What is happening in your Garden Today Spring 2011

Looks, great, Gita!!!!!!

Nice work Gita. Great to have a vision materialize (specially one that so well screens an unwanted scene)

Not that you've asked for any input on your project, but having been through similar "sulking soil":

1) I wouldn't break up those clumps of clay, but take them out and screen any additional soil from your pile before adding it to your bed Let the lumps dry out and they break them up into fine particles and add to your new compost pile for 'conditioning".

2) I'd get my soil "tested" before adding more amendments ,like ph for tomatoes may be too acid if you add peat...Get some "broken bags" of Miracle Grow potting soil to lighten your bed . I mix my spent potting soil up to half and half with real dirt. My HD Bell person was always a good one to let know I was looking for quantities of spent soil without any plant material. Some times I was offered a chance to empty a few containers full of 'soil' when my shift ended as they awaited chute time...

3) What ever you add to your bed will become the tomatos you eat so be very careful about "unknown" rock dust at re-use store as it could contain really bad stuff that you wouldn't want in your yard let alone in your veggies!!

4) Worms, worms, worms. Find them, add them, encourage them...they are the finest soil conditioners around but they won't be able to get in thru the landscape fabric on the bottom of bed I think. Also, mychorrizals will help
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1134830/ as well as the other things we probably both vagyly remember Alan Summers recommending on his Sat am radio show.

5) Plan to plant a fall 'cover crop' to dig in next Spring

So sorry you weren't able to preview your soil or squeeze a handful of it pre-purchase as I know how particular you have been about all the other details of this project. Bummer. I was wondering why you kept saying "topsoil" and I apologise for not speaking up sooner. Judy

Buttoner--

I do not know, at this point what i would like to grow on the fence...Sorry!
All I can imagine are some HB's on a bracket hanging from the 4x4 posts
that hold up the fencing panels..Would be so decorative!

I am sure, eventually, I will want something growing on that fence....
Just finished all this today--have not had time to plan for anything else....

The main job, right now, will be amending the soil in this bed to my liking.
As it is now--great or not--it needs something "softer" and "Organic"
mineral. pebbles of some kind, maybe some "Rock Dust"....
Got to find some of these in the next few days....

My Tomatoes are stretching to Mars by now.....Got to get them in the ground....
YES!!! I KNOW they will have to be planted in a trench and stems buried down..

At this time--it is time for some rest! Bed time!
It has been a long--hard day!
Gita

Gita, we may have cross posted!

In any event, sweet dreams to us all and may we wake refreshed.

Judy-- cross-posted.....

I will reply to all your suggestions though...

1--The clumps are not clay. They are just wet, heavy, dark soil..
NOT what I would have thought it would be....NOT saying it is bad!
Just wet and heavy and too solid....
Judy! Judy!!! There is NO way I could screen the soil I got!!
They said it was already screened and amended.....
I think it was a sales "Promo'....It was dark, heavily organic (I think) soil,
in need of "lightening up"....

2--There is Nowhere i can get "spent" potting soil mix. I can get the pots the
plants grow in--but taking the soil home would be a No-No....
Also---We, the associates, cannot buy any of the broken bags....
Only the customers....Besides--we do not sell broken bags anyway.
I can go to Lowes and buy them--but not at the store I work in..

3--There has been sooo much discussion about "Rock Dust" on several Forumd now-
that I am all confused....I have NO idea of what it would do to my soil--except
provide some drainage...
I am just thinking of buying a couple of bags of "Vigoro" Pea Gravel--as it is NOT
uniformly round--but just little pieces of odd stones....No harm! I could just dig these in
for aeration/drainage purposes....Have to do something!

4--Judy! I swear! Any worms I ever dig up, accidentally, will be--immediately--
transported to my new bed.....I have, already, decided on that.....
IF I have to go to ACE and buy live worms (they sell them for the birds to eat???)
I will get some of those and toss them in....
Question: Will ANY worms do????? Or--only special ones????

5--I have NEVER planted a cover crop. Why should I????
I know the benefits of it----just not sure I should do it in a small bed in my yard....

Thank you, Friend--for all your sane questions and advice!!!

Gita

DO NOT add two bags of pea gravel that will do NOTHING to help drain a whole bin of soil.

Why not call the supplier back and ask them to tell you something about how they mix it? Looks like it has humus added in some way. You say its not clay; I wonder if the texture seems really bad just because it has been mechanically handled and not left to natural processes. Does it smell like good dirt, or like compost?

DO NOT plant a hardy passion vine (sorry Buttoneer) it will send suckers all thru the bed in a year or two. I have one. Beautiful flower, great cover but suckers galore.

Rock Dust is for microminerals NOT drainage. You can get good microminerals with greensand available easily, would only need a small bag.

The structure and fence looks great, he did a great job there. Stop worrying now and enjoy the flippin thing!!!!!

Everything here has kinda slowed down with the cool nights we have been having. I thought for sure I would have a blast of blooms by now.

Your new bed looks great, love the fence behind it.

I saw some flowers on my peas!!!!! Hip-hip-hooray!

These bloomed today!

One of my newspaper customers threw these out last fall and I "saved them" by planting them in a large planter. Any one know how well they may do in the planter? Otherwise, I've not had good luck with iris..

Here's a closeup of bloom.

Extreme close up...LOL

Info on growing Iris in containers from Scheiner's
Growing Iris In Pots

Iris can be successfully grown in pots. First, select a roomy pot. A 6" to 8" pot will work for Dwarf Iris; a 12" pot will work for Tall Bearded Iris. Make sure your pot has good drainage. For soil, we recommend 45% fir bark, 20% pumice, and 35% peat moss. Leave at least one inch below the pot's rim, and leave the top of the rhizome exposed. Water only when the top two inches of soil are dry. Overwatering will cause rot. Keep the pot outdoors during the winter. When bloom buds begin to appear in the fans, bring the pot inside and place in a bright sunny window. After bloom, be sure to divide your Iris and replant outside or into more pots.

Dietes iridiodes blooming in the greenhouse. Love this flower. It's an African Iris I found in Florida years ago.

Nice save coleup.

Buttoneer- wow!

That sure is pretty Coleup. Even more special as you saved it. what a waste to have had it thrown out.
Buttoneer that is just beautiful Love that. How big does it get?
So yesterday was my day off work and I got a lot done.
I started out moving rocks and hauling dirt. I finally finished the back corner of this bed. There was a hugh Quince sucker turned small bush along the one side that I wanted out. I started digging it last night and finally had to ask Ric to get it out as it had a tap root to China. So yesterday morning I finished putting in the rock edge. Dug out the rest of the suckers, moved a couple of perennials, Variegated Solomon's Seal and Forget Me Nots. Added a couple of wheelbarrows full of compost.

I planted Begonias, Impatiens and a Diamond Frost Euphorbia. Put my little laughing Buddha out. Dug out a few plants for the swap while I was moving things around.

This bed is finished, I think it has been 2 years since I got the idea and expanded it more last year but actual area is now done. There will be the maintenance which will probably be an issue with the Quince suckers and I'm sure I will move a few plants around maybe add a couple. There is Ric's Laughing Buddha. I also got the living hosta wreath planted with annuals, added a few impatiens and dwarf begonias. It is laying in the bed so the new plants can root in.

Close up of one of the Heucheras, think it is called carmel. It is a big plant, much bigger than the other varieties I have growing in there.

Looks GREAT, Holly!

When I got done I moved over to the walkway bed. Did a little weeding dug a few plants for the swaps. Ton's of tiny baby Hellebores and Astilbe in this bed. I fed the Azealeas and planted a replacement for one that died last winter. Very pleased to see my dwarf Rhodie is starting to bloom. Can't really see it in the pic as there aren't enough blooms open yet. This bed has filled in so nice in the last year I can hardly find spots to plant the impatiens.

Thanks Jen.
I worked this morning and came home to the back yard all ready to plant. Ric spent all morning adding compost to the back beds and tilling it in. Looks so nice and I don't even have the plants in yet. LOL I have 2 areas back there that I need to weed and plant also. I fed the Holly Hedge yesterday when I did the Azaleas. Going out back to work on something not sure what yet.

That bed really looks good, Holly.

Well! I have NOT been able to do a lot of anything in my garden--
I come home from work--having watered for 6-7 hrs. straight---
and my back is killing me from standing up all those hours--as well
as my right foot--with all the pain and problems I have had since October.

After I am done with my shift--I can barely walk....I feel like a cripple!
Holly--I am sure you can ID about all this by now.....

Anyway--I have some lovelies blooming in my garden....

Here is one of my amazing Irises I saved from my old neighbor's yard
before the Pakistani man decided to dig up--kill-cut back everything, etc...
I could have saved more--BUT--I felt like I was stealing....so I just took some.
Left some.....Stupid me! The house sat vacant for almost 2 years!

Here is one of my August Lily's leaves growing....There are 2 clumps here...
SO green! So crisp!!!! Nice plant!!!!!

Here is a picture for those of you that do not know how amazingly well
the small foliage clumps of a seedling Digitalis can come through the winter....
These poor, wilted-looking little clumps just jump to life--and march on.

These are my neighbor's white ones....The clumps, by now, are HUGE!
Ready to spike and to bloom....

My Spanish Neighbors Columbine--that I have always collected seeds from....
i LOVE it!!! Nice colors....

Some of you may have p/u the seeds from this one att he Seed Swap.
Maybe in the "old seeds" category.....Hope they grow for you!!!

Here is my BIG, white Azalea blooming it's head off.....EVERY year at this time!
It is an old, tall one--have had it for many years,,,,I have one on each front corner of my house.
I cut it back every year so I can walk past it--but it is a lost cause....It IS striking!

Here is a macro close-up of the blooms....
BTW--The leaves are a bit fuzzy on this variety....name?????

Here are the broken off sections of this "Stonecrop "Angelina"
we have at work for sale....It is SO fragile! Just like a Burro's tail"....
I was cleaning up the trays and thought--HMMMM????
Why not save all these broken off sections and see if I can root them????

Potted them up--and they seem to be doing just great! Don't wantt o tug too hard yet..
This is one of the plants I will bring to the Swap---with the understanding that---
these may still need some time to finish rooting....I have lots!

I will take a picture of the whole plant at work--IF they still have any. It is very nice!

My Blue "Wood Hyacinth" aka--"Spanish Bluebells"...blooming...
I also have pink and white.....They multiply so fast!!!

They just come up anywhere!!! HOW??? I do not know--as they grow from bulbs...
I mean--like in between my Sea Oats....amid other bulbs----something is spreading them!!!
Could the culprits be birds and the seeds???? DAH!

And--when you go to dig them up--the 1" bulbs are really deep down....How do they get there???

NOW...A MYSTERY QUESTION. WHAT IS THIS PLANT?????

It has been now growing in my YUK bed for 2 years....It is robust and sturdy.
The stem is reddish,,,The leaves are stiff and come straight out fro the stem...

One of the stems from last year was bent--semi-broken---but the plant marches on...

Can anyone ID this???? If it is a weed--it will be GONE i a minute!!!

Here is the first picture of it...