Carolina Gardening: Hello from New Bern, 0 by Entlie

Entlie wrote:
Hello! I am fairly new, and was happy to see this Carolinas forum on the list! I love to garden, but since we spend part of each year on our sail boat, have to be really careful about what I plant so it blooms when I am home, and requires little care. Here's a photo of part of my back yard. We just put in the arbor and planted confederate jasmine to climb over it. A friend made the adirondack chair for me, and I am about to paint it plumbago blue. What do you think of that color choice?

I love shade perennials, but am coming to realize that we really don't have a lot of shade on our small lot. Even though the back part has a number of pine trees and a few other tall trees, the afternoon sun angle really cooks stuff back there.

We have three windmill palms that we baby - one is at the left of the picture. Also two very small fig trees that we bought at Tryon Palace. One purchased 2004 with absolutely no fruit, and one purchased 2005 which was loaded this year with small but very tasty figs. Anyone care to speculate about the difference? My neighbor also has a 2004 tree with no fruit, and another has a 2005 tree which was loaded like ours.

One of my favorite plants is Virginia Sweetspire (itea virginica). Just planted three of them - they were hard to find even though a native. Had them in Kentucky (7 years before here) and they were lovely. These seem happy so far, and they spread themselves, so I should have some good iteas to trade in a couple of years.

Also, there are some terrific American beautyberry bushes growing at the end of our cul-de-sac. I have dug one of these up for the back yard, and hope to dig more (and avoid snakes while doing it). A house is scheduled to be built in our cul-de-sac and I know those beautyberries are doomed.

Also just planted three good sized hydrangea panic unique. The blooms are very much like the oak leaf hydrangea flower (white), but the leaves are more ordinary. I am going for whites mostly where I can - iteas are white, this white hydrangea, and some pink annuals and blue plumbagos thrown in.

I have completed one trade (with MacLaren), which was so much fun! Since this is a new yard and I'm gone so much, I don't have a lot to trade. Hotounniya, mostly. Would love to find some tall and fragrant ginger - does it grow in this area?

I have some big pots that I plant exclusively with annual vincas (pink and white), and ivy. They seem to require less care than anything else on our sunny deck. However, one pot has the leaves curling up and looking almost dead, even with regular watering. The others are fine. Any thoughts? One of the confederate jasmine is also acting this way. I am wondering if maybe grubs, and if a homemade solution of liquid dish soap, mouthwash, tobacco and water might cure it. I make my own deer spray, and while others in our neighborhood have electric fences and still get deer in their yard, my deer spray and my dog seem to be working great.

My user name (Entlie) is based on the breed of dog we have, an entlebucher named Toby.

My daughter (Sstateham) is an active DG'er and a wonderful gardener. She has contributed a lot to my new space. I can only hope to have a garden half as nice as hers someday.

Well I rambled on much longer than I intended. Nice to meet everyone!