Your Neck of the Woods Chat- Memorial Day 2012

Sally, it was from a very funny book called The Gardener's Year by Karel Capex.

Judy, I see a budding gardener here. Love the pics.

Big thunder storms predicted for our area tomorrow. Taking odds on Jan finally getting some rain at her place! Will still have to water some things here in the morning and then everything on Sat if the rains miss us.

I'm getting rained on as we speak, and LOVING it! =) ... OK, well, not **me**, per se, but my house is. ;) Was thinking I'd get out and water after I got home from work today, but since it seems like God is handling it for me, then I think I'll finally get around to potting up those 3 remaining Lemon Grasses that I have instead. (Thank you Lord!) =) Donner, seems like your prayer is working, keep it up! < =D That is a great prayer too, by the way. I'll have to get it printed up.... wonder if I could have it put on a sign to put out in my yarden...?

Judy, what GREAT pics of the little one, he is soooooooooooo darned cute!!!!!!!!!! Love to see him playing in the dirt, too! =)

Well everyone, have a fan-shmabulous day, and stay dry... and BE SAFE!! =)

Just heard on the weather forecast that we may also have chances for
some hail (???) and tornadoes(??????)...Lots of rain....Not good!
Weekend is supposed to be OK with temps in the low 70's.

I think I will not try to plant any annuals today. Just move all my remaining trays and plants under cover.
Secure planted pots and remove my CC's from my high plant stand put things on the tables.

Will;l find something productive to do outside, though. Not to worry. G.

Coelup, I busted up laughing when I read you are taking bets on whether I get rain. Jeff said something about rain and my response -I'll believe it when I see it. Hahahaha!!! I must go look at the forecast.

But, first I must get outside. Can't believe I am still in pjs.

I find the best way to insure getting rain is to either start watering the plants or have already completed the task. Seems like 75% of the time - it rains within 24 hours....LOL Too funny

Please forgive me for cross-posting this -- I posted it in the "fragrant plants" forum, but you all are more likely to have a geographically-relevant response:

I was wandering around a public garden in Washington DC today (upper northwest), late afternoon, and kept smelling something like a lily, but didn't see any lilies blooming. More precisely, it was a garden bordering a public school -- I bet the PTA installed it. The fragrance was subtle but definite. But I couldn't for the life of me see what was so fragrant. I looked pretty hard. Any guesses? There weren't a ton of perennials, and I didn't see any annuals. Could it be a tree or shrub with small blooms? It was so lovely -- not overpowering, just really pleasant; I'd love to have it in my yard...

Happy, you have just described what I smelled some weeks back when our Fringe Tree was in bloom. We have had it for several years and this is the first year that I noticed its fragrance. I loved it too. Another great smelling plant that I had a huge pot of on the front deck this year was Sweet Williams.

I hope that you are able to find the answer to what you are looking for. I am much like yourself and would really, really want to know if I had been exposed to such a wonderful smell.

Weather report from Central Virginia.....as I am typing, the first rain drops are beginning to fall. Happy Day!!!

Ruby

Lily of the valley????? They usually bloom around Mother's day. we are just a couple weeks off...

Ruby -- I think you are right -- I did see fringe trees yesterday -- I didn't realize they perfumed the surrounding air. Gita, I didn't see lilies of the valley -- do yours perfume the air? Mine smell great if I stuff my nose in them, but I can't smell them from a distance. (They have stopped blooming for me now.)

I was at a friend's house years ago, and kept smelling a light fragrant scent in the air - she said it was her fringe trees that were blooming at the edges between the woodland and her yard. It was lovely. Happy, if you noticed fringe trees, I bet that was it. Good call Ruby.

Yesterday while delivering papers I was wafted by scents from Itea and a big ole saucer Magnolia bloom. The fringe tree that grows near me has been out of bloom since a week or so before the swap. Beautiful tree covered in blooms Chinese I think.

I had that same experience in the garden a week ago. My nose doesn't work very well, but, I caught a whiff of something, so I tried different things. I really have to get my schnozz right into it. Lo and behold it was the feverfew. Lovely.

The neighbors might complain if I went out in my morning garden gadabouts.

So, I went out before it rained to get some planting done and it sprinkled about 10 drops. I didn't even slow down. That's all it rained. Now the sun is shining!

The irrigation system guys have been here all morning trying to get everything working. About six years ago, I had a pump installed in the pond and a 25 zone irrigation system that is fed by it. This thing has not worked for an entire season since it was installed. In theory, this setup is a great idea but something is always going wrong. They've spent hours trying to figure out why it won't build up pressure to get the sprinkler heads going. They think there is a major leak in one of the lines. I'm sure they'll figure it out eventually, and hopefully this will be the year that nothing else breaks - keeping fingers crossed. Luckily, I've been getting lots of rain over the last few weeks but come July/August is when I really need this thing working. Looks like more rain is heading my way today. Poor Jan, I wish it would rain up your way too.

P.S. I'm fairly presentable in my garden attire today - couldn't let them see me in my usual getup LOL....

Aspenhill -- I'm jealous of your irrigation system. I have started (and stopped) many times to put one in, but I want to do it myself (to save dollars), and it gets sufficiently complex that I set it aside until the next year, and so on, and so on.

Irrigation? I'd be happy if we could just maybe bury a line so I can (lazily) turn a hose on and off in the far off vegetable bed and save a hundred foot walk to the house tee hee.

My sister has it good- yard enclosed wtih privacy fence, and a pool (in FL) so we garden in bathing suits and jump in the pool to cool off! I wish I could do that more often.
8 ^ (
Sure we look ''cover girl'' in our suits, leather gloves, and garden shoes/ flip flops

A little later into summer- Clethra can be powerful enough to smell outside the moist to swampy woods it likes to live in.

FWIW: Sally -- years ago we had a plumber come out when we were considering putting in a serious irrigation system (which we didn't), and he said he didn't recommend burying water lines given our situation (because we do a lot of digging for plants). What he did recommend, bascially, was using something like this -- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000CZ2XRQ/ref=dp_otherviews_0?ie=UTF8&img=0&s=lawn-garden -- and stretching a hose to it in the summer, then removing the hose for the winter. He said the irrigation systems can be expensive to maintain because they spring a lot of underground leaks (sorry, Aspen), and that they can tend to over water. So what we are moving towards is a much more simple, manual, overground system than we first intended to use, maybe hiding the hoses with mulch.

Aspen's situation is different because her lot is so much larger than mine.

The maintenance is definitely an issue with mine - always something.... They finally found the leak and will be back sometime early next week to fix it. Once it is fixed, they will have to clean dirt out of the lines - I guess it gets in there when there is a leak, but then it should be in working order again. Thank goodness it wasn't the pump. I've actually been surprised that the maintenance costs have been pretty reasonable. It is the inconvenience and reliability factor that suck.

Sally, speaking of cooling off, one of the irrigation system guys stripped down to his skivvies and jumped in the pond to cool off today LOL. He did ask first, and I just laughed and said go for it. Pond water is warm enough for swimming earlier than usual this year.

Love your cover girl look, Sally.

Edited to say, we cross posted cuz it took forever for me to write and post this, working on dinner, too. Glad they were able to locate the problem and hoping it works to satisfaction, Teri

Many thanks for your good wishes for rain here. Keep those good thoughts coming,please. Unless we get more later on tonight, those 10 drops were it for today. Sigh. There is definitely an effect from the Delaware Bay. That has to be my problem. If you look at a map I am right by the Delaware Memorial Bridge. Many times we can see a line of rain and it just travels up the Delaware side of the river.

Irrigation dreams. Often thought of burying a pipe out to the gardens and then having one of those things with a faucet there. Or even a diverter at the house to water two areas at the same time. Usually I have 5 gal. buckets with a couple of small holes in the bottom to seep out. Sometimes there are 8 of them in service as well as watering with the hose.
Hoping they were able to 'fix' the problem, Teri.

It is Henry's turn to spend the night. However, Jeff has to go back over to school for graduation tonight. No camp out or fire tonight. I think I will take him for some ice-cream later. He'll come after his riding lessons. The Salem County center for Autism pays for them. It is awesome!! We'll have salmon for dinner since it is one of his faves. And I will learn many things about animals I never knew. His mind retains everything it seems. It is such a joy. He wants to be an animal researcher. He is 7. I am thankful he can communicate with us.

This message was edited Jun 1, 2012 4:11 PM

I am constantly amazed at what nature does all on its own. This is a path that we made years ago that leads from the dock through the woods to the dam side of the pond. Nature added the moss, I added the water lilies at the dam. Took these pictures this morning.

The front porch landing urn planters 2012 - it is fun coming up with something different each year. This year is cala lily, caladium, and picaso petunia. Twin urns flank the stone porch steps. Got these potted up earlier in the week.

I love moss. Looks wonderful!

HALLELUJAH!!!! It is raining. Not hard enough to wet the deck, yet, but it is wet and loverly!

We are watching Python Hunters.

Thanks happy- good suggestion and info

Jan, you'd probably find Temple Grandin's books fascinating- look em up if you have not already

Fantastic gorgeous urn!

We have a movie- don't even know what but was on our Netflix list so it came...Hope we don't lose power, the forecast sounds dire!!

Happy did you spot either of these two trees while you were walking? The first is the tree than the bloom of one at the zoo...I was doing the same-walking around thinking what is that scent? It certainly wasn't the elephants. I swore it was a flower's scent wafting....than I realized it was the trees!!! 2nd tree was one I noticed in bloom along the woods by a school - not as strong as a scent but pleasant when up close to it....actually the 2nd may be a shrub for all I know.

Speaking of fragrance....check out my 'Shooting Star' gardenia in full bloom! Talk about scent....whaaa whoooo!!! Got her as an infant the year before Flower Scent Garden closed up shop.....just LOOK at her now!!

HA!! Just realized I'd taken a pic of the tag on the zoo tree so I'd know what it was - it's called a Yellowwood - see photo

Chantell, your gardenia is beautiful. If I close my eyes, I can imagine the fragrance. I tried one gardenia that was supposed to be ok in zone 7, but it didn't make it. I think it was 'Frostproof', but I'd have to go find the tag to make sure. I'll have to try 'Shooting Star' - looks like it is thriving in your garden. Boy, do we keep weird late night hours or what....

Chantell - my Klehm's Hardy gardenia is doing (and smelling) well -- but nothing like your Shooting Star -- that is spectacular. It must be so fragrant.

I don't recall seeing either of those trees, but it was at dusk and I was in a hurry -- I pulled over to take a picture of something in bloom (no longer recall what) and was stumped by the smell. I love plants that perfume a whole area. I need to go back and see if I can pin down whether it was the fringe tree or something else that smelled so good. It is tough when your nose won't reach the flowers on a tall tree....

By the way -- I know this is late notice -- but there is a great garden tour in the DC area today (Saturday -- I'm up late!), 10 - 4, $20 for 8 gardens (it is a fundraiser for Brookside Gardens). http://www.montgomeryparks.org/brookside/documents/GardenTourflierwithlinks.pdf and http://www.montgomeryparks.org/brookside/documents/GardenTour2012_forweb.pdf. From http://www.montgomeryparks.org/brookside/: "Private Gardens of Bethesda ... Visit some of the most fabulous private gardens in the Bethesda and Chevy Chase area at the height of the gardening season. Join Brookside Gardens for our second annual private garden tour for your ONLY opportunity to visit several extraordinary, designer showcase properties - guaranteed to provide inspiration to the most avid gardeners and designers as well as garden hobbyists! Discover your inner designer as you gather creative ideas and practical information for your own garden. For garden images and descriptions, download Garden Tour 2012 (pdf 1MB)."

One of the gardens was designed by Wolfgang Oehme (among others), the landscaper I am currently obsessed with.

Another of the gardens belongs to Holly Shimizu; I am guessing that is the same Holly H. Shimizu who is the Executive Director of the U.S. Botanic Garden. I have heard her on the radio and she is wonderful.

Even if you can't make the tour, the second of the three links I posted above has a photo and description of each garden, and it is a very pleasant read!

This message was edited Jun 2, 2012 1:27 AM

11 14, thats not so weird!
Awesome gardenia!

Beautiful gardenia!!

Temple Grandin is very interesting.

It will be interesting to hear Happy's.....and that is the rest of the story....regarding the delicious aroma in the air. Let us know what you get figured out Happy. You did say you were going to go back didn't you? Or is it settled and you are happy to believe it to be a fringe tree?

Anyway, I am having a hard time waking up this morning, and feel as though I am only operating on about one third power at the moment. Maybe all the hard work I have done earlier this week is catching up with me and telling me that I need a break. Who knows, I just don't feel pulled together enough this morning for some reason.

I suppose I have never really given much thought to irrigation because I enjoy the watering part of gardening so much and don't find it to be a chore, but a delight usually. After spending the first part of the week packing up closets and cabinets in preparation for new flooring soon, I actually spent the day working with plants yesterday. What a nice break that was. I am very happy to report that most every thing brought home from the swap is still holding its own. A Livingstone Daisy that Buttoneer gave me is looking a bit ragged, but I have another from her, so will try potting differently with this one.

I am down to having only a hand full of houseplants still to be taken outside. These are the ones that have been growing under lights for the winter, and I just haven't had the time to get them outdoors yet. Maybe will try to have that as the final act of getting everything out either today or tomorrow. I have been amazed as I have been packing up in the plant room with the amount of supplies that I have in there too. I very quickly decided that I need a storage box on the deck to hold many of these things versus having them take up space in the house. I spent a couple of hours on linelast evening looking at deck boxes and grew more confused with each passing minute. Too much of a selection. I guess I am just going to have to decide upon what store I want to give my money, and then just shop from their selection versus having all these stores and all these options open to me. I tend to get confused easily. hahaha

Anyway.....it is the weekend once again. Hope that everyone has an enjoyable and productive one. Oh yeah, I too hope that Jan will get some more of the wet stuff in her area.

Ruby

I can happily report that we had a great soaking rain. Estimating an inch fell. I am beyond excited. Feels almost chilly out now with the breeze.

Yay, Jan, what a relief.
The ground is nice and moist here too and the air very comfortable if not cool with the breeze. Not complaining mind you!

I actually had a little jacket on as I sat on the deck. It is glorious!!!

Holly----

I am SO happy that Dr. Stump id growing leaves!!!!

Now I know you are on the way to an amazing. large Brug! take pictures--please!

Gita

Mine is too, Gita! Hooray!

I KNEW they would all grow--or I would not have given them to you!!!

You both are in for an"adventure"!!!! You will learn to LOVE--and then HATE your Brugs---
for all the beauty and then the dormancy and the attention they need....the digging up and the saving
them in the basement--like they will be mini-trees.

YES! They ARE a "LOVE/HATE" type of a plant....I still do not hate them.....how about--getting tired of the attention?

PLEASE!!!! Send me pictures so i can see how my "babies" are doing....

Gita

Gita - mine have bitty leaves as well!! Yipeee!!!

Thanks all for your sweet words re my Gardenia! She's my 'first in the ground' Gardenia. I checked my notes and it looks like she was planted in 2007 - so she's had plenty of time to put on growth esp with the mild winter we had. I had LOTS of help from Horseshoe when I started her out. I notoriously kill (up till this last Sept) ANY Gardenias IN pots in my house - sad, I tell you (course I've since realized that it was always 'August Beauty' I was attempting to over winter - needless to say, she doesn't like me). So I decided to try my hand at the cold hardy ones. I've not had great luck with 'Kleims'. Read I've killed it 3x - I gave up asking Bluestone to replace it. The ones I've had success with other than the 'Shooting Sta'r are 'Chuck Hayes' and 'Frostproof'. I overwintered (barely) a 'Mystery' gardenia this past winter - I believe they have a double bloom...wondering if she'll bounce back. My feeling is Gardenias like African Violets are particular about their 'home' and thrive when the conditions are right. The gardenias need plenty of sun but there's a happy medium so they're not scorched all day. Ok...enough of my gardenia ramblings..... I will say IF I can assuredly say that the 'shooting star's' issue with white fly is resolved, I'd be happy to share cuttings and even attempt rooting some to share with you all.

Love fragrant flowers! Will look into fringe trees and hardy gardenias.

I was at a garden center today and saw some mouse ear hostas. Look at the picture closely and you will see how much they were selling today. Some of you bought them from somewhere before the swap at a more reasonable price. That was definitely a much better deal.

Gita, I posted my brug pics on another thread http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1262555/. They are doing great. Many thanks for the cuttings.