Wow happy. Kudos for your organizational skills . I think it'll look really good. Nice score on the Sarcococca.
Mulch will help augment the additions you've done, Some drifts of annual (wave petunias?) might fill out some areas just for the year or two, if needed.
Your Neck of the Woods Chat- Winter Solstice 2012
Gita: Terracing is out of the question. Just too expensive. And it is soooo steep that there would be more wall than plants. Plus, I don't like our front -- I don't want to spend much time on it. In the summer it gets very hot and unpleasant. I wanted plants that would live forever and not require much tending, while keeping the hill from eroding.
But you are right, balancing on that hill while digging was no mean feet. If I put a potted plant down temporarily before digging it in, I had to be really careful how I placed it or it would roll down the hill to the street. It was definitely hard on the knees. My worst nightmare is that the new plants will be dwarfed by weeds and I'll have to spend every summer weekend weeding the hill -- or worse, that the new plants won't make it through the winter and I'll have to start all over again.
I love daylilies -- at one time I was a fairly serious collector of them, but finally realized we just don't have a sunny-enough back yard to do them justice. We still have loads in the back, but they don't multiply fast and really don't look as good as they would in a better location. I'd love to cover the front hill with daylilies - they look wonderful on a slope. The problem is that we have lots of deer in our neighborhood. The bottom of the hill is anchored with ditch lilies (it was me who was giving them away), and the deer eat the flowers before they bloom each year. So when I picked out plants for the hill, in addition to requiring the plants to be able to survive drought and to be able to live on a rocky, clay hillside, I looked for plants that deer don't like.... So daylilies were out of the question.
SS: We did indeed use up all that compost - many many wheelbarrow-loads full. And the front hill swallowed it up as if it never got anything! It was, frankly, shocking to me.
The Fine Gardening article I mentioned was not the one you linked to (though that one looks very helpful). It was from the October 2012 issue -- here is a link to the on-line version, which is not quite the same as the printed version: http://www.finegardening.com/pages/tetiva-impress-from-a-distance1.asp . The challenge for me was to be able to know where to plant what. That's when I decided to use the Excel approach. I tried to plant in several adjoining "cells" to get the look of drifts, and I tried to stagger the plantings, but I am still worried that the final impression will be of a checkerboard which would be frustrating. Time will tell.
Critter: I'm not a fan of Leafgro -- we used to use it on the lawn in the backyard when we reseeded but it seemed to disintegrate pretty quickly. I really really like the pine bark fines. They are labeled at American Plant Food as "soil conditioner" (at almost $10 a bag), but what appears to be the same product is just called "mulch" at Meadows Farm. (We also looked at Home Depot and Lowes, but their pine bark chunks were way too large to use as soil conditioner). We have started a new compost pile (we get a lot of leaves), so I'll have a new stock next year. But what I haven't been able to figure out is how to get it onto the hill. If I just toss shovelfuls down, I won't be able to reach every spot and I'm likely to smother that which I do reach. I don't want to walk down the hill again if I can avoid it -- especially not carrying mulch or compost. (To plant the hill, I always worked on the "column' to the right of me, so once I finished a column I never stepped on it again.) I also can't figure out how to fertilize it, though the compost may be sufficient.
Have you had a problem with weeds in the bulk compost you bought? (Same question to ssgardener, with respect to her mulch from Takoma Park.) I'm worried that it might be full of noxious weeds.
I hope I haven't been too late planting my little plants, and that all those roots don't just get overwhelmed by the cold and die. I'm sure many will die -- I'm steeled for that -- and we'll just replant with whatever neighboring plants survive (survival of the fittest at the core). But if most die, I'll be sick. (You should have seen us when the hurricane came through this past fall. I was so worried that the whole hill would wash away, since it was so newly dug and planted, that we covered it with blue tarps!)
Holly: I know in my heart that the little plants will be little for the first few years, but I'm putting my head in the sand on that one because I know what it also means is there will be vast expanses for weeds to grow. Especially with the big ornamental grasses -- for those, I put only one tiny plant in a 36"x36" "cell." I really can't afford enough annuals to fill in the empty spaces. I can't just broadcast seeds because I don't want annuals to overwhelm my perennial babies. I'm hoping I can mulch sufficiently to ward off the weeds, though as I said above, I'm not sure how to get the mulch to where it is needed. Ugh.
Most of the time I'm really just sticking my fingers in my ears and not listening to the voices in my head telling me all the reasons this project isn't going to work! My neighbor's yard looks gorgeous though, and she started with about the same conditions that I have, though her front yard is much smaller and more accessible. (Unfortunately, she used some reseeding grasses so one of my challenges will be to pull out her babies that sprout on my side!)
While my neighbors think I'm nuts to be out there working on the hill in 40 degree weather (or worse), it has been really quite pleasant. Not pleasant is to be out there in the summer with the heat beating down on me, so if this doesn't work, the front hill may regress to ivy!
Caution on the Sarcococca hookeriana: It is really really really slow to take off. I have a plant in the back yard I put in maybe 3 years ago, and it doesn't look much bigger than when I planted it, but if I squint at it I can see that it is filling out a bit. But I understand that once it finally settles in, it can grow to 8' across. I have two concrete urn-shaped planters on either side of the front door and I potted a Sarcococca hookeriana var. 'Humilis' in each -- they look a tad silly now, but I am hoping eventually they'll spill down the sides and spice the air when they bloom. No one uses our front door anyway -- everyone comes to the kitchen door -- so only the letter carrier enjoys how ridiculous they look. But at least I know I have a plant there I don't need to remember to water!!!
This message was edited Jan 4, 2013 9:47 AM
SallyG: Your post came while I was writing my last post. Don't know about any organizational skills! At many levels, this has been the blind leading the blind, with me playing both parts! But thanks -- I'll take all compliments now, before we can all see whether it works or not!
I am determined not to water much, so I don't think petunias will make it. Plus the soil is really pretty awful. But I'll try to mulch as best I can, though as noted above it may be tough to do. I can mulch the top of the hill, and the bottom, fairly easily, but I don't know about the middle!
Happy--
I do not have much to contribute here--but your concern about fertilizing made me think of a product HD carries.
It is in the lawn fertilizer aisle--and is called "Milorganite".
Milorganite is the by product of the Sanitary Water treatment plant and is a clean, non-odorous product.
The consistency is that of very small, black granules--non clumping.
Its numbers are--5-2-0. It comes in a 40lb. bag and costs only $12. 50 + or -.
It has no odor to us to speak of--maybe, initially, a touch of mustiness which disappears.
It is a much unappreciated product--as people do not know about it.
Compared to Scotts and Vigoro--it is a real bargain.
AND--since it is made from all the waste waters of the municipality--it may just have a lingering odor to the deer
that might repel them.
You could just throw handfuls down the hill--like sowing seed.
Here is a picture of the bag so you can find it.
Gita
Gita,
You're spot on. We actually toss it around the beds every now then to repel pests like deer and rabbits. Processed sludge is the siht.
Thanks, Gita; I'm not a fan of Milorganite. I've used it before, but in my opinion it isn't odorless and I worry about the heavy metals in it. I know many people are fans of it though, and I don't mean to knock it. I did buy some fairly recently because I heard it can deter chipmunks, of which we have a huge population.... I love the notion of turning waste into something wonderful.
Happy, your finegardening link didn't work for me, but I think this is the one:
http://www.finegardening.com/pages/tetiva-impress-from-a-distance1.asp
That picture is absolutely gorgeous, but it looks like they get plenty of sun on that hill.
About the College Park mulch: I haven't had any issues with any winter weeds so far, and I had a *ton* of creeping charlie last winter when my garden wasn't mulched properly. So the CP mulch is suppressing the weed seeds that are already in my garden.
The mulch was literally steaming hot when it came off the truck, so I think a lot of weed seeds were killed while the pile sat around in their facility all summer. Also, it has that rough woodsy consistency that seeds don't like.
About fertilizing/weed control: Have you considered corn meal gluten? It suppresses seed germination (good for suppressing your neighbor's grass seeds as well as weed seeds that were brought up to the surface with all the digging) while providing nitrogen to the established plants. It's a pre-emergent that's supposed to be applied in early spring. I've never tried it but will be making a trip to the feed store pretty soon to pick up a 50 lb bag. The only thing is I don't know how practical it would be to apply that to your hill.
As to deer, our population is SOOOO large that there is nothing we could do to deter them in the front of the house from a practical perspective. Better for us, at least, to just use plants they don't like than to fight an uphill battle. We did put deer netting all the way around the back yard, so we don't get deer in the back.
ace hardware also sells a mulch in very small chips, it is my potting soil additive of choice. probably $3.99, good size bag.
Corn gluten is a great idea, ssgardener. I don't know what the application rate is, though; it may be too pricey for me (as I recall it isn't cheap). I've considered it for years for my lawn, but I never figured out how to time the application so I could still reseed the lawn, but avoid the noxious weeds. But on the front hill it could be perfect.
Thanks, SallyG, I'll check out Ace Hardware's mulch. It might be the same thing Meadows Farm sells, but that's a long drive for me so I'd be thrilled to find a closer source. Do you recall the brand name of what you buy from Ace?
Happy--
I think, last year, we had a big discussion going on here about Milorganite.
If I recall--the fear of heavy metals was largely exaggerated.
You can just google it and read up on all kinds of info. There is videos and all kinds of good info.
It is definitely listed as a very effective deer repellant.
http://milorganite.com/
It's no big name and looks sort of generic, might even be ace brand. I have a bag I can check later. My Ace ha s little sample s to looks at. But I know this one is called mulch and is smaller than nuggets.
Gita: Thanks! Apparently Milorganite changed its formula back in the 1990's and eliminated the heavy metal concerns -- see http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/1995/6-9-1995/milorg.html.
Sally -- I'd be interested in the labeling, if you get a moment. The Ace hardware nearest me that I thought might carry it seems to have closed. There are a number of hardware stores affiliated with Ace near me, but they don't necessarily carry the Ace brands (Strosniders just switched over, for example). There are some Ace hardware stores in DC, but I bet they don't have a large mulch selection because of space limitations, though I could be wrong.
Oh boy! It is supposed to go up to 54 degrees next Wednesday and Thursday! I hope that forecast holds!
will do happy!
Random question. I've been cleaning out closets. We have 2 bottles of mineral oil that I don't think have been carefully kept (so I don't want to use them "internally") (I think my FIL may have drunk it directly from the bottle). Are there any good uses for the stuff, or should I pitch it?
Try this website, Happy.
http://mineraloiluses.com/
Thanks, Roses; that was helpful. I can see one use right away: "Metal tools and weapons such as knives and wrenches are often coated in the oil to keep them from rusting through oxidation; it also keeps water off of the surfaces due to its hydrophobic properties." Now I don't have any weapons lying around, but I do have some metal tools, and I bet it would work on gardening tools as well ....
I know you can mix sand and mineral oil and put that into a pail and plunge dirty shovels, etc., in it to clean them and deter rust (not that I've ever done this -- you should see the shape of our garden tools!); maybe I could substitute the mineral oil?
Happy--
I have used Milorganite on my lawn now for at least 2 years. I have the best lawn I have ever had.
I had lawn Service for 15 years--ans this, to me, beats them all. There!
I only apply it in the early spring. Could do a late summer app., but by then I don't feel like it.
I try to "push" it when I work in the Garden Section in the early summer--usually from mid Aptil until end of June.
The brand name fertilizers are SOOO expensive.
I am a bit leery though, as Vigoro is a HD brand, and I don't want to suggest other things. Must stay faithful to
MY company....but I do mention it any time I can. We ALL are watching out money--so the cheaper the better--
as long as it does the job.
BTW--HD carries Leaf Gro--at $4.95 a bag. G.
Thanks, Gita. My lawn is a mess - full of weeds, but I refuse to use weed killers!
Happy--
Mowing high, at least 3", and a lush lawn can keep many weeds from coming up.
They need sun to germinate--hard to do under a 3" carpet of grass.
Hmmm....I thought there were weed-killers around that are not chemical.
Corn Gluten???? Not sure--but I think it has been mentioned.....
I always mow at 3". I also ALWAYS let the clippings fall back to the lawn. I never bag!
And--contrary to what many people think--NO! it does not contribute to thatch formation.
Two inches first mowing in early spring--and 2" as my last, before frost,
mowing in the very late fall. Nnever got to it this year--as we had so much rain--everything was always too wet.
At least the lawn grass was not too tall to be left for the winter.
G.
Good healthy soil will have good fungus that eats the thatch before it builds up.
Happy- mineral oil for the tools sounds super- and yes I have read that, and no we do not keep our tools any cleaner than you seem to!
Gita: We do mow at 3" and we don't bag the clippings. I need to check the mower to confirm, but that is where it is supposed to be set. Some over-zealous person might have shifted it when I wasn't looking so as to be able to mow less frequently. Part of the problem with the weeds is that my lawn is pretty shady, so the grass isn't growing as vigorously as it might be otherwise.... And I'm not good about fertilizing.
BTW, I do like these winter days, because with the leaves down I can fool myself into thinking I have a sunny yard!
Here's the mulch. I'm sure it was 3.99 the bag or 3 49 possible. A few big chunks you can pick out but for your purpose wouldn't need to.
About the same volume as the 10$ bag of potting mix at Lowes. So I mix them.
KamBark -- that's exactly what MeadowsFarms has, for exactly the same price. Now I just need to find an Ace Hardware near me that carries it! (Even when it is open, Meadows Farms is a drive for me, but all but their Richmond and Chantilly stores close from Christmas until maybe March.)
This message was edited Jan 4, 2013 4:28 PM
Goody, good luck.
Planted on Oct 11. Nice! I have no luck with spring sown radishes
I love that photo -- that the red radishes match your nail polish, and that you have dirt under your fingernails!
((snicker))
Polish and dirt- that's my style
I think it is the perfect image for the Mid-Atlantic Group!
hm what would Paul and RIc say??
LOL. Let's see their hands before we make assumptions.
:-)
Sally, you have to submit that to the next DG photo contest!
Thanks to Joyanna, I've probably worn more nail polish in the past year or so than in my previous adult life! Gaudy polish, too. Right now, my nails are very dark purple with a layer of iridescent glittery red on top. Hers are bright pink topped with rose glitter.
Aw, Paul---
Either one of those colors would look just dahling on your nails!
Off with the gloves!!!!!
Lookie what I am seeing today on one of my Clivias still vegging downstairs in the cool dark Shop?
I suppose i will now have to bring her upstairs......:o(. Too soon for my taste.
My Wintersweet is also starting to bloom! Same comment.....a bit too soon!
Please note also on this picture how the old leaves tend to separate and look yukky.
I told you how this happens sometimes--then you can put up with it--or pull them off when ready to do so.
Mmm Delicious winter sweet!!!
My clivia doesn't have show any signs of sprouting up yet. Hopefully soon.
Paul--
Here are a couple pictures i took the week before Christmas to show Ben-
the guy I took two of my small, 2yr. old WS plants to in NJ.
I also cut back a few branches from my shrub and put them in water for him.
There were several blooms on them.
Pic 3 I just took this minute. More blooms coming.....
Wow GIta, I better check my Clivia and wintersweet. Now I am glad I did not cut off that one gangly tall stem of wintersweet.
We probably need an Indoor Gardens thread about now.
Found out last night as we talked with our oldest son in Oregon that we will have grandy #11 join our family soon. God seems to be opening doors for them to adopt a little 6yr old half-Somali boy by the end of the month. Looking forward to meeting Markus in person this summer. Very excited for them as they become the Jackson 5.
Yay Jan!!