Let's be honest....what have you bought so far this winter?

(directed toward Carrie)

Pirl, I know what you mean. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if the roots didn't run as deep as they do...but they are really down in there. Someone in the hosta forum suggested using Round-Up to control it if it starts encroaching near my other plants, so I'll see how it goes this year. I think part of what I like about LOTV is the color of the leaves...it seems different enough to contrast with the hostas and ferns that I have in there.


Victor, I was also thinking of a weeper....and I'd like it to be on the small side since I don't want to completely lose the hemlock that would be behind it, nor have to find new homes for all the hostas. I think I like the dissectums...I don't think I'd like is to be somewhat airy as a opposed to a dense ball. Does that depend largely on the way you prune it, and is pruning difficult?

If you tried to pot up some hosta to put in with the LOV I don't know if the LOV would manage to get through the drainage hole and give you grief but it would look nice.

Nor - the shape has lots to do with how it's grafted. You should not have to prune it if you get one that is the shape you're looking for.

Well, I don't have the guts to leave my hostas in containers year round...and I just can't fill the garage full of them in the winter, so I think for now I will just hope that the barrier I sunk into the ground will work. I'd like to try it, but it take them so long to mature, and I'd really hate to lose any that way. My FIL has his LOTV growing right in with his hostas and doesn't seem to concerned about it.

Sorry I wasn't clearer. I meant to bury the pots with the hostas in with the LOV - not to keep them in the garage - that's too much work.

Sue - TY = thank you. x, Carrie

thanks noreaster...
i don't really know you yet, so i'll toss in ashort-ish version of my garden story...
i am poor, and my "garden" is actually an area between our apartment complex and some woods next to a commuter lot for SCSU. Shortly after moving in, the whole area turned into a hideous destruction zone, as a huge pine tree was rmoved, and a lot of ground was dug up to move an electrical transformer. It took well over a year for them to finish, and i started a guerilla garden because i hated looking at all the ugliness. Now the landlords "allow"me to plant things there. In the fall of 2006, they bought half a dozen boring mums, about half a dozen happy returns daylilies, an new england aster, and 2 echinacea magnus. Everything else i bought, grew, or was given. i get no reimbursement, and end up spending way too much as it is!

all together - i probably spent about $100 on bulbs, but tulips are my favourite flowers!

(the view for way too long out our bedroom window!)

You know Amy, since you're young, energetic and able-bodied, you could come dig up my garden for me. We have too much Monarda, a heuchera (not quite amethyst, but plummy in the fall), mixed berries achillea - but you'd have to dig it up yourself. Even some more coneflower, if you want it, and can get it out.

I've finally realized - or been able to make DH realize - that I don't really care to look UP at a garden from underneath. The way my garden is and the way I am (in a wheelchair), with these 3', 4', 5' high plants, all I ever see is the underneath. If you're looking down from above, you could see the tops of everything! (The heuchera I can see, it just got too big for the tiny space allotted.)

x, C

Noreaster - Some of the hosta, like Fire and Ice, Patriot, etc. with the green and white coloring would be lovely in with the LOV.

Nutting - bought nutting. Went to Wally World today and they did not even have seeds out.

I planted LOV because my Grandma had it (ditto the rowan), & I like the fragrance. BUT--I yank it out every year after it blossoms, & it still grows everywhere--in the hostas, rhodos, & heucheras. Plant it in a pot, & sink the pot into the ground. I also have big trouble with violets--the soil bought for my raised beds ( by my cheap husband) had violet seeds in it--they're everywhere--I have white, purple, & lavender--they have jumped out of the bed, & into the lawn. I pull & pull, but there's no end!

I would like violets, I think. What happens when you mow them down?

hahaha - thanks carrie... if you were a little closer, i might just take you up on that!

funny story - a faculty person who works with DH has a house with a garden - and what to me is a LOT of land, but prob. not much to y'all.
i saw this for the 1st time when we were invited to a gathering at her place (after knowing her 3 years - if you've been following my comments on a different thread.) i offered to bring her some of my extras, and she was very effusively offering me manymany things she has.
well, it was a few weeks before we got together to exchange plants, and i brought her some nice baby strawflowers, marigolds, cosmos, dianthus, & i don't remember what else - all in little nursery pots.
i asked her what she had, and she said - well - look around, and see what you want. did you bring a shovel with you?
i had dressed a little nicely for digging, and was rather surprised. She found me a spade, but had nothing to put anything in, and no extra dirt. Everything i wanted, i was somehow dissuaded from taking.
i really wanted some of the mallow she had all over (she had offered it before - she didn't even know what it was, i got it IDed for her on here). She pointed me to one specific area on a slope that i could take it from. She said - i don't know what all those roots are in there, but it makes it really hard to dig. (Basically, she wanted me to weed that plot for her...) i tried, but it was going to be a huge undertaking that i really didn't have time for.
Finally i looked around for something easy to get to, that there was a lot of. i said, well, can i have some of that pink spotted foliage? She generously allowed me to dig up one wery small one, down a hill and almost under her deck, because, as she said - no one can even see that one there.
So, i went home with one itty bitty polka dot plant. Later she commented to Eric - gee, amy didn't take much with her...

This message was edited Feb 3, 2008 4:33 PM

Carrie, violets make a very nice ground cover. I have purple and white and seem to be able to control them okay.

Now, clover, that's another story!

Sue, clover is what bunnies are for!

Oh, we have the bunnies . . . and the deer . . . and the groundhogs, too!

But will DH still be able to mow his lawn?

Robindog, I have the same problem with violets. My DGD planted a little clump of them under the pine tree 5 years ago, now they are everywhere!

I have lot of violets too, but I don't really mind those because slugs seem to enjoy them more than my hostas...so I'd much rather have them munch on violets.

Pirl, great advice on the white leaved hostas...I did buy a few last summer and I'm sure I'll be playing musical hostas this Spring, so maybe some will make it in with the LOTV.

amethystsm, good luck with your garden- I know, it can be an expensive hobby. Hopefully it won't be too much longer now and you'll be enjoying those tulips.

I'm really bad. I ordered some semi-dwarf fruit trees to put in the back yard. I'm hooked since my neighbor gave me 3 peach trees. I also ordered raspberries, strawberries and a couple of "dwarf" grapevines....
I'm going to try to hide the bill so DH doesn't see it....

You all made me go out and buy some seeds today - actually I didn't do too bad, some dill and fennel for the butterflies, cilantro, rosemary, and black-eyed-susan vine.
I'll wait to start them until after vacation.
And I'm still working on ordering 3 JM's.

Just a minor diversion to say I once again brought in my big rosemary plant (didn't keep the name as I was sure it would die) and it's thriving in a cool northeast window with no heat near it. Finally I have succeeded! Or should I say "so far"?

Now it's back to ordering dahlias.

I'd like to get some peach trees - my dh loves them. Also a few apple trees would be nice.

SEEDS are so cheap compared to other things we could be collecting, you know. Cars, trees, houses, views,,, seeds don;t set you back too far. So, Sue, TM has candelabra primrose seeds? Ahhh... xxx, Carrie

i want a key lime tree so badly - it was the random image on the home page a few days ago, and i looked it up because i love limes - apparently they aren't that hard to grow - you just have to bring them in in the winter...

Carrie--after mowing down the violets, they come right back! Also the seeds must fly off because they're really spreading--if you want violets, daffs or anything, Carrie, we're right off route 8--I'm not familiar with Milton--we are in western CT-- Amethyst---I have 2 lemons, & 1 grapefruit. I put the lemons out for summer--got blossoms on 1 last year, but no lemons--maybe they're still too small, or because it was blooming indoors, I didn't pollinate it correctly. Got both lemons from Logee's in CT.

I don't know where Rt,. 8 is, but just comt to Kassia's round Up, http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/805174/
then we can meet everyone and exchange and so forth!
xx, Carrie

Hi Amethyst -
I have 1 navel orange and 2 lemon trees in my basement to over winter. They are under grow lights. They have flowers right now and I'm trying to figure out how to pollinate....
The smell of the flowers is delicious!
I ordered a tangerine kit from Stark Bros. today. I should have gotten a lime tree to - then I'd have it all!

I found the rest of my seed list:
Weeping Cherry Tree
Verbena ~ 'Peaches & Cream'
Nemophila ~ 'Penny Black'
Columbine ~ 'Yellow Queen'
Baby Blue Eyes
Poppy 'Danish Flag'
Northern Catalpa
Himalayan Blue Poppy
Tatarian Maple 'Flame'
Red Flowering Dogwood
Delphinium Blue Pygmy
Jacob's Ladder blue
Primrose Lt.Pink & Hot Pink
Hollyhock yellow with pink
Datura Violet Moon lily
Poppy Persian Blue
Black eyed Susan vine
Poppy white w/purple cross
Oriental seedling mixed
Lily Yellow Henry OP
Lily- Hearld Angel X Emerald Angel
Lily- Aurelian OP
Penstemon- Hot Pink
Datura - Single Lilac
Nemesia Nana- Blue/White
Rose Campion/Blush

I'm not buying anymore after I finish with ebay. I already have bids in so I have to go through with them. This is crazy......and to think I have already sent some out to different people!!

Do you start most indoors, Celeste or sow in spring?

I do a little of both Victor, and this year I think i'll put out a few milk jugs and W.S. some.

Celeste, do you have seed for the weeping cherry tree? xx, Carrie

Just saw this thread... I am fooling around instead of reading and preparing for a presentation next Sunday!!!!

I got new roses (too many) ... nothing else... I have several seeds from last year... and the only thing I need to get are the tomatoes... and some more lavender...

Wow - how many roses now, Kass?

Carrie, the Cheery Tree seeds are bought and paid for, just waiting on shipment.

nothing like some lovely, cheery trees to brighten one's day...
(sorry Celeste)

I'm sure the cherry trees will be cheery!

Oh, I doubled e instead of r....my bad! But you are so right Deb, the cherry trees will be cheery!

Ebay bids are almost finished, this is what iv'e won so far:

Pink La Bella Snapdragon - Annual - F1 hybrid
Burgundy Frost Petunia -25 Seeds *Bi Colored Blooms*
Blue Daddy Petunia - 25 Seeds ***Silvery Blue Blooms***
Prism Sunshine Petunia -25 Seeds ***Yellow Blooms***
Celebrity Peach Ice Petunia -25 Seeds
Foxglove Summer King - 50 Seeds **Strawberry Blooms**

I have 3 more bids in, then im done. I was even outbid on a few things and I let them go. I have no idea where I am going to plant all these. We NO LONGER have a spare bedroom or an office.....at least not until the end of May!!