canadians

Must have been Echoes....from a web search I see he is on one of the Salt Spring Islands (if I've got the right person).

Not me, me no know no Banana Joe.

Roselaine knows him. You might try her. I think it's Saltspring Island where you find him. A hop skip and a ferry ride from Vancouver Island.

Yes, Banana Joe Clemente is on Saltspring Island. Can't find contact info on the internet, but he should be in the phone book. A half hour ferry ride from Victoria or Crofton.
By the way, hi to all the Canadians from Victoria(well, actually just outside sidney BC close to the ferry terminal!!!)

Glenda

Good morning all !!! Lucky you Glenda and Banana Joe on Salt Spring Island. I was in B.C. many years ago and I will never forget its beauty. A gardeners paradise for sure !!
Have you ever been to Tofino? I hope to go there some day.

Anyway, a big wave from Ontario !! I have a week vacation to shape up my hilly yard, get flagstone relaid on my front steps and try to replace deck boards. Does anyone know any Ontario handymen willing to work for good food? LOL Have a wonderful day !!

Good morning, .I'm sure everyone can be found in their garden, these days! Wow......talk about explosion...........roses in bloom everywhere...my son is going to show me the easy way to download my digital photos this weekend...so I should have some to show-off! happy gdning!..Elaine.............I met Banana Joe over at Fraser Thimble Farms, ........he is on the OTHER forum!!!

Hi ggd. I'm in Victoria near the university, mostly growing brugs. Linda

Waving back ....
Aprilhillside...have fun....sounds like a pretty busy week ahead for you..I am also very busy with so many plans in my head..not enough time when we work too.

Elaine...can't wait to see your photos...because of you I am going to go buy a shrub rose today.
I think I have decided on Bonica for long bloomingtime..what do you think? I have recently planted your favorite, Mme. Alfred Carierre to grow up over an archway.

MG99 and ggd.....I have a friend in Victoria B.C...welcome to you both.

This is a photo of Hosta "June" in the right lower corner..it is my favorite. The lily of the valley is starting to bloom now too..it smells so wonderful. I pick a sprig to sniff as I wander around my garden seeing what is sprouting up.

Cheers,
Carol

Hi Carol. Nice Lily of the Valley. I have a few popping up in strange places in my backyard. I wont complain tho because I know they will keep spreading. I have Forget-Me-Nots totally out of control. They are really showing off. I went to dig a few for the neighbour last night and noticed that there is also a clump of white ones too !!! Yaaay!!
Unfortunately I am on hilly clay soil so any amendments are murder to accomplish!! My nails are all broken and these thighs are getting a great workout from climbing up and down the terrain here !
I have friends in Newcastle......we went to "Get Your Fanny Up the Ganny" in April. We had a blast! And it didnt even SNOW THIS YEAR!!!
We are still working on the flagstone stoop repair and the deck refurbishing. What a mess !!! I wish I could stay home and play in the dirt all the time !!!

Thanks April...
I have lots of 'forget me nots' too..they make nice drifts of colour. I have never seen a white one though,... good for you! My neighbour has some pink ones.

Nice to have someone who lives close-by on Dave's. If you are ever visiting your friends drop me a line, and come see my garden.

Cheers,
Carol

Well, I'm back in Manitoba. Should have read this before I left and maybe met some of you Victorians while I was there. Went to Govt. House. Not too many roses out in the old garden but the David Austin roses were doing well. Iris garden was a joy, although other things like day lilies & peonies seem to have crept in to the main bed. The Triangle bed looks good, though the pansies interplanted have gone.

Went to Salt Spring & North Pender. What am i doing here in Manitoba, I ask myself. At least we don't have any water probs. here. vbg

Lilypons, still want to know what epies are?

Echoes is off line for abit, her computer is sick.
Ginny

Hi Ginny
It's good to read you enjoyed your trip!

The epies are epiphyliums...should prob spell it epis but the other spelling always comes to mind.

Hi Ginny, glad you had a good trip. Did you get to Butchart Gardens? Next time anyone not familiar with Victoria heads out this way, let me know I can play tour guide if they'd like.
Linda

Pam, check out the new subscribers list - think it's Toronto, ON?? (maybe it's SD - South Dakota - there is one down here! lol)

Hey kooger! :)
Thanks for the heads up! Hopefully he/she will fill in the missing blanks. If OGmag is a Canadian and looks here:

"Welcome to Dave's...your gonna love it here!!" :D

Go look at the new subscribers list- think there's any other Red Deer?

Welcome to Dave's allandown!!

Another one from Burlington, ON. My foster brother was from Burlington. :)

Carol, that is the best news.planting my fave rose...you won't be disappointed for sure! I'm looking for Leontine Gervais. E.

Welcome to the best gardening site on the web...WolfieG!

Elaine..the only disappointment is that the rabbits nibbled at my Mme. Alfred Carriere..and my Bonica..now they are caged in chicken wire till they get bigger..it sure spoils the enjoyment of seeing them grow in the garden.
Do you have rabbit problems? This photo shows the chicken wire surrounding Mme.

I have a Don Juan on the other side of the arbour..and so far no nibbles there.

Cheers,
Carol

Starzz, what is that burgundy plant to the right of the arch? I'm on a purple and burgundy kick this year. Lovely picture, it's nice to see an arch that leads somewhere.

Liz - you made me chuckle with your comment "it's nice to see an arch that leads to somewhere". That's a concept that the lady teaching the garden design/landscaping section of our Master Garden class really stressed last winter. arch ---has to lead to something. steps ---has to bring you to somewhere...to a bench, a birdbath etc. something solid! I think she has a good point!

So often you just see an arch plunked in the middle of a lawn with something growing up it. People often seem to just think of them as support instead of what they are for, a pass through to somewhere. You sometimes see those little bridges, over nothing.
Now obelisks, love them, have no other purpose but to be decorative and support plants. Did I mention that I love them??? lol

hmmm...good idea...think I should get me an obelisk - actually just saying the name is a sensory delight!!

You guys are starting to sound a little la de da....except for the chicken wire, that saves you

where would we be without chicken wire? lol! the great garden equalizer of all la de das....

I've noticed that very thing, also, Liz......in my garden, all of them arches lead to somewhere! somewhere here..somewhere there!!!!!!!!!!!!! and on and on! Elaine, the rambler!@#$%^&*()

I'm so jealous. Only arches I got are the supports in my shoes.

me too!

Liz...the purple beside the arch is Loosestrife "Firecracker"..it gets pretty little yellow flowers. It does tend to spread though. I too like the colour against all the greens.

I am laughing..you all make my mornings..which is when I come to Dave's to play..and start my day.

Just for the record..I hate chicken wire!!!!!
I have an eternal fight with the rabbits! Every morning when I stroll the gardens I see which plants the rabbits have taken a liking to overnight.
One night it was the Ganzanias..then the white violets I had just planted the day before..then it is the roses..on and on! It seems to me they like the young tender new plants that I put in. They have destroyed so many flowering shrubs eating the tender new growth or over the winter eating half of them away.

Have a happy Sunday all..and Happy Gardening

Cheers,
Carol

This message was edited Jun 6, 2004 11:19 AM

Carol, I must confess to chicken wire in my yard too sometimes. I thought I was pretty clever this year though, no protection to see and no more damage from rabbits, deer or other munching critters. I mix Louisiana hot pepper sauce with water, add a little Mrs. Murpy's soap and squirt it on and around my plants. For bigger coverage I put it in a pail and flick it or paint it with a big old sloppy paint brush. That's my secret weapon, cause I'm not a very good shot. I suspect it may have something to do with that fox that wanders through here too.

Oh Echoes..how much pepper sauce to how much water.?

They just ate the two climbers on either side of the arbour..they are both young new plants and aren't gettng a fighting chance. I have caged them once again..
I thought since I planted garlic and sprinkled hot cayenne pepper on and around them that they would be safe so I removed the cage.

I am so frustrated..

Thanks for your help.

Cheers,
Carol

About a tbs to a quart, just keep putting till its coloured. You could taste it before you add the soap. I thought the soap would help keep in on the leaves, besides tasting awfull. Just a few drops of the soap. I think when you do it all over your yard it makes them want to look for somewhere else to hang around.

Well at least there is one garden pest I seem to be free from. Our bush bunnies don't seem to nibble anything. That was probably like saying shut out at the beginning of the third LOL

Thankfully no bunnies or deer here, just the odd bear. I would lose my mind is something aside from the usual cutworm started munching on my plants. I gave up spring bulbs because of squirrels, but haven't even seen them in the garden since DD moved back in with her cats.

What about those lovely oversized slugs that look like they are on steroids out there???

LOL, well, we do have those. They're pretty ugly. But they at least move slow. LOL

Lucky for you!!! Or your tropicals would be gone in no time!!! They are the ugliest lookin' things...I remember my jaw dropping the first time I saw one.

Thanks Echoes..I will try that concoction..and hopefuuly it will work for me.

As for slugs..I have been using Safer's Slug and snail bait and it seemed to help..but wth over 50 Hosta around the yard..it is just too expensive to keep reapplying.

I just read about spraying them with ammonia..and I did that on the weekend..When I see a slug on my hosta I just give them squirt. I cut the ammonia with half water..but my sister read that you can dilute it, 1 ammonia to 9 parts water. Apparently the plants even use the ammonia to turn into nitrogen.

Hope this works too...

Cheers,
Carol

This message was edited Jun 7, 2004 8:19 AM