any gardeners?

“Before I built my wall I called Trex and they said you can't use it below grade - it will deteriorate.

I use the netting on my blueberries, but the apricot tree was right next to the patio so the netting would have been ugly.

I'm looking forward to planting fruit trees at my new place. The woman we're buying from is an avid gardener. When I was out there last week for inspections, I spotted a lot of bulbs coming up that I've never seen before.”

“Thanks for the info, everyone. I can't digest all of it just yet. I got back from Lowe's, which had a really sale. I bought 16 Iris, a northern oak tree, two wicked Hostas, 6 super sized snap dragons --

All of my seeds fer the garden and one of those multiple container things to "jump start" them in.

Will check back at halftime -”

“Violin:

For great fruit trees check out

www.baylaurelnursery.com

They have many hybrids (but they are a CA nursery so maybe their trees are good for the East coast).”

“can't wait (rubbing hands together)

thanks a bunch!!”

“How cool to inherit a garden! The people who lived in our house before hand left us a huge, pool sized mud puddle, crab grass, poison ivy and two obnoxious peonys that will not go away. It'll be so cool to watch your garden change and get to know it.”

“Sass is the coolest.”

“Gee Sass, we like the peonies we inherited. We divided them a couple years ago from the obscure, but sunny spot, on the east side of the house, and have a nice planting now in the front yard -- gorgeous blooms size of softballs. Ants do like them.

Maybe it's my memories of my great-grandfather's lush, bush-like peonies in his flower beds that makes me partial to them.”

“I like the peonies, it's that they're planted in horrible spots. I tried to dig them up but they came back. They're just so puny. Dividing them or adding more peonies is a good idea.”

“I know BB, I'm such a dork. ;)”

“Looks like I get to go repair all the amradillo damage in my yard. Yippee. Bastards!”

“Squirls have just found out 11 bird feeders...oh well, I dont mind so much as long as they leave everything else alone. I already have strawberries on my strawberry plants. I know you are supposed to pinch off any runners and flowers the first year but I am finding it hard to make myself do that. Ditto on the perennials and going organic, it's worth the the effort. Still gotta get my compost pile going. Most of my garden beds will be focused on wildflowers and edible plants and herbs. Have done a lot with mike's help but we still have a lot to do!”

“I think you're right, Sass. Isn't it funny that they insist on coming back, but are "puny." After you get them in a good sunny spot , -- divided, then grouped for a nice cluster effect -- maybe they can put their hardiness into bulking up and showing off for you.”

“What a day yesterday was. I got almost everything planted and settled in. I hope I got everything right. Tomorrow will be spent laying out my garden on paper and get my seeds started in the container.

Exciting!”

“Almost time to turn the soil in the veggie garden! I've got a small, 200 sq.ft. plot where we grow the usuals (Toms, peppers, Zuch, yellow squash, carrots, kale, lettuce, canteloupe), got a few barrels to grow cherry toms and cucumbers, and we grow some herbs too. I'm looking for a couple different veggies to grow this year, any suggestions? We don't have alot of space for a flower garden, but we've got tulips in bloom all over the front and backyard.”

“Jerusalem artichokes are easy to grow. Kohlrabi is tasty. Celeriac might be something to try.”

“Just got the surviving violets from the "construction" area transplanted to a sunny corner a couple feet away. Hardy little buggers, considering how trampled they got when the house was resided last fall. Managed to behead a couple straggler tulips while trying to get them out. Oh well. That whole bed has to be dug out and the drainage against the foundation fixed -- layers of old rotten black plastic and stone to be removed. I'm sure it will be more work than I even think it will be.”

“Pekka, I used to get that chore when I was growing up in Mi., because of the number of toads, tree frogs, and God only knows what else that would erupt from between the layers as they were pulled up. The only bugs that really botheres me were the large centipedes that would give you one heck of a painful nite.”

“So far only worms, treebait, but I haven't really set into that part yet. We got all ready to do the gutters and found out that the do it yourself system just wasn't going to work with the multi-angle facia. So we took all the stuff back to Menards and Home Depot.

To make myself feel better, I bought some dahlias to plant, as well as another spirea bush. After preparing a couple planting areas and getting half the dahlias planted, transplanting the remaining "unknown" little bulbs from the "construction" zone to a new bed, and hammering in some plant food spikes for our big cedars that flank the front sidewalk, my back said it was done for the day. The spirea will have to wait until tomorrow, though rain is forecast, so it may wait longer. As will the other hostas donated by friends awash in them, which are destined for the "construction" zone once the plastic and stone are gone.

Oh yeah, gotta get two or three arbor vitae to fill gaps in the lot line on the south side and finish screening off the neighboring house's driveway. So much for the concept of free time for a while.”

“I was out working on the other side of the house today and I saw for the first time this year the resident garden snake and her young. I have a dry rock wall and they thrive in there. This is also the same side that the dogs roam in. My one boxer is just infatuated with the snakes and is always trying to dig them up. I am forever filling in holes over there.”

“Gardens can really benefit from a watch snake. Though they do need help opening the beer bottles when trying to set slug traps.”

“I don't have problems with slugs.....

so believe it or not I don't know what a slug trap is?”

“I spent the last couple of hours working on getting things going will the garden.

72 Pea Pots stuffed with everything from lettuce to watermelon. I didn't bother with the celery, it took way too long to harvast. Hopefully, we'll have us some sprouts by next week!

I'm going to get another container so that I can pace another sow in a couple of weeks, with the faster growing veggies.”

“As I drove home in heavy, swirling snow showers, passed the bank clock/temp with a big "32" on it, and heard the radio announcer say it was headed into the 20s tonight, I thought, "Hmmm, maybe I better finish mulching those new flower beds when I get home." Fortunately I still had a bag of shredded bark behind the garage under a tarp. Unfortunately, looks like a bunny has taken to munching on some of the little sprouts I transplanted from the "construction" zone.

Gardening in the sub-Arctic (aka the Upper Great Lakes aka the North Woods) has its own special charm.”

“Q, sounds like you have quite the setup going! Aint it grand!!!!

Pekka, my most heartfelt condolences on the snow. That is a drag.”

“I killed my grass at the end of last year, I think, so I spent a few hours thatching it and repairing bare spots this evening.”

“I have columbine blooming now.”

“Very nice USA. I like the blue and white ones.”

“My new iris are just on the verge of bluming. Everything I've planted is looking good, so far.

birch - I hope so. I know I've prolly "over planted", but it's my first time.....”

“I have amaryllis blooming around the yard. The star jasmine makes the whole neighborhood smell good. Quite a few people around here have it growing over their fences. The lemon tree is happy, blooming, and setting quite a bit of fruit. The "scentsational" rose is blooming spectacularly, but the fragrance seems to have waned this season. Hmm. The Angel's trumpet will be blooming in the next week or so (wahoo!) and the malabar spinach is almost ready to start picking at. That stuff's prolific as kudzu.”

“That sounds gorgeous Treebait! I want a lemon tree too. Maybe someday if I ever get a bigger house with better light....”

“My lavendar was shipped! Coming from White Flower Farms. I'll plant it immediately. Now if I could just stop vascillating on location. Do I create a mini hedge? do I split up the 6 plants into 2 mounds of 3 or 3 mounds of 2. Do I rip out everything and rearrange the whole bed? I guess this is the fun part?”

“BLARG! I've been invaded by hundreds of 3 inch long slugs!

I found out the hard way by grabbing 2 of them!”

“Okay, I found an environmentally friendly all natural organic oproduct caled "Escar-Go!" from Gardens Alive! Anyone tried this stuff yet?”

“ewwwwww

slugs are nasty!”

“we had an invastion of these freaky alien looking caterpillars last week, but on this one specific shrub. About two inches long, kinda slender, bright orange, almost red with 1/2 to 1 inch long black stiff hairs sticking up about 1/4 inch apart.

The kids all told us not to touch cause they were poisonous, but I never confirmed that - based on the coloring it was reasonable.”

“"The lemon tree is happy"

treebait
07:11:35 AM
04/27/04

Made me think of an old folk song. I think it went:

The lemon tree is pretty and the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat.”

“Have you tried the beer method of slug removal?

Some say that if you put a dish of beer in the affected beds, the slugs go in it and drown???

I say if you drink enough beer, you don't care that you have slugs.”

“LOL DHutch.

I have heard good things about the bowl of beer method. Just bury a bowl of beer so the lip is at ground level and fill er up. They slugs like the yeast I geuss. Another option is crushed eggshells sprinkled on the soil. Little blades the slugs hate, be advised though. The shells will work there way into the soil and can really mess up earthworms too.”

“Ooops, sorry treebait. I meant to add that I havent heard of the slug be gone stuff but it sounds promising.

Just looked outside and there is a pair of mallard ducks hanging out by our little lily pond. Kinda cool.”

“A few dishes of darker beer buried so the lip is at ground level is all you need to get rid of slugs. The are careless drunks.”

“Treebait,

I've used Escar-GO from Gardens Alive and it works well. However, there is a similar product sold retail called Sluggo and it is cheaper.”

“They don't look like these guys, do they?



Story: Giant African snails seized from schools”

“Can't use beer traps around here. The raccoons and wandering bums may drink it all.

Okay, I'll look for Sluggo. These are big, tough leathery critters that need to be stomped on repeatedly to kill them. Then you're stuck with sticky slime thats difficult to wash off on your shoe.”

“huh, drunk slugs. who knew the "gardening" thread was so interesting!”

“got some gifties in the mail today. You guys and gals are awesome. I will have a patch of TT in the yard.

Thanks a bunch, I will keep you all informed of the trailtalk patch's progress throughout the year!!”

“Sirpete, its like sending a baby off to be raised by a kind relative, lol. We'll swap news about how they turn out.”

“Anyone ever hear of a Quince Bush? It's this big bush that's in the backyard of my new house. It has pink flowers, and attracts loads of hummingbirds.

My tulips are almost gone with the help of my chihuahua, Capri. She's 3-1/2 pounds, and she stands up and leans against the stems of the tulips so she can smell the flowers, so she knocks them over.”

“I have, but I think it's grown just for its flowers, not fruit.”

“OK, it fits the description of a Chinese flowering quince. I found a very brief description in a garden book.”