Message Boards

here's a place to post whatever is on your mind, garden related of course. there is no specific topic to adhere to. you can brag, vent, share, or just say hi if you want.

my 2 cents worth ~ this is my iris bed. so... where's the iris? oh, they are there. nature took over and camouflaged them with california poppies and sunflowers from dropped bird seed. can't say that i mind one bit.

It's beautiful! You said anything goes? I have a chive question, mine have woody stems and are flowering, should I cut them back so they will grow tender shoots? I just don't know new ate chives. Thanks Sue

yep.. anything goes. i googled chives and found this site interesting. it says, "When the flowers start to die back, cut the plant down to about 2-3 inches (5-8cms) high and the chives will grow again." hope this helps.

http://www.flower-and-garden-t...m/growingchives.html

Definitely cut those chives back. You don't even have to wait till the flowers die off. Cut them back anytime and you'll have those nice tender shoots again.

Woody stems?? Geez your chives must be huge! I've had some in a huge plastic container for 5 years now...no woody stems yet. And yes, cut them back anytime, they grow like grass.

It's been raining everyday for over a week now...my plants are becoming jungle-like! hehe. They are sucking up all this rain and going crazy. I have to go out and do some trimming...don't walk too close to my front trellis, the Confederate Jasmine will grab you..

I don't know what kind of bug built this....but I want to hire it to do some construction work around the house! LOL! Amazing!

AWWWE...too cute to hate...

Think I've seen him around! Hahaa

OMG, Z9--that is an amazing nest-house-hangey-downie-thing! Never seen anything like that!!

This is what I spent the day doing yesterday: Removing mulch from my flower beds! Yes, you read that right!! My birds are so bad about flinging my mulch everywhere that they totally bury the plants in mulch! I must be overrun with worms, because it was a never-ending battle keeping the mulch off my hostas. The slugs have been having a heyday too, because they thrive in deep mulch.

So, yesterday, I decided I've had enough! I took my nifty little cart and scooped up mulch by the wagon loads and dumped it in another spot where I don't have anything planted (yet). There is still a "coating" of mulch in the beds that is kinda smooshed into the ground, so it doesn't look totally nek kid. (had to go back and re-add this word because they bleeped it the first time!)

I know I'll have to water more, and may have to weed more, but now let's see those dang birds try to go mulch-flippin'!!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 88hazel,

zone9 you must feel like you are living in a rain forest! We had our rainiest summer last year and interesting enough, we had the best daylily blooms, lots of them kept reblooming. With rain comes mosquitos for us, are you overrun with them or is that always a concern for you? What an adorable white rabbit, ours are brown with cottontails, they are busy munching away each evening on the plants.

When it rains this much the ponds in the front and back fill from the runoff. It's incredible at night, there must be a million frogs out there all croaking, beeping, chirping at once. You literally have to yell to be heard over them. From inside it just sounds like a faint humming sound. They take care of the mosquitos when they hatch. We still have a few but are not overrun with them. The dragonflies and bats have a field day too.

BTW...it is STILL raining. In the last two weeks..over 14 inches.

Wow, zone9lady, that's a bunch of rain. I sure hope some of it fell at my house too.

As for gardening, I am in heaven seeing all the lushness of the countryside here in Pennsylvania. The crops are growing. The gardens are just bursting and the flowers are glorious. It just makes me feel good to see it.

Bana, I like your mixed iris bed! While I love irises they aren't all that interesting when not blooming so it's good to have other stuff with them.

quote:

Originally posted by zone9alady:
I don't know what kind of bug built this...

Very interesting altho I'd be askeerd of any bug that could build a house like that! *smile*

14" of rain in 2 weeks! WOW!!! We only get about 20" of total precipitation in a year!

Chive flowers get woody stems if they are left to go to seed. I like to see the flowers and they are edible also when young but it's best to cut them off before they go to seed unless you want seeds to propagate.

I was out in the garden for a solid 5 hours today transplanting, weeding, and mulching so I'm tired. It rained most of the week so I couldn't get much done. Still a lot to do. Every time I dug a hole to plant something there were so many worms it was almost sickening since I'm kinda insect phobic. I can pick them up with gloves on tho and have to as I don't want to chop them in pieces as I dig. Some were very fat and others only babies. Guess this rain has helped them multiply.

LOL! I took that photo of the tiny log house 3 months ago...it's STILL there....I don't want to break it open to see what's inside...since it went through all that work.

It depends where I dig in the yard to see worms. Some places that are too sandy I see hardly any. But the places where there has been a lot of leaf layering year after year, like under the oaks, there are usually a lot of worms. A lot of worms is good! LOL! Having the bug heebee jeebees would make most people not garden at all, (like my mother) you are doing pretty good.

This thread is like talking over the hedge with the neighbors! Love this! LOL

My perennial sweet pea vine is starting to bloom &
my annual sweet peas seem to refuse to climb??
Should get pictures! They are the type that climb so what is the problem?

quote:

Originally posted by zone9alady: A lot of worms is good! LOL! Having the bug heebee jeebees would make most people not garden at all, (like my mother) you are doing pretty good.

Bug heebee jeebees is right! There are times I'm out there screaming when some totally harmless bug lands on me! Today I foolishly wore bright pink and the bees thought I was a flower so I had to 'talk to' quite a few! LOL

I actually 'feed' the worms tho to get more as I once read they can produce literally tons of castings which are one of the best fertilizers. Since I try to be as organic as possible it's important IMO to do this. I was pleased to see a moderate amount of worms in the bed I made last year with new topsoil which IMO was not the best soil but not many choices here. However as I move plants into that bed from the wormier sections they are multiplying. I think they also like my compost mulch.

quote:

Originally posted by muddyshoes:
This thread is like talking over the hedge with the neighbors! Love this! LOL

So true!

quote:

Originally posted by muddyshoes:
My perennial sweet pea vine is starting to bloom & my annual sweet peas seem to refuse to climb??
Should get pictures! They are the type that climb so what is the problem?

Maybe they are the low growing ones and the seed was mislabeled? I've tried to grow sweet peas here and can't. Probably something digs up the seed and eats it.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by muddyshoes:
This thread is like talking over the hedge with the neighbors! Love this! LOL QUOTE]

I agree, Muddy! I was thinking it's like being at one of our Gabby Gardener meetings, with 10 women and about 5 different conversations going on at once!!

Think we should always have one of these going...? Really ~ really nice to get to know everyone!

this is fun. keep it going girls!

I want to Thank everyone here for inspiring me,even thou sometimes I might not act on the inspiration.

About a month ago I believe PattyLouise posted her strawberry pots filled with suclents.I have had one for 12 years we moved in our house.For 2 years I planted pantsies in it,then pushed that pot out the way.Then the other years it has just sat in the garage or on the patio.I have tried to give it away and DH stops me.I had bought 3 weeks ago 4 Purslane.I planted them in other pots.But when I saw her post I knew that I was transplanting some Purslane to my strawberry pot.I read that somebody else said you can just pinch this off and throw in some dirt and it grows like cr*zy.So I did.Transplanted 2 purslane in hanging baskets.Pinched off a few twigs of this and poked in the strawberry pot.Bought 2 more flowers to go in other pots that I removed the purslane from.

1st pic is from 3 weeks ago.Sad,small and pitiful.I hope this pic isnt huge.I did resize it 1st.
Another post with pic to follow.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: jackierenette,

Whoa that is HUGE!!

We have been on vacation for a week,since last June 2.I came home to this last night.I am shocked and excited about this.

I hope this pic is smaller.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: jackierenette,

Bana I love those yellow poppys.I have only saw the pink ones here in South Carolina.I'd love to have some.Drooling here.LOL

Love everybodys flower gardens.I can smell them from here.

Z9Lady-looks like a bagworm. Cool construction, but they can do some real eatin' on your greenery. Anyway, if you open it, there should be a worm inside.

quote:

Originally posted by jackierenette:
Bana I love those yellow poppys.I have only saw the pink ones here in South Carolina.I'd love to have some.Drooling here.LOL

Love everybodys flower gardens.I can smell them from here.

they do look yellow, don't they? darned cheap camera! they actually are orange.. and are called California Poppies. don't know if they'd grow in SC. they are like weeds around here.

quote:

Originally posted by *~Bella~*:
Z9Lady-looks like a bagworm. Cool construction, but they can do some real eatin' on your greenery. Anyway, if you open it, there should be a worm inside.

i can just see us all rushing to google 'bagworms'. meet y'all there...

This message has been edited. Last edited by: bana,

Beautiful plants. Isn't it wonderful what the birds manage to plant?
Think you have a huge bagworm there. It sure has a unique bag.
Anyone who has too much rain or too many earthworms can send me some. I have not seen one earthworm this spring but I know I have them. My soil is healthy and I have seen loads other years.
My asiatic lillies are blooming like crazy. Must take and post pictures. I know some of the stalks have at least 50 buds.

I googled LOL! Those other worms got nuttin on mine...I think my Bagworm used blueprints!

jackierenette...I'm the one who mentioned the purslane...aren't they neat! You can break off the tiniest piece and it grows! Mine have reseeded for the last 3 years too.

Owie, lets see them lilies!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: zone9alady,

Jackie~ Lovely Purslane! The joy of gardening!

So pretty Jackie. I've always wanted a strawberry pot. I just never have really known how to plant one. You have inspired me. TFS.

Z9, that's an interesting architectural feature going on in your yard I'm not too sure I'd want to meet the builder though.

Zonelady,thanks for letting me know of the purslane.I have tons of ice plants every where.I was not so sure but when it lived and took off.I was doing a happy dance.We have had a lot of rain so it didnt bloomed when I took this pic.The others I planted has.It's blooms opens in the mornings and close in the evenings.So cool to watch.

Now should I get another strawberry pot???Got more ideas now to plant in it.LOL.

This is the 1st Purslane I bought.Bright pink with yellow center.
I went back to get more,the blooms were closed.I thought I was buying the same color,but the 4 others I bought was redish-coral with yellow centers.

I am so happy these will-should come back next year.

Wow, I'm liking this thread. Bana, that iris bed is adorable...don't change a thing.

Interesting about the purslane...I always get moss rose.....this seems better (and prettier), so thanks for the tips.

z9, so should we start calling you bag lady? Seriously, you need to destroy the building...that worm will descimate your evergreens. I'm sure he has relatives and they are all hungry. Architecture is amazing isn't it. I have to say, that does not look like the bagworms we get....interesting.

So! I've been whining and whining about the lack of rainfall. For 3 days we've had spotty showers, enough to amount to 1/2 inch as of this morning. Since it's been gentle rain, all of it has seeped in...plants are happy. Today we have alternated between heavier showers and hot humid sun. Now for the kicker: I can see the squash practically growing in the veggie garden......during a break yesterday I checked the green beans. They are heavy laden...so there needs to be some gathering done. We are to continue this pattern through tomorrow. Bana told me I needed some snowshoes. Wouldn't that be a trip....ac humming in the house and me wearing snow shoes in the garden. Thankful for the rain...just hate to see the produce go to waste because you cannot harvest it.

ve

VENTING!!!!!!
We live deep in the woods...bordering State Game Lands. People just drop off their unwanted animals to fend for themselves!!! Today another kitten,probably 5/6 months old show up at our doorstep. This little thing was probably once beautiful. It is so skinny, you can feel its ribs. It could use a good brushing and a bath.
we are trying to find a home for it, it is very friendly. DH's cat is not a happy camper right now. He is at the screen just Growling like crazy at this kitten.It just won't go away.I HATE people who continue to do this!!!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: thebrownthumb,

I hear ya about the dropping off of animals. We somehow managed to acquire someone's little house dog. I'm thinking it probably belonged to someone's aging parent who passed and they just dropped the dog off "in the country." He's a sweet thing, but I'd love to find him a home where he could be a house dog again. He's pretty spoiled anyway since he's taken over the cat bed on the back porch and the both swings.

Wish you lived closer. Your little kitty could hang here with us. I love to fatten up the skinny babies and they love to sleep on our heads.

we got our dog that way years ago. he was dropped off in the watershed area and the neighbor who found him couldn't keep him. so we did.. and named him ~ what else but Lucky. he was full of ticks.. i was pulling those darned things out for days. i'd think i was done and there would be another one. don't know what breed he was.. just a sweet little black & white mixed breed.

and here's my first Oriental Lily. Mother Nature, who gave my garden all the orange CA poppies, decided the orange lily should open first to keep things color coordinated.

here it is beyond the CA poppy, aka iris bed.

last.. here's the new screen door.

Bana, I am so jealous of that screen door. It is gorgeous!!! Now, as for those poppies and the lilies, they are plain beautiful.

quote:

Originally posted by Florida Farm Girl:
Bana, I am so jealous of that screen door. It is gorgeous!!! Now, as for those poppies and the lilies, they are plain beautiful.

the color is Benjamin Moore Caliente, in case you are interested. the old door was beyond salvation. i don't know where i got brave enough to do red, but it just appealed to me. maybe it because i'm at that 'when i get old, i shall wear purple' stage. only switch out red for purple in this case. when i was going thru the red shades and got to that one, i knew that was it and looked no further.

as for the poppies, it is true that nature abhors a vacuum. i did not plant them and they have taken over.. much to my delight. glad you enjoyed looking at them. how are things in your neck of the woods? are you having a lot of humidity? i remember that from the year i spent in south carolina.

Thumbie, I'm with you how can people be so heartless, why can't they take the animals to a no kill shelter. Just saw a nice lab wandering around the park where we walk yesterday. I'm pretty sure that he was just a "drop off" I knew a family that lived next to our park system and they had your problem with constant drop offs, some people would drive up to their door and shove animals out their car doors!


Bana, love the red door and the poppies! Of course, I adore orange so I really enjoy your pics.

This poor little kitten just wants to be loved. It hasn't left. My DH is going crazy he wants to bring it into the house and feed it. He wants to keep it! I just don't want another cat. He took it a dish of food yesterday away from the house, and it licked the plate clean. I don't think it was a good idea to feed it, but the poor baby was starving. I'm going to put a listing in the paper. I don't know of any no kill shelters here.

Bana, love your red screen door! I'm also at that 'when i get old, i shall wear purple' stage! Fun, isn't it! LOL

I don't even want to get started on the topic of people dumping animals they are tired of! *grrr* We live on an acreage and have had 4 cats that appeared very hungry and neglected. We took them all in but they weren't all success stories. This one was though and I still have him. He's a big Maine Coon and a really wonderful cat. No one ever advertised he was lost so I think his previous owners moved and left him. He was starving and had tape worm but we soon got him healthy and he stays indoors now. I love him 'to bits'!

My current dog was also likely 'dumped' - she was a rescue from the SPCA and hadn't been in great shape on arrival there. She just had her annual check by the vet and he said she's in perfect shape. I thought he might say she was slightly overweight because she loves her treats! I need to take more pics of her as just had her groomed.

OMG Lucky! What a beautiful cat! I'd love him too!
We also have the "drop off" problem or even the "moved & didn't take the pets" problem from the road behind us...1 mi. away...there are a bunch of rental trailers back there! :eyerolls:

One of our neighbors feeds all the cats but she doesn't "keep" any of them...they roam. So that is how we ended up with 2 kittens last year. Two of the females had them here some place and 2 lived. Now this year, I have 4 more kittens since my youngster female had them. They will go to a gal who can find homes when they are weaned & mama will get fixed! Found a place about 35-40 mi. from us that does both sexes for $35 ea.!

Love all your pics and the conversation. This is great. PLEASE SEND US YOUR RAIN to put out the fires!!

I think this kitten is an Angora. I had to go outside to see if my son dropped his debit card, and this little thing nearly tripped me, kept walking around my feet and brushing up against my legs, it is so soft, and I think if it were to have a bath(cause it is filthy) it would be even softer, if that is possible.
Any ideas of the kind of kitty this is?

Bana, what a beautiful picture!!! The orange on orange is a great color combination. Lots of folks don't like orange in the garden...I do.

Love the front door too!

That is also one gorgeous cat. So that is a Maine Coon. He/She looks quite comfy sitting there...and it's big.

The wee gray kitty just looks like a wee gray kitty to me. Bless it's sweet heart.


ve

This message has been edited. Last edited by: vera ellen,

quote:

Originally posted by thebrownthumb:
I think this kitten is an Angora. I had to go outside to see if my son dropped his debit card, and this little thing nearly tripped me, kept walking around my feet and brushing up against my legs, it is so soft, and I think if it were to have a bath(cause it is filthy) it would be even softer, if that is possible.
Any ideas of the kind of kitty this is?

Such a sweet, but sad, face. I just don't understand the thoughtless behavior of people to discard animals like they are trash. Not sure of what kind of kitty it may be but I thought of a Russian Blue when you mentioned how soft it's fur is. Hope you will be able to find a good home for it.

love your 'love him to bits' cat.. he is one gorgeous animal.

the little grey one is adorable.. but aren't they all when they are little. i bet a lot get adopted whereas if they were grown cats, they wouldn't. what a shame it is there are more animals than people who want them.

me again. i didn't do it. it took such will power but i resisted buying the most beautiful red dahlia plant. it was such a gorgeous true red and went into my shopping cart. but when i asked myself where i'd put it, i put it back on the shelf. then, by gosh 'n begora, the same beautiful red dahlia was at the drug store i went to.. in their 'nursery' by the curb and front door. i still resisted.

but i did come home with more purple petunias and two delphinium in some kind of purple shades.. each one a little different from the other. they will go into the Iris Garden which is now the Poppy/Sunflower Garden.. and about to become the English Country Garden. when my foxglove quit blooming, i'm transplanting them there too. i want that bed to wind up looking packed full like Vera Ellen's gardens.