Oops, I typed Pansies, but meant Petunias. They are Petunias, and like others mentioned above, they don't usually like me. I will have to edit that!
Things that everybody grows but you manage to kill
Tir_Na_Nog- lucky for me there was one planted in my yard when I move in- it smells wonderful, but I have to say that it is not really a shrub/tree that looks all that great- kind of Charlie Brown like- if you like something that smells good you could try Almond Verbena- so far mine is alive.
Oh I had hoped someone would have better luck w/ the diascia than I had, but apparently not- I killed 3 or so of them - 2 last year and 1 this year, but I have learned my lesson! As far as million bells go, last year lost one to mealy bugs, this year lost one to mealy bugs but have one that is still alive- this one you have to ignore a bit I think.
sweezel - Petunias do only a little better than pansies in the heat, although there are some new (and some really old) varieties that are out now that do much better, and reseed too. Barbara Bush will take over the garden....But very pretty.
BTW, I thought those were petunia looking pansies! My next question was going to be "what are they? - because I like those pansies and I've gotta have them!"....
well, I should add this one to my list of plants everybody grows but I kill:
Laura Bush petunias. Killed in 1 week flat.....
RFLMAO
Isn't there a saying that goes: If you haven't killed any plants, you're not trying hard enough. Something like that...
This message was edited Jun 4, 2006 9:35 PM
Aprilwillis.
Thanks for the tip! I did buy it for like 5 bucks at Home Depot but they didn't have many. Oh how the blooms smell DIVINE!!!! I have another sweet smelling tree, evergreen, called Meyer Lemon, it's the hybrid kind or whatever...the one without thorns. It seems awesome to! Was hoping to have both but I'll try to get another sweet olive if I see one.
I killed off a significant portion of my St. Augustine a few years back. Thinking I would encourage strong winter roots, I applied "weed and feed" as per directions sometime in the early fall. I heavily watered post application, but within a week, dead looking spots appeared. The dead spots looked worse and worse and didn't spring back to life in the next season's warm weather.
The lawn has recovered well with effort and ammendment. Some have had success with this product, but I will continue to stay away.
Vossner you might want to try the Laura Bush petunias again. I have them and so does my Mom and they grow like crazy here and reseed everywhere. They are almost invasive here. My Mom has some coming up in her lawn.
My pansies are almost gone. They are hanging on by a thread in this heat.
I can't grow impatiens or verbena either. I'm sure the verbena just doesn't get enough sun in my yard, but shouldn't that make it perfect for impatiens?? Ironically, the only thing that survived my latest attempt to grow things from seeds is some balsam mixes, which I think are related to impatiens. They're doing great!
I am growing impatiens successfully this year for the first time in several years. I had given up on them several years ago when they just kept dying. I have some beautiful ones this year that are very healthy. They only receive early morning sun.
what is your secret for the impatiens
collincounty, LOL I have done the same thing and when my DH asked what was wrong w/ the grass I just looked dumb! LOL.
My daughter grows impatients that always look gorgeous, I never could. I know what her secret is, ignore them. I swear she does nothing and they are huge mounds of goregous color!
Phlox(sp? I would love to grow Pholx!
Ceejay I never heard of anyone that cant grow Liriope! I will bring you all you want to the next RU! lol btw my Ginger is that a shade plant?
Mitch I dont understand your being so close to me and cant grow Hostas ... then again you dont have any shade do you?
Sylvia
Not a drop of shade... part shade made with sunflowers and a few baby trees 3 foot tall or such but no real shade... sad too they look sooo nice...
Well you will have to wait until the trees grow to get some shade or you can grow Populars untill your real trees grow out, Populars grow really fast. I got two in pots to help shade my Hosta. I need to feed them something special ... what can I give them?
This message was edited Jun 5, 2006 10:06 PM
You know I have grown trees in pots before and always used the Miracle Grow Tree and Bush Spikes... you can get them at WM.
vossner, my New Dawn rose almost died this winter also. Only one cane hanging on from what used to be a great huge plant. My Reine des Violette rose died this season.
Verbenas die on me also. Store bought salvias don't like my garden either. They burn up or something. But, the salvia coccinea self seeds every year and so I do have red salvias growing where the seeds land in the shady part of the garden. I just have to accept where the plants decide to grow. Have collected some seed from them at times and tried to plant them in a "bunch". No go.
Store bought pansies die on me also, but Johnny Jump Ups come up every spring. Sometimes they even come up in the lawn.
Impatiens did well for me once and never again. Don't know what changed as I planted the subsequent ones in the same area.
Guess there are a lot of us out there who cannot seem to grow what many would consider common bedding plants, etc. So, guess it is nice to know you have a lot of company... Barb
Yeah I will do that ... Mitch I have two peach trees in pots too. One of them was loaded with peachs ... there is not one out there now... think it was the birds or the squirrels?
ferns...I also kill ferns
Maybe so... the birds around here took all of ours and knocked them off... the big loss was all our plums - we lost everyone in the last cold snap. We live on those plums.... soooo good.
I use to have a plum tree and the previous property manager cut it down and it was loaded with plums. I had another too that my Clemitis grew around, it had huge pink flowers I wish I could find another one like that.
dmj1218 ... have you tried sword fern. It is indestructible!
I could not live with out plum trees in the spring. The fruit too - the best jelly is home made plum!
Why they cut things down like that I dont know.... I wonder if they really know.
It just so happens I recently was given a sword fern (spring RU) and have not, I'm proud to say, as of this date; killed it.
Sylvia, Your cardamom ginger will grow in sun or shade. Your choice.
So I kill giant liriope. I can grow verbena and impatiens! So there! Pphhtthh!!
This message was edited Jun 5, 2006 10:44 PM
LOL ceejaytown!!
Thanks Ceejay it is a beautiful plant.
I can kill impatiens in 2 weeks or less! Petunias do good in winter for me, but mine are almost all dead now. I kill pansies, but do great with violas. Snapdragons die a slow and painful death in my garden. Store bought salvias don't do well for me either.
I can grow million bells. This far south they need some shade during the heat of the day and they need acid plant food(and chelated iron and epsom salts).
Silver painted ferns like moist, acidic soil, a shady spot and lots of humidity. Add some peat moss and composted pine bark to the mix and they should do better for you. Now if someone could tell me how to keep an autumn fern alive for more than a month........
My begonia is still alive, maybe I've turned over a new leaf???
dmj, I think you're right about thyme. Mine just always looks puny -- not bad enough to sacrifice, but not good enough to tell anyone I have thyme. But I think the heat this year would beat an oak to death. It's already July hot -- even the water in the gulf is July temperature. And if it keeps being deluge, then drought, then deluge again -- makes you wonder if you should just take up another avocation for a while.
Nah.
Brigidlily--I put all my thyme, mints, dill, fennel, and parsley in complete shade from now till Oct.
Actually compared to last summer--the temp here is normal, so far.
Cala, I will add some extra acidic compost or pine bark mulch to the Painted Ferns. I amended the soil around the ones I planted with about 50% compost this time, but I guess it's not enough. My aunt does not do any amending or anything so I figured they'd be easy. The autumn ferns here do seem to live for me though.
As for Thyme, I have always grown in partial sun. It started out that that's all I had. Same with Oregano, Sage and Rosemary. When in the ground they rarely get suplemental water. They may not bloom well or at all, but I don't grow them for their bloom so it's okay with me. Want to see an absolutely gorgeous Thyme plant?? My friend grows it up in Oklahoma. It grows in a small bed between rocks and is amazing. I will try to get the picture from the home computer and post it.
Omg, its time for me too start harvesting. my basil, sage is for 4ft tall! I got lemon thyme, german thyme...oregano and parsley...so Debbie are you puttin it in shade so it wont burn up?
yessiree Sylvia...they are all in pots--I do all my herbs in pots. Basil and Rosemary can take the full sun in summer--but everything else (oregano--half day shade) needs shade down here untill at least Oct...lol
The thyme died from lack of water. But the thyme I did from seed is doing a lot better.
All my herbs are doing fine except for the rue. Just not a happy camper. Sent DH on a plant run yesterday, because the two wimpy little rue plants have mucho blacktail swallowtail cats on them, and not enough food to last. He couldn't find any big ones, so he brought back about 8 in 3" pots, and they look better than mine that have been in the ground for some time. Also have the Italian parsley that has flowered (I never realized before that it has a very delicate sweet scent) with its contingency of cats. Yesterday I transferred about 10 assassin bugs from it to other plants that aren't larval food plants. They aren't very beneficial to a butterfly garden! Poor little baby cats.....
of course all of mine are in pots too! lol I chopped down some of the basil halfway just to keep it from flowering, was told Basil get bitter if it flowers. is that true Debbie? I am harvesting tommorow morning and taking it to the guys at work. I have to make a list of what I got so I can take orders. lol my list so far:
Lemon Thyme
German Thyme
Golden Sage
another Sage
Sweet Basil
Flat leaf Parsley
Italian "
lemon Balm
Lavander
Sorrell and Rosemary I had for years.
MINTS:
Pepper mint
Pineapple mint
Apple mint
Chocolate
and some other mints I cant remember the names. lol
Debbie When you get to town you need to come over and expierence my court yard. Its a jungle out there, I got two Peach trees too. lol
Sylvia you have peppermint... and you have not shared yet..... going to have to steal a little of that one..... I mean pick up at the Ru... right pick it up....
I wouldn't say 'bitter' just not as good. I'll take some of that German thyme....at the RU.
The Basil takes on a stronger anise/licorice flavor if you let it flower. Plus, it grows fewer of those nice sweet new leaves. I just pinch off the flowers every other day when I am out watering. Much better than using scissors because I can walk around afterwards with the scent on my hands.
It starts to "bolt" if you let it flower. The leaves become serrated, less cupped and more licorice tasting. It still begins to bolt with the heat of the summer even with pinching, but I noticed last year that I was able to avoid what I thought was inevitable by moving it into more shade. In August last year my basil plant was only getting about 2 or so hours of afternoon sun and still had some nice sweet leaves.
Bolt?? please explain...:) Last year, I put my herbs in the shade too. I cant that this year because they are in the barrels with the Peach trees. :)
go to seed