time to introduce myself

Did I just read where it can be deadly for sheep?

Never heard that. Hope any residue on my feet will not bother my counting sheep. Don't want insomnia.

victor, I knew what you meant ;-) although I wasn't clear ~ deters the visiting bunnies from chomping in your garden ~ which is just super!!! Fortunately, we don't have any bunny issues or problems here. LOL about not knowing the nitrogen needed some fixin' or counting sheep!!

Can't be clover that bothers sheep. Can't remember what it was.
But Victor, if they are sick in your sleep, let me know and I'll look it up.

Will do, Dave.

hi, and welcome to dg.
i live up here in springfield, but i visit my inlaws in east providence. we'll be there this weekend for the easter holiday.
i started gardening in 2000. i joined dave's in 2000. i new i needed help, since i knew nothing, so i went online searching and found dg. i've been a member ever since and find it has been my #1 gardening resource. i've met some nice folks here, vuia the computer and at the north east round-ups. these are great fun. food, gardening talk and plant trading. what more can you ask for from a day?
have you done any plant trading? or plant receiving? i did a lot of that in the beginning and i still have plants in my gardens from generous dg members.
welcome and believe me i had 2 black thumbs that are slowly turning green, and now a new major addiction. but as far as addictions go, it is ok.
squirrels. we dont have many considering we have woods behind our home. there is a woman down about 5 houses that feed them and the birds. good for my gardens. :-) but a couple of years ago i started to find oak trees growing in my garden beds. now i don't know where they are finding these acorns, i can't see an oak tree around neighborhood, except for for the ones growing in my garden beds that is. guess there trying to tell me something. :-)
welcome to dg
enjoy and keep asking i do............:-) i have to find out about hellebores soon.

debi & franklin my little pekingese doggi, who is also our "kid". every spring we have arguments over him going into the garden beds and peeing. guess who wins? my favorite mantra is "out of the gardens":. :-)

Howdy debi_z ~ thanks for stopping by!! East Providence is just over down the highway, around the bend, and over the bridge from me ~ it's actually pretty close. I would love to attend a NE round-up ~ sounds like lotsa fun!

No, I haven't done any plant trading or receiving yet, although I will participate in the hosta co-op Marie is organizing with Foxfire.

OMG, oak trees in your garden ~ yikes!!!

Love your little pooch there ~ what a CUTIE PIE!!

Have a splended Easter with your family ~ what a pleasure to meet you debi!!!

Another note on the clover, I recently read that sowing red clover in the rows between your corn acts as a weed barrier and fixes nitrogen in the soil! Plus it helps bring in bees to pollenate your other veggies!
When we seeded our lawn we got a seed blend that has white clover in it. My nephew just loves looking for 4-leaf clover and it is wonderful underfoot. I think more people should use it in their lawns!! Good luck with your project, tehegemon!
Sue :)

Welcome to Dave's Garden (shoreline subdivision), Tehegemon. That sounds like the way I got started too. By the way, when you feel the need for more bulbs, check out Brent and Becky's bulbs. You can find them in the Garden Watchdog.

Don S.

Thanks Sue for the good luck with our alternative lawn project as I'm sure we'll need it! It's been too windy and rainy to sow these seeds. I'll get them on the ground as soon as we get get a few good days without either.

Very nice to meet you Don ~ thanks for the lovely welcome and also for the link to Brent and Becky's on GW!!

Have a great weekend folks!!!

I second the Brent & Becky's recommendation. They are tops.

I third it.

Thanks Victor & pirl ~ I'll be sure to check them out later this year. Last fall I purchased 1,900 bulbs from Colorblends and subsequently added 400 more from Van Engelen during their sale. I planted 200 iris reticulata from Van Engelen and so far only about two dozen have bloomed. I'm hoping the rest come up...time will tell once our freezing weather passes. Thanks again for chiming in about Brent & Becky's!!

Wow! You planted 2300 bulbs?? All on your property? How did you do it? Not one at a time. Did you dig large holes and plant a whole bunch? In the lawn too? I would have been in traction.

Hey Victor ~ being new to gardening as well as a bit over-zealous (shhhh...don't spread this around, OK?), I chose bulbs that should perennialize to get more bang for our buck. These bulbs were small, although they still required a LOT of digging. I dug out large sections at a time and planted them by the hundreds. Surprisingly, the bulbs didn't cover as much area as I thought they would. Once things grow and begin to fill in throughout this spring, summer, and fall, I'll know where I can squeeze in more. ;-)

I planted them in front of our front fence...we have a strip about 6" wide between this fence and the sidewalk that was full of weeds; so, out with the weeds and in with bulbs.

In a section of yard on one side of our front walkway (approx 17' wide x 30' deep), I planted a 94" diameter circle with a ying yang design. In this same section of yard, I planted another section above this circle that abuts a wide/deep perennial bed.

On the section of yard on the other side of our front walkway (approx 27' wide x 30' deep), I planted a long curved 90 degree section that is narrow at each end and widens towards its mid-point. At the mid point, I planted a 30" diameter circle with a much simpler ying yang design (using two different muscari cultivars ~ one dark and one light). This section abuts a perennial bed that curves around the side of our yard.

We have no lawn at the moment...just dirt; although, I have the seed for our alternative lawn and will drop it on the ground once the wind and rain take a few days off.

We plan to plant a small weeping cherry tree in the center of the larger section ~ Snow Fountains, a.k.a. prunus hybrid "Snofozan".

This time last year our front yard was weed-ridden sod with wide, curved empty mulch beds. Our back yard was sprouting every conceivable weed that founds its way into our soil. I'm really hoping our work thus far will pay off in dividends, and that we see the fruits of our labor (and cash). Please keep your fingers crossed for us ~ THANKS!!!

Good luck tehegemon! Sounds very interesting.
I find that while Van Engelen is cheaper, Brent & Becky's is better quality.

If you are moving into perennials, my 2 favorites are Bluestone Perennials and Graceful Gardens. Both sell small, less expensive plants of good quality and are in the DG watchdog.

tehe - I love the idea of your yin yang design. It will look wonderful in bloom and I hope you post photos so we can enjoy the light and dark combinations. It amused me when I planted 1,069 bulbs down my former driveway. The job went so fast and I'd have believed that many bulbs would have taken more space but it did look spectacular.

Many of us, in our first attempts to garden, ordered from Michigan Bulb Co. Ugh! It is one way to learn the companies to avoid like the plague. I'll pay for quality anytime. As the one bulb site says - when it comes to bulbs size does matter - and it's so true.

I'm waiting on my Graceful Gardens delivery of over 40 delphiniums now so I was glad to see you give them a high rating.

I like them. I struggle with delphiniums, including theirs, but that is not their fault.

Yes, teheg, please post photos of this. I had forgotten that you are planning an alternative lawn. Keep us posted on that too. Reminds me I have to plant my clover seeds!

Dave - I have had problems with delphiniums too. Not sure why but I am trying again this year with Graceful Gardens. I am not big on Bluestone (a minority view, apparently!). Too small, too high a failure rate. Guarantee is nice but it just becomes too much of a pain. And that business about returning the pots is just silly. I'd rather pay a bit more and get a larger, healthier plant. Some of my faves for perennials (which I am trying hard to cut down on, in favor of small flowering shrubs) are Garden Crossings and Deer Resistant Plants for perennials in general, and then I have a list for individual plants, like hostafarm.com for Hostas and Silver Star Vinery for Clematis.

Many of us have problems with delphiniums because we don't live out where they love to grow, on the west coast of Washington. I ordered a lot of them, determined to do my best with them to justify the cost. I know - "blonde brains" - but sometimes it works for me.

I like Bluestone's mail back the pots & the styrofoam policy. But I would say that Bluestone used to be better. Used to always be, buy 2 get 1 free. Their guarantee used to be limitless too (the plant could die 3 years later) and the staff really used to encourage use of coupons, guarantees, specials etc..
They are not as exceptional anymore. But still good.

They would be 'greener' if they would just use better materials. Pots that the gardeners could use or recycle and packing that is more friendly, like newspaper. It takes resources to have things returned to them. Though these things are lightweight, there has to be more post office trips to them because of the material return than there would otherwise be.

Pirl, I have heard 'blond brains' called an oxymoron! (I used to have blond curly hair before the recession started)

Why did I think the economy was great?

I have a Spanish chocolate cheesecake flan baking now and assembled a Baklava to bake later. My brains are fried as well.

Can I come over??

For the Baklava...........

....or the flan?

Sure!

I LOVE my plants from Bluestone Perennials. I have ordered plants from others (they will remain nameless) - only to get half rotted plants - most of which died. but everything from Bluestone has thrived.

Most people agree with you, Seandor. I have found that the success rate varies directly with the size of the plant. I have received orders from them where the (puny amount of) soil had fallen out and the plant had completely dried up and died. More than once. Also, if you have animal problems, they are likely to pull out small plants - squirrels do it all the time.

Squirrels are a pest with digging, disturbing tags, etc.

I want baklava!!! Love that stuff.....but so rich I only eat it once a year maybe.

I'd love to surprise you with a piece but it would freeze getting there!

I only make it every few years so the three sticks of butter doesn't feel too terrible for us.

Pirl, Do I have to choose?

Of course not. In fact, the table is set and I only have a few hours of cooking tomorrow so there's time to make another dessert but I have fears they'll bring something.

We were having 20 for dinner but my SIL is sick & we are down to 18.

We are having 9 or 10..DS GF is going to try to make it over after she watch's her little brother and sister hunt for eggs. If she makes it in time for dinner we will be 10. Usually we are 14 but DD & BF are in Fl. and the DD & DH live in Mass. and we have to share them w/his side of the family. (I had them X-Mas)

We will only be six for dinner. In BC, DH would drive his 1940 Plymouth Road King in the Annual Antique Car Easter Parade. Then off to my mom and dad's for Easter dinner. My brother and his family would join us.

But we have no family here. I invited to other faculty members who also do not have family nearby - one fellow has family in Alaska, the other has family in Thailand.

Everyone have a Happy Easter weekend.

WOW ~ I see there has been quite a bit of activity here since I last posted ~ very cool!!! :-)

Dave ~ thanks for the good luck! I am wondering about the quality of the bulbs I purchased from Van Engelen, as so few of the iris reticulata have broken ground. Because of our freakish weather, I think it only fair to give these bulbs more time before drawing conclusions. Thanks also for referring me to both Bluestone and Graceful Gardens. I've heard of Bluestone, but not Graceful Gardens ~ I'll be sure to check them both out!

Thanks pirl for your vote of confidence in my ying yang design ~ I hope it comes out as as nicely as I imagine. I don't know why, although I never got around to ordering from Michigan Bulb.

The bulbs I bought were small bulbs in general ~ and large for their type...well, this was the case regarding the bulbs I purchased from Colorblends. I purchased the same muscari cultivar from both Colorblends and Van Engelen, and the Colorblends' muscari were definitely larger.

OMG...I just looked at photos of delphiniums...HOLY SMOKE ~ they are FABULOUS!!! I've heard the name and even know how to spell it, but never bothered to find out what they look like. I'll have to research these more to find out how they fare in my zone.

I will try my best to share photos of my gardening attempts and alternative lawn. I'm not too familiar with our digital camera and have no idea how to upload images from it.

pirl, oh dear lawd almighty ~ your Baklava and Spanish chocolate cheesecake flan look absolutely DELISH ~ I think I gained weight just by looking at them!!!

I see some nice gatherings between pirl, Dave (sorry to hear your SIL is sick), pixie (very generous of you to share family with the other side), Seandor (how sweet of your to host for fellow faculty without family near by) ~ a wonderful Ostara weekend to you all!!!

Thanks for the sweet words.

Darn it all. I just missed the Easter bunny!

Really looking forward to pics when all your bulbs bloom. I bought a bunch from Van Engelen, too. will try Brent & Becky next year.

I was intimidated about uploading pics when I first got my camera, but it is sooo easy.