LOL MY husband said I would have to BUY some worms and put in my bed if I wanted any.....I think he is mistaken - I told him if "we build it, they will come" ^_^
Genna
CLOSED: Fall Frenzy Piggy Swap #7
OMG-ROFLMBO!!!
LOL... that is funny Geena.
Too true - they will come! I use a thick layer of mulch to top off my lasagna, and my favorite garden tool is my Hori Hori knife, so cutting through anything isn't an issue for me. When I plant I usually end up cutting a three-sided box area, scoot as much of the mulch to the side as I can and fold up the cardboard. Then I have a place to pile up the dirt while I'm planting. Extra dirt just kinda gets shoved back under the cardboard (unless it's a lot, then it's off to another part of the yard). I don't think you need to worry about the RoundUp or anything like that - one of the beauties of lasagna gardening is the layers you put down are so think the grass just dies and is composted underneath into the soil. If you have sandy soil that should help put some humus-stuff underneath those layers and increase the tilth of your soil.
Neal, people who raise wigglers use shredded paper in their earthworm bins, don't they? (I can't think of the word for it right now - but you know what I mean.) I debated raising earthworms in the basement, but Nora drew the line at that. And my sis would let me have all the composted horse manure I wanted, if I felt like driving 90 miles with it, and then knew where to put it so I could till it in without disrupting an entire bed. I thought about all that when I was redoing the front yard this year, but opted for lasagna instead. Here's a before pic:
And here's what it looked like this fall. I've got LOTS more room for flowers now :-) I just have to figure out where I'm gonna put all the tall ones I love (amaranth, castor bean, tithonia, sunflowers.....) so that I can still enjoy the small ones!
Wow, Robin! I love the changes! And right, shredded paper for earthworm bedding. It just drives me mad to think of all the potential compost that goes into the landfills. Here's an article about paper for earthworms:
http://www.jetcompost.com/burrow/3bedding.htm
We compost so much that I've started giving it away to neighbors and a few good clients - just too much good stuff and not enough room! But then, the soil here can be very bad (think "furnace clinker" as filler when you dig down a foot) so every little bit helps.
And you can see on the pic where I have all sorts of room for those smaller things to "tuck in"!
BTW - I heard from Suzy a little while ago - she's fine, gearing up for Thanksgiving and says "Hi" to everyone.
Does anyone have "Paprika" Yarrow?
I know I attempted to sow it last year, and zippo - nothing.
I currently only have white, and i'd like other colors.
nbgard - if you still have any moon vine seeds available can I please have some?
~chele
Chele, gotcha down for some
I still have plenty of the moonflower seeds if anybody else wants some!
Also still have pavonia rock rose, esparanza, lady in red salvia coccinea, coneflower, aster (ny?) purple fountain grass and jewels of opar.
OK, so I thought i'd get all my pimpin' into one post!
Tonya
I started doing lasagna beds last year and it sure saves on the back. We're lucky here if we can dig down 2 inches. All this Ozark red clay and rock is horrible on tools. My husband saves all the shredded paper from his work and I bring home all the boxes from the restaurant during the summer. I'll layer 2 boxes, leaves, horse manure (have loads of that), paper and more leaves or clippings. Sometimes I even add top soil in it.
Here's one area that I started last winter.
Here's the next part in early spring.
Now I have to find the summer pic.
That looks wonderful! (And I SO recognize how that cardboard looks!) I think using cardboard is actually easier for planting, as it's easier to cut through when it's wet than multiple layers of newspaper can be - but that's just me talkin'
A couple things I forgot to mention on the horse manure (yep, more I read somewhere in DG): if you use horse manure be aware that it's higher in salts (but I don't think significantly) than composted cow manure; and be sure to let it compost someplace "else" for a year as the dewormers that horse folks feed their horses will kill off the earthworms. After a year of sitting out in a field or someplace else that stuff leaches out and it's safe to use.
tcs, I have some red yarrow 'cassis' if you want some. I think I still have some partial packs from last year too I'll check, that's the only one I saved seeds from this year for some reason I thought I had done the others. I didn't get any 'Paprika' from last year either I sowed it, I remember Suzy looking into the container cause she couldn't believe it didn't come up either lol
Did Suzy get the seeds from "her" plants? many they are sterile?
I've read that Yarrow is good to grow as a companion plant to Tomatoes ... so, yes please. the more the merrier.
Ok tcs, I've been going thru my seeds I know I saw some the other day besides the red I have on my list, left from last year I should find them in a bit, lots of seeds left from last year lol
pamsue, I have some 'Caramel' Heuchera villosa, this one is suppose to be more hardy, I'm growing some of the seeds out cause they probably won't come true and we might get some other nice ones out of them, I'll put some in your envelope, it's the last one :)
Uggggg, as i'm creating/tweaking my spreadsheet... i currently have 176 seeds!!
I'm gonna sit with my basket [while watching MNF - GO Pack] and dig out all the seeds i want to get rid of....errrr, dont have time/space to germinate/plant
pamsue, I just saw on lala's list some coralbells ''firefly''
Sorry Pamsue, was just going to update my list. Chele grabbed those this afternoon.
if no one else has them... i did get a few in trade from Indynanny ... i could probably split it, if you want FireFly ... it looks like i have enough to split.
I got mine in a trade too Terese. When I asked her how to collect Heuchera seeds the gal said she "guessed" so there are no guarantees with that packet. LOL.
Ladies your before and after pictures are great! A lot of work. Enjoyed reading about your lasagna methods. Have wanted to try that but wasn't sure it would work. We have a lot of clay and I have access to old horse manure. I believe I am going to take a stab at it. You all are inspiring!!! Goodnight........
I have a wish ... a seed wish. But let me tell you a short seed story first ...
Once upon a time a young beautiful Queen was traveling her Michigan Kingdom and came upon a flower she couldn't gracefully pass by. It was tall, handsome, strong, and had a large hard cone; it was everything she ever wanted in a man ... I mean flower. It was a Magnus Purple Cone flower. So she immediately went to her people and found one willing to trade away these precious seeds. But to the Queens horror, she found that what was growing in her garden was not her dreamed about 'Magnus', but Echinacea purpurea of whom she already had many.
So now the Queen has begun a new quest, The Search of the True Echinacea 'Magnus'.
Sorry ladies and gents, I was bored this morning ...
Please dmail me if you are absolutely sure the seeds are from 'Magnus'. I really would love to grow this one. :o)
toofew
sharon
Sharon-maybe i8t is that the Magnus seeds don't come true....
I loved the lasagne beds-trying to get DH to come help me do one-I have newspaper, and pine needles and would need mulch for the top to hold it all down....
When I go back through, my seed stuff, PamSue.. I thought I had a huchera, if I do will thow it in.
Sharon. I used to have some of the Magnus. Not sure if I gave them all away or not, same, thing, if I find them will toss em in.
Just wanted ya to know, received some more donation seeds for our storm victims from hmacdona. Thank you very much hmacdona for your gift to them. Storm victims they wil be going into your boxes.
I know some of you folks will be aay and tied up with family so til ya get back, have a very Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving. If your traveling, may your have a safe journey, if you have friends and family coming, may you have a day filled with good fellowship, if you spending the day alone, will be around here, to share the day with you.
Just remember if you at somebodys house and ask for something, gooble instead of oinking, that day LOL : )
Pimping a couple seeds
We will be having these for Thanksgiving.
Squash (winter) Sweet dumpling
Very tasty my DH 's favorite
I also have white pumpkins
These are the tiny ones the size of ''jack be little''
Called ''baby boo''
This message was edited Nov 25, 2008 11:43 AM
Gardengus,
Do you know their names? If you do and have a lot of seeds, I'm certainly interested!
You know, Suzy said she's "not had dirt under her fingernails" since she got off Dave's, which I know to be a bit of an exaggeration as we stopped by to see her on my birthday and while everyone else chatted at the Chicken Limo (yes it was fun, yes I'll find a pic) she and I immediately trotted to the back yard to look at all her babies :) She didn't say anything about planning to gather seeds (this was late July though) so I don't know what kind of gathering she did (other than tender bulbs from the ground), and I believe she's been working on other projects this fall. I can honestly say if I had done the past Piggy Swap I probably wouldn't be looking for seeds for a few years - LOL! She knows three lifetimes more about seeds than I do, and was therefore much more knowledgeable about what she was getting than I was. Remember too, she's an Annual gal...it's possible that she doesn't gather any perennial seeds, but that's wild conjecture on my part.
Gardengus... yes please on the tiny white pumpkins! Too cute to resist!
toofew, those magnus seeds must come true I have a whole hill of them I have those and gooseneck loosestrife fighting it out and the magnus is winning so if you want seeds I can save you some for next year. The magnus is winning lol I won't plant anymore anywhere they spread like crazy! Aren't those the ones they use the roots for medical purposes.
Fairy when I make my leaf beds I just take the hose and wet the top and it holds up to the winds we have a lot of wind on this hill of mine :) I wish I could get out to do leaves the neighbor has piled two big piles of leaves over in his yard and I know he wants to get rid of them but I'm not getting out in 30 degree weather I don't want them that bad lol They are african and I've been trying to figure out a way to comunicate with them I know they don't speak english lol They just moved in.
tcs, I found a partial pack of summer pastels yarrow last night I'm putting in your envelope and thought I had some carnation gold but couldn't find it I may have used all of those, I'll have seeds for that one next year :) And almost forgot I have the fernleaf yellow too :)
Thanks LeBug -- I am getting some Yellows from Lynn, along with some reds .... pastel sounds neat.
that's cool about the Mangus... I know/think i am getting them from someone too.
toofew, you can turn that frown upside down now I ran across a partial pack of 'Jack Flash' silene that I put in your envelope :)
And Neal, I found some 'Tassel Flower' they are from 07' but have been kept in the fridge so they should be fine :) Now both of us can plant them lol I had them on my want list too but didn't remember keeping any seeds, they do have all the chaf with them they are hard to clean! lol
tcs, so do you still want the red and fern leaf ones?
I found a few things in last years seeds on different want lists, I'll dmail everyone later today I have to go to town around 1.
Ahhhhh LeBug - since you've let me be such a piggie - I was going to surprise you with some tassle flower seeds! They ARE hard to clean with all the fuzzy chaf and I didn't know they would be so wanted - so I didn't keep very many. Such a fun little flower!
gardengus, I'd like some of both the pumpkin and squash. I've developed a fondness for growing cucerbits, even the ones I don't particularly like to eat.
Lea, Yayyyy!!! that's awesome on the Tassel flower! I don't mind chaff, don't those that are hard to clean drive you crazy. My Italian White sunflowers differed from other sunflowers that way; the chaff clings to the seeds. I even tried using tweezers to pull the seeds out, but damaged them in the process. A lot fell out on their own, but a lot wouldn't either.