What do I do now? Be nice

Wonderful!!!!!!! Sun or shade?

This one will most definitely be a sun garden, as it is on the more easterly side of the garage. The only thing we worry about right now is that we will have to do major repairs to the garage next year, so we didn't put anything in there that can't be easily moved.

For this first year of it's 'life', we were given peonies from our next door neighbor, and Anna purchased a purple mum. Her grandmother also gave her a pink lilac for her birthday, so that's in there. Then, little Taelar just loved seeing all the tulip, daffodil and crocus bulbs while she and mommy were out shopping, so in they will go - probably tonight after Anna gets home from work.

Now, I really can't wait for next Spring!!!!!

Make a map while you can and remember to make labels.

Oh yeah .... I took pictures, labelled the labels, and all that stuff. Thankfully, this garden is smaller than all the rest. Just about 6 feet wide by 12 feet long. Maybe a bit more than 12 feet long, I can't remember. I guess I'll have to get out the measuring tape later today.

I really like the cooperative extension idea. I would also like to take a gardening class. Will be reading the times union as well!! Thanks for the info.

Welcome all you newbies!
I've been out in the garden planting and transplanting, in shorts mind you, it's like a second summer here. I make maps with pics and usually don't need to mark them in the garden but I started this year used some broken shells and a sharpie pen we'll see if it holds up.
I need to plant some bulbs but need to get rid of some chipmunks that are burrowing in the same garden. Hubby wants to do the water in the bucket thing but I don't think I can be that mean.
I have to get a load of garden soil for the large shade garden planned.

You have great ambitions, flowerjen. Tell me, please. What is the 'water in the bucket thing'? We have planted a lot of bulbs and still have more to plant. I am hoping that the more bulbs we plant, the more likely that we will have a good percentage of them survive through until next Spring. Is that a good assumption on our part?

I tested a Sharpie on a seashell and could almost watch it fade - two weeks later (in sun) and it had disappeared. Paint pens last years.

Candyce - do you have a problem with critters eating your bulbs?

I'll have to try paint pens.

Pirl: so far we haven't had much of a problem with the critters munching on our bulbs. Of course, this year we have a BANQUET of bulbs out there! I hope they stay away from the table!

They tend to ignore daffodils in favor of tulips. I once planted many bulbs and cut that small wire to fit over each plot of bulbs. Nothing was eaten but my hands were bloody for a week.

Oh you poor girl!
So far we have planted 110 bulbs - bought 70 more to plant today - and have about 150 on order which should be in next week. When I say banquet, I mean a banquet ~ LOL

I planted tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocuses and frittilaria (1,069 in total) down the driveway when I did the cut up wire project.

And, I thought Anna did a lot of bulbs! I'm blown away by BOTH of you.

It was all color coordinated, too. In the back I planted 12 dozen daffodils. It made for a beautiful spring.

The house was sold and the new owner ripped every bulb (and much more) out. I never go down that street anymore.

Owie, pirl. You put chicken wire around each, individual bulb, or did you lay it down flat in the bed? Owie, still feeling the pain. It gets worse as I read on. The durn new owner ripped it all out?! What is the world coming to? What'd he replace it with? Grass?

Not around each bulb but I placed them and then cut the wire to fit over each grouping. The new owners ripped out 60 year old Japanese maples (to put up a clothes line - there was a dryer!!!), beautiful old azaleas, all my flower beds, a gorgeous old pine and the Magnolia I planted in memory of my mother after her death.

I have no idea what replaced them and don't want to know.

Read that you can also try some aluminum foil in each hole. I've said before, what I do is cover the entire area I just planted with minced garlic. Works all the time. Smells to you for about a day but lasts much longer to them.

Hmmmmm ....
I'll have to remember that trick.

Oh, Arlene. That's so sad.

hahahahah . . . last year we put in the fragrance garden - and I planted a lot of perennials and daffodils at that time. I marked EVERY plant with a plastic knife - and when I ran out, I started using plastic forks and spoons! My neighbour teased me about trying to grow cutlery! - Anyway - come spring, I knew where to look for the daffodils and every plant. Once the plants started to emerge, I removed the plastic cutlery. oh - if you don't want the sharpie to fade - face the name away from the sun - or mark the plastic knife blade and bury it in the dirt :-)

Later in the season, I will replace the ones for the perennials. The daffodils have established themselves now, so I am not worried about marking them - however, pirl gave me a GREAT tip - to mark where you plant bulbs with grape hyacynth since these emerge in the fall so you won't accidently dig up prize spring bulbs when planting in the fall.

I think the least the plants can do is remember where they're planted. Are we expected to do everything for them?

oh pirl - I wasn't laughing at your experience - I sort of skimmed through the thread and skipped your comment about your former garden. I am learning from the experience of others . . . I guess there is no guarantee that whoever ownes this home after me will care for the gardens . . . .

Maybe, when I sell (in about 25 years) I will ask the buyers what the want to keep, and then offer all the rest to DG members (can't take plants across the border)

Sometimes gardening is just about pleasing ourselves while we live in the house and thoughts of what subsequent owners may do shouldn't diminish the pleasure we get of establishing gardens.

That's exactly right Pirl. I take it a step further - don't care what anyone else thinks about my garden NOW. It's all about trying to make it appealing to me and that's it. That's why I would never enter any plant contests or the like. It would lose some of its appeal for me.

I couldn't care less about how my garden stacks up against any other garden. It's not a contest - it's life!

A garden is an on-going project. It offsets depression, because there is something to look forward to, no matter what the season. It's a great anger management course, too. Who could get out into a garden and not feel just a little bit protective? And, as a stress reliever, there's nothing better than Mother Nature and nurture to calm me down.

Well said Pirl, Candyce, and Victor!

Candyce, you get a bucket and anchor it so it doesn't tip over put about 5-6 inches of water in it and float some sunflower seeds chipmunks go in but don't come out. Too cruel for me to try.

Pirl, do you just put the wire on top, wouldn't the chipmunks get the bulbs from underneath, I keep thinking about the chip and dale cartoons or the ones in the Bugs Bunny cartoons(hee hee)where the carrot would disappear from underground.

Never had problems with chipmunks digging up bulbs - only squirrels.

Neither have I flowerjen and Victor. Just the squirrels and more from burying their nuts than trying to dig up plants but, with the volume of bulbs I planted, I didn't want to take any chances with the squirrels.

Yes, usually they see a freshly disturbed area and think another squirrel buried his stash there. But I have seen half-eaten bulbs. I've wanted to bury their nuts many a time.

Lots of problems with squirrels digging up bulbs the first year - so after I plant them I cover them with chicken wire that is pinned to the ground. After winter has past, and the plants are emerging, I remove the chicken wire. After that, it doesn't seem like the squirrels bother the tulips or daffodils.

Victor!

I hadn't received one of those in a while!

We have squirrels, but I think they stay closer to the bird feeders than they do to the gardens. So far, (crossing fingers), there has been no disturbed dirt where we planted the bulbs.

Thanks for the bucket idea, but I believe I'll pass as well.

Yes, I could never do that. More humane to shoot it, not that I would do that either.

The area where I wanted to plant fall crocus is where the chipmunks are living. It would be like serving the bulbs up on a dinner platter for them. I HAVE to get rid of them before I plant, I think they killed my daphne, too.

Jen: check on this product http://www.nixalite.com/ropel.aspx

Todate my DH and I have relocated 48 squirrels! A friend told me that when other squirrels hear of an opening, they move on in. I consider this my contribution to the neighborhood.

Pirl do you use it?
I read this on the michigan forum...
"I read somewhere to put milorganite in the areas chipmunks were bothering. Since I couldn't keep a pot intact or impatiens in the ground because the chippies were continually digging them out, I tried it, and so far (three weeks in) it is working. No new excavations where I sprinkled the milorganite, and just as many chipmunks out there. No idea how long it will last, but I've watered heavily and so far, so good."
I went out yesterday and bought some, I'm going to give it a try, I also read you can use 1/4" hardware cloth and bury around area of your steps etc, about 5"down. I now need to find out exactly what is hardware cloth???