Pruning...and chat continued

Hi all, been busy planting and got bunches and bunches done in the last few weeks. Finished planting any loose iris, then got busy with other plants, some perenns., and vines. Planted: Akebia quinalta; Lonicera japonica, Hall's honeysuckle; Parthenocissus tricuspidata, Boston Ivy; Passiflora caerulea; Kiwi; Ampelopsis brevidans; Campsis radicans, Yellow trumpet Vine; Polygonum, Silver Lace Vine; Fallopia Aubertii, Lemon Lace Vine; Lonicera japonica Purpurea; Clem. unk variety; Clem. Sealand Gem; Clem. ternifolia, Sweet Autumn Clematis; Clem. Blue Light; Clem. unk. variety; Clem. Mrs. Cholmendley; Clem. Ernest Markham; Clem. Barbara; Clem. Dianna; and Clem. Durandii. Whew! A total of 31 vines Gosh, I'm hoping for a few more good days without any snow cover, got 3" on the ground at the moment, yuck. Will attempt to line out the rest of the plants in the next few days to weeks, fortunately I rototilled a week ago. Then I will be ready to give the outside a bit of a rest til April, lol. And Pirl.....just Love your japanese iris, such a beauty!!! Wow! I'm hoping to get some of mine to bloom, am thinking I should add those hydrogels to my soil so they can retain the moisture a bit. Fingers are crossed that next year is plentiful with moisture, but spread out a bit more. So far this fall we are above avg., yeah!!! Will chat again later all, Kathy. Pix is Passiflora caerulea, Passion Flower Vine. Nifty huh?

Kathy - you must have camped outside to get it all done. Great job.

Please post photos of where you planted all the vines. We'd all love to see them. I found a few more Silver Lace Vine babies and will be planting them in the same area where the originals are to block a view I don't like. Recently I read that any piece you cut off will root - just stick it in the ground.

I use the reconstituted water crystals for all clematises now. It's just insurance to me. I also add them to the manure/compost/coffee ground mix I use for my JI's and this fall I tried something new. I made the mix and put a JI in each pot, then buried the pots within the garden. It's just to see if they'll grow faster when they don't have to share the goodies with other plants.

Love that Passion Flower!

Thanks for the compliments on the JI's. Here's a link for anyone who wants to see two of my JI gardens.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1007584/?hl=pirl%5C%27s+Japanese+iris

Those Japanese iris are beautiful! I looked them up right away to see if they would grow here.Seems like they need more water than I am willing to give. Well. we have lousianna iris

Thank you. When I first planted them I didn't realize just how often sites say they want a lot of water, more than I would have believed, so I planted them in an area that gets covered by our irrigation system but never gave them more water and never fed them. They grew so well and so thickly that I ended up in the hospital from trying to dig and separate them.

The wetter they are, the better they grow. Now I just divide them more often!

That's unlike clematis. Too much water can kill clematis. (I've done it by accident.)

P.S. We have lots of Louisiana irises, too! Now they need more space. Can I move them in April?

Arlene

That is beautiful......

How did you end up in the hospital from digging and separating the plants?

Thank you, Carolyn.

I was trying to cut out a wedge from a giant clump of JI's and gave up after four hours of using various knives. The entire time I was on my haunches trying to get the job done and that put a huge strain on my thigh muscle and by the middle of the night the pain was terrific. The diagnosis at the hospital was muscle strain and sciatica. Then my own doctor referred me to a nearby Physical Therapy office. That's how I met Peter, now a Doctor of Physical Medicine.

Good grief Pirl. Thighs are important,be careful!!

That Louisiana iris is a beauty....this year I could've grown bog plants in my yard.....67" of rain on top of 84" of snow! Wettest year ever in CT....

Arlene

Peter is cute, however, I too suffer with sciatica and I can tell you, although he is cute, he isn't worth the sciatica!

I am so happy to finnaly get what I have been watching in a junkyard store for weeks. Today I went in and kind of got my mind set that I will buy it even if it is pricy. It was and got the woman to lower it to 50.00 . I figured this is a Christmas present for myself. Next Spring I will plant in front of my Clematis and let it climb on it and in the baskets will plant some mini petunias. I can already see it in front of me. I hope you like it.

That is special.Nice for your plan.

Carolyn - Peter was a huge help in eliminating the sciatica and I only had one recurrence in 2009. After two months it was gone. It's horribly painful as any problem involving nerves is.

Etelka - that is so lovely. I'm so happy you got it - Merry Christmas.

Today I cut back more Japanese irises and I was near the second Omoshiro (Brushwood 2011). It's not exactly "lush" but I think it's just really busy making roots underground. This spring should be wonderful.

Arlene

I have had the sciatica problems since 2003 - I have been to PT 3 times. I think I am probably stuck with it at this point. Some days are definitely better than others.....

I had it before 2005 but not as severe as then, when I was unable to walk, but never knew PT could really help. I was there the exact same time as a neighborhood man who had the same situation. I did my exercises and got the PT while he kept saying it would never work. He still is bothered considerably by it while I do not have it.

You just might want to try a different therapist and mention how many years you've had it.

I have tried 3 different therapists and still do my PT exercises. I have a disc problem as well - my own opinion is the disc is pinching the sciatic nerve.

I am already missing my gardens. Seems like we were just out in the gardens tying up plants, deadheading and whatever else....

I really like the clem trellis, Kiseta....nice present....

OH PIRL....WOW!!!!!!!! Just beautiful !!!! How many years in the making? You say you got 2 gardens with J Is, do you have any other flower gardens? All I can say is my J Is better bloom next spring, (only have a couple plants so far). I do have pretty good luck with German Iris tho, guess that's why I have so many now, lol. How big is the patch of J Is? Just wonderful, I hope you take the time to sit amongst them and revel in their beauty. Right now more than 90% of vines are sort of lined out (in a couple of rows), as I get more areas of the yard done they will find more permanent homes. Have 2 arbors to build yet and shrubs to get in. What I find amazing is the deer don't seem to ever bother them, just like the G. Iris. I'm ready for spring now, winter can be over with, lol... Later all, Kathy.

Thanks, Kathy! What a happy springtime face on that pansy! I agree - winter can be over. I'm ready for spring by now, too.

We have 30 gardens here and I maintain all but the vegetable garden - that belongs to Jack, but I do help out in spring with mulching.

The JI fever started slowly but once the computer came into my life I immediately went to Ensata Gardens and selected 20 JI's that I loved and I was trying to get the number down when Jack said the words we women love to hear: Why not buy them all? Then came a wonderful DG person, Candy (NoH2O), who sent me many JI's. It went from there to more trading, much more buying, co-op's here at DG, and then came Eartheart Gardens in Maine. The owner is Sharon Whitney and I loved meeting and talking with her as well as touring her gardens. No soldier straight lines of plants there! I'll attach a photo of her garden.

So now I have five JI gardens and more JI's grouped in other gardens.

I was thinking of you yesterday when I planted 7 volunteer Silver Lace vines in one area. I may end up having wide 6' tall wood trellises made to fit the area.

Deer are a big problem here, too. They don't like the astilbe, JI's, any irises at all, only the new tips on clematises. They won't touch coleus, salvia, herbs (like the massive French tarragon), yarrow or most of our shrubs but they just devour my favorite hosta plantaginea, hydrangeas and lilies. Some years they leave the lilies alone - that's a real puzzle. As a gift to ourselves and our gardens we're hiring a company to spray deer deterrent every other week beginning in April.

Wow , I would love to just have that kind of space to plant in.

Easy to see why you wanted them all!

They are habit forming.

When I was working with the JI's by two of the Omoshiro clematises, I noticed amidst the vines (that look winter sad right now) there are leaf buds by each leaf joint so please be careful when deciding how much, if any, to cut them back.

pirl, pirl, pirl, the pictures in your JI thread are to die for. Your plantings are luscious, and I'm in love with the gorgeous combinations on the different plants. Thanks to that thread, I now have two sites added to my faves, I feel another addiction coming on. Y'all are such enablers,（＾Ｏ＾）Annette

Thanks, Annette! They do play well with one another and never clash. Astilbes work well with them but never steal the scene.

Sharon, at Eartheart, has poppies with the JI's and they're also beautiful. This photo and the one just posted were both taken at Eartheart.

They are such lovely blooms!

Hi All,

I just wanted to stop in and say happy holidays to all my clematis friends.

John

Thanks, John. I'll ditto your good wishes to our clematis buddies and add my wish for a happy and healthy 2012 for all of us.

Arlene

Same wish from me, also!

Happy Holidays everyone. Annette

Some of our big clematises have come loose from the wire fencing and I'm seriously considering cutting them (Jackmanii's) down before the wind rips them apart.

Might be a good idea pirl. I have not had a chance to check mine. But winter is here and the nasty stuff starts.

Right now it looks like a big tumbleweed out there so today might be the day it gets cut back. I can cross off the job for spring.

Sorry everyone, with the holidays I got a bit busy.

The leaves on this bed don't seem to be blowing away. Wish I had enough dirt to cover the entire thing, but only got 1/4 covered before I ran out. Oh well, I consider my yard a work in progress..... I was thinking, as winter has been very mild here, that I will probably overrun with bunnies next year - and I will either have to use bunny-proof plants - or fence the bed. :(

I don't have a tiller, so I will continue to work on building the bed up. I figured next spring I will dump my grass clippings on it too.

I will admit that the leaves on my front raised garden bed do blow off. I think it is because it is raised, and where it is located. The back bed that is in progress has some evergreens located nearby that block the wind. It is a partly to mostly sunny bed, even with the evergreens. but it is more protected.

I had a discussion at work with my co-worker, who is a wonderful gardener and just completed her Master Gardener. She was telling me how pine needles don't change the acidity enough, yada, yada, yada.... I told her my friends here recommend mulching clems with pine needles, and that I do so - especially as the dirt sometimes uncovers around the roots. She has 7 clems, and no problems. Me, I am nursing my single clem. But I have broken cement pottery around it (dog smashed my cement leaf I had made) and it mulched with pine needles, and Barbara Harrington is happy as a clam. Heck, it's not like I am paying for pine needles, I just snarf them from under the neighbor's trees!

I will stick with all of your advice here, especially you Pirl, who has taught me so much this year, thank you.

On to 2012, with hopefully a few more clems in my future! ~Jan

All gardens seem to be works in progress, Jan, so you're not alone. Even when we think we're done it's likely we'll change our mind in time and move or add plants.

Blood Meal works wonders for keeping rabbits away but be sure to sprinkle it often enough to cover new foliage. They'll smell it and avoid it. Works like a charm for our lilies.

When you use grass clippings be sure to mix them up with the leaves or the "aroma" can get overpowering in two to three days.

Why not try some Christmas tree branches to hold down the leaves? We don't have a Christmas tree due to opposing opinions - I only want live and he only wants fake = no tree at all. Anyhow, you can scoff up a few branches from any of the neighbors' trees put at curbside, they won't complain.

Even coffee grounds are not acidic. I've tested with a pH tester! Feel free to save them all winter (garage may be best or outdoors to avoid a really rank odor in three weeks) and use them, mixed with soil, for any outdoor plantings. We have a jug of them in the plastic coffee "can" under the sink and a small garbage pail in the garage for compost additions so I do add any extra grounds to that pail when I can't fit any more under the sink.

Thank you for your kind words, Jan. I'm not a professional at growing clem's but I've killed enough to know where I went wrong with many of them. Not planting them deeply enough was my biggest fault so now I'm fearless and time will tell if the last 25 (in the last 18 months) will fare better.

I do go through my photos in winter, delete the excess/unnecessary/boring or awful ones (wondering why I even kept them) and happily found an area with any clem's. Joy to the world!

For all of six minutes this past Tuesday, I did go out and prune back the Jackmanii's around what is now a huge stump, thanks to the August storm, Irene. That night there were 75 MPH winds so I'm glad I used the time wisely. I was surprised to see all the green in the stems so they did survive the trampling by the tree workers. Can't blame the guys! They had to walk there to cut down the tree but I am delighted the clem's survived. How nice it would be if all jobs were just six minutes! (Don't you just love the neighbors red canoe and a kayak in the background? I don't.)

Now to look for "just a few" new clem's for the vacancy.

Happy 2012 to all and may this be a banner year for every one of our clematises.

Glad your clem survived, Pirl.....mine look OK right now....we'll see come spring....

Aaaack, I don't drink coffee! Diet coke here.....

Your local Starbucks will give you a bag if you ask for it. My granddaughter's boyfriend once gave me a 20 pound bag of Starbuck grounds when he worked there before going off to college.

I have 2 stumps like that Pirl from taking down some trees this fall. I planted a Clem at each one. Should I put chicken wire around the stumps this spring?
I know I am always deciding, man I should not have planted that there, or I dont like the way that is growing there. or I think I would like that over there instead...lol

Hubby says, why dont you just plant it and leave it?
Like you said it is always a work in progress. Be it by nature or our bad decisions or just because we want to...lol

I dont know about anyone else, but I am starting to count down the days till the warmer spring and planting weather.

Now that we are not going up in the 50s and 60s during the day I need to get my cow manure down around my clems. I think that will be a project tomorrow when I get back from blood work.
Had a Gallbladder attack the first of the week that lasted 3 days, Now need to go and get ultra sound and see a gall bladder Doc.

Good luck with the gall bladder issue, Marie.

I had wire on that stump (even when it was a tree) for many years and most of it held up during the cutting down of the tree but I did patch it in a few spots. You can spot the wire here but it's not visible when all the clematises are blooming.

Many if not most of us must suffer the torture of doubt after having planted something. Either I have five spots where a plant could go or can't find the ideal spot. People who don't garden would think it's exaggeration but we know the feeling all too well.

In February I'll start my countdown to spring but for now I'm still organizing photos and placing imaginary orders (the easiest ones to place).

We're due for temperatures in the 50's for New Year's Day but I now have the manure to spread. That's an odd ritual for the first of the year but worth doing when it's nice out compared to the 20 or 30 degree days.

Pirl.....LOL. You summed it up fabulously!!!! I think most people would consider us as eccentric, crazy, dumb hicks, foolish, wasting time or money. What they don't realize, is IF they begin to grow and tend flowers for themselves and begin to enjoy it they just might find they are hooked as bad as we are! I tell people it's my hobby, but truely it's not, it's my passion...Kathy.

"Passion" fits much more accurately than just "hobby", Kathy. I go off to sleep placing the caladium (that I haven't yet ordered) and changing my mind so color echoes works more effectively with them. Other people look outside and see rain while we enthusiasts see what glory the rain will bring.

Neighbors pass all year and some are on their way to the gym or to play Bridge while I'm working out with gardening. They may pity me for the work and the grime but I pity them for wasting the sunny hours when they could be creating beauty around their homes. It's just a different perspective.

Only a gardener could be thrilled Christmas morning to get two rubber mallets as a gift! There were also gold and silver earrings along with Godiva but the mallets were the big thrill so I can pound in the rebar...to hold the trellises...on which new the new clematises can grow.