Sally - if I successfully coax my EE's out of dormancy (looks like they're doing it themselves - might help if I water them a tad more...they are EE's after all) - I'll be happy to send you some babies of the dark leaved ones. Can't see the pots right now but there's also Illustris - nice green with darker veining...you'd like that one.
BTW - $4.25 isn't a bad price for that...depending on size. It's only been the last year or 2 that I've seen that at the local nurseries.
Ok...going to bed now..nite, all!!
Becky's Spring Swap, follow-up thread
Sweet dreams- thanks anyway but
I have my two black Magic/Runner EE's from last yr. Coming up well, (and caldiums are really coming on with this warmth too)
happy news on my good deal thanks I can go to bed happy
Do you all know about Skin So Soft bath oil? It really does keep the bugs away but you have to get the original in the turquoise bottle. Avon also has bar soap in Skin So Soft and that works too if you don't want to use bath oil.
Another gem of garden wisdom from my Aunt Ber.
Quilter, please tell me more about this mosquito fern! Sounds like something I really would like to have.
Hart, thanks for telling us about the SSS soap. I have used the oil previously and know it works, but never heard about the soap. Feels like I am a mosquito magnet whenever I go outside. I try to keep water from collecting in anything, but I still have a lot of those critters.
Thank you for all the great pics :) Looks like everyone had a great time and sorry I missed it! Not sure what the weather was like there but it was a beautiful day here - just enough of a breeze to keep it cool, only wish I had been home working in the gardens! I'm making up for it this week though, weeding, mulching and discovering surprises in the gardens :) Yesterday while weeding I found huge spikes on my Yucca 'Color Guard', this is going to be the first year for flowers and they're going to be spectacular! Hoping I'll have a minute to take a few pics today - I really want to grab one before they actually flower, I am SO excited - waited 4 years for these babies to flower :) Plus, I've GOT to get some pictures of the Euphorbias, Hart you're not going to believe them in "flower", they are absolutely incredible this year - they just keep getting better and better :)
mosquitos seem to go pretty far from watre when they're hungry enough.
The bottom of my outside A/C unit- like a heat pump outside unit- had some larvae once when the drain holes were plugged and a small puddle developed in the bottom. They sometimes seem to like small puddles better than buckets- and I do keep an eye on my bukcets, or dump them. (rain barrel envy)
What I learned only recently is that mosquitoes will lay eggs in something like a saucer with water in it, then the water can dry up and the eggs will stay there dormant, and the next time rain fills the saucer with water the eggs hatch! wow.
Sorry I've been so slow about photos... mine are still stuck in the camera... soon, I promise!
Just in case anybody is sending follow-up plants... there's an article today that might be useful. ;-) (Don't you love my shameless plugs. LOL)
critter- you do have a way with self promotion. ^_^
but you really worked for the money with all the pictures in that article whew- thats when four hands are handy- I think I would draft a helper before trying that.
LOL... yeah, it took some time to edit, upload, and coax all those photos into the tables! But I wanted to have enough photos that it would be like looking over my shoulder, with no guessing about what I did to get from one step to the next.
Hart, I've found that SSS keeps sand gnats away (some) but seem to deter mosquitoes much... If the biting bugs aren't overly aggressive, a fabric softener sheet tucked into your cap can drive a lot of them off, also.
need a headlamp with the fan accesory that you swap for the light. that blows away your CO 2
If only I had time , money and an engineering degree
I really like the bar soap. Sometimes I don't want to use bath oil and I've found the soap works just as well. You can also sometimes find citronella soap at camping stores and that works too.
Debbie, I'm looking forward to your euphorbia photos. I love the blooms on my martiniis with that red eye. Did I tell you one of them came back? It only has two stems but hopefully in another year or two it will be spectacular again. No sign of the second one so it must be a goner.
We have some of those fine netting head things for when the gnats are really bad out here and the coiled plastic bug repelling bracelets. I'm such a bug magnet, I'll get eaten alive when nobody else is getting bitten. I really like the Off stuff that isn't greasy too - I hate spraying on greasy bug repellent.
We have some stick on strips that can be stuck anywhere, including your hat, that work well too.
Sally, et al
We just got in black EE at the HD. Are these the same as Black Taro? They are in gallon pots (I think) and cost somewhere between $10-$12--not sure.
Often, these are sold where they have Pond Plants....
Gita
I'm a firm advocate in the mosquito dunks sold this time of year....I placed them where ever there's standing water....including my watering cans - they work great on fungus knats as well - yet safe for other critters. Doesn't help us from gettin' bitten but at least I don't have extra hatching vampires
This is the second day that I have had time to plant all my goodies from the swap. There are several plants that I am not able to identify. I am not going to plant them yet and hope to take pics and post here and get the names so that I can label them.
Gosh you folks grow some nice and healthy things. The things that we brought seemed to poop out quickly. Hopefully as soon as they get planted they will recover and do well for each of you.
Just wanted to warn you that I will be asking a lot of questions at some point.
Ruby
Ruby - I'm so jealous...rather be out playing in the dirt today!!! Just so you know YOUR Pineapple Mint is doing GREAT in both places. Some things just react more to being displaced then others.
I got a starting of the mosquito plant 14 years ago from my Mom's garden (in Pittsburgh are). She got it from someone else. Everyone back there loved it so I moved it down. My neighbors get mosquitos and I don't. I spend a lot of time in the garden and rarely see a mosquito.
Lowes & HD sell them but I'll share/swap.
Raising hand b/c I am such a begger!!!!
Oh me too! What is the botanical name? It doesn't sound like this, which goes by the same name: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/69539/
One of these?
http://www.gomestic.com/Gardening/Five-Plants-That-Repel-Mosquitoes.34525
Or maybe this?
http://www.allwoodwork.com/tips/mosquitoplant.htm See also http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/54668/
Oh golly, something that drives off mosquitoes other than citronella (which I can't deal with due to migraines)?!! I have to find/beg/swap/beg for some of that! Anybody who came to the fall swap can tell you how bad the mosquitoes were here last year (from the farm field behind us... standing water in the furrows = zillions of skeeters).
Raising hand again....Critter's got skeeters on steroids...I kid you not!!!
Hey, Jill.....
Maybe you should write an article on this!
First I need to figure out which plant it is -- and git me some of it! :-)
morning all- Well, none of the pics above look like what I have. I'm up in Mass right now. My SD graduated from Nursing School last nite!!!! Can you believe out of 70 in her class, only 5 or so got jobs here. A few are adventerous and are leaving the area. She will not move from the area. We keep telling her about Hopkins and the other hospitals in the Balt/DC area that are offering to pay off all tuition expenses, but she won't budge. Hopefully after she passes her boards something will open up.
I'll be back Sun, will take a pic, & post. During the spring/summer it just looks like a fern. Spreads like crazy. In the fall it gets small yellow flowers. Sadly, I pulled quite a bit out just last weekend. It was choking my strawberries. But, knowing how it spreads, in a couple weeks, I'll have lots of babies and they actually transplant better than the "adults".
Just walking by the plant I don't notice a scent. When you crush it, or wear a piece, it is a bit peppery.
If I dn't have enough in my garden to share, I'll get my friend up in PA to send some down. She took a couple pieces of mine a few years ago and has a large are of it now - but she has no mosquitos,
Is the plant you are talking about that repels mosquitoes Tansy?
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/320/
It can get invasive if you don't keep it under control, but I have read in my older herb books that is does repel flies and mosquitoes. When I was growing it, and weeding a very Jungle like area in the yard I'd pinch off a few leaves, crush them and rub it on me, (make sure you are not sensitive to the plant's oils first) It did work.
Just my 2 ¢
Edited to add another link http://desertgardens.suite101.com/blog.cfm/tansy_a_natural_insect_repellant
This message was edited May 30, 2008 8:23 AM
That is what I have - Tansy. Mine never gets over @1' tall and I keep it under control by pulling out what I don't want. The roots aren't very deep. In the 14 years I've had it planted, it is still in just 2 areas of my yard. My Mom has had it even longer, doesn't thin it, and it is just in 1 garden. Perhaps some varieties are more evasive than others.
It looks like everyone had a wonderful time. I wish I lived closer!!!
That pic of Linda and her kids..... it's so weird she looks EXACTLY like my friend Laura...they could be identical twins.
Hi y'all. So I’m the cow’s tale posting about the swap. The swap was everything everyone’s already said and more. So nice to see familiar faces and get to know the one’s I hadn’t met yet. Have to admit, I was a little lazy on Sunday, just did some temporary potting to hold over what I got from Saturday. Oh yeah, and went to Critter’s to pick up the plants that got mixed in with hers, and came back with one more Columbine from her. Like I didn’t get enough on Saturday :) Monday was planting all day because in addition to everything I got from the swap, I still hadn’t planted what I’ve been growing and acquiring since the beginning of spring. At least the first 2 hours ware spent trying to figure out where things were going to go. So here’re my pics.
Just a few plants.
Here’s a group pic.
Another group pic.
Here’re some hubbies in this group pic. That’s Sally with her husband Mark on the left. If he hadn’t come with her she would have had to leave earlier so they could go to a wedding, just like my husband did for me at the seed swap Jill had. And there’s Ruby’s husband John talking to Chantell. He’s always there to help out. What great guys and keepers!
Looks like Hart’s explaining how many plants she brought and Jill looking over saying, “Oh yeah, have you seen what I brought?”
Our lovely hostess and Sally. Becky what can I say, you sure can put on a swap. We’ll take you up on what you said about wanting to do this again. And Sally, thank you so much for bringing the books and other surprises back from Italy for me. You’re such a thoughtful, wonderful person.
Here’re my riding partners, Jill and Terri (Aspenthomas). So nice to meet you Terri. I’m glad you decided to go. For being pretty new to the forum and finding out at the last moment about the swap you sure jumped in. Hope you had a good time.
Here’s Shirley (Wyldeflwr) and Hubby unloading a truck full. I got my share of it. She brought me bunches of stuff. I think about half of my stuff was from you Shirley.
Becky admiring one of Larlienda’s very well behaved children. And I’m not the first or only one to say that Larienda.
And here’s a previous hostess Diane (Hart) enjoying herself. Nice to see you in non-fretting mode ^_^
You’ve seen the pics of the food table “before”. Here’s an “after” pic. Gita, your Latvian Pirags were awesome. They look like a lot of work. I’m not telling Rick or he’ll want me get the recipe and will bug me to make them like he’s doing with the sauerkraut soup. And Diane, you went to so much trouble too, especially after having so much happening before the swap. I didn’t get a chance to sample your biscuits, but you know I love the corn pudding and your fried chicken was just like my mom’s.
Our co-hostess Chantell bringing out the beautiful cake seen in previous pics. I know you deny doing much, but I’ll bet you did more than you let on and I’m sure Becky appreciated your help.
And Ruby and Jill admiring the cake. Ruby, I know everyone was so happy you could make it including me. I’m sorry too we didn’t get to really chat. Thanks for the vote for most unusual food for my scotch eggs or as you called them “eggie thingies” ^_^. You should’ve tried them, but I totally understand if you happen to be watching your cholesterol. Nothing like hardboiled egg wrapped in sausage and deep fried to make your doctor cringe.
Ruby admiring Terri’s haul.
Some trading with Sally, Becky and I think Becky’s friend and new DG’r Wendi (mrsshumway) (please correct me if I’m wrong) That’s Jill looking over her stuff and Jody walking up with the camera. Jody, I’m scared about planting the petasites. I’m still trying to decide where to put it so I can corral it if it decides it wants to star in a B movie “The Plant That Ate Brunswick”.
