WOW, Greenthumb, what a beautiful cat! He looks like he should be in a Disney movie!
Jessica, H_M put it much better than this, but half the fun is in the process! I'm still a newbie, so learning to take care of a barerooted plant is a treat for me.
Roses, I think the raspberries might need a little fertilizer. I didn't expect it to do so well in that container so I didn't prep the potting mix with enough osmocote.
Jill, the lychnis alpina is about to bloom! I didn't think it would flower the first year after wintersowing. :-) I hope the ones from the swap are doing well. They were *not* happy about being transplanted.
Oh, the lilac had a really long root. Should it go in sideways or straight down?
After the Swap
I am feeding all my plants right now with Aggrand Products (including the raspberries)
You are all so kind. I just hate to see something I gave away not make it but bare root is a challenge for me as well! Maybe Miss Kim will rally! SSgardener, I would plant it so the plant stalk is straight up. You may have to make a trench for the root depending on how it is. When you dig them up the suckers are often attached to a main root so I had to break it off of that root which means the root probably has to go in sideways (in a trench) so the plant is upright! Does that make sense? LOL
Just came in for a bit of a break. Thankful for cooler temps today. It never rained enough to wet the deck under the tree. So, I am watering. Alas. Also with clouds I am planting a few more things.
This message was edited May 30, 2012 10:00 AM
We rec'd 1 1/2 in. of rain last night with thunder and lightning. I almost tripped on an "Alaska" Shasta daisy branch that the rain had beat down when I went out to the driveway for the newspaper this morning.. It needs to be transplanted in back of border anyway but it is loaded with blooms so it'll just have to wait till Sept. when it is cooler. I moved a rose campion in full bloom earlier this week and so far, so good. Keeping my fingers crossed. I will check to see if that area got some of the rainfall last night. It is under the eaves of the house...depends on which way the wind/rain was blowing.
I took and snipped oriental poppy pods off and put inside a brown lunch bag and marked them. I didn't want them to reseed anymore. Do you think if I leave that lunch bag out in the hot sun that those pods will dry up and release the seeds inside the bag?
This is an experiment..if it works fine, it is doesn't, no big loss.
Refresh my memory..the oriental poppy foliage dies back after it is finished blooming? At that time can I transplant it elsewhere? There's got to be some type of root system after the foliage dies back, right?
Pippi- pod plan sounds fine to me.
Not sure how much rain we got (check BWI and assume the same) but ground looks nice and moist and ready for me to get the last few things planted- yay.
My oakleaf hydrangea was shocky (MY BAD!! I had put it in the van early on to make sure I didn't lose track of it) so I cut off the bigger leaves, potted, and the small leaves are doing well.
I love my daughter's mothering with nature approach to what to do with a fussy one year old on a warm rain, rainy day! He was out in it for almost two hours and each time she brought him in he would immediately crawl back out! God bless them.
Nature's Water Park!!!
gardadore About now you might be discovering that the Achillea Paprika I gave you could actually be White...Sorry! I can't remember how careful I was with potting that last year.
Coleup -- I love the photos!
Coleup so cute. Babies are just so wonderful.
Love the mothering with nature approach. Such a good idea.
I have been playing in the dirt this morning. Yay!!!
too cute!!!! if it's not a thunderstorm rain is not gonna hurt ya
Got last three bushes planted, foxgloves in the flower bed....thought I was all done and then found three clumps of small iris ...
Isn't it amazing how plants find you? Hey, I hear there is a party at Sallyg's, let's go crash it. I understand she is a fun gal. Maybe she'll plant us too. I can hear them talking now. Oh boy!! What was in my coffee? Heehee
Looking forward to another great day playing in the dirt. Jeff got home from school yesterday, took one look at me and said something to the effect ----- you are one dirty mess!!! I took that as a compliment.
Jan, I'm right with you. Evenings and weekends I am sweaty, dirty, coated in bug spray, hair pulled away from my face with two or three clips, and wearing shorts, a tank top that is either too tight or too loose (can't seem to find any just right), comfie bra or god forbid none at all (the much needed support is completely lacking), white socks, and garden crocks - as a whole, about 4 completely unmatched and/or clashing colors. As you can imagine, I look absolutely GORGEOUS!!!. But... I am totally happy and take any "disparaging" remarks about my appearance as the best compliment I could receive LOL.
Sally--
The small Iris was from me--remember? I just gave them to you...
Greenthumb and Pat---
Here is where your "Elizabeth" will reside for the season. It will get good, long AM sun.
This is a brick pad in front of my shed--the left side.
The plant on the left is my pink NOID Brug. On the right is a planter box that I put this and that in.
Wanted something that climbed a bit--but did not have anything. The Coleus will grow about 3' tall.
Good enough!
What a busy bunch everyone has been. Can't say that I have done any thing garden wise this week. Been concentrating on packing every article I own in preparation for carpet installation in a few weeks. Where the heck did all this stuff come from? I am amazed at all the bed linens I own. Am trying to think of folks who might need some pillow cases or an assortment of different sized bed linens. I will get it figured out at some point.
Anyway...what fun stories and great photos. Oh gosh, I too have to confess to losing some swap plants over the years. It seems though that the ones who do survive the shock of the move turn out to be some very hardy plants indeed and sun, nor sleet, nor snow can stop them. Just amazing.
Seems a bit cooler this morning and I might try to fit some enjoyable activities in to my day and that means some dealing with plants rather than packing. I can truly get lost in my own little world when working with plants, and the world can just pass me by and I am just as happy as a clam in my own little green world.
I loved hearing the fashion news here today because I can truly identify with the ragged and mix matched clothing that accompanies playing in the dirt. Happy gardening all.
Ruby
Feral plants
Yes Gita I remember the small iris from you. I also have a small blue and small yellow from John. They are all potted and may stay that way till later in summer; happier than if I stick them in a random spot and forget them (horrors!).
Ruby, the Umbrella tree plant is so healthy and lush! Thanks again.
A comparison picture of Sedums- John Creech, Ogon, ternatum- and Semp arachnoid...
oops forgot one, and sorry that picture quality is carp
}: ^P
And a S. sieboldii-
Thanks to ssgardener, happy, Jill, and donner?
This message was edited May 31, 2012 9:44 AM
This message was edited May 31, 2012 1:36 PM
Sally, at first I thought that was a dead fish next to the sedums, was thinking "Sally is really using a natural fertilizer" then realized it was a maple helicopter, lol.
Worked out in the yard yesterday after work too, had sweat dripping off me too. Forgot the bug spray, will remember today. Getting things in the ground and pots.
Look what I got for $20 at K-Mart yesterday, have wanted one for a while.
LOL! Terri, if you add a straw hat and a pair of oversized sunglasses to your list, you will complete my garden look. My husband threatened to take a photo of me in the garden and email it to my coworkers. I told him it wouldn't matter. Nobody would recognize me anyway.
By the way, my orange tank top matches becautifully with blue shorts, pink crocs and purple garden gloves.
oooo Catbird - how nice, and only 20 bucks - what a find!
Nice fountain!
I have found more ticks on me than mosquitoes, in my own backyard
Holly--
We are at 262 Posts. Care to move this on???? Terry (Adm.) will be happy......with all the complaints
re slow loading photos.
Gita
Tomorrow will be a planting day for me, crazy busy day today my son's soccer game and my daughter's kindergarten graduation, tomorrow is last day for my daughter and my son just goes in Monday morning for the awards ceremony
Congratulations!
sallyg,
The achillea is still not blooming so will have to wait and see what I have!! I just learned about the benefits of achillea tea. If it is white I may pass it on to a friend who wants the white to make her tea. It helps her severe monthly cramps. She has been off the pain killer for three months since the tea works so well. Hope you won't mind if I do pass it on! If it is paprika then I keep it!!! LOL
re the achillea - I'm going to have to look at my books - excited to hear about the tea thing. I'd only used it for topical wound type stuff when needed.
Speaking of uses for some of the plants we have in our gardens, I was researching Bloody Dock earlier. Ric and Holly have very kindly shared this plant with me twice and I must say that any visitors to my gardens are commenting on the one I have planted in a pot on my front deck. It has been a real hit. I was surprised to read that it is a member of the spinach family and can be eaten in small quantities. On the same research page there was a reference to Foxglove and some of the awful names it goes by. It has only been an hour or so ago and I have already forgotten the three names that shocked me so, but one I know had the word Witch in it and that wasn't very encouraging. I will need to go back and see if I can find it again, and jot it down in order to share here.
While on the subject, either Ric or Holly, I would love to hear how you came about growing the Bloody Dock and if you use it for anything other than ornamental purposes?
I will be heading outdoors in a bit to tend to the recently moved outdoors house plants and the plants from the swap which haven't been planted yet. I am sure they are all needing a good drink of water by now. So far, everything is still looking good.
Will return in a bit.
Ruby
Ruby -- Are you not getting hit by the big storm that is coming our way? You may not need to water much....
Okay, could only find two of the names that Foxgloves is sometimes referred to as. Witches Gloves and Dead Mans Bells. Yikes ya'll.
Ruby
Happy, the skies are looking very threatening but nothing wet is falling yet. The plants that need watering are under cover. All the others will appreciate the rain though.
Ruby
Yoo hoo Holly.... The lovely campanula 'pink octopus' that I received from you at the 2011 swap is blooming now. I planted the campanula 'pink octopus' that I just received from you at the 2012 swap right next to it - it is blooming prettily now too. Something fishy is going on.... the 2012 one suspiciously looks like the campanula 'elizabeth' that David & Pat have been sharing LOL. I'm sitting here just having a good ol chuckle. For all the planning I do, the best vignettes are the ones that are totally unexpected - those two different campanulas just happen to bloom at the same time and complement each other nicely....
Terri--
David gave me 4 starts of "Elizabeth.
Three of them were small--and just leaves. The 4th one was a tall stem with buds on it.
He said he wanted me to see the blooms asap.
Here they are.....the grouping sits on the brick pad by my shed entrance.
The big pot is my pink, NOID Brug.
PS. The sky is ominous here as well. I am outside cleaning up all the trays and tables
and will put most things on level surfaces--and under my Patio.
High winds tend to topple things.....more that all my frivolous squirrels....
G.
edited to say that the property you see behind all the pots is my neighbor's. NOT mine!
This message was edited Jun 1, 2012 9:22 AM
gardadore- of course I do not mind who loves that plant! The great Circle of Life as it Refers to Swapped Plants.
If folks are interested in the white heirloom achillea, I'll keep a few more clumps out there that I can dig in fall... it "volunteers" itself all around the garden (although probably not so much now that I've used germination inhibitor this year LOL).
We will continue here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1262555/