OVERWHELMED?? Part Two :-)

Darius and Terrie...I took your advice and started a "Part Two" for our "Overwhelmed" gathering place.
(This is where it all began http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/459562/ )

I've been thinking about ALL the things I've learned, seen, and accomplished since joining DG...and all the friends I've made here, too. It's great to have a place to talk, complain, and share goodies and ideas with people who have the same passion for gardening. THANKS, you guys!

Yesterday I got about half my bulbs planted (with the help of DH digging new beds). Today, I have to get my coleus and sweet potato vine cuttings in the mail to everyone who so kindly offered to "adopt" them. (Next year, it will be easier if I PLAN my trades rather than set them up in the middle of autumnal turmoil! :-D)

Will someone please remind me in the future that just because I'm starting something new, it doesn't have to be DONE in *one* 'sitting?' NOW I remember *why* I started the OVERWHELMED thread in the first place! :-D

You know, you don't have to be 'overwhelmed' to join this thread...you don't have to be crazy, either.
(But it definitely *helps*! :-D )

~julie~

I was planning to request some cuttings, but got distracted and wandered off to tend to other things...and thought I could go liberate some more from the city planters. Ughhhh. He who hesitates is .........stupid. Apparently they dug all theirs out after the frost that bit mine, and I bet they aren't storing the tubers over winter either. I can't store tubers, my basement is too warm and the garages are too cold. Oh well. That's what I get for losing focus. However, if you still have any available, I'd be delighted to have a teeny snip. ( If not, it should teach me a lesson in something! )

Well, hello, weezersfive! Welcome to our little "overwhelmed" world. :-D Sound like you fit in here really wel!

What kind of cuttings are you interested in? Right now I'm gathering several sets for shipping this afternoon. I've got some sweet potato vines (Ipomoea), and a few varieties of coleus (rooted & unrooted). LMK what you're looking for I'll see if I can help.

(BTW *good* to see another Wisconsinite on board! :-) )

~julie~

Well, more pansies followed me home yesterday - this morning I asked for a day off next week... Can't get it all done and still my roving eyes are picking more to plant! I have a notebook beside me here at work to make notes of all the things I have yet to do in the garden. Unfortunately most of my thoughts come to me at 2 in the morning! This is such a good time of year for trading though! And planting.. and bulbs.. and trees.. and veggies.. not to mention 'fall clean up' which is a must. I actually get this physical 'feeling' I can't describe only it must be something like a junkie that needs a fix - I get hyper and my mind starts racing and I start adding more things to my to do list that didn't exist before!

ROTFLOL ncgardenaddict! That's *exactly* the way I feel too. "Addiction"...that's the only way to describe it. I see the bottom of the HUGE box of bulbs appear...and I head straight to the computer to see if anyone has a sale, or a trade, or...or...or...Yep! Me too! :-D

~julie~

Hey, at least we have a way of making this 'problem' of ours a little cheaper if we try!! My husband has a problem with motorcyles - if I think of all the plants I could buy.... grrrrr!

DG has only increased my feelings about gardening too since I finally have folks to talk to who don't roll their eyes and tune me out! Not to mention I can now 'talk' gardening when I am supposed to be here (at work) working!!!

Nicole

This is what overwhelmed me yesterday. I sat and looked at it all day. The first one I saw on a tree, live and in person. A Zebrina Banana. Am I thrilled or what??

Hey there all! I'm currently not everwhelmed... But very excited!!

It has taken years for me to reclaim by back yard since when I moved here. The back yard was covered in kudzu and all types of crazy vines growing all on top of cut logs spread throughout the back yard. That was in 97'... Well with lots of money, time, and hard work and getting lots of poison ivy, it is has been cleared for some time now.

However, a bobcat worked in the mud and the side of my yard was stripped and left looking like peanut butter. For years I have wanted to get fill dirt put in and have the land graded to make a great back yard for my boys to play in and a place to plant more things! Well, as I type, two loads of dirt have been brought already and they are guessing about 13+ more will fix the slope and fill it in to make a great back yard.

And the best part.... We are not paying for it!! My husbands (a pool materials wholesale supplier) has a customer who digs pools. He takes all the excess dirt to his own home and land and he's glad to get rid of it. We will pay for labor and time and hopefully we will be able to work out a barter though the company. I am just so glad to have this happening. This is the final step involving heavy machinery (I hope) to achiving the garden of my dreams. :) THanks for sharing in my joy!!

Have a great day!

Susan McCoy

Jim, were usually typing at the same time!! Thats soooo pretty! :)

Susan

Susan I saw the poison ivy. LOL Not the plant everyone but the places on her arm.

I guess we were. LOL
Susan one of these is on the list I'm making of things to send you. I noticed two babies yesterday. This tree is two years old. It should be hardy for you. And I was so surprised when Bobbie called me and told me to come she had something to show me. Are men blind sometime? I was at the tree the day before and didn't see it at all. LOL

Jim, really.. that's nothing. Early this summer, I had this really clever idea to pull it down off of the trees bordering my absentee neighbors property. I thought that so long as I didn't touch it with my skin, I'd be fine. Well, I got to working with it and thought I was all safe. As it turns out, I did get the leaves all over my clothes and then what??...... I rubbed my arms on my clothes too!! and then when I took my clothes off, it rubbed all over my body. Well, two shots in the rear end later... I still get into it some, but I'm not that bull headed about it. I had it in the fold of my arms so bad that people would stop and stare and I would just put them at ease and say "poison ivy" at which point I could see relief in their face that I wasn't some contagious leper!! I still catch some of it from cleaning up dead brush piles and when I spray.. I manage to get some still even though I really try to stay away from it. I had an elderly neighbor who lives in a wild untamed jungle get upset at me for spraying his poison ivy over my chain link fence and I tried to explain that I have two boys and showed him my arms and he didn't care. Hmmm some folks are just plain different. Oh well..

Susan McCoy

Ugh! I have done that Susan. Last time I yanked poison ivy, it took two days. The first day was good, but the second I just let down my guard a little, by picking up the clippers without my gloves a few times. That's all it took.
...And, I got those leper looks. A week after getting it, the undersides of both arms above my wrist were red and bumpy and gross. I helped out at the Fall Carnival at my daughters school and the looks kids gave me when I would turn my arms over to receive tickets was disguist. Poor kids!

Nicole...FREE is GOOD! :-D and if I can get FREE from my own stuff then I'm dancing with joy! (If I can get "free" from my friends...well, what can say? :-D)
You talk about motorcycles...at least *those* are useful 'toys' (Ok...sometimes they're useful) My DH does RC model airplanes...I guess that's useful in that it definitely keeps him out of my hair. BUT, the way he does it, he could just about buy the REAL thing. LOL

Jim! That's GREAT!! There are times when you "southerners" really get under my skin. You know, like when you can *grow* those kinds of plants. hehehe (It's GORGEOUS! Congratulations!)

Susan...I'm SO thrilled for you...I didn't think there was anyone else in the world beside me that could get excited over dump trucks filled with DIRT!!! (Doing a little happy dance here...and thinking "WOW! How lucky can a person get?" :-))

As for the poison ivy...I can relate. My DIL and her kids are terribly allergic to the stuff. Every year they go through the routine of getting it, getting the shots, getting the pills, getting it again...and again, and again. The sad part is...they were getting mowing MY yard! (They've since bought that property and I've moved next door. There isn't *nearly* as much P.I. over here!~ LOL)

As for the neighbor "Just plain different" ???? That's not what *I* would call them.
(But I can't say *that* here. ;-))

~julie~

It's so strange about poison ivy. I can be around it and never get it but I can be around it and then get next to Bobbie and she will get it from me. I have never had it and I pull it from beds ever so often.

Jim, your an angel.. I missed your last post since we pretty much type at the exact same times of day!! And it's happened a few times :)

Julie, Well...since I became a mommy three and some years ago, I try not to sound like a sailor anymore and that was the nicest thing I could come up with.. But I'm sure you can read between the lines... And oh yes, the poison ivy behind my fence will somehow mysteriously stay dead as long as I'm alive!! The Ivy that is remaining now is turning a nice shade of yellow which is great since that makes it all the easier for me to spot and KILL it.

They have dumped and spread about 6 loads so far and I'm amazed at how much "bigger" the yard looks now that the space is "usable" and not wasted, and hard to navigate. We have a light drizzle and I'm hoping it doesn't poor anytime soon.

It's funny how I've asked God for rain when I've wanted it so desperately and then it comes and I'm saying "wait, not yet"!!

Gee, I've just got to learn how to take a pic and transfer it onto here. I 've friends that can show me.. Hopefully sooner than later :)

Susan McCoy

Jim, I'll say one thing for you...you're *lucky* not to be sensitive to P.I. My poor grandson had it so bad on his face that his eyes swelled shut. I'm lucky too...I might get a few bumps, but as soon as I get inside I use the hairdryer routine and it's gone!

Susan...a "sailor" eh? LOL Reading between the lines is *good* thing. :-D And *please* do learn how to upload images...I'd love to see what you're doing.

~julie~

Let's see now, I'm an Angel and Susan is a sailor. Somehow I think that got turned around. LOL

Let's see if I can make this sound like a political debate.
Now Susan you certainly aren't a sailor.

Hi everybody. Julie, glad you started a new thread - whew! That other one was way too long. LOL Jim, what is the size of that bloom? It looks huge.
Terrie

It's about 4 inches long. I guess it will open up.

Jim...if I hear (or see) "Political debate" ONE MORE TIME...I'll SCREAM!! :-D And, Susan can be a "Sailor" if she wants to...but with her kids it's just best not to *talk* like one. hehehehe

Terrie...I was afraid to start a second thread for fear no one would come back. :-) (Seriously, my hands went 'clammy', my stomach got tight, and my head was spinning at the thought of losing you guys. :-D) Silly, eh? Now you know TOO much about me. LOL )

~julie~

OK, I just had a co-worker ask if I could come to his house and help he and his wife with their garden... AHHHH! How will I fit THAT in?? Not to mention I also volunteered to give another co-worker some of my elephant ears.. Why do we do this to ourselves? At least the first person offered to pay me! Course that just means I will buy more plants = more work = ===...

NIcole...I had something similar happen yesterday. But thank goodness it was only a long distance phone call for advice...I didn't have to DIG anything! :-)

Sweezle...sorry I didn't respond to you earlier...you must have snuck in when I was typing. Welcome to the CHAOS thread. ;-)

~julie~

Gardenaddict, I know how you feel. I have started a garden club at work and now they all want me to come to there houses to help them. Boy, what did I get myself into? I have given them seeds and a few things I divided but I just can't do the work for them! I did spend some time with another friend from work who has bugged me for about a year to come over and give her some ideas. Well I did and I took the time to draw out a plan and come up with ideas for plants that would work for her landscape. She has a pool and her backyard gets full Texas sun for most of the day. She, of course, wanted a cottage type garden like mine. I explained to her that it would not work with that much sun and that she needed the tropical and heat resistant plants I had suggested. Well, she didn't seem to like that idea so that was the end of that. She still doesn't have a problem asking me for some of my plants, though.

HA! Funny how that works Trunnels! Yea, when I first started into gardening I helped a co-worker. She had clay and at the time I did not and knew nothing about it. Well, most of the plants died b/c of my inexperience. I am still hearing about that one! Now when I deal with 'non-gardeners' who want pretty yards I stick to the stuff I know they can't (hopefully anyway) kill.

Oh, and the best of it is that everyone who sees my pictures want gardens like mine but in the same breath, they say they want "low or no maintenance."

hahaha! That is so true!

LOL Terrie! Good for you for trying, though. Too bad some people don't share the same love for plants - to not want to torture them in the hot Texas Sun when the poor plants would suffer terribly.

Thanks for the welcome Julie. :) I noticed the first edition of the thread, but avoided it. It said "overwhelmed?" and I said "boy am I" and knew better to enter, because my shpill would go on forever. LOL The tone of thread has slightly changed so you guys are safe. :)

Sweezel...if you have something to say...SPILL it! :-D We're here and we know exactly how you feel.

I'm off to mail some trades...THANK GOODNESS I don't do this every day. I'm WAY to old for the stress of keeping things straight! LOL

~julie~

Overwhelmed-just a bit--Those late daylily orders--the ones that I just couldn't do without (obviously forgetting that I live in WI!!!! Need to get out and MULCH soon, some are evergreen etc. but they are So pretty.....
Meezers and folks, if your area has a compost site, some of the agencies and others just toss the stuff there and if I (Um-you) can get there before they turn the pile-can get goodies.
Picked up a nice mum and got it planted and cut back already--will be going back ASAP.
I am sure that the plants that they grow around the Capitol, have gone to the dump-just have to figure which one if I have time-otherwise will stick to local.
They sell the tulips after the spring bloom-lines form then.
I rather get the free stuff.

I'm a fairly new gardener and I got my first call for advise today from a member of my moms club.. I called her back and sure enough I could answer her question which kinda pleasantly surprised me since I am so humble in my gardening ignorance.

Marcia.... I would LOVE to find a source where landscape companies put their ripped out plants!! So many of them will come back, but they want it to look fresh all year in the same spot. There is this one professional building I pass regularly and they have this really incredible sun coleus. I am going to snip a cutting and root it overwinter, but I just know they are going to be throwing it all away before frost.

Totally off topic..... Does Coleus produce viable seeds? Are they hybirds and wont come true to the parent? What if I really want to have lots and lots of that particular plant? What do I do? Lots and lots of cuttings?

Thanks

Susan

Hey Marcia!!! Glad to see you here! (Take me WITH you! I can definitely use some FREE stuff!!)
:-D

Susan...I'm with you...every time I watch a gardening show where they're ripping out old landscaping, I'm drooling over what they tore out. So far, none of them have heard me. ;-)

Coleus? Off topic? Here??? :-) I don't think so! From what I understand, the coleus seeds *are* viable, but I don't know about them coming true to the parent plant. If you want LOTS of the same coleus plant, it's really easy to take cuttings and get them to root. I'm holding ALL of mine over winter (thank goodness they make good houseplants!) and have dozens of cuttings in my 'plant room.' Over in the Annuals forum we have a thread where there's always lots of things being traded and/or swapped off for postage. Come visit us!

~julie~

I want a greenhouse!!!!! Or at least a sunroom!

Nicole! BE quiet!!! No WAY does anyone talk about GREENHOUSES here! LOL Waaaah....I want one too! :-D

~julie~

Maybe we could all pitch in together and get one big greenhouse that could reside at one DG'rs house. THEN, in the winter we could all mail our cuttings, houseplants, palms, etc to that person and they would keep them for us! Or better yet, as a group we all start our own mail order business - Dave's home grown plants. We could actually make some money from the thing that we are obsessed with!

I *like* that idea....and I have JUST the place for it to reside. :-D

~julie~

Nah, Julie. It should be down here where it is warmer!
By the way, are you potting up your rooted coleus or just leaving it rooting in water until the spring? Sounded like you are potting.

Terrie, I still have all of my cuttings in water and they're doing fine right now. But I was just thinking the other day that it would probably be a good idea to start a little fertilizing.

Cbrandenburg posted this link for growing a unique Coleus...take a look.
http://www.gardengatemagazine.com/extras/51coleusstandard.html Take a look!

~julie~

Wow, a coleus tree! Might have to try that!

Cool, eh? I loved the idea!

~julie~