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Post by chrisfan on May 11, 2006 8:12:31 GMT -5
Since the weather is getting warmer each day for those of us in the northern hemisphere, and we're knee deep in planting season, I thought we may need a place to exchange gardening tips. Of course, this may be a thread that winds up being for no one but Phil and I. But then hey - I can steal all of Phil's knowledge and have a better looking garden!
I've got a bed in my yard between my house and driveway. Between the cement and the white siding, it dries out easy and makes it hard to grow anything. For the past two years, I've tried planting ajuga. It's grown nicely in the Summer, but has failed to come back the next Spring. So this year, I'm trying to come up with something new. I'd love to stick with perrenials there, but that may just not work out. I'm entertaining the idea of just settling for impatiens there. I've also thought about planting some steppables - not that I'd be walking on them, but if a plant is strong enough to be walked on, it should be strong enough for a tough patch of dirt. Has anyone ever planted steppables?
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Post by phil on May 11, 2006 20:03:13 GMT -5
In the garden ... is where I spent most of my time today ...
Starting and dividing seedlings, doing repairs on the pool.
"Steppables" ... Do you mean some kind of ground covers ?
Whatever you intend to put there, it pays to incorporate
lots of organic matters (compost) in the soil ...
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Post by phil on May 11, 2006 20:08:53 GMT -5
The Ajuga I planted in a flower bed a few years ago
has started colonizing the grass area ... Which is fine with me !!
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Post by chrisfan on May 12, 2006 8:23:08 GMT -5
Yes, I've done all sorts of work preparing the soil in that patch. I got lucky with my yard - a year or so before I bought my house, the previous owner had new dirt brought in for most of the flower beds. But this patch is so meesley that they didn't bother. So I've done some prep work there the past couple of years, and got really serious with it this year.
Steppables are a variety of ground covers that have been designed to withstand foot traffic. Many of them are varieties of thyme. There are about 130 different plants in the line, designed for everything from being planted in between stones on a patio, to being planted around pools, to replacing grass. Their main feature is that they're tough little buggers.
You do a variety of both flowers and vegetables in your gardening, don't you?
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Post by phil on May 12, 2006 9:40:49 GMT -5
Garden beds are mostly tomatoes, peppers, salads, carrots ...
and sunflowers and decorative corns.
Flowers are grown in pots and boxes around the pool/house
Herbs and spices get their own beds and pots ...
Can't seem to get my scanner to work because of some kind of conflict (??)
I got quite a few nice pics of previous gardens ...
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Post by chrisfan on May 12, 2006 9:47:28 GMT -5
Do you do multiple varieties of tomatoes? My next door neighbor is BIG into growing tomatoes. They own a plot of land about a half hour from where we live, in a more rural area, so he can do all the planting he wants to. I (and even more so my co-workers who get the ones I can't use) LOVE it when he starts harvesting, because I always end up coming home several times to a basket of tomatoes on my back step.
I grow primarily cutting flowers plus an herb garden. I'd love to get into tomatoes as well, but I don't have good plot of dirt anywhere in my yard (relatively small) that would be good for growing them. I have more shady spots - so I stick to hostas as my "collection" growing. Years ago, my mom started a hosta garden where she planted different hostas in honor / memory of various people. Now, she's out of a good hosta zone, so I've taken the baton on that one - including pieces of some of the family hostas she gave me to get started.
The fun part of that, for me, has become splitting the special hostas off to give to other people. Last week, I gave pieces of the two hostas I'd planted for my nephew and his cousin to my sister's mother-in-law. She was so tickled at the thought of having her grandchildren "growing" in her yard.
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Post by phil on May 12, 2006 10:03:45 GMT -5
I used to plant all kinds of heirloom tomatoes (with various results)
but I've rationalized my production quite a bit in the last few years ...
Now I grow cherry tomatoes - red and yellow, one early medium variety
and one large "beefsteak" for those One Slice Sandwiches
and 2 varieties of "Roma" for sauce and dehydrating, about 60 plants in all.
You could plant cherry tomatoes in a hanging basket
and a few tomato plants in large pots ...
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Post by chrisfan on May 12, 2006 10:14:50 GMT -5
If i were to grow them, I'd do them in pots I think. Actually, the best way I've heard of to grow them is poking some holes in a bag of potting soil, and planting them right in the bag. The problem is that the places I have in my yard to put the pots (or bag) aren't sunny enough. And given the great ones I get from my neighbor with no effort at all, it's not a major loss. I'd miss cosmos growing in my yard more than I do not having tomatoes!
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Post by strat-0 on May 13, 2006 12:03:17 GMT -5
I have ample acreage for a big garden, but it's nearly all heavily wooded and I don't want to cut down any trees I don't have to. Even where there is some clear space, most of it is too shady for many garden plants. Nevertheless, KayJay found a good spot near the driveway and has put in big boy tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, and bell peppers, and in another small spot, green beans, rubarb, more 'maters, roses, and irises. She's planning to put in some spinach, carrots, cantaloupe, and some cherry 'maters. She already has some little 'maters, cucumbers, and strawberries.
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Post by chrisfan on May 13, 2006 17:28:12 GMT -5
I miss good strawberry growing climate! I can remember when I was little and we lived in Atlanta, my mom had a bunch of strawberries planted in a bed in our front yard. I used to just sit in the middle of the flower bed with friends from the neighborhood, picking strawberries and popping them straight in my mouth - not a single though about any dirt on them!
I went today for my big trip to the crackhouse - also known as Chrisfan's full day of shopping at multiple nurseries. Like most years, I went a bit crazy. I don't THINK I bought more than last year, which means there should be room for all of it. I just tend to find a good deal on flowers one place - and then find a color or two I don't have yet at another place. I've got over a flat of zinnias to plant, along with dahlias, gerber daisies, cosmos (my favorite!) and several other things. Oh, and I determined that you pay quite a bit for the steppables brand name. So I ended up getting one of the plants they have (creeping jenny) in bigger containers for cheaper. My favorite nursery owner told me it was better, cheaper, and would be what I needed. Gotta love a business man who respects his customers enough to help them save money at his (short term) expense!
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Post by Ampage on May 13, 2006 17:47:32 GMT -5
I need major help too. Called that Master Gardner you told me about and she wanted me to send my dirt to Bodton for testing. LOL! It ain;t that serious. I think I am doing some potted bush tomatoes on my front porch this year. the main thing I need is a heart and colorful perrinial for the fron of my hous. It gets sun up until late afternoon.
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Post by poseidon on May 13, 2006 18:31:10 GMT -5
I miss good strawberry growing climate! I can remember when I was little and we lived in Atlanta, my mom had a bunch of strawberries planted in a bed in our front yard. I used to just sit in the middle of the flower bed with friends from the neighborhood, picking strawberries and popping them straight in my mouth - not a single though about any dirt on them! I went today for my big trip to the crackhouse - also known as Chrisfan's full day of shopping at multiple nurseries. Like most years, I went a bit crazy. I don't THINK I bought more than last year, which means there should be room for all of it. I just tend to find a good deal on flowers one place - and then find a color or two I don't have yet at another place. I've got over a flat of zinnias to plant, along with dahlias, gerber daisies, cosmos (my favorite!) and several other things. Oh, and I determined that you pay quite a bit for the steppables brand name. So I ended up getting one of the plants they have (creeping jenny) in bigger containers for cheaper. My favorite nursery owner told me it was better, cheaper, and would be what I needed. Gotta love a business man who respects his customers enough to help them save money at his (short term) expense! I used to eat mulberries straight from the tree. Yum! Raspberries as well. Fresh cut pineapple is my fav fruit. My best friend had "Tree Masters" come out and fertilize, prune, and insecticide all the many beautiful flowering pear, elm, and pecan trees that I have planted over the last decade. Love watching them grow! |
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Post by chrisfan on May 13, 2006 18:41:52 GMT -5
The master gardeners ALWAYS want to test dirt. It's this odd obsession with them. My mom is always talking about testing other people's dirt. Yet, when I ask her how often she tests her own, she never seems to answer. Hmm ...
How big of a space do you need to fill Amp? And do you want to do shrubs? Flowers? Plants? Ferns? What else is there?
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Post by strat-0 on May 13, 2006 19:13:06 GMT -5
When I was kid in CA, we used to eat persimmons and cumquats out of the tree, among other things. I have several mulberry trees around the place, but none are old enough to produce yet. They are strange trees. The lower leaves look like oak leaf hydrangias, the middle leaves are huge and roundish, while the upper leaves are smaller and more football-shaped. I also have many hickory trees, but I've decided the nuts, while tasty, are not worth the trouble.
I'm not a flower bed kind of guy, but I do appreciate a pretty flower garden. There is a big stand of forget-me-nots down by the creek that volunteers every year, and a lot of oak leaf hydrangias all over the place that are very pretty when they blossom, and they last a long time through the summer. Yeah, give me wild flowers! We do have the rose bushes out front, and azaleas - they were here when I moved in.
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Post by Ampage on May 13, 2006 19:25:42 GMT -5
I have a strip in front of my house about 2' x 10'. It is right between the driveway and porch and needs major something. I have enough greenery with the grass and HUGE bushes that wrap around the porch. I want color dangit - color! There is nothing there now except a dirt strip - I ripped it all up. Going to find a nice border and then hopefully find a hearty perennial that is about 2' tall and thick. Any ideas guys?
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