Southern Spirit Hunters
Gardening => Gardeners Chat => Topic started by: barleychown on Jul 17, 2007, 09:53:41 AM
-
I always wonder if I putter in the garden more than the average person. :Gardeninhail:
Today in the garden I...gathered seeds, pulled a few weeds, straightened the mulch where the chickens have scratched, and beat back the pumpkin vine that wants to swallow everything in it's path.
What have you done today in the garden?
-
Sarah, if you putter in the garden more than the average person, we both must be above average! :grinnnn: It's the greatest "vent" in the world, & even though it's hard on the fingernails, it's worth it, in my book!
I haven't been outside at all yet, cuz when I woke up it was 61° & God was watering all the gardens! I worked in the yard last night until I ran out of light... ran around with the hoe & murdered weeds that were starting to peek out & dug up a few plants for you! (https://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi75.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fi309%2Fgottahavegraphics%2Fwink5.gif&hash=b48acf3089a3f78dfd7173f0ecf931dbb780f8ab) See you tomorrow!
-
...picked some ripe tomatoes and some okra. I was going to can early today, but thought the ones that I am planning on canning could use another day on the counter.
I, also, picked up some marigold seeds for Sarah and some seeds of that coreopsis plant Patty wants. Poor thing got pulled out of the ground while I was trying to get seeds from the wrong side of the fence, so now it is in a pot. :o I hope it lives so I can get some more seeds!
-
I once again beat back my pumpkin vines. I also pulled a few weeds, admired a few flowers, found that the butterfly bushes I bought and planted as WHITE are in fact PINK. :tapfoot1: Guess I'll be moving them this fall.
-
Actually did this yesterday, but forgot to post it...::)
We picked the veggie garden yesterday evening and found a tomato worm. A fat little rascal he was, too! :o He should have been. He had stripped the leaves off of several branches of the plant he was on. Jim squished him into neveragainland... >:D
I sympathized with my hubby over the loss of his pea crop. The blasted deer went in night before last and ate every last one! >:( Jim was a little upset, to say the least...:tickedoff:
I met my neighbor at the fence to give her some more fresh produce. She gave me a long branch off of her red crape myrtle so that I could make cuttings off of it. Ended up with about six. :grinnnn: I don't know how well they will do because I couldn't find my rooting hormone powder, but stuck 'em in the soil, anyway. Hope they take so that I can give a couple to Aunt Bonnie. Her last cutting of that myrtle bit the dust... :(
I checked on the coreopsis plant that I accidentally pulled up while trying to harvest seeds, too. It looks like it is surviving in the pot I put it in... :D
-
Today I gathered some more seeds, pulled more weeds, and picked more zucchini. Once again I had to redirect the pumpkin vines...I think they are cooking up a plot to swallow the hen house. :yikes:
-
Today I picked more maters so that I could get them in a jar.
I went out to take pics of my mystery plant and to compare it to the okra plants.
Sweated out ten gallons walking back and forth to the garden... :laugh1:
-
I went to a friend's memorial service this morning & forgot all about the lady who was going to come & get the little plum tree that I'd listed on Freecycle last evening... she was here waiting, when I got back home.
We dug it out... came out really clean & I dont think we did any root damage (even tho this is the totally wrong time of year to move plants...especially trees), then after she left, I moved all my Bergenia & Kalanchoe into that spot. I haven't even had a chance to go to the back yard yet to check on things & look in on the veggie garden, but am headed in that direction to hang clothes as soon as my load is done washing.
I've been redirecting my cukes & melons every day too, Sarah. The ones by the fence under the strawberry planters keep wanting to climb up under them. Last year I didnt pay attention to that, & wound up with a tangled mess of vines running in & out & over & under those planters, & I keep telling them they're not getting away with that this year. They must be teenagers, cuz they're ignoring me! (https://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi75.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fi309%2Fgottahavegraphics%2FLaughingHead-1.gif&hash=05a3dc9ff24b72847170ac2481ddc7d2697e3f43) It's amazing how fast they grow, cuz they wind those little grabbers around 1 or 2 of the sections on their way up the chain link, every day!
-
I haven't been here for over a week so I haven't done anything. I'm almost afraid to go out and look. But I will later today. I'm sure there are somethings that are salvageable. And then I'll see what I can put out to replace what is a total loss. Wish me luck.
-
Wishing you luck, Duh! I hope that some of the rain that we had made it your way to water your gardens while you were gone! :grinnnn:
Today I had two strapping young men (my son and his friend) to dig holes for my tropical hibiscus trees so we could plant them. One on either side of the gazebo entrance. I sure hope they will survive our mild winters out there. I really didn't want to keep them in pots.
I, also, counted watermelons. We have 16 that I saw, but know there are probably more hiding under the leaves.
I found a couple of pretty weeds that I will be posting pictures of to see if I can find out what they are.
Will add more tonight, after we get back out in the gardens when it cools off...
-
We picked more maters tonight. :Groaner: Good news is that these are going to Aunt Bonnie. She can can them! :Glee: She is grand sitting next week, for a week, but she said she will have time to get them in the jars. She loves fresh maters almost as much as I do... ;)
-
Well I'm watering so far I've gotten one bucket down to the garden and I have about 3 to go. So it's going to take awhile today. I did manage to harvest an entire bucket of sage which was great.
So far the tomatoes are a goner and so are the celosia. The columbine I totally crisped the mature leaves but some small leaves seem to be comming up so it may not be a total loss.
-
It was overcast & 67° when I went out this morning, so I decided to work in an area that would be getting baked by the sun after the clouds burned off. I burned a strip of dead weeds & grass across the road, then planted some Yucca rhizomes there. The neighbor has planted several small spruce trees over there many times, but they always die off... (probably cuz it's at the top of a rocky slope, so water runs off without soaking in.) We think the Yucca plants might just be the answer to the problem of what will grow there (besides weeds), & we're hoping to see little plants come up from those rhizomes next year, or late this year.
Keith tore the deck apart over the weekend & I want to clean up the area before he starts rebuilding, so I started by moving the few plants I've had growing in front of the deck. I don't care how "careful" he tries to be, All it'll take is one mis-step to bring an end to a flower! (He shouldn't be expected to be responsible for "garden things" when he's got a 12' board in his hands, anyway! I've known that "rule" since I was a little kid, helping my Dad add on to the small house he built when he first married my Mom... I guess before they realized that a bunch of kids would come along!)
I was going to start raking through the area where the deck used to be (to get rid of all the dead leaves & spiders, & stuff that has fallen under there over the years) & then torch the ground real good to kill off any weed seeds & spider eggs, but the sun is starting to come out & it's time to start the dishwasher & take my nap. That stuff isn't going anywhere!
I hope y'all are having a good Monday! :wink5:
-
I spent a good part of the day installing some lights in my one side bed and the new shade bed at the back of the house. :wink5: I can't wait to see how they look at night. I sure wish I had an electric plug in the back because it would make things a lot easier. :( I also dead-headed some of my perennials and put more mulch on one of my perennial beds. I hope I will be able to do another one tomorrow. :)
-
I'm halfway through my watering. And that's probably all I will manage today. Yesterdays shopping took it out of me. But I found a good pair of shoes that should last me about 5 years or so, so it was worth it.
-
...we picked two half-bushel baskets of tomatoes. I will be canning again this week...:Groaner:
I, also, watered my newly planted hibiscus to make sure they live... ;)
-
Today was one of my short days so I really couldn't tackle anything that was too time consuming. I was able to do some work on my new shade garden that I started at the back of my house. ;) I used to fill it with pink Impatiens, but since the annuals are getting more expensive every year, >:( I decided I needed to do something different there this year. :idea: I'm putting in Heucheras, hostas, ferns, Astilbes, Crimson Fan, and Sweet Woodruff. I finished planting it today :ThumbUp: and will try to get it mulched tomorrow. I also dead-headed some of my perennials, cleaned the bird baths, and filled the feeders. :)
-
Wow! You sure packed a lot into a short day. :ThumbUp:
Yesterday I went MAJOR plant shopping with a friend. We managed to hit 8 nurseries and the rose garden before we came home. :Glee:
I found some pretty great plants on clearance racks at each place, so I didn't spend a ton, but got several plants that I had been keeping my eye on. Now today I will need to plant or pot up all of them...but how can you pass up cool plants! :SlapSelf:
-
Wow! You sure packed a lot into a short day.
Sarah, I already had the bed over 1/2 planted, ;) so I didn't plant all those things in one day. :yikes:
Today, I picked all my almost ripe tomatoes that had chucks chewed out :Vent: by, "who knows what" :dunno: and tossed them all in my compost bin. :tickedoff: :SmileyFit: No salsa tonight!!! :crying:
It's NOT been a good day! :( On a brighter note, it does seem to be clouding up so we may get some much needed rain. ;)
-
Today we picked more mators (another half bushel) and found some more squash. :ThumbUp: My neighbor met me at the fence and took a bag full home with her! :grinnnn:
I watered the outdoor plants again.
I potted up two plants that were getting rootbound in the house.
-
Giving away bags of tomatoes is a pretty sneaky way of getting out of canning, Dianna! :Whis:
It's a shame that something is chewing the chucks out of your tomatoes, Patti. :Crybaby2: I know that it's sure discouraging when all it takes is something like an itty bitty bug to ruin all your hard work. I wonder if you have one of the tomato wreckers that they've been talking about over in Pests and Problems (http://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/index.php/topic,382.msg6578.html#msg6578). You might want to take a look. I probably shouldn't say this out loud (the bugs might be listening), but I haven't had anything eating any of my crops, & feel pretty lucky.
(*The Safer Soap took care of the White Fly, & I haven't seen them come back again!)
Today I made markers for all my flowers, cuz I have so many this year that I'm getting their names all mixed up! :Wacko:
I've been working on cleaning up the area where Keith tore the deck off, & came up with the notion that I didn't need a deck, cuz a ground-level patio would work just as well for the BBQ & the hot tub & a few plants. When Peggy & Clyde came over yesterday to borrow a plumbing snake, I asked them to help me move the picnic table & my big Strawberry tower to the "patio", cuz I wanted to get an idea of what it would look like with things on it, in case I could talk Keith into going that route instead of rebuilding the deck. So, today I moved things around & arranged everything.
(https://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi75.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fi309%2Fgottahavegraphics%2FMisc%2FPatio1.jpg&hash=2b18f9d8acf220f2d9705ae13a06a2c3e2b26a3d)
Well, it didn't look as good as I thought it would, & there wouldn't be any room for the hot tub. (The deck plans include extending the deck so we can put the picnic table on it, instead of having it in the back yard.) More importantly though, I realized that my strawberry towers would be sitting there, probably looking like big welcome signs to the deer! :eek: I surrounded both towers with fencing, but it looks pretty tacky, so I guess I have to stick with "plan A" & go with the deck.
It was nice to get the towers out of the back yard though, cuz they'd been sitting on the lawn since mid-May, & several of the runner babies set up housekeeping! :tapfoot1: (That was the exact spot where the berry patch was when we moved in here, & I worked pretty darned hard to get them all up & start a lawn in its place! Having strawberries there is one of the last things I want!) So I pulled them out & put them in the starter trays under the tower's plant stands with their brothers, then mowed the lawn. It was nice to get the back yard cleaned up & groomed the way it's supposed to be! :ThumbUp:
My Iris seed pods are dried now & starting to crack open, so tomorrow morning I plan to head out there while it's still cool, & pull up all the stalks. (If anyone wants Tall Bearded Iris seeds this year, I'll have lots of em... PM me.) :wink5:
-
Wow everyone has been sooooooo busy. I got a little done that was on my wish list. First I watered that's always necessary. And then I split two pieces off of the Egyptian Walking Onion and then I pulled a bucket full of weeds. The ones that were trying to crowd out my peppermint. I still have bunches and bunches of weeks to pull in the burm but the retaining wall beds are all weeded so I don't feel toooooooo bad about the ones I still have.
-
This morning I got everything watered including the compost pile. I'm not sure it was necessary since it is grey and overcast. But a good rain now wouldn't hurt at all.
I pulled some grass that had come up in the shade bed and pulled some weeds that were in the anenome bed. There are still a bunch in the berm that needs to be taken care of but it's muggy out there this morning so I'll see how the day progresses.
I'm taking one of the recovered oyster plants to church today to see if I can give it away. Hopefully someone will want it.
I'm also taking a bottle of balsamic vinegar to church for Teresa. I love the stuff and I hope she will too.
The mum cuttings seem to be doing really well. They should be able to go to church in a few weeks which is just about perfect timing for the fall bloom. I'm really happy with that.
Someone stepped on my zinnia volunteer. It was the best of all my zinnias and someone just had to distroy it.
The peppermint is doing great the other two in the back are not doing well at all. Hopefully they will come back in the fall when it cools down.
The one and only pepper I have gotten this year is starting to turn colors. I hope it matures because it is the only one I can get seeds from.
-
Well, it was hot and muggy :hot: so I had to go outside in several short spurts. Early this morning I checked to see what the squirrels had dug up last night. Today it was one of the Hostas in my new bed, :Vent: and they dug out one of my potted plants, so I got them back in the ground before church. This afternoon I picked up a lot of sticks that came down when we had the storms the other night. >:( By early evening, the temperatures dropped a little bit and that allowed me deadhead somemore of my perennials. Actually, it was not much of a productive day, :smileyNo: but everything little thing I get done one day is one less thing that has to be done later, so it adds up. :Whis:
-
So very very true. We got one of those storms late last night so today I hope to be able to do things since I don't have to carry water. I'm so looking forward to it.
I got out there and got the east side of the berm weeded. I'm so proud of myself. And it's about 99% humidity out there. I'm pouring sweat and it's not even hot. As soon as I recoup I'm going to go out again. I'm thinking I'll make a stab at the compost pile but maybe more weeding the compost pile will be wet and heavy right now.
-
...picked tomatoes and squash while Jim cut okra. We got another big basket full of tomatoes and plenty of okra to make Aunt Bonnie happy! ;D
-
Today, I dug up a big root that was trying to get under my patio. Geesh, it was really huge! :yikes: I got everything watered really deep and got all my Shasta dasies cut back. :ThumbUp: This morning I found my first cucumber, so I'm thrilled. :applause: By 2:00, I had to call it a day because it was getting way too hot :hot: and I couldn't take it anymore. :smileyNo:
-
What kind of squash are you harvesting Dianna?
What did the root belong to Patches?
It rained good last night so I don't have to water today. It will be a great day to weed if I can just get out there before it gets to hot.
-
We planted the straight neck summer squash, Duh! They are about played out now. We thought about planting more, but don't know if we will get around to it...
I won't have to water today. Yesterday's thunderstorm took care of that for me...
-
I love the acorn squash. I got one at the grocery store last week and I keep saving it for a special occassion. But who needs a special occassion lol.
I thought squash took a long time to mature. Will you have time to plant more?
-
I got the garden watered bright and early this morning. I'm very proud of myself for that. Maybe a little later I'll attack the weeds again. I'm making progress I think.
Something had dug up my egyptian walking onion. So I separated the last remaining slip and planted it over where the tomatoes had been. I don't know if that will help or not but at least the little abused hosta now has sufficient room to do it's thing for the rest of the season. Maybe it will manage some growth without the competition from the onion.
I found out that I could mulch around the ornamental grass so I went out and did that. Now there is a nice mat of grass clippings around them. that will help retain water which I think is going to help them recover from the transplant. At least that is my hope.
I also took the clippings and other ground covers and pulled them away from the sweet woodruff and planted them else where in the bed. I've really got to soften up the soil in the shade bed so I can transplant the sweet woodruff over there. I tried moving some if it over their last year but it died because the ground is just to hard with clay and roots from the bermuda grass. But I'll have plenty of compost next year and I'll just dig out what is there and replace it with the compost.
-
Looks like you have already been busy out there this morning, Duh! It is better to get outdoors when the sun doesn't start baking everything in sight. :ThumbUp: Since I am not a morning person, though, I usually end up doing the slow roast...
I think that with our weather that we will have plenty of time for the squash to develop. Jim is going to stop by the feed store today to see if he can get some more seed for squash and cucumbers. We will only plant a couple of hills each this time, though. I think all of our neighbors are burned out on squash... :grinnnn:
I need to remember to ask him to pick up some alfalfa pellets, too, if he can find it there...
-
Actually, I haven't got much of anything accomplished in the garden today because it's so blasted hot out there. :hot: However, I did manage to deadhead a few plants and trim the dead blooms off my Butterfly bush this morning. :smile:
I'm going to try to get out there for a little while now so I can water the back part of my yard. ;) By this time of the day, the sun is finished baking it. so if I get it watered now it's one less thing I will have to do later. :idea:
-
I have some unusual squash seeds that I can send you Dianna if you are interested. Let me know and I'll pass them on. I don't have the space to do squash I learned that last year. What a mess that was.
So far I have half of the garden watered and I tied up the blackberry lilies. I guess the seed pods are heavier than the blooms were because they all started to lean on the other plants lol.
-
I didn't get out and do much in the yard today because of the weather. :hot: I got all of my beds watered and took some pictures of my Sunflowers and my first cucumber. I really wanted to dead-head some more of my perennials, but it was just too hot to stay outside for any length of time. :smileyNo:
I did manage to get the pink Hydrangea, my friend gave me, planted and I really hope it makes it. :dunno: Boy, it's in critical conditon and really struggling. :( I think perhaps the service that cuts their grass must have mowed this plant down a few times. :yikes:
-
I am so glad I don't own a gun. I go out to water the garden and here is this teenager destroying the anenome bed. I ask him what he's doing and of course he has no answer. By the looks of the plants that he didn't clear off, he had sleep there.
People have went crazy I swear they have. This one was evidently waiting for the bus.
The sweet woodruff is gone. There is one patch near the drainpipe that was left untouched of the anenomes. And I still have two lilly of the valley in the shade garden that I can hope multiplies so that I have more.
I know kids are self-centered and usually don't think about others but I mean really who let this kid out on society unchaparoned.
I am really saddened by this.
What did I do in the garden today? I ran off one vandal, cried, yelled at life, and watered. It's suppose to get up to 100 today. My temperature has already gone way over 100 today.
I hope you all are doing much better than I am.
-
Oh, Duh! I am so sorry! It is so hard to see sometning you have put time and effort into destroyed.
Here's hoping it comes back bigger and better than ever!
-
I have enough of the anenome and lilly of the valley to get them running again. Do you think there is any chance for the tulips and sweet woodruff?
-
I'm sure as long as the bulbs themselves are unharmed they will be back next year. I have been rather hard on my tulips at times and they bounce back just fine.
-
Thanks for the encouragement.
-
Anytime! :grinnnn:
I remember how bummed I was when kids would walk by my gardens at the other house and just rip off blooms and throw them on the ground. :razberry: I was upset for a while, then I just decided to change what I planted along the edge they had acsess to. I planted things with smaller flowers, like 4 o'clocks, so they wouldn't be any fun to pick. Still hated to see the monsters go by, though! :smack:
-
They could at least have taken the blooms home to their mother or something rather than just destroying it. I know exactly what you mean.
I'm growing some short dark red zinnia this year and I'm just praying that they seed before someone comes by and pulls them up or tramples them or whatever else they think to do.
I definitely agree with the icon you used there at the bottom.
-
Could you put a little fence around them? I make little collars out of chicken wire for plants I'm trying to protect. Seems to make people stop and think about what they are doing, sometimes.
-
It is terrible when people are careless with things that you work so hard on to get pretty. I am so sorry this happened to your gardens, Duh. Teenagers sometimes don't think before they act. :(
I think it is bad that the poor teenager didn't have a different place to sleep last night, too. Where were his parents? Is he a runaway? Homeless? No one to care for him? Sometimes teenagers are out and about because they feel safer on the streets. Makes me wonder if he chose your garden for a bed because he needed a little beauty in his life, for a change...
With all the challenges that you have had trying to garden, you will be rewarded with even better gardens next year. Don't give up. You can give in or give out, but don't give up! :grinnnn:
-
he was waiting for the bus. Why he was so early is a mystery. Your right kids should not be on the streets. No one should be. There is only one shelter in Prince William County so you can imagine what the waiting list is like. Certainly no where for a kid to get a nights lodging.
Without a car or a shed buying chicken wire and storing it would probably be beyond my means. But I'll keep my eye out for something to put around the beds. It's just that the last time I tried that they just broke them down.
Believe it or not this is a quite place for the most part. Why I'm drawing fire is beyond me.
-
Duh, I hate to hear that you're having to deal with something or someone like this. Of course, :Vent: I run into this type of stuff all the time with the critters were have around here, but they're so cute I don't really mind. :smileyNo: Well, sometimes I do get frustrated, but they bring so much joy into my life with some of their antics I can usually forgive them. :smile: Human beings are different, they should know better, but I guess they just don't care. :ScratchHead:
-
I know what you mean it's easier to forgive little critters. But, I try not to dwell on the bad things.
Most of the garden will recover and will just go from there.
Today I got everything watered by 7:30 am which is pretty good for me. The really red short zinnia's are starting to bloom and I love them. Their color is so rich. I wish I had a camera that I could connect to the computer to show you but we are still working on doing that. It's getting closer.
-
Today I watered and dug trenches between the retaining wall and the garden where the water was running off of the retaining wall. It's just to hard to carry down to the garden to have it run onto the parking lot. So that's one chore done today.
-
Well, today it was so hot I didn't accomplish a whole lot in the garden. :smileyNo: I did manage to get all the beds in the back watered, :ThumbUp: and I'll water the ones on the sides and front tomorrow. I also got to take some pictures of my Sunflowers. :smile: I sure wish we could get some rain and cooler temperatures.
-
I know what you mean. It's muggy hot here which at least keeps the water on the ground where the plants have a chance at it.
I've taken the first load of water down and harvested my one banana pepper. I'm getting ready to take the second load down.
-
I just got inside from giving the flowers a drink to combat the triple digits we are expecting. :o I don't think Angel and I will be outside much today.
Duh, please be careful hauling all that water. Is there no way that you could use a garden hose out there?
-
Duh, it's now 97 degrees with a heat index of 106!!! :hot: :hot: :yikes: Geesh, we really need a break from this. It's supposed to go up even more every day until Friday when they're predicted a break in temperatures with a high of only 96 degrees!!! THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A BREAK!!! :yikes:
Well,I only thing I did in the garden today was gather up four of my tomatoes and I guess I better enjoy them because I don't think I'm going to get the plentiful bounty I have the last couple of years. :smileyNo: These horrid temperatures are zapping all the flowers on my tomato plants. :Vent: :Crybaby2:
-
I was really lucky we got a nice little rain last night and it cooled everything down and I didn't have to water this morning.
I hope it cools down for everyone else real soon. I can't believe triple digits.
-
...watered my flowers this evening. I did a good soaking without hitting the foliage. I need to make sure that they don't need more in the morning, though, because the temp will hit 103 with a heat index of 115... :(
I, also, cut the okra. Man, that stuff makes me itch! I harvested whatever looked like I could get one chunk out of. The deer, ants, and squash (?) bugs are having a heyday out there now. Daddgum fire ants bit me while I was cutting. :tickedoff: The okra was just getting started really well and putting out a lot of fruit. Wish I could scare the critters all away... ::)
Jim and I both worked in the yard this evening. He was raking with his new "lawn sweeper" into piles and I was pitching it into the back of the truck to haul to the back fence. We were both soaking wet with sweat by the time we finished... :hot:
-
Geesh, Dianna, it's sounds like you got a whole lot done in spite of the heat!!! ;) You are doing a lot better than me :applause: because I haven't been able to stay outside for any length of time. :(
I did manage to get some of the flowers cut off that have been baked by the heat and sun. ;) Tonight I watered all the beds AGAIN!!! :tickedoff: We need rain badly!!!
-
I agree that was one busy day. I couldn't have done it in the heat. I'm not sure I could have done it without the heat. I'm thrilled that your starting to compost.
Your garden is pretty good sized but could you plant the deer repellent plants around it? Basil grows easily and can be started indoors any time of year and there are other plants too that deer don't like. It's just a thought. Believe it or not you want to keep the ants since they clean up the garden. I don't know what you can do about squash bugs. But I'll cross my fingers that someone has a suggestion. Possible put the squash it a bed far far away from the rest of the garden?
I almost forgot to add what I did in the garden today. I took water out to the garden and guess what it had rained last night. But that allowed me to give the hostas and peppers a really good drink of water so it wasn't wasted. They love water.
-
For the last several days I have been re-working the front flower beds, removing spent flowers, cleaning up plants, weeding, replacing plants that were not doing well in the shadier areas, and just general clean-up.
With all the clearance sales at the nurseries, now is a great time to buy some more perennials to fill in blank spots or to add more color.
-
:Wow: You've really been busy today, Sarah! You're so lucky to have some decent weather to work in and so it sounds like you're making good use of your time. :ThumbUp:
With all the clearance sales at the nurseries, now is a great time to buy some more perennials to fill in blank spots or to add more color.
Geesh, I usually can't wait until this time of the year so I can get some good buys on plants, but this year it's different. :mad2: There are no decent plants left because even the stores haven't been able to keep their plants alive in this heat. :Smileystop: Besides, even if there were some good plants avalable, it would be a waste of time and money to try to get anything planted in this weather. :nutz:
-
No matter how good the clearance I couldn't afford it this year or next. They are garnishing my diability for an old student loan. I'm fighting it because they are suppose to forgive loans when the student becomes disabled. But of course they aren't living up to their end of the agreement.
But I did manage to get out there and water everything this morning. I'm assuming that the ornamental grass is slow to spread so I'm not seeing anything right now. But hopefully it is going full bore underground spreading all over the berm.
The bed that got slept in is getting a huge crop of weeds. I guess that's because the anenomes got stressed so they are managing to get a foot hold. While I was out there this morning I got all of the weeds that I could see in that area.
I'm still hoping that the radishes will plump up.
I wonder what kind of a fall we will have. Do you think it will be like last year and we can get a bumper crop in?
-
Duh, with the temperatures the way they are now, I'm thinking we might be looking at a very warm fall. :dunno: Of course, if I'm right, this means I will have time to get all my gardening wrap-up chores done. :ThumbUp:
Today, I trimmed the upper third off all my Oriential and Asiatic Lilies. ;) I also trimmed the dead leaves off my Lilies, put some giant ice cubes in the bird baths and hooked up a drip hose in one of my perennial beds. :idea: . I just can stay out there log enough to get everything watered. :smileyNo:
-
We had a wonderful rain yesterday that soaked all the plants and cooled down the temperatures. So today I weeded the beds and turned half of the compost. And I'm airing out the apartment. It really needed it.
The pepper plants are looking down right perky and have a bunch of blooms on them. Hopefully they all turn into peppers. I'd like to get a bunch of them.
If it is a warm fall then I can expect my pepper plants to do much better. I hope that is true.
-
:rolleyes1: We so badly need a good rain, and it doesnt seem to be coming.
We are lucky in the fact that we live on a Bay and arent under a water advisory like some are, and so we can pump from th Bay to water :ThumbUp:
-
That is lucky. Rationing water is the pits. They used to do that in Washington State all the time in August. It used to drive me crazy because if they had just built the resevours(sp) and caught the rain water we never would have needed to ration water at all and we wouldn't have had so much property damage from mud slides.
I'm definitely becoming anti government as I watch them sit back and take large checks for doing nothing of any use. Cranky aren't i?
And off topic oooooooops!
-
Rationing water is the pits.
I agree, Duh! :ThumbUp: They have placed some restrictions on water use in a few of the areas around here, but fortunately it hasn't hit us yet. :Whis:
-
Well I'm getting ready to head out there and see what it looks like. Cross your fingers for me.
It is beautiful. There is a slight breeze and the temperature is way down. The garden is still moist from the rains we had the day before yesterday. So I don't have to water.
After I recover my breath from walking to the store I'll see about finishing the compost pile.
-
Well I didn't get it finished but I did get very close before my energy gave out.
And I found some finished compost so I can make the tea as soon as I can find a bucket.
I have a yellow pepper on one of my plants. I have no clue as to why it is yellow. I'm not aware of any of them being for yellow peppers but we'll see what happens.
-
Well, Duh, at least you can start your compost tea!!! ;) I like to use it on the foliage too, but you can't do that is this weather. :smileyNo:
Well, the only thing I was able to get done in the garden today was to spread some more mulch over one of the beds. :smile: I'm hoping this helps to keep the moisture in and some of the heat off the roots. :ScratchHead:
-
It seems to be working for me. I mulched with grass clippings and the beds with the mulch definitely retain more moisture.
I watered and now I'm going to go finish off turning the compost.
As soon as I find a container I'll do the compost tea.
Woohoo the compost pile is turned. Boy am I tired.
Fortunately church doesn't start until 11:00a.m. so I have time to recover and get ready.
-
It sounds like you got a lot accomplished today, Duh! ;) It's nice to get an early start before the heat of the day.
Actually, I was able to get two of my beds watered, and I put some more mulch on one of my beds. ;) I'm going out now to refresh the birdbaths. When the sun gets off the other beds I can water them because they really need it. :(
-
Why am I up at 5:43 this morning. I think it has something to do with sleeping all of yesterday. I barely made it through first meeting and then came home. I was so tired.
Well I watered everything and I added a dose of Epsomes salt to the water. I have to say the peppers are looking even better today. Which is so great because I was so disappointed when they got sick that I almost pulled them up.
The radishes still don't have any width to them which is disappointing. I guess I'll just have to make sure the soil around them has plenty of sand /silt in it so it doesn't clump next year. That is if I decide to plant them next year.
A couple of the chinese lantern seed pods have turn bronze. They are on really short stems but I think I'll harvest them now and dry them. The color is truely almost metalic. I know it's because they died rather than ripening but it made a really interesting look.
-
Today I thought it was a bit cooler, so I decided to dig up about 15' of my yard. ;) I wanted to remove a huge root that I found snaking it's way to my patio before this horrid heat heat wave hit. Unfortunately, I soon discovered it really wasn't quite as cool as it was when I first started digging, :yikes: but I finally got it out! :ThumbUp:
Here's a picture of it! The large piece is about 2' taller than I am. By the way, Patty, that's a nickel between the two pieces. :rofl1:
(https://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi11.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fa154%2Fpatches1414%2FBigRoot07.jpg&hash=0a9d1fc947a9a04067a52ac66fb334b7af8318b3)
I'm going back out later this afternoon to cut it up because our Yard Waste pick-up is tomorrow.
-
Woohoo my landlord heard me and brought me a load of grass clippings. He must be a mind reader or something.
-
I am at work with Jim today, but managed to get a little gardening "fix".
Outside the main door to his office entrance, there is a passionflora vine growing. I picked two pods off of it and have cleaned the seeds out of one of them. One of his employees was out there and asked what I was doing. I explained and she went to look for a seed pod. She didn't find another one, so I gave her one of mine and showed her how to clean it. I, also, gave her a card for SSH, so she could get some good advice on how to garden. Of course, I talked to her about spirits, also! ;) I think we will have a new member before long... :ThumbUp:
-
That is so cool Dianna. Did you tell her I love to do tarot cards?
-
No, Duh, I didn't. I am sorry. I think she was wondering if I had two heads (one invisible) when I went on to talking about the site and mentioned it was a ghost site, too. :D I explained to her some of my experiences and I think she found it interesting. She was a really nice person and I hope she joins up...
This evening when we got home we picked corn. Though it is not supposed to be ready for a few more days, the heat has made it ready to be preserved. We shucked and silked corn until dusk. We are sick of seeing corn.... ::)
We lost a lot of corn to the heat around here. There were a couple of casualties from smut, but not half as bad as last year...
-
By the way, Patty, that's a nickel between the two pieces.
Yes, I noticed that... Good job! :clap:
I took your pic & blew it up so I could get a closer look. (But not because I didn't believe you or anything like that)... "1967" Good year! (https://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi75.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fi309%2Fgottahavegraphics%2FSmileyOk.gif&hash=f7773c70aa8c89b6918998cf943ee9022cc2ce8a)
For that particular pic, I would have used a quarter though. :Whis:
-
Oh geesh, Patty, you could even see the year. :ScratchHead:
For that particular pic, I would have used a quarter though.
Actually, I didn't think a dirty old root deserved using a quarter, besides I didn't have one with me. :laugh1:
-
i'm glad to hear that it was an improvement over last year. Do you know that if you cook the corn right after you pick it. It will be sweeter than at any other time? It has to do with how fast the sugars break down after it is picked.
I learned that from watching the america's test kitchen program. Love that program. And I love the Book you sent me. It is fantastic.
So far today I've watered everything including the compost. And I move to of the volunteer petunias that were comming up under the mums and thyme into the back garden. I hope they make it. I soaked the holes I made for them and hopefully that will help. A lot will depend on just how hot it gets today. I hope one of these is a purple. So far I have a white and one that is mostly white with a bit of pink blush splattered on it.
My portulaca is going crazy. It has completely surrounded the par-cel and overrun the crocus bulb and peacock orchids in one container. I had no idea it was that aggressive under well watered conditions.
I got a kick out of it the other day. Almost the entire bunch of portulaca is orange with some yellow. But the other day I went out there and there was one, just one, bud that was a fantastic hot pink. It looks so strange sitting there all alone.
Other than that someone crushed one of the ornamental grass clumps. Grrrrrh on people.
-
Well, we're still struggling with the heat here, but I did get a few things done in the garden today. I managed to get all of my garden beds watered very deeply, so they may be good for a day or two. :ScratchHead: I was also able to get some of my flowers dead-headed, but not as many as I would have liked. :smileyNo: Then I put some more mulch on one of my beds that's in full sun. :ThumbUp:
-
The garden and the compost pile are watered so I'm even with the game. More weeds have popped up in the berm so I need to really get after those but right now I'm going to catch my breath first.
-
I watered the hanging baskets last night, while Jim cleaned the filter out of the pond. Then I topped off the water in the little puddle. It was down at least two inches... :o
This morning I went outside and watered some more pots that I have on the back deck. I found a couple of "crispy" plants... :(
-
the freesia and the blackberry lilly are starting to crisp but it's ok since I know they will be back next year. And I'll know to get the feesia in a pot early in the spring. That way I'll get blooms and if we get a late freeze I can bring it inside. See I'm learning lol.
The tulip poplars are giving me a little bit of a leaf fall. They did that last year too so I know it is normal for them this time of year. It's enough to start gathering up and putting on top of the bulb bed. That bed likes 3 to 4 inches of leaf mulch on top of it for the winter.
-
Duh and Dianna, boy, the both of you are really making some headway in your gardens and getting things done. :ThumbUp: Glad you finally have the weather to do it! ;)
This morning, I managed to water all the beds that were not in the sun. ;) Geesh, I couldn't believe how dry they were after my heavy watering the other night. :( I also gathered about six tomatoes and picked one of my green peppers. It would have been a great day to get a lot more done, but I had made other plans before the nice weather hit and I didn't want to cancel. :Whis:
-
I know what you mean. I have got to get to the grocery store but it's hard to leave the garden.
I managed to get everything watered including the compost pile. A colony of ants have moved onto the berm. And the weeds are definitely mounting a major offensive for control of the berm. And I can't find my gardening gloves. But I'll get there.
-
I mowed from 10:30 a.m. til 2:00 p.m. today. Came in to rest and Jim said that he would finish up the back field, where I quit. He has about an hour's worth out there to finish... :)
Last night we pulled some weeds up from around the pond. It is really looking snaky out there. I really do need to get that project finished. It is bad enough having to deal with the black widows that make their homes around the pond without worrying that a snake might put in an appearance there while I am feeding Samson and Delilah... :yikes:
-
snakes and black widows? I'd never go outside. I'd be to scared. How do you manage?
-
Duh, I look very carefully before I reach to pull weeds out there and I make sure I know where I am putting my feet. I am terrified of both spiders and snakes, so that project will have to be finished soon. I have to feed the fish and you know it is bad when I am afraid to go out there. Can't let my babies starve, though.... :grinnnn:
-
Well, Duh and Dianna, you're putting me to shame :Blush: with all that you're getting done in your gadens and yards. :Wow:
snakes and black widows? I'd never go outside. I'd be to scared.
Actually, snakes don't bother me, :smileyNo: but I really do worry about the Brown Recluse spider! :SmileyFear: They are really not something I would want to get bitten by because they are some nasty critters and can do a lot of damage to a person! :yikes: It's horrible!!!
-
Well we had a gentle rain today. It was so gentle that where the trees are none of the water got to the plants. So I had to water half of the garden. But that's still better than the whole thing.
I still need to weed but not today. It is cool enough out that I've opened all of my windows and door so I can get fresh air in here.
-
I had to water the plants again today. We didn't get any rain here, so everything was dry as the desert.
We spent most of the day in the pool, but we did do a little weeding out around the pond. I have been afraid to go out there unless Jim was home, so got it cleared some while he was here. If I had seen a snake out there, at least he would have been handy to kill it for me. :SmileyFear: Not to mention being able to call the paramedics for the heart attack I would have... ;)
We were coming home the other night and saw a rattler as big as my arm laying in the road. Someone had already driven over it, so it was dead, but it gives me the willies to know that snakes are that big in this area... :o
-
Most snakes don't bother me, but I don't want to be close enough to pet them! I see garden snakes all the time, but they're afraid of me, so I usually see them leaving! (https://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi12.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fa201%2FPattySpencer%2FSmileySadBye.gif&hash=4e4008171c42b96615588b930bd6a3baa029f9e6) If I were to run across one that rattled, THAT would bother me a lot, & my attitude would change, I'm sure! :eek:
When it was raining so hard this morning, I was a bit concerned about the seeds that showed up on my Tiger & Asiatic Lilies... thought they might have taken a pelting in the downpour we had, & didn't want them falling on the ground & planting themselves where I didn't want them (not to mention that I don't especially want hundreds of them growing there next year). So, when the rain stopped, I decided to put all my seed containers in the wagon & tour the yard & gather up whatever seeds were available. I got quite a few, marked them & put them all in the side cupboard of the entertainment center that I use for plant starting. That gets them out of the way so we don't have to pole vault through this room to get from one end to the other! :wink5:
It was sort of a treat that I didn't have to water today, cuz God did that for half the night & most of the day! It's supposed to start clearing up & take us back into the 80's by Tuesday, which is fine... enough already, cuz I think the drenching we got is already going to split some tomatoes. (https://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi75.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fi309%2Fgottahavegraphics%2FSadShakeHead.gif&hash=e09d8898b6820c3dd8906189f9e1f73347121d82)
The flowers don't seem to be any worse for the wear, being watered "from above"... they probably enjoyed the free rinse! :grinnnn:
-
It was sort of a treat that I didn't have to water today, cuz God did that for half the night & most of the day!
Geesh, Patty, why don't you rub it in! :Whack: Tonight, God spit on us for about two minutes, and the only thing that did was put spots on my newly washed car. :SmileyFit: We just can't seem to get any rain in this area at all. :(
I got out in the yard for a little bit before I had to come in because of the heat! All I did was deadhead all my Euchinacea so they're not using what energy they have to make seeds. :smileyNo: They are so streesed out right now! :yikes:
-
My garden got a good soaking rain last night. Everything is looking good this morning. Including the weeds. Boy are there a ton of them out there. I've got to get after them soon. I'm thinking of doing some roundup'ing myself right after payday.
-
Well, it's only 81 degrees today, but it's still very uncomfortable being outside with the high humidity. :yikes: So, the only things I got done in the yard today was cleaning out all the birdbaths and filling them with fresh water, and filling the birdfeeders. :Whis:
-
We got a good rain again last night so since I am beginning to feel awful I don't think anything is going to get done in my garden either. It's always something.
-
I don't think anything is going to get done in my garden either. It's always something.
Actually, Duh, I could say the same exact thing. :Whis: I had school today, but I couldn't have worked out anyway because it was so hot and humid. :hot: When I had to leave the main building (where most of my classes are) and go to my 2:00 class I could hardly stand to be out there. It was really bad!!! :yikes:
Well, the only thing I got done in the garden today was the watering I did when I got home. Since it's starting to get dark earlier I'm losing valuable time there too! :SmileyFit:
-
Fortunately it's rained everyday this week so far. The weeds are growing taller everyday but today is grocery day and then I have a home visit this evening so there is no energy left for gardening. The weeds will just have to wait.
-
Duh, you are so fortunate to have the rain because it's so dry here that even the trees seem to be showing signs of suffering. :( My gardens look pretty bad even though I'm watering, but the heat is really taking it's toll on them. :yikes: Of course, on a brighter note, I don't have to worry about the weeds because I don't think there are many of them are left either. :rofl1:
All I did this morning was water the side beds. I have to do that before the sun gets around to them. :idea:
-
today I got out there and transplanted the wheat and one of the mums. We'll see how it does. It didn't rain last night but the soil is still slightly damp. I'm planning on getting out there and w.....well it is sprinkling....maybe I won't have to water after all. That would be good.
The weeds still need to be dealt with but I bent over to go after some after transplanting the mum and just couldn't do it. Maybe, tomorrow.
-
I got out there and transplanted the wheat and one of the mums. We'll see how it does.
That's really great, Duh! :ThumbUp: I will be anxious to hear how the mum is doing, so keep me posted. ;) I think if you keep it watered it might be okay! :Whis: