Out in the Garden all day...getting tired now...
Our Phlox has spread like a weed, in fact I've had to pull out some this year!
Critter, here is a pic of your thyme :)
Seed Swap & Chat # 56 Whacha planting ??
Terese, I think that's actually Hesperis, also known as Dame's Rocket. Looks very similar to Phlox, but note the 4 petals as opposed to Phlox's 5 petals.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/81/
It's a reseeding biennial, an heirloom garden plant that has naturalized itself through lots of this country. I love them, they're great for kinda wild areas and spots where other flowers are hard to grow, but could easily take over a garden bed of rich, amended soil.
Critter were those seeds hard to harvest from the tyme? I have a couple different kinds but never thought of trying to collect the seeds they look so small lol I like that one I don't have it :)
Terese, sort of looks like dame's rocket too there were a lot of those seeds floating around in the swaps the last couple of years are you sure you didn't pitch some out maybe? Phlox and Dame's Rocket look about the same to me what is the difference can any one tell me as far as identifying them? I did pitch some older seeds out back and now they are blooming thought they were phlox at first, do the phlox have more blooms at the top than the DR?
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/138103/
Well, besides the 4 petals as opposed to the 5 Phlox exhibits, seems the leaves are courser, and have some fuzzy roughness to them that I don't recall seeing in any Phlox (which typically have smooth, hairless leaves). Dame's Rocket also has that lighter stripe down the center of the leaves that Phlox don't.
I never even thought about the leaves being smooth on the phlox :) Not sure I've seen the white vein on the Dame's Rocket either going to have to check that out... yes there is one it's not that noticeable to me how in the world did you notice that Neal lol I had to look real hard! lol
Thanks!
I think Wind had that thyme from me as a division rather than as seeds. It's one that I originally grew from seeds received in a trade... and I am sure it has produced some self-sown volunteers, but for the life of me I have been unable to figure out the right timing to collect seeds from it! It's a low growing (6 inches or so) English type thyme that's pretty good for culinary use, although I have a "thing" for french thyme. :-)
I have the lemon tyme I think I've had it so long I've forgotten and the variegated tyme that's the only ones I've seen around here they are both about 6" high. I used to try and keep them in pots but they do better in the ground but every time I fix chicken I use some I love the flavor of them!
I found some creeping tyme and wish I hadn't planted it out front near my sedums it's taking them over I just ripped a bunch of it out that was going further out where the petunias are I planted yesterday now I need to rip more of it out but I'm afraid of ripping my sedums out with it but it's taking it over anyway lol
Neal and Lea... i know they were 'fuzzy' ... no idea about the white stripe, i honestly did not get a real close look.
I actually grew some Dames Rocket, ,and it really looked nappy this year, so i just pulled it this morning to make room for a nicer plant [but no idea what i put there... i was planting like mad today]
I'm sure it was Dames Rocket now that you mention it.. .it's is thru-out the field in areas. Pretty, ,but you can see it could easily be invasive -- and it is considered an invasive in IL.
I"m beat... it was a marathon 3.5 days for me ... jsut went to WallyWorld for a bit of groceries, nice bucket of fried cheese curds [Oh YUM, a WISC special] and now i'm winding down.....
Lea -- sorry I didnt' tell you I was on the road.. but made it safe and sound.
Ok everyone, not to get all preachy and stuff, but Dame's Rocket really is a bad invasive. Please do not plant it. It spreads like a blanket and chokes out everything, especially in moist areas.
It is reported invasive in CO, CT, IN, MD, MI, NJ, PA, TN, VA, WI, and WV.
Even though it may not be invasive in your garden, you don't want to be responsible for a seed getting to a spot nearby and starting a colony there.
ok, that was a little preachy ... sorry.
Thanks Terese just glad you made it safely :) I don't think that little Blue Mist seedling is going to make it it's shriveling up at the bottom of it I'm keeping an eye on it and babying it!
Oh darn it toofew! I like those guess I'll get rid of them when we first started swaping seeds of those, where I got my first seeds, every one said they reseeded a lot but didn't realize they were so invasive and not a good thing, thanks for the heads up :(
WHen I first heard of Dames Rocket -- i was talking with the Pres of our HOA, he's a "by the book' kind of guy and he commented on our local "Garden Club" and he asked why in the world would the Garden Club sell Dames Rocket when it is considered an invasive in our area... at that time, i had never heard of it.
I had gotten seeds in one of the Piggy Swaps - had no idea what it was... it bloomed one year, last year, and looked horrible this year... i was watching the area to make sure there were no volunteers... not a one. but like i mentioned above, i yanked it.
Good Morning All! Wonderful, drizzly day here. Yep, I'm loving the drizzle, much better than the oven we've had recently. Going to run around outside in my bare feet and organize a bit. Guess I shouldn't plant much, at least in my clay areas, but maybe in the lasagna bed it would be OK, impossible to compact it with all the pine needles still in there :) Of course, the Robins are out full force taking advantage of the worm feast. At the rate they're going, I don't know how the worm population can survive in those beds!
I just looked up Thyme the other day, because I have two cute little variegated lemon thymes that I'm wanting to propagate. Apparently cuttings work well. I'll be trying it soon for sure! Everywhere I looked they suggested cuttings because seeds may not come true, which is bad if you want to keep a certain flavor! I've not used it in cooking yet, but intend too. My DD and her friends keep breaking off pieces just to smell... I'd better get it multiplied soon!
Got my first MG bloom this morning, the dark pink from RatherBDigging :) Pretty! Also the petunias from Lea and TooFew are blooming their little hearts out. Really starting to get nice!!
Question for you all. I got some 'hummingbird vine' from my MIL (the ferny leafed kind). I know it self seeds like crazy, but should I be concerned to put it in the ground? Are runners a problem (she grows it in a half barrel sized pot, which I don't have. I'd love to grow it for the hummers, just don't want to regret it. I can put it in a heavily mulched area...
Congrads on your blooms KL :) Don't worry about the hummingbird vine with runners it just reseeds a lot but they are real easy to pull out that reminds me I have some seeds for those from George I should get them started I forgot about them so glad you mentioned them :) I love the feathery vine on them too!
My Dame's Rocket never reseeded where it was but I think it was in too much shade and where it was coming up this year is behind the house and that's a lot of shade too but I think I pitched some old seeds of it that I had in the fridge in the winter I got some new seeds from the swap this year and now I have to throw them out :( lol I really liked them!
klstuart, If your hummingbird vine is Campsis radicans I would NOT plant it anywhere but in a pot... And I wouldn't even plant it there myself. It is just as bad, if not worse than the wild honeysuckle. I have been pulling it out everywhere for the past 10 years. It is an evil nightmare! It strangles trees & it spreads terribly. It won't seem like it for the first couple years, but then watch out. It thrives from zones 3 up. It makes thousands of paper like seeds in each pod & spreads by runners & roots travel quite a ways underground. Hummingbirds love other, less aggresive plants just as well. If your hummingbird vine is not Campsis radicans, then please disregard :)
ants
Hmm, no, I think it's this one, foliage and seeds both look right.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/93/
A lot of comments on it being invasive too though...
One advantage to campis radicans is that it grows on black walnut trees. Both were growing beyond a fence bordering my northern patio when I moved here. The hummingbirds like it. I pulled out a runner and planted it in a pot. I wouldn't plant it in the ground, but the hummingbirds and other wildlife seem to like it. If you cut it back and drop a clipping it roots. So be careful with this one. I cut back any parts that hang over the fence.
klstuart, I have that one also. Very easy to pull :) NOTHING like Campsis radicans. Cypress Vine will redeed like crazy, but it doesn't kill trees & like I said, easy to pull the ones you don't want.
ants
The huming bird vine is very dainty and ferny I love it and since KL reminded me of it I'm planting it again the seedlings are very easy to pull up and have a feeling the people complaining about it just didn't want to pull the seedlings up that popped up where they didn't want them it's so easy to just pull them up I had it planted on my wisteria tree and had seedlings pop up the next year and just pulled what I didn't want up then I had a few seedlings pop up by the garage by my only two roses and just pulled those up heck you're pulling weeds anyway why not just pull those too at the same time what the heck lol
Sounds good, I guess my hummingbirds will get some then... if they ever come back! I saw them earlier, then nothing for the past few weeks :-(
Cuttings work for thyme, but layering is even easier... one plant in a "windowbox" container, and soon you've got a whole boxful to divvy up. I wrote about thymes in another DG article: http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/1137/
By the way, somebody asked me recently if I got $ when people clicked to view my articles -- no! DG bought the articles from me outright, and now DG owns them. :-) I don't get paid any more for articles viewed by 20,000 people than for articles viewed by 20. I post links from time to time because it's an easy way to answer questions when I've written an article that has the information in it (often with photos etc).
Just in case anybody was wondering... 'cause I think I've posted several links on these chat threads!
AW Critter I thought you were doing the articles just out of the goodness in your heart lol Isn't that the way it is someone is always wondering about money :) I had no idea that DG paid for the articles but that's nice for you and all of your knowledge :) Pennies for your little sweathearts college fund lol
Critter you need to do an article on window box containers and how you put them on the house I want some but have no idea how to go about it :)
I think I read your article about tyme but I'm going to go to your home page and check it out again.
Kl, I saw one hummer a while back think he was just passing thru so I put a feeder out for him just in case and now I have another one took him long enough but he has stuck around for a while but seems to like the flowers better than the feeders lol I have a wild blue indigo plant right by the step and he was drinking out of it the other day and my cat was right on the porch watching him so I had to scare him away hoping Sophera didn't get him so I've been watching that plant close while she is out! Only one so far though I have three feeders out now when I start seeing more hummers I'll add to them, can't wait :) My room mate has never seen a hummer??? I couldn't believe it lol He needs to stop and smell the roses!
Thanks for the link Critter, now I've got to look for all sorts of different varieties of thyme :-P
I especially like the thought of using it for a mowing edge. What variety would you recommend for that use? The lemon that I have is not very creeping and grass would surely grow through it. We've got yard nazis here that insist that everything be properly edged or your yard isn't neat. Grr. I can't handle the darn edger myself very well, and my DH is not a happy person when I force him to do it... Of course, they'd probably consider a beautiful plant around the edges too messy also...
Curled parsley makes a nice edger and I don't notice the grass as much going thru it like the tyme, I have snow in summer for part of an edging in my nectar garden but the grass grows thru it too I like the parsley better but I don't have it this year I planted a bunch but for some reason don't have as much in my jugs as I normally do that's what I was going to use as an edger on both sides of my yard. It's pretty too. You just have to replace it every other year that gets to be quite a job if your bed is a good size.
I have the creeping tyme and don't see any grass in it but it's taking over my sedums out front that I planted it by so it would probably creep into your plants too I find sprigs of it out in the yard here and there don't think that would be a good one for edging.
I saw my hummer last night just before dark sitting at the feeder for quite a while :) I have one feeder where I can sit in the chair in the living room and look out the door and see it.
The "mother of thyme" varieties seem to work especially well as edgers, and some have pretty pink/magenta blooms. 'Translucent Golden' thyme has been doing well for me along a walkway, and the white-flowering creeping thyme is pretty dense also... The only "creeping" variety that doesn't seem to be a good mat-former is 'Spicy Orange' thyme.
But the toughest thyme by far is the slightly taller English thyme that I grew from seed (the one wind posted). I had it growing by some rocks around my patio and had the lower growing thymes in between, in the openings where you walked out from the patio into the yard... last summer, though, I lost some of the creeping thyme in one area, and I think I might just let the English thyme surround the entire patio edge. I have it mixed with creeping phlox, and I like the subtle contrast in texture (as well as the pretty spring blooms of the phlox).
With any of these, you still need to cut an edge around the thyme border with a shovel from time to time, to keep the grass from creeping into it.
I've had a few local Hummers already too. very cool. last year i did not get my feeder filled in time, so when he checked it, it was empty.... they did not come back til mid summer.
the raccoon has drained it twice already... but it's been a few weeks since she had any.... so it seems the Hummers are happy. I need to get some nectar plants soon too. hopefully tomorrow.
Want to pop in and say hi! I Let my membership lapse for a week or so and I am very behind, so I'll have to go back and catch up with ya all. Glad your hummers are back Tcs! I have a regular now, my dh spotted him a few nights ago checking the Rhododendron buds. So I got my feeders out the next morning and sure enough I saw a visitor that evening! Very happy to see them back. Every time my dh and I go out on the deck one buzzes by our heads. I think he's trying to tell us the feeder is his and we need to get away! lol The brazenness of such a small bird! :)
funny thing about the Hummers... i get them up here in shaded, zone4 wisc, but i dont get them at home... sunny zone5 IL go figure....... but that's OK, because up here, i can sit and watch them... at home, i wouldnt... the feeder i had was below my viewing area of the window. ... here i can just sit outside with them.
I had been wondering about the hummers this year, hadn't seen any and usually start seeing them around in April. But a couple of days ago I saw 4, 2 with ruby throats and 2 without, and all of them were visiting patches of Catmint. I don't recall them being so fond of Catmint before, but they're loving it this year.
I just unloaded images off my camera... caught the lil bugger.
I have a few other images where he is sitting in the lil "bar" at the feeder.
but this one was in flight.
I think one of the Hummers actually prefers to "sit" at the "bar" and have a drink... where the other lil guy does it while flappin.
The hummer population is way down this year. Will be years before it gets built back up. The storms and cold weather over the winter took out huge numbers of the population. Too build it back up we need to keep building our hummer flowers so they can get enough nourishment to reproduce. I keep looking at the tips of my tree branches for signs of new nest building after having so many trees and limbs come down here.
Hmm, that explains it I guess. So sad :( My gardens are doing better than ever with all the moisture, but no hummers to enjoy them.
OK -- i have a question... it could either go in "annuals", "container", or "shade" forum... so i cam e here.
in WIsc, we have a lot of shade... some areas are dappled sun...
there is a gazebo out from of our Club House and hanging baskets are usually done. The one year they purchased pre-made baskets, over $400 was spent. Ouch... so we are trying to do them on our own.
Last year they did not look good, as too many sun plants were used....
What sort of shade annuals look good in hanging baskets??
I was browsing HD the other day... and could not find anything that grabbed my fancy -- plus most of their plants were for sun.
I think we have about 6 baskets... then 4 "whiskey barrels" [that are falling apart and need to be replaced... but we are still using them. ] for plants.
I'm checking links out Terese here's one I'll be back :)
http://www.humeseeds.com/ef_hb.htm
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/shade/msg03144118478.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irWpsEN2irI
Gotta tell ya there isn't much out there for shade in baskets besides the old standbys!
One year for perennial containters in the shade, I used Heuchera, brunnera, Lobelia and lamium.
I had a friend who had to divide some of her Hostas so she potted up pots with the divided hosta and the blue lobelia. Looked nice.
For annuals, I'm boring, I use coleus, impatiens mostly.
Oh, and another year I found Hypoestes phyllostachya - poka dot plant at a discount and used it as a filler for dapple shade, worked well.
way to nice of a day to stay inside so out I go.
Lea, turns out we are staying home this weekend to finish the shower. Sure am going to miss the long weekend at the lake, but really need and want my shower back.
Sang. Can't think of the name of it, but the blooms are only half there. They shaped like a fan. Thy blue flowers and hang down. Shoot. Got to much other stuff on my mind to think of name an I had about 60 baskets of it last year.
thanks Lea... very helpful.
thanks toofew...and Ella... i'm sure it will 'come to you' at about 2am!!
going to jsweld's place this afternoon... [a DG gal] taking her some plants and just hanging out.
it's nice here... gonna be close to 80!! not ready got that. did some containers this morning... may buy more plants, as i still have the wheelbarrow to do.
Ella, are you talking about scaveola?
http://asymptotia.com/2006/08/27/blue-asymmetry/
No, that can't be it, sorry. Just found it in plantfiles and it says full sun... though I'd swear I had it as a houseplant one time...