Good Lord -- It is supposed to go up to 70 degrees on Sunday! Though the forecast does change minute to minute....
Your Neck of the Woods Chat- Winter Solstice 2012
This weather is getting scary.
Knob Making Party !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously it would be fun to help you pick someyhing. Just let us nominate and feedback with hints if possible. I didnt know what lights i wanted until i saw Them.
LOL, we had a hypertufa party and then I did a polymer clay party for the iris people, so why not knobs? Or maybe something like a Porcelaine Paint workshop -- bring what you want to paint (plate, mug, knobs). We need another Girls' Night In soon. :-)
Flowers in the middle of January!
#1 Crocus blooms (with clover weeds and Dragon's Blood sedum in the background)
#2 Creeping phlox blooming
#3 and 4 Hellebores not quite fully open
Wow. you had crocus bloom!!! Are they on a south facing hill in full sun??
Pretty.
Yup, south facing (slight) hill in full sun is exactly right. :)
Now I will have to go see tomorrow.
I am sure after this weekend--of almost 70 *--many things will be peaking out.
So far--I know my Wintersweet is blooming--since December already--but this is the
normal time for it to start blooming.
Fun!! I had a daffodil blooming Jan. 31 last year, and that same clump of 'Rjinveld's Early Sensation' has a bunch of fat buds on it now... bet there will be blooms by the end of the weekend, as Gita said.
lovely!
Ss, what variety of Hellebore is that? Do we get to see pics in a day or 2 when they open up, please? I just love Hellebores! :)
Believe it or not, I've still got some Alyssum in bloom out front... should get out there and get a shot to share; it's crazy!
Indoor gardens
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1293406/
Speedie, the hellebores were end-of-season sale purchases from Meadows Farms nursery, which is now my favorite nursery. Their prices are great, although Behnkes still has a better selection. I have no idea what variety they are :( I'm so terrible at record keeping, but I'll try to find their tags!
I can't wait to sow some alyssum seeds this year!
Oh man, I love Hellebores so much, and I keep eyeing up the ones at work, telling myself "I really NEED one or two of these"... and have yet to get them... tsk tsk tsk. OK, that's it, THIS year, I am GOING to get a couple!!!
The Alyssum.. goodness, they are so darned easy! I just sprinkled the seeds haphazardly around on top of the soil, watered, and that's it. Some in sun, some in shade, very random, but all came out thick and lush. Get a couple packets this year and have some effortless fragrant fun!
Speedie, my beds are very thickly mulched for the most part. Would the alyssum still sprout? I was thinking I may need to wintersow them to get good germination.
What kind of alyssum are y'all discussing?
Oh .. errrr... ummmm... uuhhhh.... Oh Yeah! Lobularia Maritima, "Carpet of Snow". Or, at least that's what I was talking about. ;)
Ss, I would guess "yes", if your mulch is organic material, the seeds would probably germinate if just thrown on there when it's warm, as long as you water them in, and if it's pretty fine stuff, not "nuggets". That is exactly what I did with mine, just sprinkled the seeds around on top of the mulch, where there were plantless spots in the bed. ("plantless" is completely unacceptable!) =P
I wonder if I can broadcast it on my awful front hill to fill in this summer, while the perennials are growing, assuming I can find a cheap source of seed. What do you think? Any other suggestions for annuals that could co-exist with baby perennials and ornamental grasses?
By the way, on our kitchen knob front, we are currently leaning towards these: http://www.worldmarket.com/product/ceramic-geometric-multicolor-knob-set-of-4.do?&from=Search. In person, they look better than the photos (the colors are not as chirpy as they appear in the photo). We have them in our powder room (the entrance is off the kitchen) and love them - they miraculously matched some very hard-to-match colors. We tried one of these knobs in the kitchen and it looked too dark initially, but I think we are going to try putting in 10 or see to see how they do. They are only $2 each, and World Market has a fairly steady run of sales so I'll wait for one....
This message was edited Jan 11, 2013 3:43 PM
Very nice knobs, happy!!!!!
I think alyssum would be a great tender filler, tender meaning would grow well but be easy enough to subdue or let die out later.
My spouse likes the knobs, and these are the first (of many many knobs) he has ok'd, so I'm more amenable than I might otherwise be! But I like them. So I'll just hang on until another World Market sale.
Any idea on a good source of a large packet of seeds?
google alyssum seed ounce
gott this
http://www.outsidepride.com/seed/flower-seed/alyssum/sweet-alyssum-wildflower-seed.html
Wow -- that is really helpful -- drought tolerant too -- I'm gonna do it!
Happy---
Just FYI--HD has loads of seeds by different companies.
Seems all packets of Burpee seeds are ONLY $1. Nice selection too.
I can suggest several "fill-ins" that are the biennial sort of an annual. Self seed like crazy.
I have seeds for all these.
-Forget-Me-Nots--I could bring you a W-Box full of starter plants--dug them up last fall. Ready to bloom in the spring.
-Dwarf (16" or so) Red Coreopsis
-Tall Blue Ageratum--taller than the small clumping annuals sold in market packs.
--Cleomies--you will have piles of these every year. --Same goes for Rose Campion--it will be all over. So pretty!
--Candytuft--nice, spreading perennial.
Have you thought of the perennial Euphorbia? The one with those neat little blooms?
It multiplies from underground root runners. It is evergreen, drought tolerant, and disease free.
I think it is this one. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/100918/
I have it growing around a decaying stump. I have dug up some of the new plantlets.
So pretty in the summer with those pale green "blooms" at the ends of long spikes.
That's all I can think of right now. Gita
1--Forget-me-Nots
2--Cleome (Spider Flower)
3--Dwarf red Coreopsis
4--Rose campion
5--Candy Tuft
Definitely add rose campion to your "sprinkle around" seed list... so pretty, and easy to remove if not wanted. I'll earmark an extra large bag of alpine catchfly for you, too.
Good looking knobs, Happy. I always use Outside Pride for bulk seed groundcover and have really good germinating results.
These are all seeds that you can just open sow? Did I make that term up?
I'll have to give some a shot this spring. All annuals or perennials? Need to cover some partial shade spots to eat up the weeds.
It's usually called "Direct Sow" when they're just scattered on the ground. The best time and method for seeds is usually explained right on the page where you're purchasing. For instance, if it's an annual seed that self sows, it can be sown directly in winter, just the way the plant would self sow itself. If it's an annual that doesn't self sow, it needs to be directly sown after the last frost, etc. etc.
I ditto nominate ROse campion for a temporary filler. Bold enough to look like something yet easy to remove if too much. I don't think it would be aggressive enough to retard the growth of the permament plants.
Looking for kitchen decor help here
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1292997/
Ditto on the nice knobs, Happy,
If there is a Knob Party, here is a tutorial on making our own
http://housetropical.wordpress.com/2012/05/26/make-your-own-ceramic-cabinet-knobs/
and a source for unglazed blank knobs
http://www.dlawlesshardware.com/unglazedknob.html
Nice bulk seed source Roses.
coleup you do come up with some great resources!
..and the beauty of the Rose Campion is that, from a distance, you do not really see the silvery stems and leaves
but those magenta blooms really pop out. I have a zillion seeds from the Rose Campion.
Paul--if you like--i can look and dig some up for you. Have to look and see if there are any coming up...somewhere....
How the seeds end up all over the place--I do not know. They are not the type that "fly around'...never seen birds eat them either.
If you are referring to my list as far as direct sowing--most of the ones I listed in the above post
need to be sown, probably, in late summer/early fall as they are the kind of seeds that naturally drop and
then come up the next year. Care-free plants!
Of course--the Candy Tuft is usually planted as a perennial. I have grown it from seed and it did fairly well.
Just had to wait a couple years before it was a "bunch" and bloomed.
G.
Went to the Farm Show the other day, and I don't know if it's the mild weather or what, but the crowds were unbelievable. Everyone I talked to said the same. It is cheap entertainment, maybe everyone had a touch of cabin fever and needed to get out. The food is a tad costly but so yummy and varied, I'm tempted to stop back just for another smoked brisket sandwich before they close today. Ric
Yummmm....smoked brisket!! Been watching the events on TV. Very interesting and entertaining stuff.
Thank you for all your suggestions. I don't want to get too deep into annuals -- plants that are "easy to pull" still present a challenge on my awful front hill because it is so hard to get to the plants due to the steepness of the slope. And for that reason I have to be careful of anything invasive like perennial Euphorbia or Ageratum (both of which I have in the back yard, where I can control them). I do love forget-me-nots -- Gita, what is a W-box? I have some in the back I could transplant to the front. Might be too hot for them in the summer sun, though???? In the backyard they are partly shaded. I do love candy tuft but it hasn't done well for me -- maybe not enough sun. I don't think I got any for the front. Do they do well in a drought? Critter-- thanks for the suggestions and offers! Do they need water? I am determined to limit what I plant to plants that can stand drought.
The funny thing about gardening on a hill is that self-sowers don't last forever -- they "walk" down the hill steadily, and in a few years are gone unless I remember to take seeds and start them off at the top again!
Coleup -- those handmade knobs are lovely! I don't have the time for them, but that would be a really fun project! The notion of drawing a design on each of 55 knobs is a little daunting!
I'm off to take advantage of this sunny weekend to plant a few more "columns" of my awful front hill -- I just tested the clay and it isn't too sticky, even with yesterday's rain. Plus I have to do office work (ugh), empty a coat closet that is to be painted next week, clean up the basement (might not happen), and cook a farewell dinner for my daughter who is going back to college tomorrow. She wanted lamb kebabs so I spent a while looking up really good recipes, then she changed her mind to teriyaki steak which I refuse to cook from bottled teriyaki sauce so it was back to the drawing board -- I think we are going to try this: http://traceysculinaryadventures.blogspot.com/2012/04/grilled-beef-teriyaki.html. I have some baby bok choy in the fridge, if I can figure out how to cook it. And some mushrooms from Costco. Oops, OT again.
Happy---
W-Box is just short for Window Box. Less typing....
Forget-Me-Nots are beautiful in drifts of blue. They are usually planted around spring bulbs
to, kind of, hide the maturing foliage--which is downright ugly.
If you want--I will bring you the whole W-Box full. it is a small, oval window box.
I have plenty more i can dig up for anyone interested. Would bring it to the seed swap.
Gita
re handmade knobs there used to be several people on etsy,com who would custom make knobs from your design. The dlawless site has plain porcelain knobs for cheap as well. I did read somewhere about decals for knobs and then several protective coats, too. 55 is a lot! If I could draw worth a darn. you could "commission" me to make them for you. Maybe someone at your daughter's school would like a side job? Anyway it is nice to dream! The knobs in your vanity could be lightened up by "whiting out" the orange border in some way.
Wish I had some smoked brisket about now..Definitely go back Ric and have one for me!
Sally, see you over on your kitchen ideas thread.
And, this is our chat thread so nothing is off topic here.
Gita: I don't want to be greedy (as I always am) but I'd love your W-box-full -- I have some, but not enough to make a dent in the front hill and that could be lovely. If anyone else wants any, though, I don't want to hog them. I can bring something to move them into so you don't have to bequeath me the w-box!
Coleup: Thanks for the support! I'm going now to buy a handful of the World Market ones to see if they will do. I'm hopeful!
trying to look up tips on washing bed pillows in n HE machine. Get a load of Wikipedia-- this picture of an old washing machine set up. It's labeled Woman's Friend. THat's putting a cheerful face on what must have been one of the really hard jobs way back when.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Woman%27s_Friend_-_Indiana_State_Museum_-_DSC00433.JPG
By I am glad I don't have to look at that and see "labor saving" !!!
Sun is peeking out, no fair, am trying to pack christmas carp.