North Texas Roundup plant ID thread.

Great anology, Carla! That's exactly how I feel. I can't wait 'til next year when I get to see these beds full of blooms, hopefully.

Wonderful work TJ, you are doing great!!!
Josephine.

I have been there and it is so pretty. Bandbox spankin clean and organized every single foot. No problem with TJ being successful, he is not afraid of work.

Still ready to share anything I can TJ.

LouC

I have heard you can't smother it with anything that breaks down (newpaper mulch) because it will grow through it until it meets the sun. You can "cook" it with black plastic, but I think it takes a minimum of 6 months over the growing season (late spring, summer, fall)

I removed about 600 square feet of bermuda last year for my new bed. It was more pricey, because I rented a sod remover from Home Depot and set it to remove to the deepest point. This was offered for free on Craigslist, but you could recoup the sod remover cost, by selling it.

I then hired some laborers to remove another 2 or 3 inches of dirt, especially where roots were showing. Then I walked around looking for any roots (the thick tuberous kind not the hair size) that I could pull up. Bermuda can grow back from a root as small as about 1/2 of an inch long. Next, I planted and waited until this year.

Starting in the spring, I started seeing shoots. As soon as they popped up, I dug ASAP, making sure not to give it time to get energy from the sun and expand it's roots. For each shoot, I took my sharp shooter shovel and scooped out an area at least 6 inches deep and 8 inches wide. I sifted through that dirt with my hands, removing any roots I found, before putting it back. I believe I probably had shoots for almost every square foot. I was digging off and on all spring and summer, but the majority of it was in the spring. I will probably still be fighting for several years, but I believe I got the majority of it this year.

I have to admit that I did use roundup around the edges of the bed where it meets the fence. It came up under the edging that is along the fence and I could not dig it up because it was coming from my neighbor's yard.

There is a picture of the grass last year in the following link. It is all the way at the bottom. And a picture of it from a few days ago is at the top. http://davesgarden.com/community/blogs/t/sweezel/4661/

Looks beautiful now. such a lot of hard work.

Staci, you and I were doing almost identical work at the very same time! And all of our hard work is paying off, isn't it?

Before .....

And after .....

Wonderful job Stacey and Carla, and great choices on the plants.
Josephine.

Gorgeous, both of you!

Thanks!

Loonie, we picked the perfect year to do it too. All the rain in the spring really made it easier for all these new plants to establish themselves. I almost lost a couple things because of the rain, but the roots were shallow enough (from being new) on many of the drought tolerant things that they did not drown.

My list is actually pretty different because of losses from the dog and additions, but it's similar stuff. I need to do a new update to the page with my actual plants. I also had to lift the left side a little when I put in the stones, because a drainage area is right in front of it.

I have really enjoyed the insect and bird life that has been brought in too. The butterflies have been an especially nice surprise.

Yup, Staci, we picked the perfect year to do such a massive project. All the rain this spring and summer really got things going (especially the new St Aug that I plugged). I did lose some stuff due to poor drainage, but I've since had that fixed so hopefully things will do better from here on out. I really enjoyed looking at your blog. Unless you actually do the work yourself, you have *no* idea how long and hard such a project is. But, as you said, the results are well worth it. I've had more butterflies (and all the related insects) than ever before. I look forward to seeing your updated plant list, as it may give me a few ideas for next year.

Carla

Loonie....that's a beautiful transformation. Isn't it just great to see those new plants take off? I have been working on my little place here since I moved. Since we are sharing pics....I'll share some of mine. Here is the side of the house when I moved in:

And here was the front by my door. My neighbor's friend graciously chopped this ugly thing down for me.

Here was putting in the beds the first summer:

Here it is a couple months later still the first summer:

This spring I decided to extend the bed from the side around to the front where the ugly bush was:

And around the corner:

And I added another bed in the backyard:

And along the fence:

And here is what it all turned into:

Here is the front. I would like something else in place of the castor bean next year, anyone have a recommendation? It gets east and south sun.

And here is another view:

The back has filled in as well but I just realized I don't have a recent pic of it. The banana tree ended up getting about 15 feet tall at least. I plan on adding a water feature in there next year and more tropical and shade plants.

Now, I do rent this place, it is a duplex and my neighbor is always joking that I am making her side look bad...lol. I know I will have to leave it when I move out but that will be a few years yet, and I enjoy making it much better than it was when I moved here.

Here is the greenhouse I built an addition to last year as well:

Wow, you girls have really been busy this summer. Makes me feel lazy!
But I did have water standing around my new raised beds for 6 months thanks to my new neighbors. But hopefully, there will be next yr.
Great jobs!
:~)

You have done a wonderful job Kim, and all by yourself too, with a greenhouse and everything, wow! I am jealous!
Josephine.

I am so impressed with everyones hard work! What amazes me even more is how new the gardens are. You've all all made them look like they are years old! very nice

What is this plant and who did it come from?

Close up of the blooms. They are actually more of a blue color than the photo shows.

Close up of foliage. It's actually a frosted blue-green color and very aromatic.

What variety of Rose of Sharon are these and who did they come from?

I know the one is Mother of Millions but what is the other? Hosta? What kind? Who did it come from?

Who brought the Rose Leaf Sage and who brought the Mealy Cup Sage?

Kim, you did an outstanding job with your flowerbeds! They do, indeed, look as if they've been there for years. Thanks for sharing your photos.

Carla

T.J. the Rose Leaf Sage was from me, it blooms late in the fall and the blooms are very unusual.
Josephine.

Thanks everyone for the compliments, it's a work in progress. I think my neighbors think I'm nuts sometimes since I don't own it but I figure that hopefully the next person to move in will enjoy it. It's good stress reliever for grad school too.

Thanks, Josephine! I can't wait til next year!

Kim, most folks don't understand our obsession, but we know why you plant. Because it makes your world even more beautiful! You've done a fantastic job! Hopefully I'll catch up with everyone soon.

Bronc - Russian Sage, and Cast Iron Plant/ Corn Somthing... anyway I have several at school in my room.

When is the dedication next spring?
Maybe I can shame my boss into some nicer trees & she will let me off to bring them!!!
:~)

Yes in the Spring - if all goes well.

who brought the rose of sharons?