A Gardeners Forum Forums Members History Forum Life 2005 Garden Chores (part 2)

I'm sorry your hubby got hurt preparing the flower bed. What you did with it looks absolutely great though.

I know what you mean about the ornamental grasses. That's one of the problems I have with them. I love the look of them when they are small but I don't want to deal with them when they get big. My garden isn't that big to start with and I think I want a few of a bunch of different things but there still isn't room for big plants. Although that is one way to get a complete shade garden lol.

What's blooming in the far back of the picture? My eyesight is letting me down as usual. I definitely need to add some fall blooming plant. The snapdragons aren't comming back as well as I had hoped they would. I think tomorrow they will get some miracle-gro and see if that helps them get into the blooming spirit lol. I can't have the one mum be the only flower out there giving a fall show lol.

Well so far the upper tier has gotten watered. There is bunches and bunches more to do I'm just taking it slow. I don't want my elbow to kick up a fuss again. That's just getting down right tiresome. So I also watered the houseplants that needed it. And now I'm going to grab the fertilizer for the snapdragons and regular water for everthing else. Wish me luck.

Good luck TK!

The flowering plants in the background of my picture are an autumn joy sedum in the center (got it free in a plant swap last May ), and some pathetic white mums on either side - I had thrown them in there a few years ago, and have been too lazy to pull them out. Now that 1/2 of the maple tree is gone :rolleyes: - thanks to the electric company that came around and pruned it away from their wires - there is much more sun on this garden, so I'll have to re-think the plants in there for next spring. That is... if we can once again get through the thick masses of roots... :p

Do you grow asters, TK? They are really pretty, usually purple, autumn blooming plants. The woodchucks here like them too much, or I would have them everywhere!

Here's a link to what Bill has to say about them:
asters

That's interesting I think I've seen some of the violet ones growing wild around here. They bloomed earlier though.

Right now I'm trying to convince my miniature snapdragons and columbine that it is fall and they can come out and play anytime now lol. The columbine have produced nice looking foliage again after almost totally disappearing.

The yellow snapdragon has started to do a few blooms but the red mini snap is being very pouty. It's planted right next to the yellow so I'm clueless as to what the problem could be.

If I remember correctly the sugar ants were bothering the heck out of the yellow one earlier in the year not the red one. If you have any ideas I'd love to hear them.

Ooooh TK - just remembered another autumn flower that is blooming for me right now -

montauk daisies

They can be hard to find, but I got mine at Home Depot last year.

That's a great idea. I'll look out for them. I think of daisies as mid summer flowers so it would be like rolling back the clock to see them in the fall. I may have to wonder outside and see if I can find that violet colored one. Maybe do a transplant so it doesn't get mowed. It's in that part of the yard.

I need to get out there anyway for leaf gathering detail lol.

Hey TK - just wanted to give you a heads up if you have a Home Depot nearby. I was at mine bright and early this morning (7:30 after driving Amy to school!) and they had tons of Montauk Daisies fresh off the truck. I picked up 2 for my mom for Rosh HaShana - they were 8 inch pots for $6.99 and very nice. They had a few smaller pots that looked already neglected and no price on them also...

By the way... just like with mums, when you cut the daisies back during the summer so they don't get too tall when they flower, you can take the cuttings and make new plants from them. All you need to do is put them in soil, in a somewhat shady place til they root. Then put them in full sun, and you'll have lots to share, or spread around.

That sounds like a great idea. That is so great to remember your mom that way. How did she enjoy them?

I've already been out messing about with the garden. I love-a-love-a-love it. My partial shade bed on the second tier is on a level with the rest of the sunny side of the tier so that's all good to go.

It took just about forever but now the soil is nice and soft and amended so I can put the christmas roses in as soon as I take out the tomatoes. I'm going to wait a few days I think before I do that. I want to make sure the tomato cuttings are doing well then I'll start the christmas roses. I kind of like to space things out so I have something to look forward to everyday lol. Of course I'm liable to run out of good weather before I run out of things to do, doing it this way and that's a concern. Fortunately it seems like most seeds will forget waiting a year for planting. Or I maybe able to do some indoor things. I can always try to figure something out.

My neighbor brought a broken chair out to the potting area so I would have a place to sit down and take a break. It's a nice idea but I'm alittle leary about how structurally sound it is. It's one of those plastic ones and I'm over 200 pounds soooooo I may not try that lol.

Well I need to water but I'm going to wait until the evening for that. Then I plan to give the whole area a good soaking or at least until my elbow gives out. It probably won't take long for that to happen.

It's just my day to do things I guess. I just finished toting water out to the garden which is probably why I did what I did next lol.

I bought the small and medium water-keep polymer crystals for my pots and my flower beds where I want to try and grow my moisture loving plants. I forget which ones they are at the moment but I know I have a couple and hopefully this will help them survive if next summer is as dry as this one. And I'm assuming it will be. I think even the zinnia will be happier with some added to there bed. It was just to dry this summer and carrying water out with fast draining soil didn't get the job done. And mulching didn't provide enough protection during the 90+ days.

I hope this is a successful solution.

Well I guess I'm going to start a count down. I'd do one of those ticker thingys but I'm just not that technically brilliant. The tomato cuttings are suppose to take 9 days to root. So I cut them yesterday and put them in soil so today is the first whole day and so far they look alive and well. I was alittle worried yesterday because it looked like two of them were wilting but they seem to have come through the night all bright eyed and cheery so I have high hopes. Needless to say they got watered and misted first thing this morning when I went out. I just love these new experiences I'm sure someday rooting cuttings will be old hat but not yet lol. It's all like a miracle to me.

That looks great -- sorry about your dh hurting his back -- but looks like both of you did a great job

tkhooper, don't cry because your mechanic does not know anything about gardening. I bet he does not like any kind of flowers. All my neighbours give me many compliments and asking me about my different flowers. But my son (26 years old) say it does not have a landscaping structure. I told him it's easier to criticise than to accomplish. He should know that I'm learning while doing it. My parents and some friends think that it looks like a forest but I think they are rather jealous with the time I put into it instead of going out with them. Anyway, I love my garden. My plants have grown a lot and I am trying to regroup them so they look more defined.

Well today I was working on my compost pile makin' lasagna -- my dh called wanted to know what I was doing so I told him I was making lasagna, he had to hang up. When he got home he asked where the lasagna was, I laughed and took him to the sunroom to look at my compost pile -- I apologized, since he came home thinking about it all afternoon, had his heart and tummy set on it but had hamberger helper instead

Malinda

Oh no Malinda that is so funny. But you know now you have to make his some and his favorite dessert as well. He must have been sooooooo disappointed.

Hey hoa, I'm still at the stage that if it comes up at all or doesn't die the moment I transplant it I'm in heaven. So yea when people are hurtful I try to ignore it. The garden makes up for a lot that doesn't quite go right in the world. Hope you continue to enjoy your garden and that it is more beautiful everyday.

Good morning,

Well I got out there and cleaned up the strip of weeds between here and the towing place next door. Somebody was using it as a garbage dump and it looked really bad. Now it just looks normal bad. I wasn't going to mess with the paint cans and propane cans that are underneath the bushes. I might be able to get down there but I doubt I could have gotten back up without help.

My second trip out to the garden was to rake an area clear of leaves and add them to the compost bin where it had compacted down some from Mondays turn and the put the rest in with the little pile of reserve grass clippings that I had going before the humungous pile arrived. I don't have enough leaves for that pile yet but give me time. I know my trees will give me everything I need if I am patient. If not the outside green will become brown as it dries out lol.

COUNTDOWN: Day 2 - Well they are still alive all four tomato cuttings. One is looking a little sad but I don't have enough experience to really tell how it is doing. They are nice and moist and the temp is probably down in the low 70's today. I can't be possitive I haven't a themometer but somewhere around their. I don't want to bring them in yet because I think I saw a white fly over by the east facing window where I had the spidermite infestation earlier this year.

Which reminds me I want to bleach that area again. I'm going to need it next week so I can bring the tomatoes in so I have to get a move on.

Well you all have a great day.

Hello where's the ticker?

hooper, ya know...I never could figure that "ticker thing" out! I was gonna put one on here just so I could remember what day it was. :rolleyes:

Here it is, Tammy! When I figure out what I did to get it to post, I will let you know. I think I just backspaced over the http:// before I pasted the address into image.

Dianna

Sorry Tammy - don't know what's wrong with this - it worked when I made it for you, but now I tried it on my profile and it doesn't work there either. But it looks just like the ticker addy of mine. Let me explore it a bit more...

I deleted this post since Bill helped Tammy fix the ticker. My post was too wide and was messing things up...

I think one of the hostesses fixed it. I don't even know where to find them. And I think I may be safer that way. I'm having one of my chicken days I guess. But it sure looks nice doesn't it? Thank you Lynne that was really sweet. So now I have to go check on the tomatoes. They had better come through this alright after everyones hard work.

Wish me luck.

I forgot to mention that while I was out cleaning up all the litter I saw two of those violet daisy type flowers that we were talking about yesterday I think. So hopefully I will remember tomorrow and get out there and see if I can transplant them before someone parks on top of them or destroys them in some other way. I'm putting them and the mums where the tomatoes were this year. Not that I've pulled up the tomatoes yet. They have started blooming again so I'll letting them do as they please. I pruned off the dead branches and leaves and left the healthy looking branches alone to grow as they see fit.

Also today I mulched the glads finally. They finally turned 75% brown and I figured that was close enough so I covered them with 3 inches of mulch. I think that was what I read earlier this year about them. Hope I didn't mess it up. It's suppose to rain on friday and I'm hoping that it comes tomorrow instead. If it doesn't there is no way I'll be able to hold off turning the compost pile again. I just love my compost. Hope you all are enjoying your gardens too as fall advances towards winter.

Well the tomato cuttings are still green woohoo. I am so tempted to take another 4 cuttings. I just might before the end of the day lol. I pulled up another tomato plant that decided to turn brown. they are actually still going a lot longer than I thought they would. I just have to figure out how to get regular water out to them during the summer without causing that end rot stuff on the fruit.

If anyone has a way of doing that I am all ears lol.

Also I remembered the violet colored daisy wildflowers. Evidently each bloom only lasts one day so the ones I saw yesterday I couldn't identify. But there was one out there looking like it wanted to bloom so i soaked it good and transplanted it over by the mums. I hope it isn't too aggressive or I could live to regret this. The foliage has a bottom leaf like a dandilion. Well all I can do is hope at this point.

I gave the wild onion a haircut yesterday. Today I'm thinking about bringing in a pot of the outdoor chives. Or maybe just giving them a haircut. I don't really need them in here the others are still doing fine. I guess I'll have another cup of coffee and think some more.

The landlord left his wife in charge again today so I have to wait before I can get the shovel. I'm definitely thinking about turning the compost bin. It's all the trees fault. If it hadn't donated a load of leaves yesterday I'm sure I could have held off until Sunday. But it did and now they really need to get mixed in there lol. I am so bad. Well that's where I'm at as far as the garden is concerned this morning. Oh well other than thinking about trying some hard wood barberry cuttings again. I'm sure I'll find something I just have to do today.

Oh and I have to brag just the tiniest bit. I transplanted the one columbine over to the partially shady area where the other one is and guess what. That's right the soil where it was is all black and loamy and soooooooo nice. I actually am getting somewhere. And when I dig into the current beds for one reason or another it becomes really apparent.

Sorry for the super long post.

Well since I was in the mood to do cuttings I took 6 barberry cuttings. Of course I'm going to try them in the ground this time in a shady location and see how they do. I took much smaller cuttings this time and hopefully that will help. I also pruned the mature barberry while I was at it. I think if it's not done growing it should be close so it has a nice pleasant shape to carry it through the winter.