what have you bought so far? part three

wow I thought I had a lot of petunias..... you put me to shame

Um, of the 238 petunias....how many different varieties? I think I only have 4 different ones and pray I don't get 238 sprouted!

Victor, Pirl, and Pixie, I need to stop reading threads...egad...lol.

The order that I "placed" with Forestfarm...everyone, in unison, let's say what Homer Simpson says, "D oh!" I placed a PRE ORDER with them, thought I sent it in, and did not. I've been patiently waiting for the email confirmation of the order, some places are slower than others, and didn't get one from Forestfarm (FF) and called them...they had me down as receiving their catalog, and that was it. For those that do not get their catalog, it's a great reference book...and, it is a book. It's about 1 1/2" think, give or take...I had stuff I wanted "stickied" with page markers, had the preorder sheet printed out, and once I "Placed" the order, removed all of the page markers, and shredded the preorder...again, "D OH!"
So, I quickly went through their catalog, daunting, so gave that up...went to the journal here, and added one more thing...lol...which is the Cryptomeria that Victor had a thread to...believe it's Knotunensis? I know I'm killing the spelling.
Also, do any of you grow Black Mondo Grass? My clumps here over wintered...the new bed I'm creating, I'm making a border of BMG, and Lamb's Ears, but I would like to fill it in as much as possible...and at an average price of $8, and I need about 20 or so...I would much rather trade, swap, or get off of someone from the NE forum.
I did order some through Digging Dog nurseries...along with 2 others.

If anyone has any extra BMG, please let me know. I am by no means frugal...lol...but spending about $8 a piece, and I need about 20 or so...not gonna happen...lol.

I only have three little clumps which have not grown much at all in four or so years. They are slow growing AND expensive. I do like the look though.

I remember liking that one, too, Thom but the price here was high and the nursery owner mentioned how very very slow they are to spread. Good luck with finding any from anyone wanting to split their plants. You might want to consider a faster growing low grass that would complement the BMG. I don't collect grasses so I have no suggestions, sorry!

We cross posted, Victor, so it was nice to see that we're reinforcing the opion of the nursery owner. I think there's a low blue/gray grass but I don't know the name of it.

It's Ok. I know they grow slow...that's why I want to purchase as many as possible. Classy Groundcovers sells them, but *gulp*, for a flat of 24, it's about $240 with s/h! I'm not willing to do that yet...yet being the key word.

I knew their was a perennial that I wanted to purchase, and a shrub, it kept itching at the back of my brain...and I kept cross referencing it (in my brain) with something Victor had posted awhile back...

It's the reason for my order with Digging Dog Nurseries. They are the only nursery I know that sell a particular barberry I've wanted for about 2 years now called, 'Golden Ring.' So, I placed an order for that, but you need to have a min of $35, so I purchased the BMG (6 of them atleast, it's a start), and was thinking, what was that plant...Amsonia...Victor it was all your fault for showing me such a beautiful pic...showing all of us I should say! So I did/do have some BMG coming in...but need/want a lot more to complete the look...I might try, and Arlene, thanks for this, planting a row of Lamb's Ears behind a row of BMG, alternating with one of the Blue Fescues (not sure which one of the BF yet). I think that would make an interesting border, between black, silver, silver/blue, silver/grey, and green...

Festuca Glauca is the blue grass I think. Maybe consider a sedum to mix in. One like October Daphne or a red colored one like VooDoo. They might make a nice texture contrast and are much easier to propagate and multiply yourself.

Here is the pic (which was very elusive to find) of the 'Golden Ring' barberry...

Now it's easy to see why you wanted that Barberry! It's lovely.

I like ngam's idea of the sedum - totally different leaf and SO easy to propagate.

Is the barberry invasive? I know the common varieties are here, but probably anything that cost big bucks stays in one spot, so you can't share. Sorry about the BMG--I don't have any--don't know if it's hardy here or not. Went to Walmart's today--bad move--they had phlox panticulata Amethyst--I bought it!

Most barberries will spread - mainly due to birds eating the berries and pooping the seeds. They are on the list of NY invasives.

regarding the petunias - I have something like 24 lavender supercascade and 12 blue supercascade, and 80 + mulitiflower dark blue petunia, and 20 sunrise (yellow) petunias, and 40+ pink petunias (seeds received in trade) and about 40 purple petunias (more seeds from trade) , and a bunch of mixed multiflower petunias. Some are for hanging baskets, some are for containers, others are for my own gardens, and about 100 are for the terrace. :-)

I also have 8 varieties of hardy hibiscus that I winter sowed, and 9 different kinds of dianthus . . . lots of delphinium, columbine, etc. so anybody who comes help plant stuff on the terrace will have first choice of the left overs . . . :-)

Seandor have you had the super cascade before?... this is my first year with them just wondering how good or not they are

Free plant food samples for DGers:

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/825211/

Thanks for the info Victor.

No problem - tried to hit the active threads.

you are good Victor!... thanks!

No problem!

Thank you. I already filled it out. There is nothing like getting something for "free."

Lots of petunias, Seandor! They will provide loads of color--I like petunias in containers--otherwise they tend to spill out onto the lawn & get nipped by the mower!

thanks Victor. I requested a free sample too. Lets see how it does. Speaking of fertilizers. What does everyone use. I use Hollytone, but not sure what I'd like to try on everything else. I've used this before as well http://www.vf-11plantfood.com/ , but I am running low and need to restock.

Onewish1 - last year was the first year I started petunias; when I planted them out they seemed sooooo puny compared to what I could buy at the nursery, but within a month or so, they caught up and I had lots of colour.

This year I started them much earlier, and hope to have some that are a reasonable size to plant out. This is my first time with supercascade. So, let's wish both of us luck with them!

Victor, thanks for the tip. I forget to check Dave's forum. I asked for the sample, too. Also looked at the contest they are sponsoring. I haven't got a chance in 'h..e..double hockey sticks'. I don't have the time or energy to run around to all the nurseries. Not that it wouldn't be fun :0)

strange how I have had mixed germination on the petunia seeds... some took off right away... the others still nothing.. I want to go back and check which ones were pelleted and not... I threw a whole bunch of seeds I collected in a baking tin and almost all those started (funny how you don't mind over seeding when they are free) and some I bought haven't started... maybe they weren't fresh seeds

We've had major problems in the past with petunias so now we guarantee success by buying a flat in early May and keeping them under lights until we harden them off.

some of the seeds i collected were hybrids not sure what is going to come out of them... hopefully I will find out

If I sound soap boxy, I'm not trying, but...I tend to try to garden (atleast in my garden beds) as organically as possible. The only soil amendment I will use in a new bed, beside mulch, sand, or humus is green sand. The fertilizer I almost always use, is any of the fish, fish/seaweed products from:http: //www.neptunesharvest.com/
Sometimes I will make a diluted solution, and foliar feed plants that are already established with a product from this company. Word to the wise, if you are using a fish/fish emulsion fertilizer, even if it is "deoderized" it will still stink like anything, for an hour or so. It will make you (if you get any on you) or everything in your front yard (happened to me a few times last year) smell like a not so clean fish tank!
Usually in my pots that I make up, I will put a few scoop fulls of compost in them, along with (depending on the size of the pot) several scoop fulls of osmocote that I mix throughout the pot.
This year, keeping in line with the thread, the new fertilizer that Victor informed us about, will be something new.

This message was edited Mar 22, 2008 12:42 PM

I use fish emulsion and other organic fertilizers all the time. Only in annuals do I use Osmocote or some equivalent. I like Mill's Magic. Use it for roses and many other things. I'm not big on fertilizers in general, but try to go organic when I do use them. I use Milorganite, bone meal, compost tea and for my veggies - Wegener's liquid organic. I usually apply the fish emulsion when my MIL visits.

Victor! Thats rotten... But good fertilizer.
I use this one...naturally!
http://www.coastofmaine.com/

Victor!

Here's the liquid:

http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=2&p=10359&cat=2,2070,33134

Pixie, is it expensive? I typed in my zipcode and it's sold at all the expensive nurseries in town. I'll stick with my free sample of the other stuff and see how that goes. x, Carrie

I don't know if it's considered expensive Carrie, I like it because it uses all organic material found right here in Maine. Quite often my Agway will have a clearance rack and if I see compost on it I buy it all up. I know I spent $2.50 a bag last time and bought every bag they had on that rack. They use blueberries, lobster shells, clam shells, old hen manure, ect.... and my plants grow big and strong!

This message was edited Mar 22, 2008 11:45 AM

Good plan, Celeste. Down here, even though Maine is NOT that far away, people get to thinking it may be a delicacy like , oh, California Chardonnay, like Poland Springs, "coming to you straight from Maine." Heck, if I could get lobster shells and hen poop, I'd put it in my compost too!

Thom, ClassyGroundcovers has a 20% off promotion, look in the classifieds!!!

x. Carrie (aiding and abetting the best since 1961)

I wonder how many times a post on any of the threads in the NE forum, has simply said:

Victor!

Touche, Polly. I wonder how many times a man has said "Victor!" (I guess that would leave David, Al or Thom, and they're more likely to answer back with something themselves.)
xx, Carrie

I would say it's probably 10,932 to 0, in favor of the women.

Carry, thanks for the info about Classy Groundcovers. That doesn't make it seem so bad now...24-3 1/2" pots of BMG, or about $178. I might have to take up that offer! Especially when it comes down to a little over $7 a plant.

I am by no means going to yell any mans name out! ;-)

I might end up sleeping on the couch for a long, long time.

Beside heat, humidity, and water, are there any other tricks of the trade I should be aware of in regard to growing Daturas?
----I did soak them overnight before planting them up.

Thom, does sleeping on the couch actually save you money? LOL!!! xx, CarrIE