About this time I start to thinking about what I'm going to do with all my extra time this winter besides planning for next year. This year I am going to revamp my patio furniture. Those magic sponges work very well on them. I was told awhile back to let mold and fungus grow on plastic furniture if you are going to repaint it. The reason being, it actually etches the plastic taking away the gloss which makes the new paint stick better.
Anyone else thinking about winter projects?
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My sweetheart is retireing this week. I am working full time 'plus'
so I don't know how much time I am going to have.
Ordering seeds, cleaning pots, planting... Whatever I am able to fit into the schedule.
If the weather stays on the dry side the last part of fall I plan on putting in raised gardens and get my vegetable garden ready for next year.
I would like to research how to make a solar greenhouse for my area, they have a class about 90 miles away from me early in the year. I have the perfect spot for it, (a small one).
I also am looking for a composter - round one, I have seen ads for one but I am a little reluctant. You should see my compost pile. Huge. (Maybe not compared to others). But my time is so limited that a fast, easy method is desired. Any suggestions are welcome. Marie
I am. I want to start learning how to do woodworking. Once I get my garage cleared out, I plan to start setting up a woodshop. I know that can get expensive, so I plan to do it a little at a time.
I'm also considering home brewing.
I also want to start putting more time into my writing. I'm a writer by trade, but I haven't been able to do much with my fiction writing, what with the move, and unpacking, and gardening, and everything else.
Our team is converting 3000 sf of lawn area to flower beds for next spring. I think we will have our hands full....
I want to better design a few garden beds. I made the mistake of buying "heirloom seeds" from the discount department store,and ordered bulbs from a mail order co. that sent me gnat sized junk that didn't grow or turned out to be invasive weeds! This winter, I will research in more details and wintersow several seeds( my first time)... I will also refine my garden journal by including Latin names for my plants. Garden journaling has been a wonderful tool for me this year... I will also paint the girly pumpkins bedrooms along with sewing new curtain treatments for their rooms, the family room and the dining room.
You'll love winter sowing. We had such a warm winter it was a disaster this last winter. Everything sprouted in January. A word of advice, a lot of people just starting out sow bunches of seeds of all sorts, then come Spring they are delighted by all the success and a few weeks later are wondering how the heck they are going to separate all those seedlings and transplant them. Do one container the usual newby way just to get the thrill of horror as you see almost 100 seedlings that need to be separated and transplanted and for all the rest plant how many you want plus 10.
My first attempt at winter sowing was so successful that every person on my street had 3 types of marigolds in their yards by Summer.
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garden6, what mail order company sent you invasive weeds? I want to stay away from them.
I'd like to set something up in my garage with plant lights and maybe do some winter growing myself. Maybe I'll finally get some lettuce!
Hydrangea...Michigan Bulb and Breck's. Breck's sent me the arum italicum, that "thank GOD!' I planted them in pots. They were advertised as being as beautiful as Jack in the Pulpits. A neighbor told me that they were toxic to my pumpkins as well as to pets, and if I let the fruit ripe to seeds they'll take over my entire yard and the neigborhood! I did my research and discovered they also contain toxic chemical glass-like shards. When I yanked them out, wearing long gloves, sure enough, I had many small lacerations and burns all over my skin! They definitely omitted THAT information!!!!
Neither has a good rep on Garden Watchdog. I was thinking of ordering from Breck's anyway, because they have some bulbs that I want, but now I definitely won't.
I do hope you made an entry in Watchdog about them.
Watchdog is great. Since I found out about it, I only order from companies with good feedback.
Hydrangea, most certainly. As a matter of fact, that's how I became a member, I read about the Garden Watchdog this past June. Too late after planting the gnats and thugs in the Fall. I did finally get my money back from Michigan Bulb, and Brecks is resending a new order this Sep. with a refund on the arum italicum. I'll let you know if I receive a better batch this year from Brecks. Most definitely will not order anything else from those 2 companies again.
Yikes! garden6, I hope your Arum italicum aren't the same as the ones I have and love! Maybe because I always wear gloves I've never had a problem with those that strayed and my pets haven't been interested in them. They were here when I moved in and they just charmed me with their ever-changing year round interest. I will look into it for sure!
Edited to say: I also traded or given these to others because I loved them and wanted to share them. I'm feeling pretty bad right now about that.
This message was edited Aug 27, 2006 8:24 PM
I am hauling rocks with my new trailor and build a xeriscape 6000 sq ft bed that requires only watering the first year. I will be hauling and stacking stumps, driftwood, rocks, bolders, and planting native clematis to cover them. They will be arranged to make archways, grottos, and a special mushroom cave to grow native shrooms. I am looking for other hearty drought resistant vines and bushes to color the walkways between the roots and stumps. We will be using colored rocks to group to produce the desired effect and no water needed. Any Ideas will be welcome.
Soferdig, I hope those native "shrooms" aren't the ones that my students use to call "shrooms". If they are make sure those caves are well hidden.
I am going to spend more time with my art work. The work I sell not the work I put in my garden.
Soferdig, sounds like a huge project. I do love shrooms. Wish I had room for another project. LOL How do you know you're only picking the "good" shrooms?
Katymac..I forgot to tell of the butterfly bush I ordered from Michigan Bulb, gnat- sized as well. I did not know it was an invasive plant at the time, Thought at the time the "Black Knight' was gorgeous and had to have it. Well it didn't grow at all, thought it was dead, plucked it . Now after all the rains, something peculiar started growing in the pot... yep a dagnabit butterfly bush. Yanked it out this afternoon!
Butterfly bushes aren't good? I thought they were. They're pretty, and they attract butterflies. How can you get better than that? I had planned to get one or two, possibly for my front yard.
You might want to check with your County Agriculture Extension before you buy some. It is invasive and is on the USDA list of invasive plants.
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=BUDA2
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Winter project here, I think a DG journal... maybe, if I have time, can get away from the forums, I hope... pod
I know butterfly bushes are invasive here, we are advised to dead head. But like my Arum italicum, I will keep them. It seems nearly everything can be invasive somewhere, and even our beautiful hydrangeas are poisonous as are many common and beloved plants. Zone and setting can influence invasiveness. We just have to make informed decisions on individual circumstances.
My neighbor has a butterfly bush. When I moved in my realtor advised me to plant butterfly bushes but NOT to plant hydrangeas.
If you're not allowed to have it, why is it being sold? Isn't that akin to selling bindweed?
White_Hydrangea, ANYTHING can become invasive if it lacks its natural predators or other ecological constraints.
Realtors are not horticulturists as a general rule.
Hydrangea, THEY want your money, not your landscaping's best interest. You have to be careful at some nurseries and garden centers...they may sell you something that could kill you, a child, or a beloved pet. While smiling and assuring you "this will look lovely in your garden!" Been there, done that and then had to yank 'em out later!
You're right about my realtor. :-) She also told me that hydrangea wouldn't grow here.
Most of my aforementioned winter projects will likely be put on hold. Now I know what I'm doing after harvest --
TRAINING!
I spoke with Sensei today, and he said that I should be ready to go up for my brown belt around the end of the year or perhaps in January. Now the last test I took darn near killed me, but that was July before last in 120 degree heat. In heavy hot black gis and on hot black parking lot tarmac.
I have to figure out what to do about this chronic fatigue...whatever and get into the shape of my life for this test. Last test I was told that brown and black belts should be able to do 100 full pushups (plus at least 100 crunches, 100 jumping jacks, 100 squats....).
100? I think I can do two real pushups before I collapse gasping onto the floor.
Time to unpack the exercise equipment (if I can find it.)
Hydrangea, bouquets for your endeavor! Consistent training and commitment and you'll be on your way to knocking out your routine without breathing hard when you reach 25 reps... then 50... then 75...then 100. OK..so you'll be winded and out of breath for a while. But you can do it.! For a gardener, everything is possible and dare I say it ..even better!
