A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2004 Alright, what are we planning for next year.??

Alright, what are we planning for next year.??
Anything we did this yr. in our trials and errors, that we've re~thunk and will do different next yr. in our gardening????
I have at least one idea on my veggie bed I will do different. Gotta, run, will post my thoughts on it later!!!!
Weezie

I'll tell you one thing I'll be doing different...I have a huge cement wall that runs at the front of our yard, it goes all the way up to the sidewalk....it's probably 8 or 9 feet tall and runs for about 15 feet or so...Next spring I am painting it to cover up all the cracks and then I am going to buy some really tall plants to go in back in the bed there....this year was my first year gardening so I just bought whatever was pretty....didn't really think about covering up the wall.....Any good suggestions for what to plant that is tall?? Annuals or Perennials....doesn't matter...I'm in zone 6. By the way that bed gets a lot of shade because of the wall being right behind it....but it does get some sun. Also I am going to make another flower bed over by my fence near my neighbors......I get along with them, but that doesn't mean I want to see them all the time. <img border="0" alt="[tongue]" title="" src="graemlins/tongue.gif" /> Hmmm, I'll have to think about this one a little more.....there are a lot of things I'd like to do....

Okay, my latest idea is to create a 'fire + firefighter' themed garden, using white, yellow, orange, and red flowers, and things like old firehose to line the paths, and old boots and helmets tipped on their sides with plants 'spilling' out of them...

Any suggestions on plants?

Loz - I bet that wall retains heat, so whatever you choose to plant along it will be VERY happy!

For the firefighter garden I would use some red salvia for the "fire". Salvia comes in so many shapes and colors- lots of reds and oranges. That would look so neat. You'll have to post pics next year.

Loz, I planted canna lillies this year in the back of my beds and they covered up my wall. I'm not sure how they will do in your zone but they definitely add a tropical feel and get big. I had them in both sun and shade and they did fine. My shade guys just didn't get quite as tall, but still about the height of my wall (6 ft). Just a thought....

Gardengal, thanks for the suggestion....I'll have to check into getting some of those.....sounds like a good plan......

I'm going to get rid of even MORE of this lawn!!
What I'll replace it with is another question...


Nikkal

REAL flower/plant beds in front of and on the side of my house! and a mini lawn at the foot of the steps to the porch :p and a sitting area in the clearing under the tree and what ever else I can get in!!

I had done a raised veggie bed this year, with black landscape fabric, and also, juice and/or milk containers bottoms cut off (Like funnels)for watering the plants.
It worked really great for the tomatoes, peppers, things that didn't sprawl...
But for the vine plants, like acorn and pumpkins.
You couldn't see where you had the original plants, or the containers, because they were just covered with leaves..... But what I think I'll do different this coming year is..........
Find some pvc pipe, and duct tape the top of the juice jug, (which ends up being the bottom)
and then stick the pipe into the ground. So, the jug is about my waist heigth, or somewhere's comfortable for watering... And water that way.
I'll be able to see the area to put the water in.

And I will stake early.

Also, another thing I've already started doing for my strawberries is...................
I have a bed I replanted, and let them get established and not too worried about the production of fruit. But I wanted even more plants than I had, to give to my mother at here house back door. So, what I did was, took some small, 2" pots and put them all the way around the strawberry bed and let the runners go.......
They are now running on top of all the 2" pots and rooting themselves, right into the pot.
How easy is that?????? So, next year I walk over and snip the runner if still connected in the spring, and replant next door. How simple is that?


Weezie

Hey Weezie, I heard a couple of neat ideas for strawberries the other day.
If you're having trouble with the birds getting your berries before you do - early in the spring, find some small pebbles and paint them red and lay amongst the plants. The birds will come, peck at the rocks, and find out they're not food, and when you have actual berries they'll leave them alone.
To prevent your fruit from laying on the ground, and to provide extra heat and light to the plants, early in the season, push the little plantlets through the hole in the center of a CD.

I haven't tried these, but was told about them by someone who has, and they seem to make sense.


Nikkal

well i really have to do something different with my pumpkins they take up entirely too much room in my garden, a few more tomatoes, last year i planted way to many, i gotta find a happy medium.
and i gotta find a way to get that mint outta my flower bed big mistake!!! i don't even know why i planted that it sort of looks like a weed and it takes over every thing, although it looks like the morning glories are giving it a run for it's money.

Nikkal and Barb,
Thanks for the tips!

My problem with my strawberries were the woodchucks. They thought I was providing an
open buffet of strawberries and salad bar.
I just pushed 4 sticks into the ground,
and rolled an old roll of chicken wire around the posts and then let some grass grow around it,
and no one's touched them since.

And when I let them do their runners, and I put those pots all around the bed, I've now got a bazillion plants started.

My mom wants a bed of her own, so I just have to put card board down and when the leaves start falling big time here, I'll load a bunch of loads on top, let it set for the winter, and in the spring, it's rendered down and I can rototill it up with my little tiller, and I'll just pick up the pots and replant them for her..

She was kinda kicking around the idea of getting one of those circular 3 tier raised beds for strawberries with the sprinkler and corrogated tin or allumium and a frame and a cover and a net.
Have you seen them in the books?????????//
I've thought we could make our own, but haven't seen one up close.

That darn mint...when you plant mint its best to plant it in a container in the ground to control its spread. Not that it will help you now, Iowadahlia and Barb, but anyone else who's interested in planting it. I think everyone learns that one the hard way. I learned from my friend's garden... mint everywhere. :rolleyes:

There was another herb that you should do that to and right now I can't think of it...its too early in the morning for me.

LOZ, This was my first year with gardening too...well with flowers, anyway...have done veggies before. Don't know if you have kids or animals, but a friend of mine has a wall that she planted Tropicana Cannas (variegated foliage)and Castor Beans (purple and green) in front of. She also stuck some sort of miniature sunflower amongst them and it is just gorgeous! Drawback is, that Castor Beans are very poisonous, so you wouldn't want to use them if you have pets or children nearby on the offchance that they would eat them. They are beautiful and grow pretty tall. She also stuck Tikki torches in amongst the plants for a beautiful effect at night. I'm so envious, but I have a 19 mo. old grandson and a large dog who both like to "explore". Brugmansias might be very pretty along there also, or if nothing else, paint the wall, put shorter things in front of it and attach (or hang from top) planters at different heights and grow pretty flowers and trailing plants out of them to cover some more space. So many things you could do...and all fall and winter to think about it!

And Jiffymouse, what will you be doing for your sitting area under the tree? I made one this year in my back yard...the grass doesn't grow there anyway, so I just cleared the weeds, laid some mulch, ringed the trees with rocks and planted hosta, impatiens, lobellia, coleus, and some vinca vine in the rings. Nothing grew real tall or got too leggy because of the shade and the fact that I planted them close to the trees. It turned out really pretty. I will put some more thought into it this year and add more hostas and permanent things too...any ideas?

Barleychown, I think the "firefighter" theme would be great! I love the idea of the firehose and the boots and helmets!

Well doing my pond thing should be moveing it soon.I do keep staring out window at spot and think I bought got it figured out about its exact spot& will have my burgmansias surrounded round it also.a frosty pink already in place in what i call my Burg row(is 8 burgs so far across front of house hopefully 4 ft out from where front of porch will end up once it gets built& will die if he changes his mind.it has to stay as an 8ft porch or is a problem).will relocate my spider lillys(the white blooming jasmine smelling crunium ones) to around pond& will grow some bleeding hearts by pond,nicotina,shoo fly plant,still unsure of rest but may locate some of my white 4 pm seeds with pond also

#2 have a section of side walk will tile with black left over tile and whatever smaller edgeing tile i choose,still working on that part& will extend sidewalk closer to house.so as you can see the tile is hideing the difference& the crack in sidewalk.is bordered by roses currently and will add leavender,for smell,looks& candle makeing

#3 will have a succulant garden around flag pole and it will be in front of pond

#4 have been saveing tons of MG seed to sow along 600 ft of back fence to grow up into woods and at least make a more colorful display back there and part behind pool will be my alamo vine as is a perinialvine& will give a better look I'm happy with.along front fence at north end i guess you'd say I'm placeing blackeyed susans along inner fence area so looks better and so will be at lest 5 minutes of mowing area will not have to mow& will add MG to that front fence area also has yopun holly shrubs growing part way in area so will improve their look as only like their look in fall& is a corner in front that will fill with wildflower seed so less spot to mow also am trying for at least 8 ft from fence by 15 ft we will see if i succed their or not

#5 am currently doing terraruim 2 of them one a 20 gallon the other a 30 gallon,tanks got crack in move so kinda recycleing.am working on 20 gallon right now,am actually repairing crack in bottom of the one today and will bring in and start on it.will pick some moss up in woods,potus ivy and spider plant& have 2 small dauntra that never grew over 6 inches tall so will see how they do now,they have a blueish tinted bloom with black seeds,smooth seed pod& my 2 mini african violets.my 30 gallon has a crack and lost a piece of its glass in corner so guessing will get a cut piece of glass and glue to bottom and go from there

Hey there Weezie!
Not only have I seen one of those "strawberry things", my Dad had his strawberries in one! He made it himself, too! (for the very reason you said - he saw one in a catalog, and thought it was too expensive)
Dad was an engineer, so he could build anything, but this was really pretty easy! He got some aluminum landscape edging (it was slightly crinkly) made 3 "rings" in different sizes, like the picture, set his first (the biggest) slightly into the ground, filled the ring with planting medium (he used almost 100% sand), placed and leveled the second ring, followed the above steps and did the same with the third. For the fountain, he installed a regular lawn sprinkler head, with extra pipe to make it as high as the top layer. He did this first, and filled the beds around it. If he had trouble with birds or critters, he'd drive a few wooden stakes in the ground, and throw some nylon netting over it.
It lasted for years, produced gobs of strawberries, and really was beautiful, especially with the water sprinkling from the top.

I bet you could build one, too, (maybe for mom's bed?) I'd bet you could even use regular black plastic edging, I don't know how hard it would be to find that aluminum stuff nowadays.

I hope you can understand my explanation, I was just kinda typing it as I remembered!


Nikkal

Iowa Novice, thanks for the great suggestions you gave me......I'll be checking into them....I don't have any children(yet), or any pets, so I am good to go.....I am a pretty good painter, and my niece thinks I should paint a mural along the wall....don't know about doing all that......it would take me a while....who knows though I am always looking for things to paint.....I am actually excited about doing something with that wall next year......it will be my main area of concentration......I'm also going to plant some bulbs this fall, I don't have any at all...when we moved in to our house all that was in the yard were 2 red maples, a fir tree, and 3 hydrangeas... the yard looks so nice now....my sister think that I am an expert now. She asks me all kinds of gardening questions now, I have her fooled pretty good. I can just come here and look something up....LOL....she is impressed with the yard though, and that is saying a lot!!! For my sister to admit that she must like it. We tend to compete in a lot of stuff we do, it's a sister thing I guess....she is so lucky though....her mother in law is in the process of doing the entire front of their yard, she's out their digging beds and buying them trees and flowers, and a birdbath....must be nice....although I feel good about doing our yard ourselves....gives a nice sense of satisfaction I think....We are hoping to also make a patio next year too....we'll just have to see about that one....don't know we'll get around to it or not.....it'd be nice though.

Loz- Oh yeah, I have a couple of sisters and they always seem to be competing with me. I just do what I want and never mind trying to compete back.

I really agree about doing things yourself, though. I wouldn't like someone else taking over my garden. It's part of me. It reflects my tastes, and has sentimental value to me. I have plants out there that were given to me by people who aren't around any more, and when I look at those plants I remember them.

I'm sure it could be more gorgeous and orderly. But that wouldn't be me. Still, when I look out at it every morning it makes me happy to be here.

Bess, My sis is the typical Leo--has to be center of attention all the time.....since she doesn't have a green thumb she really is happy that her mother in law is doing the landscaping, I just hope she keeps it up.....When we bought the house the landscaping was one of the very first things me and my husband did together.....It was a good project for us, and we really got to make things the way we like it.....My sis is the overly competative one.....I just kind of laugh it off.....we really aren't anything alike....

flower,
You mentioned putting netting on,
This is something that came to mind when you mentioned that, my mom bought some thing called
Tule *or tool* I''m not sure how you'd spell it.
(the stuff a bridal veil would be made out of)
And it was like a close out, but you can buy it pretty cheap.) And you could put that over it too if you needed somehthing along those lines.

We also used it for putting it around a bed of pumpkins and acorns when we first planted it,
a big rectangle of it.
But it kept the critters out because it's a foreign substance and it doesn't feel good on their feet and moves funny...............
But it did work pretty good.
Weezie

Iawadahlia and Gardengal,
Yes, that mint can get out of control,
and like what Gardengal said, a container
of some sort keeps the roots in check.........
(cut off the bottom of a nursery pot or something like that)
And it does get a bit weedie, but.............
I have heard that mint is suppose to be good
medicinal for you. Good for the brain power.
(I should start eating it daily but I don't have alot here yet and I'd strip it clean.)
I like eating it straight off the plant,
Do you put it in teas or anything??????
Weezie

Weezie my dad grows his own mint, but that is because we are english and eat a lot of lamb.....you have to have some mint to put on it! Nothing better than fresh mint from the garden made into a mint sauce....

Hi Weezie and Loz,
We only have a couple of mint recipes and they all seem to involve alcohol somehow! Mint juleps, mojitos... I do have a chocolate mint plant as well and it says its good for tea. Not sure how to do that just yet, maybe I'll look it up someday.

Gardengal,
Alcohol recipes are good!!!
Nothing wrong with an occasional imbibement!!!!
Weezie :p

Haven't tried the mint julep yet but the mojitos are a tasty treat on a summer afternoon!

and i've had lamb in a mint sauce.my sis likes to cook and we've had lamb quiet a few times for christmas to eat.
for tea just boil the water drop mint leaves in and let sit 15 minues and drink.when my dogs breathe stinks i give him a leaf to eat....makes him a little more bareable..?LLOL