time to introduce myself

Greetings!

I am new to gardening, joined DG nearly a couple years ago, and finally subscribed to DG this past fall as a commitment to learn more about my latest passion. I think of myself as having not one, but two black thumbs, and look forward to turning this around from the wealth of information and first-hand experience shared here by so many kind, caring, and well-seasoned gardeners.

Last spring we visited the local garden centers of our big-box home improvement chains. From their limited selection I chose what I thought would be the most bullet-proof perennials for our zone AND my black thumbs: coreopsis, rose of sharon, russian sage, sedum, yarrow...

It wasn't long before I discovered I had been bitten by the gardening bug, as I found myself visiting local nurseries with the single purpose of indulging myself with eye-candy, while leaving with multiple pots and charge card receipts. ;-) Soon, I had a half dozen small containers of lavender, then quickly graduated to over 20 large containers of spirea, and before I knew it I was soliciting quotes for mulch and compost in quantities of 5 and 10 cubic yards (and still have a heaping pile of compost on a tarp in our driveway, much to my hubby's chagrin) . In the midst of all this, fall arrived, as did countless posts discussing what people were ordering and planting bulb-wise. I thought to myself, next year...next year...next year, as we had done and spent enough for this year (2006). Well, of course, I thought again and reasoned (more like a back-handed justification) that fall was practically the following year ~ not to mention that nothing happens during freezing winter weather (and winter always carries into the next year), so I ordered bulbs ~ a LOT of bulbs (the majority were small but it was still a lot ~ especially for me as a black-thumbed newbie). Sheesh, I had no idea gardening would become such a strong addiction ~ and in such a short period of time!!

I usually read the forums to learn rather than post, and was encouraged a couple weeks ago by a wonderful fellow member to formally introduce myself, so here I am! :-)

It's very nice to be here amongst you fellow northeasterners ~ I look forward to getting to know you and learning how to make our garden thrive!

I am not a nor-easter but I WELCOME you!

Welcome to the forum, tehegemon! Lots of nice people here with all levels of experience. I look forward to seeing more of you. Good luck with your Spring garden plans.

Victor

A hearty welcome to you! The NE forum is one of the best (don't tell anybody else I said that LOL). Absolutely great group of folks here who will help with anything they can. Friendly and funny to boot.

jan (aka gram)

This is the best! the people here have been sooo helpful. I joined in January and have learned so much from the very generous people on the NW forum. You are definitely going to like being here :-)

Welcome! No need to lurk here.

I live in the western part of the Northeast.

Al

Glad to meet you! You think you spend a lot of time in the garden....wait until you start getting involved in DG.....;)

Seandor - Freudian slip??!! This is the NE forum. Have you been cheating on us and going for that other coast??

Hi and welcome! Glad you came out of hiding to join us :)

Welcome aboard. DG is a great place. That bug is powerful when it really hits. For me it was 10 years ago when allI could talk, read about or do was gardening. It remains a great obsession.
Everyone around here, myself included, would be happy to answer anything. Don't worry about sounding too green because there is no such thing as a silly question. Ten years in and I'm amazed at all I've learned and all I still don't know.
Dave
PS Roger Williams Park and its zoo are a favorite destination for my family.

KayJones in MO, victorgardener and grampapa in NY, Seandor in MA, bigcityal in WI, cyndiehook in ME, DawnLL in Canada, and Dave47 in CT ~ THANK YOU ALL for the warm, hearty welcome!!!

Kay, no matter if you're a northeasterner or not ~ your kind welcome is much appreciated, and I bet you're a northeasterner at heart!!

Victor, so far, our spring planting plans include Mixed Select Daylilies (unnamed varieties for a super deal) from Oakes Daylilies to fill in the gaps between what we planted last spring. Very astute eye regarding Seandor's alliance with the other coast, LOL!!

jan, I promise not to tell anyone the NE forum is one of the best ~ it'll be our secret! ;-)

Seandor, I've read your threads and posts ~ a true testiment to how helpful and friendly the folks are around here! Your home, by the way, is simply stunning!!

Al, thanks for assuaging any concerns I may have about lurking ~ I will do my very best to participate (despite being a greenhorn black-thumbed rookie gardener)!

cyndie, nice to meet you as well ~ I think you're totally spot-on in that I will be spending some time here on DG in the NE forum!

Dawn, I am glad I finally came out of hiding to formerly introduce myself and join in with the fun you all have! :-)

Dave, man alive ~ you aren't kidding about this powerful bug hitting with full force! Ten years and still at it ~ I have no doubt I'll learn an extraordinary amount from you!!

Again, thank you all for embracing my presence here and making me feel so welcome ~ you folks ROCK!!!

My ten years pales in comparison to a few folks here!

A late welcome, tehegemon from AYankeeCat.

Seandor - now I not the only one who types NW when they mean to type NE :}> (tongue stuck out to Al).

My cat, Wallingford (the evil one) has been hijacking the computer over on the pets forum lately - so I'm reasserting myself as the boss of him and taking back control - - ummm until he gets back in from mouse hunting anyway...

Tehegemon - last year for my birthday I ordered 4 cubic yards of humus and it took all summer for me to get it off the tarp on my driveway and into various piles in the yard. Big dreams need big piles of "dirt"!

Hi tehegemon,

It is so nice to (virtually) meet you! I have been on and off Dave's for a couple years, I was so happy to see a NE Forum when I came back.

My love of gardening brought me here- I have gardened for 30 years and I found a way to leave my office job about 6 years ago and garden for a living!

The nice people here at Dave's have made me laugh, inspired me, and taught me so much. No matter how long you have gardened there is always more to learn. And I have learned a lot from the amazing people here- experts and beginners alike!

I am looking forward to hearing about your gardening experiences. Thanks for sharing. :)

Cindy

So very nice to meet you AYankeeCat and oceangirl ~ truly, the pleasure is mine!!

Ahhh AYankkeeCat ~ I see I'm not the only one with an evil feline who hogs the computer, LOL! Mine doesn't visit other forums (well, at least not yet), although he loves to walk on my keyboard and block my view of the monitor. I LOVE the photo of your heap of humus and am happily relieved to discover that it's merely part of the gardening bug syndrome (GBS?). Neighbors and those passing by think I'm nuts, although they have noticed its size has progressively diminished over time. And, our dogs totally dig playing king of the hill ~ they believe it's all about them and that the gardening element is merely a by-product of my eccentricity. ;-)

oceangirl ~ WOW, 30 years of gardening tenure ~ and, to find a way to do what you love and enjoy for a living ~ you ROCK!!! I will definitely pick at your brain as questions arise. I'm so new at this and overwhelmed with joy at the amount of info found here on DG.

Dave, yeah, I'm beginning to glimpse what you mean about folks who have invested many years in their gardening passion ~ oceangirl being one of them! :-)

You folks are GREAT ~ again, thank you all for the friendly embrace!!!

Welcome tehegemon, I haven't been here that long, but learned a lot so far. I was actually cheating a little and checking out my neighbors in the mid-atlantic forum.
I think everybody has had a pile of dirt or mulch in their driveway at one time or another I just never thought to take a pic of it.

Welcome Tehegemon! I'm an Rhode Islander also, just ALL the way down to the other end of the state!!lol! We know how far that is!! I have been gardening since I was old enough to hold a hoe(but always grew the same things every year until recently!) but this website's community has a fantastic amount of knowledge which is very inspiring and I have definetly expanded from growing the same ol' same ol'! Hope you'll be inspired the same way!

Ooops - well. I live in Western Massachusetts and I work at Western New England college - and I am from British Columbia . . . will this serve as an excuse for NW instead of NE? Am I forgiven?

Tehegemon, welcome again, from another newbie to gardening (also new to the NE forum as well.) I echo everyone's words: this is a large and friendly group! And every question you pose will no doubt help someone else as well, so ask away!

Loved your photo in front of that gorgeous pile of humus! Only a true gardener would look so HAPPY about a big pile of dirt!!

Cindy (Oceangirl) where on Cape Cod are you located ? I'm in Yarmouthport.

Howdy flowerjen and saanansandy ~ so very pleased to make your acquaintances!!

flowerjen, you too, eh? LOL, with our piles of fancy dirt, hehehe!!! I hide ours behind our car.

saanansandy ~ most excellent ~ a fellow Rhode Islander!!! Truth be told, I haven't grown much of anything, and when I had previously tried, the poor plants met their untimely demise. :-( It must be my black-thumb syndrome (BTS?).

I am definitely inspired from what I've read here on DG and especially from what I've seen ~ WOW, who knew people actually grew such fabulous, spectactular, stunning specimens in their very own home gardens?

I have much to learn and aspire to ~ I am confident I have come to the right place!!!

Again, many thanks to you wonderful gardening folk for the warm, hearty welcomes!!! :-)

CapeCodGardener ~ I am so pleased to meet you!! What an excellent point you raise, that one's inquiry will undoubtedly help others learn as well! Like you, I too dig that photo ~ it's a classic!

Welcome to DG, tehegemon! I'm sure you'll love it here and enjoy the great friends we've all made here.

Heya pirl! Thanks ever so much for the lovely, warm welcome!!! :-)

I totally dig it and am enjoying all the super folks ~ looking forward to meeting others and making more friends!!!

Welcome aboard tehegemon! I also am from RI. I reside in Coventry, the middle of the state and I work at Hasbro Children's Hospital. I moved to my new home 4 1/2 yrs ago and I have been doing nothing more than trying to amend the rotten soil we were left with after construction. I'm basically trying to build over "hardpan". It's been a long, back breaking process and I'm still no where satisfied with what we have for soil. I grew up with a Mom who had a green thumb. We had fresh flowers in every room during spring and summer. There never went a day without a flower arrangement on the kitchen table. I'm hoping to eventually achieve that. I had raised beds built 3 yrs ago and I have blueberries, raspberries and rhubarb growing. This year I will begin with a vegetable and herb garden. We're looking forward to that.

My property is on a hill and we're having difficulty with runoff from the neighbors property and erosion. After I get that under control, then I will start planting.

I recommend a few nurseries in our area: one is Briggs Nursery in Attleboro, MA. Here's their link: http://www.briggsgarden.com/. Do be prepared to spend hours and, of course, alot of money there. There selection of plants and knowledgeable staff are definitely worth the trip.

Another is in East Greenwich and it's called Wildwood Nurseries. A bit pricey, but a wonderful selection of some very healthy plants. I did well there last year and will be returning again this spring.

As I come across garden centers and nurseries, I'll keep you posted.

Carol

Greetings Carol ~ my absolute pleasure to meet you!! Never heard of "hardpan" before, although I am truly sorry to hear about the hand you were dealt in your unsatisfactory soil. Would you mind sharing with us what you've done to amend it (only if you want to and at your convenience, of course)? You sound pretty dedicated and I trust it is only a matter of time before you find yourself surrounded by countless flowers outside and numerous floral arrangements within. It sounds like you're off to an advanced start with your blueberries, raspberries, and rhubarb!!! :-)

Do you know if there is any local/state legislation in effect to address/resolve runoff and erosion stemming from abutting properties? Is the neighboring property responsible for resolving this matter? Is this something you would work with jointly, or are you on your own here?

Thanks for the referral and URL to Briggs in Attleboro ~ I just checked out their web site...WOW...I better not visit until I know I can spend in the triple digits without batting an eye!! I loathe our gas prices at the pump, although I will say they've prevented me from visiting more nurseries and consequently spending more cash!

I am already familiar with Wildwood Nurseries in East Greenwich. :-) Last spring I got lost, stumbled upon them, ended up buying a Proven Winners Black Lace Elderberry, noted PW spirea on sale (Snow Storm and Pink Parasols), then returned to buy a whole slew of them that filled the back of our SUV (yes, with rear seats down!). Unfortunately, our dogs have been romping through them and pruning them at will...if they don't fare well, we may donate the survivors to a neighbor and plant something our dogs will find less inviting ~ thorny roses immediately come to mind!! ;-)

Thanks again for the terrific welcome!!!

Let me explain what hardpan is. When you have a house newly constructed, the first few feet of soil are removed to begin digging for the foundation. With heavy equipment moving over the soil, it totally compacts it. It doesn't drain well, there is absolutely no organic matter and there really isn't enough good soil to plant in. We could, of course, pay huge bucks to have fresh loam delivered but even then, you don't know what you get. So little by little I've taken areas of the yard and I'm trying to amend as I go along. Of course, I would love to do the entire yard at once but I can't afford it.

The erosion problem stems from property that hasn't been developed yet. So the runoff begins on that property which is higher than my next door neighbor to the south and because we live on a hill, my property is kind of in the middle. Now my neighbor to the north of me is ending up with all the silt during real heavy rainstorms. The plan this spring is to dig a swale between my neighbor to the south in the hopes of catching the runoff there. After that has been addressed, then I can move on to working the soil in the garden beds in preparation of planting. My DH will work on the lawn, that's his baby!!

What kind of dogs do you have? We have 2 cocker spaniels that we adopted a few years ago. Sidney is now 7 and he's buff colored. Stanley is 4 and he's black and white. They are now our "kids" seeing all the two legged ones are married or on their own. We use the electronic fence for our guys so we're able to control where they can play. Mommy's garden beds are not an allowed area. As I type here, Sidney is begging for a treat. Better go and keep the kid quiet.

I'm going to get my husband to take pictures of the beds for before and after shots and alos so I can keep track of what we've planted. As we go along I'll post.

Carol

Hey Carol, thanks for explaining "hardpan". Our home is old construction, so I had no idea.

So, since the erosion stems from the property that hasn't been developed yet, will it change once it is developed ~ even if you dig a swale? Hope you don't mind my questions, as I'm trying to learn and understand simultaneously. Sounds like you and your DH have your work cut out for you!

We have American Bulldogs, like the one in the movie "Cheaper By the Dozen" with Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt. Our girl will be 6 years this summer and our boy will be 4 at the end of the year. Like you, we too are empty nesters and our dogs are our perpetual children, LOL! We're saving for a fence in the back yard to keep the dogs from gaining access to the front, so we can salvage what they haven't damaged in the front. I planted bulbs and am now wondering how to keep them from trampling them before they emerge...hmmm...I didn't think this far ahead in my enthusiam to plant them...live and learn, and I'm unfortunately not learning quick enough.

Can't wait to see your before and after phtos of your beds!! Thanks again Carol and enjoy our warm weather over the next couple of days. :-)

tehegemon, welcome from "the day late and a dollar short" lady!! I too was bitten by the gardenening bug several years ago, and it only gets worse. I have been planting my seeds and getting ready for Easter. I have 2 GD who EXPECT the Easter Bunny to drop all his eggs on my lawn, so I have been very busy. I have a tub of seeds to plant, got some started, but a zillion more to go. I have 50 eggs that I have been trying to fill with things.......not all candy!!! I hide kites, jumpropes, frizbees, balls, then fill the big eggs. I put sun glasses, troll dolls, silly puddy, chapstick, earrings ect... In the small eggs I put fifty cent pieces, half dollars or dollar bills, candy and some sunflower, zinnia's or pumpkin seeds.
OK....now you know why I'm a day late and a dollar short!!! Again, Welcome and I think you'll love it here!

Very pleased to meet you pixie! Hey, I think the day late and dollar short if my call sign today...more on this later. ;-)

I've been looking at new intro perennials online and know what you mean about the GBS (gardening bug syndrome) getting worse, lol!

Oh my ~ Easter hasn't even crossed my mind until you mentioned it ~ good thing my kid long outgrew Easter Bunny expectations (he's in his early 20s now).

You've got your work cut out for you ~ over four dozen eggs with so many fun goodies ~ very creative!! If I were younger, I think I would ask you to adopt me!! :-)

I went to run some errands and lo and behold...I forgot my wallet...darn!! Well, I stopped by my friend's restaurant (on my way back home to fetch my wallet) to seek sympathy and my friend made me a wonderful lunch ~ I had hot green tea, tempura (shrimp, cod, and veggies), and steamed white rice ~ it was delish!!! So, I was actually several dollars short...he told me to forget it. I have my credit card info memorized and offered it to him...he refused ~ what a nice but stubborn guy! Despite being all too forgetful today, I'm still having a pretty good day.

Thanks for the lovely warm welcome ~ very best wishes for a terrific day!!!

tehegemon,

Feel free to ask as many questions as you want. I may not have all the answers, but someone on Dave's will. Do you garden in the city? What are your challenges or conditions?

Cape Cod Gardener, I live in Mashpee, near the Falmouth Line.

pirl, it is nice to see you here!

Cindy

Howdy oceangirl! Many thanks for your kind, friendly welcome!!! :-)

Yes, we reside in an urban neighborhood. One of the challenges we face are our large breed dogs...they have taken gardening by storm and are all too eager to prune and test the strength of our plantings. Aside from our dogs, we have a lot of squirrels...I'm not sure yet what they will do, although I expect to find out shortly once things start coming up. I found evidence of their digging these past couple warm days, and hope they don't dig up any of our emerging bulbs.

Fortunately, we have nice fluffy loam and excellent drainage. I also added rich organic compost to some of our plantings and topped it off with mulch (pine/hemlock blend) for protection over winter.

Inherently problematic to our urban lifestyle is the amount of free-flowing garbage on our streets, sidewalks, and yards. Our property is fenced in completely, which prevents most of it from drifting into our yard; although, I spend a good amount of time picking it up daily...some flies in when it's windy, some gets tossed in deliberately, and one of our abutting neighbors used to co-opt a section of our backyard as his own personal and private landfill...not sure what he and his family were thinking ~ that we wouldn't notice them dumping on our property??? Since I pick up after our dogs a few times daily, I simply pick up whatever garbage I find at the same time.

Once the weather warms up and the winds die down, I will sow seed for an alternative lawn (i.e., colonial bentgrass, strawberry and dutch white clovers, wild english daisies, roman chamomile, yarrow, and baby blue eyes), which I purchased last fall from Nichols Garden Nursery. The good thing about this lawn mix is that it shouldn't yellow as our sod did (we removed it last year; well, whatever remained after our dogs had many field days with it). We intend to get additional fencing to keep our running, rolling, romping beasts contained in our back yard, in hopes of sparing what we accomplished last year in our front yard.

Unfortunately, this much needed fencing won't be forthcoming anytime soon unless we can get creative with some more affordable options...I actually found a really attractive AND affordable option on either DG or GW and foolishly didn't bookmark the thread. I searched high and low and struck out...it was a thick wire mesh with large squares used for livestock, I believe, and painted black with Rustoleum brand paint. I can't recall the size of the posts, although they were painted a very dark forest green and capped. The fence was attached to the posts with u-shaped nails (dont' know their technical name). We figure if it can keep in livestock, it ought to work for our dogs; athough, we would prefer smaller openings to avoid paw or toe accidents. I wish I knew what this type of fencing is called as well as where it may be found. If anyone knows, I would greatly appreciate it!!!

I'm very new to gardening. This said, I'll need to see how things progress this spring before I can begin to identify the impact of my black thumbs. ;-)

Thanks again oceangirl for the really nice welcome!!! :-)

That alternative lawn sounds great! You sure you're a newbie??

Hey Dave!! Yup, I am definitely a newbie ~ which is not to say that I haven't been reading about alternative lawns on and off over the past couple of years (since our dogs destroyed the majority of our sod). I learned that clovers won't turn yellow like grass while having the added benefit of fixing nitrogen in the soil (or something along this line). The roman chamomile will exude a lovely fragrance when stepped upon. The wild english daisies are short and should make sufficient presence to pepper our lawn with flowers without becoming invasive. The baby blue eyes will bloom at a shorter level when cut (with our reel mower). Can't recall what exactly the yarrow provides (generic white yarrow, I believe), although it made sense at the time when I read about it. And, as far as the colonial bentgrass goes, mixed with the herbs and flowers it will provide an example of what the early colonists had for lawns...we reside in one of the original colonies and our home is a historic center-hall colonial (all brick), so I'm hoping it will work together well. Thank goodness Nichols Garden Nursery provides a nice description of this product on their web site ~ even fooled you into thinking I may know a thing or two about alternative lawns! ;-)

Hi Tehegemon and welcome to Dave's (like Pixie, Im a day and a dollar) I can relate to the dog thing that you have going on. I have 2 also, one is 65# and the other 75#. The larger of the two is a Lab and everyone makes him out to be the bad guy, but it is my little girl that does the outdoor damage. She loves, loves, loves to dig. My only thought to decrease lawn damage was to increase garden size. And I have a certain affection for roses. Funny how they don't mess with those LOL

Greetings venu! My pleasure to meet you!! :-)

Oh, thank goodness I'm not alone in my misery about our beloved dogs and abused plantings. Our girl (she'll be 6 years this summer) weighs 85 lbs and our boy (he'll be 4 at the end of the year) weighs around the same or slightly more. They love to chase each other, wrestle, romp and stomp, and lotsa rolling...big SIGH...oh yeah, there is some digging and way too much pruning.

We turned what was once covered with sod into perennial beds, peony beds, and spirea hedges. When we did this, we decreased our former lawn into a fraction of its size, but we also created a lot of stuff for our dogs to damage...what the heck was I thinking???

I did plant two rose bushes...hehehe (evil grin!!!)...the dogs learned in record time to steer clear of them ~ HA! If some or any of the other shrubs don't work out, roses may be the way to go! ;-)

Thanks again for stopping by and the super welcome!!! :-)

DG is a great place, I am also new here. I saw an article in the PPPlants magazine that listed two very intersting gardens in Providence. I haven't been able to find the back issue of the magazine yet, but I will. Or you could look on their site too. A newbie welcome to you.

I have begun seeding an area near my pool with clover. It's really nice and soft on the feet - better than any grass. Additional benefit - the rabbits love to munch on it so they leave other things alone! The flowers do attract bees though, if that is a concern. I guess you can mow low when they sprout. And of course, being St. Pat's Day, you might find that four - leaved one!

Tehegemon, It's a great project newbie or veteran. Good luck!

Hello TDGarden ~ a big welcome back to you as well!!! I wonder where those gardens are within Providence. Roger Williams Park may very well be one of those locations (I looked on PPPlants and couldn't find these gardens without registering). I've heard that Blithewold Mansion, Gardens and Arboreturm has spectacular gardens...as do the mansions in Newport...as they all charge a fee and are typically inundated with tourists, I haven't made any real effort to see the gardens.

victor, ooohh ~ your clover sounds very nice! Glad to hear it deters the bunnies!! I don't mind bees...one of our dogs ignores or avoids them, and the other one plays with them ~ fortunately, no injuries to date, well, not yet, lol! She catches them in her mouth, swings her head around a bit, then opens her mouth to release the bee...I think she likes the buzzing sound, but really enjoys watching the bee fly out in a disoriented state much more.

You know victor, I once found a 4-leaf clover in our yard...I placed it between wax paper and stuck it in one of our books...which one, who knows, and I even selected a particular book so I would remember. Well, I can't recall, although I'm sure we'll be pleasantly surprised one day when we come across it again.

Dave, thanks for the good thoughts abour our alternative lawn project. Once I sow the seed and get some results, I'll be sure to report back.

Happy St. Paddy's Day ~ think GREEN (for spring)! :-)

teheg, the bunnies are not deterred by it - they love it! But that keeps them from eating my other things. It does indeed fix nitrogen as a bonus too, though I didn't know it was broken!