'Plant an acorn & wait for an oak' or 'Get it now'??

see, I didn't have enough tomatoes this year... my favorite thing is when I am gardening and get hungry I eat tomatoes... I just pick them and eat it... right there....


I just called Susy from North Creek Farm today to pick her brain and order 3 more roses.... aren't you guys surprised??? anyway, she told me that she plants things really together and that she has changed her mind about planting roses and other plants under pine trees... she said they do fine for her... so I have hope that I will plant seeds next to the pine tree and let's see what is going to be... and one of the things she plants are Linarias... she said that the perenial kind does better ... also the other thing she plants with roses are california poppies... the smaller type,,, she said it looks really great!

Talking tomatoes, I tried to do some this past season in containers on our deck(they didn't do too well only a few came up) since I was pregnant didn't want to have to walk too far. They were ready to be picked the week I was scheduled to go in for my c-section and my husband promised to pick them for me. Well needless to say he forgot and had to throw them out. Well thank God there is an awesome farmers market a mile down the road with the most wonderful tasting tomatoes, I can taste them now!!!!!!!!!! Can't wait till they're ready this year!
Jen

Kassia - just keep in mind that the pine tree will keep the soil more acidic. So plants that like acidic soil will do fine. This site might help http://www.seedsofknowledge.com/pines.html . I just googled acidic loving plants and got quite a few hits...

The other thing you have no choice but to consider is the roots of the pine. Sure, I should have expected the size I found but I didn't. Somehow I see soil and never think of the roots awaiting me.

I couldn't find the root photo I wanted but this is how I remind myself I can't dig just because I see what appears to be soil.

my pine trees have many of the roots already exposed that what I plan to is to do raised beds anyway... lots of newspapers and good brand new soil...

Thanks for the sites.... I have planted 6 hostas my neighbor gave me and got seed for lilly of the valley and of course my favorite wildflowers (purple cornflower and black eye susans!!!!) and of course I plan to do a sitting area because I love the old pine trees...

the one thing I am going to be careful is with the site where I found the turtles... I am not going close to that area or I may find some more turtle eggs and I know myself enough that if I see them I might feel I have to help them hatch... and care for them..... the turtle shelter!!!!!!! I am thinking of even making a little pond for the 5 turtles on the back of the house... so they can be outside ... I can just imagine ... a fenced little pond, with morning glories or black eye susan vines around the wire.... creeping thyme growing around, little plants so they have a little garden .... I am pathetic...

pines have very shallow roots. and yet tough to get rid of.

Kass, that 's a pretty picture for your turtles. do it if you can. not pathetic at all

gram,
I just ordered my herbs and tomatoes from Green mountain transplants... their catalog comes out this week... their price is really good and customer service is great....

I ordered, lavender lady, sage (3 kings) , thyme (3 kinds) , tomatoes (3 kinds), lupines, stevia, anemonea, salvias ... cheaper than what I got last year

So I have enough lavender (24 plugs - plus all the millions of seeds!) for the border on the driveway and maybe some to have around the roses, 22 thyme creepin thymes for under the mini roses (just like yours!!!!!! I follow the leader! ) and sage and salvia for around the roses also... plus all the seeds that I hope they all make it... Linaria, Salvia, purple cone flower, daisys, black ey susan.... I fell like a little kid that got a present... I can barelly wait to start doing the flower beds... and planting... I think I am going to be the first person on my street to get out and plant... if I still here at SMOC when april comes I just found out how much vacation time I have left so I can plan accordinlgy....

Last night I finally started to organize my big scrapbook/journal ... I have pictures of the roses and plants and information about it, and so on...it's so fun!!!!!

Oh no! You just had to mention Lavender!

Yeah, Kass! Not pathetic at all! It sounds wonderful. In fact, inspiring....

pirl, I had forgotten about your rock labels. I LOVE them! and your handwriting is so beautiful! What do you use to write on the rocks? I think I'm going to copy you. Is that okay?

Harper

Sure. Get them from the beach though. Maybe not this week with the cold temperatures. Wash them first - the dishwasher does a great job. Try for 3" rocks and practice on the wrong side of the rock just to be sure of your spacing. Paint pens (sold at paint stores), "Decorative Paint Pen (Michael's - that one has the calligraphy point), Extra Fine DECO COLOR (Michael's) is really extra fine. That one is good for French Script MT. You may have it on your available list of fonts for emails and MS Word. Check and see. I can show it to you on email but it isn't available (as far as I know) for DG.

Dmail me for my email address if you'd like to see the printing in the French Script. I only started with that one about two or three weeks ago. I learned Calligraphy in Adult Education.

I found a photo of the script on the Bamboo stakes for the Japanese irises.

That's brilliant! You gave all the info I need! I have MS Word. I have a Michaels that I visit often. I even like the idea of taking calligraphy in AE. I've always wanted to learn it. I won't get to the beach until this summer, though... I'm assuming you suggested beach rocks because they're smooth, right? Wonder how I can get around that.... a stream...

Thanks so much!!
Harper

I can send you a box for the cost of postage. I've done it before. We'll just have to wait until we hit 40 degrees or I'll freeze. You'll get free Long Island beach sand with it. It's up to you.

No thanks. Shipping would be outrageous for a box o' rocks. It's a sweet offer! My in-laws live in L.I. I usually go to the beach when we visit them. Do you usually go to the sound side?

Thanks so much pirl.

$8.10

Yes, the sound side is probably all of two miles away.

Wow, is that it? I'll get some when I visit Ma and Pa next. They're in Water Mill. Maybe I can stop by your place for a visit when I go rock hunting?

Sure thing. Just give us a call.

Okay! It won't be for a while yet. We were just there for thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years... gotta take a break. I'll d-mail you when I know when we're going for sure.

My MIL is big into gardening. We like to talk about it.

Anita, I printed that site... really great... thanks...

Pirl, I am crazy about lavender... and I think that .55 cents is good price for a plug... I have 3 packs of lavender seeds and I was reading about how to plant them and I am afraid it's too complicated for me so I am decided for the plugs...

I have 2 white french lavender in the house and they are not doing ok... they grew floppy new growth... it;s hanging instead of standing... well, it the roots are still alive when spring comes maybe they will survive...

I got a book at the library - containers with style... really nice and gave me a lot of ideas... I went to the site for tauton press and they have really nice books on plant companions and my got one with about 215 plants ... really nice pictures...

Pirl, great idea on plant labels... I need to get some labels and I have tons of wood cuts (hearts, triangles and squares) and I am going to improvise sone labels...

It's very relaxing.

sure thing Kassia. I love the rocks from the south shore of LI by Montauk. They have reflective/metallic pieces in them that reflect the light. Real cool

Kassia, I just took another look at Green Mountain transplants. I'll see how I do with seedlings this year, but for plants that don't come true from seed I think I might get some next year, or later this year. Probably next spring though. They really have a good variety, too. I'm thinking about geraniums and violas...things to unplant the roses.

We have some of those sparkly granite types here, too, Anita. Nice for the garden but wicked for writing and using as labels. My favorite nephew lives in Montauk. It's beautiful in normal winter weather - not this week!

I've been wanting to go hang for a weekend at Montauk. Just, by the time we reach Ma and Pa's, I'm tired of driving. Maybe if we take a week to spend at Ma and Pa's, we can go the extra distance to Montauk.

It's 24 miles or 39 minutes. Worth it for a sunny day but not a cold and windy one.

That's IT??? From Water Mill?? Gee, and hubby said it was an extra hour and a half. The stinker!

After April it just might be! They get so much summer traffic and people looking for summer rentals out there.

Oh, yeah... traffic. Eeeeew. DH dreads the traffic. He refuses to go out there on a long holiday weekend. It's only a problem if he's driving. Ha!