Fall Planting, so what's on your list?

thom i'm impressed that you have all the names!! and who is that sick guy calling you sick?

had to stop at hd to replace a chain saw blade. 50% off in the nursery - two oak leaf hydrangea's and a weeping spruce to replace the spuce i think i killed last year. tried to make it taller and killed the main branch and it has slowly been dropping needles all year from the top working its way down. - now i'm really done.

have told the wife xmass will be gift certificates for JM's. can't wait.

Hee hee - takes one to know one, right?!

you have that right!

I started putting in my bulbs....nothing like a gorgeous fall day of tulips and narcisus! I still have a few bags to do, plus some alliums. I'll get those in today and the grass seed down...I also finally stuck the banana peels by my roses, better late then never. Plus they were hanging around in a bag on the porch, so I don't have to look at them anymore. In any event, I thought I bought too many bulbs, but now I think I could use another bad of narcisus....and never planted hyacinth so maybe I can pic some of those up too....

This was an amazing weekend. I cleaned the gutters, planted some mums and Autumn Fern, pulled out the tired stuff and fertilized some of the beds. I've been using Hollytone for awhile now and have added bone meal this year. Next weekend, I want to get more compost. I am waiting on my Brent & Becky order. I expect that to arrive soon.

You guys are making me tired with all this talk of work, but then I'm exhausted today, anyways. I went to Candyce's RU this past Sat. and had a great time, then spent the next 2 days driving all over NH taking pictures of fall foliage. Had a great time overall, and got some great pictures, but there were some incidents that put a damper on things as well. Hopefully then next trip will be smoother sailing. Now I'm too tired to work in the gardens. I had taken this day off from work to get work done in the gardens, but I need it to recover from the trip instead. I should have taken the whole week off. I'm kicking myself for not doing that.

Karen

I'm definitely behind everyone else this season.
I have so much on my 'To Do' list that it will never be a 'Ta Da!' List! But, you guys give me faith.

Garden Crossings is having a 25% off everything sale right now. I'm passing on it.

Candyce, I like your "to do" list becoming a "ta da!" list -- that's a great line! How sweet of you to host a RU! It sounds like everyone had tons-o-fun!

Meanwhile, this wedding is going is from dream wedding of the year to nightmare of the decade. Nobody is willing to be seated with the Birth Mother of the Groom - she has alienated EVERYONE! The bride seems to be coming down with something and the groom is on a business trip. Chaos! I would rather have gone to see you guys!!

I saw that too Victor, I had to quickly log off their website or I'd be in trouble.


Is there a wedding out there that has ever gone smoothly??

Victor...your passing on a sale...bad gardener! Actually, I was good and ordered nothing for the Santa Rosa Gardens $2.99 sale they had a couple weeks ago....did not feel like sleeping on the porch as punishment for buying more plants (gets cold out there at night).

It wasn't easy! I have ordered tons from them and they're good people with quality stuff.

Yeah, I signed up for the catalog when I saw they were a DG top 30. I'll get some stuff from them in the spring.

I'm pretty exhausted just reading what everyone's planting, especially Thom--your summer DL photos will knock us all out! I'm planting 2 DL's that Karen brought to the RU----Ice Carnival & Stoplight & 1 I ordered, Rainbow Candy, plus iris High Profile--that's it! No More! Maybe.

Peony from sheepers arrived yesterday--it is tiny; I'm 73 & won't see it bloom in my lifetime. If they are going to sell peonies they had better sell decent plants & charge more. It was $11 & I didn't expect a huge plant, would be quite willing to pay for a good sized one. The bulbs in the box were fine in size.

Let's hope that's not true!

iris, make sure you let them know you weren't happy with the size.

I', planning on calling them--granted the price was low, a good plant costs more & should do so. that would be all right, maybe people who specialize in bulbs shouldn't do other plants. it has been planted in a spot where peonies have not been planted-but it is a tough start. I have a call into Kelm's SS to see if i can get one this late in the shiping season. If not I'll get in line for next yr.

Candyce, I'm with out on that 'to do' list. I never have mine done apart from individual projects that finally get finished now and then.

Nope, I don't know of any weddings that have gone smoothly. If I ever get married again I think going to Vegas would be best. I just don't believe in spending and arm and a leg on a wedding. I especially don't believe in going into debt for one.

Victor, I missed a big sale at one of my favorite local garden centers, Kennedy's Country Gardens in Scituate, MA. It was the same weekend of the RU. Oh, well, I had a great time at the RU and had lots of fun driving around and taking pictures.

LOL! ROBINDOG, I like the way you added that 'maybe' at the end, there!

irisMA, I would definitely be happy with a skimpy peony tuber. How disappointing!

Karen

Ok, I know this is way, WAAAAY early, but I started doing some graft paper work on what I want to accomplish next year. I think I'm officially going to be getting rid of almost all of the veggie garden. A piece of it, the veggie garden, that measures about 10'x30' is going to be a "holding area" for any of my DL crosses that make it through the winter. The rest of the area is going to be shrubbed and treed; yes I know, not verbs, but they should be!

I have my list started, and it's a mighty fine list. With the addition of the pond next year, I will have some terrascaping and some hardscaping to fill in.

Victor, I may be d-mailing you a few times over the next few months to bounce some ideas around...what I have in store for next year is going to be a little massive in undertaking. I've already informed Paul that come heck or high water he's helping :-)

I'm having 3 yds of mulch delivered on Saturday. I've written out all of the plant tags for the DL's and Hostas, and I will be labeling them all, and mulching them all this weekend.

Thom, "Treed" and "Shrubbed" are my favorite verbs. I had a "Victor" list last year. Yes, part of my endless stream was even "Victored" last spring. Now out to work on the "bulbing" of my beds. I love to mangle English in honor of my garden. I look forward to seeing the results of all you work.

I just ordered a nice list of DL's from a coop. I had planned on doing some serious thinning of some older DL's this fall thinking I had too many of some that I don't "love love". But the friends who I was giving them to are now not able to come to get them until spring, so I will have wait to dig them. Now to figure out where to put the new kids. I think I may dig the ones I want to give away and put them in Thom's holding bed, just kidding. I think I may put them in my veggie bed for the winter and then I will take them off Island in the spring. Musical plants. Here is the list of the new DL kids with the coop prices and Eureka prices. Great prices. I love the spider and ufo's.

$5 $25 Brer Rabbit's Baby
$5 $75 Carolina Twilight
$5 $25 Crimson Flood
$5 $20 Desert Icicle
$5 $19 Dixie Rooster
$5 $20 Ida Lou
$15 $30 Kathryn June Wood
$5 $30 Laughing Feather
$15 $34 Let Loose
$10 $75 Miss Izy
$5 $25 Misty Twisty
$5 $36 Nathan Sommers
$5 $28 Pretzel Power
$15 $19 Purple Many Faces
$15 $30 Skinwalker
$10 $39 Spacecoast Cranberry Kid
$5 $22 Springfield Clan
$20 $47 Stick Figure
$15 $77 Tahoe
$10 $36 Wild Child
$5 $22 Winds of Love

I am expecting a nice group of peonies from another coop next week.

They should be big as they are from Hollingsworth. I too want to see them in my life time. I hope not like the one Irisma got. I had some from another coop last fall that bloomed this summer, albeit still very small, but blooming. The prices were what I paid, so this was a real investment. I just hope the deer don't decide to like peonies. I will need more hoops this spring.

age of victoria 14.00
ann cousins 8.00
butch 9.00
chief wapello 9.00
early glow 9.00
garden glory 10.00
garden lace 10.00
in the mood 18.00
largo 8.00
lorelie 30.00
many happy returns 12.00
merry mayshine 9.00
mme de verneville 8.00
pink hawaiian coral 11.00
sandra marie 10.00
stellar charm 10.00

I still need a new tree. I didn't get the Shirazz Japanese maple.....yet. DH is off to the Head of the Charles Rowing race so while he is merrily rowing down the river, I might go get "treed" Patti

I'm fine with being a verb. Not a dangling participle though. No problem, Thom. Patti, seems like a small list for you!

I called Song Sparrow yesterday & just got a call back. They have 'Do Tell' & will ship it out so it can go next to the poor little one-eyed darling. I do know what the plant looks like after seeing it at Joe Pye Weed's garden. Our other peonies are a pink from my parent's garden nr. Milwaukee brought here over 30 yrs ago & spread along the front of the house, tentavly ID as Sarah Bernhardt, but really of sentimental value, a Paula Fay, bought from a now deceased peony grower & Heidi bought at our iris auction from a friend. So I do have peonies to look at, but had made a place for the one incoming. We do have some older DL & new & old irises plus seedlings. Now to plant the good sized bulbs.

I need to do some" bulbing" too.

Sounds great, Thom. Rest up over the winter.

Patti, wow - all those peonies will be beautiful! As well as the DLs of course.

Victor, Don't get me started! I do have a big want list, but I am trying to find some much needed time to do a few other things inside my house and for my brain. I also want to continue with some general "cleaning up" of our property that you so inspired me to actually do last year. The place never looked so good. Thanks.

We have tons of pruning to do and some more brush whacking. Plus there is an untouched 1/2 acre that I may wish to visit this winter to see if we should enclose another small part of it to put in a bigger veggie bed that would get better sun. I am very tempted, but haven't said a word to DH. I think I will put that down in the planning book in the 5 year column. It would be a perfect place to grow some Fruit trees if properly fenced. DH could have a giant pumpkin patch.

More immediately we also need to work on another part of our old deer fence. I would like to put in more good 9'x 4"x4"wooden posts like we did last spring along one stretch to replace the nasty old make-do metal posts that we used there initially. We just wired some old recycled rusty ones together to make them 9' tall, so needless to say they look sad, though we have mostly "treed and shrubbed" the view out. But this is all part of a post which should be under the "Vision Thing" for our garden.

More immediately, I need to finish up cleaning and cutting back the beds to get ready for the bulb planting extravaganza. I have been staging all the bulbs in a guest room in grocery bags all labeled by the beds they will be planted into as they arrive. DH has done a lot of eye rolling, though I see he did order a new auger to be ready. I know he is happily looking forward to the spring color. I have 3 more bulb orders to arrive before we plant. Then I will do a second planting in Dec if I buy more when the big sales start. But I am going to plant any bought late in virgin beds or in areas to naturalize. That will make it easier to plant and maybe having those parameters will keep me in check. Doubt it.

Jan, yes the "bulbing" of America should be every one's job IMHO.

irisMA, I love the fact you have your parent's peonies from Milwaukee. My DH mother was from there and always talked about the ones in her parent's garden. The continuation of a plant from family to family is so very special. Just like an antique with providence. Patti

Wow - does sound like a full plate, Patti. You're blessed to have all that property.

You guys simply blow me away! Graphing garden plans! Bulbing, shrubbing, and treeing!!

I'll never be able to accomplish all that you folks accomplish. But, I try my darndest!!!

I wish I had taken the red peonies from my home. I thought to leave those for the new people--they pulled them & put in foundation conifers, my children refered to those as 'burglar bushes' as they came 1/2 way up the window. Just talked to customer service at Sheepers, poor lady, I don't think she understood, but will pass the complaint along which is what I wanted her to do. She said the Do tell was supposed to get to 30", true, but I don't want to wait 6 or 7 yrs. Their bulbs are fine & if they don't know enough about peonies, they should stick to what they know. We are working on bulb planting today, mainly I.reticulata & Decoy daffidil.

I was disappointed, also, in a plant I received yesterday--it was a clematis from Park's--supposed to be Ruul from Finland--instead they subbed Niobe---Oh, well, I planted it anyway--Thom & Patti--your plans sound wonderful--that's what gardening is----a vision, a neverending vision that keeps us young--& broke!

I got a call from Sheepers this morning. they are sending another plant. If small I can combine with the other one. I hope someone with higher authority will think over the size requirements. Since they sell bulbs wholesale under their other name, maybe no one thought out the peony lines which must be a sideline.

I never order plants from Park's. I always wind up mad. Still buy my 'Whopper' seeds in the spring, but never, ever plants. I've learned my lesson.

My mission for today is very small by everybody else's standards here, but a challenge for me. I need to get my garlic planted. I have some big, beautiful cloves from the 'Music' hardneck I harvested the end of Aug. And I have bought another hardneck, 'Chesnok Red' and a softneck 'Susanville' to try. We're going to try the garlic in and around the rose garden this year. Can't hurt and it's supposed to help the blackspot as well as repet some of the pests. Good experiment. Also, the current issue of 'Organic Gardening' suggests soaking your garlic cloves in a solution of baking soda and liquid seaweed before planting to 'prevent fungal disease and promote vigorous growth.' It's 1 Tbls. of ea. to a qt. of water, soak for 2 hours.

Yes, Parks and Wayside were off my list for years.

I.reticulata & daffodil bulbs in this afternoon. So now waiting for those peonies to show upp. Even with my fleece jacket I decided it was too cold to weed this afternoon--temp in high 40s.

I went to the farm/garden center to get some tall narrow clay pots for some new Hippeastrum I got this week, which they didn't have. But the did have a plant sale going on which I honestly didn't know about. 40% to 50% off everything, including GH plants. I behaved, sort of. But I did buy a few things including a tree peony. I will post my badness later.

grampapa, I need to know about garlic? The farm stand has Hardnecks now. Could I buy those and plant the cloves or do I need some special ones?

The only time I buy from Parks is when they had those great sales a couple of years ago of all the left overs from them and from Wayside. Most of those plants did fine and were beyond cheap, plus they charged almost nothing for the postage. They didn't do that sale this year. Patti

Victor i'm blaming you for the itea i bought today - 2 little henry's. the cool lookoing little round cedar was my own doing.

Ha - I just ordered a few more from Rarefind. That might make a nice combo with the cedar!

the cedar is green with bright yellow new foliage - it probably will not be planted with them . the little henry's will be along the driveway across from the wall - i plan to move out the hemlocks and try and transplant them - the trees i just recieved will replace them - i'll move some other bushes as well and replace with l. henry.

you are right about hte foliage in the fall on the itea - it really stands out - almost got them last weekend - then i remembered you posted a shot of yours - checked it out and went back and got them.

The reason I suggested the possible pairing is two-fold. One - the contrast of texture - more needle-like of the cedar against the itea. Second - in the fall the bright red could use the cedar as a nice background. Pairing it with a dwarf conifer with a light blue or gray foliage would be even better.

thx, i do have another cedar which is a bit leggy maybe 6 ft. tall that is blue and along the driveway - i'll have to see what makes sense - red in front blue in back would be good. It is not a healthy spruce as it has somehow survived in poor soil until i amended it last year.

Box of bulbs from John Scheepers and a sleeping baby makes for happy "bulbing"!