Gardening

[greenthumb59]

I am so happy the milkweed seeds are sprouting!  I've tried to start them indoors a few times and it just didn't work before. 

I had some rosemary seeds from last year.  So I've started them too.

I love to grow herbs.  I used to keep a big pot of them on the deck.  But the tree close to the deck keeps it in shade too much for the herbs now.  So I grow them out in the yard.  I have thyme, oregano, and rosemary.  I grow basil each year in the garden, and last year I tried dill.

The thyme does great.  The oregano dies back each fall but comes back in the spring.  But the rosemary has been killed the last three winters here by the very cold weather spells we've had.

So this past year I planted one rosemary on the south side of our house.  It's a narrow little part of the side yard where the large gate on the privacy fence is located.  DH doesn't want anything planted there "cause we need to get a truck in the backyard."  We have been in this house 25 years and I can count on one hand the number of times there has been a vehicle in our backyard.  So I said screw it and planted the rosemary.  Checked it yesterday and it's still alive.  So it's a good sheltered place for it.

I plan to have a whole row of rosemary there.  Maybe it will bloom too.  That would be cool.

[Pink Cashmere]

Jan 30, 2024 10:38:06 GMT -5 greenthumb59 said:

I am so happy the milkweed seeds are sprouting!  I've tried to start them indoors a few times and it just didn't work before. 

I had some rosemary seeds from last year.  So I've started them too.

I love to grow herbs.  I used to keep a big pot of them on the deck.  But the tree close to the deck keeps it in shade too much for the herbs now.  So I grow them out in the yard.  I have thyme, oregano, and rosemary.  I grow basil each year in the garden, and last year I tried dill.

The thyme does great.  The oregano dies back each fall but comes back in the spring.  But the rosemary has been killed the last three winters here by the very cold weather spells we've had.

So this past year I planted one rosemary on the south side of our house.  It's a narrow little part of the side yard where the large gate on the privacy fence is located.  DH doesn't want anything planted there "cause we need to get a truck in the backyard."  We have been in this house 25 years and I can count on one hand the number of times there has been a vehicle in our backyard.  So I said screw it and planted the rosemary.  Checked it yesterday and it's still alive.  So it's a good sheltered place for it.

I plan to have a whole row of rosemary there.  Maybe it will bloom too.  That would be cool.

One thing I have been consistent with since we moved here, is having at least one rosemary plant on the deck every summer. Even though that means I buy new rosemary plants every spring. There is always one next to my favorite seat on the deck, and at least one other somewhere else. I like rubbing my hand on the plant right next to me, and smelling it. I also like it being so easily available to use when we cook. 

I grew oregano and basil in my raised beds last summer. Unfortunately, most of it went to waste, because I did not learn how to dry and preserve the herbs, like I wanted to.

I’ve had rosemary plants bloom, so I agree that would be cool if yours bloom. 

[happyhoix]

I got the peas in, and Mother Nature smiled on me by sending some rain.

Now I just need to wait 62 days and hope the bunnies leave them alone.

[greenthumb59]

I just spoke with my milkweed seedings.  Come on guys, you can do it!  I have quite a few that sprouted and I separated some into different pots last week.  They look okay - a little sunshine would not hurt anything.

I have a few rosemary seeds sprout as well.  They are still really tiny.  I'm keeping them covered for now.

Light snow this morning, but nothing is sticking.  Yesterday I noticed my lungwort was starting to come out.  I covered it and several hellebores that are blooming.  Tomorrow it will be 56 and sunny.  My poor plants think it is springtime.

I have so much cleaning up to do in the yard.  I should be able to get started on it this week!

[greenthumb59]

It's a beautiful day!  I've been clearing out the leaves and dead stalks from one of my flower beds.  This is the time of year when I see what made it through the winter, and sadly what didn't.  On the didn't make it list - my rose campion.  I am bummed about it.  But one of neighbors always has a lot in her yard, and I'm sure she wouldn't mind giving me a few starters for this year.

Each fall I throw a bunch of wildflower seeds out in my designated flower beds.  Some years I have a lot of beautiful spring blooms.  Other years - like this year - I am not seeing many coming up at all.  I usually just scatter larkspur, bachelor buttons, and red poppy.  Seeing a few larkspur and that's about it.  Shoot.  I have plenty of seeds so I'll scatter some more out this week.

The milkweed starts look pretty good.  The rosemary starts not so much.  Me and the cat are having a turf war over the only south facing windowsill I have.  My starts are there, and she wants to sit there too.  I've made a little room for her to sit.  She is still not happy about it.

[Pink Cashmere]

Today has been a lazy day for me, and I’ve spent a good portion of the day trying to get serious about my gardening plans. 

I have waited too late to start my onion seeds. But since they are one of the few seeds that apparently don’t do well with storing them for too long, imma still do something with them and just see what happens. I’ve already made up my mind that it’s just an experiment, so I won’t be too vested in the outcome.

I have some Brandywine tomato seeds that I need to get going soon. That is the only heirloom I am going to try, and it will be my first time with an heirloom variety, I’ve only ever grown hybrids. Idk where I’ll put it when it’s time to transplant it, I’d like to keep it away from the other tomato plants I want to grow. 

Idk where imma put anything this growing season. Since I don’t know what I am doing anyway, I feel like it’s probably best to heed the advice about rotating crops and not growing the same thing in the same place every year. I grew tomatoes in the 2’ deep container on the ground that DS helped me set up last year, I feel like it’s probably best not to grow them again in that same container again this year. 

I was thinking I could grow the black eye peas I have, in that container this year, but greenthumb59 has me nervous about growing them period, after having shared the potential issue with wasps. 

I learned last summer, that I’d really rather not grow green beans in any container or situation, where I’d have to spend a lot of time bending or kneeling, trying to harvest the beans. The big raised bed with legs that I grew the green beans in last summer, was ideal, for several reasons. So I am not sure where to grow them (and more!) again this year either.

What I do know, is that I’m still not willing to grow any vegetables directly in the ground lol. Besides the fact that I would have to get a survey to learn where I can safely dig in my backyard since there’s a lot going on underground back there, that is also too much, way too soon, while I am still trying to wrap my mind around dealing with insects if I want to grow vegetables. I have gotten a little braver, but not that much.

When I say there’s a lot going on underground in our back yard, it’s for real. All of our utility lines are buried, and there are gas lines and shit buried on our property, to the point that the covenant that was included when we bought the house, specifically forbade us from ever installing an in ground pool. Even though the T’s next door have one, as do other homes throughout the neighborhood.

Anyway, until I really started doing my homework, I thought that where I live is ideal for growing vegetables. And for some vegetables it is, minus the pests and critters. But I have learned since then, that our brutally hot summers aren’t good for a lot of vegetables, and the humidity poses potential issues even for vegetables that thrive in or can at least tolerate the heat.

It seems like trying to just figure out flowers was easier lol.

[greenthumb59]

I've been taking advantage of the nice weather.  But wearing a t-shirt outside in February is just a little crazy.  It's supposed to be 77 degrees here tomorrow!

I have a bush called Turk's Cap, which is very pretty.  My late sister gave me a start for it when we bought our house in 1996.  It blooms in the late summer and butterflies/hummingbirds just love it.  The plant dies back to the ground each winter, so I have to trim those dead stalks off.  I did that this week, and pulled up some roots for one of my neighbors.  I always love sharing plants!

I am about finished cleaning up the front yard.  The back yard - with the garden - is going to be a big job.  We are planning to get more bales for the straw bale garden later on this week.  But we need to move the bales from last year first.  DH wants to till them into the ground, and put some on the compost.   I need to get our little tiller out and clean it up before we start using it. My potato and shallot starts will be here soon, and I want to be ready for them.  DH bought some purple onion starts, so I have to figure out where those are going!  

I watered all the new trees and bushes today.  I also watered the beds where I sowed some more wildflower seeds.  It is just too dry here already!  I bought a few more soaker hoses this week.  They really helped cut down on our water bill last summer!

Pink Cashmere it is a good idea to rotate your crops around every year or so.  I'm planning to put tomatoes and peppers in different places this year.  No purple hull peas for me - too many wasps!  

I have a lot of flower seeds started in the sunroom.  The cat and I continue to argue over the south facing windowsill.  She is plotting something - I can just tell!

[Tennesseer]

Pink Cashmere - try growing okra.  If nothing else, the plants have pretty flowers.  Planted some seeds here in the ground years ago and they were easy to tend to.

[soupandstew]

Feb 25, 2024 18:06:24 GMT -5 Pink Cashmere said:

Today has been a lazy day for me, and I’ve spent a good portion of the day trying to get serious about my gardening plans. 

I have waited too late to start my onion seeds. But since they are one of the few seeds that apparently don’t do well with storing them for too long, imma still do something with them and just see what happens. I’ve already made up my mind that it’s just an experiment, so I won’t be too vested in the outcome.

I have some Brandywine tomato seeds that I need to get going soon. That is the only heirloom I am going to try, and it will be my first time with an heirloom variety, I’ve only ever grown hybrids. Idk where I’ll put it when it’s time to transplant it, I’d like to keep it away from the other tomato plants I want to grow. 

Idk where imma put anything this growing season. Since I don’t know what I am doing anyway, I feel like it’s probably best to heed the advice about rotating crops and not growing the same thing in the same place every year. I grew tomatoes in the 2’ deep container on the ground that DS helped me set up last year, I feel like it’s probably best not to grow them again in that same container again this year. 

I was thinking I could grow the black eye peas I have, in that container this year, but greenthumb59 has me nervous about growing them period, after having shared the potential issue with wasps. 

I learned last summer, that I’d really rather not grow green beans in any container or situation, where I’d have to spend a lot of time bending or kneeling, trying to harvest the beans. The big raised bed with legs that I grew the green beans in last summer, was ideal, for several reasons. So I am not sure where to grow them (and more!) again this year either.

What I do know, is that I’m still not willing to grow any vegetables directly in the ground lol. Besides the fact that I would have to get a survey to learn where I can safely dig in my backyard since there’s a lot going on underground back there, that is also too much, way too soon, while I am still trying to wrap my mind around dealing with insects if I want to grow vegetables. I have gotten a little braver, but not that much.

When I say there’s a lot going on underground in our back yard, it’s for real. All of our utility lines are buried, and there are gas lines and shit buried on our property, to the point that the covenant that was included when we bought the house, specifically forbade us from ever installing an in ground pool. Even though the T’s next door have one, as do other homes throughout the neighborhood.

Anyway, until I really started doing my homework, I thought that where I live is ideal for growing vegetables. And for some vegetables it is, minus the pests and critters. But I have learned since then, that our brutally hot summers aren’t good for a lot of vegetables, and the humidity poses potential issues even for vegetables that thrive in or can at least tolerate the heat.

It seems like trying to just figure out flowers was easier lol.

I know I'm in Houston and you aren't, BUT you are probably safe in planting veggies anywhere on your property because utilities are normally buried far deeper than any veggie garden for safety reasons.  The rule of thumb is that sewer lines are the deepest (you don't want sewage leaking onto anything below it), maybe water lines next, then natural gas lines, and finally underground electric.  Here, my underground electric is 21 inches down, with natural gas, water, and sewer below that.  Sewer is roughly 6 feet below the surface.  Most veggie beds are 12-14 inches deep at most.  

[soupandstew]

Feb 25, 2024 19:16:59 GMT -5 greenthumb59 said:

I've been taking advantage of the nice weather.  But wearing a t-shirt outside in February is just a little crazy.  It's supposed to be 77 degrees here tomorrow!

I have a bush called Turk's Cap, which is very pretty.  My late sister gave me a start for it when we bought our house in 1996.  It blooms in the late summer and butterflies/hummingbirds just love it.  The plant dies back to the ground each winter, so I have to trim those dead stalks off.  I did that this week, and pulled up some roots for one of my neighbors.  I always love sharing plants!

I am about finished cleaning up the front yard.  The back yard - with the garden - is going to be a big job.  We are planning to get more bales for the straw bale garden later on this week.  But we need to move the bales from last year first.  DH wants to till them into the ground, and put some on the compost.   I need to get our little tiller out and clean it up before we start using it. My potato and shallot starts will be here soon, and I want to be ready for them.  DH bought some purple onion starts, so I have to figure out where those are going!  

I watered all the new trees and bushes today.  I also watered the beds where I sowed some more wildflower seeds.  It is just too dry here already!  I bought a few more soaker hoses this week.  They really helped cut down on our water bill last summer!

Pink Cashmere it is a good idea to rotate your crops around every year or so.  I'm planning to put tomatoes and peppers in different places this year.  No purple hull peas for me - too many wasps!  

I have a lot of flower seeds started in the sunroom.  The cat and I continue to argue over the south facing windowsill.  She is plotting something - I can just tell!

Years ago I planted a Turk's Cap, a variety called Big Momma.  I soon found out that it was well named because it took over 3/4 of the huge bed I planted it in.  When I checked, that variety was a hybrid with one giant parent.  

[ken a.k.a OMK]

The Walmart has it's seed display up. Time to plan my garden.

[greenthumb59]

Bagging leaves this morning.  The breeze is from the south this morning, so it is royally screwing with my bagging process.  I may just say f* it and let DH mow them into mulch.  Most years this is what we end up doing.

I need to repot the milkweed seedings again.  They are doing pretty well.  I promised some plants to my SIL. 

I have a bunch of seeds going now.  We still need to buy our new straw bales and get the garden set up.  

I have given up on growing rosemary seeds.  I have maybe two tiny plants going?  I want a huge bed of rosemary, so I bought a couple of nursery plants at Walmart yesterday.  

Also got more soaker hoses.  These things are worth the trouble.  We installed a soaking hose system on the raised bed, the straw bales, and the inground garden last year.  I could not believe how much water and money we saved!  So I'm getting more of those for the flower beds this year.  

[happyhoix]

Well I had just about given up on the English peas but suddenly they are here, two raised beds of them about two inches tall. Whoo hoo!

Going to put in new mulch paper and rubber mulch around the raised beds today. Last year weeds ripped through the old mulch paper and started thrusting themselves all over. Stupid weeds.

[greenthumb59]

Had to gently remind my DH today that HE wanted the in-ground garden, and HE wanted the straw bale garden, and WE need to get to work on those things.  He was about to take his second nap of the day.  He got the hint, got dressed, and helped me out some outside.  I'm not in a tremendous hurry to get it all done, but just wasting your day playing on the xBox annoys the shit out of me when there is stuff to do!

[Tennesseer]

I keep digging and planting day lily roots with the expectation of rain in the forecast to water them it.  No friggin' rain yet again.

[ken a.k.a OMK]

We got 1.5" of rain Wednesday and my back yard was flooded. 

[Tennesseer]

Mar 7, 2024 17:49:44 GMT -5 ken a.k.a OMK said:

We got 1.5" of rain Wednesday and my back yard was flooded. 

That's a lot.

I guess we have a good chance of rain tomorrow. Time will tell. We are in moderate drought conditjons.

[greenthumb59]

We got some rain today.  Walked the dog and the granddog in the rain (babysitting granddog).  Rained enough for me to move a few small plants around.

We are supposed to get more rain tomorrow.  Maybe even thunderstorms.  My cat is scared of thunderstorms!

[ken a.k.a OMK]

March weather is backwards. Not "in like a lion and out like a lamb." We had nice 70° weather last week. Now nights of 30° and windy. The USDA just changed my planting zone from 7B to 8. I'm not going to follow that yet. No flower seeding until the soil is 55°.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Spent an hour walking around tulip fields today.

[NoNamePerson]

Knee Deep in Water Chloe. That takes my breathe away and it’s just a picture. I can’t imagine what it must look like live. Green with envy right now. 

[Happy prose]

My daffodils are blooming, and the deer didn't eat them! I now bought a potted hyacinth. After the flowers bloom, canI plant in garden? Will anything eat it? I'm in south Jersey, and lots of deer.

[Tennesseer]

Mar 28, 2024 16:01:41 GMT -5 Happy prose said:

My daffodils are blooming, and the deer didn't eat them! I now bought a potted hyacinth. After the flowers bloom, canI plant in garden? Will anything eat it? I'm in south Jersey, and lots of deer.

"Hyacinths are deer-resistant
Hyacinths are deer-resistant12. The bulbs are poisonous to deer, squirrels, and other bulb-eaters2. The pungent smell of hyacinths drives the deer away, and at the same time, its toxic molecules are harmful to the deer1. Deer do not stay near hyacinth plants, making it a natural plant that can be planted in your garden to stay away from the deer."

[plugginaway22]

Daffodils are finishing up a gorgeous blooming year. Hyacinth are in full bloom now. Next should be lilac bushes, pink dogwood, then cherry trees. I have a row of spinach growing in the raised bed. Am getting very excited for this gardening season! DH just ordered a big load of mulch.

[greenthumb59]

I would love to walk through a field of blooming tulips!  My DIL tells me there is a lavender field not too far from us, in the state north of us.  She and I might go visit it later on this spring!

It was a gorgeous day here today.  I elected to pass on the house cleaning and instead worked in the backyard.  Planted several of my newly hatched milkweeds, cleaned up a bunch of weeds and old landscape fabric.  That shit gets heavy when its been on the ground for several years.  The robins were just following me around, looking for any yummy worms I dug up.

My DS1 and his lovely wife will be here next weekend to visit us.  Then we are all going on a short family trip to see the eclipse.  I'm hoping the weather will be nice to us, but Weather Channel is being poopy, forecasting clouds and rain.  Bummer.  I also want to see the stars at night, because we are very very close to a designated dark sky area.  

I am sad to say that the red shouldered hawks elected to abandon the nest behind our house.  There are two new houses being built on that street.  I think the noise and activity made them look elsewhere.  

Been busy.  Lots of stuff going on with my DH's family.  He is not doing well and I am trying to be as supportive as I can.

[greenthumb59]

Back from eclipse trip, kids are on their way to their next stop, and I had time to turn back to the yard and garden today.  Last year my DS3 and his lovely wife moved in with us for several months.  She was excited about the garden, and I let her plant comfrey in my raised bed.  Big mistake.  I've spend at least two days pulling the comfrey roots out of the raised bed.  Got more of them today.  I'll make one more sweep before I start planting my veggies there.

DH is a little behind in conditioning the straw bales with bale buster.  The bales have mushrooms growing out of them. That's always a good sign they are starting to break down.  We had a good rain storm this afternoon.  I should be able to till the inground garden in a day or so.  Then DH can plan his corn pollination maze.  I'm staying out of it - he can plant as he sees fit there.

My potatoes are finally starting to sprout out of the ground!  The shallots are doing well, but the darn squirrels keep digging them up!  I've replanted a few several times.  I also have planted purple onions, and those are doing well too.

Spread out more flower seeds today on bare ground.  Have a lot of flowers starting to come up!

I've decided we need to just invest in bigger trees and plant a wall of trees and shrubs between us and the giant houses being built behind our back fence.  DH wants to move.  I don't because I already know I'll get stuck with the big decisions and the big work of moving us. He will just sit and let me take care of it all.  Nope, I love my little house and I'll do what I can to keep us here.

[Tennesseer]

If anyone is interested in an easy plant to grow, try Verbena bonariensis.  It is a perennial in zones 7-11.  Elsewhere, an annual but it easily reseeds itself.  It is a tall perennial as its stems can grow up to six feet tall.  The two pictures below are from a batch I have growing in one of my front yard flower beds.  I am 5'11" tall and several of the stems are as tall as me.  It has the nickname of 'see thru' plant.  The flowers are at the top of the stems and are attractive to butterfiles and bees.  If you leave the bees alone they will leave you alone.

[greenthumb59]

I love this plant and have it growing in many places around the yard.  The pollinators love it too!  Mine are just starting to bloom. 

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

So much weeding...it's like laundry and dishes. 


Also, I've now attacked three bushes - a french lavender, a rosemary, and something else I need to figure out the name of. 
They had not had their dead wood removed in what appeared to be several years--possibly ever for the rosemary. 
It took me three one-hour sessions to work on the rosemary! 

[bean29]

When I walked the dogs this eve one of my neighbors had 3 milk crates at the end of the driveway. I asked if I could have, and they said yes. I used for the lawn chemicals and various flower fertilizer containers in my garage. Found the ant flakes, so spread that around the foundation. We had some garlic mustard in the plant beds, so pulled it out. I need to fertilize and use the systemic rose insecticide soon too and prune out the deadwood.