Garden Projects # 9

Benadryl cream is pretty good for bug bites....

love to break open the PI sore and use tweezers to squeeze the juice out - kills the PI and you get to ATTACK the itch - i do it until the juice is gone and it bleeds, scab's over and is gone. weeded some out with my hands over the weekend - did not get any though.

This message was edited Jun 4, 2012 8:19 PM

No acid, Bill? Scorpions?

Wimp.

i have used paint pealer solution

I am a Tecnu gal too. Thanks to Victor's advice, it has made my outbreaks much more manageable. No popping for me. That creeps me out. I sometimes bath the infected areas in Clorox.

Garden is still full of dying bulb foliage which I am gradually pulling out. Only bad things about bulbs.

pixie62560, that yellow climber was planted in 2006 to replace Golden Showers which died. It is called Climbing Rose 'Garden Sun' and has done very well for us. I bought another couple of yellows that I love too. One new one for me is called a Floribunda Rosa 'Eyeconic Lemonade' and another Floribunda that is a very pale yellow which I love. It has a nice scent too. I got planted it in 2010 and it is called Rosa White Licorice. I have a few other yellows too as I am a fan of them also. Which are your favorites? Patti

I'm on a roll. Found a tick on my cheekbone!

3 days of rain has stopped all work. We're not as young as some of you.

Victor, sounds like a bingo, a bad one. Wonder when a snake gets you? Patti

Yes, me too, Patti!

You guys are grossing me out!!!!!!!!!!

Good to know on the cannas, Marilyn. I just posted over on the brugmansia forum asking if I should re-pot my large brugs. They seem awfully root bound, but then I don't know that much about them, so maybe they like it that way. I would like to plant in larger pots with Miracle Grow potting soil.

Patti, I have a mugho, and yes, they grow large. However, I have keep mine trimmed back. There is an art to trimming them. You have to know where to cut. I'm just guessing, mostly, but I seem to have a knack for it, as mine has remained nice and shapely looking. I get some kind of weird caterpillar that eats the needles on mine. Sprayed for it this year and cut of the branches that were denuded. I'm with you on the housework. Definitely not my favorite chore. My sister gets irritated with me over that. Can't blame her, I suppose, but we would have no nice gardens if I didn't take care of them. She is not a gardener. I don't know what you're talking about with Bill. You and your hubby do as much as he does, if not more. I wish I had the luxury of time to get more done here. And energy, though I actually surprise myself over how much energy I actually do have. Could be more if I lost weight, I know. Your photos came out great, in spite of the wind.

Pam, I hear you about the weeds. I was overwhelmed this week. I did a lot of weeding on Friday, and more yesterday, and made a big dent in the areas where I weeded, but there are so many more areas needing to be done. And today it rained all day, that yucky, drizzly rain. I picked up some annuals, though, and some fungicide. One year I tried layers of newspaper and mulch over a weedy daylily bed. Unfortunately that didn't work for me, as most of the weeds in there was witch grass, which is nearly impossible to get rid of. Oh, well. It was a nice thought.

Bill, why have any grass at all going up that slope? It will still be a pain to mow, though you won't have as much of it. I would put in a stone walkway, or stairs. I like your plan of putting in the conifers there. Sounds like it will be very nice. How about a pond-less water feature going down that slope, like Pattie has? That would look really nice!

Victor, I had a PI rash on my left knee for just over a week. Drove me crazy! There's still a rough spot there where the rash was. It's gradually going away.

Karen

Patti- beautiful pictures, beautiful garden. When do you have time to sleep?!

I was a cranky puss today, went running out early because it wasn't supposed to pour until afternoon. I promised to be ready to leave by 1 ...Hah! At 1:45 it started coming down in earnest, so that was it. But the worst is over, I think. Veggies in, most annuals, bare root viburnums planted. The worst of the big spring push is over. Whew!

There are still some some perennials that need planting but they are not pot-bound, at least not yet. Also some places need to be filled in with direct sown seeds that couldn't be done until everything else was in place, but that can wait until next week. And the lower bed is full of Dame Rocket and weeds, I'll get to that and a lot of other things one of these days...

Karen, your place is huge... So many beds and other areas to keep up. Much more work than just cleaning a house, I think.

Jerry says he's the inside man and I'm the outside man. He's put years into that garden, but now it's pretty much my project. He does help with some things, like the chain saw and heavy lifting, which is nice. But it's also very nice to go in to a cocktail, a shower and dinner on the table.

Patti that first rose in the picture with the red at the base of the petals is stunning! Is that 'Garden Sun'?
I have only one that has come back now 2 years and has not died on me is shrub rose 'Carefree Sunshine'. I like 'Golden Showers' alot but know a few people who lost it so I didn't try it. I lost 2 Graham Thomas roses myself.
I also like 'Topaz Jewel' and 'Yellow Submarine' and 'Sunsprite' ,

These are only hardy to z5 so im chicken to try !
Rosa 'Nacogdoches'(ROSE 'GRANDMA'S YELLOW')
ROSE 'HYBRID TEA ST. PATRICK' has large pointed buds that emerge to a pale yellow with a tint of green

Pixie, the rose that is climbing in the album in Post #9152009 is Garden Sun while the one that is in my next Post #9152552 is 'Eyeconic Lemonade' which has the touch of red and the other one in that post is White Licorice. I will have to look up adding some of the ones you listed as I am a sucker for yellow roses too. Thanks.

PFG and Karen I sympathize completely with you. It is still cold and damp today. I hate this weather when I neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed to be out in the garden.

I shouldn't complain about anything as right now I don't have any PI, ticks or bites, though plenty of weeds.

PFG your place is so magical and it is obvious that after all the work you are doing that you need a nice cocktail at days end.

I am going to bundle up and try to do something outside. It is either that or housework which is always my second choice. Patti

Pam, the gardens are looking super....I see lots of blue sibs, I have pink if you want some....I have 2 true yellow roses....small shrub Baby Love, with small single flowers & Tequila, about 4'....Honey perfume is yellow with a lot of amber tones....

Marilyn, I'd love some pink sibs... Now that the worst is over, I'm ready for visits. I have a bunch of new named hosta from a co-op... You might be interested? Or something else?

Lovely rose...

I could always plant another hosta, LOL....we'll have to get together soon....just let me know when you'll be around...

Pam, that's so nice you have a hubby who likes to get dinner ready. My ideal man would do that, and leave most of the gardening work for me, but help with all the heavy stuff and mowing. My ideal place would have more grass, though the grass pathways look really nice. But if I had money to turn them all into gravel pathways, that's what would be done. Your gardens are looking great, btw.

I actually did some weeding today, even though I was at work. I was with a group of our special needs individuals, and we were picking up trash at a local park in Plymouth on the bay. There was a brisk wind blowing off the water. The gardens there are a mess. The landscapers put everything in and put down mulch, but they have not touched the weeds since. This was about 1 1/2 years ago. The bed I was tackling was in the middle of a round-about, and the only plants in there were Stella D' Oro daylilies. LOTS of weeds!!!! I got about half the bed done, putting the weeds in town trash bags, which they will pick up at some point. I will see if one of my ladies wants to help me finish the weeding on Thursday if it's not raining. I had a couple of people there thank me for volunteering to weed that bed. With all the money they get in taxes, you would think they could pay people to take care of it. The taxpayers paid to have the park redone, it should stand to reason that they could keep it looking nice.

Marilyn, I would love some pink Sibs if they are good bloomers. I still have to send you some black-purple and pale blue dwarf bearded iris. I had dug some up, but never got a chance to send them. I'll dig more. I have lots.

Karen

Karen, you have such good community spirit. It isn't raining today and actually sunny out, so maybe it will be nice for you tomorrow to finish the job. You were the perfect person to weed a DL bed, as you have plenty of practice. Too much in your mind, I am sure.

Robindog, love that yellow rose which I will put on my yellowish list, which is now growing. I have currently have these yellowish ones: Garden Sun, Honey Dijon, Autumn Sunset, Flutterbye, Anthony Meilland, Topaz Jewel, Rugelda, Mrs. Oakley Fisher(may be mia), Alister Stella Gray, Morden Sunrise, Golden Wings, Harison's Yellow ( may be dead), Keith's Delight, Winter Sunset aka Fuzzy Navel, April Moon, Julia Child, Lemon Fizz, Mountain Music, Nacogdoches, George Burns, St. Patrick, Midas Touch, Father Hugo, Midas Touch, Eyeconic Lemonade, White Licorice and an unnamed carpet yellow.

I am trying to clean up the GH today and plant a few more calla lilies and caladiums that I forgot about before cleaning the house up for some newly weds that we have given the house to as of noon tomorrow for their honeymoon. He is one of the carpenters that has been renovating our Vt house. He is a sweet guy but I haven't met the bride before. I hope when we arrive in Vt tomorrow afternoon that we find the inside of the house DONE or at least habitable. I am ready to move some furniture and crank up the new stove, but we will have to clean the whole house first which is not my want, but it has to be done first. My DH is a great house cleaner. Wicked good with his hoover though actually he bought himself a Dyson recently It was a factory second,but really brand new and way cheaper. I love a man who has 2 chainsaws and 3 vacuum cleaners and bakes bread. I couldn't be luckier.

We got a great deal done yesterday in the cold and damp. We pruned a bunch of big limbs off some cedars. Then I moved a bunch of shrubs that were bugging me. DH did a big time pruning job on a viburnum that was out of control which I forgot to prune it last year. He mulched a bunch of things with some homemade black gold from our compost heap. I dug an addition to the veggie bed and then I planted some onions, peppers, egg plants, cabbage. shallots and Swiss chard. We swapped a rose bush that was offending the color scheme in one bed with a poorly growing Potentilla that may like its new spot better and on and on and on. But it is looking better. But still too many weeds for a bunch of picky visitors, so I have lots to do between now and June 21. I was outside until 7 and then collapsed, but DH rallied and went and played hockey at 8:00. He got a goal. Not sure where he found the energy to do that. I was too tired to even chew so went to bed without my dinner. .
Have a good day all. Patti

Too tired to chew... Oh, my! That has never happened to me! And tomorrow sounds like a killer, too. Good luck with it all.

Karen, good for you doing the public weeding. It seems ridiculous that they'd spend money on landscaping, then not take care of it. But I guess so many budgets have tightened up drastically in recent years, there's nothing left for beauty. Too bad...

My angelica seems to be getting a bit taller this year... Maybe all the rain lately? Or maybe that dwarf plant I had last summer just needed time. I have several little plants from the seeds you gave me, they'll be going in soon. Btw, if you have extra of those iris, I'd love a couple... Is there anything of mine you'd like?

You guys are so rough with the PI remedies...ouch! Hurts more than the rash itself, no?

Pam

None of our town's gardens are ever weeded by town employees....it's all volunteer work...Patti, another nice yellow rose is Tequila...I'll post when it blooms....You & DH were wonderful to give your house to the honeymooners! Don't envy you the clean up in VT.....Pam, you know I have plenty of iris to share...I'll send some to Karen....

Late start today, but got a decent amount done. Worked my way from the patio to the pool area. Nothing but weed vines - grape, bittersweet, honeysuckle, Virginia creeper, etc., and an overgrown rambling rose. And - of course - PI.

Uh, oh! Not good! I encountered some also...in my iris bed of all places, & used Technu....I have mulch to spread, if it doesn't rain tomorrow....and good luck with that as the forecast is for showers through Sunday! Brutal.....

Victor, when is the pool party?

Robindog, sorry you got it too Mulch spreading now? Isn't it hard when all the plants really big already or maybe I do it too early.

PI is really rampant this year along the edges of our property and I keep finding sprigs of it popping up in the beds from birds, I suspect. I might try the plastic bag method of pulling it so I don't get it.

I cleaned house most of the morning which seems such a waste of a sunny day, but it had to be done. In the afternoon I got my hair cut shorter than it has been in 50 years which was a bit of a shock, but the sun damage to it was extreme so it all needed to go. The hairdresser said the ends were all "Gar barg". I should wear a hat when I garden, but hat them. DH said I looked "cute". Kind of him.

I attacked the Greenhouse late in the day and got it reasonable cleaned up so that chore is done until the fall as we don't use the GH much in the summer with most of the plants moved outside. I did re-pot a few things that I found looking sad and neglected. I still have a bunch of calla lilies to plant and some caladiums to plant in the early am before we go to a middle school graduation then rush off to pick up the newly weds and then off to Vt. I may need to sleep in the car. Poor DH will have to stay awake and drive. Patti

Along with perennials blooming 3 weeks early,I noticed the crabgrass is early too.

I was just cursing that out yesterday JoAnn

its everywhere

I guess I consider my crabgrass my lawn, but I sure do have some grass in the perennial beds too. I hate when it pretends to be Iris or DL's. My biggest battle continues to be spider wort at the moment and something else I planted years ago that is like a delicate later blooming small white and yellow snapdragon with pretty greyish leaves, but has taken to romping everywhere. There is also an awful thing that looks just like the leaves of the perennial mums that is running rampant as is the always bad Lysimachia but it is pretty and I keep some of it.

Off to the graduation ceremony of the school we started in 1985 for the 8th graders. We started with 6 kids in our house and now have nearly 160, but no longer in our basement. It goes only through grade 8. I am a proud momma of no one in particular as our son is now 31.

Have a great day all as it is sunny here, so hope the same for you all. Especially to Robindog so you can finish your mulching. Patti

A question about rosa rugosa.
When and how far back does anyone prune Rosa Rugosa?

patti would be the expert on this - i cut mine back hard in the early spring a 16" or so from the ground.

super wish I could do it now,but what the hey!!!

Congrats on being a proud mama of sooo many graduates, bb!! My grandson graduated 8th grade last night also. From a prognosis of 'he may not talk and be developmentally delayed' to hanging with the rest of the class. We are very proud and thankful to my son and DIL who love him unconditionally from the first time they saw him when he was several months old and applied to be his foster parents and then adopting him.

I still have a few things to plant that I got at the swap at Ric and Holly's.

Patti, you make me tired just reading what you're doing! Didn't realize you had a school....that in itself is quite an accomplishment....enjoy your new haircut! Jo, I used to cut my rugosas at the end of March to about 3'....they were about 6' at the end of summer....I only have one left, & it's a hybrid...still thorny though! Jan, what a wonderful thing for your son & dil to do....that took a lot of faith & courage.......

Robin, Thanks, The graduation was wonderful with all of the 150 or so kids and most of their families there to celebrate the 10 kids who graduated. They called us up and dedicated a class room to us. We have long resisted any naming for us, but finally gave in so it wasn't a total surprise. It was a very sweet moment. I cried.

I concur about cutting the rugosa back to 2 or 3 feet in March and ours are 5 to 6 feet now and blooming away. You can cut them back further if you want them shorter as Wha does or leave them taller as we do for a few others that I want as a hedge My DH does it each year. It is a horrible job as we have a big mass of them. We actually have two beds of them as well as some singles and a stand of Sir Thomas Lipton which we leave tall. One of the big beds of them is always puny and not very floriferous and at the moment very weedy. I spied some PI in it the other day hiding Virginia Creeper which has run amok in that bed. Next week I will have to clean it up as it is not suitable for guest. I am contemplating digging them all out of that bed and planting with something else. What I don't know. Always something. Off to Vt. Patti


This message was edited Jun 7, 2012 12:39 PM

Thanks, RD. They are a very special couple.

Have fun in VT. Patti.

Patti, how about a hydrangea bed? There are some short ones like the Cityline series.....And that was a wonderful gesture, naming a classroom for you....

I mentioned the other day that my ideal place would have more grass, but I meant less grass. LOL!

Pam, your angelica will die after it blooms. It's a biennial, unfortunately. Sure is a pretty thing, though. Mine got huge! You are certainly welcome to have some of my iris. If you come to my RU, I'll give them to you then. If not, I will ship them.

Patti, I tried the plastic bag method of pulling out PI this year, but I still ended up getting it on my knee. Must have touched me there. Didn't get it anywhere else. I will never get rid of my trad, and I have the thing that looks like perennial mum, too. Everywhere! Ugh! It keeps popping up in new places.

Karen

What we thought was crabgrass in our lawn actually turned out to be Quackgrass, which is even WORSE because you can only get it by handpulling or round upping the entire area...UGH, it does look a little less than last year so maybe the pre emergent did work but they said pre emergent is hit or miss cause of the timing...wonder if corn gluten would take care of it? will try it in the fall...

Karen, I knew that about the Angelica, I used to have it years ago. The one blooming now is surrounded by seedlings from last year. The original one that bloomed last year was much shorter, which surprised me. In my former garden they created a quite tall colony where some bloomed every year, and that's what I was hoping for here.