I am in Grand Blanc, just south of Flint. We have an old sub-division house. In 40 years, the people before us hadn't planted so much as a tulip. We pulled the overgrown yews out from in front of the porch, and tried as best we could, in the middle of an active family, to get things going. The kids are launched now, so this spring we are planning and dreaming big time. We have to fence, first thing, to keep the dogs (I had to have them to re-fill my nest) home. Then we will go from there. We put in perennial borders last year, so this year I need to move things around, and get a better plan.
We have a mix of shade and sun, weighted a bit on the shade side and heavy clay soil. The compost bin should be finished this weekend. I have a tendency to have everyting bloom at once, then a stretch of blah. Any tips or ideas would be very welcome. We took a landscape class this winter, and had the worst fight of our 32 years of married life--over the plant list!
Judy
So what neck of the woods are you from? (introduce yourself)
Hi Neighbors!
I have lived in Michigan all my life and I love it. We have lived in Plymouth for the past 35 years. It is fairly close to Ann Arbor.....Go Blue!!!!!!!! I owned a business in town for about 20 years but now am enjoying our home and 2.5 acres. DH doesn't like gardening but he is alot of help outside. We are thinking about moving into town but havent made a decision yet. It is alot of work but really beautiful. The birds and wild life are a real plus. It is sure nice to meet everyone!
Meems
Hello,
My name is Brenda and I have two homes in Michigan. Our primary home is in Garden City and a year and a half ago we purchased a small farm in AuGres, Michigan that will be our retirement home.
I became interested in ornamental gardening about t twelve or thirteen years ago. I jumped in full force creating multiple garden beds. I wanted "one" of everything and became quite a collector. It was more of an obsession. My home has been on the local garden club garden walk three times. I am former vice president of our local garden club. I am now in the process of breaking down my gardens and moving what I wish to keep to my garden up north. I have changed dramatically in my approach to gardening and my thinking. I am now more interested in landscape design and growing plants to benefit wildlife and plants that aren't fussy. I do lasagna method of soil layering and since I don't like weeding I do a lot of mulch and compost. I no longer want the work of extensive gardens and am more interested in having nice gardens that are not as much maintenance.
I am taking my time planning how I wish to spend my future gardening years. I no longer want the work of multiple ornamental gardens. I have created one large garden up north out by the road in front of the house. I put cement cottage blocks around it so that it is a raised garden. I do not plan to create any more. I am now working on planting lots of trees..........both fruit trees and ornamental trees. I want more of a park like setting. We have twenty acres of woods and eight acres of mowed grass around our little house that is surrounded by a new white picket fence. I know gardening with the deer is going to be a huge challenge so I'm trying to only plant what they don't like to eat. I will proceed slowly with planting and really think about what I'm doing as I hate moving plants. I enjoy statuary and love garden benches, birdhouses and fountains.
I am interested in gardening to attract and sustain wildlife. I plan to put a large clover patch out in the woods and plant bushes and trees to attract and feed the birds. I'm still thinking and studying the subject. I want to put something back into the earth. I don't want to garden for just myself any more. I am planning to put up a large 8 foot cyclone fenced in area for future vegetable garden. I will spend the next three yeas improving the soil before planting it. I belive in using lots of mulch to conserve moisture and keep down weeds. We now have 7 apple trees, two cherry, one pear and an English walnut. I had hired someone to prune all the trees but didn't think it was done right so went back over them all last weekend and repruned them and sprayed them myself along with my husband. I'm hoping the apples will help feed the deer. They sure liked the pruned branches on the ground and caught twelve of them chewing away! They must know it isn't hunting season because they paid no attention to me while them munched along. We have a big bunny pile of tree branches on the edge of the woods and tons of rabbits. I love living up north and the peace and quiet and wildlife. You can walk down to Lake Huron from our farm. It is about half a mile down the road. We are in the process of remodeling the old farmhouse. The people are so friendly up there and we have great neighbors.
I really love growing plants from seed. I won't be doing that this year though. I am bringing Mom home from the nursing home to care for her and life is rather busy now with trying to slowly move into our retirement home. We plan to be living there full time by 2008. I love mowing 8 acres up in AuGres. I love my ZRT machine and never tire of sitting on it for hours till my butt is numb.
I am married for 32 years and have one son who is 28 who is married. He plans to move to AuGres with us and start his own plumbing business. I have an adorable bichon frise dog named Juliet.
Drop in to visit if any of you are in the Au Gres area on weekends or near Garden City during the week.
Happy Gardening!
Brenda Looney
P.S. Cindy, I wish you the very best in your upcoming surgery. I'll be pulling for you!
P.S.S. KNeff...........are you the Kay Neff I used to work for at the Montessori school? If so.............small world and congrats on the new grandbaby.
This message was edited Mar 31, 2005 5:38 AM
Hi Brenda and welcome to the Michigan forum.......Hope all is well with you and yours, and your son David is starting to feel better after his surgery. I am gonna have to come over for a visit to see all the new imporvements you have made. Do let me know when you will be back up north for a visit......Its been a long hard winter here with lots of snow.... We still have piles of it in places on my property, but it is melting little by little......Hope to see you soon.....
Deann
Thanks Deann,
I'll be sure to let you know when we're coming up. My son and his wife will 'granny sit' mom so we can get away some weekends. If you or anyone else is interested in some nice but inexpensive trees...........Aldi's is selling nice ornamental trees for ten dollars this week. I bought two very full and healthy white dogwoods and one ornamental cherry. They are pretty good size too...........about 4'.
The snow is gone down here in Garden City. I'm hoping the snow will be gone up north by next week. I want to try to get up there on Monday maybe and plant my trees and transfer some perennials. It all depends on how Mom is doing though.
Take care,
Brenda
I got to tawas several times during the summer-maybe we can all get together
Dori,
That would be really nice if we could all get together. I'll do my best to get up there. Hubby works nights so we usually can't get up there until after 3 on a Saturday but we are planning a week of vacation some time in July. Maybe then??
Brenda
Thanks deann and kipoley, I feel right at home here! The crocus and helleborus are blooming and the other stuff is starting to pop up from below the earth. I am seeing more green every day. It all still looks so ugly but it's coming to life and I am simply thrilled. I know that you all know just how I feel, lol.
Hi Everybody ~~~ just got back up and running after a major computer overhaul (had a boat anchor most of the winter lol). Got hurt at work last summer and didn't do much gardening, so now I have an overgrown mess.
I need to do something with an ostrich fern in the front corner bed, so I logged on to find instructions, and here's a message from Dori. I've been going through major computer withdrawal, so it's great to read your posts.
I'm in Lansing. Snow's gone, no robins yet, spring bulbs up but not bloomed. Spent a couple of mornings so far getting rid of dead leaves and am trying to figure out what needs to be moved and what needs to be separated. I've gotten forty-leven tons of iris dug up and separated and replanted, and I see the bleeding heart has traveled and needs to be removed (whatta weed!) (maybe I'll gift my mother with some as a payback for that burning bush).
Am working 7 days, so it's a couple of hours each morning. I may have things spruced up by snow-fall!!! lol Gotta get ready for work now, but I'll be back to read some more of your posts when I get home tonight. Hope you all have a fun day, and remember to stay safe!
Barb
Hi Barb, and welcome to the Michigan Forum......Sounds like you have your work cut out for you, but how do you eat an elephant???? a piece at a time..........Bleeding Heart all over the place......mine just sits where it is, and blooms once a year, and that is it. If you are going to dig up babies, i would love some, and I will be happy to pay postage. Let me know. Since you received it from your Mom, is it the one that blooms all summer?
Deann
I got the burning bush from my mom, the Bleeding Heart was here when I moved in. It is finished blooming ~ I want to say about the end of May . . . and the stems have died back about the middle of July; by then it looks really raggedy.
The main section of the plant is roughly 14" - 16" at the base, and I'm thinking I need to separate it into smaller clumps. Do I uproot it after it has finished blooming, or wait until the stems have died back the middle of July? And where am I supposed to find room for it? I guess I'll have to put in another bed!! The MAD SOD CUTTER strikes again!! (evil laugh)
i'm ok, really i am, just need more sleep :
this is what Jacklynn writes:
good morning neighbors...... another Michigander here. Mt. Pleasant area to be more specificate. I'm just sitting here by the back door waiting for the temp to reach a comfortable high for me to run out and get started on my spring chores. (THAT BLASTED GROUND HOG) If anyone knows where he is, let me know. I have my 12 guage loaded and have no guilt over putting him to rest. Then I'll plant him in Notmarthas gardens. I have a question. Maybe someone out there made the same DUMB mistake as MOI'! I have some of those UGLY ditch lilly's crowding the base of my smoke bush (which I trimmed like a tree) . The year before last I tried to carefully spray them with a weed killer. The next year 1/2 of my tree was dead. However I lost a lot of stuff due to the cold winter. So I don't know if it was the cold or the killer. How can I get the little (%&^#*@'s out of there? I hate to dig them as they are right against the bark of the tree. Hope to meet you all soon. Is there going to be a Michigan chat room? Have a good day!
Hey Torquay:) We have robins here in Battle Creek. They are probably there too. I saw my first one not on the ground but, at the top of a tree scoping out his domain. That was last Sunday. Hummers come next! It's days like these that I couldn't imagine living anywhere else.
Kip
Hello Everyone,
Those that don't know me I'm Cheryle, I live in Auburn Hills,,, I have been gardening all my life,, I have lived in Michigan all my life and love it,, yes I do think the winters are way way to long, but that is life,, I love most all types of gardeing from veggies to flowers ,,,, I love hostas , days and clematis,, but I do have a passion for flowering bulbs,, well I guess I just love it all !! I wanted to welcome the rest of you to Daves !! I love it here,,
I hope we can plan to meet over the summer somewhere !! It would be nice to meet everyone ,,,
take care,,
cac
Welcome Cheryle
Paul
Torquay,
I separate my bleeding heart after blooming. After blooming ,and it's starting to look ugly, you can cut all the top part off it won't hurt it. I think it is one of the prettiest spring flowers we can count on in MI.
Dori or Deann..........I was wondering if the ground is thawed out enough to plant some trees and perennials up your way. I have some I want to plant but hate to haul them up there if the ground is still frozen.
I'm going out to buy some mulch and top soil and peat to ammend my planting holes with. I already have large tomatoe cages and wire to put around the trees so the little deer don't eat them. :)
Hope everyone is having a nice weekend.
Brenda
Brenda..........Meijers had Organic Black Dirt on sale last week....$1.00 for a 40# bag.....I bought 30 of them........I was out today raking up the straw around my Roses, which is close to my house, and the ground is still froze.....I mean you can dig down about 4 inches or so.....your closer to the water then me, so your ground may be thawed out more.....I bought some Painted Daisy's and they are sitting in my greenhouse ....I still don't trust this weather Brenda......If it were me, I would wait till at least May before I start to transplant any perennials....just my opinion....
Deann
Just an idea girls... how about we keep this thread for introductions and you guys start a thread for chatting?
????????????????????????????????????????
Cottate Rose........Great.....I will start it and we can call it.....This n That...
Deann
Paulgrow,
Hope your not offended, or anyone else for that matter. Looking forward to everone's input.
I thought it might be nice to have this thread just for introductions so people don't have to wade through all the chit chat to read the introductions. I certainly didn't mean anything by it or that people can't have a good time and chat.
Its just that people get side tracked and threads end up going all over the place.
Like I said...just a suggestion.
Cheryle.......Hey its about time you got here......was asking Dori about you as I had not seen you online most of the winter....Hope all is well in your world and look forward to seeing you at Arliene;s Plant Exchange....
Deann
Are there any other gardeners from the Upper Peninsula out there?
Hi Maureeng,
My name is Kim For 14 years I was married and lived in Michigamme Mi but I am now getting a Divorce and I moved to Negaunee it is quite different from country to city I am not from Michigan I moved here when I Married Jack . Just before Easter I came to Gurnee IL. to watch my sisters Dog and House. I am a Laborer with the Union so I took her place I have been Layed off scents November. I Just help Demolish ( I 'm Bad at spelling) a High school that was hard work so I will be comming back home on friday I have to wait for my check whats nice down here is the pay I make 2 times what I make up there I am on my sisters computer but I can check for things from here.
I can't wait to get back home I grow alot of house plants now most are African Violets so some of them should be bloomming .
Do yuou thing we have any plant show up here ? It may be to cold . What was very nice here the Sun was shinning and it was 72 and I got layed off what a nice day for that to happen. Well by saturday I will be checking all my email so I will check again soon
Dimmer
Ps when I get home I will be senddind some pictures can't do it from here
Hi everyone. Nice to have our own forum...We sure do have some strange things to put up with..hehehe but would we change it? Maybe something. Anyway...Hubby and I have been gardening for many years...Belong to DG....since 2001... it has grown for sure. We live on a lake, 16 miles..south of Jackson...We like it here..Came from Downriver. 10 miles..south of Detroit. Trenton.. Now retired..This house, has a lot of shade...with great big oaks...everywhere..I like Brugs..and Datura...hahah strange..but we have a great sun room...I can use for winter.
The only ones I have met from DG, are Paulgrow, and Ladyblue. Hope we can all get together..this summer..There are a lot of us...here for sure..lol...I am mostly a lurker..But I come in a lot during the day. hehehe...RETIRED...I said remember....lol....ok...enough Blah Blah...Spring is coming...crocus are blooming..Blood roots are blooming...buds on the Daffi...((((((.soon.)))))).hang in there...
Smiles. Diana
hi to all, i live in richmond ,michigan all my life i'am 59 will be soon 60 in nov. got a married daughter and 1 grand daughter tha turn 1 april 19. the kids are in army11 years i live by my self love to garden love irises .like to cook am new here thanks cookie
Good morning cookie....and Welcome to the Michigan Forum....Lots of good subjects here to jump in on....and what kinds of Iris do you grow....
Deann
Hi all
Gary from Livonia, "I have to be close to Loon."
I'm new into wetlands gardening our house
has a small river that cuts thru the backyard
and I have one of the few privately owned bridges
that crosses it. Location near 5 & Merriman .
photos on webshots,
http://community.webshots.com/user/tnorton2100
Wetlands & Garden Album
Gary & Tess
Gary and Tess
Welcome to DG.
Paul
Hi Gary,
Yes you live near me. I am in Garden City near Ford Road and Middlebelt. I actually work in Livonia just north of 5 mile road and west of Middlebelt on Wentworth. You have to live right by where I work. I work at Woodhaven. I LOVE all your pics and would love to see your garden some time. I'm in the process of dismantling my garden and moving it up north because we plan to move in 2008 to Au Gres.
Welcome to Dave's. Hello and welcome also to Cookie, Diana, Kim and Maureeng.
Happy gardening everyone.
Brenda Looney (Loon for short)
Hello, Im Judy and I live in Muskegon Michigan...I love gardening since I was a little girl..My grandfather was my inspiration who taught me tons of things...I love perennials and especially, hardy geraniums,brugmansias, heurcheras,herbs and sedums...my list gets longer every year...
We are having a perennial swap in Grand Rapids on May 21st..hope some of you that are close can come since we have a ball...weve been doing this for the last 3 years and it gets bigger every year..a potluck and door prizes and an added bonus...
Hope to make lots of gardening friends here..Judy
Good Morning and Welcome Juttz..........Nice to have you here at our Michigan forum......The next time I am in Muskegon, we will have to get together. All three of my sons live there.
Deann
Hey Judy why don't you post your plant swap info on this thread:
"West Mich. Plant Swap"
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/503483/
OR! Is this the same one???
This message was edited Apr 30, 2005 9:36 AM
Brenda Woodhaven is very close, Wentworth is 1 block south of us.
Were you at work for the photo?
http://rnimages.springstreet.com/index/g-m/misr1215indexp2.jpg
Gary,
Hey........you have the pic from my work!! I am not in it. I work at Woodhaven but am not an employee. I am the hairdresser and considered an outside vendor. How did you get the pic? I am at Woodhaven on Wednesdays and Fridays. I've worked there for 15 years. Small world we 'meet' at Dave's garden.
Brenda
Welcome Judy,
I haven't been to Muskegon in a long time. Hubby has a cousin who lives over there. He used to catch some big salmon years ago. Sounds like you like a lot of the same plants I do. :)
Happy Gardening,
Brenda
Cottage_Rose, I saw you post the west Michigan swap someplace on Daves..Ive been all over the place in the forums...lolol..Do you know Rita who started the swap?..Im a good friend of hers and weve met many times now....
Brenda, I havent put up my trade list yet since Im pretty new and trying to figure everything out here...Hope to do some great trading with everybody...and thanks to everybody welcoming me here...Judy
Judy, no I don't know Rita but learned about the swap on the GW last year.
I probably won't be going because I will be too busy to get anything potted up. Don't they have a swap later in the year too?
I might shoot for that one.