Laurie's Garden Tour

OK - maybe I will get a pack of tomato seeds. But then what do I do? I don't have a greenhouse but I do have space in the house & basement.

Laurie, I'm worried about you - you're sounding almost manic....

Right on Pixy and Laurie. I agree completely with your thoughts. I was 24 in 1960 so I remember it well. My daughter is the same age as John John.

http://www.alchemy-works.com/fall_planting.html

Portland the above is for you - an elegant and easy guide to understanding and trying seeds that need a period of cold (cold striation). Read and enjoy. Mania - I have to say, this time of the year, when it is so muddy out that I had to change 3 times yesterday because my trousers went muddy to the knee - I do get a tad manic. I get tremendously excited ordering from the seed catalogues, and so much so that I had a conversation with DH yesterday about extending the greenhouse to double its size. He never blinked, that is one tough cookie.

Laurie, I found the slightly manic ones to be the most interesting folks I know. It's great to have folks who know how to get exited about something.... even if it just seeds!!! :-p

(sputtering) JUST SEEDS!!!! RED CHIC - seeds!! Our raison d'etre!

You guys are so funny! I tried looking through a seed catalog to see if I would get as excited as some folks here.....though I do admit to some interest in tomato and melon seeds, I experienced no fluttering of the heart or rapid breathing. No sweaty palms or heartfelt longing. Perhaps I will catch the bug with time.

Snow has covered Portland once again. Every tree limb and and horizontal surface is covered, and it is still snowing. So beautiful, but then I have no need to drive today and can spend the day in the kitchen making soup and walking to the coffee shop with my dog. My favorite kind of day!

Everyone have a wonderful Sunday.

Laurie, thank you so much for the seed link! I have downloaded it and will read it today by the fire.

You are a tough sale portland - start with the tomato plants. Its a good choice.

Hey Portland ~ Take heart. Just keep looking through those catalogs and eventually your sympathetic nervous system WILL kick in...trust me. Just take it slowly...it could be hazardous to your health if it kicks in too rapidly! We had a light dusting of snow here last night as well. Quite a surprise as it was supposed to be mostly sunny today. Enjoy your leisurely day!

Laurie...take a deep breath. C'mon...look at me. Hold my hands. Okay...deep...in through the nose, out through the mouth. Again...okay...that's better. Feeling better now? It's okay...just think happy, spring and summer thoughts. Everything issss goooooooooddddd.....

I have been lulling myself to sleep at night (fortunately I have yet to drowned in my own drool) with all the seed, bulb and plant catalogs. Mmmmmm, simple bliss :0)

Rachie...make sure you're lying on your side...that way you won't aspirate the drool!

Noted Sheri thanks for the reminder! I usually have to sleep on my side because Scrappy is hogging the bed and I wouldn't want to disturb his beauty sleep to move him :0)

Sorry Laurie, I wasn't meaning to imply that seeds were anything less. Just comparing them to say .... how excited people get when they get a new house or something like that! :-p Please don't choke on anything. But, see what I mean... It's fun that you're wound up!!!

Speaking of seeds. Has anyone ever grown those red carrots from seed? I was thinking of trying the red and/or purple ones from seed. I just have to find a way to grow them that the critters won't be able to get to them.

Those little critters would be in heaven. 'Oh, look, what redchic planted for us. Isn't she a dear?'

lol.... yep, that's exactly what would be going through their little pea minds!!

All you seed people are ruining America. Think about the economy and the survival of your local nurseries. Each plant you buy took you no time to raise and voila it is ready for you garden. No a dinky weaken seed but a happy ready to go plant. Think about you favorite nursery personnel who will be laid off, think about the boring lack of variety that each new plant brings to the garden. Ohh you who worship the Obama man. Think Capitalism not self survival. Make America great again with plant PURCHASES at the nursery. LOL

Too funny Sofer! how are your sinuses now anyhow?

Laurie, I was wondering if you've had a chance to show your DH the picture of that insulator yet and if he knew anything about it?

I guess they are fine now. But flying yesterday on the Jet was not fun descending to sea level here in Juneau. The moist air is good for the healing. Beautiful day here went up on the Glacier and watched people skating on the smooth ice. Then a walk on the beach to see the sights and sounds of the inside passage.

Soferdig, if it makes you feel any better, I placed an order for actual plants.... and also for seeds. Spend money! Keep American beautiful!! Oh, and I serviced two of my local bookstores today

Okay, I'm going to go out on a limb here, Laurie, so be alert. We're talking about seeds now. Couldn't you winter sow them? Seems like that would be the easiest way to do it since you are still cold there, too. In particular, the ones from the U.S. could be winter sown.

Here is one of my purchases tonight: http://www.greenbeampro.com/content/view/1509/205/ I had to try it. Lucky Laurie will have no trouble locating seed in England. Only a few U.S. companies carry it, and it's on the pricey side. Still, it has really high germination rates so who cares? I got mine from Harris Seed. Johnny's Seeds has it, too, but their shipping is really high for the amount I was going to spend.

Now, also, as a service to my gardening addicts, er, friends, I will tell you that Hortus botanicus is currently offering a real steal on their very cool seeds from last year. I am off to order some. See you there. Just keeping that economy clicking along...www.hortusb.com


Whoops....:( I think I waited too long. Don't see it listed anymore. Rats.

This message was edited Jan 25, 2009 10:46 PM

I did my share for the economy last fall purchasing daffodil and crocus bulbs, and a few other types. I purposely didn't add up the total from 4 different companies so I wouldn't freak myself out about how much I had spent on flowers. Those voles better not be out there eating them, but I think they are. I just do not like the trapping routine...feel so heartless. There are a few things I want from Hortus botanicus, but I recently paid a couple big bills, electricity, etc. and I have to maintain the checking account before spending more on plants. It simply would not do, Sofer, to bolster the economy with an excess of plant purchases only as a result to be unable to pay the mortgage and join throngs of Americans in foreclosure.

I just set back and read and get the giggles, of you guys.
I have no clue what I doing this year. I have so many left over projects to get done and all that new space to clear, and a GH full of plants (that have made it so far this winter) And a box full of seeds I want to get started and now place to start them. And no time time to do it, the weather sucks. Okay I'm done having a fit.

redchic, I completely forgot. He was Spain all last week, and it slipped my mind. Have just run down stairs with the computer to show him while he is doing the dishes (good man) and he is stumped. Says that he can't see the purpose of the glass with the cast pieces (assumes they are iron if a magnet sticks to them), and feels the glass wouldn't be strong enough to be stablizers as I suggested (so much for me!). thought they might be nautical?

So, we are out.

Pix, I don't understand why your seeds would be available here - says they are australian. They are a different continent from us, and they don't necessarily share.

Rach, I, um, well, um... not exactly the elegant image that I have of you. But I do understand about the seeds and the effect they have - sad. They so ruin ones refinement.

Sofer - alas. SEEEEEEEDDDDDDSSSS.

Thanks so much for asking him Laurie, I really appreciate it! So my search for the story of the odd thing in my yard continues. Nautical? Hmm.... now wouldn't that be a story! I fully understand how an electrical insulator could get here. But nautical, that would definitely add a little history to the area here!

rc..is there a historical museum in Oakridge, don't remember one, but sometimes they're small. They might have an idea what it is.

That's a good plan Sally, I certainly could ask them. There is a museum in Oakridge. It's located right by what used to be the "main street" in town and all the business were there. Then as the hiway became the "main street" and most of the businesses moved, the museum was left behind. I was trying to think of anything else in that had been in the area that might use insulators. The train is across the river, and a short distance from there. There also used to be a dam up river of me. Might either of those two use insulators?

Well, they (The aussies) are probably still holding a bit of a grudge against you guys for banishing them to the ends of the earth! I did find my seeds, but many more British websites came up than American when I was searching for them. There are lots of plants you can get readily that we cannot, and vice versa I'm sure. Of course, I am my own worst enemy because I look at so many British gardening books and then find plants I begin to die for.
My latest quest is for Eryngium pandanifolium 'Physic Purple', a dark purple/red strain from the Chelsea Physic garden. I MUST have it!!! The color! The Form!! It must be mine. I can get plain old E. pandanifolium seeds, of course, but what fun would that be? I must have the ones from the Physic Garden with their stunning color. The search is on!

This message was edited Jan 26, 2009 8:28 PM

And it sounds as if it will be successful if desire and enthusiasm counts for anything. LOL

Pixie, must you have seeds? or would finding a plant do?

Now we find out just how strong the desire is.

A plant would certainly do. So far I have not found any websites that offer either one. I find references to this plant, but nothing for sale. I am about to go in deep into British Seed Stalking mode. I believe all the seed available may be from private gardens of people who got this seed from other people, who got it from someone who once visited.... you get the idea. I would be willing to trade American seed for this British Seed. Or maybe even American cultivars of hellebores, who knows??

wow. Sally.... I think that the desire is strong, very, very strong! teehee. Pixie.... Maybe you can get Laurie on the hunt for you since she's closer to the source??

I hope you have better luck finding the plant than I did trying to find a picture, googled it, mostly what they did was describe how beautiful it is, but no pictures. Even the Chelsea Physic garden site just had a description.

Yep, you're right rc, very, very, strong. LOL

tee hee.....

very strong. However when plant addicts unit to find something... then strength in numbers usually wins the battle!

OH a DG challenge!! That makes it more interesting yet.

I've gone so far as to look at the list of DG members from UK and begin looking at their trade lists. But first, I will wait for ideas from Laurie. I've also perused the lists of seeds offered through companies who come up as selling rare flower seeds in the UK. Here's a very poor photo of the entire plant and you can see that it is large and needs to be kept tidy to look its best. The variety I want has magenta/purple flowers.

http://www.cfgphoto.com/img12711.htm

Thanks Pix, that is a very large plant and I bet the magenta flowers would be striking!
I sure you saw this, no picture though.


http://homebase.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/perennials/eryngium-pandanifolium-physic-purple/classid.2000010183/

Yes, I did, but they don't mail to the U.S. :( No fear. where there is a will, there is a way.

On the rhs website it says that Cotswold Nursery has it, but when I go to their website it's not listed. http://www.rhs.org.uk/rhsplantfinder/pfregions.asp?ID=201744

Thanks alot Pixy :0) , now that I have started looking for it I found three other species/cultivars that I would love to have;
Eryngium planum 'Blauer Zwerg' http://homebase.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/perennials/other-perennials/eryngium-planum-blauer-zwerg/classid.78191/
Eryngium bourgatii 'Picos Amethyst' http://homebase.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/perennials/eryngium-bourgatii-picos-amethyst/classid.2000005410/
Eryngium × zabelii 'Jos Eijking' (PBR) http://homebase.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/perennials/eryngium-×-zabelii-jos-eijking-pbr/classid.2000008656/

Oh they are all so pretty!

Here are some better photos of the plant. It's really a handsome one!
Yes, i've already been to the RHS website and had the same trouble. Check out. E. proteiflorum - has flowers like a protea. Basically, eryngiums fill my need for spikey, deserty looking plants. I have E. agavifolium, and the one they call 'rattlesnake master', which I almost destroyed by trying to divide it. It has taken years for it to come back and I think I'm going to get seeds for it and start some more. I have a ton of babies in the garden for the E. planum variety with the steely blue flowers if anyone wants to come get them in the spring.

Me,me, me (jumping in the air excitedly!)

By the way Pix your forgot to attach the pics in all of your excitement :0)