"Wild" garden vs. tidy gardens which do you prefer

part of my raised bed area gone wild!

wow, that's pretty - sounds like you have a lot! I know my dad laughs at me a lot. I told him I was done buying plants, because I was exhausted from trying to plant in 94 degree weather... but tonight we were at Lowes, and they had a yellow hardy fuschia that looked so humminbird attractive, and it was on sale... its sitting out front now. lol I can't help it... I need gardens anonymous or something.

My hosta area shaded by the mimosa tree and the trumpet vines.

Oh, I love your Mimosa and the pots. I had to cut down my Mimosa's last fall - they were on their last legs. Now my Hostas are frying because the red leafed birch I put in are tiny little things. Hopefully they'll make it through the next few years - there are just too many of them to move. They are all the same two kinds. The only 'tidy' place in my garden. You think that my plants are telling me something about 'tidy'?

Yes Maggie I do have a lot...I figure I have about 75 pots out there too. lol
Doss I do love colorful pots...I just discovered a tool that I can use to bore holes in ceramic and glass ... thats my next project for all these extra pieces I got around the house. See where I had to move the Oxalis, black elephant ears and the Persian shield into that little shaded area. lol ...the Ficus was dying inside so I bring them out for the summer too.

Sylvia

Love that azalea Doss, and your list of plants!!!! Redmaggie I am excited about the living arbor too. Redbuds grow super fast here, so no problem with that. I want some chocolate cosmos myself!!!!! I have a want list too, but have to control it right now! Hey Sylvia, you have wonderful plants, love your Lady Banks rose, I do not have that one!!! Cool idea with the pots too. I have so many "plans", but so little time ya know. Between babysitting granchildren, being ill, and watering the plants, and taking the pictures, I am just plain ole tired. So my garden has to survive mostly on its own!!! That is why I plant natives, no work, no fuss, just pull out what you don't want!!! Who needs some four o clocks---I have fuschia colored----!!!!!!! LOL!!!!!

RUBY...please tell me more about that "living arbor". I am growing these Poplar trees in pots to shade my hostas. I think what you are talking about would be great if I can do that with them. I will take pics tonight to show them to you. Will tell me which way to go with it?
Thanks
Ruby please take good care of yourself..we got two months before the Houston trip. I am one to talk...I pray that hyperglyceima dont rear its ugly head or vertigo kicks in....:(
Sylvia

This message was edited Jul 13, 2005 11:38 AM

To be honest Ruby I hate to be the bearer of bad news- chocolate cosmos are a royal pain - hard to get started and they want constant water they are worth it if you're willing to fuss. Just so you know. Lady Banks is one of my favorites too - great if you have the room - but it can eat you alive if it doesn't have the right amount of space.

And Cedric, I wouldn't put your poplar trees into the ground. They are incredibly invasive - in fact it's illegal to plant them in some states. They can send runners hundreds of feet, kind of like Bamboo. You'll be mowing them out of your lawn and ruining your mower blades before you know it. My daughter has one in a neighbors yard that's 60 feet tall at least and it just keeps sprouting.

Aren't you glad that it's still in it's pot?

And I'm sorry about your vertigo Ruby - I have it too. Hard to garden when bending down makes you feel like you're going to fall on your nose. Hard in general. You're great to be taking care of your grandchildren.

Sylvia,
I love that lady banks,wish it was hardy in my zone.
doss,
I have a problem with cosmos.I planted some last year,they just keep coming back,seems I can't get rid of them.To top it all off,now it looks like I planted an invasive bower vine by my front door,I thought it was a passiflora.Ouch seeds everywhere.I need a giant shop vac to suck up all those cosmos and bower vine seeds.
RedMaggie,
I need to join gardens anonymous too.lol.
Rosepetalz,
I already know how great your garden is,I get lots of photo's from you,my bestest gardening buddy. :-)

Jody - sure wish my Chocolates were persistent - I can't get any of them to seed at all. They do behave well as perennials though it's a little warm here for them.

Hi Sylvia, hope you are doing better. I agree, don't put those populars in the ground, but you still can make an living arbor with them in the pots girlfriend. Just put them in a bigger pot so they can grow more and place about 4 feet or so apart and trim the branches off except for the taller ones, about 6-8ft tall for the arch part. Tie them together at the middle of the arch when you can with raffia or green soft ties for plants. Then plant something that vines at the base of the trees(simple) like morning glories(your favorite color) or a passiflora, or rose that climbs. Experiment, I am. I will let you know how its works out for me too, mine is just twined together naturally for now, but may have to do it later on this summer. Here is a picture(not pruned yet though) of the top two tree branches twined together. Hope you can see it. It just happens to be growing in my front garden spot in the middle of my garden for sitting.

Here is a better one I think.

I have four red osier dogwood,maybe I should do a living arbor with them.Oh great,I just read they might be invasive,that doesn't make sense,the county tree program sold them this spring.weird huh!

Do you think we should start another thread to continue this seems to be getting pretty long.

doss,
check this out,I pulled these out of my garden and they have been sitting in that pitcher of water for well over 3 weeks and are getting all kinds of roots and blooming right in the pitcher.These are some mean cosmos. :-(
Ruby wants them,do you still want them Rosepetalz?
Jody

Doss I am the one with the vertigo...it comes and goes. especially when my BP is too low....too much Tarka (BP med) at times.Popular? runners? I thought they didnt live very long. Thank god they are in pots!
Sylvia
and dont forget about the Hot Flashes! I am catching hell today. :)

This message was edited Jul 13, 2005 3:41 PM

Sorry Sedrick It's no fun for anyone to have vertigo.

- This is short but sweet re: Poplars.
http://www.thegardenhelper.com/poplar.htm

People with hot flashes should live in Siberia - not Texas. :-)
Sorry about that too.

Oh dear Doss! This is frighting info.. I do have one in the ground also right behind my beautiful Chinese fringe. I got to find someone to dig it up! ..fast!
Ruby here they are the are already about 10 ft.:(

the other........ omg its the same pic..lol anyway Ruby what am i suppose to do now?

This message was edited Jul 13, 2005 7:46 PM

Here are some suggestions about how to kill a tree.

You can use chemical killers or try to girdle the tree, although this forestry site says that it's not easy to kill a tree by girdling.

http://forestry.about.com/od/treephysiology/a/kill_tree_organ.htm

Your local agricultural service probably has some ideas too.

If that poplar is right next to your house, we might be able to give you some ideas about what to do instead depending on the look you want. If it's the house we're looking at, you don't want a tree there. But there are some great things that you can use. Is it shady or sunny?

Sorry I started this mess for you. But I'm glad that your poplars are little tykes and you can take care of them now.

Here are some suggestions about how to kill a tree.

You can use chemical killers or try to girdle the tree, although this forestry site says that it's not easy to kill a tree by girdling. I just googled kill a poplar tree.

http://forestry.about.com/od/treephysiology/a/kill_tree_organ.htm

http://www.oak-wood.co.uk/forum/treecare/posts/14110.php

Your local agricultural service probably has some ideas too.

If that poplar is right next to your house, we might be able to give you some ideas about what to do instead depending on the look you want. If it's the house we're looking at, you don't want a tree there. But there are some great things that you can use. Is it shady or sunny?

Sorry I started this mess for you. But I'm glad that your poplars are little tykes and you can take care of them now.

No guys those two are in pots! The one in the ground is in th corner of the ..right behind my Lorepetulum! see the little branch when I first planted it? {sigh}

I have green ash and a crabapple tree that is just in the wrong place. I try and cut them to the ground but they keep coming up so this is good info for me.
Thanks

HI all, Sylvia, you are going to have to dig up that tree, or at least try to get the roots out of the ground, if it is the invasive kind of poplar. I have a native maple tree that is out of control here too, cut it back, put on stuff(not chemicals), cut it, on and on and on.........
I don't know how to get rid of it, except to find something that will kill the roots underground, it is right next to my garage foundation. Thanks for the info up above Doss, am going to check that out. Later, y'all. It is raining here, gonna go out and sit in it!!! LOL :)

The most ecologically kind thing that I could find is to drill holes in the stump and put very high nitrogen (time release if possible) fertilizer in the holes and then cover it with dirt. Don't know if this works but it's worth a try. If you want to use round-up on suckers paint it on and it won't bother the plants around it.

Wild, not just because it is more or in line towards/with my personality, but I was a big fan of The Odd Couple, and Oscar was much more my speed. Danny

LOL Danny, loved that show too, wish it was still on regular TV. So what does your garden grow?

Actually guys ...this tree is still a branch...I broke it off yesterday...gonna try getting the ground soak and wet and have some strong man come and try pulling it up.;) will keep you posted.
Sylvia
PIC OF POPLAR BEFORE

PIC OF POPLAR AFTER...POOR PIC...BATTERIES LOW!

I seem to remember from someplace that you had a shady corner there. Is that right? If so there's a fabulous Clematis that would look great on that fence. I can grow mine here in places that get only indirect bright sunlight to places that get full sun. It's called "Etoile Rose". It's not evergreen of course but in one season it can grow pretty big. It actually doesn't really love full sun though. The flowers are small but they are prolific and they've been blooming since the spring and then bloom on and off all summer. I do love it and the color of the flowers would be great with your Lorapetulum. Not an easy clematis to kill either. And it won't break your fence.

all you need to kill the tree is cut it to the ground and then put some I think the spelling is Tordon, but it could be spelled different. It works great but be careful with it, only get it on what you want to kill. Mikey

I have a question for you tree killers. If the said tree was from a sucker of another tree would it kill both trees or just the sucker tree?

Putting my two cents in, I would think only the sucker, I have read those sites above from Doss, and the suckers will continue along the roots everywhere, so if you don't kill the Mama, you don't kill the suckers!!! LOL, at least in MHO. Ha

Dear Jody - sorry I missed your question. It sure looks like Cosmos to me. :-)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/search.php?search_text=cosmos&Search=Search

doss,
That's okay and Thanks. I though that's what they were.I received them in a swap or rr.I think they were supposed to be sensation,well they sure are, Sensational at taking over my garden.At least I know what I'm looking for to pull this spring.I don't mind some,but if they're taking food and water and space,from my roses or daylilies,they Must Be Thinned lol.Jody

Luckily nothing else really looks like Cosmos greens. But if you want to talk wild....

I have a wildflower garden in progress,I should toss the seeds out with the black-eyed susans.

Here is my 2cents worth. I bought 10 hyb. Poplars about 7 or 8 years ago, needed something for windbreak, and since they were called hyb. I thought they would be okay. they grew very well so the next year I bought 25 more. Really bad mistake. they all grew very well and were a good windbreak, but that is the only good thing I could say about them. Soon there were roots everywhere and nothing else would grow, then there were little poplars coming up everywhere.

Cost me a lot of money to hire a couple of fellows with saws and a chipper to come in and cut down and chip all 35 or the trees ranging in trunk size from 7 inches to 12 inches. Had two huge piles of chips, which have all been used for paths and mostly rotted away now. I fought (sp) those darn tree roots and suckers for four long years and even yet this spring found one sprout growing. I think they should never be planted. Awful trees!!!!!

DonnaS

Mobi - this is a great thread - but it's getting a little long. Is it time for #2?

Okay, starting a new thread here

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/529434/