any gardeners?

“G's been running the rabbits out of the yard at every opportunity. We've now seen 3 of them - they're multiplying! LOL!

Some of my liatris is FINALLY coming up....took long enough! Not sure if all 5 will sprout or not. Time will tell.

Hope to plant my basil and lettuce tonight, and my porch pots. I'm tired of having it all sit in the driveway!”

“a huge rabbit came through our garden yesterday but left everything alone. I watched him from the window.

I tell ya, there is like a psycic barrier or somthing. I have critters all over my yard but they don't eat my plants while the rest of hte nieghborhood has trouble and have to fence off their prized plants, mine are right in the open. Infact I invite them in (trying to plant a wildlife friendly yard) they dont eat any of it.

I've been trying to get out and work in the garden this weekend but what ever this crap is that I have is beating me up pretty badly. I know viruses can last 7-10 days so that leaves me 2 more days of missery before I decide to go to the clinic. I though it was getting better yesterday morning when my ear aches were gone but by afternoon it got worse :(
I have new plants to get into the ground and I jsut don't have the energy though I tried to go out and at least weed a little yesterday. It was cold and started to rain so I only got through half a flower bed.


I have this to plant...and I want to get it in the ground NOW but i just dont have the energy to dig.”

“What is that plant SC? A rhododendron?”

“Yes

Did you get that from Remus? I was there on Saturday.”

“yup. WK, you should of stopped by! I was also there on Saturday LOL.

The cashier was like "you again?" LOL
I had been there looking at them earlier in the week because I have really wanted one, and they are in full bloom around the neighborhood. Some of them are near 10 feet tall and covered in flowers. So, I finially decided that I would go ahead and get one.
last edited: 5/21/07 2:02:39 PM”

“It's a beautiful color, SC.


My garden loves the addition of fish water. It's got nitrogen and phosphorus in it. The tomatoes are thriving.

Unfortunately, with all the water changes, Nemo ( a known male fish) keeps banging anything he thinks is female. It's really injuring some of the other fish.”

“What time were you there on Saturday?

I picked up 2 of those, but at Home Depot. Those at Remus were something like 60 bucks!”

“WK, it was $29.99 not 60 LOL silly boy....

I was there about 9 am.”

“Made some progress yesterday!!

The Viburnum bed before:


And after:





And here is the little patio Birch laid with some of the bricks from our original walkway to the gate:



We used reclaimed bricks about 8 years ago. They are still in great shape and so we decided to utilize them again. Installing them as edging was easy, and I think it looks pretty nice. Most importantly, they were available and reusing them is helping us keep our costs in check.

Plans are to install a small container water feature next to the deck steps and to add more rocks as we get them from our friend's farm. Last trip we brought home two water barrels and two 50#ish rocks in the back of my station wagon. Next trip it's the truck and all the rocks I can fit and it can carry!

We almost have the dirt leveled out and graded appropriately. This weekend we start to lay the flagstones.
last edited: 5/23/07 7:14:46 AM”

“

sass, i love this pic...not sure why...i think it's the landscaping in the foreground with the ray(sp?) or light coming through and your cute kids in the back ground

well crap, how do you post a picture like that and make it "clickable"?
last edited: 5/23/07 7:55:52 AM”

“My father bought a rototiller, can't wait to borrow it!”

“Thrifty, I do it with the links Webshots provides. Otherwise, I'm clueless as to how you'd make it "clickable."”

“Whew! I spent 5 hours outside yesterday (I'm a bit slower these days) getting everything planted. Hope it doesn't decide to frost now...

PLanted the lettuce and basil I bought at the farmer's market, and the butterfly weed, 2 porch pots, dahlias, and a little more than a flat of annuals. My yard finally has some color!!

I'm annoyed that I planted bulbs in such stupid places. It should be OK for me to dig them up when they die off, and save them to replant next year, right?”

“My first hummingbird spotting in my garden today! :)

”

“that guy looks a little frazzled, what'd ya do to him?”

“Yeah, what TH said! Poor thing looks like a refugee from the dryer lint trap!”

“LOL, it's a long flight from mexico to indiana”

“OMG....tree! That is so funny! Maybe they all look like that but are so busy flitting about we don't see them still much!

Sass...I love the garden!!! Way to go!!!”

“Thank you crazygurl.


I just scored on the way home from work! My little man two streets down put up his plantstand today. I got myself a four pack of an heirloom tomato called "bloody butcher" (how could I resist?!), a four pack of romas, a four pack of cherry tomatoes, two four packs of Lychnis chalcedonia (maltese cross) and two four packs of Rose campion lychnis, all for $5.

Gotta go plant before I have to head back to work!”

“SASS, you'll like bloody butcher...

great tomato, I save hte seeds every year I grow it.

I've had it going since I was a little girl starting to garden.

They do have green shoulders sometimes but they will be a early producer most years and go all summer. Good tomato taste. You don't see them sold even as seeds much.”

“I guess that was a lucky find then! You'll have to tell me how to save some seeds for next year.

Got everything planted. It is HOT out there. Had to give the poor bunny a frozen 2 liter of water to curl up around.

I soooo wish I didn't have to go back to work in an hour and I could get thouroughly dirty and sweaty out there!
last edited: 5/23/07 1:33:48 PM”

“Sass, its easy to save tomato seeds but you have to bag the flowers you want to save the seeds from so you dont cross with another type of tomatoes.”

“Oooh... that reminds me - I've got to get the hummingbird feeder out.”

“I got my plants in the ground yesterday. It's not much just a few tomatoes and some basil and parsley I planted in some pots. I didn't have a garden in a few years so I'll enjoy watching it grow.”

“And hopefully enjoy the fruits of your labor!

More dirt moving today. We're running out of places to put it now that the veg garden is planted.”

“I put a fence around it to help deter critters. Woodchucks were always the biggest problem I've had around here. So far I didn't see one and I hope it stays that way.”

“Anyone here shop at Gardens Alive? They have a sale going on until the 28th. THe sale code at checkout is 144165. I love their stuff. They have a composter that's made of 100% recycled plastic that I've eyeballed for a while now. I got that, plus an additional discount because I'm in the "stay organic" club. It comes with a free bag of compost booster (good bacteria) too.”

“That stuff is expensive, but well worth it. Gardens alive is great. Thanks for the code Treebait!”

“tb, I love thier stuff too! I sent them an e-mail last year about thier fruit tree starter and they sent me a great coupon to use..havent used it yet but I will! I need to buy the fruit tree maintence formula now. I've never had a grafted tree do so well...........
and the strawberries underneith it are going gangbusters too!”

“Just scored my fiberglass (looks like stone) container for the water feature I want, on clearance 50% off, and a nice looking (highly unusual for HD) water plant called an ogon sweet flag, looks like varigated grass...no idea what the flowers will look like but it's a member of the lily family. Used up the last of my Birthday gift card and only had to give them $15. That place was a madhouse! I thought I'd avoid the mem day weekend crowd by going this afternoon. Nope.
last edited: 5/24/07 2:15:39 PM”

“Ogon? It'll be yellow. If it's got a Japanese term for a name it's probably a Japanese Iris then.”

“Ogon means solid color.”

“Here it is:http://www.plantsafari.com/Catalog2/Detail/00030.html

http://aquiya.skr.jp/zukan/Acorus_gramineus.html
last edited: 5/24/07 8:32:35 PM”

“


The iris bulbs I planted three years ago just bloomed for the first time ever. It was worth the wait with their stiking blue color.



A solid white columbine amid the colored ones.

My hummingbird feeder (the honeysuckle ) should be in bloom in a couple weeks.
last edited: 5/24/07 11:14:05 PM”

“USA, that may be the most lovely Iris I've ever seen. I have a columbine that only makes white flowers.”

“That iris is just amazing USA.

Ogon traditionally means "yellow," but also can mean "solid color" in Koi parlance.

:P”

“WOW! Nice Iris

Just planted some pink columbine last weekend. Once my stuff starts blooming, I will post pictures.”

“My dark purple double columbine is about done for the season. The poor things are worn out from producing major blooms for the last several months. Deadheading can only go so far. I've just cut off all remaining blooms and buds so the plant can redirect its energy towards root and leaf growth.”

“I'll be eatting good out of the garden this weekend!

I'm going to make a soup with some of this:

A little of this:

and some of these:

(garlic scapes)

and hopefully before too long I will have some peas (they are budding up), some tomatoes

some broccoli

and some strawberries

(amongst other goodies...)

Oh I recieved 10 trees in the mail today (wohoo!) which are hopefully going to someday attract wildlife---
Arrowwood viburnum, bur oak, 2 canadian hemlocks, gray dogwood, northern red oak, river birch, sargent crabapple, tuliptree, and a washington hawthorn.
I guess, sick or not, I'll be outside digging tomorrow.

the doc gave me another round of antibiotics today..I guess she thought one round wasnt doing it and she gave me a stupid inhaler I have to use 4 tiems a day along with all the otehr dumb meds I have to take. SHEESH. I have too much to do this time of year to be sick.”

“Spirit, nice greens!!

The spinach looks perfect, is the second pic endive or kale?I cant tell.

Our veg patch is doing very well, the light steady rain was welcome today. Everything is bursting, the first lettuce in about 10 more days french breakfast radishes next.

The potatoes in the tires of death are doing amazing. Added the second tire yesterday (and more dirt) I am most excited about them.Raspberry buds galore, 2 asparagus total this year, oh well never did good anyway.

Gotta love this time of year.


A very promising spring thus far.”

“I've got a new habit, walking to and fro with a 2 gallon plastic watering jug in each hand (I prefer not to drag the hose all over the plants, not to mention that spraying with a hose tends to water to many weeds).

It's unreal dry here in the NC foothills and I think is actually the driest since people started keeping weather records but still my garden is in fair shape.
last edited: 5/25/07 9:44:07 PM”

“Do you happen to remember the name of that iris, USA? I have a perfect spot for a half dozen of them.”

“I water the same way Hillsidedigger, eexcept I use a five gallon pail and a little watering can. Our outside spigot broke late in the winter, Birch is replumbing the house in three weeks so he didn't want to repair it only to remove and replace it. I should be getting two new spigots too, although hopefully the rainbarrels will meet most of the watering needs.

Spirit, I sure hope your meds kick in and help you get rid of that stuff fast. Your garden is looking so mature! It amazes me the difference in size. You start your seeds inside don't you?

Well, one section of pathway got done and most of the patio is laid out, some leveled. The back isn't too bad this morning but it's raining, the slow steady all-day-long type of rain. This will not stand!! Hopefully it'll be done by the time I get done w/ work today (1:00). Wish I would've taken a picture yesterday so I could show you guys.”

“Hey Violin, thanks for your advice regarding the circle pavers vs flags. You were so right and I'm so glad you spoke up!”

“Be sure to post photos Sass.”

“I'm always right Sass. I can't wait to see your work.


Siberian Iris





Semi-double Azalea
”

“one of our neighbors accidently tilled up a bunny nest yesterday evening and there were 5 baby bunnies in there. They put them in a box and gave them to us...not sure what to do as there are no wildlife rehabers in the area that deal with mammals. I guess we are jsut going to have to put them down.”

“Sorry, violin, can't recall. It's been so long since they were bought and I kind of gave up on them thinking they were never going to bloom. They were in a prepackaged box of about 12 and bought at a Fred Meyer store for about 60% discount at the end of summer. Amazing that I can remember the useless stuff, but can't remember the name. Doh!”

“ Friday's work. Now, I have to quick and eat lunch and get out there before the clouds start leaking again!!”

“nice”