Yardening end of April 2014 continuation

My iris don't have any buds yet either, but they are alive and growing well :) Critter, Cheryl, and I went on an "iris adventure" outing to West Virginia two springs ago to see acres of iris blooming. I kept the ones that I bought staged in containers that summer and all through last year. I didn't want them going through another winter in the containers, so I finally made the iris bed and got them planted last fall. Got to love how tenacious iris are!

The best thing to grab to eat while gardening is one of those fat luscious tomatoes right off the vine! Some dirt on it? Just wipe it off on your shirt! < =D Sally, I'm sure there are LOADS of other links to exposure and our immune systems.. in my opinion, there's just not NEARLY enough exposure to microbes and stuff anymore, everyone's so sanitizer-happy. Tsk tsk, so sad to be afraid of what's good for us!

Gonna get out and water those Irises today after I get all the stuff potted up; looked at them yesterday afternoon when we got home from shopping and a couple of 'em looked sorta droopy, but I just didn't have time to do it then... (Costco trip = hours of "put it all away"), so then I was just too flippin' tired afterward. If any of the Irises are looking particularly "happy" I'll get a new shot or 2.

Got a boatload more stuff for the greenhouse at work on Friday, so I took some new pics. It's amazing how different it looks in there now, compared to how it used to look. Gonna try some "before" and "now" pic comparisons here...

1 and 2 are as close as I can come to the "same angle" shot. Walking into the GH from the store and turn right - this was the view, (pic 1) and now this is the view (pic 2).

3 and 4 are nearly same view of when you walk inside from the big side-entrance sliding door and look left. Used to be that no-one even KNEW they could come in through that door, had it buried behind garbage and pallets of bags of mulch and propane tanks - NOT inviting. Now all that yuck is gone and/or moved back out of the way, and there are little beds on either side of the door (shrubs and pretties installed) and a really pretty little island just off from the bed, planted and sloped and rocked up one side.. very attractive, and TOTALLY inviting now!! People come in through that door all the time now, I LOVE it!! =)

It looks beautiful Speedie-- very inviting! :-)

OK did somebody say *gnome garden*?? ;-)

You may giggle at Holly's 18 more beds, but if she had her way we'd only have one very large one. LOL
Very colorful gnomes.

Speedie, I don't know how well that article stands up to authoritative scrutiny, but we do now seem to think our microbial balance is very important in digestion. But anyway, I'm going to keep eating ant feet germs and whatever else happens on raspberries off the plant, peas off the fence, and heaven knows maters off the vine! Just another bit of support for thinking nature is good for us. My MIL who was very "unnatural" for her lifetime, is suffering but my mother who always gardened , did not. Wonder if they could study farmers versus city dwellers?

Gorgeous store!! Bet you'll be busy this week.

Gnome garden Ha what a hoot. Mine is not there yet and never will be. My gnomes prefer the natural classy look, more of a Pottery Barn type gnome family. (wink) They put some little Sedum in their garden yesterday, and their moss got a boost from that rain.

Sally, yeah, I hear ya about the "authoritative scrutiny" and that article, but I can't help but agree with it anyway. To me, it's sorta like keeping all the natural bacteria et al in soil as well... kill off all that and we kill what feeds our plants. A no-brainer, in my humble opinion.

Catmint - Oh my Gosh, your gnome garden is so cute!! And look at that teeny tiny turtle!!!!!!! < =D I have yet to find actual FAERIES for my faery garden area.. can't seem to find any I like the look of. Need some new vendors, me thinks.

Can't wait to check out the register tomorrow morning and see how well we did at the store yesterday; I'm sure it was BOOMING!!!! < =D

Glad you enjoyed the gnome garden Speedie-- it is courtesy of Homestead!! :-)

Oh silly me, I thought it was YOURS Cat! < =) Well, it gave me great ideas of what else I need to get for mine. NEED MORE COLOUR!!!!!!

Wish I were that creative and patient Speedie! :-)

Catmint, how in the world did you get all your plugs in the ground so fast? I still have no idea where the asters are going.

I got quite a farmer's tan today. What a gorgeous day for yardening!

I planted the Phlox Jenna, 3 whole plants. LOL

I got some farmers tan yesterday too, but just a wee little bit. ;) So, when's it supposed to properly warm up so I can see my Caladiums!?!? < =D

Sally, I think I would like a Pottery Barn gnome garden--the natural look as opposed to the dollhouse look, right? ;-) And I bet the little sedum looks great! Photos when you have a chance!

And of course I managed to spend too much money yesterday during my nursery visits--someone keep me chained away from them, please!! :-o

SSG, I took a little time off from work last week to plant the plugs--I think it was Thursday. Otherwise, they'd still be sitting on my kitchen table! :-o I also have given a lot of them away. I donated most of the asters and goldenrods to the MWS cause, and I am giving others to friends at work. I kept only 1-2 of each plant.

I am seeing some caladium tips! Fingers crossed they continue to come up okay!

Quick question!

I haven't planted my caladiums yet. I decided not to pot them up this year and just plant them straight into the ground. Should I do that now before the rains come, or wait until next week? Or does it not matter?

Catmint, that makes sense. I just couldn't fit a quarter flat of oenothera in my yard! :O

Btw, these landscape sized plugs are fantastic!

LOL--i'm taking the extra oenathera plugs into work today! :-)

Ssg,

I don't think it is going to matter. It is going to take some time for them to wake up anyway. The soil temps need to be really warm for them.

SSG, I went ahead and planted mine in the ground. :-/ Don't know if that was the right thing to do or not, but it worked for me. I think it's not practical for me to plan to have things growing inside in containers--between my very limited indoor space and 4 curious cats, survival rate is low. :-( So, I'm taking a 'survival of the fittest' approach to the caladiums--if I get a few beautiful plants out of the 20+ bulbs, I'll be happy.

This message was edited Apr 28, 2014 5:47 AM

catmint jfyi, our cats show no interest in the caladiums! a few of ours are coming up inside now.

My cats seem to like the soil plus they try 'marking' the plants with chin rubs.

I planted all my caladiums in deep 4" pots. They are sitting outside in a tray
by my basement entrance. Decent sun most of the day...for some warmth.

Like Paul said--they need decent bottom heat to "wake up"...
Not going to get it planted into a bed any time soon. The soil is till so cold...

I may need to bring that tray inside and stick it under my light rack.
That is where the floor heat register is,,,,
Yes! My heat is s till on--especially in the mornings...pretty chilly..

Only plants that I took outside are:

--My "Maya" Brug (small) out from dormancy--tuched in a corner in shade
--All my smaller CC's--they will stay outside now on racks by my front door. All shade.
--Put all my Tomatoes in a small plastic bin and put them outside by my door too.
--My two large Clivias
--All my Amaryllis pots--tucked against the fence of my raised bed.
Their bloom time was so mixed up. After blooming--I tok them all down my
Shop and they were starting to yellow out some leaves, as would be normal after blooming.
Except--now that they are outside--I hope they will start growing new leaves...
Kind of backward--in my opinion..

All the pots of perennials I bought are still waiting to be planted.
Have to dig up the spots before I plant--can't do it yet...my palm is still tender.
Incision is still not completely healed. Still have a scab and the sutures have to be removed.
Have a Follow up appointment this AM. Will see what the Dr, says...
Two weeks will be over on Thursday.

OK! Need to get going... G.

ssg, I also have my caladiums in pots in the sun on south side. Really nice and warm- just did them Friday/Saturday. Mostly because the places where my soil is warm, are sun, and I don't think they can stay there. Not sure where they are going anyway.

Catmint- haha "I love this plant! " chin rub, smash.. walk away casually...

Gita, they ARE supposed to grow leaves all summer. Feed and water copiously

Sally yes that's it! 'Oh pretty plant I love you'-- smash! :-D

http://www.rochestergardening.com/bulbs/amrylcar.html


Use your judgment on dates, the article was written for upstate new yorkers.

Does anyone have any Vernonia? I'd like to see pictures of what it looks like when it's breaking dormancy. There is a NOID plant coming up in my garden and I think it's in the spot where I planted the Vernonia last summer but what's coming out of the soil looks unfamiliar to me. I was hoping to get another pic to see if it looked similar. I'll try to post a pic later this evening.

Yes I have some vernonia I can take photos of for you in the yard later today.

Sweet, thanks Cat!

hi, Seq. Here is my vernonia.

The second photo is what's just sprouting as the plant has just broken dormancy from last year.

The first photo are the two plugs I kept from the group buy. Cute, huh? :-)

Cat, I think that's what I've got coming up. I planted it late in the season and I couldn't remember what it looked like. Here's what I've got coming up.

It's possible, Seq! It's hard to know for sure when they're tiny seedlings. I have several 'question marks' sprouting up in my yard right now. ;-)

Lol...it's like Christmas every day when I come home :)

haha Seq--yes, that's a good way to think of it--little christmas gifts we have to wait to open, eagerly assessing size and shape as they grow--'what could it be?'. :-)

just ordered 2 cherry trees and a Chicago fig. The fig is a back up since our current fig (no id) that has done so well the past 5 or so years, looks dead after this past winter... no leafing out yet and the branch tips are black.

Going to try a Montmorency and a Blackgold cherry. I got semi-dwarf trees so they don't shade everything. Our yard is not that huge. Have wanted a cherry tree for years. Finally took the plunge and ordered them. Now the challenge of where in the world to plant them!

Good for you, Wind!! I also like the dwarf trees and the sunny space they leave in the yard!

Catmint, you were talking about something to grow your wisteria on that wouldn't break the bank. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=9825269

Now I don't know for sure, but I hear that the stuff is beastly and requires a very strong structure to cling on to.

But anyway, I've bookmarked this for a yard project one day:
http://www.familyhandyman.com/garden-structures/build-a-garden-archway/view-all

Thanks Typ that looks very cool!

Oh, another project for Ric, LOL
There is an old project thread around here somewhere.
I have looked at those longer garden arches before can't think of the proper name Colonnade? Think I am looking for a different name. All I have to do is think of where I would put it.

Holly, yes, that's what I need--a colonnade! LOL!