. Does anyone know of a vegetable or vegetables that deer find disgusting?”

“do they like squash or pumpkins? tomatoes? hahaha-try mint---at the very least, you'll have a guaranteed ground cover that the bees like. you could even put a hive out there.

you realize that if you plant stuff the deer like, then you could be self-sufficient when hunting season comes around.”

“Yeah, the deer are all over the place anyway. The idea is to keep them from the vegetables that "I" like. Eventually one may find their way to my table hunting season or not. Of course' I've been talking that way for 5 years now...”

“Sass, what prize would you like? A bouquet of dark lilacs?”

“

These dark lilacs are for Sassafras as your prize. Rather than picking them, I will leave them on the bush for the bees.





Now can identify this flowering plant?”

“That looks like a Lady Banks rose.


I just picked up a "Julia Child" rose today. Beautiful yellow flowers and a wonderful fragrance.”

“That didn't take long. Rosa banksiae 'Lutea'”

“I almost bought 3 or 4 of them a few weeks ago. Strong root system good for slopes, no thorns, good fragrance, reblooms. Other parts of the yard had priority though.”

“Those almost look llike a tiny peony, the leaves especially.

Going to buy my rocks today! =)

Brought home a giant jack o lantern pumpkin plant that already has blossoms on it. We'll have the best pumpkin ever this year!
Birch rototilled yesterday and today we'll put in seeds. Almost done with the digging on the dog side, just about a quarter left to go.
Also brought home five more fish from Dad's pond and got the fountain just right in our pond yesterday (thank you Birch).”

“I hope your yard isn't too wet for pumpkin vines. It looks like out cucumber seedlings already snuffed it from staying wet.

Damned revelationists just rang the doorbell again and interrupted my train of thought.

We have about 6 tons or so of rock in our near future too. It sounds like a lot of rock but it really isn't. It does help to have a wheelbarrow that doesn't constantly get flat tires though. We will be putting in walkways around the back yard (the grass is already trampled in areas) and around the pond when that gets moving. The local stone and rock provider here has a fantastic selection of stuff.
last edited: 5/07/07 9:25:59 AM”

“Now back to my question about deer resistant veggies...anyone know of any?”

“Nope, not vegetables. If they taste bad to deer then they'll taste bad to us. You could try liquids and chemicals that taste bad to deer, like hot pepper spray wax, coyote pee, etc.”

“Maybe deer won't eat peppers? I know cherry wood is poisonous to rabbits, along with the pits. I'd think a google search would yield more results than us.

I ended up going about twenty miles away for the stone. My little bro hooked me up with a supplier he used to work for in Dhutch's old town. The prices were lower by almost 1/3 than the lowest priced local place. Delivery is free, except for gas money. My brother will borrow the dump truck. We ended up with four tons of Canadian buff flagstone and three and a half yards of slag. It'll run about $800.00, give or take a few dollars (they have to weigh the rock). It amazes me that rocks are so expensive. We'll get the little rocks and boulders for the garden areas from a friend's farm. Boulders cost $.50/pound here and can easily run about $200 for a medium sized one. I was hoping for 2-3 good sized ones. I guess it'll be whatever we can lift.

Treebait, we've got the same issue with our wheelbarrow. If it sits for a month w/o use all the air escapes somehow. If we use it it stays full. Seems like everytime I want to use the dumb thing it's flat.”