Wind, yes, I thought that Larkspur 'Earl Gray' was very intriguing - if I had more room, I'd dedicate a place to a "Lilacs in the Rain" theme garden, and that would certainly be in it. Time was, 30 years ago when we had tons of sun here, that hoards of larkspur would self-sow all over our hill - quite a sight at the time. But if your time is limited, giving a large space to any plant that leaves a hole in the garden before July 1 is not the most satisfying thing to do.
Still, I wonder how a drift of this larkspur would do with the mauve-purple hybrid perpetual rose 'Reine de Violette' and the silvery-gray Artemisia 'Powis Castle' in front? Yup - if I had the room -
Methinks, these days, I'm aiming at doing gardens in miniature - not necessarily rock and/or alpine plants (although many of those overlap this idea) - but scaled-down gardens that will allow me to experiment to my heart's content with a large variety of plants in small places. But, that still does not preclude all the vines I can grow above some of the paths and along their edges and the occasional monster - lol
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Tuink - loved your propagating setup - very inspiring and attractive.
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tcs & dryad, some commonly grown MGs are definitively invasive either by returning from same roots over winter or self-sowing or both - but Heavenly Blue is a cultivar that belongs to Ipomoea tricolor that does not self-sow far above subtropical places, if at all. Here's a summary on the subject that points to some great informative links - http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=4355198
There were many times the MGs I grew last year got out of control, and - if you plan for them to smother everything in sight - they certainly will grrrr. So, I can see where, maybe where you went to town with poppies, you might let an MG flop over the died-back plants in a happy sprawl; but I would make it a little more interesting by letting it cascade down from a trellis - the blossoms could be like falling water.
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With regard to bunnies - I have have found putting chicken wire cylinders around young vine seedlings (or anything else) works like a charm - even if it doesn't look like one. I also make teepees of sticks around vulnerable young seedlings and put slug bait around (the kind safe for birds, pets, environment). Seems like, where there's a bunny around, so are other critters.
kd - now that you mention it, I haven't noticed any damage on our clematis comparable to what goes on with young MG seedlings in late spring around here - but I still would be careful with young clematis seedlings getting their tops separated from their crowns by rampaging critters - cats fighting show absolutely no mercy to plants once they've gotten themselves really worked up. And then - grrr - something went around last summer and delicately pulled some plants up by the roots and left them neatly sitting upon the ground, roots waving in the breeze - I'm thinking racoons - anyone know?
tcs - that arrangement with your Jackman clematis sounds gorgeous
The pest that really aggravates me with roses is the vole - they eat the rose bush roots totally, and you can see their little tooth marks on the stub that's left - doesn't happen very often, so I live with it and have more tolerance for the roaming cats and a certain resident black snake that control their population.
Second Chance Wishlist Swap #2 - Chat & Questions
I found this great photo of larkspur, I had to save it. I don't have any larkspur here yet. My neighbor has luck with hers. I tried it with no luck, but really have to try again.
photo taken from:
http://www.ornamentals-edibles.com/column/090207.shtml
Oh, boy! That's a pretty picture! I want that!
Don't forget, Larkspur & Delphinium seed lose viabililty veryquickly, some say 100% of the viabiliy after one year. You have to get fresh seed for those 2.
Suzy
bluespiral, talking about some critter pulling seedlings up I think that was you, I have problems with the birds pulling mine up out of my pots maybe that could be it they pull them up then I look for them and they are close to the pot guess they want to put them in their nest early in the spring then change their mind I had to buy a bunch of those whirly gig thingies and it helped lol
Wind purdy larkspurs yes! I'm going to try some more colors this year I have the gentine blue? now by the garage and just love them!
Critter, racoons, squirrels and birds will pull up plants, looking for food.
Tcs, My little bunnies love me cause I feed them beans. where ever I plant MGs. I plant green beans, they love them. I also make a small teepees out of sticks and put netting around them to cover my flowers. The bunnies eat the beans and leave the netting alone. They used to tear it up getting to what was underneath. The beans stopped that.
I also use zinnias around my vege garden to keep them out. Of course I plant a row of beans for the bunnies too. If the beans start getting to big around what you've planted and say the Mgs aren't big enough yet. pull the beans and plant more. So far it has worked for me.
just any beans? I dont have a veggie garden... so i'd do it just for the rabbits.
Do they have to be on "poles" or can they just be on the ground? dont want any more work. LOL
Scarlet runner beans are supposed to be really pretty-would they work? (I've never grown beans either)
I just grow regular bush beans or pole beans. If they start getting to big and you don't want them, pull them and add to your compost. Most bunnies will it the tender shoots right off. Get a pack of cheap green beans from Wally world $1. packs. There is usually about 30 beans in the pack and use them. The pole beans make beautiful vines. You can use runner beans but aren't they a little expensive. I've never grown them.
Any way the bunnies will eat anything under 7 inches tall because that's when they are the most tender and juciest.
it is true they love the tender plants.. cuz as my plants were getting bigger, they weren't getting munched on.
I also have noticed, this winter... what i left out there [plants that did not get pulled once they died] have also been eaten, as have all the marigold seeds that were still attached... i even noticed today that the only Scarlet Milkweed plant that was left -- i could see the teeth marks in the stalk.... what was left of my rose bush is gone [which is OK< it will grow back, and it doesnt bloom anyways]
I always toss my old lettuce out back for them... i have a halfa bag of romaine from Sams.. so it's big.. i should toss that tomorrow.
but i will certainly get some beans for this spring and see how that works.. providing they let some mature to get beans.
It will be hard for them to leave it alone, Thats why I always plant 3 times as much as we eat. They get 2/3 we get 1/3. BTW. Our bunnies are called the little piggies.
hummingbirds love the scarlet runner beans blooms too :)
Bean flowers bring alot of hummers and bees to the garden.
sorta like "Castor beans"?? which i just gave all my seeds to Lea ?? ROFL.
Oops, thats not good, shoulda kept a couple for yourself just in case.. I do that so often it's not even funny anymore.
welll.... i honestly had no plans on using them. oh well... i'll be doing regular beans for the bunnies though... most everything else i have will be bird/bee/butterfly/hummer... as that is what i'm aiming for.... now lets just hope i can pull it off.
We all hope we can do that.
LOL....now wouldn't that be something!!
I think some people "just have it" when it comes to creating gorgeous gardens.
People do, but I thank nature for helping us along, cause I do need her help all the time.
What's this will the bunnies eat the castor beans I plan on planting a few in my area where the bunnies are! Those I don't want them to eat lol
tcs, I can send you some beans back lol I'm getting a few elsewhere too lol I'll share I know you've sent them in already lol
Do they really eat the castor beans? I looked but didn't see a post before the post I saw of tcs.
I don't know if they east those or not, I do know they eat the regular green bean plants.
Lea... really, i dont need any back. the reason they castor beans were brought back up was Robyn stated that bees adn hummers are attracted to the flowers.
i honestly have no room for climbing beans... did you see the size of those leaves??
I'm going to go to bed I just fell asleep sitting here and I have to get up early tomorrow. Everyone have a good night and I will talk to you tomorrow.
I need the leaves for shade on some of my hosta and other shade plants and the plant for the 1000 moles I have here lol The bigger the leaves the better! Castor bean is an upright plant it gets like 5-6' tall I think I've never grown any but I've seen them in yards around here.
Nite Robyn :)
Wind - gorgeous pic of larkspur and companions - looks like something Tasha Tudor would do
LeBug, it must have been quite a beak that tugged the roots of Ipomoea horrida out of the ground after it had grown up the upright and over the path to the hedge (Actually, it's I. setosa now, but the old name is more fun). But, you're right - those little beaks definitely get too busy around seedlings.
Robynznest - sounds like the usual suspects grrr - like the idea of beans near MGs -
night, all
Hi Suzy,
Thanks to the time difference, I'm always somewhat trailing behind! Can I post one last request? I'll do it here too, as the nr. 5 thread is now closed too!
As I'm going to be a greedy piggy anyway, I could as well do it good: I would be interested in every petunia, marigold and viola from Wheez's list that hasn't yet been tagged for someone else...
You still cope!
This message was edited Jan 16, 2008 8:48 AM
I know that the only thing that worked for me to keep the bunnies out of my veggies this last summer was marigolds....I planted them from seed-just normal ones and they got HUGE!!! They were 2 feet high, so it was quite a challenge to get over them to get the veggies-LOL The one bad things was that the marigolds attracted Japanese beatles to the veggies-apparantly they like green bean leaves too-GRRR!!
UPDATED LISTS OF THE AVAILABLE & THE TAGGED -
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=4385245
Tuink, I'm getting a feeling that I may have misled Suzy in advising her to indicate that the swap was closed in the subject box. My thinking was that folks wouldn't get embarrassed asing to join and then having to be told "no"; but! that swapping and kibbitzing would still go on in the threads.
If I'm wrong let me know. I laughed myself silly over the idea that Dave had a special hoosegow for folks that kept trading after a swap was closed, but perhaps I was wrong??? lol
Karen
Hey Karen,
Don't worry. I'm inexperienced and have learned something new about this swaprounds (again). Which is good. I'm really going to miss this kibbitzing when the swap is finally over.
Wouldn't it be nice to start a threat in which we keep each other informed about sowing, germinating, planting out etc.? Just to know how the littly babies we so brutely sent off are doing?
there is also a lot of the kibbitzin' going on regarding this swap and seeds in the thread in the Cottage Gardens thread.... there is a link to it somewhere... but I'll try and find it.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/803343/
Kibbitz on.....
Terese-are you ready for my flood of ?? after I get these seeds for WS???LOL
LOL...... sure... i'll do my best. Have you decided if you are going to WS this year??
Stupid question, no doubt, but what is WS?
You see, I'm still in the "have to learn a lot" kind of phase.....
WInter Sowing.
get old milk jugs, or any other deep container... fill it with 4" of your fave potting soil, close it up [make sure there are drainage holes and ventilation] and stick it out in the snow and let mother nature take its course.... of course... I dont have any snow...
but -- it's great fun.
there is a super Winter Sowing Forum here too. There are folks in the warmer zones, like yourself that WS ... they are already posting about seedlings.
I am going to have to take inventory-I'm kinda assuming that perennials can be WS (wintersown) & annuals should be started indoors???
Also queen of helping me-how do I close a thread I started??
OK. I always sow the seeds that need a cold treatment in autumn and just leave them. They then germinate in spring....
We may not be having snow but we do (very occasionally) have a little frost!
Many of my hardy annuals I sow in situ in March/April, i.e. in the place they are to grow. That saves so much space inside! But the halfhardy ones and perennials I start indoors, to give them a headstart.
here is a link ... it's long, but has good descriptions and some images.
zenpotters are great... cuz one min they are there, the next they are under 3' of snow.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/684550/
Hi all, just back to the bunnies, do zinnias work to keep bunnies out of the veggie patch? Or is it just marigolds? Also I have a lot of chipmunks and red squirrels that steal tomatoes. My method was simply to plant lots of extra for them, but if I could section off an area with a flower perimeter for the family and give them a little area of their own that would be great. Thanks for your help you guys are great! KD
some of the thoughts behind WS'ing is... if your seeds are in the ground already, direct sowing, birds can eat them or they can be washed away with heavy rains, etc.
this way there are in a safe spot... when it rains or snows, they get watered ..... it's a pretty nifty concept
just a bit of work to get them all planted out in the spring.
but you have more control over the seeds.
I know, I just sow lots of seeds so there's enough left (and I feed the birds, so they don't bother looking for other seeds!).
Space is something of a problem when you live in a house that's not very big......
Sorry for being late everyone - I was with Robynznest in falling asleep last night, so gave up and went to bed. On the Castor beans and bunnies - I bet they don't get nibbled due to the ricin - they may be an effective deterrent for more than moles and voles!!
And the first thing I thought of regarding wintersowing for Tuink was - it doesn't get cold enough for long enough in the Nederlands - does it?? (Much like Britain, Ireland and Scotland being zone 8 and such, partially due to the Gulf Stream...)
And I agree that we should start chatting it up over on the Cottage Garden site for the results - I know there's already at least two posts going, but I've not joined in as my pics would all show the old garden, the one that's there now and will be gone as soon as shovel can get into dirt :) I planned on waiting until I had pics of the shovel's results :P
Something I recommend to clients who have the space and dearly want a garden is to put out a "sacrificial garden" for the bunnies and other critters, and have it far enough away from your garden that they can tell the difference, and any deterrents you would use would just push them back to their garden. Of course, like Mr. Titmouse - some animals will do whatever the heck they want!!