Gardening

[Iggy aka IG]

Hi there, awesome SS ladies (and gentleman, LOL).

Shall we start a gardening thread?  (I searched for one first and found a 2-year-old thread under Hobbies.)

I'll start:  We're at a high elevation, so it's finally planting time!  Sometime this week I'm going to pick up pepper, cucumber, lavender, basil and parsley starters.  Oh, and probably zucchini.  How about you? 

[empress of self-improvement]

There's a Lawn & Garden thread under YM Off Topic. Just so you know.😀

[empress of self-improvement]

Well, if we ever have a spring, frickin' RAIN!!!!!!!, I'm planning to mow my yard and at some point start a new giant bed. I'm hiring a handyman within the next week and he'll help me move my shed first.
I need to drop my sunflower seeds soon but would prefer to be DRY!! Sorry, getting a little frustrated with all the rain.

[Iggy aka IG]

empress of self-improvement, guess it's just you and me, buddy. 

[empress of self-improvement]

Guess so. Soooo, growing any pot? I went to school at CSU a billion years ago and a guy was growing 'shrooms in his dorm room.

[Iggy aka IG]

Jun 7, 2017 16:50:41 GMT -5 empress of self-improvement said:

Guess so. Soooo, growing any pot? I went to school at CSU a billion years ago and a guy was growing 'shrooms in his dorm room.

[empress of self-improvement]

How much land does the new place have? Are the beds all set to go or do you have to make them? I'm getting my shed moved in the next few weeks and then I'll be able to do my bed. For now I have a twin size bed frame I picked up off the curb and am going to make into a raised bed for the zucchini. Just need to put a coat of waterproofer on first so the thing doesn't warp silly in one season. I have a pallet in it and will lay down the screen and soil after that.
I also need to go plant my sunflower seeds. Now that it's stopped raining I can. Tomorrow.

[empress of self-improvement]

Actually, it's legal and all to smoke it there but what are the growing regulations like? I know they keep changing rules here and it's still illegal to grow at home but CO. is definitely more advanced in the regs than MA.

[Iggy aka IG]

There's a ton of land, but Mom Nature will need to tend to most of it.  Some irrigated acres, which the deer can help themselves to.  We've got 3 raised beds and they already have a few interesting things growing in them.  The seller said the purple bulbous headed plants are basil or something else...?  IDK, I need to buy a book, I think, LOL.

Nice! Have a blast tomorrow! 

[Iggy aka IG]

Jun 7, 2017 16:56:51 GMT -5 empress of self-improvement said:

Actually, it's legal and all to smoke it there but what are the growing regulations like? I know they keep changing rules here and it's still illegal to grow at home but CO. is definitely more advanced in the regs than MA.

6 for personal use, I think.  I'm not going to Google it... Ha. 

[Sharon]

I picked a quart and a half of strawberries out of my backyard garden tonight.  The strawberries are just starting to come on so I know there will be many more.  It also looks like I will have a bumper crop of raspberries and boysenberries this year. 

Because of all the rain we have had this spring the garden was late going in but the beans have sprouted, one of the tomato plants has a blossom.  I also have broccoli, spaghetti squash, a couple banana pepper plants and lettuce.  Will probably also plant some radishes and green onion seeds since i have them laying around the house.

[busymom]

I'm waiting to see if our raspberry bushes produce this year.  They're getting old, so DH & I decided if we don't get much this year we're going to pull them up.  Waiting on our strawberry plants, too.  We've got a lot of plants, but the weather has turned hot too quickly (we've already hit the 90's once, & we're supposed to get that high again this weekend), so we're already watering.


We've planted sweet corn, carrots, radishes, cucumbers and I picked up green pepper & tomato plants at our local greenhouse.  We can usually stagger plantings of pea pods, & most likely we'll put in a couple of pumpkin seeds, too.  

[Iggy aka IG]

Jun 7, 2017 22:07:21 GMT -5 Sharon said:

I picked a quart and a half of strawberries out of my backyard garden tonight.  The strawberries are just starting to come on so I know there will be many more.  It also looks like I will have a bumper crop of raspberries and boysenberries this year. 

Because of all the rain we have had this spring the garden was late going in but the beans have sprouted, one of the tomato plants has a blossom.  I also have broccoli, spaghetti squash, a couple banana pepper plants and lettuce.  Will probably also plant some radishes and green onion seeds since i have them laying around the house.

[Tennesseer]

Some front yard pics and a few of the cats who live in my backyard.








Species lillies about to bloom. Its seeds grow up the side of the stalk and then fall to the ground. They germinate to a fault.



This little one was born in February of this year.


If you look to the right of the tree stump in the greenery, you will see two eyes peeping through it.

[busymom]

I don't have any pictures to share, but my iris are blooming early. I have some that are all yellow in the backyard, and some that are a combination of purple & yellow out front.  



Tennesseer, your flowers are beautiful!  

[Tennesseer]

Thank you, busymom . I don't have to do a darn thing with that front garden. Just clean it up after the first hard freeze and then wait for spring and it all grows back. I had to dig up and give away some of those lily bulbs as there were so many. Even the four-o'clocks come back every year. The ground is warm enough for its tubers to survive our winters.

[chiver78]

I don't think I'm getting a garden in this year. had those nice 2 weeks at the start of April gone any longer, I could have probably planted some seeds. I think it's too late now for seeds, and the yard needs way more other work than my little garden square. bummer.  I think if I can do a cleanup before the winter, maybe throw down some poison for the weeds, I might be able to construct raised beds over the winter and just place them when it all melts again. 

thoughts? I'll put up a pic of my little square tomorrow when I can take one in daylight. it's very much in the shade. 

[busymom]

Jun 8, 2017 21:08:47 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Thank you, busymom . I don't have to do a darn thing with that front garden. Just clean it up after the first hard freeze and then wait for spring and it all grows back. I had to dig up and give away some of those lily bulbs as there were so many. Even the four-o'clocks come back every year. The ground is warm enough for its tubers to survive our winters.

   I LOVE four-o'clocks!  My Mother had those in her garden when I was growing up.  I noticed this week someone about a mile from my house had peony bushes that were blooming.  Mom had 3 different varieties on her property.

[Tennesseer]

Jun 8, 2017 21:25:45 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

I don't think I'm getting a garden in this year. had those nice 2 weeks at the start of April gone any longer, I could have probably planted some seeds. I think it's too late now for seeds, and the yard needs way more other work than my little garden square. bummer.  I think if I can do a cleanup before the winter, maybe throw down some poison for the weeds, I might be able to construct raised beds over the winter and just place them when it all melts again. 

thoughts? I'll put up a pic of my little square tomorrow when I can take one in daylight. it's very much in the shade. 

Pot up a few things for some color or veggies.

[chiver78]

Jun 8, 2017 21:36:07 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Jun 8, 2017 21:25:45 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

I don't think I'm getting a garden in this year. had those nice 2 weeks at the start of April gone any longer, I could have probably planted some seeds. I think it's too late now for seeds, and the yard needs way more other work than my little garden square. bummer.  I think if I can do a cleanup before the winter, maybe throw down some poison for the weeds, I might be able to construct raised beds over the winter and just place them when it all melts again. 

thoughts? I'll put up a pic of my little square tomorrow when I can take one in daylight. it's very much in the shade. 

Pot up a few things for some color or veggies.

for this year? or next?  this is in the fenced-in backyard, in the corner. doesn't really matter to me if it looks good. haha. I was asking more for thoughts on how to prep for next year. I see now that I didn't say what I was looking to plant - this will be veggies. it's enclosed with a fine gauge chicken wire, although the only creatures dumb enough to enter the backyard these days are the squirrels coming down from the overhanging tree....and they backtrack the way they came. 

[dee27]

Jun 7, 2017 17:00:01 GMT -5 Iggy aka IG said:

There's a ton of land, but Mom Nature will need to tend to most of it.  Some irrigated acres, which the deer can help themselves to.  We've got 3 raised beds and they already have a few interesting things growing in them.  The seller said the purple bulbous headed plants are basil or something else...?  IDK, I need to buy a book, I think, LOL.

Nice! Have a blast tomorrow! 

Chives?  forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/1935083/blooming-chiveschop-off-their-heads-pic-included

[busymom]

Back when DH & I were first married, we lived in an apartment with a balcony that got sunlight for about 1/2 the day.  I got some planters (rectangular), & we got some flowers growing.     I think one year we also tried growing either beans or pea pods using the planters, too.


chiver78, do you have an area where you could plant some bulbs this Fall, so you'd have something to look forward to next Spring?  If it's any consolation, it took us several years here to get the soil rich enough for vegetables or flowers to grow well.  

[Tennesseer]

Jun 8, 2017 21:39:24 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

Jun 8, 2017 21:36:07 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Pot up a few things for some color or veggies.

for this year? or next?  this is in the fenced-in backyard, in the corner. doesn't really matter to me if it looks good. haha. I was asking more for thoughts on how to prep for next year. I see now that I didn't say what I was looking to plant - this will be veggies. it's enclosed with a fine gauge chicken wire, although the only creatures dumb enough to enter the backyard these days are the squirrels coming down from the overhanging tree....and they backtrack the way they came. 

Can you pot up a couple of tomato plants for this year? Or some cucumbers? Put a couple of stakes in the post to help them climb.

I made islands for shrubs and flowers over existing lawn grass. I created the islands 'lasagna' style: Outlined the area I wanted ornamental vegetation with garden hoses. Then I killed the grass within the hose outline. Once the grass was dead, I covered it with newspaper several sheets deep (smothered any seeds that might want to sprout). Then I applied some pine nugget mulch. Atop that mulch I covered it with several inches of compost and atop that, several inches garden soil. After all that was laid down, I then covered it all with another several inches of mulch (your choice of color).

All that was done in early fall. I just let it sit over winter and let the rains and occasional snow water it all in. Come spring, the areas were primed for planting. It worked.

[Tennesseer]

If anyone lives in the upper south, middle south (me), lower south, or coastal south, this is a good garden book to buy. Based upon which area of the south you live, and based upon the conditions of your property (sunny, shady, wet, dry, etc.) it lists the plants, shrubs, and trees which would grow best under those conditions.

I bought it years ago and it is really handy.

[dee27]

Tenn, your garden is gorgeous!


Iggy, you can buy a flower blanket that is already seeded. You rake the dirt underneath, lay down the blanket and water it. In a few weeks, you have the start of lots of wild flowers and the birds usually do not peck at the seeds. 

Types: homeguides.sfgate.com/types-flowers-wildflower-seed-mat-67112.html

Purchase: www.amazon.com/Garden-Butterfly-Mat-Instant-Flowers/dp/B001V9P8LU

search.wdrake.com/catalog/Wildflower-Seed-Mat 

[chiver78]

busymom - I have flower beds in my front yard that are all set with perennials and green shrubs. I do have a pair of (full sun) planters on my front steps that need some new annuals, but I'll split a pair of 6pks between the two, usually a low ivy-ish/sweet potato vine and a taller flowering plant. 

Tenn - I don't really have anywhere to put the pots, if I'm going to work to kill the crap in the allotted space. I'm okay with putting it off another year, especially if I end up changing jobs again (my site is being sold, just waiting on the details...) and don't get to keep my current hours with mornings free. if that happens, I'll end up pulling the chicken wire and just calling it a day. 

[countrygirl2]

My garden is at least 70 ft long and 50 or so wide. I planted a row of various types of onions, one of potatoes. Separately

sweet potatoes as they took over the garden last year.

A row of a dozen cabbages, peas, red, yellow, and green pepper, an eggplant. Cucumbers, some zucchini, spinash, and

a row at least of tomatoes. Also a row of green beans. I downsized this year so have a couple rows of flowers out.

Hollyhocks, 4 oclocks, sunflowers, some straw type flowers, not sure what else, but various kinds. It's very dry so

I watered about half of it today. Will make the weeds grow like crazy will need to weed before I leave next week.

I need cukes, cabbage, green tomatoes, and peppers to make relish and onions. Also make bread and butter pickles.

Also make spaghetti sauce so tomatoes, onions, garlic I buy, and celery purchased. We love it and I'm out. I think

there is juice left and some canned and stewed tomatoes from last year.

I put up 2 flats of strawberries, buy them from the grower, man, this year $25 a flat, can get them cheaper if you pick

but no thanks. I did blueberries last year and raspberries but we don't eat that many of those, likely won't this year.

Doubt my peaches do much between the squirrels and deer and the apple trees never set anything this year. The grape

vines are trying to come back from being moved and hubbys poisoning. Would like to make grape jelly. They were just

getting ready to go gangbusters, and we built a new garage couple of years ago and I had to move them, they have

never recovered. Also we buy at least 20 doz or more ears of corn to put up in the freezer. I know my years of gardening

and canning are coming to an end. Next year may buy from the amish east of us and still can. Not sure how much longer,

we will sure miss good quality home raised and prepared foods.

Also buy apples and can, make stewed apples and sauce, can and freeze peaches for pies and cobblers.

[Iggy aka IG]

Tennesseer, wow.  What a gorgeous yard!  And the cats aren't too shabby, either. 

[Tennesseer]

Jun 9, 2017 10:00:45 GMT -5 Iggy aka IG said:

Tennesseer, wow.  What a gorgeous yard!  And the cats aren't too shabby, either. 

Thanks. Cropping out the not so good in the photos works great!

[kadee79]

My garden didn't do very well this year, I'm talking veggies.  The only thing that produced enough to "put by" has been the bell peppers & herbs.  I've been cleaning it out and I left some mater plants...they now have blooms on them.  If I'm really lucky, I 'might' get one or two before our first frost.

Flower beds are a mess since I wasn't able to do much of anything last fall & nothing this summer due to either heat or medical issues.  Have been working on a few of the smaller ones as I go.  Since we saw some guys raking/hand baling pine straw down the road a ways...we bought 50 bales from them...so I have  mulch when I get the beds cleaned out.  I have wheat straw for the veggie beds.

Working the last few days getting the compost out of old bins (about 3 yr. old compost) and into my veggie beds.  It's going to take longer & more work than I had planned.  These old bins were made from free pallets & the termites have eaten them.  DH built me some new ones this past spring that are awesome and made with treated lumber and we laid down an old pool plastic under them to keep them off the soil too.