Daily Musings * Page 10

Oh, ok, I guess that's all right then. Besides, if you go to the composting forum you'll find ALL KINDS of debate about oak leaves as mulch, can you add them to your compost pile, etc.

xxx, C.

I thought oak leaves made better mulch because they don't mat down & suffocate like maple leaves. I can't imagine that I would have anything growing if oak leaves were toxic. Guess I'll go look on the compost forum.

Cindy, you better wear comfortable walking shoes when you go to Ikea. It takes an average of 4 hours to quickly see it all. Huge doesn't begin to describe it. Yes, visit the Daily Pics thread in the Photo forum. We average about 20 new pics per day.
Dave, it may be that the Oak leaves are acidic that some folks feel they are toxic. Just add a little extra lime with them.
We had a couple inches of snow overnight. I shot this before it all melted.
Andy P

We only had rain.

Hi Cindy... good to hear from you!!!! Laura and I went out for lunch (excuse) and to river's edge to get pansies.... and of course to talk about roses.... she told me that you are the one that got her hooked on DG... well Laura has awaken the monster .... she got me hostas and so many other plants last year... now I can't stop!!!!

I hope the brug really does ok.... they were my winter gardening...

you will love Ikea... my bedroom is all from ikea... my newphews and even my sister's new bed... and stop at the restaurant for some food.... really great food... sometimes when I have to visit clients in Brockton I make sure I stop for lunch! I love the showrooms and all the ideas....
they have the organization stuff of my dreams!!!!!

Kassia - you forgot to say how inexpensive the food is at IKEA. Breakfast can be $1.99 and it is a lot of food.

absolutly!!!
the first time I went to ikea it was in New Heaven.... I am so glad we have one around here!!!

Andy, I know what you mean about the snow, but mine didn't melt....I still have quite a bit more to go before it's gone.
This is what it looked like at 8am here.

and this......

So I cheated and bought some cut Tulips!!

And I couldn't resist them!!

And I just couldn't resist them!!

ummm, pretty! no snow here, although there is still ice on our lake. my wintersown jugs have thawed all the way through and a few have germinated.

Oh boy! cheating in March already.

Sorry for the double post....I thought I had stopped it in enough time....guess I was wrong!!!!!
Yes Al, we Mainer's are known for cheating as far into May sometimes!

oh the tulips are gorgeous...

this is what I look at it when I wake up!!!! I guess it's cheating too!!!! lol!!!!

Well, flower show season is officially over. I helped close down the Boston show tonight. It's a great night to be there since a lot of good plant material gets tossed. I picked up 7 pots of sweet alyssum and 8 pots of
Bellis perennis or English Daisy from an exhibit that was busily tossing them in a dumpster. They are forced annuals that formed a carpet for their display and they couldn't keep them. I also got a giant snapdragon from them. Now my challenge is to keep as much of it alive as I can for the next 4 weeks or so until they can go out in the garden. We get all kinds of stuff like cuttings from the flower designers. This year I got a spray of phaleonopsis orchids. check out my pictures. Here's the spray of orchids my friend gave me as a gift.

As the owner of 12 oak trees, I can speak to composting the leaves. I use the whole leaves as mulch in certain places and compost others. Use a vac and mulch to break them down or your lawn mower. They will compost more readily the smaller pieces that you have. I have used them for compost for over 20 years and have never put a bag of leaves out for the trash. I also probably have some under my deck that are more than 10 years old! {lol}

My little terrarium is in one of the pictures to follow.
Martha

Here's my terrarium that won a prize in the Garden Club Flower show. Excuse the post show mess on my dining room table.
Martha

And here's my miniature flower arrangement. Couldn't be larger than 6" in any direction. The judges thought my Little Dog vase was too large. It's the correct size, only 4 ", so I am wondering what the heck they were talking about. Oh well, there's always next year.
Martha

Pixie,

I'm sorry that you still have so much snow, but your pictures are so nice.

Kassia,

That little rose bush looks so healthy. I have a sister who has a terrace with her new apartment. She just discovered mini roses and became instantly obsessed with them. She ordered little "Si" to keep inside and some others for the terrace, and can't wait for them to arrive. I told her about you and that you were able to grow yours indoors over the winter.

Hello, Martha,

Congratulations to you and your son and daughter. I'd love to see a picture of your terrarium too.

I have tons of oak leaves which I use for mulch, but only after I shred them, since they'e very thick and do get matted and take forever to break down. I don't think they're toxic, but it's hard to tell in my "garden." Most of my plants look "challenged" one way or another.

Loretta

Nice job Martha. Love the terrarium.

Martha, those orchids are lovely, so it the terrarium and I love the doggie! Don't know what was wrong w/the judges eyes...I think it's perfect!
Loretta, thank you for the kind words, it was very picturesque this morning...but that thought only lasted a few minutes and I was muttering about the snow again.
Kassia, what a beautiful mini......would make anyone wake w/a smile!

I don't thin there's anything wrong with using oak leaves as ground cover. I used them for many years prior to using hay and found them to be one of the most effective mulches around since they don't mat. What do you mean by toxic? Toxic for vegetable gardens or toxic to plants in general? I've never used oak leaves in vegetable gardens, but I haven't really used much of anything for mulch in them since they lay fallow and unpopulated in the winter months.

Loretta tell your sister I will be more than happy to tell her how to do it!
that miniature is from Wilson Farm... just a parade rose... I love those canadians mini roses... really strong... the roses last forever... and this particular one is really gorgeous and have all apricot and pink blend... really sweet!

Martha, I never made it to the show... yesterday I could not get myself out of the garage and I planted so much!!!! I was so happy to finally get my hands dirty!!!!! the real thing.... next year I will plan better and make it!
Loved the terrarium.... congratulations.... loved the dog also... wow... and to think that people would actually dispose of good plants!!!!! oh brother!!!!

pixie, I love them.... I look it everyday and just dream...

Martha, Very nice, though I'm a little concerned about vampire dog. Sleep with garlic.

Martha, thanks for the terrarium pic. Very nice!! I keep thinking I'll make a little one. lazy, I guess LOL

I love your flower arrangement...is that a foo dog? if it is, fooey on Dave

Kassia, that rose is wonderful! even mine that are blooming don't look anywhere near that good.

Gram, I borroed a book on Roses from Laura and I was so amazed on what people do to show their roses... cotton swabbs ... another way to use it!!!!

the last minis (parade ) that I got has that gorgeous, deep green foliage... really healthy... the only thing I do I give them a shower once a week and blow dry them a little (cold) spray a little rose pharm and they are ready to go... so far no aphids...

I rescued some Lillies of the valley from the Xtma Tree shop.. they were breaking dormancy... so I just planted them on peat moss containers(big ones) and they are in the sun room which today is 47 F... did I do any stupidity????

also the bag of liatris had mold... so I opened and just washed all the bulbs.... could save only 10 out od 27! I washed them and left to dry .... is that ok???? can I put the moldy ones on my compost pile???

I got into terrariums since my kids and I are absolute failures at keeping aquariums. That container is a small aquarium even has a lid, a pump and a light but we could never keep any fish longer than six weeks. So we turned to our strength which is plants. I have a large old goldfish bowl which i gave to my garden club friend. together we made three terrariums for a garden club demonstration back in November. It was really successful. They aren't hard to do since you don't have to use bottles like they show in most of my books. The books are from the 70's and are very flower child but they were popular back then and are making a comeback. At this year's flower show, the begonia society had a whole window structure full of begonias grown in terrariums for the humidity.
Dave, be nice to my dog or I will sic him on you. Arf!
Martha

Sorry. I've probably offended the blue, vampire canine anti-defamation league.

Hi Everybody! Martha, I made it to the flower show on Saturday, but hadn't been keeping up with my DG threads, so I didn't read about your stuff until today. Bummer! I like your dog vase, too. Dave, did you ever think that the dog may be Martha's protector?

Victor, I'm definitely going to check out the sustainable forum.

Kassia, your roses are beautiful!!

I have no crocuses showing their little heads yet... not even a little leaf tip. I'm kinda blue about it. Trying to be patient. At least some daffodils are poking through, but I don't have anything near flowering time yet... ho hum....

Take it easy!
Harper

Hi Harper! Glad you caught back up with us.
Dave

Sorry to have caused so much confusion - it's black walnut leaves that you're supposed to be careful of. I feel so stupid.

---Carrie

Here's another picture from the flower show. It was taken by a friend of mine who is one of the contributors of the plants. We also both got diagnosed with breast cancer last year. It dwarfs my little cactus and succulent terrarium totally, but it was put together by members of the Cactus and Succulent Society of MA. Several members are good friends of mine and their plants were spectacular. This window won several prizes. These people have forgotten more about cacti and succulents than I will ever know.
The CSSM will have a show and sale on Mother's Day weekend {Moms get in free on Sunday} May 12-13 at Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston. Go to www.towerhillbg.org or www.cssma.org for more info. some of these plants will be exhibited there.
Martha

This message was edited Mar 27, 2007 10:38 PM

Got a nice bouquet of flowers from DS and thought I'd share some of the pics I took of the flowers in it. He sure did make Old Mom's day!

I have my first croci blooms! Only 2 or 3 but what a feeling!

More cheating from old mom huh?


Nice

Yes Al (hanging head in shame) more cheating.

That's OK, I won't have anything until daff's here.

Hey, Al. You should plant some early Crocus.
Andy P

Edited for spelling. I know Al would get all over me if I didn't fix it......

This message was edited Mar 28, 2007 8:17 PM