Whats happening in your neck of the woods? Pronostications

Sally,

"Eaten alive"??? Because I said to come and get the Brugs? That would be one way to get rid of them....

Donner and I are going to the Timmonium Home and Garden show Sunday. It is the last day for it.

We plan to be there at 10AM. We have to meet up with another new DG member--around noon, as I am bringing
her some 1yr. old W-Sweet seedlings. Her name is Amber ("autumnriver") and she is also Chinese American.
Very young--30 I think--with two little ones....
We have been D-mailing a lot....Seems I am "famous" on some kind of Blogs because I have the WS seeds.
In Canada as well as right around here. Maybe when people search for a source of WS--my name comes up.....

You could come to the H&G Show--and I could bring you some of the brugs and the Monkshoods.
Or--we could meet up half way between your place and mine some day. Heck! I can even drive to your house--
it is only a half an hour.....

Giving a man at work one of each Brug too. He saw my pictures of the dr. Seuss and was VERY impressed.
Oh, my! Another Brug newbie to tend over......

Gita

This message was edited Mar 9, 2012 11:03 AM

I thought the Brugs looked ready to swallow you.

I'll let you know if I can get up there.

Hi everyone, just popped in to give you a heads up.

The MarketPlace is closing March 15th at noon. All sales etc. must be completed by that time. We have all been notified to start taking down our merchandise and finishing our sales before that date. If you want to know more please go to the MarketPlace Forum and read the thread about Changes and that will bring you up to date.

I will see you all later. If this is already old news, I apologize, I have not read old posts and I only found out yesterday so forgive me. JB

I have been ultra busy for some weeks too and haven't had time to drop in and see what folks were up to. Sounds as though many of us are already spending time outdoors tending to our gardens. I don't get a lot of time to do much, but each trip out, I try to spend an hour or so cleaning up what was left from last fall. I guess it is a good thing that during the winter months I don't venture far from home very often, or I would have been hankering long before now to get out and clean up last years debris.

I spoke with the lady who sometimes helps me with house cleaning about coming some time this month and spending the day with me working outside. She has agreed to come and help, and the two of us ought to be able too get things looking good enough for this years lovelies to grow to their hearts desire.

Great pictures of your blooms Jen. I had to laugh when you mentioned those rascally rabbits eating your crocus. I was out two days ago and see that I am having the same issue. They sure do some damage don't they. How do you treat for them? I know that John has treated for deer in the past, but rabbits haven't been too much of a problem before now. It would be good to know of what works to repel them.

Looks like you won't have any problem at all getting rid of the Nandina you have Gita. I still have the one you gave me some years ago and I love it. I actually ended up with a second one from Aspenhill's swap I believe last year. It is really a beautiful plant. I am not familiar with Monkshood and will need to take a trip to plant files and see what you all are talking about in regards to it.

I have a lot of indoor types of chores today but hopefully can find a bit of time to walk outside and see what is up in the front that wasn't up a few days back. I too have been pleasantly suprised with the early blooming of some of our things. I am going to post a picture of a Hardy Primrose that has been in full bloom for way over a month now. Imagine my surprise at the time when the purple and white caught my eye one day.

Anyway.....happy gardening to all.

Ruby

Just love the spots of color



I use Liquid Fence which keeps deer and rabbits away, then a few weeks later garlic, and few weeks after that break up pieces of Irish Spring soap and spread that around and then do the cycle all over again

What nice bunches of Crocus!. Mine are sorta buried in periwinkle. Probably I should mow down the periwinkle this year and thin it out some.
I was outside for some time. Weeding and pulled some dead branches out of the hedge. Then I tried to go in and start dinner. Mark had gotten to work in the kitchen, put a sheet over the stove and counter. So I went back outside for another hour ! (whee!!)

Then I got in and finished making chicken soup and cornbread, Yum.

Got loads of mushroom compost delivered. That was the easy part. Now it is my job to get it into the garden. Worked in the garden for the entire day, mostly dividing, transplanting, and potting. I fully enjoyed it, but am exhausted.

I went to the container gardening forum on DG a couple of weeks ago to look for design ideas. I came across a link about where to find containers at reasonable prices. I was inspired and found some great pots at Michaels. The ones I bought were about 12" - 24" in size costing $9.99 to $16.99. Aren't they lovely!!!

They sure are. I find pots at Big Lots, Tuesday Morning & Ross.

Sally--

And---don't forget that EVERY week, in the paper or in your "junk mail" there is a 40% off coupon to
Michael's, AC Moore, and Joannes. Every week!!!!

Gotta get ready...see you in a couple of hours......Gita

Hi Gita & Sally, Hope you had a great dinner. Ric and I really enjoyed seeing you today. What a day it turned into. I just loved the Orchid Show and came home with a nice one.

Has anyone had mulch delivered from College Park?

Here's the website:
http://www.collegeparkmd.gov/smartleaf.htm#compost

It's so much cheaper than the commercial landscaping companies!

Wow Ssgardener, that's certainly less than we charge for mulch and compost!! Of course, we've got more than hardwood mulch, and our truck carries more than 6 yards at a time, but still, a GREAT price just the same!

Gita, thank you for that reminder, I **had** forgotten about those goodies that come in the mail all the time! =)

I know speediebean! It doesn't say on the website what the "delivery charge" is for non-locals, but I'm going to call today and find out. I don't need anything fancier than hardwood mulch at this point.

Also, when does everyone start mulching their perennial beds? I was told it was too early right now, because mulching prevents the soil from warming up.

(The mulch that I put down last fall has already "disappeared." My soil is very low in organic matter, so whatever I put down tends to get gobbled up pretty fast.)

ssg- I sure wish our county offered that kind of mulch. I don't know what they do with our tons of yard waste. I can only get very rough ground wood, by going to the top of the stinky pile with all the big boys, and scooping it myself. I am no wussy, but I won't do that again.

Typical inexpensive ground wood mulch will go down very fast in my garden. But there is the value of adding that to the soil. Around the house I use cedar or cypress which will not foster termites, or rot very fast.

Yes, ssgardener and sallyg, I've had some questions about mulch, too.

Every day for the last two weeks I've had to 'deliver around" the multiple lawn/landscape maintenance crews out mulching every thing in sight on my paper route. And, yes, it does STINK. At two condo complexes I actually have to hold my breath while I run the papers inside the smell is so strong. And, it lasts for weeks! Then comes the exodus of earthworms who do not like this rotting mess one bit. And then the growth of weird colors and forms of fungus and such. Ugggg. Wonder what the short and long term consequences are of breathing in those nasty fibers and fumes?

Just a side note, instead of planting trees, I could go around each year and save the trees that have been "mulch" six to ten inches up their trunks!

Personally. I'm a let the ground warm up advocate, but will pull back mulch to let the soil dry out, too,

Actually, I really don't mulch anything in my yard, but I do surround things with oak leaves (shreaded if ambitious or lucky) . I also use oak "thingies" (are they flowers?) to finish off my container pots as it looks like spanish moss to me. Right now I am removing layers of oak leaf mulch from hosta, bleeding hearts and other early emergers. I do this gradually as the weather stabilizes. No big deal if I don't get to it as the plants will grow up through it just fine.

My question about mulch has to do with the natural process of breaking wood fibers down into what might become 'soil' Stuck in my brain files is something to the effect that it takes nitrogen from the soil to breakdown what is on the soil which is why sawdust isn't recommended in the compost pile, etc. Any clarification on this would be appreciated.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/83960/

I absolutely have to mulch, due to the low organic matter in my soil, to prevent weeds, and to reduce watering. I've tried mulching with oak leaves, but they just bunch up against the trunks or get blown away by the wind. My yard is sloped, so that doesn't help, either. Coleup, how do you get your oak leaves to stay put? I ended up shredding and composting my oak leaves, which has already broken down into beautiful black compost!

(As an aside, my father has killed at least 3 trees already by building a "mulch volcano" of 7-8 inches around his trees. He just won't listen to me when I tell him he's killing them.)

I called College Park, and it's $35 delivery charge for my area. At $7 per cubic yard, I think I'll take it! :-) But when???

The conflicting information found on line can be so confusing! I've been reading a lot of university based sites. I find them to be most trustworthy, since they're the ones doing the actual experiments and publishing them in scientific journals.

One of the professors at Washington State has a great website of gardening myths. Unfortunately, most of the articles are in pdf format, which is not always user friendly.
http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/~linda%20chalker-scott/Horticultural%20Myths_files/index.html

This article in particular addresses the nitrogen/wood mulch myth (pdf document).
http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/~linda%20chalker-scott/horticultural%20myths_files/Myths/magazine%20pdfs/Woodchips.pdf

Her conclusion is that wood mulch actually adds nutrients as it decomposes, and that nitrogen depletion only happens if you dig the mulch into the soil. If you use wood chips only as a surface mulch, the little bit of nitrogen depletion that happens on soil/mulch contact actually helps to prevent weed seeds from germinating.

I agree that commercial bulk mulch really smells nasty. And yes I also cringe at every mulch volcano on every tree.

That conclusion about mulch-noitrogen, seems to be what I read now too. ssg, I always try to use university sources.

The only way to prevent collar root on trees with added beds or heavy mulch is to build a well around the base of the trunk. The well must have excessive debris removed regularly and also needs to be well drained to prevent ponding in the well.
Maybe I should have titled this wells are well as well. LOL Ric

Even after a bit of a search, I have yet to find a proper description of .. just what the heck, exactly, is "Arborist" wood chip mulch? Does the addition of the word "Arborist" in there make it different from other wood mulches, like, say, your average ordinary "hardwood" mulch?

It makes perfect sense to me that, if applied on top of compost, even freshly-chipped wood (from, say, an unwanted tree) should not cause any major nitrogen leakage problems to roots that are down deep, but ya wouldn't want to till the stuff **down** into your soil, especially if you're installing brand new seedlings or any new planting into the bed; but if you amend the soil with compost first, then put a layer of compost on **top** of the soil before topping off with the mulch it should be fine, even with new plantings. Am I understanding this correctly?

Speediebean, in that article, I think arborist wood chips refer to wood chips that contain leaves, twigs, branches, etc., of various sizes (as opposed to all-bark or all-hardwood chips).

The author of that article prefers arborist wood chips, because they provide a wider range of nutrients to the soil, and the varying sizes break up at different times, which makes them last longer.

And you're right, the article says that you don't want to bury the woodchips, because you don't want your plants' roots coming in direct contact with them, but they're good on top of the soil. But I don't think fresh wood chips are recommended for very young seedlings, either, because they'd get smothered the same way a germinating weed would get smothered.

The only thing I'm worried about ordering this wood mulch is the smell. :-/ I hope I don't offend my neighbors too much!

I think that arborist may imply that it does NOT use scrap lumber which other mulches may. After Katrina there was talk of wood from that salvage being brought up here in the form of mulch. Hardwood, might be just any wood, like pallets. I don't know for sure but I think it's very possible that cheap bulk mulch could contain any kind of wood the shredder can get his hands on.

It kills me to see landscapers raking OFF the nicely rotting old mulch, carting it off and replacing it with fresh.

Gita wrote this over on another thread and I thought it fit in well here as we mull over mulch! lol

" Today--I went to "Egypt Farms"--a soil--mulch--sand--rocks by the cy, etc kind of a place.
I called and asked if people could come and buy smaller amounts for themselves (Not delivered).
She said "Yes! You can bring trash bags, tubs, buckets or whatever and a shovel and fill them all yourself.

"Egypt Farms"
11412 Pulaski Hwy. (Just South of the Landfill entrance).
410-335-3700.

So--I got 4 crates and put yard-sized trash bags in them and off i went...shovel in hand!

There was this mountain of Mushroom soil! The man on the Forklift "roughed it up" a bit for me and I
filled the 4 bags about 1/3 full. That is all I could lift into the car. AHHH! (emphasis on this word) The aroma!!!

The way they decide the cost is:
--You drive your car onto this weight station (like trucks use) and they record the weight.
--When you are done--you do the same thing. Then they charge you for the difference in weight.--eg--what you dug out.
--My weight came to 200lbs. Not all that much--as the 'shroom soil was quite wet.

I was wondering how much that was going to cost me??? It was $3.54!!! Mamma Mia!!!!
I was bracing for $20 or something. She said that a full scoop (c.y.) costs $44.
If one has a truck--that would be quite a bargain--as Mushroom Soil in bags goes for about $6-$7.

I will be going back again and again. Once you start spreading it out--it does not go all that far.
So far, I just did my front-of-the-house two beds and went through 1 1/2 of the bags.
Planted Pansies and a couple of primroses.
Luckily---"Egypt Farms" is only about 5 mi. from my house. I can see many trips coming up......

OH! I just hope my back holds out.

Gita


-

Remembrance crocus
and mini daffs

The best garden stool I have ever had! It is comfortable and the height is adjustable. The bottom is not flat, which allows the stool to rock and turn a bit.


Got it from here: http://www.amazon.com/Vertex-GB1200-Garden-Rocker-Seat/dp/B0002P12FA/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1331691650&sr=8-4

Donnerville, I followed the link you provided and... ya know where it shows the "frequently bought together" list? Well, it shows the Garden Rocker cushion and the Fiskars Garden Bucket caddy as often bought together with your garden stool. I have that caddy!!! =) How funny to see that! I do love my caddy, by the way.

That stool looks quite comfortable, but I tend to be a disorganized messy gardener, tools and stuff all over the place. DH got me this cool garden caddy on wheels thing a few years back, and I just LOVE it. I can sit on it while working, but it also holds a bunch of stuff, and the lid acts as a 'pulling handle' when opened all the way. I use this puppy all the time. Here's a picture or 2 of it, and I got it from here: http://www.amazon.com/Ames-True-Temper-2466010-Buddy/dp/B00004S1SU/ref=sr_1_3?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1331719946&sr=1-3 (photos "borrowed" from their website as well). ;)

Ssgardener and Sally, thank you for explaining that for me. So, I guess now I can use the old Holly tree that I got chipped up 3 years ago and whose chips are **still** lying around in the side yard? Heeeheeeheee, yes, all this time I'd been afraid that they weren't "aged" or "cured" enough to use and might cause problems, I had no idea! I think there might still be some chips lying around on that little hillock. ;) Heck, they might be nearly all decomposed by now. =/
I only mulch my newly-installed babies if it's rather late in the season and quite warm or hot out, otherwise I wait until they grow up a bit, but I don't ever lay mulch right up to the crowns. Actually, I take that back. I **do** mulch newly-installed little ones, but I use only compost to "mulch" them when they are still young, and still I don't put it up **to** the crowns, I leave a 2-inch or so diameter around the crowns. Later, when they have grown up a bit, I'll mulch with more compost, and then lay hardwood mulch on top of that throughout the entire bed.

What sort of smell does this mulch that you're referring to have? I know the hardwood that I get at work has a sort of ... not sure how to describe it... bittersweet smell. I rather like it though, and it doesn't last long, just a couple of weeks.

Last year Lowes had both the seat and little cart seat for sale. I can't remember the price on them but they both were nice.

I do love my little cart, it is so very helpful. I use the tray inside all the time to carry my winter sown babies from my "work station" (in the basement) out and upstairs to the deck, and there are little holder thingies on the side of the cart to tuck the rake or shovel in and let the cart carry them for me. =) That thing goes outside with me every time I've got something to do out there, it has been a real treasure.

Sally--

You sold me! I just ordered that rocker stool. Gita

Speedie, your little cart looks very useful for carrying tools and a million other things around when we are out in the garden :-). For that purpose, I have a "bucket on wheels" that I bought from Costco a couple of years ago. It looks like this one only in a different color : http://wheelbarrowsonsale.freeblogit.com/2012/01/22/faithfull-gardcart-garden-cartbucket-with-wheels-48-litre/

This bucket works great in gardens that are on a slope like mine.

Gita, I hope the stool works well for you. I tried a small plastic stool but it was built for kids and was too low for me.

Quick question for raised gardens.

Do you all have chicken wire under your raised gardens beds? Do you think it's necessary to deter voles from coming up from the bottom? I *think* I have voles, but I'm not sure. It could be just the squirrels and cats digging in the garden, but I have seen tiny dime-sized holes that usually indicate voles.

A dime to nickel sized hole sounds like a vole. Does it seem to go straight down? > And you can stick a finger in there and there is a burrow? Squirrels and cats would dig at the surface but either fill back in or leave a depression and a small mound. I've caught voles with mousetraps and peanut butter. Trying to put chicken wire under the bed sounds too difficult, and the holes are too big to keep voles out.

Yes, the holes seem to go straight down. I'm usually too freaked out to put my finger down there! :-)

I think what's confusing is that there are different kinds of holes by different critters. I have depressions where it looks like the squirrels were digging for something, and also those dime-sized holes near roots of plants.

I didn't realize the chicken wire holes would be too big. I had no idea they could fit through 1/2 inch holes! I was going to put it down before building up a new vegetable bed. Is there anything else I could do to keep the voles away?

Don't mean to butt in but Monday of this week we had the same kind of holes around the little building that I do my flower arranging in. It is like a little house and we have a garden around the outside and my son in law started to stump the holes shut and a rat ran up his leg,. Needless to say the exterminator was there that day and put rat poison down all the holes and now they are bringing the poison up to the surface. We have to keep putting it down, so they are not all dead yet. I hate rats and since they tore down the old barn on the farm next door we have had rats. They are blue blocks of poison you just drop in the holes. Maybe they have something like that for your voles.

I had a Jack Russell that would sit by the holes and wait for the vole to move then grab him. He was a wonderful asset but he is no longer with me. Thank God I do not have voles, I just have rats. UGH>

rather have voles than rats, yikes!

You can get that real fine mesh wire

I put up a thread with pictures of my Hellebores, maybe some of you have some pictures of yours to add?
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1247831/

Maybe some spring flowers, I'd love to see what is blooming in your gardens.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1248265/

The only blooms I have so far are a couple tiny little Muscaris in containers on my deck, but when it gets light enough I'll go out and take a couple new pics to share. =) This is my first year growing them, so don't expect to be too impressed! ;) LOL!!

With a zoom lens close up- everything is impressive
First is a bloom on something obviously in the Brassica family- parsnips? turnips? I have two of these from last year but no idea what, or even sure if I planted them
Second is Anemone blanda in a pot , The actual flower is just an inch or two wide.

Sally, your Anemone is so sweet and adorable looking! And the colour on your Brassica is spectacular!! =)

Here's the couple that I've got blooming already. Just my Grape Hyacinths, but in 2 pots.

Sally and Jill---

Your Clivias should be blooming by now. Are they?????

I have 4 now in bloom. They are starting--one after the other.....Gita