Wow, Sally! I can't even hang a picture straight. :P
Orchid, squirrels eat camellia buds! Yikes! O_o
The squirrels in my yard have an abundance of acorns, so hopefully they'll leave the buds alone. I'm so envious of large established camellias in my neighborhood. I was hoping for something similar but it looks like that's not going to happen.
Orchid, we should definitely carpool!
Neck of the WoodsChat Count down to Spring 2013
Sally - that looks gorgeous. I'm impressed at how even you got the tile placement -- looks very professional. And I agree -- it all plays together well, without looking staid.
Aspen -- what I am looking for are huge containers -- like 2' across, or more.
Hi Happy - The plastic ones I got for the herbs from Wal-mart a few years ago are probably 18" across, and they have bigger. I have also found some more decorative light-weight large pots at HD, but a little more $s.
The best deal I ever got was at at Nalls, a mom and pop nursery on Rt 7 near Berryville. They are heavy ceramic glazed pots for outdoor or indoor use, were not that expensive to start with compared to what I've seen at other nurseries, and were 50% off at their annual Christmas Eve clearance sale. They serve country ham biscuits and coffee to all the customers during the sale, very homey, and then shut down for the winter. Everything in the entire place is 50% off. Cheryl was getting a balled Christmas tree for her son Mark, and I made out with a bench, lots of pots, local honey and jams. Cheryl's van was packed to the roof! The biggest pots are really heavy, even more so full of soil, but I roll them around on plant coasters and somehow have manged to get them over the door threshold into the house for the winter by myself without too much trouble.
Happy, I always take the glazed pots inside for the winter. It is a lot of work to wash them, dry them, and move them inside, especially when some of them are big and heavy. You can use fiberglass pots like the one in the photo below. They are good looking and very light. You can leave them outside, but they do get damaged after several winters.
Costco has some very big pots in early spring each year. They are less expensive than what you get from nurseries.
I found some very good looking pots at Marshalls last year. I said "Michael's" in this post by mistake. The pots were from Marshalls: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=9037544&extraimg=0. The prices were very good. There were also some very big pots there.
PS. I just tried to click on the link I posted here, and the first thing I saw was the first photo in that post - a pile of compost. You have to click on "next photo" above the upper right corner of the photo to see the photo of my flower pots.
This message was edited Feb 8, 2013 8:09 PM
Holy Brugs Batman! What did you feed that thing??? Donner do you want your big black pot back from the brug you brought me?
Kitchen always looks better with all the countertop clutter gone
8 ^P
Hate covering up any of my tile with toaster oven and the range with an 8 inch back where the controls are.
Happy---
Would a serious, black, heavy duty plastic (nursery pot trees come in-long ago) be up your alley?
It is close to 2' diam. Have not measured. If you want it--you can have it.
Not pretty to look at--just black. maybe you can paint it to suit yourself?
It sits squat--so will not blow over. Tapered pots with leafy things in them can blow over easily.
I cannot tell you how many times my big Brugs have gone flat on the ground.
Gita, your so right about the shape of the pot. I finally put my Brugs in pots that were wide and not more narrow at the bottom. Much better results.
Terri, sorry you're under the weather. I was in the same shape when Flowajen mentioned getting the Cold and Flu Sambucol from Amazon.com. I was desperate, so I tried them with rush shipment. They actually work!!! Read about them on WebMd.com also.
Just wondering if a few people would like to split Eyeliner Lily Bulbs, Pink Pendula Begonia Bulbs, and Orange Picotee Begonia Bulbs. We get free shipping on orders over $99.00 and I would bring them to Jan's swap. I would take one order of 5 of the pink pendula myself. I left my bulbs in the pot and they froze. Never had such good looking pendulas before.
See more at: http://www.sunshineflowerbulbs.com/BEGONIAS_.178_.cj60.htm
For the past two months I have been in the spring spirit , at least since I put my green house together at the other end of the yard. The part of the yard with a weird shape that you really do not know what to do with. Since the first picture of the green house standing , the whole area was cleared of the raspberries, they were either given away or put in a buckets waiting for me to make them a home. The vegetable beds were moved from the front yard to the official vegetable garden, the strawberries were dug and put aside in a container until I was ready to plant them, raspberries were transplanted and trimmed. When I moved the raised beds from the front yard I filled the base of the beds at their new location with composts with a lots of leaves, a layer of horse manure, another layer of compost and then the soil that was in the raised bed at the first place then I dusted the whole work with some wood ashes for a good measure. My future veggies should be happy there . . one bed is covered and I scattered some aurigula seeds, they are starting to come out so are the lettuce in the greenhouse. The strawberries were planted a month ago at the same time as I planted the Raspberries, the strawberries seem to be happy in their new home. now I am waiting for spring....
You really did some planning, Orchid. Should be some great veggies coming out of the new bed. The only veggies I grow are tomatoes and arugula. Can't find either really good ones at the market. Years ago we could get the soft leaved very spice arugala in the supermarkets, but now all they have are the bags of the sharp scallop edged ones that are not as flavorful.
This message was edited Feb 10, 2013 7:08 AM
SSGARDENER the squirrels last year gave up after 5 or 6 flower buds there were too many on the magnolia, they were overwhelmed, they could not eat that many... LOL they ate the bird seeds , or bread , or acorns..... I did not ask
Roses--
I tried growing Arugula once---it came up OK and grew Ok--but it bolted so quickly!
Any tricks to not having it do that?
What is the name of the Arugula you grow--the one with the soft leaves?
I'll look for a package of seeds for it at my HD.
Thanks, Gita
Orchid, you sure have been doing a lot of work! That looks like a perfect spot for the green house and vegetable bed layout looks nice beside it.
Mine grew, bolted and then set more seed! I grow Arugula Rocket. Can't remember where I got them, but I think Critter sent them to me from a small group buy of Italian seeds.
well done orchidfancy. THat should be very productive!
Sally, I do not need the big pot back. Actually the brug I gave you was the same size as this one. You probably couldn't tell that because I had to give it a severe cut in order to get it into my car.
Then thanks for the huge pot, donner! In fact, I think I saw that huge brug behind the blooming one- and yes it must have been quite a cut back. It s doing fine, by the way.
Sally, the tall brug behind the blooming one was of a different variety called "Xena" (see the photo below). I bought quite a few cuttings from online and unfortunately "Xena" was the only variety that rooted. The cutting was taken toward the tip of the branch and as a result the plant was lanky. I gave it a severe cut before bringing it in for the winter. We will see if I get a bushier plant this year.
Thanks.
Good luck for this year then. Incidentally, Gita has found that fat stem cuttings do much better than tips. It makes sense when you look at a brug in storage. THe tips get all shriveled up. I only mention this for those who might shop for cuttings.
THe one you gave me, is Dr Seuss correct? I guess in another month or so I'll start watering them and get them growing.
Sally, the one you got is a Dr Seuss.
About brug cuttings, yes, cuttings from slightly older branches do root better as Gita always tells us. The 3 Dr Seuss cuttings I got from Gita were twice as thick as what I got from online and they all rooted beautifully. Very generous of Gita.
ROSES ARE RED:The Aurigula seeds that I have are from Europe they have a nice tangy taste .The Aurigula do relatively well but as soon as it get's hot they start bolting and reseed themselves which is fine with me , I have a second crop in the fall.They are cold weather plants like radishes. I also started some Mache but it is not doing much I think that the seedswere too old. The area where I have my vegetable garden get sun and shade alternatively all day which keep the plants from getting over heated and I use less water , it is also an area that is protected from the wind and my tomatoes produce longer. Gorgeous Brugmansia.
Orchid, isn't it wonderful how we get two crops of the arugula. Mine are in full sun, so the first crop is much shorter lived than the second which seems to last forever.
Ric and I are still not well and we really missed out on a great fun day with the kids and Grands. Here is my family at the local ski resort for a day of tubing. Besides Ric and I we are missing Jamie's wife Deb (sick) and Julies SO Ron (working). What a fun day they all had together. So nice to see my adult children spending a day together and all the cousins bonding.
Oh what GREAT family photos!!!!!!! Looks like they're all having a lot of fun, I'm so sorry you guys couldn't make it!! =( Please keep warm, well-fed, and get better soon!! ((((HUGS!!)))))
Lovely photos! What fun! That pink rabbit hat (or is a completely different animal"?) is so cute, perfect for the cute girl in it.
Hope you and Ric feel better soon.
So that would be youngest son Jamie with GS JR (9) on the left, oldest Daughter Julie with SO's daughter Marissia (8) then my twins Josh with SO Courtney and Jen with family husband Matt Lily (5) and Lucas (4). They had a great day took lots of pictures and Josh & Courtney stopped by to tell us all about it and download their pictures into my computer. They all have such busy lives so it is really nice to see them get a day to get together.
Holly--Which one is YOU?
Is Ric in the group shot?
I can't tell--everyone is so bundled up! Gita
No Gita, Ric and I didn't go we are still not well enough for that type of outthing. I can't handle any cold air with my lungs like this.
Quick question!
Where do you get your roses?
Do you recommend buying roses from a local nursery, or ordering a bareroot from a specialty online nursery?
I get inexpensive smaller roses at Chamblees, really nice roses at Palatine, Heirloom and Regans (all online). Whenever I see a rose in a big box store I buy them. If I cultivate and feed them correctly they usually survive.
I have no sources of roses but just wanted to note a general Be Aware caution of ongoing reports of rose rosette disease around the country and in the Mid Atlantic area. So, buyer beware and learn what to look for to decrease the likelihood that you will introduce this disease to your roses.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1244494/ reports and discussion
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1232240/ pictures
And from the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service:
http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/450/450-620/450-620.htm
Last year I spotted seven different diseased roses on seven difeerent properties on my paper route and some infected plants being sold at a big box store. Ignorance is not bliss in this situation. Thanks for listening and to all of you who read my posts and don't just skip over them because they might be a bummer! I know it is hard to hear about devastating diseases of hosta, coleus, impatiens, roses and even stink bugs! Judy
Judy--Thanks!
I will keep an eye out for these roses and how they look at my HD.
Is this Virus mostly seen on Knock Out Roses?
You truly are the "Garden Watchdog" for us all. Thank you!
Now--gonna ask you to remember if it was YOU who first alerted us to the
horrible Virus that was devastating all the Impatiens around the country/World??
I had had my Imps die a slow death for 2 years already and had no idea why!
I took some pictures and I copied out the information and took it to work and gave it to
Sue--my favorite Bell Nursery lady, and asked to pass it on to her higher-ups. She did.
I do not know the route this information took after that--but let me tell you this:
BELL NURSERY WILL NOT BE CARRYING ANY IMPATIENS THIS SEASON BECAUSE OF
THIS INFORMATION! I can already hear the ruckus from customers! The impatiens is almost the
#1 favorite garden plant in the USA>
Perhaps they looked further into this? Perhaps someone else already had this information?
Perhaps--they have me to thank--and I have YOU to thank. Who knows>????
Keep up the good work--and, I am sure, most of us eagerly read all you post.
Gita
Gita: That is horrible news about impatiens -- no matter how over-used they may be, I love them!
Aspen and Donner: I'm responding very late on the container question I posed. I didn't realize that the fiberglass containers don't last long -- and I really don't want to deal with taking care of ceramic or terracotta ones.
Gita: Thanks for the offer of the plastic pot. I have a lot of those -- my goal is to move to better-looking pots this year, for at least some plants.
Question to all: What is the best bet for long-lasting containers for outside? I know terracotta is out, and I now know that fiberglass doesn't last long....
Happy--
I have a couple large pots that look just like stone/concrete that have been sitting
outside for years and still look good. They are NOT the ones made from "foam"--
but really a solid kind of material.
I would say--look for these "stone" looking pots. They are quite decorative and long lasting.
Gonna go out and take a couple pictures to show you. Hold on...........
1--I have 2 of these. Got them at HD several years ago on clearance. I plant my Brugs in these...
2--This one is a real heavy duty something...Not the 'foam"--not Plastic...don't know what it is made of.
This is my big pot I always use for a BIG combo planter
3--Combo planter--July 2012
Started new thread here for news and discussion of Impatiens Downy Mildew Disease
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1298071/
Yes, Gita, I did alert us here to this disease of impatiens but the horticulture/bedding plant industry has been aware of its presence in this country since at least 2004. There is no cure, only preventative measures, mostly applicable only by commercial growers and suppliers, and, as I understand it, can mask any identifiable symptoms of diseased plants until after sold and planted by the consumer whose growing conditions cannot be as controlled for Impatiens Downey Mildew growth as in a commercial green house, Spores live, overwinter for two or more years in the soil and can be splashed up onto a healthy plant when watering, etc. Anywway, thanks for getting the word out and see you over on new thread! Judy
I've just spent the last hour reading all the provided posts you shared Judy, (and their accompanying sub-posts), and WOW, I am floored!!! I've never grown roses, I've only cared for them at work, and I had never heard of this before. This will stay at the very tip-top of my mind when I return to work in a few weeks!! My first day I'm going to walk through all the rose beds with an eagle eye and share my findings with BossLady.. and pray that I *have* no findings to report!
Thank you a TON for sharing this Judy!!!!!! XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Oh those rose pictures are so sad... I'll buy locally and look very carefully at the roses before purchasing anything. thank you so much for the info!
How dreadful. I looked at the rose pictures , heart breaking. Is there anything that can be done about it .Several years ago fire blight killed my roses, my Amalanchier the Pyracantha all that in less than eight weeks. One of the roses was New Dawn, the rose was huge and wrapped around my porch and bloomed at the same time as my clematis Jackmanii. it was horrible. Would copper sulfate work?
My roses bloomed all the way to the first big frost non stop. they bloom most of the summer, they are in an area that get full sun and shade at different time of the day. They are the David Austin roses . I like his roses for their fragrance.
Picture taken in January of one of my roses. Rose with seeding anemones . Anyone want anemones seeds?
Orchidfancy, New Dawn is one of the roses I was looking to buy... That is awfully sad what happened to yours.