Seed Swap & Chat # 56 Whacha planting ??

got home early afternoon... we must have gotten a boat load of rain yesterday as some of my plants were literally swimming - and many drown. Oh well. most were the tiny seedlings, that never looked like they were doing well -- they were the ones sown in the 'flat' in the house. they look pathetic... what has barely survived will get planted and they will be on their own.

The "stuff" i ordered for my tomatoes, those Veggie cages and that 'red' weed barrier stuff... ordered on the 22nd of April... is not here yet. [not pleased to say the least] I was hoping to plant them tomorrow. Yes, i know it's a bit early for 'maters... but i dont have any other time to do them.

I prepared an area for some Morning Glories and HollyHocks. They will go in the small bed on the outside of my yard... there is a chain link fence... so the MG's can climb. I have Milky Way, and ONE Morning Sky?? in two years running... i have yet to get Kniola Black Knight to germinate... quite bummed about that.

I have zinnias coming out of my ears. Will start planting some, and some I will take with me to Wisc for my Butterfly Garden by the Flag Pole.

there are still some containers that did not germinate.... have to admit, a few i'm ready to dump.
Cup Plant.... 4 yrs running - zero germination
Purple Millet - about the same thing.
I have 2 containers of Asters... i will hang on to them until I come home in June... then I will make a decision...

My Milk weeds did pretty good too. and the Agastaches were hit or miss. some did great while others did not even germinate.

I attempted to sow Moi Hibiscus... there is one seedling, but i have to admit, it looks more like an Amaranthus.

that's all i can think of .... gotta get busy, the sun is going down.

tcs, hope you got a lot done yesterday. It's been raining here alot also. But yesterday when I got home from work, it had stopped. I planted out a flat of the white alyssum (boughten) for my edge. But I planted them farther apart than normal since I will be planting some of the perennials I started as a new edge.

I've had only so-so luck with my WS'ing again. But I'm so happy that the Shasta Becky and Broadlight's I received in the swap are growing great. I need to plant them out.

It's supposed to be a pretty nice day today. I hope to get a lot done outside. One of the things I want to accomplish is to put in a short 'creek' of rocks from the downspout to the edge of my garden. Every year the water creates its own little path and it pushes my garden soil out over my edge ... looks terrible. I'm going to dig out the creek path (only about 4 ft), line it with plastic, put in river rocks to hide the plastic, at the edge of the garden I will put in a couple of pvc pipes underground to drain the 'creek'.
Don't know if this will work ... if anyone has any helpful ideas to improve on this, it would be appreciated.
No rainbarrels allowed per hubby, no pond type garden allowed ... the sump pump is right near this area. so its the rock creek or nothing.

toofew... Dh did something like that, but on a much larger scale at our place in Wisc... with the slope of the land, all the water funnels into our back yard - literally creating a river...

Instead of plastic... he got that heavy duty rubber -- it's normal use it patio ponds ... it was about an eighth of an inch thick... then he put rocks over it. He said [as he's talking to me] It's porpose in our yard is... Weed guard, hold rocks in place and to channel the water. [I'll find some images.]

Did not get too much done yesterday, though the weather was decent. I was on "kitty watch".
Charlie does not get 'the run of the land' yet. We have a fenced back yard, but one never knows when he may try to climb it. So far, he's been a good boy... though after a few hrs, about the 7pm hour... i finally went and worked on the other side of the fence to plant a few things. I dont want him to think that the grass is greener on the other side, to where he has to figure out how to get there.

But -- I"m up early, so i will get working pretty soon. I peeked at one of my Hollyhocks, and it looks wilty. I'm gonna have to give it some SuperThrive. The other ones i saw, look OK.

I only got HH and MG's planted out... did i say that last night??

here is a shot when it was pouring rain... not a very good one, but you get the idea... you can see in the upper right corner, you can see the 'river running' -- the pooling at the bottom is something we still have to deal with, but it's not as bad as it used to be. I know i have a photo of 'work in progress' -- i just have to find it.

I could not find a photo with that rubber stuff in it... here is the trench dug.

here is the finished product. I can tell ya.. many of those rocks are not even there anymore... guess they all got washed to the lower part of the yard.

DH had to also cut away under that walk way, he put in PVC piping .... it's not perfect, but it does the job.

We had almost 90 here, and crazy humid yesterday. My DD walked outside and declared it felt like Mexico (but without the nice ocean breeze). I transplanted a bunch of perennials from my WS containers that I want to keep up on the deck for the summer. That worked pretty well last year, letting the columbine and penstemon get some size on them before planting them out in the fall. This year I've got those, plus 3 types of Agastache, Coreopsis, 4 types of Digitalis, and a bunch of others! I did plant some in the yard too, to compare how they do. Just afraid I'll lose track of the tiny things and they'll die out there! Now, I can call the neighbors and give away the extras! That should clear a little space on the deck... not much, but a little!

It's raining here today, for which I suspect my DH will be thankful. Might actually get some laundry and dishes done today! The rule lately has been if it's nice (meaning no rain, yesterday did NOT count as actually nice), I'm outside planting, and we scrounge whatever we can for dinner :) I will have to take time to run out and empty the flats that fill up with water though. We're supposed to get a LOT of rain!

Kelly -- i'm the same way... only time anything gets done in the house is, if it's raining or it's night - when i can't work outside.

Here is a photo of the other side of the yard... the lower end... here, DH dug sort of a swale so the water can run... it used to all dump into the neighbors driveway -- But DH put in those 4x4 timbers and cut in a swale ... this year, i moved a few hostas by that tree and we dug 'on this side' of it to route the water away from his drive. Usually after a heavy rain, most of our sand was in their drive. He was quite appreciative of DH's work.

this is what the back yard looked like when we bought... I guess the previous owners "thought" this would keep back the water... OR they never really had rains like we did in 2008 ... June and July 2008 was the year Wisc/Iowa, etc was under water.

All this set up did was, funnel all the water and debris to our back porch and under the trailer... it was a nightmare.

This message was edited May 3, 2010 6:57 AM

OH Heavens, what a bad plant mom i was....

when i went out to 'survey the lands' this morning, i found my Charters Double White Hollyhock laying on the ground... i never planted it!! but looked as good as the ones in the ground.... so no harm done.

I planted the like a triangle... 2 Black Current Whirl in the back, then the one white in the front. Hope next year it looks really good. that is one thing i hate about Bi's or second yr bloomers... you have to wait to see the blooms.

Everything i planted last night looked good. I figured with how damp the ground was, and the cool night... they would be just fine.

It pouring rain here finally. Need it so bad. Hope it rains enough to soak the ground several good inches. Have had high winds the past couple of days and yep yesterday was blistery wind but such high temps and humidity went outside to water and then came back in. Hard to breath on them kind a days.

Tcs,.. Your pic s just gave me a great idea. I have rivets of water that run and run when it rains. Ha d dug one small trench and ha d thought about lining it with plastic but then realized it might prevent some of the wild flowers and trees from getting enough water and them dying. I got all them bags of pea gravel. think will dig the trench deeper and put in the gravel and then I could make a little bridge to cross over the trench. That would make that are a look nice and not have to worry about killing any of the native wildflower species.

Be careful what you wish for Ella :) The ground here was so dry it was cracking and now we have roads closed even on the freeways they have shut some of them down because of water a lot of people here are dealing with flooding, rained almost all weekend. I am happy you are getting some rain just hope it doesn’t end up being too much :)

Terese your place looks nice where you tried to stop the rain from draining I'm the person here at the bottom of the hill everyone's rocks from their drive and water come down the hill into my yard I talked to the town board about it last year and my neighbor reminded them this year but still nothing done about it I have a river flow under my holly and the pipe under the side walk for water is stopped up with mud need to clean that out today but where Tony and I were cleaning grass and violets out in the new side yard bed the water left trenches right by the plants I planted last year about three inches deep just barely leaving the roots to them to hold in the ground. It's a big mess here.

I only have one neighbor that tries to keep all that mess from up the hill coming into my yard and that’s the one that tried talking to the town board. They built those storage sheds above my field and they have done nothing but flood my yard since.

Found a good way to stop the rain I put my seedlings from down stairs out on the front porch hasn't rained a drop since and the sun is shinning lol Suppose to be cloudy most of the day but now the sun is out and don't see any clouds in the sky at all, had to throw row covers over all my plants.

I just wonder about Neal and if he has flooding there he seems to get more rain than I do being south of me I think he is anyway lol I'm not good at figuring out where people live lol

He's probably getting the rain too, radar looked like Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, South Carolina, etc. were all going to get it. Was heavy here this morning, but just let off enough that I could run out and empty any flats that were flooded! I figure a few hours like that's not too bad, they just get bottom watered for a while :) Gives the watersorb crystals a change to soak up some water! Now, if I could take a few minutes from the computer and checking on the butterfly chrysalis', maybe I could go get some groceries!

After digging up the plants, digging and sloping the creek, cutting and laying the plastic, I took a good look at what I was doing. Then ... I changed my mind. LOL

I filled in the creek, split my huge lovely Walker's Low catming into 3 plants, planted everything again. Then I simply moved the cement downspout splash guard in a new direction to the back of the house where there is a gentler slope, instead of to the side of the house where there is a steeper grade. Of course I had to move a couple more plants to do this ... sigh.
Now the water will go into the middle back of the garden. I hope I don't regret doing this ... I will know if it works soon enough ... it is supposed to rain more at the end of the week.

tcs, I love what your husband did. I think it looks great. Thanks for posting the pictures.

I saw somewhere where they took a big pvc pipe (12inch), cut it in half, fit it into the trench and filled it with rocks. this was used for a short distance. Easier than laying plastic I thought. You could even drill holes into the pvc pipe if you wanted it to drain out.



This message was edited May 3, 2010 11:13 AM

klstuart you don't need groceries when you have plants to attend to lol I haven't even seen that many butterflies here yet when my Yellow knapweed starts to blooming that's when it all starts here that should be pretty soon I was checking on it the other day.

Toofew, that Walker's Low multiplies like crazy doesn't it? I have three plants planted side by side and the middle plant is still small but the other two are going nuts those are on my list to move out of the middle bed not sure when I'm going to get to it though lol How many Cinderellas do you want about three of them I transplanted them last night soon as I get them hardened off, they are sitting in the kitchen right now, I'll be sending them :) I won't put them outside until this afternoon after I get everything watered on the front porch and in the four greenhouses out back that will take a while lol

I can't remember who else got the Yellow Trumpet Tree seeds, but let me tell you about mine. I had totally given up on them & actually left the cup sit where it was (totally untended to) until last weekend when I saw something sticking up out of the cup. The poor thing was dry as a bone & must not have been able to penetrate the dirt because the whole thing (including about 2 inches of root) was standing straight up on top of the dirt. Seed hull still on it & all. I felt SO bad for leaving the poor thing!

I took it & immediately soaked it in water then filled dirt in over the roots & set it outside. The seed hull is finally starting to come off today & I can see what looks like healthy green leaves starting to emerge :)

And I have another problem I need help with. If anyone can help :) Here is a link:

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1093882/

ants

Another thing that works for short trenches is that flexible black tubing with holes along it that people attach to downspouts... We ran one downspout outlet under our back patio, and it was gushing out too much at the edge, so I attached about 4 feet of that tubing and trenched it down under the grass, with a slight downward slope.

I'm here and staying dry. We did see flash flooding and the bridge at the bottom of the hill (that is the entry to our drive way) was covered yesterday, but was passable this morning. I've been out checking the garden, this morning some of the seedlings I'd set out Friday were kinda flat looking, but they're bouncing back up now that the sun has been out for a few hours. Here we had practically no rain in April, then it made up for it this past weekend! Other than a couple of broken Lily stalks, the gardens don't look like they received much damage. I've lived in low lying areas before, and I'm extra glad right now to be sitting on top of a hill :-)

Glad to hear it Neal! We've had the same rain situation here. Strange, but I'm sure the plants will appreciate it once they see the sun. We're supposed to see it tomorrow I think. Guess I'd better go out for the evening dumping of the flats :)

I didn't realize you lived on a hill Neal glad you are safe and didn't have much damage from the rain and wind :) Didn’t notice any plant damage just limbs from the trees in the field.

Yep about the only time I'm glad to live on a hill but I still get the top of the hills water from the storage shed and two homes, I spent the day cleaning up debris from all the whirly gigs out front that washed down such a mess, then had some limbs in the field that had blown down. Left 14 trays of plants on the front porch last night because it was suppose to rain more but they didn't get wet just dried out more lol Sooo I spent the day watering too this dirt I have will not soak water up! I'll have to add some peralite and crystals to it when I do pots this year for sure.

I have some silver speedwell in the side yard and a trench from the rain on both sides and it was showing it's roots so I had to put a barrier around it to hold the dirt in guess I'll have to do my thyme that way too it has a trench on one side of it. I had the smaller rocks that are usually in with the big ones in a drive way that washed down the hill covering my stepping stones, the guy came to read my water meter and couldn't even find it because of all the mud that was on it lol It was a lot of rain! I could get one of those little toy sail boats and float it down my front yard lol

My neighbor took pictures to show the town board about everything I get all over the yard here won’t do any good they won’t do anything about it plus when it rains like it did this weekend you just can’t do much about the flooding rains I was lucky though didn’t get any water in the basement sump pump works good thank goodness :)

Critter I don't even think I could dig a hole for one of those pipes I've been thinking about it but I do good just trying to dig a hole to plant flowers I have so many rocks in this dirt and now I know where they probably came from lol Maybe if I used a pick I have one lol Hey that sounds like a Tony job I may try that after all LOL

Terese, I threw two coral bells out in the front yard last fall that were seedlings from Caramel because they didn't look like it and they are growing from the top of the ground down LOL Guess I'll keep them there being they strugled to live all winter they deserve to stay there I have a feeling the sun will do them in this summer lol I'll pitch some dirt over them hate to disturb them they are doing so well but really hate to see them on top of the ground like that.

Don't think my canterbury bells are going to make it I hope I can find time to plant some more I really miss those they are so pretty and I had all purple seeds so they really would have been pretty they didn't like this wet winter they are all rotting :( I had a bunch in my jug too! Now I only have four and they don't look good at all :( Does anyone have any luck with planting them where they want them to grow mine never reseed for me, thought I may put some compost down and plant some this fall but I still want to start some for this year.

Still haven't gotten around to plant my HH's! And my sunflowers I have some from Neal I got a couple of years ago I think I planted some of them so this will be the last bunch out of them the finches never leave me any seed out there so I always have to beg sunflower seeds. That one sunflower Neal was really pretty it had a lot of brown on it and such a sturdy one in the wind I have here I really like them think I found another seed from you when I was going thru annuals a ways back will have to check and see did you have a vanilla one I think that one was from you :)

tcs,
When those white HH start seeding in the fall please think of me.
Bought a pack from Summerhill this year, planted some & gave
the rest away. None of mine survived the soaking last week so
back to square one :(

Must be the year for snakes cause there's one on our back patio.
Will try to take a pic of it next time I see it. The ferals brought a dead
mouse on the patio and apparently the snake thought he'd have a
nibble. At first I thought the ferals had brought the snake as well
until the darn thing started moving. I took Critters advice & just
it alone. Not sure where it went to but I've seen it twice in the last
week.

Cris... i have to admit.. .my seeds from Summerhill were really hit or miss. I still have more Whites i f you want some. I just checked... i have A LOT of double whites. you'd have plenty of time as they dont bloom this next year anyways...

AND... it dawned on me, the one that i thought was white, was the last of the Black Current Whirl. So now i have to add a white there, cuz that will look so pretty.

All of my SH seeds germinated for me or I had a good germination ratio anyway no complaints here for this year and it was my first time ordering from them.

I had great germination last year, but this year I had more than a couple things that did nothing at all. I was very surprised/disappointed.

Question about hellebore seeds please ;)

For those of you that save them how do I go about this the little pods keep disappearing on me are they dropping to the ground should I take them off at a certain point I hate to take them off before they are ready apparently they don't turn brown before they drop?

This is a new one on me LOL

I had good germination last year from SH on most things and not much this year on stuff. Was kinda disappointed. Maybe it was just the cultivar types.

I haven't even been outside except for a few minutes today. everything a mush mess. had gotten over 6" of rain, but also had all the 6 inches from all the areas and pond s around me that on higher ground flood on down. All the mulch and timbers from one of my new beds and most of the soil is in next doors drive way . Think all the tomatoes I put in are gonna be goners as they spent so much time under water.. Peppers were too but they was a few feet up the slow a bit so hoepfulyl they will make it. Have 140 pepper plants for food bank in there.

Lea, mine don't turn brown before they drop either. Had a time trying to catch them before they fell. Try putting pantyhose or tulle around them to catch the seeds. I have some I am watching now :)

ants

Thanks ants and BTW Happy Happy Birthday!

I saw one pod that looked like it was ready to explode so figured I'd pull that one and I do have some tulle I've had it for a couple of years now just putting off making some bags lol Forget what I was going to use it for LOL Thanks ;)

Oh Ella I know how it is to be at the middle of the hill wouldn't want to be at the bottom of it for sure, hope you get you some help with your timbers it's rough to clean up by yourself! Hope your peppers and tomatoes make it too surely they will since a lot of them are going to the food bank doing good for people is rewarded, let us know when you find out. I do believe you beat us with 6"!

Thanks, ants re: the hellebores, as I have several and never tried to "catch the seeds", as I did not know exactly how to do it...there are some self-sown seedlings about, on the north side of the house so I know that one will go to seed. Do the hybrids throw out seeds as well? It would be interesting to see what we get anyway...

Thank you Lea :)

evelyn, I only have one kind of hellebore, but I think the hybrids do make seeds. Never know what you'll get, but I think that is part of the fun of growing from seed :)

ants

Hey you all, been really busy with the RU we hosted. We had a lot of fun, and I'm still working on planting all the nice plants I was given.
Today is cordeldawgs' Birthday, has anyone heard from her lately?
Well, I hope she has a good one!
Will send photos when it gets too hot to be out during the afternoon. LOL! So much to do right now in the garden.
Miss you all!
WIB!
SW

SW, Some of the gourds that I got from you are now sprouting. Yeah!
Post RU pictures please !

I keep looking for those hellabore seeds ... I don't think exist! lol

toofew the pods are in the middle of the flower all swollen up if you don't see yours maybe they fell off already they look like little pea pods :) I haven't made a bag to catch mine yet either just been too busy.

I went to a lady's house to check her hosta out yesterday and she had a hellebore that was about three foot around had no idea they got that big and it was one like I have I'm gonna have to do some moving around with these plants how long does it take them to get that big? There's no way I'm going to have room for what I have out there lol

Lea, sounds like that was an old plant. I don't think you have to worry about your Hellebore reaching overwhelming proportions for several years, then you can just divide it like other perennials.

Oh I'm so glad thanks Neal lol I have so many to move this year I was really concerned!

I'm sitting here looking out the window, waiting for the rain to stop.. and this HUGE fat Robin goes bouncing past... probably looking for worms. I have never seen a bird that big... she looks 9months pregnant. Hope her nest is ready. Looks like she's carrying about 5 eggs!!

tcs, you got your rain before us.

I wish all of you could hear the wonderful booming of the heavens outside my house. I just wish it was dark ...
I know the weather channel had said Tornado watches from Columbus,OH to Toledo,OH. We are just north of Toledo, so we are under a watch here also.

I remember the most beautiful thunderstorm I ever saw was when Hubby and I lived in Detroit (on Wayne State campus), on the 7th floor in an Efficiency Apt. Now Detroit is not a beautiful city, but it was that night.

we had the thunder over night and early morning in Chicago 'burbs. I'm in Wisc now... STILL raining.