Propagation: Plant propagation part XVIII based on my own experience, 1 by evelyn_inthegarden

evelyn_inthegarden wrote:
High 87° yesterday, Low 60°. That has been the usual for the last few weeks, and probably will stay in that range until late September or even later. I hesitate to predict any type of weather as I am not any better than the people on TV who tell us what is happening and what is likely to happen, but not always what will happen, though I am sure they do their best.

So this weather is ideal for the tomatoes, peppers and other warm season veggies. Has anyone started seeds for the upcoming fall season? We just harvested the potatoes that I planted this spring...all sizes from medium-large to tiny. I will hold over the tiny ones and save them for planting. I did that last year and this is what the harvest has been. I won't have to buy "seed potatoes" anymore unless there is a problem with any type of disease. Also, I finally pulled the lettuce that bolted. So far, the ones shaded by the row cover are still doing well, but still quite late for lettuce. One of these days I will get it right and have the lettuce and tomatoes together...the tomatoes are still green as they were planted late May due to the late cold wet weather.

The "Cottage Garden" border has been planted, and of course, more will be started from seed to put in there. I should say the "bones" have been planted...the shrubs and named perennials that I would not be able to obtain from seed. They get sun and shade so I hope that the buddlieas do not give them too much shade. If that is the case, however, I will not complain as I have no decent shade garden. I will move in the hydrangea and other shade-loving plants that I have on the north side of the house that get too much hot morning sun this time of year.it is so amazing to me to just put a trowel in and plant, as any other garden, I would have to dig with a shovel first. Sharon has the right idea about mulch. I just mulched part of the "Dark Side Garden" and the plants are loving it. The callas are popping up all over, that were hiding from the sun, as that garden used to be shaded from tall native shrubs that were cut down. I put in a Cotinus 'Grace' in the corner and it will eventually give the needed filtered sun instead of so much direct hot sun. I did not realize that all those callas were even still there, as I thought they had been eaten by underground varmits. Should any of them bloom this year, I will take pictures for sure.

Sharon ~ My 'Tropicanna' has come back as well, so I won't be needing it if you want to send it elsewhere, but it will definitely be welcome here if you have it to spare, as I would love to have more, but do not want to be *too* selfish. Years ago when I planted it, it got large and flowered well. In recent years, we had such cool or cold springs that they came up so late that they did not grow so large. I never lift cannas or callas, though I am sure if I went to the trouble to bring them out of dormancy in March under heat and bright lights that they would be larger and have more flowers as well. It is just that I have little room for that kind of activity and I am busy with my seed-starting and all.

Jeanette ~ Our expenses are minimal. We do not pay for TV, I have pre-paid peoplepc for internet, which is $7.95 a month...our cell phone bills average about $27.00 a month for each, and we have two phones and are about $27.00 as well, and we have a well, so no water bill. I will have to check about the utilities, as DH pays that. I am going to attempt to raise a lot more from seed as I could not possibly buy all the plants that I can grow...well, we will see about that, as my focus this year has been on veggies. I will learn about and fall seed-sowing now. And I want to sow more in winter as well, both indoors and outdoors.

Mary and JB ~ How is your weather today? Any rain yet? I know that I cannot count on any significant rain anythime during the summer, though occassionally there is a short thunderstorm which will blow over almost as soon as it arrives...I think we had about 5 minutes of rain about 2 weeks ago...nothing significant as everything was still dry.

So, we will all have to to what we do in hot weather....try to keep cool when we can, do what we can in the early morning hours in the gardens as that is the very coolest part of daylight hours, and then complain that we cannot be playing outside all day when we were kids...does that sum it up? Oh, yeah, and try to protect our plants the best way we know how....

Well, today I have had a fever so I did not go out this morning, so I will have to go out this afternoon in the heat. That is why the long diatribe for this afternoon, as I am usually more usefully employed...not that this "thread-group" is not a worthwhile endeavor. I learn so much from everyone here and enjoy each and every person here and your sometimes "wild & wacky" stories..LOL!! Thanks everyone!

Here is the beginning of the new garden border, (only part of it) ...I will update it when I take more pictures...

Evelyn