Many of you may be blessed with this knowledge already...I was googling pruning the gardenia b/c...well she's kinda hanging over the side walk - and I found this graph...so I thought I'd share.
Yarden maintenance May into June
Nice graph very informative.
Happy--
Several posts back you ID's my #2 picture as a form of Cat Mint.
Does cat Mint have a minty taste? I tasted a small leaf--and there was NO minty taste at all!
Could you tell me what you used to ID that picture? I will post it here again--to save you time......
Next Post I will tell you a funny story from today...
OK! Here's the Story-------
Last week I dug up about 6 pots of Bleeding Heart seedlings and potted them in 4" pots.
Since "my" squirrels love to dig into any freshly potted plants--I put these on my Patio floor
right up against my house next to my hose reel. Even stood an empty tray in front of it to deter them.
Yesterday--I saw that one of them was all dug up--the poor seedling out of the pot on the ground.
Those &%xx#@ squirrels!!! How dare they! They always frolic in the very early AM.
So Istuck it back in the pot and put the tray on my patio table--where they do not usually "mess around".
Well--this AM the same pot was all dug up again--while the rest were OK.
Again--I got a fat Popsicle stick and dug down a bit and re-potted it. Went about my business
working in the garden.
Came back to the table--and WHOA!!! that same pot was all dug up again. Hmmmmmm.....??????
I had not seen any squirrels today at all...
Reaching for the pot--to pot it back up once more--I saw IT! Mamma Mia!!! A BIG toad sitting on the table
all covered in potting soil. AHA! SO--while my pots were on the floor against the house, Mr. Toad had
made a home in that particular pot. Well! That explains it all.......no offense--squirrels....Mea Culpa...
Tried to catch it in a pot to re-locate it--but it kept jumping away--finally--plopping on the floor from my table.
Think...think...think I can.....Got my lg. dustpan and coaxed it onto that--and then, quickly dumped Mr. Toad
behind my AC unit where it should be able to feast to his heart's desire on slugs, as the AC sits on a concrete pad.
Years ago--I had a toad that lived there--so I thought this was an appropriate location for his new home...
A garden Toad is good to have---YES! Now all I need is a big Black Snake......hmmm...not totally sure....Snakes????
Bummer! I never thought to take a picture of it--even though my camera was right there on the table.
But--a toad is a toad--is a toad.....etc.....
Gita
Hahaha. Case of mistaken identity. Funny toad.
Gita, I think your blue flowered plant looks like forget me nots.
Good work on the toad relocation!
This message was edited Jun 7, 2012 7:47 PM
JUDY---Mme-Nots....They are all over my yard. This is NOT one of them!
Not sure what THIS is???? Please do not use so many acronyms! Not all of us know what they are...
YES! I know that ALL mint family plants have square stems. I have not really looked on this one.
It is now out of bloom and just "being there"....Tasted a leaf--NO mint flavor whatever....
It does not really matter....I was just curious what it was.... Gita
I think somewhere along the line, someone asked me to share a pic or two of my Balloon Flowers when they finally bloom... was it here? Darn, I don't remember!! Anyway, just an update, they're finally budding now, WHEEEEEE!!!!!! I'll be back with a pic or 2 when those buds open up! =)
Meanwhile, I just **HAD** to install a couple Coreopsis Sunny Days in that bed... to make the purple "pop" a bit more... I'm really looking forward to how full and pretty this bed is going to look next year! =)
Gita: Look at this catmint (Nepata) photo and see what you think: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/4118/
Hmmmmmm......
Sort of looks similar. Since mine is long out of bloom--I cannot compare the flowers any more.
The leaves look the same--with gently serrated edges.
My question still is----"Does the nepata Cat Mint taste minty? Mine did not. I spit it out.
UGH!
Thanks though. Gita
I've never tried to eat it! Apparently it is called catmint not because it is minty tasting to us, but because it is appealing to cats. The whole family is Nepeta (NEP-eh-tuh), and is nicknamed catnip or catmint: "Nepeta is a genus of about 250 species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae. The members of this group are known as catnip or catmint because of their effect on cats—the nepetalactone contained in nepeta binds to the olfactory receptors of cats, typically resulting in temporary euphoria" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepeta. What we commonly call catnip is in the same family: Nepeta cataria. The ornamental plants called catmint are Nepeta x faassenii or racemosa or mussinii. Sometimes catnip is called catmint and vice versa.
Posted this in beginner landscaping copied here in Sally's thread about what tasks we are doing in what months.
Sunday
Spent ALL DAY dawn til dusk Saturday working on not only yardwork, but helping as needed with the rescreening/painting of outdoor porch.
So on Sunday the goal was to do what I had to do in the yard and get out of Dodge. We know that never happens, but that was the plan.
Piedmont of NC --90 degrees predicted and HUMID. The ticks are ferocious this year. So are the mosquitos and I've seen a few snakes too. Thankfully no copperhead yet. Regarding the lone star tick: unlike other ticks that wait for you to pass by - these will chase a potential host for a good distance. Very aggressive. For me, one little bite with a quick discovery and removal still leaves me with huge drippy ITCHY lesions - itch for weeks even after bite mark fades. So, regardless of the heat and humidity, I cover myself - at great risk I think - with Cutter's Deep Woods. Then, I put on long pants tucked into knee socks tucked into knee high UGGS ( snake protection too those UGGS) a cami with built in bra topped by a long sleeved gardening shirt, hair tucked in hat and finally gloves. THEN I spray the clothes. Sorry lungs... Exhausted just getting dressed and STICKY and already hot. First I helped with the painting, then scooped algae out of ornamental pond (pond from hell!) Pulled off a tick attached to my boob/mid axillary area (yup, today the bite is cranking up and that tick could not have been there a second - I felt the sting and grabbed it within a second.) The rest went well. Then I filled a huge chemical sprayer with 3 gallons of water and got out my just purchased Bayers version of Brush Be Gone---kills pine and briar vines and all sorts of unwanted goodies. Pine trees here are bad news because of ice storms and hurricanes---- shallow rooted and very tall ---"TIMBER!" down they come. I am surrounded by woods on 3 sides. I lugged that heavy sprayer around through the woods and along the trails in all that heat and humidity and wearing that gardening get up. I sprayed each and every pine seedling I saw -- some were 3 foot high and I keep up pretty good each year removing. I sprayed the trails to keep established...I sprayed in and around all the dog woods and redbuds, ferns, and indian peace pipes- I WAS CAREFUL! When I feared overspray --- I stopped--- and no matter where I was I went back to a spigot for a bucket of water and flooded the wee tree and rubbed its leaves. It was exhausting, nasty, hard work. I covered all I could with the first sprayer full --- and then I was needed to help with the porch. After a lot of sweat and effort we discovered the fibermesh--- not so good to install - hard to pull taut- and decided to put the porch on hold and will locate aluminum mesh screening. Cleaned up the porch work space - saws, paint, levels rulers, wood debris (there was some rot on several slats) etc. last minute, Trimmed back a huge riverbirch canopy that I keep walking into (spiders and all sorts of bugs first thing in morning on way to work not good) and then my body and my mind was done. DONE! I decided with one last effort to wash out the chemical sprayer and put away the chemicals...that is when the BAD thing happened... What did my wondering eyes spy??? Right there on the parking pad next to the Bayer's chemical container??? The measuring cup STILL FILLED with the Bayers chemical. I had spent all that time and trudged all that distance- climbing over logs and ferreting out sneaky wee pine while watching for snakes, swatting mosquitos, dodging ticks, itching and sweating to give all the pines and briars a nice spray of PLAIN OLE NC WATER!
Beginner landscapers, newby gardeners beware -- you too will have these days! And, you will returnu yet another day to do it again! Next Saturday--- I have a HOT date with a srayer!
This message was edited Jun 11, 2012 11:06 AM
Oh my dear! I feel for you, but did have to chuckle a bit, cuz I am sure I'll have days like that. Will be thinking cool thoughts for you for next time.
Gita, that was very cute about your toad!!!!! Thank you for sharing with us!
Missingrosie- oh my oh my. ...that was a good story, more fun to read than to do the work, especially with the ending!!!! Thanks for that story too. Its true we can put so much sweat and elbow grease into these darn gardens, wonder why, and go back for more...
I've had at least four various ticks on me so far after a day in my own yard. They do give me itchy bumps also, though not so bad as yours sound.
I don't save the ticks - do you?
The docs at hospital say to save in small jar or on scotch tape so that if symptoms/sickness begin, tick can be tested and treatment delivered accurately.
Thought the "newby" gardeners would get a chuckle and have something to reflect upon when their day comes to experience an "opps" to understand that it isn't so much inexperience or lack of knowlege but more like exhaustion and too many balls in the air when it comes to just keeping up the routine chores.
Today we took our hedge trimmers and small chain saw and gave much needed haircuts to all the shrubs and bushes that totally grew out of control this spring!! I've decided to try to root almost all the varieties by cuttings or, if the branch is low enough, layering. This would include: 2 varieties of Weigela (green and variegated), Lilac Josee, Red Double Flowered Rose of Sharon, Sand Cherry, Smokebush, Miss Molly Butterfly Bush, Mock Orange, Limelight Hydrangea, Orange Quince, Bloomerang Lilac and whatever else I come across. There's so much more to do, but I'm too tired to think about it. It took me 2 hours to mow the lawn and thank goodness it rained and saved me an hour of watering. I'll continue to spray for black spot until it's under control. Everything needs to be fed again with the Aggrand Products which are organic and water soluble so it needs frequent applications.
Today--I potted up the 2 Pineapple Lilies and the Calla Lily Susan at work gave me.
They are from Brent and Becky's garden center. It was so generous of her....
She also gave me a huge bulb of an Amaryllis--potted that in the ground in an open space in my raised bed.
She also gave me 5 bulbs of "Forever Susan" Day Lilies. Have NO idea where to put these.
It is SO hard to find an open space if someone gifts me something. I will do the best i can.
I potted the Calla Lily in a big pot and the 2 Pineapple Lilies in 2 pots as well.
Preparing for an easy bring-in for the winter. or--digging them into a bed.
Bought a bunch of annuals at HD last Saturday. They are having a great sale of 6" annuals.
6" pots (4 plants in each) ---4/ $10. Individual 4" annuals--.98 cents each. (Reg.--$1.25).
Proven Winners 4" pots--$2.50 each (reg. $4.98). I think they just got too much of everything in.
NOT moving! Most people are done planting by now. Now it is the mulches and the soils and all that.
Shrubs for fall should be coming in soon. Why else would thewy have cleared out the back of the
Outside garden already????? What the H---is going on?????
Can't say this is across the board of all HD's---but that is what ours are going for.
I still need a few fill ins in my beds. Hope i stop with the plants soon. Enough is enough!!!
SUPRISE!!!!!! I actually like the 6' fence my neighbors put up!
It is a nice back-drop to my "YUK" bed. I do not have to worry about what I do and what they do--
as there is now a visual barrier. The Mother used to always say--"Good Morning"--and I breathed a sight--
"Now she is going to ask me to look at her zillions of pots to see how well everything is rooting.....
There is, even for me--a sort of peace of mind.
I DO miss my little buddy--Hamsah! He always got so excited when he saw me.
Now they are restricting him to even venture outside this fence that was put up to keep him for wandering out.
I do not think that was the only reason. That would not take a 6'solid fence. That is just their way of
having an enclosed garden--just like "back home".....(Pakistan)...
#1---the fence along my :YUK" bed--a nice back drop...
#2--This is looking from the street side at their fence at theur kitchen sode door.
The opening is now a gate. SO! A total enclosure for them.....I DO miss the neighborly communications--but that is it!
Gita
Gita, I am so glad you like the fence now that it is installed.
Roses how funny I was just looking the the Forsythia and thinking it needed a good trimming.
I did some weeding yesterday and today and am still planting annuals. The GH is almost empty.
Gita: Do you know if there are any Forsythia left at your HD? I want to buy several "Gold Tides" -- they are $20 on the website, but I'm hoping they might be on sale somewhere.... Gold Tide Forsythia ShrubModel # F55012; Internet # 202580525.
I like the way the fence looks too! Now you can put lattice in front of it and have roses and clematis and clematis (etc.) growing up -- so you can expand your garden after all! And you can attach a hammock... You can always stain your side if you don't like the color (though if I remember you need to wait a while before staining pressure treated wood).
Happy--
I cannot put anything new in this bed--as it is impossible to dig in there.
That is why I call it my "YUK" bed. It is totally matted with maple roots and a bit deeper down--
with really larger rots...
You all are offering me these wonderful ideas of vines and such---but if you came here
and had to dig ONE hole for ONE plant--you would be exhausted and drenched in sweat.
You will have, also, spent much of your energy hand-yanking out tree-roots before you could do anything else.
Sometimes I don't think any of you believe me when I tell you how harsh the conditions are in this bed......
If I ever needed to dig it up for real--I would have to rent a small back-hoe.
Then I would worry how much it would affect the Maple tree that also shades my back yard so nicely.
Ten degrees difference in temps. as soon as you walk around back.
I would not ever touch my side of this fence--as it is not mine. It is theirs. NO staining! No plant hangers.
As it is--I will have to dig out my old Rosemary bush from this bed to make room for a plant I got at the Swap.
I am too brain dead this late to remember the name of it. Going to bed as soon as I finish writing this....
Everyone-------Look at all the bloom buds on my Epi!!!!!!
Foxgloves seeds are ready for collecting. I have to 'suit up' like Gita advised- well at least gloves and try not to mess with the seeds much, no thorwing it in my face.
Gita, so glad that you like the fence. It would have been terrible to have a resentment over this and waste precious energy worrying and fretting over something you had no control over. It all worked out for you...yippie!!
Missingrosie - I was so shocked by your story!!! Sounds much like things I have often done when having too much going on around me. I am so sorry that you will need to re-track and do it all again. Thank you for sharing this with us though, some folks wouldn't admit to something like this.....but I feel as though I am in good company when hearing of other's foilables and glad that I am not the only one that does things such as this.
Happy gardening all.
Ruby
There was talk of 'somebody' (besides me) doing some bush trimming today but we have lots of rain forecast. And the foxglove seeds I planned to gather might be damp too. Good day to stick inside , plenty of chores, sigh.
Had a great day yesterday JR came to stay over. I got a little bit of weeding done while JR and friends enjoyed the pool it sure was nice yesterday.
Today is a different story it's raining. JR is still here so we have been playing cards, computer and watching movies. I have been working on my picture files.
I did some bush trimming. I decided to try to root some of the cuttings. So far I have a couple of Lilac Josee, Variegated Weigela and a pretty red double flowered Rose of Sharon potted up. Need to get some Smokebush, Sand Cherry, Crape Myrtle, Limelight Hydrangea, Mock Orange and Orange Quince done also.
Doesn't hurt to try!
Teri, If you have success with the lime light, keep me in mind. Ric
I'll put your name on one right now.
I too was going to make a request to Roses. If the Mock Orange does okay, I would love to have some of it for here. A few years back at one of the swaps someone was giving out cuttings of Mock Orange which originated at another past member of Dave's, but the cuttings I got all died. I would love to have one in order to think of two great ladies when I see it. Thanks Roses.
Sally, I too stayed inside and have piddled here, there and everywhere. I have several closet contents sitting in the floor to their entrance. Will have to see about making some paths before folks get home and need to get to bathrooms or bedrooms. I needed a coffee break and decided that Dave's was where I wanted to be while sipping on the sweet stuff.
Holly, I am one who definitely needs to try and get some order to my picture files at some point. Currently it is way down on the list though. So much to do and so little time it seems. I am sure that everything will get done eventually. Or at least I am hoping so.
Ruby
Our Mock Orange is quite young, but I will try to get a rooting for you, Ruby. The Lilac Josee cutting is potted up and trying to be successful.
Hmmmm---I just remembered....
Someone gave me a rooted Mock Orange . Roses--was it you?
When I came home from the swap--I had this plant in a deep 4" black pot that I had no idea what it was.
I posted a picture of it asking who gave it to me--but there was NO reply from anyone.
I planted it in a bed---thought it might be a Bee Balm.
Here is the picture again. Could this be the Mock Orange???? I really need to know....
Gita
That plant was not from me, Gita. Not sure what it is.
Probably from my friend Jane. She brought several of them.
Holly---
BUT! What is it? Gita
Oh sorry Gita. I meant that my fiend Jane brought pots of rooted Mock Orange. Most likely she didn't mark them with either her name or the name of the plant. I know they weren't real big. I would have to go and look at my Mock Orange to see if that pot is a Mock Orange. Not sure what else she brought.
Just judging by the leaves, it does look as though it could be a Mock Orange, Gita. Just a guess though. Maybe a Dwarf variety? Again, just a guess.
I've not had a whole heck of a lot of yarden maintenance to do of late, just a few things over the weekend. Got the lawn mowed, and after cleaning out the driveway-side bed last week, I got it mulched this past weekend. So many little Dianthus volunteers in there, I finally decided to make it more "homey" for them... along with the Agastache at the end, and all the Shasta's in between. ... And the newly-installed Cosmos that seem to be taking off well there. So, I did a bit more cleaning up, the put some Vole Scram into the holes, covered it all over with compost, then mulched, watered, .. oh yeah, and tossed a few Gerber Daisy seeds in for good measure too! Then, that evening, the *&%# neighbor guy decided to mow his "yard" (not really a "lawn") and got ALL that CRUD blown into my newly-mulched bed!!!! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would LOVE to find something that I could put there along the fence line to effectively "block" that crap from blowing into my bed, but I don't know what!! It's a narrow space of a "bed" as it is, and it's along the chain-link fence that separates us from the neighbors. Each post of the fence is set in in poured concrete, so I can't sink anything in along the edge there... I have tried, and I run into concrete just a few inches down ... HELP!?!?!? I have even considered just saying "THE HECK WITH IT", drowning the area with RoundUp, cover it all with landscape fabric and then some pretty rock, 'cause I am so sick of that inconsiderate cretin always mowing and BLOWING and weed-eating his CRAP into my bed!!!!!!! Yeah, he even gets his leaf-blower out and BLOWS his crap into my little babies, is that rude or what!?!?!? He'll even blow his TRASH (trash that the critters dig out of their trash can) into my back yard!! Sooo anyway.... I was thinking about regular ol' bricks, standing them up on their sides long-wise, and just placing them like that along that fence line.. would give at least a few inches of height to barrier the chain links between us and them. Wonder if that would be high enough..?
Soooo, I got that done, a few weeds pulled here and there in the big front bed (there's really not many 'cause the plants pretty effectively shade them out), then watered everything. OH YEAH, and I finally got those remaining 3 Lemon Grasses potted up and put on the deck out back. Much gooder! =)
No blooms yet on the Balloon Flowers, but those buds sure are looking ready to burst!! Can't wait!!! =)
Speedie, Who owns the chain link fence? You could zip tie something too it like burlap. You can buy rolls of it at Lowes they have it near the bird netting and landscaping fabric.
..OR---
You could get some hardware cloth sold in rolls of various sizes if mesh.
We have it at HD. The smallest mesh is 1/4" I believe.
You could attach it to the bottom portion of the chain link fence with either
cable ties or a soft wire of some kind.
The below link is from Google. It shows hardware cloth---available on Amazon--yous FYI.
Gita
http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=galvanized+hardware+cloth&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=6887703621&hvpos=1t2&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=20049403721511548105&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&ref=pd_sl_5lu7dzuloz_b
Sure does frost one's cookies!
It's so much nicer when one has peaceful or even symbiotic relationships with the neighbors. I have one guy who is open to my weird garden ideas, and he saves pine needles for me to mulch with, and empty pots, etc. I got to give him a big bag of fresh spinach last month.
That pot of Gitas, does not look like my Mockorange , but I can't say that there are not cv with thinner leaves.
Well---Perhaps I should take it out of the bed--and put it in a, say...10" pot.
Let it grow till I know what it is. Rather that monopolize an otherwise available little spot I could stick
something else in.
Funny! I thought it was Bee balm.....I think 2 people had that for me.....
G.