2011 Garden Projects

Show us your curves!!

hee hee

Finally found this thread. Love the new birdhouses, Bill. You always make such nice ones.

Today I bought a weeping pussy willow from Lowe's using their $10 off a purchase of $50 or more coupon. I moved my 'Leonard Messel' magnolia to a new location and put the WPW in it's place. I had to dig out a large spirea shrub from where the magnolia went in. Then I divided a 'Pilgrim' hosta and planted the divisions around the magnolia. I also put in some mini Solomon's Seal there, too. I potted up some Vinca minor I dug out of there, and took some divisions of the spirea and potted those as well to sell/trade/give away. I also divided a couple clumps of primula and did some raking. I'm pooped now! I stayed out till the sun went down, but I didn't actually get out there till around 3, as I had things to do in the house first, then went to Lowe's and Ocean State Job Lot. OSJL has Scott's water wise potting soil 2 cubit feet for $8, which I thought was a great deal.

Here are some pics I took of today's work. This one is a before shot of where I moved the magnolia. Just started digging the spirea. There are 2 more that need to come out.

Karen

Here's how it looks from the street side. This garden is shaded by 2 large white pines and a spruce, as well as an ash that has not reached its full size yet.

Karen

Here's the spirea after I got it out of the ground.

Karen

The magnolia in its place.

Karen

Here's the area where I removed the magnolia. The weeping pussy willow is waiting to be planted.

Karen

Going to look good!!!


I finished up my bamboo fence...now to see if it will keep Wall-e out of there, hoping he won't crawl under...I'll take a pic tomorrow.

I'll do some work on the berm tomorrow

Here's the area where I planted the magnolia. I dug out around it and put in the divided 'Pilgrim' hosta and mini Solomon's Seal.

Karen

Thanks, Jen. Looking forward to seeing your pics. I hope Wall-E stays out, too.

I divided and potted up some of the spirea and some vinca.

Karen

The WPW is in. If you look to the right of it you can see the little pieces of primula that I divided.

Karen

Jo, that's a cool photoshopped pic of the clem on the obelisk.

Patti, I'm jealous of your hamamelis 'Diane'. Mine had very few blooms this year, though last year it had lots. Don't know what happened. My species one had loads of buds. Your stone walk and wooden stairs project from last year is looking great. I'm jealous of that, too! Love the fact that your mother is so active and goes on so many trips. Love the big rocks you unburied. Another thing to be jealous of. Your dogs are beautiful.

Sorry to hear about your witch hazel, Victor. Darn deer! My sister, the one who lives in Alaska, also has a place in the mountains in NM. She and her hubby spent about 4 months up there this past fall/winter, and they feed the deer there. They get a big herd that comes in every day. I would so not want a place there!

Jo, your knobs for the vanity look great. And they look superb on the vanity.

Patti, I have never gotten plugs in large pots from a nursery before. I didn't know that was being done. My friend Karen once get a Christmas cactus once, though, from a local Stop and Shop, and found it was just pieces stuck into the soil and not even rooted yet. I know they root pretty easily, but that's just plain lousy to do that to people and sell them as fully rooted plants. I would have taken it back and complained loudly. I wouldn't mind buying plugs if they were only a couple bucks each.

Speaking of only a couple bucks, my friend Karen went to a local nursery today and got a bunch of last years perennials in large pots for only $2 each, and also a weeping bald cypress for $5. They have another WBC, so I'm going there tomorrow to get it and some of the perennials. Can't pass up a deal like that!

Iris, I hate lines of evergreens. See them way too much. There is one right on our street, in fact. If I lived there I would want to take them all out!

Nice new berm, Jen. You will get to plant lots of stuff there. I like the gravel driveway.

LOL! Louise, I just caught up on this thread myself. It was a long one! Will probably be starting a new one soon.

Karen

Jeez Karen, I'm tired after all that planting you did!!!

LOL! Me too! And my arthritic ankle is very sore today. Walking is tough, but I'm getting out there to do more work while we have good weather.

Karen

As the saying goes "you go girl". Wish I were able to. Too much snow still.

I was just talking to a friend today about how I would not want to live in ME, due to the short growing season, long winter, black flies and no-see-ums. Not for me!

Karen

Our friends who owned a NYC French restaurant moved to Boca Raton for 12 years and have been in Scarborough, Maine for 9 years now. Not too great a chance for skin cancer, lots of books to read, streets are plowed more efficiently than most places, lobster rolls and seafood chowders are excellent, Acadia is such a gem and traffic is minimal. I wouldn't move from where we are because of family but Maine is God's country to us.

So you find Scarborough fair, Pirl?

I agree, Pirl! Maine is a heavenly place with the nicest, most genuine people in the world! Heck we have black flies and all that other stuff you mentioned, Karen, in NH, but it's God's Country to us. The black flies and no see'ums are gone by Father's Day, and you have a pristine, cool but sunny summer all before you, along with a gorgeous fall foliage season. Anywhere in New England is wonderful for much of the year, in my humble opinion. The key is to find a place where the downsides pale in comparison to the upsides!! lol

Ah, yes, Victor. They also have an abundance of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme...along with French tarragon.

Agreed, Louise.

Maine also has Pixie, Celeste, Frank and a host of other wonderful folks.

Both Pixie AND Celeste?!! ^_^

See that! I knew I was sick but not that sick! I meant Pixie and Ramona!

Hee hee. Feel better.

Peas in a pod Victor. I agree about Maine. I was raised in the hot humidity of Arkansas and I just can't take that kind of weather anymore. We did get an abundance of snow this year but so did the whole of New England. You just can't beat the four seasons (or should I say 5 including mud). In the winter you stay indoors....in the south in summer you stay indoors (trade off).

True, Frank. Ideally, if I had the $$, I would live in the south from Nov-Mar, NY Apr-May and Sep-Oct, and Maine or NH in summer.

I hear you!!

Nice to dream! Would establish 'residency' wherever the taxes were lowest.

That would probably be FL.

Too hot in summer & tougher to grow irises.

Would not go near there in hot weather.

Been there. Done that!!!!

Oh, I agree, Maine has it's upsides. I've been there and it's gorgeous. And of course fall is spectacular, just as in NH. Would love to spend a summer there someday, but could not, due to all the work here in my gardens. No one else would do it for me. I would consider living in Maine if I could afford to get away to a warm climate all winter. Winter is one season I absolutely cannot stand. If it was only 2 months here I wouldn't mind it, but it begins in Dec. and ends in March. I'm not a winter person, so Maine would be out for me, as I also cannot afford to leave for the winter. Oh, if only I won the lotto! LOL! A dream most of us share. I would rather deal with hot, humid weather than freezing, windy, snowy weather. And winter activities have never had any appeal to me.

Would not want to live in FL due to the daylily rust problem and the fact that you have to constantly spray them with chemicals. At least here the rust does not winter over, and cases of it are rare.

My pics to live would be Nevada (been there, done that, would love to go again), Arizona (ditto), New Mexico, Utah, California (except for the fact that cost of living and taxes are so high), and Texas.

Karen

http://articles.nydailynews.com/1999-12-08/local/18123434_1_million-lotto-jackpot-sole-winners-lotto-officials

When our locksmith, Mike, and his wife (our waitress at the time), Lorraine, won the lottery for $35 million...they bought a house in Maine but still kept their Southold home.

I guess there's a good place for everyone! I'd love to live in Maine in the Aug.-Oct. time frame.....love being near the ocean, but don't know if I could make it in winter, & summers have too many tourists, although there are many tourists in Maine in Fall as well! Karen, you did a lot of work! I entertained family today, & was itching to get out & do something, but by the time I walked the dogs, I was too tired.....

Wow.....weren't they the lucky ones!

Didn't work on any projects today, but I did a lot of raking and we did burning. That was a lot for me. Came home with lots of plants for $2 a piece (last year's perennials from a local nursery) and got myself a weeping bald cyprus for only $5. Such a deal!

Karen

What a great deal! Both per. & tree......

Lucky winners. Yeah, I'd have homes in two locations if I won big like that. But not multimillion dollar homes. I would want to make my money last. Would probably take the annuity. More money in the long run with less taxes.

Karen

Hank and I are convinced that anyone who wants to can find a way to be snowbirds! You just have to plan for it. It doesn't require winning the lotto! You have to make choices and enjoy the priorities that you set. We are not financially wealthy, and we love our two small, modest homes, even when one (whom shall not be named), does a wonderful "money pit" impression. Comfy is our goal and we're quite happy with what we have. I don't long for more and just enjoy our life as it is. As Hank says, there is a solution for everyone down here to enjoy being outside all winter. So....get your plans in order and come on down and pal around with us! lol

Here's the bamboo fencing around my blue/yellow/white garden, I know the bottom looks high but Wall-e head is actually a lot higher. I don't think he'll try to crawl under because I've never seen him do that...unless it was to get his ball...hmmmm
but as I was playing with him after I was finished he did go out of his way to go around the garden to get his ball, so time will tell.
I plan to put a bamboo teepee in the center for Clem 'ice blue' I have on order http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/b/bp/CLIBP.html