The Garden Thread that two people wanted

[notthatamanda]

I hope people will post pics of pretty things but all things garden are welcome.

We had three yards of mulch delivered Saturday and I just finished spreading it. Wow, that was the fastest that ever happened. I edged all the beds too. 

In the front - the circle with tulips, peonies and silver sage.
The row with the goji berry bush, One Hermione rose and three miniature tea roses, red, yellow and coral.
Other side of the front door, five crown princess margareta roses, two boomerang lilacs and the hydrangea.
Round the corner - hosta, wild ginger, lily of the valley and one bleeding heart that is still hanging in there after 9 years.
Out in the back - another row of peonies, two woodland ones, then the irises. Lots of irises. Silver sage will fill in there as well.

What's in your garden?

[LilyBLily]

Here's what's blooming: Lots of wood hyacinths, mostly medium blue but some shorter white and pink. Tritelias, deep blue. Columbine in blue, purple, and pinkish white. White anemones that are incredibly invasive. A few daffodil stragglers from late plantings. A few tiny white alliums. A very few iris; something is up with them in all the beds, and none are producing as usual. Lily of the valley. A few money plants are still in purple flowers but others already have their "money," which months from now will turn translucent white. Some pinks that have survived for years are happily blooming, too. May apples I dug up from by a road somewhere are in fine fettle. Unfortunately, so are numerous invasive non-native bush honeysuckles, and I think I'm unlikely to have the strength to remove many more this season. They look charming, though. The wild phlox is blooming but hasn't tried to replicate although it is slowly getting larger. A white azalea is blooming, too.

The mountain laurel that the deer keep savaging has one bloom coming; I really want to fence it off but for now have used garlic spray. Yellow baptisia is beginning to open; the blue is not far behind. Lots of flowers are getting ready to pop, including the peonies.

I have no roses. Not enough sun.

As for the layout, we have no front yard as such; the front is light woods filled with daffodils struggling with the acid soil. I spent some time today weed whacking the hundreds of oak seedlings in hopes the deer will repeatedly eat whatever tender new leaves they put out. I find this is an effective and ecofriendly way of killing an oak seedling.

I put dirt against the house when we moved here, so the main garden is the house surround. Then I keep opening up new patches visible from the house. Mixed success with all, as the trees keep getting bigger and the sunlight keeps disappearing. Basically, we bought a house surrounded by woods and I am fighting reality. Most gardening is on some level. 

[notthatamanda]

Oh it sounds wonderful.

I use bars of Irish Spring Soap to keep the deer off the hosta, hydrangea and tulips. However, something keeps playing with them and strewing them all over the yard this year. I've never seen that happen before.

I'm further North so we are just getting the buds on the roses and peonies, but there is going to be lots!

[LilyBLily]

Oh it sounds wonderful.

I use bars of Irish Spring Soap to keep the deer off the hosta, hydrangea and tulips. However, something keeps playing with them and strewing them all over the yard this year. I've never seen that happen before.

I'm further North so we are just getting the buds on the roses and peonies, but there is going to be lots!

I know the answer to that one, because I, too, used Irish Spring (in large pieces) against the deer. Then I saw a crow come and make off with the soap, piece by piece. If you have squirrels, they might be messing with the soap, too.

I make up an egg/garlic powder/water spray. It's effective for a few weeks if the rains aren't heavy, it's completely safe, and it's cheap. I probably should grind the powder finer because it tends to clog sprayers. I think it also works against rabbits.

[Jeff Tanyard]

Pygmy Gardenias are currently in full bloom.  Regular Gardenias will bloom some time next month.  Holly flowers came and went quickly, alas, but I enjoyed them while they lasted.

I prefer plain-looking flowers that smell nice over those that look pretty but don't have an aroma.

[notthatamanda]

That's why I love my David Austin Roses.  Wide range of looks and smells.

Yesterday when doing my inventory I forgot my Munstead Wood and Ebb Tide. Munstead Wood is a deep red color and it smells um, woodsy.  Woodsy florally.  Ebb tide is supposed to be a true purple rose but it is more fuchsia. They told me it should purple up with age, maybe this will be the year.

[notthatamanda]

Oh it sounds wonderful.

I use bars of Irish Spring Soap to keep the deer off the hosta, hydrangea and tulips. However, something keeps playing with them and strewing them all over the yard this year. I've never seen that happen before.

I'm further North so we are just getting the buds on the roses and peonies, but there is going to be lots!

I know the answer to that one, because I, too, used Irish Spring (in large pieces) against the deer. Then I saw a crow come and make off with the soap, piece by piece. If you have squirrels, they might be messing with the soap, too.

I make up an egg/garlic powder/water spray. It's effective for a few weeks if the rains aren't heavy, it's completely safe, and it's cheap. I probably should grind the powder finer because it tends to clog sprayers. I think it also works against rabbits.

Well we have always had crows and squirrels so it's still weird to me that this is the first year this has happened. They aren't breaking the soap up but they are chewing it, whatever is doing it that is. But I might try the garlic spray on the veggies this year. Little time consuming but I got a lot of time. Plus doing that would probably guarantee we get rain every night. Thanks for the tip.

I'm going to buy more veggie flats today, hopefully. Watching the weather forecast carefully to see if I can set them out before Memorial Day.

[LilyBLily]

And I forgot Mediterranean bells and star of Bethlehem, the latter a wildflower the deer like to eat but if I spray they pass it by. Mediterranean bells are very subtle, almost colorless flowers.

I have dozen or more tomato plants in my kitchen, potted, waiting to go outside and stay there, but we're having very cold nights (again!). And a lantana I'll plant back outside once we actually have summer. It's blooming nicely in a window for now but is a very soft plant and can't handle cold.

[notthatamanda]

Oh I never even heard of lantana. Just looked it up, very pretty and I loved the bold red/yellow/orange color.

I'm trying to grow some marigolds in tire planters out by the fire pit. Threw some black eyed susan seed balls in there too. Nothing has sprouted yet which doesn't surprise me. I have them covered with clear plastic to try to hot house them a little, but I don't expect them to grow until well into June.

[VanessaC]

Just wanted to say I'm so jealous of all your gardens - they sound lovely.

I'm not a natural gardener, and my "flower bed" is currently a mix of varioius grasses, grown from seeds dropped by the birds, and a truly impressive dock plant (which is going to be an absolute pest to get rid of) plus some hardy shrubs which made it through the winter.

[LilyBLily]

I simply don't have enough sunshine for marigolds anymore. I used to buy many flats of annuals but they don't do well here and I've given up.

I have native black-eyed susans that I dug up in Ashland, MA, on the access road to UPS. Transplanted them to Maryland and now here and they go like gangbusters. The cultivated rudbeckia variety I bought at a plant nursery is almost as invasive and its leaves are much larger so it's quite annoying. Too early for them, of course. 

The truth is a successful perennial will become a space hog. My phlox want to take over the world.

[LilyBLily]

Just wanted to say I'm so jealous of all your gardens - they sound lovely.

I'm not a natural gardener, and my "flower bed" is currently a mix of various grasses, grown from seeds dropped by the birds, and a truly impressive dock plant (which is going to be an absolute pest to get rid of) plus some hardy shrubs which made it through the winter.

Actually, lots of people are so used to formal plantings that they aren't comfortable with any other kind. Acres of pansies, ripped up and replaced with acres of tulips, all the same color, all exactly the same space apart, then replaced with acres of begonias, etc. I do what's called a cottage garden, and back when I had more sun and better dirt, I used to make an effort to vary the leaf colors and plant shapes and bloom colors and harmonize everything. Now I'm just desperate to have them grow at all.

[VanessaC]

Just wanted to say I'm so jealous of all your gardens - they sound lovely.

I'm not a natural gardener, and my "flower bed" is currently a mix of various grasses, grown from seeds dropped by the birds, and a truly impressive dock plant (which is going to be an absolute pest to get rid of) plus some hardy shrubs which made it through the winter.

Actually, lots of people are so used to formal plantings that they aren't comfortable with any other kind. Acres of pansies, ripped up and replaced with acres of tulips, all the same color, all exactly the same space apart, then replaced with acres of begonias, etc. I do what's called a cottage garden, and back when I had more sun and better dirt, I used to make an effort to vary the leaf colors and plant shapes and bloom colors and harmonize everything. Now I'm just desperate to have them grow at all.

I'm very influenced by my mother, whose gardens have always been chock-full to over-flowing, so more a cottage garden style, which I really like - much less formal. Eventually, I'll get there - I've been in this house 4 years, and the garden is a long term project.

[Gerri Attrick]

When we first moved to this house thirty years ago, I had the garden redesigned. It's 40'x40' out the back and a lot less in front, which is laid to lawn.

I planted hardy geraniums, penstemon, hollyhocks, dicentra (bleeding heart), climbing and floribunda roses, and grew beautiful lillies in pots.

Now, though, COPD has got the better of me, and it's all fallen into rack and ruin. For the last ten years, I had a variety of "gardeners" offering their services. In fact they are nothing more than lunatics with power tools. Armed with a power saw they felled the brambles that had invaded from next door, together with the standard hibiscus that was just coming into leaf and that I said I wanted to keep. 
For the last two years, I've had no help at all. The lawns both front and back are knee high in grass - I need a flock of sheep to get them down.

Earlier this year, high winds brought down a branch of the buddleia - which fell on my prized oriental poppy (sob) and it's such a dreadful mess that I no longer go out there. I can't even bring myself to look at it.

[LilyBLily]

I'm so sorry your garden is in disarray. Not every gardener is just a landscape hacker. If you have the strength, consider contacting your local master gardener program for some potential workers who actually can recognize a flower when they see one.

I keep thinking that when I eventually retire and have to move from here, we'll get a cottage with lots of sunshine, a level lot, and space for a small garden. That's probably less likely than any other future dream I could have.

[idontknowyet]

Our current garden!

We have six raised beds which are 6x6 split into 2 3x3 sections.

This season we mainly planted squash zucchini and for an experiment 4 tomatoes and 2 eggplants.

Pickle worms and a weird weather season decimated my crop. Normally I get well over a hundred pounds. This year I will be happy if I get 10 to 20lbs.

We have one unidentified fruit/veggie growing. It looks like a watermelon.

On the porch by the pool, we currently have 20 tomato plants that are growing slower than the ones outside in the beds, but they look lovely. They will last longer because my tomatoes don't handle the direct sunlight during summer here, and I don't have to worry about tomato horn worms. I also put a few eggplants on the patio as well to compare production results.

Have I mentioned I hate worms.

I am hoping we are finally past the pickle worm blight of 2020 and have gotten a few squash, zucchini out of the garden recently. Waiting for butternut squash to ripen takes foreveeeeeeer.

I've started sweet potato slips for the summer crop. This will be my first time trying to grow them. They are finally starting to root and I can see the little nubs for slips starting to pop out of the seed potatoes very exciting.

 

[Simon Haynes]

Best thing about my 'new' house (new to me at least), is the relatively big back garden. Plenty of room to grow veg.

At the end of summer I planted out peas, broad beans, broccoli, rocket (arugula), carrots, more peas, turnips, zuccini and so on, along with the usual herbs.

The lemon tree is fruiting so I often have pancakes with lemon juice and a sprinkle of sugar.

It's been a struggle because we're heading into winter but there's been very little rain.

Picked these today. I do love my stews!

[Simon Haynes]

Forgot to mention I also planted out 2 kinds of potatoes, a couple of weeks apart. The first lot are going crazy and the second lot are just coming up now.

I've also planted out mulberry bushes and a fig tree, and an orange tree to match the lemon.  I still have a load of mulberry and fig trees in pots which I grew from cuttings while I was waiting to sell the old house. As they're grown from cuttings they fruit right away, which is nice.

[LilyBLily]

I am so envious. Even on my deck, the horn worms find my tomatoes. And I simply do not have any place on my property where I can grow vegetables. Not that I did a particularly good job of it when I had a backyard with full sun, but I could at least try. Here the lack of sunlight is compounded by the main crop of West Virginia: rocks.

[idontknowyet]

Forgot to mention I also planted out 2 kinds of potatoes, a couple of weeks apart. The first lot are going crazy and the second lot are just coming up now.

I've also planted out mulberry bushes and a fig tree, and an orange tree to match the lemon.  I still have a load of mulberry and fig trees in pots which I grew from cuttings while I was waiting to sell the old house. As they're grown from cuttings they fruit right away, which is nice.

We are on the opposite seasons so our lemon trees are loaded up and strangely still flowering. December we only got like 5-6 fruits because they are new trees. This coming December I don't know what we are going to do with all the lemons. They are cooooovered.

On that reminds me blueberry season is almost over.    Our bushes did well above normal but no where near the 200lbs we should be getting off them. I don't think I am fertilizing them often enough. And yes we could soo find a way to eat all those berries. 

[idontknowyet]

I am so envious. Even on my deck, the horn worms find my tomatoes. And I simply do not have any place on my property where I can grow vegetables. Not that I did a particularly good job of it when I had a backyard with full sun, but I could at least try. Here the lack of sunlight is compounded by the main crop of West Virginia: rocks.

The pool is completely screened in down in florida so no way those sneaky buggers can get in. I highly recommend raised beds. They are simple and easy to build or buy and you get a ton of bang for your buck as far as production goes.

I really want to put in 6 more beds this summer for my fall and winter crops. I need to get a ton of spinach, kale and brussel sprouts up. I think I am going to put my broc and cauli on the porch this winter since each plant takes up a large amount of space in my beds. I have bug netting now (thanks pickle worms) to protect the leaves from cutter bugs.

[Simon Haynes]

Re the lemons, back when I had three citrus trees I used to slice the fruit and freeze the wedges. Use the slices instead of ice cubes in cool drinks. I also squeezed the juice and froze trays of lemon juice icecubes. Great for cooking - just chuck in a cube.

[Simon Haynes]

Highly recommend the Self Sufficient Me vids. Mark's an aussie so some of the tips are region specific, but he's great to watch anyway.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Cactus in bloom, but still full of many buds. Part of the retirement village where I live.

[JRTomlin]

Pretty!

[idontknowyet]

Highly recommend the Self Sufficient Me vids. Mark's an aussie so some of the tips are region specific, but he's great to watch anyway.

Love his videos

this guy has some great info too..

[notthatamanda]

Just wanted to say I'm so jealous of all your gardens - they sound lovely.

I'm not a natural gardener, and my "flower bed" is currently a mix of various grasses, grown from seeds dropped by the birds, and a truly impressive dock plant (which is going to be an absolute pest to get rid of) plus some hardy shrubs which made it through the winter.

Actually, lots of people are so used to formal plantings that they aren't comfortable with any other kind. Acres of pansies, ripped up and replaced with acres of tulips, all the same color, all exactly the same space apart, then replaced with acres of begonias, etc. I do what's called a cottage garden, and back when I had more sun and better dirt, I used to make an effort to vary the leaf colors and plant shapes and bloom colors and harmonize everything. Now I'm just desperate to have them grow at all.

I'm very influenced by my mother, whose gardens have always been chock-full to over-flowing, so more a cottage garden style, which I really like - much less formal. Eventually, I'll get there - I've been in this house 4 years, and the garden is a long term project.

The best plants for your area are the ones that grow well in your area. Like Lily said, perennials multiply. I just gave some daylilies, silver sage and mint to a new gardener in my neighborhood. Other stuff is better divided in the fall. If you have any opportunity to get to know gardeners in your area, hard now I know, they may be able to donate to your cause eventually.

[notthatamanda]

When we first moved to this house thirty years ago, I had the garden redesigned. It's 40'x40' out the back and a lot less in front, which is laid to lawn.

I planted hardy geraniums, penstemon, hollyhocks, dicentra (bleeding heart), climbing and floribunda roses, and grew beautiful lillies in pots.

Now, though, COPD has got the better of me, and it's all fallen into rack and ruin. For the last ten years, I had a variety of "gardeners" offering their services. In fact they are nothing more than lunatics with power tools. Armed with a power saw they felled the brambles that had invaded from next door, together with the standard hibiscus that was just coming into leaf and that I said I wanted to keep. 
For the last two years, I've had no help at all. The lawns both front and back are knee high in grass - I need a flock of sheep to get them down.

Earlier this year, high winds brought down a branch of the buddleia - which fell on my prized oriental poppy (sob) and it's such a dreadful mess that I no longer go out there. I can't even bring myself to look at it.

I'm sorry it's so hard for you.

[notthatamanda]

Lily I just made the garlic spray and I put the granulated garlic in the spice mill first. Sprayed everything with no clogs yet, conahura, knock wood. Thanks for the tip!

[Vijaya]

Let's see if I can post a picture or two, otherwise, please stop by my blog for some pretty pictures of our flowers and bees.

[Vijaya]

I did it!

[notthatamanda]

Oh your own honey. That's awesome. My oldest is terrified of bees or I would definitely try that. Love flower pics too.

So I planted a little more than half of the veggies I bought. We prepped this bed two years ago and removed tons of rocks. Last weekend we pulled out a rock that had to be 70 lbs and I just uncovered one even bigger so I got sulky and quit for the day. Honestly what happens, why do they keep rising to the surface. Like Lily, rocks are my most successful crop.

Thank you for posting the videos Simon. It gave me the idea to use the corrugated sheet metal I have to fence my second garden area in better.

Like idontknowyet I started sweet potato slips, yesterday. I don't know what will happen but I did make sure to buy an organic potato.

I went back through my email and can't find any evidence I actually ordered more blackberries and raspberries. Maybe I dreamed it. I did make blackberry clippings of the one vine I have and will plant those, maybe this afternoon even.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

WEEDS

One of my neigbours recently suggested using vinegar to kill weeds. I had some growing between the flags in a pathway (can never get to the roots  ). Vinegar worked wonders. No more weeds growing in the path  . Thought I'd pass this on in case you hadn't heard about it. 

[JRTomlin]

My lavenders are blooming. One of my peonies blooming. (The other is only one year old so may not bloom this year). Tomato plants in. My white rose of Scotland (two of them) are looking good but not blooming yet. I'm not doing much this year since I can't go to a garden center.

ETA: And thanks for all the lovely flower photos!

[Gerri Attrick]

Thanks for the flower pictures, Vijaya.

Here's a tub full of lilies from happier times.

[Vijaya]

I can practically smell your lily, Gerriatrick! So pretty too. I love all the good smelling flowers. Right now there's jasmine and lavender. We planted peonies this spring--so watching and waiting to see if they'll bloom. They're up, though.

Thank you for your compliments. My husband is the one with the green thumb--I've even managed to kill a cactus. He's the beekeeper too. I don't go anywhere near when he's checking on them. I do like to watching them though.

And Amanda, in the very first house we bought back in WA, I swear we grew rocks! The kids and I spent hours picking rocks before preparing the land for our garden.

Oh, we watched a wonderful movie on natural gardening: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0845RJ6GR/ref=nav_timeline_asin?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

[notthatamanda]

I've always wanted to grow jasmine (inside) but I've never been able to find a plant. The only thing I manage to grow from seeds is sunflowers (not working this year yet) and peas, sometimes.

I killed a zebra aloe my husband got me for Valentine's Day this year. Regular aloe I'm drowning in but the zebra was a disaster.

[LilyBLily]

I have flower photos to share but no clue about how to make their file size small enough to post here. They all come off my camera or phone as huge files.

I discovered a box turtle today, the first of the season. It was hiding in the oak leaves blown around some daffodils I had intended to fertilize. A better discovery than the tiny snakes I found while doing this a month ago (we have thousands of daffodils so it takes a long while, plus we had to wait for another shipment).

[idontknowyet]

WEEDS

One of my neigbours recently suggested using vinegar to kill weeds. I had some growing between the flags in a pathway (can never get to the roots  ). Vinegar worked wonders. No more weeds growing in the path  . Thought I'd pass this on in case you hadn't heard about it. 

Oh I didn't!!!! Thank you!
I'm currently experimenting with making pineapple vinegar and white vinegar. I'm about 2.5 weeks out from finishing the first batch.

[notthatamanda]

I'm going to try the vinegar too. Thanks Jan.

[LilyBLily]

I'll try it, too. Thanks. 

[notthatamanda]

I decided to mix up my routine today so I went out and planted the rest of the veggies before it got too hot. I also bought 4 dahlias so I planted those next to the street. They have to be dug up in the fall regardless so no worries about the plow destroying them. I hope people who are out for a walk enjoy them. I probably will get some more, I am still hopeful to find some cucumbers and broccoli next week undecided where to try for that.

I found that my winter hardy hibiscus like thing is sprouting! 

I had just about given up on it. It is near the mailbox so the plow doesn't come in there, conahura knock wood.

[Simon Haynes]

I have flower photos to share but no clue about how to make their file size small enough to post here. They all come off my camera or phone as huge files.

Download Irfanview (free) if you're on Windows.  Open a file, click Ctrl+R, make sure 'aspect ratio' is ticked and changed the width in pixels to about 600-800. Then hit Ctrl+S BUT -- important bit -- change the filename.  I usually add '_sml' to the end of the original file, or _800 to indicate the new width.

I'm sure there are similar apps on the mac, but I don't really use that OS.

By the way, Irfanview has an incredibly powerful batch mode where you can resize ALL the images in a folder (plus subfolders) and save them to a new location and/or with a new filename.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

WEEDS

One of my neigbours recently suggested using vinegar to kill weeds. I had some growing between the flags in a pathway (can never get to the roots  ). Vinegar worked wonders. No more weeds growing in the path  . Thought I'd pass this on in case you hadn't heard about it. 

Oh I didn't!!!! Thank you!
I'm currently experimenting with making pineapple vinegar and white vinegar. I'm about 2.5 weeks out from finishing the first batch.

Never heard of pineapple vinegar. I use cheap white vinegar for the weeds (eco-friendly and cheap) and cider vinegar in the kitchen and for medicinal purposes. Let us know if the pineapple vinegar works - and how to make it 

[Jeff Tanyard]

For weeds in sidewalk cracks, I just use salt water.  Very effective.  Better than Roundup, frankly.

[notthatamanda]

For weeds in sidewalk cracks, I just use salt water.  Very effective.  Better than Roundup, frankly.

I'll try that first, thanks.

So, it got up to 95 today, the spinach I planted this morning got scorched. We'll see if it makes it.

[LilyBLily]

I have flower photos to share but no clue about how to make their file size small enough to post here. They all come off my camera or phone as huge files.

Download Irfanview (free) if you're on Windows.  Open a file, click Ctrl+R, make sure 'aspect ratio' is ticked and changed the width in pixels to about 600-800. Then hit Ctrl+S BUT -- important bit -- change the filename.  I usually add '_sml' to the end of the original file, or _800 to indicate the new width.

I'm sure there are similar apps on the mac, but I don't really use that OS.

By the way, Irfanview has an incredibly powerful batch mode where you can resize ALL the images in a folder (plus subfolders) and save them to a new location and/or with a new filename.

Okay, trying it.

[idontknowyet]

For weeds in sidewalk cracks, I just use salt water.  Very effective.  Better than Roundup, frankly.

I'll try that first, thanks.

So, it got up to 95 today, the spinach I planted this morning got scorched. We'll see if it makes it.

if it stays that hot it will probably bolt. wow I think it was hotter up there than down here.

[idontknowyet]

WEEDS

One of my neigbours recently suggested using vinegar to kill weeds. I had some growing between the flags in a pathway (can never get to the roots  ). Vinegar worked wonders. No more weeds growing in the path  . Thought I'd pass this on in case you hadn't heard about it. 

Oh I didn't!!!! Thank you!
I'm currently experimenting with making pineapple vinegar and white vinegar. I'm about 2.5 weeks out from finishing the first batch.

Never heard of pineapple vinegar. I use cheap white vinegar for the weeds (eco-friendly and cheap) and cider vinegar in the kitchen and for medicinal purposes. Let us know if the pineapple vinegar works - and how to make it 

It's a super simple recipe. There are tons of variations on the internet, but basically all you need is fruit, sugar, water and vinegar with mother.

I used 6 pineapple cores and skins. Chopped them into cubes so they broke down easier. Place in a plastic or glass container. Fill with water until the fruit is covered. Dump sugar and vinegar in. Stir. Cover with cheese cloth or a kitchen towel. We used towel kept the fruit flies away completely. Place in a warm dark spot. Wait 3 weeks. Take out the fruit. Place the towel back on it and return to the dark spot. This time stir everyday. Tasting after week 2 for acidity. 
You will need to take the goopy stuff off the top at the end, but it can be reused if you plan on making more. Filtering is optional but most people keep atleast some of the mother in since that has masses of nutrition in it.

[notthatamanda]

I had some wild flower seeds so I turned and raked up a part of the garden that's down to just 3 or 4 perennials. My downfall with seeds is always watering but I'm hoping to keep up with this, since we are home all the time now. It is supposed to be butterfly and hummingbird friendly. We have seen hummingbirds here, but I am afraid of a hummingbird feeder because of the bears.

I'm going to try to load some pics now.

Nope - I got confused with the software Simon recommended.

[LilyBLily]

Bears? Yikes. There are bears very near us but they don't generally like to be in our woods because it's not dense.

Actually, as woods go, it's boring. Not much variety of plants or trees, and no wonderful discoveries. No lady's slippers, no jack-in-the-pulpits, and I had to steal May apples and bluebells from along a road. Each has naturalized in a big way, proving they are happy in their new home. 

[notthatamanda]

None came down this spring into the neighborhood, that we know of. I'm guessing because people are on the wood trails behind my house all the time now they are even more shy than usual. But it's always disconcerting to look out your window and see a bear or a bobcat or fisher. I think we saw a lynx once. And we saw barred owls a month ago.

Our woods are boring for plants too, and it's getting to the point where no one wants to go back there because of bugs. We have glacier deposited rocks, two so big they are called the house and the barn. There is a burned out car that no one seems to remember what happened or how it got out there. Older one may try to write and make a short film about it. (Fingers crossed)

[Vijaya]

Amanda, do you live in WA? When we lived there at the edge of the woods, there was a lot of wildlife. We loved walking in the woods, picking berries in the summer, mushrooms in the fall, and it was scary to see a coyote or bobcat or bear. They were more scared of us so would go away, except for the one time a coyote crept closer, barring her teeth. I picked up a few sticks and threw them and then turned around. I did not want my dog getting into a fight. She guards me.

It's cool that your older one will write about the car--she has just the person to ask for help too! 

[notthatamanda]

Ha ha, let's see if she does it.

We live in New England. And I forgot the coyotes. They hunt in pairs or packs now. They are definitely the boldest of the bunch.

Overall, it is not that scary, it's just when you see it the caveman part of your brain takes over and says "BEAR BEAR BEAR".

They are black bears, so not likely to attack humans, though we do have one neighbor who feeds them, because he is an idiot. It's not illegal to feed them here but nuisance bears get shot.

We had a mountain lion about 20 years ago. People kept seeing it, they talked to a zoologist from California and he thought we were all a bunch of ****, but eventually they got some tracks on it (three kids around the corner from me went and hid in their shed when it came into the yard.) Yup, mountain lion. My money was on a pet that got released, but we never found it. It made its way NE up into the White Mountains most likely. I carried a knife on my walks for a couple of months.

[Vijaya]

Yikes! And you were brave enough to go out with a knife. I'd be petrified.

[notthatamanda]

I really like my walks.

[Maggie Ann]

The only thing I can successfully grow is orchids. Even that took me a few years to get it right. I have about 25 plants, and 10 of them are blooming right now. The others are not blooming size yet. I would post a picture but the flowers are falling off because it's toward the end of the season. I keep my orchids on my screened patio so I don't have to worry about bugs, and it's roofed so I don't have to worry about too much sunlight burning them up.

My house was built in 2004 but I bought it in 2017. The builder planted two oak trees smack in the middle of my backyard and two oak trees in my front yard. Because they take up so much room, I haven't been able to plant any fruit trees.

I used to plant veggies and containers, but gave up on that when I decided to grow orchids.

[notthatamanda]

I've wanted to do orchids. By cousin's girlfriend does them. Maybe next time I go to BJs they will have them. I have a lot of indoor plants, including a lemon tree, which my friend's kid grew from a seed from a supermarket lemon. It's about 4 feet tall and I doubt it will ever fruit since it has to stay indoors here. But the leaves smell very lemony if you rub them.

I started a pomegranate from seed from one from the supermarket. I have one a foot tall and one about four inches. I will probably divide those and give one to a friend next week. I have seen pomegranates bear fruit in a pot here, so it may be possible. I'll let you know if 5-10 years.

[Maggie Ann]

I learned everything I needed to grow orchids on YouTube. The orchid whisperer lives in the Midwest and miss orchid girl lives on Cyprus which is much more my climate.

Dendrobiums are really easy but their flowers are quite small. If you want big showy flowers, get Cattleyas. Mostly, you'll see Phaelenopsis in the stores. I love Vandas, but they are very greedy, sucking up a lot of light and water and fertilizer.

[LilyBLily]

I've been put off by the supermarket price of $30 for a showy deep blue orchid, also not sure if it is real color or a dye. Of course the other issue is the expense of buying a plant I will almost surely kill.

I had to give up on alliums because the voles eat them, but at least that's not my fault.

[Mammasan]

I am not a gardener at all, but (I live in southeastern US) this Spring I saw a tree blooming with flowers that looked gorgeous --exactly like orchids. I Googled "tree flowers that look like orchids" to find out what kind of tree it was and (big surprise) found it's called the "orchid tree." Originally from Hong Kong. I took some seeds from a couple of its pods and potted them. Little trees are now growing! I'll have to find a place for them in the yard eventually.

[notthatamanda]

That's so cool! Good luck with your trees. Around here crab apples are some of the prettiest trees.

I've got a neighbor who has some alliums and I love them, but I don't have any myself. We've got voles too, I'm sure.

[Maggie Ann]

I am not a gardener at all, but (I live in southeastern US) this Spring I saw a tree blooming with flowers that looked gorgeous --exactly like orchids. I Googled "tree flowers that look like orchids" to find out what kind of tree it was and (big surprise) found it's called the "orchid tree." Originally from Hong Kong. I took some seeds from a couple of its pods and potted them. Little trees are now growing! I'll have to find a place for them in the yard eventually.

my friend in Australia had a gorgeous garden with orchids and roses and also had an orchid tree. She sent me pictures and it was beautiful. I also have an orchid cactus, which is not strictly an orchid, but is an epiphylum. hasn't bloomed yet but I suspect that it has to grow a lot more.

[Mammasan]

I bought a couple of pots of "Mexican petunias" from Walmart and left them on my front walk. They are bush-like but covered in purple flowers that look like petunias. They flower just before dawn, with the flowers all falling off around four o'clock in the afternoon. They do this every day.

Shortly after I left them, I noticed that a solitary bumble bee would come every early morning and dive deep into each of the flowers. Then, around three o'clock in the afternoon a solitary bumblebee (I'm guessing the same one) would come, but wouldn't go inside any of the flowers. Instead, it would go behind the flower, to its base, of each flower.

I figure the flower was getting ready to drop off and had formed a fissure with the stem, and the bee was accessing the nectar through that break. Kinda smart!

[notthatamanda]

Another trip to the nursery before the supermarket. I got cucumbers. That was literally the only thing I've been able to find this season in a six plant flat. We need to start eating the rest of last year's pickles now.

No broccoli but I got green cauliflower. Which is pretty close. I like cauliflower, but cheddar cauliflower is always disappointing. I expect it to taste like cheese. Also chocolate peppers, they should taste like chocolate please.

I bought three different types of blueberry bushes, one white raspberry (the absolute last raspberry) and a white grape vine. The grape is a surprise for my husband, he eats the concord grapes that grow in our yard. When I got home I saw the thing is supposed to be 10 feet tall, but I guess I can rig up something on either side, grape vines wouldn't be practical to harvest if they let them climb as high as they wanted.

The bearded irises are starting to open up and I expect the peonies to follow in a week or two.

I've been good about watering the veggies, the wildflower garden and the marigold seeds. I go out in the morning with my cup of coffee. I have two water cans so I can fill one from the rain barrel while I am watering with the other. It is quiet and cool and nice.

[LilyBLily]

Our pitiful number of iris blooms this year are all open, each a different color. I miss the ones that didn't bloom and will have to research what the heck happened since they're in very different spots vis-a-vis sun and water.

The peonies have started to open and look quite beautiful as usual. Not a lot of blossoms on the oldest ones but they don't get much sun and last year was a drought year. Even the buddleia behind them is looking as if it wants to give up. However, it has profusely reseeded itself in a sunnier spot and produces many blooms all season.

Somewhere I have some cucumber seeds and I will plant them in pots on my deck; it's the only place with reliable sun for hours.

Everything is taking a great leap forward. Soon my garden around the house will be all tall plants and I won't touch any of them for months for fear of snaky surprises.

The bulbs I dug up and stored in the garage are striated-leaf canna lilies. They didn't bloom last year but their foliage is beautiful and I planted the three that still looked alive in the super hot spot in front of the air conditioner.

If we get the windows washed we'll put up the hummingbird feeder again. Last year it kept falling off because the window was so dirty, and last year I did not care enough about anything to clean the window.

[notthatamanda]

Oh I thought you mistyped calla lilies. I never heard of canna lilies. I googled the buddleia too, I have seen that didn't know what it was called.

As I was leaving the nursery I saw they still had tons of peonies, which was kind of surprising, but I had already paid so I kept walking. I do like pansies. I had a bunch that reseeded themselves for more than five years then last year they finally quit.

I would like to get some morning glories to wrap around the mail box.

[LilyBLily]

I used to have calla lilies. They have to be raised and stored for the winter, but I did that for a dozen years. Then one year I didn't. White callas are really lovely; it's such a pure white.

[Jeff Tanyard]

Hydrangeas are in bloom:





Wild Muscadine:

[Maggie Ann]

I've lived in Florida for more than 60 years and I still miss the flowers I knew from up north. Hydrangeas is one of them and honeysuckle is another.

I'm going to visit the botanical gardens with my daughter and granddaughter tomorrow. Of course I'm interested in the orchid garden, but they also have a rose garden with roses suitable for our climate and soil. My neighbor has a 15-year-old red rose that is constantly blooming. There are very few leaves, but there are always dozens of flowers.

[notthatamanda]

Last summer we went to Montreal and I got to see the rose gardens there finally. They were wonderful.

I have a hydrangea, it has about 10 leaves so far. I think it needs to be in a sunny spot. There are some outside the community center in my town that grow huge, like the size of a small SUV. They are the lovely mix of the antique white and rose too.

[Maggie Ann]

our trip to the botanical gardens has been postponed, but we are still scheduled to do a picnic in the park. There's sure to be some hibiscus so I won't feel the lack of flowers.

[LilyBLily]

Right now I have a sea of white anemones to contrast with the deep blue tritelias--even though they were sold to me as camassias, they look much more like the bulbs sold to me as tritelias.

Different nursery companies, different subspecies/hybrids/whatever. I'm still looking for a giant snowflake (looks like a super tall snowdrop) with the same dark green, waxy foliage as the ones in my mother's garden many years ago. I can buy snowflakes from multiple sources today but the foliage is wrong. 

[Maggie Ann]

I received an email from my bank with the following.

" A Tip to Boost Your Mood While You Are at Home
   
A meta‐analysis of 22 case studies found that working in your garden can improve symptoms of anxiety and stress. Gardening allows us to get outside in the sun and can be an activity that allows us to get into a 'flow' state of mind – one where we are not focusing on anything but the task at hand. The satisfaction of watching your garden bloom or producing vegetables to feed your family can also help instill a sense of gratification or accomplishment."

so we are on the right track.

[LilyBLily]

I planted my bachelor's buttons today. Grown from seed indoors. It's finally warm enough for them to be outside. Otherwise, my gardening today was all about destruction: mowing, weed whacking, and then mixing up some vile weedkiller to put on the thousands of garlic mustard plants trying to infest the woods. Deer don't like strong smells and they definitely don't like garlic, so this non-native invasive has had an easy road to conquest. I aim to stop it if I can. Not with glyphosate, though. Something milder. Glyphosate was supposed to be the safe answer to weed control, but it's turning up in foods. Not good.   

[notthatamanda]

Around here people bring in goats to eat poison ivy. I wonder if they would eat garlic mustard. They are very thorough with the poison ivy.

I have a friend who grew bachelor buttons. I just stink at seeds. I did plant some sunflowers out front yesterday. I'll use your garlic and egg mix on them if they pop up. The spray bottle did gum up eventually, so I plan to mix it in a jar and apply it with a silicon pastry brush.

We got a good rain last night, which we needed. The rain barrel is hopefully full all the way back up now.

[LilyBLily]

I planted dill and cucumber seeds in pots. I don't have a great track records with seeds, either, but the dill seeds have been sitting around since 1999, according to the package, so why not give them a whirl? Somebody in the family had the idea of doing vegetable gardening and bought a ton of vegetable seeds; I have grabbed a few packets to play with.

[notthatamanda]

I did the same thing, all I managed to get was peas, and I killed half of those when I put them outside. I am just in awe of people who can make seeds work all the way to actual produce.

[Vijaya]

I am just in awe of people who can make seeds work all the way to actual produce.

I find the whole process fascinating. It never ceases to amaze me that a tiny seed turns into a tomato or a stick sprouts new growth. We had one overachieving tomato a couple of weeks ago and now the rest of them are ripening. They are so heavy, I worry the string won't be able to hold up the plant but so far so good. We'll have a steady supply... Peppers do really well here too, so I make a lot of salsa.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

This has been part of our lockdown project. Not quite finished. It's in the common property in my retirement village and is in the garden just above my cottage. It was a functioning fountain in one of the cottages and had a pool and fish pond, but the owner passed away and the new owners didn't want the bother of looking after it, so it was dismantled and removed and this part of the garden ended up with this part of the fountain. We tried to use plants that don't need much water or looking after. 

[notthatamanda]

Oh that's so pretty Jan.

So we positioned another rain barrel to catch the runoff from the deck. I had to move two hostas and put them out by the mailbox. I went looking for morning glory seeds but didn't find any. Planted some sunflowers - solar babies and teddy bears - out there. Now I'm going to plant marigold seeds in the planters on the deck. Hopefully with my new first thing every morning watering habit I will get seeds to grow.
And the second rain barrel will help alot.

[Maggie Ann]

This has been part of our lockdown project. Not quite finished. It's in the common property in my retirement village and is in the garden just above my cottage. It was a functioning fountain in one of the cottages and had a pool and fish pond, but the owner passed away and the new owners didn't want the bother of looking after it, so it was dismantled and removed and this part of the garden ended up with this part of the fountain. We tried to use plants that don't need much water or looking after. 

Very nice selection of succulents. I have two big pots of various varieties under my oak trees and a hanging basket of burro's tail

[LilyBLily]

The fountain looks great. Imaginative use of the dripping plants.

A squirrel (I think) knocked over one of my pots on the deck and rifled through it. Maybe it wanted to eat the cucumber seeds? I cleaned it up and took the pot inside with new seeds. It'll probably be easier to keep it moist indoors so they sprout.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Very nice selection of succulents. I have two big pots of various varieties under my oak trees and a hanging basket of burro's tail

We call them donkey tails - same thing 

[notthatamanda]

We have a robin's nest in the rhododendron outside my front door. I saw three eggs. I drained the rain barrel this morning. We set up a second one but no rain in the forecast for the next week and a half.

[Vijaya]

We have a robin's nest in the rhododendron outside my front door. I saw three eggs.

Sweet.

Very nice selection of succulents. I have two big pots of various varieties under my oak trees and a hanging basket of burro's tail

We call them donkey tails - same thing 

Lol. They do look like tails. Lovely fountain, Jan.

[notthatamanda]

Four robin eggs now. No wonder she was so mad at me this morning!

[idontknowyet]

I'm getting a little excited about my butternut squash. So far 3 large ones have avoided the worms of doom. They are days from being ready to be picked.

A trickling of non worm eaten squash keeps coming out, but nothing compared to the number of plants.

My tomato plants are covered in fruit. If I can avoid the horn worms for long enough I should get a wonderful harvest.

[LilyBLily]

Tomato plants eaten to three-inch stalks at my relative's house. I dug them up and put them in pots on the deck. We shall see if the animal dares to hippety hop that high.

Baptisia blooming a very pale blue and about three feet tall. I think they get that tall here searching for sunlight.

So far, I'm not seeing any ill effects on weeds from the vinegar I sprayed on them. Does it require repeated application to work?

[notthatamanda]

I googled trying to figure out if baptisia and salvia are the same thing. Not sure. Only my white salvia took, the blue ones never came back, but the butterflies and bees love them. No flowers on them yet here.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

I'm getting a little excited about my butternut squash. So far 3 large ones have avoided the worms of doom. They are days from being ready to be picked.

A trickling of non worm eaten squash keeps coming out, but nothing compared to the number of plants.

My tomato plants are covered in fruit. If I can avoid the horn worms for long enough I should get a wonderful harvest.

I had a lovely crop of butternuts - until the monkeys got to them 

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

I had set aside today as the day to pick the paw paw (papaya) that was just beginning to ripen. Went into my garden to see a monkey sitting on the roof enjoying the paw paw  . Waited many weeks for that to get ripe enough to pick  .

[LilyBLily]

That's a shame.

It's why I get to feeling bitter when the deer eat the only flower a bulb will produce in a season. If they come along and chomp on the phlox, the plant will regrow its flowers.

[notthatamanda]

I tried starting two pawpaw trees here, but it didn't work. We don't have monkeys to worry about just not enough sun in my yard for pawpaws. I've never tried one.  Is it really yummy? Wow, monkeys. I guess I shouldn't complain about the deer, groundhogs and rabbits. But I'm going to complain about the deer anyway, I've seen a deer chewing on my roses once.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

I tried starting two pawpaw trees here, but it didn't work. We don't have monkeys to worry about just not enough sun in my yard for pawpaws. I've never tried one.  Is it really yummy? Wow, monkeys. I guess I shouldn't complain about the deer, groundhogs and rabbits. But I'm going to complain about the deer anyway, I've seen a deer chewing on my roses once.

According to Google A pawpaw's flavor is sunny, electric, and downright tropical: a riot of mango-banana-citrus that's incongruous with its temperate, deciduous forest origins. They also have a subtle kick of a yeasty, floral aftertaste a bit like unfiltered wheat beer.
I just eat it with a dash of lemon sprinkled over it, mixed with oranges, or in a smoothie.
My paw paws have come up on their own. I have one growing in the compost heap and one outside my bedroom window. Also have two smaller ones. When they get too high you cut them down and put a tin on the cut trunk to stop rain getting in and the tree will sprout another branch and continue to fruit.

[notthatamanda]

Wow, that's so cool. I've heard that they taste like a banana custard. I know someone who grew them in Connecticut. They aren't shelf stable enough to grow commercially and sell.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Wow, that's so cool. I've heard that they taste like a banana custard. I know someone who grew them in Connecticut. They aren't shelf stable enough to grow commercially and sell.

They are sold here in the supermarkets. You can pick them when they are only slightly ripe and still quite firm and they will ripen in a few days in the kitchen - even quicker if you put them next to bananas that give off a gas that ripens fruit. 

[Gerri Attrick]

Good news at last.

The gardener I contacted early last month finally came to view the wilderness today. (The grass is now so high there could be a previously undiscovered tribe of pygmies living within it).

He's promised to get back to me with a price for cutting it all down, clearing it away, and renovating the borders. Here's hoping.

[Vijaya]

We're having critter troubles too--ants have eaten all of our cowpeas. They left the black beans alone though, so there's that.

[notthatamanda]

I couldn't find green beans so I got purple and yellow. Which means they are Laker beans. Not sure my husband will eat them mixed together.

[LilyBLily]

I did something dire to my ride-on mower. Maybe. Might have actually killed it. I'll know tomorrow if I can't start it at all with help from a charger. Luckily I have a self-propelling small mower so the grass--what little there is--can't get ahead of me if I have to wait a long time for a repair visit.

More dire is the return of invading Japanese stiltgrass. I put down a lot of Preen this spring to stop it, but apparently three entire huge buckets were not enough. I can't see myself hand weeding the thousands of little weeds, but if I don't they'll destroy everything in their path. It's bad enough that I'm overrun with garlic mustard and bush honeysuckle.

I should just give up.

On the bright side, orange-red poppies are blooming, a white phlox cultivar is looking very lush, and I've identified some green seedlings in one spot as gallardia I'd seeded last year, not weeds. And the bachelor buttons seedlings I put out are looking as if they will survive the transplantation. 

Paw paws (not a papaya as Americans know them) grow wild in the woods in the Washington, DC area. They were George Washington's favorite dessert. Every spring there are paw paw festivals, but the supply is extremely limited. Intrepid foragers do not tell their friends where they have located a tree. I think it's worse than the "Don't tell/won't tell" behavior of serious mushroom foragers. I don't do either but a family member does and knows lots of those types. 

[idontknowyet]

I couldn't find green beans so I got purple and yellow. Which means they are Laker beans. Not sure my husband will eat them mixed together.

[notthatamanda]

I got an orchid at BJs. $10. It reminds me of my purple splash rose, which is about to blast open with tons of flowers. We got some rain last night so I didn't have to water and there is some in the rain barrel now for tomorrow.

[LilyBLily]

I'm still staying out of stores and intend to until at least mid-month, but I'm fairly sure I can get into enough trouble outside on the property without buying new plants.

Happily the mower started up without a problem today so I've dodged that bullet. I've only had this mower about ten years, and I think I ought to be able to get another ten out of it. Then, instead of buying a new one, it'll be time to move to that cute little white-picket-fence retirement cottage where at last I will have enough sunshine to grow roses and dahlias and marigolds again. And there will be actual dirt. Dream on, right?

[notthatamanda]

Oh that reminds me, one of the four dahlia's I planted poked up finally. We had some 40 degree nights so hopefully the rest were just a little timid and will join them soon.

Edit - went to the hardware store and they did not have the garage floor paint so I got a four pack of eggplant instead. I'm not sure I can talk anyone else into eating eggplant. Send eggplant recipes that freeze well, please and thank you.

[idontknowyet]

Oh that reminds me, one of the four dahlia's I planted poked up finally. We had some 40 degree nights so hopefully the rest were just a little timid and will join them soon.

Edit - went to the hardware store and they did not have the garage floor paint so I got a four pack of eggplant instead. I'm not sure I can talk anyone else into eating eggplant. Send eggplant recipes that freeze well, please and thank you.

Not healthy but eggplant parm freezes amazingly well.
But with 4 plants how will you have any to freeze. In my family can eat dozens. A little olive oil garlic caramelized onions and eggplant sauted put over pasta is about the best meal ever. Add a few blistered tomatoes and you'll never want to eat anything else.

[notthatamanda]

Well as of right now I'm the only one who eats them, but maybe I'll get them to try it.

[idontknowyet]

Pick the eggplant smaller. They will be sweeter and you wont have to treat for the bitter taste at all.

[LilyBLily]

I re-sprayed with vinegar yesterday just in case, but it did seem as if the weeds were unhappy already. Then it poured for hours so who knows if the new vinegar was sufficiently absorbed before the deluge? The big patch I put very noxious poison on last week looks unhappy, but still green. I found a bit more poison ivy to deal with; neighboring properties have a lot of the stuff and so reinfection is constant.

The first coreopsis opened. The purple lupine is blooming, too. What a struggle to get just one plant happy enough to have more than one flower on it. Various other unnamed perennials are up and about to burst, all of them taller here that they would be if growing in full sun. My garden becomes a mini-meadow by July, everything waist high.

[notthatamanda]

Everything is pink.  Ebb tide is supposed to be purple, but it is pink. That has always been pink. But Munstead Wood is supposed to be a deep red and that is pink. Purple splash is starting to open and that is pink. Last year I bought alpaca poop and started fertilizing with that so I wonder if that changed something. I'm going to start putting the coffee grounds on these instead of the berries and see if anything changes.

[notthatamanda]

One baby robin hatched last night.

[Maggie Ann]

One baby robin hatched last night.

Awww!

[LilyBLily]

I was happy to discover one red hot poker in bloom (tritoma), the smallest out of at least four installations around the property and, from the looks of them, the only one that will bloom this year.

The transplanted bachelor's buttons are holding their own despite the current run of 90 degree weather, and my tomatoes in pots on the deck are showing lots of flowers. Anything far from the back door is on its own, though.

[notthatamanda]

Second baby robin hatched last night.

My tomatoes have flowers too. 

[idontknowyet]

I pulled out my spring garden yesterday all except for my tomatoes and eggplant. Wow am I getting eggplants off of just a few plants. The first set of tomatoes should be ready to pick in a week or two. They are full size now.

I'm having problems with end rot for my plum tomatoes in buckets. I've never grown plum tomatoes before. This seems to be a common issue with them. The ones in my raised beds are doing amazingly well.
I've had to pick off a dozen horn worms so far. I'm soo sick of worms.

My sweet potatoes go in next week. I already have a few slips rooted. Hoping to fill in all my beds with them to get a large harvest of the greens and potatoes.

[Vijaya]

Second baby robin hatched last night.

My tomatoes have flowers too. 

How fun! Do they cheep all the time?

We have a bounty of tomatoes--made two batches of salsa (I roast the tomatoes, peppers, garlic and onions) then blend them roughly with salt and vinegar or lemon juice. Next, some tomato sauce.

[LilyBLily]

I saw an animal under the shed. I hope it's not a groundhog. Hoping for baby foxes instead. It's the right time of year for them.

[notthatamanda]

Second baby robin hatched last night.

My tomatoes have flowers too. 

How fun! Do they cheep all the time?

We have a bounty of tomatoes--made two batches of salsa (I roast the tomatoes, peppers, garlic and onions) then blend them roughly with salt and vinegar or lemon juice. Next, some tomato sauce.

No, they are too small to cheep. They stick their heads up as high as they can and topple over.

[Jeff Tanyard]

Second baby robin hatched last night.

Pics/vids, please.   

[notthatamanda]

I can't make them small enough to post. I tried Simon's trick, but got stuck at trying to download the software.

[Jeff Tanyard]

I can't make them small enough to post. I tried Simon's trick, but got stuck at trying to download the software.

If you send them to me, I'll post 'em up.

[JRTomlin]

Does anyone have a suggestion for getting my Burnet roses (Rosa pimpinellifolia) to bloom? They look great. No bugs eating them, no mildew, etc. but they will NOT bloom. I've been using Jobe's Organics Rose and Flower Fertilizer this year. Ugh. 

Oh the other hand, my lavender is doing beautifully.

ETA: Great about the baby robins!

[notthatamanda]

Too much fertilizer can make roses not bloom. How often are you fertilizing? I do once a month, and you need to water heavily when you fertilize them so towards the end of the month I look at the weather forecast and try to get it done before any rain in the forecast. You are in the Pacific NW? Do you have enough sun for them? I switched to alpaca poop last year and I have a lot of flowers this year. Not sure if you can get your hands on any alpaca poop.

Jeff - I will try on the pics this weekend. I can always post them on my blog, and put the link here, I just feel kind of weird posting pics of flowers with all the bad stuff going on in the world right now.

[Vijaya]

Jeff - I will try on the pics this weekend. I can always post them on my blog, and put the link here, I just feel kind of weird posting pics of flowers with all the bad stuff going on in the world right now.

Don't feel bad. We all still need beauty.

[Maggie Ann]

Jeff - I will try on the pics this weekend. I can always post them on my blog, and put the link here, I just feel kind of weird posting pics of flowers with all the bad stuff going on in the world right now.

Don't feel bad. We all still need beauty.

Flowers always make a bad day better.

[JRTomlin]

Too much fertilizer can make roses not bloom. How often are you fertilizing? I do once a month, and you need to water heavily when you fertilize them so towards the end of the month I look at the weather forecast and try to get it done before any rain in the forecast. You are in the Pacific NW? Do you have enough sun for them? I switched to alpaca poop last year and I have a lot of flowers this year. Not sure if you can get your hands on any alpaca poop.

Jeff - I will try on the pics this weekend. I can always post them on my blog, and put the link here, I just feel kind of weird posting pics of flowers with all the bad stuff going on in the world right now.

Believe it or not, yes we do have enough sun here. 😜

As a matter of fact, there is a reason why Portland's nickname is 'The Rose City'. There are roses all over the place that bloom - except in my garden. I have been fertilizing every six weeks. This time of the year, I don't have to do much watering but in about a month, I'll need to.

[notthatamanda]

Well I would like to go during Rose season sometime. 

In other news - one baby robin went missing last night. Something made a snack of it. :(

[JRTomlin]

The roses here have started blooming (except mine of course). Many roads are lined with rose bushes that bloom prolifically. There is one such road two blocks from my house. *sobs*

And there is the Portland's International Rose Test Garden that apparently has more than 10,000 rose bushes. June is usually the peak month but I think it may be a little later than usual this year.

https://www.travelportland.com/attractions/portland-rose-garden/

[LilyBLily]

The roses here have started blooming (except mine of course). Many roads are lined with rose bushes that bloom prolifically. There is one such road two blocks from my house. *sobs*

And there is the Portland's International Rose Test Garden that apparently has more than 10,000 rose bushes. June is usually the peak month but I think it may be a little later than usual this year.

https://www.travelportland.com/attractions/portland-rose-garden/

I have killed many roses, even when I had a sunny back yard. If the yard isn't sunny enough, slugs eat the roses. Mostly I've killed hybrid teas.

Right now I'm busy uprooting invasive non-native floribunda roses on my property. They have small white blooms and a floppy spread like a climber.

There is also a native rose here with a simple flat bloom that is slightly pink. I've got one nice example at the edge of my drain field. The deer have been eating the buds, so I sprayed it yesterday. I want to find more of these roses; when we moved here I saw a couple others. They were all very small. The one by the drain field is much larger now because I've been beating back its competition and it gets more water. Our water purification backwash system goes through the drain field, so except in drought periods there is always subsurface water. It's the only place on the property where May apples can grow. Maybe I'll get lucky and find a Jack-in-the-pulpit to transplant there, too, some day. After that, I'd only need a pink lady's slipper to complete the flowers that grew in the woods where I grew up. Lady's slippers are both rare and protected, though, and to buy one commercially costs around $75 and few are available each year. The deer would finish one off in less than a minute, I'm afraid.

[JRTomlin]

Where my roses are gets full sun so sun isn't my problem either. I guess some of us just don't have luck with roses. The burnet rose is an antique rose with a flat blossom with five petals, almost always white. They have a lovely scent ... or would.

I've considered taking those out and putting in hybrids. Maybe I'd have more luck but I'd like to stick with the ones I have.

[notthatamanda]

There is only one egg left in the robin's nest and no baby birds. They were only a day old, not big enough to fly off yet. There are plenty of robins here but I am sad anyway.

[LilyBLily]

There is only one egg left in the robin's nest and no baby birds. They were only a day old, not big enough to fly off yet. There are plenty of robins here but I am sad anyway.

That's a shame.

We haven't heard or seen anything of the cooper's hawks that had nested here. I suppose bigger hawks came and ate their babies and the nest has been abandoned. Mostly these dramas happen early in the day when we're not up to see them. We did find a big bunch of feathers on one of our paths this evening but could not identify the bird they were from. Alas. It's a tough world out there.

In other, better news, I found that the native wild roses have colonized an entire patch in front of our bushes on the property line. All blooming cheerfully a delicate light pink. Half the height of the one at the drain field because they're getting the right amount of sun from our neighbor's mostly treeless property. Good to see them thriving.

[JRTomlin]

There is only one egg left in the robin's nest and no baby birds. They were only a day old, not big enough to fly off yet. There are plenty of robins here but I am sad anyway.

That's too bad!

[Jeff Tanyard]

There is only one egg left in the robin's nest and no baby birds. They were only a day old, not big enough to fly off yet. There are plenty of robins here but I am sad anyway.

Sorry to hear that.  Nature is brutal.   

[Maggie Ann]

There is only one egg left in the robin's nest and no baby birds. They were only a day old, not big enough to fly off yet. There are plenty of robins here but I am sad anyway.

That is really sad. I used to watch Meerkat Manor and since they were filming them for scientific purposes, they wouldn't interfere when one of the babies got carried away by a hawk.

[Vijaya]

There is only one egg left in the robin's nest and no baby birds. They were only a day old, not big enough to fly off yet. There are plenty of robins here but I am sad anyway.

Sorry to hear that.  Nature is brutal.   

I'm sorry.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

I saw an animal under the shed. I hope it's not a groundhog. Hoping for baby foxes instead. It's the right time of year for them.

Read this quickly and saw 'bed' instead of shed. Thought you were remarkably calm if there was a groundhog under the bed  (not too sure if a groundhog poses any danger)

[notthatamanda]

We had baby racoons in our bedroom once at 2AM. Do not recommend. But the two cops on duty that night were happy to have something to do.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

One of our residents acts as an orchid doctor. If we are given an orchid we hand it over to him once it has flowered and he attaches it to his orchid tree hospital. He manages to resurrect orchids that look as it they are about to 'pass over'.  We can then visit our orchids when they flower again. 

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

There is only one egg left in the robin's nest and no baby birds. They were only a day old, not big enough to fly off yet. There are plenty of robins here but I am sad anyway.

That's sad  . We had hadeda ibis nesting in our mango tree. They would bring their babies down to the swimming pool and teach them how to drink out of the pool. They are huge birds and the monkeys often ate their eggs or even killed the babies by ripping them apart.

[notthatamanda]

One of our residents acts as an orchid doctor. If we are given an orchid we hand it over to him once it has flowered and he attaches it to his orchid tree hospital. He manages to resurrect orchids that look as it they are about to 'pass over'.  We can then visit our orchids when they flower again. 

Wow that is awesome!

[notthatamanda]

My neighbor brought me some broccoli, which I had been unable to find, that was super nice. Planting it made me realize the soil is like dust. No wonder I lost the spinach. Rain barrels are empty. I dragged the hose over and watered for five minutes. Possibility of thunderstorms Saturday, we really need it.

[idontknowyet]

I planted my first 13 sweet potato slips!!!! I should have more to plant at the end of the week.

My first tomatoes are almost ready to pick.  I learned something very new to me. Plum tomatoes don't do very well in containers. They have a tendency to get end rot very easily. No matter how much I supplemented and watered they all ended up rotting. The ones in my raised beds never had the problem. On the other hand beef steak and cherry tomatoes do brilliantly in pots.

[notthatamanda]

Huh, who knew. I just planted the cherry this year. I never have much luck with the bigger ones.

[Maggie Ann]

My neighbor brought me some broccoli, which I had been unable to find, that was super nice. Planting it made me realize the soil is like dust. No wonder I lost the spinach. Rain barrels are empty. I dragged the hose over and watered for five minutes. Possibility of thunderstorms Saturday, we really need it.

My father always had a nice vegetable garden. One year he planted broccoli and they were coming up very nice, but overnight the groundhogs (who he named Herman) ate the broccoli down to the roots.

[JRTomlin]

I wish I had more room. I only have a pocket-handkerchief garden so only grow a few tomatoes, however those are doing well so far.

[idontknowyet]

I planted 10 more sweet potatoes today -- 4 slips and 6 half potatoes too see which produces better. The ones i planted earlier tripled in size already.

[Maggie Ann]

[LilyBLily]

My tomatoes in pots on the deck have teeny tiny cherry tomatoes beginning to show. I've never had deer or rabbits on the deck--well, except for one extremely small fawn one time--so I have high hopes that if I can keep the worms away, I might actually have a crop.

Meanwhile, the black raspberries are producing a pint a day and I am eating a pint a day. That of course does not count what I eat that never gets into the container.

My cucumber seeds did not sprout, either indoors or outside. Not sure why. It could be that the dirt, recycled from some plant I bought, actually has Preen in it or something like it to keep anything from germinating. We have yet to try curbside pickup at a hardware chain, so I'm stuck recycling dirt. The native dirt is horrible.

A magenta cosmos suddenly appeared; it has to be from an attempt to grow them last year. Three red-hot pokers are blooming, which is one more than I expected. The canna roots (corms?) I had in the garage all winter have now put up five pieces. I'm spraying them, since last year the deer ate at the beautiful foliage. The echinacea are just about to pop. Strangely, the deer ate the flowers of the baptisia. Never did that before, so now I'm spraying those, too. And all the daylilies, of course. It's a fight to the finish here.

[Jeff Tanyard]

My dad has a vegetable garden.  Georgia's had a ton of rain this year, and the result is that Dad's tomato plants are over six feet tall.  His tomatoes are actually bursting their skins because the plants have sucked up too much water for the fruit to handle.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

 

[notthatamanda]

My dad has a vegetable garden.  Georgia's had a ton of rain this year, and the result is that Dad's tomato plants are over six feet tall.  His tomatoes are actually bursting their skins because the plants have sucked up too much water for the fruit to handle.

We have had that happen, but not this year. We need rain, desperately. The new berry bushes are very wilted. I am too scared about running the well down to water more than five minutes a day. The established raspberry canes have tons of berries, but they are brown and tiny and I'm afraid they may be done for.

[LilyBLily]

I am so bummed. What I thought was a groundhog (technical term around here: woodchuck) under the shed definitely was one. Saw it sneaking across the back yard to eat my plants. The shotgun is going downstairs and I'm ordering bubblegum. One or the other will get it.

[notthatamanda]

We have the first tomato. Still no rain. 40 minutes south of here it rained so hard the highway flooded temporarily. Heard thunder multiple times Sat & Sun. Did not get a single drop.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

We have the first tomato. Still no rain. 40 minutes south of here it rained so hard the highway flooded temporarily. Heard thunder multiple times Sat & Sun. Did not get a single drop.

My neighbour had two lovely big tomatoes growing. They were on the verge of turning pink. And then the monkeys came  . I had a sprouting potato on the veranda that I was going to plant. Monkeys even gnawed at that. I had to stand guard over my pawpaws with a hosepipe. 

[LilyBLily]

We've had a lot of rain lately so I have high hopes the woodchuck won't mess with my tomatoes. Also, the tomatoes are on the deck and in pots. Although woodchucks can climb, they don't like to. At the old house we had a cherry tree and I've seen a woodchuck climb up it a few feet and then turn and and go down again, clearly uncomfortable with the modest height. Rabbits will stretch as high as possible and I once had a nest in a tall wooden planter, but there's no support on a tomato vine, no place to land. That leaves hornworms. 

[idontknowyet]

We've had a lot of rain lately so I have high hopes the woodchuck won't mess with my tomatoes. Also, the tomatoes are on the deck and in pots. Although woodchucks can climb, they don't like to. At the old house we had a cherry tree and I've seen a woodchuck climb up it a few feet and then turn and and go down again, clearly uncomfortable with the modest height. Rabbits will stretch as high as possible and I once had a nest in a tall wooden planter, but there's no support on a tomato vine, no place to land. That leaves hornworms.

Horn worms have been oddly absent this year. Pickle worms on the other hand.     

I've been pulling several tomatoes out of my garden each day. My sweet potato plants are growing like crrrrrrrrrrazy!

[notthatamanda]

I may have actually managed to grow two potatoes. There is a lot of clover there, but two are different. Never did it before so I don't know. My sweet potatoes are still only about 1/4 inch on the potato, so not ready to put them in the garden yet.

[notthatamanda]

3 tomatoes now. 80% chance of rain. It's so humid and gross out.

Indoors I divided my Peace Palm a couple of weeks ago and they both just flowered. 

[notthatamanda]

It finally rained. Supposed to keep raining on and off until Thursday. Whew. I feel okay to water the indoor plants today.

[LilyBLily]

The tomato plants in pots on my deck needed water three times yesterday. Lots of tiny cherry tomatoes coming, if only the predators won't attack.

The wild black raspberries are nearly done--or maybe I am done with finding ticks on me, which seems to be an inescapable aspect of berrying. I've frozen several pints and wolfed down many more.

The bachelor's buttons I grew from seeds inside and transplanted actually have lived and are about to bloom, and the random cosmos that appeared is blooming again, plus there are tritelias blooming in surprise spots. The daylilies, sprayed over and over to prevent their being lunch for the deer, are beginning to open. A dear friend gave me three cultivated versions years ago and I have transplanted them four times now. These have a compact habit and aren't trying to take over the world like the orange ones common along roadsides. I think that's the kind my mom had in her garden, because they're going like gangbusters at the old house.

It's hot. It's humid. I have to mow again today. Lucky me.

[notthatamanda]

Oh that reminds me, our one Asiatic lily has 6 buds. I should spray it.

Our blackberry bush is looking pretty good, conahura, knock wood. Me and the kids ate raspberries off the canes yesterday. Small but good.

I think I finally eliminated the orange (outhouse) day lilies by the mail box. Took several years of digging each one out as it showed up. I have some hosta there, and I threw some morning glory seeds out there but didn't water them. Maybe I'll call the garden store and see if they have any. They vine up the mailbox nice.

[Maggie Ann]

My orchids seem to be growing like weeds. Even orchids have to keep to social distancing.

I have two vinyl covered closet shelves propped on bricks for good drainage and I keep my Phaelonopsis there. I remembered I had some small shelves for putting canned goods on the pantry, but I eliminated that long ago and put racks up in my laundry room. I got rid of a lot of the shelves but there were three left and I put three of the Phaelonopsis on them. Now I have to figure out what to do with my Dendrobiums.

[idontknowyet]

I brought in a basket of tomatoes today!!!!!
Bet you cant guess what we're eating.

I also found 2 more hornworms. They seem to be coming out later in the season this year. Oh my sweet potatoes are flourishing. Like masssssssive! I'm hoping to get my corn seeds in next week. I have room for 216 stalks. Which seems like way too much for us!

[notthatamanda]

Don't you only get one ear per stalk? Of course it will all come at once.

[idontknowyet]

Don't you only get one ear per stalk? Of course it will all come at once.

I think so. i've never grown it before. I have heard of staggered planting. Though this would allow me to can a bunch of corn which wouldnt be bad at all.

[LilyBLily]

One ear? Nobody would grow corn if that were true.

[notthatamanda]

It highly depends on how the type of corn. On average, corn has no more than one or two ears; some of those include sweet corn and field corn.

However, there are exceptions to the number of ears on a stalk, for some distinctive ones can have up to ten ears. One common type of corn that has this property is that of baby corn, which in itself undergoes a long process of being produced for consumption, as they are often used in salads and dinners.

Source:https://theonesunflower.com/how-many-ears-of-corn-on-a-stalk/

[LilyBLily]

Feed and sweet corn are common crops here and in neighboring states, but I've seldom paid attention to how many ears are on a stalk in someone's field. Whatever corn I've attempted to raise was a long time ago. Did I even get any ears? Can't remember.

Tonight I sprayed all the daylilies and liatris and a bunch of other flowers all over again. Lots of garlic in the spray. The deer are welcome to eat their midnight snacks somewhere else.

[notthatamanda]

We tried corn once and didn't get anything. Corn is planted very densely. We usually do a corn maze in the fall, if not multiple one and I've seen "How many ears per stalk" as a trivia question.

I'm going to coat everything with your egg and garlic mixture when the rain clears out Thursday, but I think I'm going to use my silicon pastry brush this time, see how that goes.

[LilyBLily]

I just used a cheap $1 dollar store spray bottle at first, but the garlic kept jamming the mechanism, so I went to a $5-$10 spray bottle from some hardware or some other "dollar" store. It doesn't clog as much, but it still clogs. However, I am not going to personally regrind the garlic to make it smaller. Obviously my spraying is somewhat haphazard as a result, but it seems to do the job. I can still see the daylily buds this morning.

[notthatamanda]

I think I am going to plant the sweet potatoes. The sprouts off the top of the potatoes haven't gotten any bigger in weeks, despite plenty of sun and the jar staying full of water. It just sits on the deck mocking me. It's going in the potato place today.

Edit - I did it. I pulled what I was absolutely sure was clover. I still have other stuff that may be potatoes or just weeds. I guess I'll find out in the fall. There is really good soil over there, a couple of years worth of compost, the dirt is black. Hopefully I get something.

[idontknowyet]

I think I am going to plant the sweet potatoes. The sprouts off the top of the potatoes haven't gotten any bigger in weeks, despite plenty of sun and the jar staying full of water. It just sits on the deck mocking me. It's going in the potato place today.

Edit - I did it. I pulled what I was absolutely sure was clover. I still have other stuff that may be potatoes or just weeds. I guess I'll find out in the fall. There is really good soil over there, a couple of years worth of compost, the dirt is black. Hopefully I get something.

Wow really? My sweet potato now plants are over a foot almost 2 foot long on some of them. Even the slips still in cups have doubled in size. Did they root at all?

[LilyBLily]

Just keeping up with watering my pots of tomatoes on that hot deck seems like enough outdoor time. We're having a brutal spate of 90-degree weather. It's too hot to attempt anything serious outside but I went out early and did some weeding just to be out of the house. I've been cheered by the sight of 30-40 daylilies blooming each day. The phlox are just starting, and the liatris, and I can see the buds getting bigger on the rudbeckia. I have a bunch of bloomstick alium looking good, and a sixth stalk has come up from my canna roots. Meanwhile the pink echinaceas are blooming and some regular yellow lilies, and my faithful gallardia struggling with inferior dirt. This year we had two big yucca flower stalks, which are just about done. The wild black raspberries are almost done, too. While picking them I've seen numerous very tiny praying mantises, too, which was a treat; one seldom sees the babies.

[notthatamanda]

I think I am going to plant the sweet potatoes. The sprouts off the top of the potatoes haven't gotten any bigger in weeks, despite plenty of sun and the jar staying full of water. It just sits on the deck mocking me. It's going in the potato place today.

Edit - I did it. I pulled what I was absolutely sure was clover. I still have other stuff that may be potatoes or just weeds. I guess I'll find out in the fall. There is really good soil over there, a couple of years worth of compost, the dirt is black. Hopefully I get something.

Wow really? My sweet potato now plants are over a foot almost 2 foot long on some of them. Even the slips still in cups have doubled in size. Did they root at all?

Yes the jar was full of roots but just little 1/4 inch red sprouts on the top of the potato. I stuck it in the ground. Fingers crossed.

[notthatamanda]

Just keeping up with watering my pots of tomatoes on that hot deck seems like enough outdoor time. We're having a brutal spate of 90-degree weather. It's too hot to attempt anything serious outside but I went out early and did some weeding just to be out of the house. I've been cheered by the sight of 30-40 daylilies blooming each day. The phlox are just starting, and the liatris, and I can see the buds getting bigger on the rudbeckia. I have a bunch of bloomstick alium looking good, and a sixth stalk has come up from my canna roots. Meanwhile the pink echinaceas are blooming and some regular yellow lilies, and my faithful gallardia struggling with inferior dirt. This year we had two big yucca flower stalks, which are just about done. The wild black raspberries are almost done, too. While picking them I've seen numerous very tiny praying mantises, too, which was a treat; one seldom sees the babies.

Huh, you must have a different variety of phlox. Our blooms early. Low to the ground type.

[idontknowyet]

I think I am going to plant the sweet potatoes. The sprouts off the top of the potatoes haven't gotten any bigger in weeks, despite plenty of sun and the jar staying full of water. It just sits on the deck mocking me. It's going in the potato place today.

Edit - I did it. I pulled what I was absolutely sure was clover. I still have other stuff that may be potatoes or just weeds. I guess I'll find out in the fall. There is really good soil over there, a couple of years worth of compost, the dirt is black. Hopefully I get something.

Wow really? My sweet potato now plants are over a foot almost 2 foot long on some of them. Even the slips still in cups have doubled in size. Did they root at all?

Yes the jar was full of roots but just little 1/4 inch red sprouts on the top of the potato. I stuck it in the ground. Fingers crossed.

Oh its too early. You need to wait for the sprouts to grow 4 inches above the potato. Then you slice them off close to the potato. Stick them in water for about a week and the slip will root. Then you plant it. They say planted sweet potatoes dont produce as much as slips do.

[LilyBLily]

I have some ground phlox that bloom in the spring, and then I have a weird hybrid, not even two feet tall, white, that bloomed a few weeks ago but won't bloom again the rest of the year even if I pick back the spent blossoms, plus it never reseeds itself and it doesn't grow wider. And then I have my standard tall phlox that Nothing Can Kill (TM), that blooms from now until nearly October, mostly a lovely pink with an occasional Miss Lindgard white one sneaking in. The pink ones are so strong they overwhelm the other colors, which tend to vanish. If the deer don't eat them, these phlox will do their best to take over the world. I have them in with the echinaceas and rudbeckias and some artmeisia, though, and they also are doing their best to take over the world. Not to mention mistflower and various tall weeds. It's a fight to the finish.

I have a few white echinaceas but most are pink. I've seen some interesting hybrids with other colors but I figured the pink would overwhelm them, and anyway, I don't have much room for new plants and certainly no dirt.

I think I discovered that a persistent weed in the front yard is St. John's wort. Maybe 18 inches tall, with a bunch of small yellow flowers. On the whole, I approve of yellow flowers, but I'm getting rid of the mulleins because they are non-native invasives. I pulled out 37 in just one patch--1 main plant and 36 babies. Tilting at windmills, considering they can be found on every other piece of land around here.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Bought a rain gauge and mounted it on the fencing. Now await rain  . But we are in mid winter and we get very little rain, so I suppose we will have to wait until summer 

[notthatamanda]

Oh the flowers look amazing Jan. Jealous. Deadheaded most of the roses and they will bloom again, but nothing right now, save Ebb Tide and Munstead Wood.

Lily - I googled St. John's Wart and we get that here, though I've never seen it flower. Maybe I'll find a spot where I'll let it be instead of pulling it. Unfortunately I tried it once for depression and it just made me feel really weird, so I won't get any use out of it.

[Maggie Ann]

Oh the flowers look amazing Jan. Jealous. Deadheaded most of the roses and they will bloom again, but nothing right now, save Ebb Tide and Munstead Wood.

Every time you have posted a picture of your village, the landscaping looks amazing.

Lily - I googled St. John's Wart and we get that here, though I've never seen it flower. Maybe I'll find a spot where I'll let it be instead of pulling it. Unfortunately I tried it once for depression and it just made me feel really weird, so I won't get any use out of it.

I tried St. John's Wart and it made me feel weird as well. Didn't help either.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Oh the flowers look amazing Jan. Jealous. Deadheaded most of the roses and they will bloom again, but nothing right now, save Ebb Tide and Munstead Wood.

Every time you have posted a picture of your village, the landscaping looks amazing.

Thanks. It's the keen gardener residents who look after the common garden. But we are blessed with living in a sub-tropical climate and just about everything grows in profusion. Lots of swapping of plants and rescuing from the garden refuse areas  .  We are about to start another cacti/succulent garden in an area that has been neglected. Trying to plant stuff that doesn't need much attention or watering once planted. Bromeliads are a good choice and we have those in abundance, but we once planted some near the exit gate and the lady who lived next to it insisted we take them out as they encourage mosquitoes (true, as they hold water  ).

[notthatamanda]

I think after mulling it over, there is a reason sweet potatoes have a reputation as a Southern food.  I may try to get an organic, non sweet potato and try that. My market you had to buy a 5 lb bag but maybe Whole Foods sells them one at a time.

Edit - Morning glories are coming up by the mailbox. This is from seeds that dropped last year. 

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

I think after mulling it over, there is a reason sweet potatoes have a reputation as a Southern food.  I may try to get an organic, non sweet potato and try that. My market you had to buy a 5 lb bag but maybe Whole Foods sells them one at a time.

Edit - Morning glories are coming up by the mailbox. This is from seeds that dropped last year. 

Do you have a compost heap? I throw all my vegetable and fruit peelings, seeds etc on my compost heap and when I spread the compost I get all sorts of exciting things popping up in the garden. Compost seeds beat bought seeds for surviving every time  . My tomatoes, butternuts, sweet potatoes, paw paws etc. have all been as a result of compost cultivation. 

[idontknowyet]

wow thats lovely!

[Maggie Ann]

I think after mulling it over, there is a reason sweet potatoes have a reputation as a Southern food.  I may try to get an organic, non sweet potato and try that. My market you had to buy a 5 lb bag but maybe Whole Foods sells them one at a time.

Edit - Morning glories are coming up by the mailbox. This is from seeds that dropped last year. 

I get peeled and cubed sweet potatoes from Walmart and they steam right in the bag. I like them so much, I'm giving up my beloved russet potatoes.

[Vijaya]

I think after mulling it over, there is a reason sweet potatoes have a reputation as a Southern food.  I may try to get an organic, non sweet potato and try that. My market you had to buy a 5 lb bag but maybe Whole Foods sells them one at a time.

Edit - Morning glories are coming up by the mailbox. This is from seeds that dropped last year. 

Do you have a compost heap? I throw all my vegetable and fruit peelings, seeds etc on my compost heap and when I spread the compost I get all sorts of exciting things popping up in the garden. Compost seeds beat bought seeds for surviving every time  . My tomatoes, butternuts, sweet potatoes, paw paws etc. have all been as a result of compost cultivation. 

I love these surprises. Gardening has provided many fun magazine stories.

[notthatamanda]

Compost - we have an Earth machine. Things don't really decompose here Nov-March if not for a longer stretch. It gets almost full in the winter, then we bury the stuff in the spring when we turn the garden soil. We get very few things seeding, probably because it is so deep, though I do know that phenomena. Maybe we will try something different this year, my garden is not doing great because of the water situation, and I went out there and weeded a little bit, but my heart isn't in it. The earth machine keeps the rodents down, which keeps it from attracting coyotes.

I probably should just put the compost under a thin layer of soil in the spring and just see what happens. I'm just throwing money away on veggie flats and now, berry bushes.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Compost - we have an Earth machine. Things don't really decompose here Nov-March if not for a longer stretch. It gets almost full in the winter, then we bury the stuff in the spring when we turn the garden soil. We get very few things seeding, probably because it is so deep, though I do know that phenomena. Maybe we will try something different this year, my garden is not doing great because of the water situation, and I went out there and weeded a little bit, but my heart isn't in it. The earth machine keeps the rodents down, which keeps it from attracting coyotes.

I probably should just put the compost under a thin layer of soil in the spring and just see what happens. I'm just throwing money away on veggie flats and now, berry bushes.

Never heard of an earth machine  . I just scatter the composted soil in the garden, or dig it in when I plant something new, or top up pot plants. I've just put some on the lawn to even up a few low spots, so it should be interesting to see what comes up as I'll have to pull out whatever appears, or mow it down.

[notthatamanda]

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=t9C%2beq1H&id=5A1E7B294B248E49CAD9BECDAC9E1B0E43C73938&thid=OIP.t9C-eq1HIBZW7sfKaQQRygHaHa&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fimages.homedepot-static.com%2fproductImages%2f4cf55bca-dde6-4b81-a26c-7f76f2feb6f5%2fsvn%2fthe-earth-machine-composters-npl-300-64_1000.jpg&exph=1000&expw=1000&q=earth+machine+composter&simid=608031961559532314&ck=8F9D3ADD9D65DA5E14454FA8EF40941F&selectedIndex=0&ajaxhist=0

Wow, long link, hope it works. Our recycling commission buys them in bulk and we can buy them for the discounted rate. I think mine was $35 US and it was retail for 100 back then. The town pays a tipping fee for trash and per pound for recycling, so anything to keep stuff out of the waste to energy plant saves us money.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=t9C%2beq1H&id=5A1E7B294B248E49CAD9BECDAC9E1B0E43C73938&thid=OIP.t9C-eq1HIBZW7sfKaQQRygHaHa&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fimages.homedepot-static.com%2fproductImages%2f4cf55bca-dde6-4b81-a26c-7f76f2feb6f5%2fsvn%2fthe-earth-machine-composters-npl-300-64_1000.jpg&exph=1000&expw=1000&q=earth+machine+composter&simid=608031961559532314&ck=8F9D3ADD9D65DA5E14454FA8EF40941F&selectedIndex=0&ajaxhist=0

Wow, long link, hope it works. Our recycling commission buys them in bulk and we can buy them for the discounted rate. I think mine was $35 US and it was retail for 100 back then. The town pays a tipping fee for trash and per pound for recycling, so anything to keep stuff out of the waste to energy plant saves us money.

Thanks for the link. We have a worm farm that produces 'worm wee'. The worms eat kitchen vegetable and fruit refuse, but there are certain things you can't put in, I think onions are a no no, and citrus.  It stinks, but is very good for the soil. 

[notthatamanda]

Ha ha, we call it compost tea. Some people have indoor worm composting here. Most of them have a spouse who is into it and a spouse who is not.

[idontknowyet]

I really want to learn about worm castings they are supposed to be insanely amazing... So far we just have a couple of compost bins.

We've decided to move all our raised beds to another spot of the yard. Going to do the ones without sweet potatoes now and move the ones with in oct before we plant our fall garden.

[notthatamanda]

You can mail order worms and throw them in your compost bins. They eat everything and poop the black compost stuff. When I am digging for edging or anything and find a worm I put it in my earth machine. I wonder if worms think of that like winning the lottery.

[notthatamanda]

Because I don't know when to quit I went to Whole Foods and bought one russet and one gold organic potato. Cut them up to dry out on the counter over the weekend and I will plant them next week. I am now convinced there are only weeds in the potato place, but I do have a zucchini coming up among the berry bushes from the buried compost.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

You can mail order worms and throw them in your compost bins. They eat everything and poop the black compost stuff. When I am digging for edging or anything and find a worm I put it in my earth machine. I wonder if worms think of that like winning the lottery.

The worms in our worms farms are not ordinary earth worms. They come with the worm farm when you buy it. One of our residents is in charge of our one and dishes out the worm wee to anyone who wants it (and who can put up with the smell  .)

[idontknowyet]

Harvested my first bits of sweet potato leaves. They did taste very similar to spinach. Looking forward to eating more and more of them. They seem to grow by leaps and bounds every day.

[LilyBLily]

I ATE my first four cherry tomatoes from my deck plants! Woo-hoo!

Also located and sprayed three sprigs of poison ivy and located and pulled up a dozen mulleins and the same number of dreaded garlic mustard plants. We had ten minutes of rain last night but otherwise everything is gasping from incipient drought. Yes, even the weeds.

 

[notthatamanda]

Harvested my first bits of sweet potato leaves. They did taste very similar to spinach. Looking forward to eating more and more of them. They seem to grow by leaps and bounds every day.

  Jealous. My spinach scorched and there is no hope for my sweet potatoes.

[idontknowyet]

Harvested my first bits of sweet potato leaves. They did taste very similar to spinach. Looking forward to eating more and more of them. They seem to grow by leaps and bounds every day.

  Jealous. My spinach scorched and there is no hope for my sweet potatoes.

Yeah sounds like you are too cold up there. Regular potatoes might work. They are a winter crop down here. Spinach and Kale bolt in the summer and get very bitter. You can plant them again in the fall and if you cover them they might even last through some nice light snows.

I'm going to start Kale and Spinach down here around November as well as lettuce, broc, cauli, brussel sprouts and potatoes.

[notthatamanda]

Well I got my new potato pieces planted today. I left a couple of things that I'm still not sure are weeds.

[LilyBLily]

I hauled out the hedge clippers and finally trimmed the azaleas myself since a certain person has not cooperated and this has dragged on too long. They probably won't bloom much next year because they likely already set their buds. Okay, but now all the bushes that needed trimming have been trimmed. Done.

Found another mullein in the process but will need a tool to dig it out; the lack of rain has turned the dirt here to concrete. Very typical of every summer here. Eventually even the weeds in the lawn die back and the only green visible in the drain field is directly above the drain lines themselves.

[notthatamanda]

Morning glory is curling around the mailbox post. Happy happy joy joy.

[LilyBLily]

I found a baby wood turtle! Whoa!

[LilyBLily]

I finally took pity on all the gasping plants and did some early morning watering. Twelve hours later, we're actually having a bit of a rain shower. Not a soaking, but something. Maybe tomorrow I should wash my car.

[notthatamanda]

My Asiatic lily is opening. My winter hardy hibiscus has tons of blooms but they just won't open. Morning glories are on track to take over the mailbox.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Thought you might like to see my neighbour's pony tail palm (sometimes called an elephant's foot palm). It only flowers every 10 - 20 years.

From the www.
You can grow ponytail palm in the ground or in very large pots. In either case, given sufficient patience, you may be lucky enough to see it flower. Flowering on a ponytail palm does not occur the first year you purchase the small plant nor is it likely to during the next decade. Before the plant flowers, it increases significantly in size and girth. The plant’s palm-like trunk sometimes grows to 18 feet (5.5 m.) high and widens to 6 feet (2 m.) in diameter. But size alone does not trigger first flowering on a ponytail palm. Experts believe that a combination of factors, including weather, can be instrumental in causing initial ponytail palm flowering. Once the plant blooms, it will flower every summer.

Not sure about it flowering every summer 

[notthatamanda]

Wow, I feel special for getting to see that. Thanks for sharing Jan.

Garden - ugh. A friend told me a potato sprouted in her vegetable drawer and she planted it a month ago and has been harvesting potatoes left and right. We are headed into another heat wave, 100 degrees predicted on Monday, but the rain barrels are full for now. Only one of my roses rebloomed, with only two flowers. I need to get some fertilizer down for the rain at the end of next week hopefully. If they blew the forecast and we don't get rain, well, veggie garden is going to be in trouble.

[LilyBLily]

That palm is fantastic! Beautiful.

We discovered another wild version of an evening primrose. And we got lucky and finally there was significant rain. Many flowers look quite singed, however.

[Vijaya]

It's beautiful Jan.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Two more lockdown projects almost completed. All the plants were donated by the residents, or we split ones that were already growing in the common property. We've used mostly bromeliads, cacti or aloes that don't require much water or looking after.  .

[notthatamanda]

Yesterday I fertilized the roses and lilacs in prep for the rain we should get from the hurricane. Munstead wood is the only one that's reflowered this year, which is really unusual. The morning glories are overtaking the mailbox. The winter hardy hibiscus buds started opening! The dalias I attempted this year are pretty stunted, not enough water.

If we don't get any water from the hurricane, well, the leaves look healthy. Last year a hurricane missed central and northern New England entirely. We went up to the beach that day and we could see it off shore which was pretty cool. Watched it move further north all day. The waves were amazing. When the tide came in rogue waves were making it up to the sea wall, which of course happens, but I hadn't ever seen it before.

[LilyBLily]

A moonflower seed that I'd planted inside intending to move it outside has bloomed anyway. Huge white blossom. Not a variety I've ever had before.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

A moonflower seed that I'd planted inside intending to move it outside has bloomed anyway. Huge white blossom. Not a variety I've ever had before.

would love to see a picture of it.

[LilyBLily]

Okay, trying to post pics.

Which apparently worked. Thanks to Simon for how to make the file size smaller.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Okay, trying to post pics.

Which apparently worked. Thanks to Simon for how to make the file size smaller.

Very pretty. Don't think I've seen one.

[notthatamanda]

Okay, trying to post pics.

Which apparently worked. Thanks to Simon for how to make the file size smaller.

Oh so pretty. When the blossom is done you can harvest the seeds from it. It's a viner so you can throw some out by your mailbox in the fall if you want and see if they come back next year.

[Vijaya]

What a beauty!

[notthatamanda]

Morning Glories are blooming. The deep purple ones, which are the best ones IMHO.

[Maggie Ann]

Lovely!

[JRTomlin]

Next year I am planning on completely redoing my flower beds such as they are. I will be putting in raised beds. I'll need to move a peony and some stonecrop but most will be new plants. My little garden (a pocket-handkerchief garden really) mostly gets about 5 hours of sun a day so not quite full sun, but close. Still deciding on what to put in so suggestions would be great.

[notthatamanda]

Hosta can take 5 hours of sun a day so that can fill in when whatever is flowering isn't. Although Hosta flowers too. Bleeding Heart should be okay too.

[LilyBLily]

Pulmonaria likes shade and is very hardy and doesn't get tall. Lamium is more delicate but again short. Lambs' ear is a nice silvery ground cover with a few tall blooming spikes like scepters. Phlox loves shade and sun and usually is a couple feet tall and has the virtue of blooming continuously from July to frost. Arum lilies like shade and they don't get tall.

[Mammasan]

I tried to upload an MP4 File (.mp4) video, no go. Does anyone know what I need to convert it to, and how? Thanks. (I am a Luddite, but, last night I actually figured out how to convert an iTunes song to MP3 within iTunes and transfer it into my Windows Media Player. Immensely proud. Of course then I learned that Windows Media Player is the old 'thing' and I should have loaded it into Windows' newer "Groove Music" thing. I just can't keep up.)

[notthatamanda]

I'm starting to get worried about the perennials, re: lack of water. Peonies and roses, the leaves are yellowing. The enormous willow shrubs are just losing leaves like crazy, as are some of the trees. They said rain tomorrow but they just changed it to a week away. Not sure what this will mean for tapping the maples in January, but that's not a huge concern, it's just a hobby.

Munstead wood is a real trooper, though, still blooming.

[LilyBLily]

I think some of my peonies have died. I didn't notice them turning brown, but they now look as if this is November. I don't know what to think. Peonies are basically tough, but the ones that turned brown are not the heirloom ones. I doubt anything could kill the heirlooms.

My naked ladies came up double this year, their second, two stalks instead of one. That was lovely except the extreme hot weather kept their blooming period very short. I'm still hoping the lycoris will come up--often, they don't--but from checking old photos I've discovered that they bloom in September, not August, so the story isn't over yet. I have one delphinium that stubbornly refuses to do anything anymore. It's alive, which in this climate and recent heat is a minor miracle, but it hasn't bloomed in years and I don't know what kind of fertilizer it is missing. At one time it was easily five feet tall, including the impressive cobalt blue flower stalk; now it's less that a foot tall, and no flower.

We had a lot of rain in the past couple of days, enough so probably I should go out and pull all sorts of invasive plants while the ground is soft enough to render up their roots. I can't say it's my favorite thing to do.

[notthatamanda]

Two of the dahlias bloomed which is incredible since they need to be watered a couple of times a week and nope, that hasn't happened. It makes me think that I should throw away some more money ordering more dahlias for the edge of the road. They have to be dug up every fall which makes them a good choice because the town plow destroys that area of the yard every snowstorm anyway.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

I tried to upload an MP4 File (.mp4) video, no go. Does anyone know what I need to convert it to, and how? Thanks. (I am a Luddite, but, last night I actually figured out how to convert an iTunes song to MP3 within iTunes and transfer it into my Windows Media Player. Immensely proud. Of course then I learned that Windows Media Player is the old 'thing' and I should have loaded it into Windows' newer "Groove Music" thing. I just can't keep up.)

Email the MP4 file to Tim and he will upload it for you. 

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Evened out a patch of lawn by putting down some of my home-made compost. I now have tomatoes growing in the middle of my lawn 

[Mark Gardner]

I'm light this year. All above-ground. Tomatoes and red peppers are the mainstays, and then a bunch of random spices.

[notthatamanda]

That's a chocolate pepper?

[Mark Gardner]

That's a chocolate pepper?

LOL. Nope, just an intermediate step in the ripening. I like the idea of chocolate anything since I’m on my third week of meal replacement...

[notthatamanda]

Ah, we have another thread where we discussed how chocolate peppers do not taste like chocolate.

So I ordered soaker hose to put underground. The vegetable garden is pretty much toast this year due to the drought so I decided to put the hose in now rather than wait for the spring. I have the time. Went out to work on getting out a big rock that I discovered in the spring and found I did have baby carrots. We ate all of them in one sitting, there were only a dozen or so. Some of the plants are still hanging in there so when the soaker hose comes I will get the loam and redo the bed but I'll transplant what ever is still hanging in there in the hopes of getting something later this fall.

[Mark Gardner]

Well, that does it. My 4yo drove her monster truck into the larger tomato plant, and pushed it down an incline where it hit my property fence in an explosion of light and energy. She just looked up at me with that toddler "oops" look. RIP tomato plant.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Well, that does it. My 4yo drove her monster truck into the larger tomato plant, and pushed it down an incline where it hit my property fence in an explosion of light and energy. She just looked up at me with that toddler "oops" look. RIP tomato plant.

  

[notthatamanda]

I decided to plant another potato and I poked around out there and one thing that is growing is definitely a potato. I dug it up carefully and it had one potato the size of a grape. So I put it back. The soaker hose came so I will work on that probably next week.

[Maggie Ann]

Well, that does it. My 4yo drove her monster truck into the larger tomato plant, and pushed it down an incline where it hit my property fence in an explosion of light and energy. She just looked up at me with that toddler "oops" look. RIP tomato plant.

My lawn man just drove his riding commercial-type lawnmower into my dogs playpen. He managed to fix it with some duct tape, but I don't think that would work for your tomato plant.   

[Mark Gardner]

Time to start building a raised bed vegetable garden plot.

[notthatamanda]

What are you going to put in it? Replacement tomato? I wish I could offer you some rocks. We have loads of them.

[Mark Gardner]

What are you going to put in it? Replacement tomato? I wish I could offer you some rocks. We have loads of them.

The plan:

I may swap the north carrots with the radishes. I know that cabbage doesn't get along with one of the other plants, and I need to make sure that there are barrier plants.

Also, since the plan is for 36"x36" but the interior diameter of the planter is 40"x40" I'll use the extra 4" on two sides to plant nasturtium, marigold, basil, & leeks.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

What are you going to put in it? Replacement tomato? I wish I could offer you some rocks. We have loads of them.

The plan:

I may swap the north carrots with the radishes. I know that cabbage doesn't get along with one of the other plants, and I need to make sure that there are barrier plants.

Also, since the plan is for 36"x36" but the interior diameter of the planter is 40"x40" I'll use the extra 4" on two sides to plant nasturtium, marigold, basil, & leeks.

Sounds like a solid plan. . Do you have wild animals to contend with? I'd have to cage that in to keep the monkeys out 

[Mark Gardner]

Sounds like a solid plan. . Do you have wild animals to contend with? I'd have to cage that in to keep the monkeys out 

My back yard is fenced with a ~6' wooden fence, so I'm not too concerned with mammalian interlopers. If I do discover that there are varmints getting in there, I can add a 4x4 on each corner, and string chicken wire between them. I'm more worried about pests, and perhaps corvidae.

[Mammasan]

As far as interlopers go, every night I have to go out with a flashlight and pluck invasive Cuban brown snails off my invasive Mexican petunias, always disturbing a few sleeping invasive West Indian brown anole lizards.

[LilyBLily]

As far as interlopers go, every night I have to go out with a flashlight and pluck invasive Cuban brown snails off my invasive Mexican petunias, always disturbing a few sleeping invasive West Indian brown anole lizards.

Yikes! 

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

As far as interlopers go, every night I have to go out with a flashlight and pluck invasive Cuban brown snails off my invasive Mexican petunias, always disturbing a few sleeping invasive West Indian brown anole lizards.

If you sprinkle broken egg shells round your petunias it should keep the snails off. 

[Mammasan]

Thanks, I'll try that. (Only thing worse than having to pluck off a Cuban brown snail, is stepping on one. Crunch, ker-splat.)

[Jeff Tanyard]

Thanks, I'll try that. (Only thing worse than having to pluck off a Cuban brown snail, is stepping on one. Crunch, ker-splat.)

Better to step on one than to sit on one. 

Once when I was a kid, a friend sat on a slug.  It was just as disgusting and funny as you can imagine.

[Mark Gardner]

I think this tomato plant is at the end of its usable life.

[idontknowyet]

I think this tomato plant is at the end of its usable life.

It produced well for you. You can always pluck the fruit off and ripen in on your counter.

[LilyBLily]

Or make some fried green tomatoes.

[Mark Gardner]

I pulled all the river rocks out and finished the bed. One of my concrete caps broke, so I'll need to replace it. I dug out a bunch of gravel and used it to fill in the cinder blocks. It's not level so there are gaps, but I'm not *too* concerned about that.

[notthatamanda]

Is the soil you put in going to be a full 12 inches deep? It looks about that deep. I've got a less elegant bigger set up, but I am going to be putting in an underground soaker hose and topping it with loam for a raised bed type thingy. Unsure how deep to go with the loam, complicated by the fact in the spring I'll move the compost there and top again.

[Mark Gardner]

The cinder blocks are ~8" deep. I figure the average height of the river rocks will be ~5" tall. I'll dig out the bottom about an inch so I can remove some plastic sheeting that's under the gravel. With a 2" cap, I expect to have 6" of growth medium. I'm thinking the bottom 4" will be filler dirt and some dried leafy material. The top 2" will probably be a mixture of mushroom compost, steer manure, vermiculite, perlite, raised-bed soil, and potting mix. (It's what I make for the potted flowers and vegtables.) Then when planting season starts, I'll cover with red mulch for the tomatoes and brown mulch for everything else.

I'm doing open-air compost for leafy yard waste, egg shells, coffee grounds, and fruit peels. I'd like to get a rotating composter, but the decent ones are ~$200.

I thought about a soaker, especially since my rain barrel is only about eight feet away. It's also about four feet higher, so gravity might be enough to push through. In the end, I decided to just hard-water the bed.

Is the soil you put in going to be a full 12 inches deep? It looks about that deep. I've got a less elegant bigger set up, but I am going to be putting in an underground soaker hose and topping it with loam for a raised bed type thingy. Unsure how deep to go with the loam, complicated by the fact in the spring I'll move the compost there and top again.

[Vijaya]

It's still got a lot of life. If you add another taller support, you'll get more. And that's a lovely square of a garden plan! The kitchen garden is my favorite.

[LilyBLily]

I dream of the day when I will have a reliable source of water again instead of a well. I gave up watering my plants when I discovered that I lost all water pressure in the house after doing so. The previous house had a very deep well, but even so, I more reliably got water leaking in my basement than on my plants. And then there's the little matter of sunshine. I'm in a forest. It's quite picturesque, but there's not much sunlight.

My tomatoes on the deck are about done. Between the many days of high heat and now daily downpours, they've given up. The colchicum (often confused--by me--with autumn crocus) is coming up and soon to bloom with a lovely pinkish lavender color. No sign of the lycoris, but I'm still hoping. 

[notthatamanda]

The cinder blocks are ~8" deep. I figure the average height of the river rocks will be ~5" tall. I'll dig out the bottom about an inch so I can remove some plastic sheeting that's under the gravel. With a 2" cap, I expect to have 6" of growth medium. I'm thinking the bottom 4" will be filler dirt and some dried leafy material. The top 2" will probably be a mixture of mushroom compost, steer manure, vermiculite, perlite, raised-bed soil, and potting mix. (It's what I make for the potted flowers and vegtables.) Then when planting season starts, I'll cover with red mulch for the tomatoes and brown mulch for everything else.

I'm doing open-air compost for leafy yard waste, egg shells, coffee grounds, and fruit peels. I'd like to get a rotating composter, but the decent ones are ~$200.

I thought about a soaker, especially since my rain barrel is only about eight feet away. It's also about four feet higher, so gravity might be enough to push through. In the end, I decided to just hard-water the bed.

Is the soil you put in going to be a full 12 inches deep? It looks about that deep. I've got a less elegant bigger set up, but I am going to be putting in an underground soaker hose and topping it with loam for a raised bed type thingy. Unsure how deep to go with the loam, complicated by the fact in the spring I'll move the compost there and top again.

I have a rotating one and it is not all it is cracked up to be. Can't put that much in it. We have an earth machine that we got from the town recycling commission and that is the best. If I was really into finishing the compost having two of those would do. As it is we just pile it in there all winter, spread it in the bed in the spring and cover with a landscape tarp for a couple of weeks, turn before planting.

[Mark Gardner]

Today’s update. The cinder blocks are done. It’s not level at all. Put down breathable weed cloth both to keep weeds out, and to help hold the volume of dirt. The river rocks are back in, and there’s gravel in there. All to help support drainage.

[notthatamanda]

I moved a lilac bush to the other side of my front door. The one I did last fall did flower this spring so I think it is a better, sunnier spot for it. It was only about 4 feet tall but there is still plenty left over in the original patch.

[Mark Gardner]

Today, I'll probably move a tomato and pepper plant to the raised garden bed. I also have radish sprouts, but I think I'll keep them in their container. The girls are very interested with Aubrey demanding she be allowed to water the empty bed.

[LilyBLily]

Very cute, and about as effective as the watering I do.

[Mark Gardner]

Transplant complete.

[idontknowyet]

I finally got a chance to check my sweet potatoes. Though the first ones weren't supposed to be ready until the end of the month i pulled some up.


They are perfectly formed disease and bug free, but they're tiny. It's like i have fingerling sweet potatoes. I think i'm going to give them another month in the ground.

[LilyBLily]

And here are the lycoris and the colchicum. Best year ever for the lycoris.

 

 

[idontknowyet]

And here are the lycoris and the colchicum. Best year ever for the lycoris.

Those are stunning!

[notthatamanda]

I love funky looking flowers. The purple ones aren't crocus? I've heard of later blooming crocus.

So I did dig up the garden and get the soaker hose in for next year. Put down 3 yards of loam. Husband says it looks like a mass grave.

Yesterday Phoebe the dieffenbachia toppled over, across the plant table, not off it and onto the carpet, very considerate of her, so I gave her a bigger pot.

[Vijaya]

So pretty, LilyBily.

[LilyBLily]

Apparently the true autumn crocus is slightly different and smaller and more likely to be a single bulb. Regardless, I don't think the deer care that it is a different variety; they have eaten them in the past. This time around I sprayed the flowers at several stages to keep them safe.

The lycoris are somewhat like shubertii allium, like a fireworks sparkler. Unfortunately, the voles eat most of my allium varieties, leaving only the not-very-showy drumstick type. Better than nothing, but shubertii are really pretty and I'm sad that I can't have them.     

[notthatamanda]

I've heard coyote urine works. But I don't really want to spend money on urine.

[LilyBLily]

The voles go after the bulbs in the winter. I often find their tunnels under melting snow. I'm afraid fox urine isn't likely to do the job under those conditions.

[Maggie Ann]

The voles go after the bulbs in the winter. I often find their tunnels under melting snow. I'm afraid fox urine isn't likely to do the job under those conditions.

And who wants to follow foxes or coyotes with a specimen jar! 

[notthatamanda]

The Itoh and Shima Nishiki peonies I ordered might not ship until November so I had to cancel them. 

[Mark Gardner]

I've been saving grounds and eggshells from my daily coffee and hardboiled egg. I added the mixture to to a grow bag and added equal parts topsoil. I think I'm going to try to grow a potato since that likes acidic soil. After winter, I think I'm going to try my hand at vermicomposting.

[Maggie Ann]

I use eggshells on my orchids when they are blooming.

[notthatamanda]

I use eggshells on my orchids when they are blooming.

Do you peel the insides out because I heard otherwise they get stinky?

[notthatamanda]

I've been saving grounds and eggshells from my daily coffee and hardboiled egg. I added the mixture to to a grow bag and added equal parts topsoil. I think I'm going to try to grow a potato since that likes acidic soil. After winter, I think I'm going to try my hand at vermicomposting.

My friend worm composts in her basement, teaches classes on it and everything. But why would you wait until after winter? Around here you vermicompost indoors in the winter because worms can't live outside in the cold and everything in the composter freezes and stays that way until spring.

[Maggie Ann]

I use eggshells on my orchids when they are blooming.

Do you peel the insides out because I heard otherwise they get stinky?

Yes. I peel out the membrane and then wash the shells. I stick them in the microwave for 30 secs but I only do two at a time. I crush them, but if you have a coffee or spice grinder, it's better to do that.

[idontknowyet]

I dug up some sweet potatoes today. 2 of my seven beds of them. They were all pretty tiny though i got a few full sized ones. Out of 18 plants i got maybe twenty pounds which isn't terrible but not great.
I either need to enhance my soil next year or i need to plant them a bit earlier. Everyone around here seemed to plant them a month or so earlier than i did.

I'll probably do both.

Next up moving those beds and getting my fall seedlings in.

[LilyBLily]

I'm girding my loins to make a curbside pickup from a big box hardware with enough top soil and bulb food for the several hundred bulbs set to arrive next week.

Wild asters are blooming white, plus there is a pale lavender that I am wondering might be a crossbreed of the purple dome aster I had planted in that spot (it seems to have vanished). Phlox colonize each others' colors and mostly end up pink. Maybe asters do, too.

The lycoris are near their end and have been lovely. I have lots of black-eyed susans all over to give final color. For a native plant they are tremendously invasive. The nursery-bought version is just as competitive and has much bigger leaves but doesn't last as long into the fall. It and the echinaceas are done for the year. Goldfinches came to eat their seeds.

[idontknowyet]

I dug out 3 more beds of sweet potatoes. I got around 35lbs of sweet potatoes this time.

Results from planted potatoes vs slips. The slips were more consistent. I got 2-3 nice sized potatoes from each slip. Whereas the planted potatoes gave me more potatoes but they were erratic. Some produced nothing but masses and masses of roots. Others produced a half dozen or more small potatoes (think fingerling). Yet others produce  a couple of larger potatoes.
This leaves me unsure of where i want to go. I think next year i'll do a mix of both slips and potatoes.

Still have two more beds to dig out.

[Simon Haynes]

My younger daughter came over this afternoon, and she chucked dried branches and plants into the electric mulcher while I pulled up weeds. We cleared one large bed and I planted out my capsicum and sweetcorn seeds.

Dug up half a kilo or so of potatoes - I gave those to her to take home. Also 'lent' her a large potted blueberry bush (covered in ripe fruit) which I'm looking after for her older sister, who moved interstate last year.

In return she gave me an avocado tree, a small banana plant and some perpetual spinach. Her boyfriend's mum gave me three freshly baked cookies, which were very nice.

[LilyBLily]

What I'm doing right now is gathering up large numbers of fallen branches before the oak leaves drop and cover them all. I'm also weed whacking hundreds of new tiny would-be oak trees. I almost killed my ride-on mower yesterday trying to mow them; it hit a rock and made a terrible noise and then stalled a couple of times out of pique. Today it's working normally, which is a relief; apparently I didn't bend a blade after all. The shale that is our common rock here is not very hard. Still not recommended to mow rocks. 

My bulb order should show up next week, and it's supposed to rain early next week, so the ground might actually be soft enough to penetrate with my pitchfork.

My new gallardia has come up to bloom and the morning glory gives me one blossom every few days. I raised that from a seed indoors but it still didn't start blooming until September. I have several kinds of wildflowers: native asters and goldenrod plus black-eyed susans, to the delight of the bees.

The hummingbirds left a couple of weeks ago. Lots of leaves have already fallen and we're getting some nice autumn color but are not quite at the height since few of the oaks have turned. We have hundreds of oaks, and they often drop all their leaves on November 1 exactly. Right now the weather is very mild, so maybe not this year. 

[notthatamanda]

I have what I am not absolutely positive are potatoes growing. Of course it is a little too late for them, but I will tarp them when the weather is getting colder and hope for the best. It is 75 here today, which is ridiculous, it will be cooler next week but no frost in the forecast over the next 10 days.

Indoors both my peace palms got two new flowers. One of my amaryllis, which I stuck in the corner when it was done in like April, started growing again. I put that one in it's own pot and put the other two in the basement to plant in January. My neighbor is moving and I got some tomato supports, chicken wire, and potting soil from his free pile. Also two Adirondack chairs, plastic, but in good shape, husband already took a nap in one today.

[Mark Gardner]

I don't think that there's much time left for my pepper and tomato plants. I tried to save some pepper seeds, but they got moldy in the container... I'll have to research how to harvest tomato and pepper seeds.


The grow bags are doing okay. I'll probably harvest a round of radishes in the next two weeks.


The college I go to has a robust composting and vermiculture program. I'm going to email the head of the Sustainable Food Systems to see if I can get worms come spring. I think I'm going to try binning the vermiculture compost.

[idontknowyet]

Tomato seeds are super easy to harvest.  Put the seeds while gooey in a small filter/colander rinse them to get as much off as you can then soak the seeds in water for 12/24 hours. Rinse again. All the slimy coating should be off then put them on a towel completely dry. Then store in your freezer for years.

[LilyBLily]

Tomato seeds are super easy to harvest.  Put the seeds while gooey in a small filter/colander rinse them to get as much off as you can then soak the seeds in water for 12/24 hours. Rinse again. All the slimy coating should be off then put them on a towel completely dry. Then store in your freezer for years.

Since we're mostly using hybrids, will the seeds even propagate? When I used to have small orange trees in my apartment, their fruit would only produce large orange trees (very big leaves) and no fruit. I used them as Christmas trees.

It sounds as if the treatment for tomato seeds is similar to what one does with pumpkin seeds: have to get that cellophane-like coating off.

[idontknowyet]

They might or might not produce. I've had peppers i got from the supermarket do exceedingly well. I only bought organic tomatoes from the market to reseed. So far they are looking lovely. But its the same process with hybrids or hierloom.

[Mark Gardner]

Tomato seeds are super easy to harvest.  Put the seeds while gooey in a small filter/colander rinse them to get as much off as you can then soak the seeds in water for 12/24 hours. Rinse again. All the slimy coating should be off then put them on a towel completely dry. Then store in your freezer for years.

That's good to know. I'll try that today!

[idontknowyet]

So far i've direct sewn 162 pea plants though there were in groups of 81 each. Of the first 81 plants, all but  6 germinated already. I'm going to give them another day before replanting in those spots.

My kale is already starting to germinate and those were only put in a few days ago. While my cauliflower and broc are about ready to transplant.

Oh my tomatoes are looking soo good. I only put a few in this season. Like 12 plants. They seem to be doubling every day.

I miss seeing the sweet potatoes trying to take over the yard. Not to mention missing all the pretty purple flowers.

[notthatamanda]

It's all about raking here now. Avocados are a buck each now so we're eating lots and I'm trying to get five to start growing in a ziploc bag with a wet paper towel stored in the cupboard with the coffee mugs. I used to have an avocado tree in the living room, but one winter it went dormant and didn't come back.

[idontknowyet]

It's all about raking here now. Avocados are a buck each now so we're eating lots and I'm trying to get five to start growing in a ziploc bag with a wet paper towel stored in the cupboard with the coffee mugs. I used to have an avocado tree in the living room, but one winter it went dormant and didn't come back.

We have a twenty or so foot avocado tree in our back yard. It's yet to produce anything. From what i've read it can take more than 10 years to fruit when you start it from a seed rather that cuttings.

[notthatamanda]

My mom grew up with an avocado tree in Miami. I will never get any fruit from it here in Massachusetts, indoors but it makes a nice addition to the indoor plant collection.

[Simon Haynes]

My mum had an avocado tree at each of her last two houses, and my dad pruned both of them a bit too much. No more avocados.

Bear in mind if you grow them from seed they might revert to a lesser variety.  Best bet is to grow the tree from seed then graft on a cutting from a tree with good fruit. (I did this last year but we had a long hot summer with too many days of 100F/39c. Wish I'd moved it inside.)

[Maggie Ann]

My mom grew up with an avocado tree in Miami. I will never get any fruit from it here in Massachusetts, indoors but it makes a nice addition to the indoor plant collection.

My mum had an avocado tree at each of her last two houses, and my dad pruned both of them a bit too much. No more avocados.

Bear in mind if you grow them from seed they might revert to a lesser variety.  Best bet is to grow the tree from seed then graft on a cutting from a tree with good fruit. (I did this last year but we had a long hot summer with too many days of 100F/39c. Wish I'd moved it inside.)

I had an avocado tree in Miami, too. It was loaded with fruit and a guy offered to harvest and buy the avocados. My tree never bloomed again.

[LilyBLily]

Has anybody ever had an apricot tree? I saw one with fruit in April in Greece years ago and it was very impressive. Not a large tree but fuller than the olive trees all over. I've always lived where it is too cold in winter for such a tree.

[Simon Haynes]

Has anybody ever had an apricot tree? I saw one with fruit in April in Greece years ago and it was very impressive. Not a large tree but fuller than the olive trees all over. I've always lived where it is too cold in winter for such a tree.

My parents have one. They grow it under netting to keep the birds off. (Western Australia)

I also had one at my previous house, but the fruitfly would get to the apricots when they were still green.

[LilyBLily]

I have two peach trees that grew from when part of this property was an orchard. The apple trees remaining do not bear, but the peaches do. Unfortunately, the squirrels go after them when they are green. The prior owners had a dog, so our first year here I got peaches and made a pie. Then the squirrels realized the dog was gone. That was it for the peaches.

[idontknowyet]

Sweet potatoes are totally invasive. Shoots keep popping up even though i thought i got ever pink root out of the beds.

Current state of my garden. I have 162 ish sweet pea plants coming up had less than a dozen not germinate that i replanted. They are growing super slow because of the heat wave we're still experiencing. The second planting of carrots are going exceedingly well. The first one i tried with a new method. (i did something very wrong.)
Soo many tiny little spinach plants are comming up. I planted 4 beds of 81 plants each. No lettuce up yet.

My tomatoes are stunning. They are over a foot tall, but no flowers yet.

My kale seedlings arent ready to plant yet.

Cauliflower and Broccoli arent liking the heat either, but they are hanging in.

[LilyBLily]

The next day or two will probably put an end to my tomatoes, although one of them has been ignoring the weather and is flowering. They're far too tall to bring inside, alas. Apparently, when they built this house, they forgot to build the conservatory.

[notthatamanda]

Tarped the potatoes in prep for the snow tonight. Probably useless but it only took five minutes. I will definitely try potatoes early next year. I just got one organic potato, cut it up and let it try for a couple of days on the counter, then planted. I have nice plants now, I just did it too late.

[LilyBLily]

I've planted 25% of my bulbs so far and am taking a break while it rains all day. Tomorrow afternoon should be good for digging. Meanwhile I'm making wire cages for the new crocus bulbs in case the squirrels will be unable to get through them. It's a nice thought, anyway.   

Many leaves are tumbling down, but the oaks are taking their time, as usual. It has not been seriously cold yet; there's even a petunia still blooming that grew on its own and is sheltering under the cannas. Otherwise, a couple of gallardia blossoms and the last of the black-eyed susans, and that's it for flowers.

[notthatamanda]

I've still got dahlias blooming, they didn't really bloom all summer with the drought. I need to dig those up but is it so nasty out there right now.

[idontknowyet]

We got a cool evening. My peas shot up and oh the broc and cauliflower look amazing. YAY for lovely cool evenings and mid 70s days.

[notthatamanda]

Jealous

[idontknowyet]

Jealous

We need something to even out the 100+ rest of the year.

[Jeff Tanyard]

I've been without internet for the past two-and-a-half days due to Hurricane Zeta.  It only just now came back on.  I never lost power, though, or had any property damage, so I fared pretty well compared to a lot of folks in the area.

In the dark-age interim, I cut down a tree and chopped it up into manageable pieces.  I'm still sore from the exertion.  I'm in terrible shape.     But I removed a sweetgum before it got too big for me to handle by myself, so mission accomplished.  Trunk was about five inches in diameter, and the tree was twenty-five, maybe thirty feet tall by my estimation.  I took it down with a Sawzall.  (I'm leery of chainsaws, and I only use one when there's no other option.)

[LilyBLily]

I've been without internet for the past two-and-a-half days due to Hurricane Zeta.  It only just now came back on.  I never lost power, though, or had any property damage, so I fared pretty well compared to a lot of folks in the area.

In the dark-age interim, I cut down a tree and chopped it up into manageable pieces.  I'm still sore from the exertion.  I'm in terrible shape.     But I removed a sweetgum before it got too big for me to handle by myself, so mission accomplished.  Trunk was about five inches in diameter, and the tree was twenty-five, maybe thirty feet tall by my estimation.  I took it down with a Sawzall.  (I'm leery of chainsaws, and I only use one when there's no other option.)

Quite a feat. I was eyeing an oak just this afternoon and acknowledging that it's too late; it has grown too big.

I have two chain saws. I got over my fear of them when my good friend who is a tiny thing almost a foot shorter than me confidently chopped up her Christmas tree with a small electric chain saw on a power cord. I went home and bought one for myself. Even more versatile and non-scary is my battery-operated baby chain saw. It's very small, and it's perfect for going far out on the property and sawing small saplings very close to the ground so we never trip on a tiny stump. In fact, I just ordered a battery-operated hedge clipper that I hope to use mostly as a bush hog to reduce the amount of rampant wild blueberries. They seem to grow bigger without producing anything, so goodbye.

As for being in poor shape, only people using those exact muscles regularly will not get sore from the activity. I try to alternate tool days. One day I go out with the spading fork to dig up invasives. The next day I use clippers, and maybe the third I'm out there with a folding hand saw. That way the muscles are not overused.

[notthatamanda]

Dug up the dahlias and boy did they multiply.  Cut back the dead peony and salvia growth. Apparently one sub freezing night was enough for the saliva which is now sprouting again. It is almost 70s here. I'm going to write on the deck this afternoon since for November that is a treat.

[LilyBLily]

I just painted half the deck. I ran out of steam before I ran out of deck, but also the wind started to deposit leaves and two different tools proved inadequate to the task. I'm going to try again tomorrow when it's supposed to be circa 70 degrees again.

The next project for today is planting more bulbs. I'm leaving my NaNoWriMo writing for later. This weather is too nice to miss. (Of course I hope some people are staying in and reading or buying my novels. Ahem.) 

[notthatamanda]

They can stay out and read too. I'm about to do that. I put the hammock stand away before the snow though. :(

[idontknowyet]

One of my pepper plants has gone crazy producing. There are maybe 9 decent sized peppers all of the sudden.
And i've got my first tomato baby of the season. All of the tomato plants i put in the first round have tomatoes on them

Planted some white potatoes today... this will be a first for us.

The pea plants are getting nice and tall need to put the second row of trellising up for them to climb. I have one bed of spinach that isnt doing a single thing no idea why. All the other beds are flourishing. I'm going to end up with several hundred plants just from that 3 that are doing very well.

And my compost bin is growing sweet potatoes. Like crazzzzzzzzzzzy. They are crawling out everywhere and completely invading the bin.

[LilyBLily]

The deck is done, and I got more bulbs in. I had to take my tomato plants off the deck but I've put them up against the house and in this mild weather they may be fine. They're too tall to bring inside, so it's just a matter of time before cool weather does them in. I've already brought in the lantana, which is not winter-hardy around here. The morning glory gave up a couple of weeks ago, but there's still a self-seeded petunia blooming under the cannas. A garden surprise of the good kind.

[idontknowyet]

I got a dozen seedlings in the beds today.

My first pea flowers bloomed today. It's funny like 1/3 of the plants are two foot tall and the rest are all like 4-6 inches.

Found even more sweet potato shoots. Ugh.

[notthatamanda]

Why not just grow more sweet potatoes? I have the mint problem so I'm not unsympathetic but sweet potatoes seem more useful.

[LilyBLily]

Mint is so amazing. I have some mint that has survived four moves.

[idontknowyet]

Why not just grow more sweet potatoes? I have the mint problem so I'm not unsympathetic but sweet potatoes seem more useful.

Because we are going into winter (sort of eventually) once sweet potatoes get under 40 i think they rot and die. it takes 4 months to actually produce fruit of a size you can eat.

The sweet potato roots are squeezing out my spinach roots and trying for the tomatoes

[notthatamanda]

Gotcha. For some reason I thought the sweet potatoes were in your compost pile.

[idontknowyet]

Gotcha. For some reason I thought the sweet potatoes were in your compost pile.

They are there too! they are everywhere. I havent pulled them out of the compost bin though i have tried burying them more without success

[Mark Gardner]

This weekend I went ahead and harvested any vegetables that were left. The overnight was under 35 a few days last week, plus the tomato and pepper plants were looking pretty funky. Aubrey and I ate the carrots right out of the ground It snowed last night, so I guess I'm done until February or so...

[Vijaya]

that was a short season. our tomatoes stopped producing for a while but came back to life. still eating okra. i never get tired of the spicy "bhindi bhaji" but decided to make soup--well, my husband did but i directed. i'm out of commission for a while--had 2 surgeries and recovering. of all things i miss writing the most but here i am typing one handed. lol

[notthatamanda]

Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

[idontknowyet]

that was a short season. our tomatoes stopped producing for a while but came back to life. still eating okra. i never get tired of the spicy "bhindi bhaji" but decided to make soup--well, my husband did but i directed. i'm out of commission for a while--had 2 surgeries and recovering. of all things i miss writing the most but here i am typing one handed. lol

I hope oyu feel better soon

[Jeff Tanyard]

that was a short season. our tomatoes stopped producing for a while but came back to life. still eating okra. i never get tired of the spicy "bhindi bhaji" but decided to make soup--well, my husband did but i directed. i'm out of commission for a while--had 2 surgeries and recovering. of all things i miss writing the most but here i am typing one handed. lol

Sorry to hear about that, Vijaya.  I hope you recover from the surgeries soon.   

[Vijaya]

thank you.

[LilyBLily]

Nice that your husband cooked for you. Get well soon.

[Vijaya]

thank you. he's a good cook. we have a bounty of peppers (both hot and sweet) and he routinely stuffs them with cream cheese, wraps them in bacon, and roasts them. delish. he's also made a hot sauce from the ghost peppers--pretty pictures on my blog: https://vijayabodach.blogspot.com/

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Our summer rains are beginning and everything is coming into bloom (unfortunately, so are the weeds  ). My hibiscus has started flowering and agapanthus have buds on them. Wil post when the buds open. 

[Maggie Ann]

Our summer rains are beginning and everything is coming into bloom (unfortunately, so are the weeds  ). My hibiscus has started flowering and agapanthus have buds on them. Wil post when the buds open.

Oooh, double yellow. My favorite.

I'm going to Home Depot tomorrow to get some white Pentas. The ones I have seem to be thriving.

Dendrobiums keep blooming and blooming and blooming. Two of my Phaelonopsis also have flower spikes. We're coming up on blooming season so I have to stop fertilizing.

[LilyBLily]

That hibiscus is gorgeous.

I just covered my iris bed with netting to keep the leaves off. We'll see if that works at all. Probably won't, but I've had the netting for years and years. Might as well try it.

[notthatamanda]

My rhododendrons are covered in buds thanks to the 75 degree weather a week ago, but tonight we might get some snow.

[idontknowyet]

My 3 of my potatoes started sprouting from the ground. I planted 9 more seedlings today. There are dozens of baby tomatoes  and hundreds of flowers. Though quite a few were blown off by eta the other day. I saw my first two pea pods. The arent anywhere near ready to pick. About 60 of my spinach plants should be ready for their first harvest soon.

I'm sooo tempted to try putting onions in, but i dont have bed space alloted for that this year.

[Vijaya]

what a beauty, jan. thank you.

[Simon Haynes]

I'm staying up all night (got up at 9pm), and my plan is to go out around dawn and tend to the garden for a bit. Desperately need the sunshine!

[idontknowyet]

I was able to harvest my first set of spinach. 1lb!!! Cant wait to keep getitng more.

Most of my tomato flowers are falling off since eta came through, not sure why, but i do have a few tomatoes on them growing.

My potatoes have finally sprouted and they seem to be doubling in size every single day!!

Transplanted kale and broc seem to be going through a hard shock. They are taking about a month to root then they start growing like crazy!!!!

My plants are dense and massive, but i've only found 3 pea pods on them :(

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Turned over my compost heap and I now have an abundance of tiny papaya trees, tomatoes, butternut, an avocado and some fk's. Will leave them as is, but I'm expecting the monkeys to get the biggest harvest if the plants grow to maturity 

[notthatamanda]

Do the monkeys have any natural predators? Here we have an owl with a bobbing head and reflective eyes mounted in the garden to scare the critters.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Do the monkeys have any natural predators? Here we have an owl with a bobbing head and reflective eyes mounted in the garden to scare the critters.

Humans seem to be their only enemies in urban areas  . They've been known to attack dogs and don't appear to be unduly afraid of them. We've tried putting a rubber snake to scare them away, but they are too wily for that. Not afraid of humans either. One day I was sitting on my veranda having breakfast. I had a plate of toast in my hand when a monkey appeared and slowly approached me. I wanted to see what it would do and it jumped onto the chair next to me and actually reached across to the plate of toast I was holding. I snatched the toast away just in time. The dog was mute with shock  . You have to make a proper job of caging in your vegetables to keep them properly monkey proof. I don't mind them taking a few things, but they take bites out of unripe fruit and veg and it's then wasted. We've built on what was their land so we shouldn't complain. And some people actually feed them so they become used to getting food from bins etc and we have to tie the lids down. During the lockdown we had to put out our bins so some of the residents could collect them. We had to have people on monkey duty to stop the monkeys ripping open the bags. One lady took a chair to sit on while waiting for the rubbish bags to be collected  . Pouring a bit of Jeynes fluid on the bags seems to put them off. 

[LilyBLily]

I'm about to go outside and plant the rest of my spring bulbs. The cool weather a couple of nights ago finished off my tomatoes, which was just as well because a rotting underground stump suddenly created a big hole and I needed the dirt from the pots to level it up. I discovered the hole by putting my foot onto what I thought was solid ground. Nope. Luckily, I only went down about a foot even though the hole goes farther. It's always an adventure around here. 

[notthatamanda]

My indoor coleus up and kicked the bucket for some reason. I pulled a handleful of green stems out of it and am going to try to resurrect it.

[LilyBLily]

It took me until today to finish with the bulbs. The problems were (1) rocks everywhere and (2) I ran out of purchased dirt and the nearest store wouldn't sell any online even for curbside pickup. It doesn't seem like a good moment to risk more human contact, so I stayed home and wandered our property looking for anything that resembled dirt. I settled for several odd spots that will probably kill the bulbs after the first year of bloom. Possibly before. But they are finally done.

[Simon Haynes]

Heading into our Summer here - 100+ degrees F some days of the week for about 3-4 months straight. Lethal on just about everything green and growing!

Despite that, I have tomato seedlings, rocket, corn, bok choi and lettuce seedlings on the go. I'm 90% there with the (dead) winter weeds, and I'm not exaggerating when I say I have a pile of dried rocket bushes taller than I am (and I'm 6'3").  I let all the rocket go to seed and it's sprouted across most of the back garden...

[Jeff Tanyard]

Heading into our Summer here - 100+ degrees F some days of the week for about 3-4 months straight. Lethal on just about everything green and growing!

It's currently 38 degrees F here and cloudy.  There's blue stuff on the Doppler radar.   

[notthatamanda]

We're having crazy wind, rain and power outages. But it's 20 degrees warmer in Massachusetts than in Georgia apparently.  (58 F)

[Maggie Ann]

We're going down to 48F tonight and 44F tomorrow night. It's 15 degrees lower than normal. All my orchids have flower spikes (except the teenagers and younguns) and some of them have multiple spikes. They may not be strong enough yet to survive these low temps.

[notthatamanda]

The rhododendrons budded up again here. Next week will be in the 20s at night so I'm not expecting them to bloom.

[LilyBLily]

Nothing in my garden is confused enough to bloom as we're finally sliding into more winter-like temperatures, 20s at night, 40s in the daytime instead of 50s. A harsh wind blew in late this afternoon to effect the change.

However, I note that various daffodils and other spring bulbs are already poking up here and there. The ones I just planted will bloom late this year and extend the season. Then next year (if they live) they'll be in sync with the season. New bulbs always seem to bloom late.   

[idontknowyet]

We're getting our first couple of cold nights of the season. I covered my tomatoes hopefully they last. Never ever ever have i had this many baby tomatoes on a plant. If they make it i can't even imagine how many pounds of tomatoes ill get from the 12 plants.

My spinach is doing amazing getting 1lb about ever 2-4 days. I can't wait for my kale to start going like crazy! Some of my broc is getting big but no heads forming.

My lettuce is trying to pretend to grow but basically it is a sad sad sight.

[Vijaya]

Simon, I'm envying your summer--it's getting cold here in SC. Every time it dips into the 40s my husband starts talking about FL. But I love living in Charleston, our friends, our church.

[Simon Haynes]

Funnily enough, 3 days ago we had the coldest November morning for 124 years. (It was still very mild, let's be honest. Probably a warm summer day for some parts of the world...)

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

I was excitedly watching the growth of my agapanthus wondering just how high it would get - and then the wind came and snapped it off   

It was 1.55 metres. (61 inches). 

[LilyBLily]

Beautiful. I think I've seen far shorter versions in Florida.

[notthatamanda]

Post more pictures Jan (not to be bossy). We've got over a foot of snow on the ground here and it was 10F when I got up.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

This orchid was growing on a tree in the common property in our complex - and then the wind snapped it off.  Now have it in a vase.

[Vijaya]

Gorgeous, Jan! Merry Christmas!

[Maggie Ann]

This orchid was growing on a tree in the common property in our complex - and then the wind snapped it off.  Now have it in a vase.

Very pretty.

[notthatamanda]

I really want to be an orchid person, but I should plant those avocados I have sprouting in the cupboard and see how those go first.
It was 60 degrees here on the 24th. The rhododendrons are still covered with buds.

[Maggie Ann]

I really want to be an orchid person, but I should plant those avocados I have sprouting in the cupboard and see how those go first.
It was 60 degrees here on the 24th. The rhododendrons are still covered with buds.

Don't start out with Vandas. They are greedy little suckers. My Dendrobiums (in my opinion the easiest to grow and bloom) have been blooming like mad and one plant that had already had five flower spikes is now growing a sixth spike. The Phaelanopsis have been doing well and are spiking for a second season. One of them has three spikes, three of them have two spikes, and the other two only have one spike. But there's still time. I don't expect my Cattleyas to bloom for another two years since they are only teenagers. I am hoping my orchid cactus (not really an orchid at all) will bloom this year.

[idontknowyet]

My broc are finally starting to head. I have one that's the size of a silver dollar.
And in other good news we picked the first red tomato of the season. Its kinda tiny but still wasn't sure they were going to make it through. Have a few more turning red and seemingly hundreds of green ones growing through the winter. One lovely point about growing them now is zero pest pressure. Zero!

This is my favorite time of the year to grow tomatoes. Other than having to cover them almost every night so the cold doesnt stress them out and stunt their growth.

[idontknowyet]

In exciting news. I am now getting 2lbs of spinach out of the garden almost everyday and several tomatoes. One head of my broc is almost full size and two more are doing well. Several others that might be broc or cauli havent started heading yet.

For some reason my kale is growing super duper slow but i've started getting a few leaves each day.
I think my carrots are growing like crazy but they aren't really ready to pull yet. I've taken out a few, but most of them are a little larger than baby carrots you get from the store.

[notthatamanda]

Planted the amaryllis yesterday. I doubt they'll bloom, they are old, but I put them on a TV tray in the sunniest window to give them their best shot.

[Maggie Ann]

Two more Dendrobiums flower spikes on one plant and one more, possibly two, on another.

The Phaelonopsis are all putting out multiple spikes except one that has only a single spike. I'm looking for a riot of blooms in February.

The Cattleyas are still too young and I'm seriously considering tying them to my oak trees. I think I will wait until the rainy season to let them get a good start.

The Christmas Cactus is blooming like mad and the daffodils are boldly poking their heads up out of the soil.

[LilyBLily]

I've got an amaryllis that has nice green leaves but has done nothing for a year. I even gave it bulb food, so I'm puzzled. If it wants to rest, it could drop its leaves, but it doesn't.

Meanwhile, the lantana that this year I dug up before the first frost has been taking objection to the sunny window by dropping lots of leaves. I don't know if the cold outside is the cause or if the distress was brought on by Christmas lights taped to the window panes. They're off now, so we shall see. Our coldest month is February.

[Maggie Ann]

I've got an amaryllis that has nice green leaves but has done nothing for a year. I even gave it bulb food, so I'm puzzled. If it wants to rest, it could drop its leaves, but it doesn't.

Meanwhile, the lantana that this year I dug up before the first frost has been taking objection to the sunny window by dropping lots of leaves. I don't know if the cold outside is the cause or if the distress was brought on by Christmas lights taped to the window panes. They're off now, so we shall see. Our coldest month is February.

I haven't grown Amaryllis in a long time but I seem to remember the plants did not drop their leaves in between blooming. Now I want to get some.

Our spring is in February, so only a few more weeks of overnight 40s and it should start warming up.

[notthatamanda]

The amaryllis leaves will last for a while, I cut them back and store the bulbs in the dark before I try to force them again. Of course they haven't bloomed again for a while so I'm probably doing it wrong. One made a new bulb off the side so I planted that by itself. We'll see.

[LilyBLily]

The amaryllis leaves will last for a while, I cut them back and store the bulbs in the dark before I try to force them again. Of course they haven't bloomed again for a while so I'm probably doing it wrong. One made a new bulb off the side so I planted that by itself. We'll see.

One year I just put the pot in the garage and a few months later it decided to grow, completely unaided. I suppose I should do that again, but first I'll have to transplant the moonflower that's in the same pot. Not a bad idea if the lantana is finally going to give up the ghost. I've almost killed it several times.

[notthatamanda]

One of my amaryllis has got a leaf starting. 

[Simon Haynes]

I planted out a load of seedlings, and because our weather here is currently 35-40C daily I bought some treated pine logs (anti-termite) and shadecloth and put up temporary shading for the vulnerable little plants. It's working, but even 2-3 hours of sun is enough to fry them.

So far I've planted out cucumbers, corn, dwarf beans (several varieties), zuccini, lettuce, tomatoes, capsicum and a few other bits and pieces.

The other problem here is the 'soil' across most of this area is 100% sterile grey sand. I've spent a small fortune adding compost, clay and other soil improvers, but the only real solution would be a big front-end loader and a truckful of good earth. Since that's not going to happen, I'll persist. I've managed to get a couple of beds into growable condition, but there's 500sq/m to go.

[LilyBLily]

I planted out a load of seedlings, and because our weather here is currently 35-40C daily I bought some treated pine logs (anti-termite) and shadecloth and put up temporary shading for the vulnerable little plants. It's working, but even 2-3 hours of sun is enough to fry them.

So far I've planted out cucumbers, corn, dwarf beans (several varieties), zuccini, lettuce, tomatoes, capsicum and a few other bits and pieces.

The other problem here is the 'soil' across most of this area is 100% sterile grey sand. I've spent a small fortune adding compost, clay and other soil improvers, but the only real solution would be a big front-end loader and a truckful of good earth. Since that's not going to happen, I'll persist. I've managed to get a couple of beds into growable condition, but there's 500sq/m to go.

I've paid many hundreds of dollars for truckloads of dirt. Each one has has some near fatal flaw:
1. poisonous dirt that kills everything because it's actually decomposing shale
2. bluestone gravel and weeds
3. really bad weeds I'll never eradicate--crown vetch
4. such sterile fill that nothing grows in it AND it won't hold water

The one with excess gravel and weeds was the best of the lot. Add in all the bags of compost and manure and dirt and lime and whatever and I have spent easily two thousand dollars on dirt, with pitiful results time and again. When one figures in that I personally shoveled every ounce of the dirt from the dump pile or the bags to my gardens, they should have paid me.

[notthatamanda]

Wow that's terrible.
When we turned the garden into a raised bed of sorts in the fall I got 3 yards of loam. I found two small pieces of blue plastic in it, but other than that, it was great dirt. My husband just about lost his mind about paying for dirt regardless. There's plenty of competition here so maybe that forces them to keep the quality up.

[Simon Haynes]

Last year I went and collected a trailer of 'garden soil'.  Turns out they believe 'soil' is about eighty percent sand, which I already had plenty of.

The best thing to get is compost. I usually buy the 25 litre bags which are about $4 each - a waste of money compared to getting a whole trailer ($60) but so much more convenient. I get 10 bags and use them to grow seedlings etc in pots.

What I've done this year is to dig furrows in the sand, mix in loads of compost/soil improver, and then plant the seedlings in those lines. Between the rows it's still plain old sand, but I'm not growing anything there.

I figure after a few seasons of this, the sand will gradually take on more and more of the compost. There are two beds I started on a couple of years ago which now have really good soil in, so it does work eventually.

But yeah, when you consider the cost of growing your own veg vs buying stuff, it's not very economical at the beginning unless you're really lucky with soil. I don't mind the expense though, because if I don't grow veg I'll still need to grow something, and unless it's a bunch of cacti or date palms that sand has to go.

[notthatamanda]

I can buy finished compost but that is really expensive. Our earth machine fills up with our scraps in the winter. In April we spread it in the garden, turn it and cover it with landscaping tarp. Increasing hours of baking in the sun, plus some of my friend's worms, by the end of May when we actually plant it is mostly done. 

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

The amethyst vine in the common garden. I have one in my garden but it's not as showy as this one.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

This allamanda is also in the common garden. I have a cutting growing in my garden. It has flowered, but also not as showy as this one.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

One of our storks strolling past my back door. It was about to invite itself inside 

[Maggie Ann]

great photos, Jan.

[notthatamanda]

Thanks for the pics Jan. I never knew there was an allamanda plant. I wonder if I could grow it indoors and it would flower?

[Maggie Ann]

Thanks for the pics Jan. I never knew there was an allamanda plant. I wonder if I could grow it indoors and it would flower?

All parts of the allamanda are poisonous. I wouldn't recommend it as a house plant.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Thanks for the pics Jan. I never knew there was an allamanda plant. I wonder if I could grow it indoors and it would flower?

All parts of the allamanda are poisonous. I wouldn't recommend it as a house plant.

I did not know that.  Will have to take more care when handling.

[notthatamanda]

Thanks for the pics Jan. I never knew there was an allamanda plant. I wonder if I could grow it indoors and it would flower?

All parts of the allamanda are poisonous. I wouldn't recommend it as a house plant.

Good to know. Got the first inch or so of the foot of snow we are expecting. More garden pics Jan, please!

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Bromeliad in the common garden. Quite exciting when it flowers. We are into our hot summer months and lots of flowers in bloom - unfortunately so are the numerous weeds  . Spending most of our gardening time weeding.  We have gardeners allotted to us for our own gardens, and garden services cut the grass and trim bushes etc, in the common garden, but if we plant a garden we more or less have to look after it. Unfortunately an outside gardener, who we occasionally employed to help out hasn't been allowed in since the first lockdown due to virus fears. 

[Maggie Ann]

I love bromeliads. Flowers mean babies/pups, but they take several years to bloom.

[notthatamanda]

We got the foot plus of snow they promised us. I am waiting on a grow light bulb. As soon as I get it I will start the tomato seeds. I usually fail hard at seeds, but who knows, maybe this is my year.

[LilyBLily]

We got the foot plus of snow they promised us. I am waiting on a grow light bulb. As soon as I get it I will start the tomato seeds. I usually fail hard at seeds, but who knows, maybe this is my year.

Good reminder. I mean to start tomato seeds this month, too. We get plenty of light from a south-facing window.

[Simon Haynes]

We've just had four days over a hundred degrees (37C+) but fortunately there's a cooler spell starting tomorrow. It won't last, as we're in midsummer here in Western Australia.

Tomato plants, capsicum, corn, asparagus, beans all coming along really well. I'm moving all the old woodchip mulch/shredded trees from the front garden to the rear, and then I'll get some fresh mulch to replace it. (A local tree pruner will deliver a huge truckload for fifty bucks.)

I put up some treated pine poles and shadecloth a couple of weeks ago, and that plus daily hand watering is helping to see the plants through the very hot, dry summer.

My fig tree (grown from a cutting) is shooting up - 4-5 years from now it should provide a nice big shady area.  I have two more in pots, as well as half a dozen mulberry bushes too. Lots of work, but gardens can be very soothing and relaxing too.

[Vijaya]

Ooooo, lovely pictures Jan. You reminded me that I must take my phone on my walks--I've noticed some very pretty mushrooms and want to identify them. At first I thought they were misshapen tomatoes.

Simon, I love fresh figs. We have a couple of cuttings too.

[notthatamanda]

We had mushrooms that looked like mustard on toast. My friend came over one day and asked me if my kids threw their lunch out the front door without me knowing.

[idontknowyet]

We've just had four days over a hundred degrees (37C+) but fortunately there's a cooler spell starting tomorrow. It won't last, as we're in midsummer here in Western Australia.

Tomato plants, capsicum, corn, asparagus, beans all coming along really well. I'm moving all the old woodchip mulch/shredded trees from the front garden to the rear, and then I'll get some fresh mulch to replace it. (A local tree pruner will deliver a huge truckload for fifty bucks.)

I put up some treated pine poles and shadecloth a couple of weeks ago, and that plus daily hand watering is helping to see the plants through the very hot, dry summer.

My fig tree (grown from a cutting) is shooting up - 4-5 years from now it should provide a nice big shady area.  I have two more in pots, as well as half a dozen mulberry bushes too. Lots of work, but gardens can be very soothing and relaxing too.

I'm thinking of adding some mullberry bushes/trees. Are they easy to keep up?

Have you tried growing sweet potatoes. Thats some great weather for them.

[Post-Crisis D]

I'm thinking of adding some mullberry bushes/trees. Are they easy to keep up?

Mulberry trees grow like weeds.  They will grow from seeds.  They will grow from cuttings.  They will grow everywhere.  You can cut them down and they will grow back.  If they grow somewhere you don't want them, remove them as soon as possible or they will be hard to pull out and if you cut them down they will grow back.

And, still, the birds will clear out the mulberries before you have a chance to get them.

[Simon Haynes]

Mulberries are great for making mulch. Massive leaves, all of which fall off in Autumn.

I'm trying to start some sweet potatoes now - I have 2 trays of pieces on the kitchen windowsill which ought to sprout soon. Otherwise I'll plant the whole ones I have in the fridge.   Before I can plant them out I need to prepare a new bed, which is currently 100% sand, and also organise more shade.  Too hot for that kind of work.

[idontknowyet]

Mulberries are great for making mulch. Massive leaves, all of which fall off in Autumn.

I'm trying to start some sweet potatoes now - I have 2 trays of pieces on the kitchen windowsill which ought to sprout soon. Otherwise I'll plant the whole ones I have in the fridge.   Before I can plant them out I need to prepare a new bed, which is currently 100% sand, and also organise more shade.  Too hot for that kind of work.

sweet potatoes dont need shade they loooooooooove the sun and heat

[Simon Haynes]

Western Australian heat?

[idontknowyet]

florida 100+F for 9 months they were super happy

[Simon Haynes]

We get a really, really dry heat here. Isn't Florida humid?

[idontknowyet]

Florida is humid, but sweet potatoes dont like a lot of precipitation we manage that with sandy soil.  2 inches a week. I think i watered once last summer.

This guy grows em but i dont know if he's in your neck of the woods.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Florida is humid, but sweet potatoes dont like a lot of precipitation we manage that with sandy soil.  2 inches a week. I think i watered once last summer.

This guy grows em but i dont know if he's in your neck of the woods.

We are also very humid here in Durban. We are into the worst of the humidity. It usually only lasts for Jan, Feb, March. There is a saying about Durban: "It's not the heat - it's the humidity. "  Don't feel like doing much gardening when you are working in sauna conditions.

[idontknowyet]

Florida is humid, but sweet potatoes dont like a lot of precipitation we manage that with sandy soil.  2 inches a week. I think i watered once last summer.

This guy grows em but i dont know if he's in your neck of the woods.

We are also very humid here in Durban. We are into the worst of the humidity. It usually only lasts for Jan, Feb, March. There is a saying about Durban: "It's not the heat - it's the humidity. "  Don't feel like doing much gardening when you are working in sauna conditions.

Thats florida from March to Oct sometime November but rarely

[Simon Haynes]

I watch Mark's vids every time he uploads a new one.  Will check that one again, but he's about 5000 miles away and in a more humid/temperate climate.

Our summer is kind of like Death Valley but with more sand.

[idontknowyet]

I watch Mark's vids every time he uploads a new one.  Will check that one again, but he's about 5000 miles away and in a more humid/temperate climate.

Our summer is kind of like Death Valley but with more sand.

Hehe you make is sound like such a nice place to live!

[Simon Haynes]

Exaggeration for comic effect is my stock in trade ;-)

Perth is a beautiful city.  A green jewel on the coast hemmed in by thousands of miles of harsh terrain. We're fortunate the climate is so dry because evaporative aircon ('swamp coolers') work beautifully well on 95% of our hot days.

But it sure sucks the moisture out of the ground, and this is the first year I've even tried to grow veggies through the middle of summer. The shade is helping, ditto thick mulch and hand-watering every day.

For half the year we have two allocated days for automated watering per week, based on the last digit of the house number. Watering is banned in winter.

[Post-Crisis D]

For half the year we have two allocated days for automated watering per week, based on the last digit of the house number. Watering is banned in winter.

We used to have water restrictions in the summers in the '80s.  Odd-numbered houses could water on odd-numbered days and even-numbered houses could water on even-numbered days.  They eventually did away with the water restrictions after figuring out they made things worse because people would water on their day whether they needed to or not lest the lawn need watering on a day they couldn't.

[Simon Haynes]

I actually have a bore here, but apparently it hasn't worked for 30 years. With a bore you can water an extra day a week.

I would love to get it going but I'm probably looking at $3000, and, well, that's a lot of vegetables.

[notthatamanda]

Bore = Well?

My whole towns on wells, even the town water is 7 wells scattered around town. We don't water our grass, ever. Had the well get too low on our first house when we did that and never did it again. The town does odd/even days (they kind of have to because the system can't sustain everyone watering on a Saturday when they remember to) and also restricts completely when needed. It's not hard to figure out who thinks the rules don't apply to them.

[idontknowyet]

We have an irrigation system for the lawn but we rarely use it. The grass doesn't need it in the winter or the summer unless you want a magazine lawn. We hand water the garden based on plant needs but usually 1-2x a week in the winter for most plants.

In the spring early summer the garden needs daily water with the exception of the sweet potatoes. They only need it occasionally.
Summer here nothing grows but okra and sweet potatoes.


We've had watering restrictions(for lawn/irrigation systems you can hand water anything whenever you want) here but i dont even know them anymore.

[notthatamanda]

I went out and got the cherry tomato seeds and planted them. Going to try really hard to keep them alive to actually get them in the garden in the end of May.

[idontknowyet]

I went out and got the cherry tomato seeds and planted them. Going to try really hard to keep them alive to actually get them in the garden in the end of May.

My tomato seedlings arent doing well. I need a greenhouse or light lamp for them. They just keep dying on me.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

I don't know about you guys, but our consumer council is investigating price colluding on ginger. I've been buying it for years to make ginger tea, put in smoothies, and lately to make ginger beer. It has been as low as R49.99/kg and sometimes went up to R89.99 - R99.99/kg when out of season, which is when I balked at buying it. However, people seem to have cottoned on to ginger's health-giving properties and some ginger is now imported and the price has gone as high as R439/kg  . My local shop was selling it at R289/kg. I'm putting this in the garden thread as the news showed a short insert on growing your own ginger. The problem is that it takes about 8 mths to mature  I still have a piece of ginger from when it was cheaper (it keeps nicely in the fridge) but am reluctant to waste it on planting in case it doesn't grow. It doesn't have any shoots.

[Simon Haynes]

You can always cut what you have in half (or 4 pieces).  Keep 2, plant 2 in pots and put them somewhere safe until they shoot.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

You can always cut what you have in half (or 4 pieces).  Keep 2, plant 2 in pots and put them somewhere safe until they shoot.

  Will have to give it a try. 

[notthatamanda]

Is ginger invasive? I have wild ginger got it from a neighbor for free as a ground cover. Some people can eat it, some people it makes vomit. Haven't tried.

[Vijaya]

We just started some ginger in pots and will get it in the ground soon, see how it does. Love the stuff.

[notthatamanda]

I'm going to try to start some ginger in pots soon, inside.

[LilyBLily]

I am envious. We have snow forecast three days out of the next seven. February is the pits.

[Jeff Tanyard]

There's a Japanese restaurant near here that makes their own ginger salad dressing.  Fantastic stuff.  It doesn't keep well, though.  It works best when fresh.

Between that and the awesomeness that is gingerbread, it's safe to say I'm a fan of ginger.   

Best of luck to everyone trying to grow the stuff.  And if you succeed, post pics, please.  I'd like to see your fresh ginger crops.  I think it's pretty cool.

Jan mentioned the price of goods in Durban, and that sparked my curiosity about the exchange rate.  When I was in South Africa in 2012, my dollar bought about eight-and-a-half Rand.  Today, my dollar would buy 14.84 Rand.   

That's some eye-catching inflation.  I hope the people of that country are investing/diversifying and otherwise doing what they can to protect themselves from their central bank's printing press.

[notthatamanda]

Tomato seeds are sprouting! I forgot to buy ginger at the supermarket this week.

[Post-Crisis D]

My mother told me yesterday she bought a good-sized piece of ginger root yesterday.  Don't know the weight, but she said about 4-5" in length, so a decent size, I think.  It was $0.35.

[idontknowyet]

I picked and ate the first cauliflower of the season this year. Really didn't expect to get a single one. They werent heading until so late. Now they are huge!!!!

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

My dwarf Ixora is in full flower. I also have a yellow one, but unfortunately the flowers are quite pitiful compared to this one and they are only a metre apart.

[Maggie Ann]

Jan, my yellow ixora is pitiful, too. Hoping the recent heavy rains will perk them up.

[notthatamanda]

Oh that's gorgeous Jan!

[LilyBLily]

Beautiful. All I have blooming right now is snow.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Jan, my yellow ixora is pitiful, too. Hoping the recent heavy rains will perk them up.

I wonder why the yellow ones don't flower as well as the others 

[Maggie Ann]

Jan, my yellow ixora is pitiful, too. Hoping the recent heavy rains will perk them up.

I wonder why the yellow ones don't flower as well as the others 

The mysterious ways of nature.

[Jeff Tanyard]

It seems like it's been "forty degrees and raining" this entire calendar year.  Between the dismal weather and my illness and ongoing fatigue, I haven't done a single thing outside.  This is the time of year I usually pull up dead stuff and burn stuff. 

At this point, I'm just hoping I can get some energy back before April.   

[notthatamanda]

33 and pouring here. Colder and sunny is so much better than warmer and gray. Hope you feel better soon Jeff.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Jeff, hope you will soon feel better.
I'd love to know where everyone is when they talk about the weather 'here'.  It's a pity it doesn't show under our avatars.

[notthatamanda]

New England. We're getting rain and Texas got snow.

[Vijaya]

Oh boy, all the clouds and cold rain were depressing. Reminded me of Seattle. But today, the sun is shining and it's a balmy 60 in beautiful Charleston, SC.
Jan, you have the most gorgeous flowers.

[Maggie Ann]

It seems like it's been "forty degrees and raining" this entire calendar year.  Between the dismal weather and my illness and ongoing fatigue, I haven't done a single thing outside.  This is the time of year I usually pull up dead stuff and burn stuff. 

At this point, I'm just hoping I can get some energy back before April.   

That kind of weather can add to your fatigue. Do whatever you can to get a good night's sleep and when you do, spend your energy wisely. When you don't, nap.

I often feel like I'm sleeping my life away, but when I look at where I was a year ago, I know the rest has done me good.

[Jeff Tanyard]

Thanks for the well wishes, everyone.

I'd love to know where everyone is when they talk about the weather 'here'.

North Georgia.  It was actually sunny today, believe it or not.  Cold, but sunny.  Currently 26 degrees at about 9 PM.

[Maggie Ann]

The Treasure Coast in FL.

Rainy, windy, 73. With all the rain we've had the past few days, I'm sure we're in for a bit of a cool down.

I'm hoping for more rain overnight because I just put one of my Vanda orchids and one of my Cattleyas in the oak trees. On the other hand, Mikey refuses to go out in the rain, although he's getting better about thunder and lightning. Hope the rain holds off for his walk time.

[Vijaya]

I'd love to know where everyone is when they talk about the weather 'here'.  It's a pity it doesn't show under our avatars.

Could Tim add in field for it? Not to create more work for Tim... on my other board (children's lit) we have places and over the past 15+ yrs I've met many members at conferences or just travelling through. So many friendships forged and strengthened.

[notthatamanda]

I finally remembered to get ginger yesterday. $4/lb. Starting it inside under the grow bulb. We'll see.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

I finally remembered to get ginger yesterday. $4/lb. Starting it inside under the grow bulb. We'll see.

Good luck  . Our ginger has come down from over R300/kg to R149/kg. Still far off the usual R49 - R89/kg.

[LilyBLily]

West Virginia, and the snow is finally melting away. I haven't seen actual dirt in weeks, so it's a thrill. Daffodils are up. Snowdrops are visible again. Best of all, because there has been such a continuous blanket of snow, we'll probably have early blooming. That's what has happened every time before when were hit by three feet all at once and it took a month to melt.

Basically: spring is around the corner! 

[Maggie Ann]

My daffodils keep getting taller, but there is no sign of flowers. I checked at Walmart to see if there were any hyacinths or tulips and had no luck.

One of my Vandas actually has three spikes. That's one that has not bloomed before. One of my Dendrobiums has another flowers spike. These guys just keep blooming and blooming and blooming. Not that I am complaining.

[notthatamanda]

Planted marigold seeds. The tomatoes need to be moved into pots soon. Nothing happening with the ginger yet. Most of the yard still has snow but I can see dirt around the lilacs so I started tossing banana peels there. One bloomed last spring, the other two I moved in the fall so I hope we get flowers. The spot they were in wasn't sunny enough so I just took some sprouts off the edges and replanted them.

[idontknowyet]

It's turn over time for us. We think we're down to the last cold spell. It's going into the 40/50s this weekend.
Plan is to plant about 1/3 of the babies next week. Going to wait on the tomatoes egglants and sweet potatoes.

All our spinach is up  Still have like 20lbs or kale out side hope it sweetens a bit in the cold spell. Then we'll pull and process it next week.

[LilyBLily]

I found the first crocuses (species type) blooming on March 1. Good sign. I've been uncovering some daffodils that get clogged with oak leaves, but most aren't this year due to my efforts last fall. Lots of buds showing, if one can call them buds. Got out my garlic spray and hit all the crocuses and the grape hyacinth greenery the deer love so much. It's probably too late but I also sprayed some of the azaleas. Deer love some azaleas. Actually, it's best to list what they don't eat, which is a much shorter list.

[notthatamanda]

I buy a case of Irish spring soap at BJs and put it around the tulips, hydrangeas and hosta. The only azalea I have is right up against my house but the deer haven't been so bold yet.

[notthatamanda]

Organic sweet potatoes were on sale so I got one to try again. I think last year I started it in July, which was ridiculous, but maybe a couple of months inside in the sun will give me something to work with. Our season probably isn't hot long enough for sweet potatoes, but I'm willing to waste a dollar on it.

[idontknowyet]

Organic sweet potatoes were on sale so I got one to try again. I think last year I started it in July, which was ridiculous, but maybe a couple of months inside in the sun will give me something to work with. Our season probably isn't hot long enough for sweet potatoes, but I'm willing to waste a dollar on it.

Yeah i got my sweet potatoes started again this yea. Going to be brave and try them in the ground this year. If they over take the house send reinforcements to dig us out.

[LilyBLily]

I've got tomato seedlings started, many different types all mixed together. Should be fun.

I'm sure I've told my tale of seeing birds stealing the Irish Spring from my garden. I don't actually like the smell of that soap. The garlic spray doesn't stink once it dries. Only the animals can smell it.

[Maggie Ann]

Finally got to an orchid show yesterday. We used to go every year for my mother's birthday/mother's day but circumstances have prevented us from going since she died in 2017. Now, Covid and everything's been canceled. But I did find one for me and my granddaughter to go to only thirty minutes away.

I was practically drooling when we entered the venue. It was small enough that we could just browse and remember what we'd seen and wanted and not just impulse buy. Actually, I did one impulse buy but it was a succulent. The stem was about three inches around and had red (almost black) flowers at the tip. The tag said black diamond but I haven't found a picture of that exact plant online.

I did get a Dendrobium Nobile which I've wanted since the last show I went to. The Nobiles were kind of scrawny but I'll take care of it, and the blooms will be much denser next season.

I got five plants in all and we didn't leave until I'd run out of money. The only thing I didn't get that I wanted was a Vanda. Not that there weren't any there. There were some quite spectacular plants, 5-6 feet from root tip to leaf tip and beautiful big flowers, but they were priced at $250-600. I console myself that two of my own Vandas are spiking and one has four spikes with multiple buds.

I taught GD how to identify most of the orchids there. There were some that I was only familiar with the name and I was tempted, but I think I'll stick to the four varieties I have.

[notthatamanda]

50 degrees here so I took the tomatoes outside and put in bigger plots. They are so delicate, the stems can't hold up the leaves. This is typically as far as I get with seed so I am going to try to be good and remember to check and water them. Will start some more seeds this afternoon as the covered planter is free. Since it is going to be so warm this week I will repot some house plants as well. New diffenbachia coming up. Nothing happening on the ginger yet or the sweet potatoes, but I move those to a front window spot.

[LilyBLily]

The constant winds have turned the "dirt" to dust, and I am seeing cracks where I planted wire boxes filled with crocuses and other small bulbs. Fingers crossed the hot weather doesn't open them all and wear them right out before the temps dip again. But spring is here for sure. I've moved plenty of leaves in the past few days and the wind is moving more. I'll see how my experiment with netting over one garden fares; usually I have to take out ten or more tarps full of leaves from just this tiny bit of garden. The real problem with having to do that is that I also usually behead some flower while doing so.

[Simon Haynes]

Tomatos have overrun their patch, and I've got pumpkins and melon taking over the beans & capsicum. It's definitely too hot for beans, even with shadecloth up, but the sweetcorn and capsicum are thriving.

I should be pinching out runners and hand-pollinating pumpkin flowers and all that good stuff, but I'm taking a hands-off approach. It gets watered, it grows veg or it doesn't.

The spindly old lemon tree which was near-death when I bought this place 2 years ago has staged a remarkable turnaround. Amazing what 2-3 bags of cow manure and regular watering will do. It must have 30kg of lemons ripening on it right now, and since I use 1 per week my plan is to make a very large batch of lemon marmalade.

[notthatamanda]

The constant winds have turned the "dirt" to dust, and I am seeing cracks where I planted wire boxes filled with crocuses and other small bulbs. Fingers crossed the hot weather doesn't open them all and wear them right out before the temps dip again. But spring is here for sure. I've moved plenty of leaves in the past few days and the wind is moving more. I'll see how my experiment with netting over one garden fares; usually I have to take out ten or more tarps full of leaves from just this tiny bit of garden. The real problem with having to do that is that I also usually behead some flower while doing so.

Spring, huh. We may get snow again next week.

Edit - Irises are poking up. Possible snow for Tues, Wed, and Fri next week.

[idontknowyet]

Overwintering peppers!!!

The best thing ever. We already have a dozen green bell peppers growing on the one plant we overwintered. My goal is to have twenty plants to overwinter this year.

We eat a ton of bell peppers.

Three beds of potatoes planted. Have all my raised beds set up just need to tie down the fencing to hold up the cukes and squash.

Next big project is to turn over the ground for sweet potatoes and plant the carrots.

[LilyBLily]

Single crocuses are popping up in unexpected places, dragged there by marauding squirrels in prior years. The wind is aggravating, but otherwise the cool-ish temps are good for slow-and-steady spring blooms: Small dutch irises ranging from speckled light blue through maroon to cobalt to purple. Tete-a-tete and Jetfire daffodils. Articulating hyacinths that should be yellow, red, and blue. Tiny blue scillas.

On the bad side, apparently the expensive arum lilies I bought years ago are super invasive non-native plants and people despair of removing them from their yards. Mine look healthy but aren't exactly taking over; in fact, they didn't even produce their orange seed stalks last year. It's just not wet enough around here for them, and strangely, if it gets too wet they also are unhappy. Some plants have amazingly deep roots and these supposedly do, too. I wonder if I should attempt to kill them. Or I could just change out the dirt around them for more of the toxic crumbled shale in which nothing grows; it masquerades as dirt around here. Pretty sure that would do the job.

[RiverRun]

I'm starting a garden this year! I hope. My daughter and I dug up a bed but I still need to plant the seeds. We are on the gulf coast of Texas and in spite of being half frozen in our living room a month ago It's getting late to plant, but I'm going to try anyway. My previous gardening attempts were utter failures so we'll see how this goes.

Simon, I used to live in New Mexico, which sounds very like where you are. I believe Sweet Potatoes grow there. Here in Texas I planted a sweet potato once along side some other vines, and never found it again!

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

My neighbour has been having a clear-out and gave me this cactus (among others) it has started flowering. Does anyone know what it is? My phone is too old for the plant recognition app.

[notthatamanda]

Not sure if this is garden or not, but one of my maple trees gave me 2 gallons of sap in 24 hours. That was unexpected. No freezing temps in the next 10 day forecast so sap is probably close to done. I think it will be a good year, but I was partially boiling whenever I got any since December, so I don't have any idea how much syrup we will end up with.

Edit - some more seeds are sprouting including the cilantro. Bunnies will be happy.

[idontknowyet]

My potatoes are sending up shoots.

Wow do broc produce an amazing amount of seeds. I'm going to have enough for decades from just one plant.

Got 6 eggplants in today. Had eggs delivered so i can plant my tomatoes tomorrow. Going to put the squash in tomorrow or the next day.

Still need to turn the dirt over for sweet potatoes corn and watermelon.

[LilyBLily]

We have a zillion daffodils blooming. Also crocuses, scillas, hyacinths, the very first grape hyacinths, and tons of blue-and-pink pulmonarias. The pulmonarias seem impervious to drought or rain and--best of all--the deer leave them alone. Spring has officially sprung.

I have a couple dozen tomato seedlings on a windowsill and nowhere outside with enough sun for their future except the deck--which is rather small and thus not suitable for two dozen pots even if I had the patience to water them individually. It's way too soon to put them outside, so I have some time to come up with a solution.

[notthatamanda]

Tulips are coming up here and possible two peony shoots so far. Salvia is too. My neighbor gave me some heirloom tomato seeds - brandy wine. Sweet potatoes are doing nothing on the windowsill. Ditto for the regular potato I'm trying to start in the cupboard. One of the lilacs I transplanted in the fall is budding, one is not. So far I'm keeping up with the tomato seedlings, but I can't put them out till mid to late May so I've got plenty of time to screw it up.

[idontknowyet]

Tulips are coming up here and possible two peony shoots so far. Salvia is too. My neighbor gave me some heirloom tomato seeds - brandy wine. Sweet potatoes are doing nothing on the windowsill. Ditto for the regular potato I'm trying to start in the cupboard. One of the lilacs I transplanted in the fall is budding, one is not. So far I'm keeping up with the tomato seedlings, but I can't put them out till mid to late May so I've got plenty of time to screw it up.

Regular potatoes take weeks and weeks to eye. You need to keep them in a semi warm location. The cooler the less likely they are to eye.

[notthatamanda]

Hmm...I cut one up and planted it outside so once it gets warm it gets warm. If I keep the tomatoes going I won't have to buy flats of those and I can spend the tomato money on seed potatoes, if they don't run out of stock really fast like they did last year.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

While I was busy taking a pic of the monkey eating bird seed, another one sneaked into my kitchen and had a go at my bananas. 

[notthatamanda]

Oh lordie, we had baby raccoons in our bedroom at 2 in the morning. My friend had a duck come down her chimney and get stuck in her house. I don't think I could handle a monkey.

[Maggie Ann]

If the banana had this guy, he could have made his escape!

 

My neighbor trapped 32 raccoons over a period of a few months.  He took them out west to vacant land and released them.

[notthatamanda]

It's a long story but the end of it is my husband trapped lots of squirrels in our attic. He'd take them down to this huge plot of town land. One times the cops came down the dirt road to see what he was doing. What he was doing was swearing mightily at the squirrel who wouldn't leave the have a heart trap.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Oh lordie, we had baby raccoons in our bedroom at 2 in the morning. My friend had a duck come down her chimney and get stuck in her house. I don't think I could handle a monkey.

We haven't got chimneys, but I've found frogs in my dog's water bowl in the kitchen, a land crab strolled in one night, doves have wandered in looking for food and also had snakes on the veranda (harmless ones). But the monkeys are the sneakiest. My fault for leaving the burglar gate open. 

[Jeff Tanyard]

I don't think I could handle a monkey.

Yeah, same here.  Non-human primates give me the willies.  I saw the baboons in South Africa up close and personal, and that was enough for me, thanks.

[Vijaya]

Oh lordie, we had baby raccoons in our bedroom at 2 in the morning. My friend had a duck come down her chimney and get stuck in her house. I don't think I could handle a monkey.

Gosh, Amanda. Baby raccoons are adorable. But destructive too. We've gotten squirrels and rats out of attic/roof spaces. But I love monkeys and dreamed of having a pet monkey as a kid. And in my PB, Little Thief, I get to live my childhood dream. See:

[notthatamanda]

Nope, don't like raccoons. My friend's pappy chased off one that was probably rabid with a rake. Another friend got bit by one and had to get rabies shots.

[Maggie Ann]

Desert Rose (Adenium) seeds came in the mail yesterday. Very specific instructions and they said there were a lot of videos on youtube.

Spent quite a while looking at several videos and decided to split the seeds up utilizing two methods. Sand method and paper towel method. Seems they grow well in sand. But all the videos said to use fungicide liberally. Luckily, I have some but not the powder they recommend. We'll see.

One video said that not one seed germinated bought from Amazon. That's why I'm trying two methods.

If the seeds don't germinate in a week, both HD and Lowe's have the plants. The videos I watched had instructions for removing the seeds from the mature plants.

[notthatamanda]

Ginger I planted finally popped up a shoot!
And it snowed a little bit today. So not getting anything outside anytime soon.

[LilyBLily]

This little cold snap we're having is giving some of the flowers a hard time; I expect to see nipped hyacinths tomorrow and I'm wondering if the pathetic lilac, which never has more than a few blooms, will lose them to frost. Most of our spring garden consists of daffodils; they'll be fine.

At least one large field of peaches was in full bloom yesterday down the road a bit; I wonder if the orchardists do anything (does anyone do smudge pots anymore?) to protect them? It's supposed to go into the twenties tonight. This may be winter's last gasp.

[idontknowyet]

Hmm...I cut one up and planted it outside so once it gets warm it gets warm. If I keep the tomatoes going I won't have to buy flats of those and I can spend the tomato money on seed potatoes, if they don't run out of stock really fast like they did last year.

Did you cure it after  you cut it? If you didn't its probably rotting in the ground.

[idontknowyet]

Put my final bed of regular potatoes in today. All I have left is sweet potatoes but its still a bit too cold here still.

Dug up the only potatoes that I didn't manage to kill over the winter. Note to self cover the plant when it gets below freezing. They look perfect. Can't wait for this bunch to be ready in June-July!

My overwintered pepper plant already has 4 fully grown peppers on it and a dozen more babies peppers on it. This is my new favorite thing ever. Also had a eggplant that didnt grow all winter but is now gigantic. Have a half dozen or more little eggplants on it already. Going to plant a dozen in containers next fall.

[LilyBLily]

The amaryllis I have in a pot (maybe this is its third year?) looks ready to bloom. Very long dormant period--I don't think it bloomed at all last year--but now there's a lot of action, new greenery and a definite flower bud. I think it has red and white stripes. Could take weeks to bloom.

[notthatamanda]

Hmm...I cut one up and planted it outside so once it gets warm it gets warm. If I keep the tomatoes going I won't have to buy flats of those and I can spend the tomato money on seed potatoes, if they don't run out of stock really fast like they did last year.

Did you cure it after  you cut it? If you didn't its probably rotting in the ground.

If by cure you mean dry it out for a couple of days on a plate, I didn't. It wasn't the most well thought out plan. But I have one in the cupboard in a ziploc bag and a wet paper towel that seems to be sprouting. And one of my sweet potatoes is too! The other one has tons of roots growing in the water. I'm not sure I can grow sweet potatoes up here, but I'll stick it in the ground in May and see what happens.

[LilyBLily]

Orange Kaufman tulips popped this morning. It's going to be so warm today they might be blown by evening.

[notthatamanda]

I googled but couldn't find them. Do they go by another name?

I emptied most of the earth machine into the garden and covered it up. It's a month and a half at least until I can plant so it should be really good once it's time. Found one big fat worm who is destined to become a legend in worm folklore. Biggest feast ever.

[notthatamanda]

Last big boil on the maple sap today. Down to nine quarts of partially boiled sap.

Peonies started poking up on Friday and thanks to an almost 80 degree yesterday they are six inches tall now.

Planted some peas Friday and the soil was like dust. Got the underground soaker hose running for five minutes this morning and will try to remember to keep doing every day if we don't get some rain. Rain barrels are set up. It's going to still be dipping below 40F this week.

[LilyBLily]

It was lovely outside today after the rain went away and before a huge wind blew in. I didn't get much done out there but the bumblebees and other bees were happy.

To my chagrin, it appears that the white lilac has overpowered the blue lilac. We're about to get substantial bloom for the first time ever--but all white. I didn't buy this lilac; a neighbor gave it to me. It had both blue and white at first but has never bloomed well before. I guess the white was too busy conquering the blue.

The early daffodils are all gone but the mid-late ones are opening and looking great, along with anemone blanda, multiple versions of grape hyacinths, Jan Bos hyacinths, and money plant. Creeping phlox is just opening. I'm seeing pips of lily-of-the-valley (a deer favorite) and baptisia.

My paltry collection of tulips is blooming, mostly Princess Irene, the Kaufman, two Angelique, and two Queen of the Night. It's a paltry collection because voles eat the bulbs in winter.

Our woods has about half a dozen native dogwoods and one very nice native redbud that blew in one day and took years to bloom. The deer liked to eat the lower leaves but now can't reach any. They're still eating the native mountain laurel, unfortunately, which historically was not on their list; I'm told drought drove them to it.

[notthatamanda]

I don't know if you want to move the lilac but I had better luck moving lilacs in the fall than in the spring. I should have two blooming on either side of my front door now. The spot they were in wasn't really good for them.

[LilyBLily]

I don't know if you want to move the lilac but I had better luck moving lilacs in the fall than in the spring. I should have two blooming on either side of my front door now. The spot they were in wasn't really good for them.

Way too big to move. I have some tiny lilacs elsewhere that aren't doing much of anything that I probably should move, and I hear that an application of manure is much welcomed by lilacs, but most of my property is bone dry, rocky, and shady, so the question is where to put them. Along the driveway sounds nice in theory but the rose of Sharon there haven't done anything for lack of water; rose of Sharon is a super grower in better surroundings.

[notthatamanda]

Oh, I didn't move the big ones, just some shoots coming off the sides that were only a couple of feet tall. The one I moved a year and a half ago bloomed last year so that was fun. The big ones are kind of my lilac harvesting patch now as I try to think of more places to move the shoots. I have a tough time with stuff by the road too, the town plows it all up so the dahlias go there and I'm thinking of throwing some potatoes out there too.

In other news we got rain last night! I don't know how much but the driveway was still wet this morning.

[Mark Gardner]

We had an issue with some sort of infestation in our faux plumb tree. It didn't bud or leaf this spring.

We cut it down last weekend, and turned the stump into a birdbath.

Aubrey is in training to join the garden gnome guild.

[notthatamanda]

Oh she's so cute.

It's going to snow here tonight so the blooming azalea bush will have flowers and snow on it.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Decided to give my strelitzia some TLC and it rewarded me with lots of new flower shoots. Unfortunately the flowers and buds seem to be a delicacy for the monkeys  Goodbye to a few new shoots

[notthatamanda]

I wonder if spraying Lily's garlic powder/egg white mix on them would help you or if the monkeys like garlic.

[Post-Crisis D]

I wonder if spraying Lily's garlic powder/egg white mix on them would help you or if the monkeys like garlic.

Utilizing hot peppers might be more effective.

The Only Mammals Reckless Enough to Eat Hot Peppers Are Humans and Tree Shrews

[LilyBLily]

I think I have some cayenne red pepper left over from someone who used to put it on pizza, but I'd have to grind it up or use a mortar and pestle. Still, could be doable. That's a hot pepper, right? I avoid all peppers except the red ones in manzanilla olives.

[Post-Crisis D]

Cayenne pepper should work.  It's generally considered hot.  I may be partially desensitized to it by now.  Also good for blood circulation.

[Jeff Tanyard]

The Only Mammals Reckless Enough to Eat Hot Peppers Are Humans and Tree Shrews

I prefer to think that our consumption of hot peppers isn't an indicator of recklessness but rather of enlightenment and sophistication.   

[Vijaya]

The Only Mammals Reckless Enough to Eat Hot Peppers Are Humans and Tree Shrews

I prefer to think that our consumption of hot peppers isn't an indicator of recklessness but rather of enlightenment and sophistication.   

Yeah! It helps with migraine too.

If you want something stronger, try ghost peppers. We made hot sauce! It's wicked HOT!

[Vijaya]

Aubrey is in training to join the garden gnome guild.

What a CUTIE! I like your birthbath too.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Thanks for the suggestion re the monkeys  . I think they are too clever to be fooled by peppers. Some of my neighbours are still trying to find a way to stop them upturning or taking the lids of the rubbish bins. The monkeys have worked out how to open the handles, and if you put a weight on the lid, like a brick, they just pull the bin over. One resident even put a chain and lock on his bin  . My partner has now got a strap across his bin and it's hooked onto the handle. We'll see how that works. I keep my bin in the laundry so they can't get to it. I just put up with them as we have built on what was their land so we shouldn't complain. But they are rather noisy thundering across the roof and even louder when on the aluminium awning.  However, they can be cute, especially the younger ones when they play. But you have to watch the older males, who can be aggressive if you try to chase them.

[notthatamanda]

We have bear proof trash cans here. There's a marketing oppty it you can do something that is monkey proof.

[LilyBLily]

I'm always surprised that any neighbor puts out a trash bag that isn't in a can. There are bears nearby, and foxes, and raccoons. Bears could open our trash can; they're pretty smart. I don't think raccoons can because they aren't big enough to get the right grip.

With all the rain we've gotten lately it was easy to hammer bush/tree fertilizer spikes into the ground today but of course I ran out. I think the cost of using the spikes for all our evergreens would be prohibitive. What else can I use? We have Leyland Cypress (bad idea; deer eat them and rub against them), Green Giant Thujas, Azaleas, and a Pyracantha.

[notthatamanda]

Boiled the maple syrup down. Biggest yield ever, 1.5 quart. Snowed all day, accumulation was only a couple of inches but it was very heavy stuff.

[LilyBLily]

Huge cold winds. I forced myself to go out and dig up whatever garlic mustard I could find sicne that invasive non-native has thousands of seeds. My cold ears do not thank me.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Waiting for this flower to open was like waiting for a balloon to pop  . It's a darker shade of red than my other ones, and will open wider. 

[notthatamanda]

Kind of looks like a tulip on a cactus. Love the purple.

The lilac I thought didn't make it is greening up. Still waiting on the variegated willows. May have lost all of them to the drought last year.

[Maggie Ann]

Beautiful, Jan. Does the flower last more than a day?

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Beautiful, Jan. Does the flower last more than a day?

Yes. The bud takes quite a few days to open and gets bigger and bigger until it finally pops open. Then it opens quite wide and lasts a few more days. I'll try to remember to take another pic. I've got another plant that's just started to bud.

[Jeff Tanyard]

It was 76 degrees today with low humidity, a cloudless sky, and only the slightest of occasional breezes.  The holly tree is in bloom, and the pollen gatherers have been all over it.  The whole tree buzzes nonstop.  I love the smell of holly flowers, so I stood under the tree for a few minutes, inhaled the aroma, and let the droning of the bees and the pleasant weather lull me into a sort of zen-like state. 

It was as close to a perfect setting as it gets, and when I looked at the smooth, handsome bark of the tree dappled with sunlight filtered through the leaves, I couldn't help but think, "This is what Lothlorien would be like."

[Maggie Ann]

It was 76 degrees today with low humidity, a cloudless sky, and only the slightest of occasional breezes.  The holly tree is in bloom, and the pollen gatherers have been all over it.  The whole tree buzzes nonstop.  I love the smell of holly flowers, so I stood under the tree for a few minutes, inhaled the aroma, and let the droning of the bees and the pleasant weather lull me into a sort of zen-like state. 

It was as close to a perfect setting as it gets, and when I looked at the smooth, handsome bark of the tree dappled with sunlight filtered through the leaves, I couldn't help but think, "This is what Lothlorien would be like."

Lothlorien! Just got a tingle.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Waiting for this flower to open was like waiting for a balloon to pop  . It's a darker shade of red than my other ones, and will open wider. 

The flower starts as a small bud and then swells like a balloon.

[notthatamanda]

That's so cool.

My tulips opened up yesterday. Looks like there is going to be a lot of peonies conahura, knock wood.

[Mark Gardner]

They were predicting a freeze last night, so I covered the raised bed with granite slabs. When the sun comes up, I'll check on them. The potatoes are sprouting nicely. I don't think it's too late, so perhaps this weekend I'll plant corn.

[notthatamanda]

That's a new one for me. Granite slabs? I'm sure it kept them warm but there are many far lighter options. I'm impressed.

[LilyBLily]

My tomato seedlings have reached the top of the windows inside, but there's one more night in the thirties predicted this week. I've already put together some dirt in pots and dug some holes in the garden. The beefmasters will be four feet tall by the time I take them outside.

I, too, am impressed with the granite slabs.

Edited: Took them outside anyway as the tall ones fell off the sill. I think they were trying to tell me something. 

[Maggie Ann]

While walking Mikey  I noticed a weed growing around my neighbor's mailbox. They have a border surrounding the mailbox filled with marble rocks and alamanda plants. I thought I would just pull the weed for them but when I approached it, I saw tiny green tomatoes. Then I recognized the leaves as being a tomato plant. The tomatoes are ripening but they are very, very tiny. I'm guessing it's growing there by accident.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

While walking Mikey  I noticed a weed growing around my neighbor's mailbox. They have a border surrounding the mailbox filled with marble rocks and alamanda plants. I thought I would just pull the weed for them but when I approached it, I saw tiny green tomatoes. Then I recognized the leaves as being a tomato plant. The tomatoes are ripening but they are very, very tiny. I'm guessing it's growing there by accident.

I also get tomato plants popping up all over the place - and butternut, avocado, papaya, and various other fruit and vegetables from seeds from my home-made compost heap.  . I dig in the compost and wait to see what comes up.  Depending on where the fruit and veg is growing I either leave them, move them or pull them up. Have to keep pulling up the avocado as there is no room for them in my small garden.
I love the tiny c*cktail tomatoes, but haven't had much luck with growing them. My neighbour had a mass of them growing in her garden when she was away on holiday, so I was able to have a feast as I was watering while she was away  .

[Mark Gardner]

LOL! They’re amalgam granite slabs—only 1/4” (7mm) thick.

[Vijaya]

I love the volunteers in our compost heap too, Jan.

[notthatamanda]

Huh, I live in granite country, I don't think I've ever seen a granite anything under an inch thick. Didn't even occur to me.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

I love the volunteers in our compost heap too, Jan.

 

[LilyBLily]

We have deadheaded almost 6,000 daffodils and now will move fully into the fertilization stage. I've already done some but it's a task I never manage to finish. 

Meanwhile, in an act of vigilante gardening, I dug up two wild poppies from a parking lot and took them home with me. Do I carry a trowel in my car? Yes, I do.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

We have deadheaded almost 6,000 daffodils and now will move fully into the fertilization stage. I've already done some but it's a task I never manage to finish. 

Meanwhile, in an act of vigilante gardening, I dug up two wild poppies from a parking lot and took them home with me. Do I carry a trowel in my car? Yes, I do.

 

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

I was watching a TV documentary featuring our local snake catcher (I met him when he gave a talk on chameleons). He was shown catching two black mambas that were mating in the outbuilding of a local home (some consider a black mamba the world's deadliest snake). A week ago he was pictured in the local paper holding a huge black mamba that had been caught in my suburb. He mentioned that in winter the snakes mate and he'd once caught five in a compost heap  It is coming into winter, and I'm re-considering the wisdom of having a compost heap.

On another note. I was sitting in my lounge with the door open but the burglar gate closed when the door suddenly slammed closed. A huge monkey had got through the burglar gate and jumped from the top of the door onto my bookcase. It was now trapped inside  . Monkeys can do a lot of damage in a house. They are also known to bare their teeth if threatened. I quickly opened the door and thankfully it went out. I have now put mosquito netting on the burglar gate and left enough at the bottom to reach the ground so that snakes and other critters can't find their way in (hopefully)   

[Maggie Ann]

We have deadheaded almost 6,000 daffodils and now will move fully into the fertilization stage. I've already done some but it's a task I never manage to finish. 

Meanwhile, in an act of vigilante gardening, I dug up two wild poppies from a parking lot and took them home with me. Do I carry a trowel in my car? Yes, I do.

While visiting the cemetery many years ago, my mother snipped cutting from ivy on a mausoleum. Since then, she never could grow ivy again. A cautionary tale. 

[LilyBLily]

We have deadheaded almost 6,000 daffodils and now will move fully into the fertilization stage. I've already done some but it's a task I never manage to finish. 

Meanwhile, in an act of vigilante gardening, I dug up two wild poppies from a parking lot and took them home with me. Do I carry a trowel in my car? Yes, I do.

While visiting the cemetery many years ago, my mother snipped cutting from ivy on a mausoleum. Since then, she never could grow ivy again. A cautionary tale. 

Ivy is invasive and non-native, so that's fine.

The parking lot had a weedy and wild space between it and someone else's mowed land. Eventually someone will come along and destroy all the native plants and make it grass or pave it. The parking lot is where the hospital helicopter lands and those always end up needing more space. The parking lots, that is, not the helicopters. 

I already have bluebells, May apples, and a kind of low wild phlox purloined from along a nearby country road. There's a native columbine I want to grab, too, but I need to find the right spot in my garden for it first. I've left the wild day lilies because they're invasive, too, and I have plenty cultivated versions. Deer eat them all.

Arum lily taken from a public park turns out to be non-native and dangerously invasive despite struggling to grow in my garden; I actually bought my first arum lilies, an expensive bulb and most years they do nothing. It's supposed to have a stalk with orange-red berries after a big white bloom that looks like a wet sail. The bloom is not attractive but the stalk is. Arum likes wet places and my only such on the property is the drain field (otherwise known as the septic field). Maybe the lily is waiting to do a big takeover maneuver. I've read online about someone whose entire yard was infested with them and he could not kill them. Scary, but our dirt is so bad here I have no such fears. We even have a stand of bamboo we planted that is barely getting any bigger after more than a decade.   

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Arum lily taken from a public park turns out to be non-native and dangerously invasive despite struggling to grow in my garden; I actually bought my first arum lilies, an expensive bulb and most years they do nothing. It's supposed to have a stalk with orange-red berries after a big white bloom that looks like a wet sail. The bloom is not attractive but the stalk is. Arum likes wet places and my only such on the property is the drain field (otherwise known as the septic field). Maybe the lily is waiting to do a big takeover maneuver. I've read online about someone whose entire yard was infested with them and he could not kill them. Scary, but our dirt is so bad here I have no such fears. We even have a stand of bamboo we planted that is barely getting any bigger after more than a decade.   
[/quote]

Arum lilies are native to southern Africa. 

[LilyBLily]

Apparently there are many version of arum lilies. Mine are around 5-8 inches high, with a bloom stalk maybe nearing a foot. Not a tall plant. I've seen exactly the same lily in a hedgerow by a public path in the UK. It has the moisture and maybe the drainage needed. All I've got is bad dirt, rocks, and more bad dirt, with occasional gullywashers.

Interestingly, what Google images is showing are what we call calla lilies.

The image below has gone a bit wide for no reason I know, but these are my arums.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

This is the arum lily that I know.
The Zantedeschia aethiopica is probably best known as the common arum lily. Zantedeschia is from the Araceae family and is a popular member of South African gardens, rewarding for its beautiful 'flowers' and easy growth. ... In the centre is a large yellow or pink floral spike, which hosts the tiny flowers of this plant.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

This unusual colour hibiscus is growing in our common garden. The colour is unfortunately not showing up too well in the pic. It's a pale grey colour with a touch of light mauve. I wonder if anyone else has seen this colour as I have never previously seen it.

[LilyBLily]

I've never grown hibiscus. Rose of Sharon is very similar but the blooms are smaller. Anywhere dirt is actually fertile, one has to mow around Rose of Sharon because its seeds produce endless new plants. (They're very easy to pull up if the ground is moist.) Living here, I have never had a single seedling.

This part of West Virginia certainly looks as lush as other parts of the extended Washington, DC area, but we seem to have super dry conditions under the green of the tall oaks, so that limits what plants will grow naturally. We have a native rose, a tender light pink color, and the invasive floribunda rose, which is white. We have multiple versions of purple violets. There are other wild flowers, mostly yellows. None of the triliums, lady's slippers, jack-in-the-pulpits, and other native plants of my youth in Maryland, alas. Lady's slippers are extremely rare these days everywhere.   

[notthatamanda]

I got a New England hardy hibiscus and it's coming back this year too. Ours is bright pink. Haven't ever seen a gray one like Jan's but I'm going to be keeping an eye out for them now.

[LilyBLily]

I saw a lovely apricot-colored hibiscus at a plant nursery but it was not winter hardy. I don't have a solarium in this house--the one in the old house was only three-season, too--so there's no way I can keep such a plant. It's too big for a windowsill; I don't want all the light blocked even if I can get the pot to fit. 

Hmm. Maybe not meant for a windowsill?

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

My double yellow hibiscus is again in bloom. It's outside my bedroom window.  I cut it right back to ground level as it had some sort of fungus/black spot and I wondered if it would recover, but thankfully it is now nearly reaching the roof. A neighbour gave me some of his home-made bug spray and that seems to have kept the bugs at bay. 

[LilyBLily]

That's really pretty. Color me envious.

I have to spray the Rose of Sharon against the deer, and regardless of the deer, there simply isn't enough water here to allow the otherwise extremely fecund Rose of Sharon to thrive, let alone propagate.

Today my mower was sending up vast quantities of dust. So was my neighbor's. Then I found a piece of roof tile (soft shingle) that had been tossed out and buried by debris of some kind when this house was built, twenty seven years ago. No wonder that spot never grew any grass.

[Vijaya]

Lovely pictures! It's very fragrant in SC right now with the jasmine in bloom.

[idontknowyet]

I dug up my first potato plant of the season. This particular plant died two weeks early so i only got 3 potatoes the right size all the rest were chicklets. Oh well it's something. The first bed gets dug up next week.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Lovely pictures! It's very fragrant in SC right now with the jasmine in bloom.

Jasmine is my favourite. Just a tiny sprig can perfume the whole room. I have it growing along both fences in my garden. I have also recently planted star jasmine. 

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

This is part of the garden outside my kitchen. The hedgehog is guarding the sewer manhole (easy to move it should there be a need  ).

We have been having plumbing leaks in our main water pipes in the complex for a number of years and we are finally having a whole new plumbing system installed. But it has meant trenches have been dug throughout and unfortunately some of the common gardens that the residents have spent many years working on have sadly been ruined. But most people have been philosophical and accepted that it's the price we have to pay. They haven't marked out our area yet, so we are anxiously awaiting the dreaded red line denoting where the trenches will be dug. 

[Maggie Ann]

This is part of the garden outside my kitchen. The hedgehog is guarding the sewer manhole (easy to move it should there be a need  ).

We have been having plumbing leaks in our main water pipes in the complex for a number of years and we are finally having a whole new plumbing system installed. But it has meant trenches have been dug throughout and unfortunately some of the common gardens that the residents have spent many years working on have sadly been ruined. But most people have been philosophical and accepted that it's the price we have to pay. They haven't marked out our area yet, so we are anxiously awaiting the dreaded red line denoting where the trenches will be dug. 

Once they mark the trenches, maybe you can rescue the plants or some of them before they start digging.

[idontknowyet]

My potatoes have decided to get a second wind. The bed that was dying out and i planned to dig out sometime next week has new growth on all the stems. What's with that?

My cherry tomatoes have gone crazy. We have so many we're either going to have to eat them 3x a week or start giving them away. We're regularly taking a small basket full of squash out every day. The peppers are starting to produce cant wait until the go crazy. I wanna try making cowboy candy.

[notthatamanda]

I hope you can save your plant, Jan. Good luck.

Veggie garden is planted, mostly. After tending the tomatoes carefully for months I broke a lot of stalks transplanting them. Bought another 6 pack of sweet 100 cherry tomatoes. Broke a lot of stalks on the ginger too. D'oh!

Flowers - tulips are done. Two irises opened today, yellow and white. I have tons, I mean probably 2 hundred peony buds. One peony cluster is 5 feet tall. Roses all have buds, princess margareta and sweet hermoine are close to opening. Boomerang lilacs in full bloom.

It sprinkled a little today. No more rain expected for a week. Looking like another tough year, water wise. Oh and I managed to slice my underground hose in the veggie garden in half so I have to lay another one tomorrow. Luckily I bought 2 cause I was too lazy to measure how much I needed in the fall.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

This is part of the garden outside my kitchen. The hedgehog is guarding the sewer manhole (easy to move it should there be a need  ).

We have been having plumbing leaks in our main water pipes in the complex for a number of years and we are finally having a whole new plumbing system installed. But it has meant trenches have been dug throughout and unfortunately some of the common gardens that the residents have spent many years working on have sadly been ruined. But most people have been philosophical and accepted that it's the price we have to pay. They haven't marked out our area yet, so we are anxiously awaiting the dreaded red line denoting where the trenches will be dug. 

Once they mark the trenches, maybe you can rescue the plants or some of them before they start digging.

Yes, this is what we are planning to do. But you can't do much about the bigger bushes.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

My potatoes have decided to get a second wind. The bed that was dying out and i planned to dig out sometime next week has new growth on all the stems. What's with that?

My cherry tomatoes have gone crazy. We have so many we're either going to have to eat them 3x a week or start giving them away. We're regularly taking a small basket full of squash out every day. The peppers are starting to produce cant wait until the go crazy. I wanna try making cowboy candy.

Do you know you can freeze tomatoes?  The bigger ones you slice and freeze in a layer and once frozen you can pack in a plastic bag. Not sure how you would freeze the cherry tomatoes.

[notthatamanda]

Two years ago I thought I wasn't growing any cherry tomatoes and I threw a fit saying I wasn't going to garden anymore. Turns out the younger one was sneaking out there to eat them before anyone else could. Wish we could drop by to lend a hand with the tomato surplus problem idontknowyet.

[idontknowyet]

 

Two years ago I thought I wasn't growing any cherry tomatoes and I threw a fit saying I wasn't going to garden anymore. Turns out the younger one was sneaking out there to eat them before anyone else could. Wish we could drop by to lend a hand with the tomato surplus problem idontknowyet.

come on down. the bushes are so full we dont even mind when the birds carry some off

[idontknowyet]

My potatoes have decided to get a second wind. The bed that was dying out and i planned to dig out sometime next week has new growth on all the stems. What's with that?

My cherry tomatoes have gone crazy. We have so many we're either going to have to eat them 3x a week or start giving them away. We're regularly taking a small basket full of squash out every day. The peppers are starting to produce cant wait until the go crazy. I wanna try making cowboy candy.

Do you know you can freeze tomatoes?  The bigger ones you slice and freeze in a layer and once frozen you can pack in a plastic bag. Not sure how you would freeze the cherry tomatoes.

I did. They are usually used for soups chillis or stews. Not sure these little guys would work for that. i might be able to dehydrate them and make sundried tomatoes not quite sundried

[notthatamanda]

You ever can? In jars?

[idontknowyet]

Yeah. i haven't had great success with canning sauce. We dont like it 1/2 as much as store bought.

[LilyBLily]

When I was a kid, my mother would drive out to the country and buy tomatoes by the bushel. Then she canned them in quart Mason jars. All the rest of the year, we kids would be sent to the basement now and again to get a jar for whatever dinner was happening. She made the greatest Welsh rarebit/rabbit (bland and nonalcoholic for us kids) using those tomatoes. A wonderful cold weather meal.

[Maggie Ann]

My grandmother used to make tomato puree every year, I think in September. My uncles would go to the market and buy bushels of plum tomatoes.

She had a gas stove in the basement and boiled the tomatoes in restaurant size pots. She had a machine like a meat grinder for processing the tomatoes that would separate the skins and the seeds from the pulp. My job was to put a leaf of basil into all the sterilized bottles before the puree was poured in. To this day, I love the smell of fresh basil and I always buy a plant or two just so I can crush the leaves between my fingers and sniff. She also had a bottle capper. I always wanted the job of capping the bottles, but I was too little.

The whole family worked at bottling the puree and we all got a few cases for our efforts. Unfortunately, one year Gransma didn't boil the bottled puree long enough to kill the bacteria and we all ended up with exploding puree. Even more unfortunate, my parents stored our share in our coat closet.

[notthatamanda]

Typically you do skin tomatoes before you can them and I can see with cherry tomatoes, that would be a bit of a pain.

[idontknowyet]

The skins dont scare me as much as the seeds. drop em in boiling water for a min then ice water and the skins fall off. its the seeds oh my to make even one jar it would be hundreds of tomatoes.

[notthatamanda]

Really wish we could help you eat them. :(

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

This is one of the cacti gardens we've been working on in the common property. Just hoping it doesn't get dug up during the new water pipe installation. You can rescue some plants, but a lot get buried when they chuck the soil beside the trench.  Can't be helped.

[Maggie Ann]

Love the little meerkat statue. Fascinated with Meerkat Manor.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Love the little meerkat statue. Fascinated with Meerkat Manor.

The meerkat was in my neighbour's garden and when she passed away the family gave it to me for the common garden. My new neighbour is a keen gardener and has brought loads of plants with her (hundreds of pots of all sizes) She has just spilt some of her succulents and given some to me for the cacti garden. 

[Maggie Ann]

Love the little meerkat statue. Fascinated with Meerkat Manor.

The meerkat was in my neighbour's garden and when she passed away the family gave it to me for the common garden. My new neighbour is a keen gardener and has brought loads of plants with her (hundreds of pots of all sizes) She has just spilt some of her succulents and given some to me for the cacti garden. 

My DD gave me a succulent dish garden for Easter. Beautiful, but I had to dismantle it because there were seven plants crammed in there. I gave them all their own homes and now they are thriving.

[LilyBLily]

You'd think succulents would do well here considering all the drought we experience. But they don't get enough sun, and time and again my hen and chickens have died out.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

This is one of the cacti gardens we've been working on in the common property. Just hoping it doesn't get dug up during the new water pipe installation. You can rescue some plants, but a lot get buried when they chuck the soil beside the trench.  Can't be helped.

The machine has just cut the line in the path for the trench next to the meerkat garden  Hoping they will chuck the soil on the side beneath my office window. Will be a problem trying to take up all the cacti and stones. My hedgehog garden will also be covered in soil, so will have to rescue those plants. 
The area you can see opposite the meerkat garden belongs to my neighbour and she has just finished planting and laying white stones. Now she will also have to take them all up. But can't be helped, unfortunately. 

[notthatamanda]

Ask them nicely if they can put the dirt where you want it. All they can say is no.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Ask them nicely if they can put the dirt where you want it. All they can say is no.

I will do that, but unfortunately there are not many places to put it  . They can't cart it off as it has to be put back quite promptly. I'm considering covering the plants with shade cloth so they can dump the soil on top. There are 144 cottages and lots of hills, roads, gardens, trees and footpaths. We also have two gazebos. It's an enormous job.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

The digging of trenches is in full swing. This is my little hedgehog garden outside my kitchen door. It's been like this for about two weeks  .  Can't get along the path this way as it's been dug up. Have to turn left  . It's quite an adventure getting about, but they are actually working quite quickly. They have to partially refill some of the trenches so we can get out of our cottages. The ground is like concrete in some places as old houses were bought out and the new complex erected on some of the old roads. They are sometimes finding the foundations of the old houses. It will be worth it in the end as we were getting numerous water leaks.

[Maggie Ann]

Looks like they piled the dirt up to your door. Hope your garden doesn't suffer too much.

[Vijaya]

What a pain, but worth it in the end.

I finally made a garden photopost: https://vijayabodach.blogspot.com/2021/06/garden.html 

[Maggie Ann]

What a pain, but worth it in the end.

I finally made a garden photopost: https://vijayabodach.blogspot.com/2021/06/garden.html

Lovely!

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

What a pain, but worth it in the end.

I finally made a garden photopost: https://vijayabodach.blogspot.com/2021/06/garden.html

They all look gorgeous 

[LilyBLily]

They look great. Very healthy.

My cottage garden is more like a field, with everything growing taller and taller in a desperate attempt to get some direct sunshine.

[Vijaya]

Thank you. We don't use any pesticides and struggle with bugs and worms in the backyard, hence the hydroponic set up on the porch. I wish we could keep some chickens.

[Matthew]

I haven't read through all the thread yet, but I wonder if anyone else has my approach: plant it and forget it. I don't have the time to really be out in the yard all the time, and because I'm single there's no shortage of work to do in general. Still, I want my yard to look pleasant, if simple. If I had more money I'd love to hire someone to maintain it better. Or maybe I could get lucky and find a significant other who loves this sort of thing.

I did an almost complete revamp of my yard this year. I tried to buy perennials, to stay more hands off. I've put some annuals out front to keep some things fresh. Overall, I don't have a lot of space for planting.

What's surprised me so far is how well rose bushes are doing and how poorly azaleas are doing. I've also planted a hydrangea which seems to have the perfect amount of shade/sunlight and it's looking like it will thrive. I haven't seen any blooms on it yet but that's what I'm most excited for. Lillies are also pretty hardy. I've got some day lillies and an easter lily. I'm only a bit disappointed how short the blooms appear to last. I've got a few other bits and bobs planted. I think the summer heat is a challenge for many plants, even with regular watering.

Overall I don't plant anything consumable. I just want to have some nice flowers to look at. I am looking forward to the next year or two to see how the plants will grow in. I'm hoping most things will last through the winter to next spring.

I know I probably horrified most of you in this thread, but enjoy your hobby! I can appreciate the amount of work that goes into it.

[LilyBLily]

I haven't read through all the thread yet, but I wonder if anyone else has my approach: plant it and forget it. I don't have the time to really be out in the yard all the time, and because I'm single there's no shortage of work to do in general. Still, I want my yard to look pleasant, if simple. If I had more money I'd love to hire someone to maintain it better. Or maybe I could get lucky and find a significant other who loves this sort of thing.

I did an almost complete revamp of my yard this year. I tried to buy perennials, to stay more hands off. I've put some annuals out front to keep some things fresh. Overall, I don't have a lot of space for planting.

What's surprised me so far is how well rose bushes are doing and how poorly azaleas are doing. I've also planted a hydrangea which seems to have the perfect amount of shade/sunlight and it's looking like it will thrive. I haven't seen any blooms on it yet but that's what I'm most excited for. Lillies are also pretty hardy. I've got some day lillies and an easter lily. I'm only a bit disappointed how short the blooms appear to last. I've got a few other bits and bobs planted. I think the summer heat is a challenge for many plants, even with regular watering.

Overall I don't plant anything consumable. I just want to have some nice flowers to look at. I am looking forward to the next year or two to see how the plants will grow in. I'm hoping most things will last through the winter to next spring.

I know I probably horrified most of you in this thread, but enjoy your hobby! I can appreciate the amount of work that goes into it.

My rule for many years has been that the plants are on their own once I plant them. I'll give them some water the first week, but after that they simply have to manage to live without my help. Wasting water on plants that are too fragile for this climate is a luxury I can't afford since we are on a well and could run it dry with too much watering. I do spray my garlic, egg, and water mixture every few weeks to keep the deer and the bunnies away. Otherwise, I don't even weed. Perennials tend to shade out weeds, anyway, and behave like weeds, too. If they don't drop dead, they're busy crowding other plants.

[Vijaya]

Matthew, this year we're learning more about permaculture and transforming our backyard bit by bit--plant it and forget it. But we're all foodies so we're doing this with edibles. The biggest problem we have so far is the poison ivy. My husband is horribly allergic and we routinely have to go in and get it out.

[LilyBLily]

I’ve been fairly successful cutting poison ivy roots in midwinter and then brushing on triclopyr straight on the cut. Little pieces spring up every year in random spots but the big stuff is gone, thank goodness, since I am quite allergic. I try not to use chemicals otherwise.

[Vijaya]

I'll have to try that, Lily. We don't use any pesticides or herbicides because we also keep bees.

[LilyBLily]

I'll have to try that, Lily. We don't use any pesticides or herbicides because we also keep bees.

Triclopyr is an herbicide, and I don't know if it moves through the ground but it has not bothered anything around here except the poison ivy. It's a broadleaf brush killer but I only use it on poison ivy and porcelain berry vines. I brush it neat (not diluted) directly on newly cut vines. I spray it half diluted on young poison ivy plants, sometimes holding a piece of cardboard between the poison ivy and any nearby plant I care about. I'm too allergic to dare to just rip up the poison ivy by hand.

I assume bees go for flowering plants. I never let the new poison ivy get big enough to flower. The older vines on my property I work on in winter. I like to think I've gotten them all, but we do have a wild section that we've barely ever even walked through (because of a thick stand of what I think is sumac that makes it impassible). There could be bigger poison ivy there.

[idontknowyet]

I'll have to try that, Lily. We don't use any pesticides or herbicides because we also keep bees.

Salt at the root will kill it as well, but it also makes the soil around it virtually useless for a while. Depending how bad the poison ivy is it might or might not be worth it.

[idontknowyet]

Most of my garden is reaching the end of its life cycle. We are still taking in lbs of tomatoes a day and have a good 20lbs of cherry tomatoes sitting on a table.

Planted corn a bit ago and its already popping up. The seeds for the next season need to go in this week.
Will be replanting everything again.

We harvested our very first successful watermelon. It was small but perfect.

[LilyBLily]

I am green with envy. My tomato plants are doing nothing. They simply don't get enough sun. If I had put them in pots on the deck I'd see some action, but I didn't want to be tied to the tyranny of watering.

Right now I have a couple of patches of unidentified plants blooming, one of which I bought and another a friend gave me. Both are extremely prolific. One is purple and the other is white. The cultivated day lilies have started, and so have gallardia, coreopsis, and a handful of pinks that appear to be perennials instead of biennials. Liatris and echinacea will bloom shortly. The phlox takes a little longer but has a wonderful scent and lasts for months.

I naively bought one (1!) cultivated black-eyed susan years ago and that has become the worst invasive in my garden. I ripped a lot out last year and I'm just about to savage them again. They're crowding out more interesting plants. The wild black-eyed susan I dug up from the woods in another state is just as invasive but its leaves are narrower and it prefers edges of the garden, so it doesn't do the same damage.

The cicadas have done severe damage to small trees--not here, because we only seem to have huge trees, but at my relative's house. Their thing is to lay eggs and then gnaw off the branch so it drops to the ground and the larva (in tiny form) can enter the dirt. We were not amused to see how much damage they did to a very young tree. It's half dead.

So, as usual, gardening is a story of incessant battle with both winners and losers.

[Vijaya]

I'll have to try that, Lily. We don't use any pesticides or herbicides because we also keep bees.

Salt at the root will kill it as well, but it also makes the soil around it virtually useless for a while. Depending how bad the poison ivy is it might or might not be worth it.

Will definitely try it as well. Thank you.

So, as usual, gardening is a story of incessant battle with both winners and losers.

Truth.

[idontknowyet]

Pulled out one bed of tomatoes. They were being eaten alive by bugs. I killed dozens of worms that seem to like to take one bite out of each tomato.

Have 35-40lbs of unripe tomatoes going to see how many will ripen.

Also picked five personal sized watermelons and one big one.

[LilyBLily]

I've been harvesting black raspberries for the last couple of weeks at a big wild patch on my property. Maybe a pint a day, which is enough to eat and share. I love them. I finally figured out to cut a glove into a mitt so I could pick without getting scratched. On the other hand I wear a heavy leather glove that no berry thorn has ever penetrated. Very necessary. 

Triteleia blooming here and there, and the first echinacea has opened. Pink. I have a few white coming, too. The canna roots I finally remembered to take out of storage in the garage and plant are coming up. They don't usually bloom but the foliage is striated and lovely. I may have one or two remaining calla lilies come up to bloom later. We have one big blue hydrangea looking great; with encouragement, it will have blooms all season. By encouragement, I mean spraying against the deer, who also apparently like hydrangeas. All the day lilies are ready to pop. Or to be deer lunch. We'll see.

[idontknowyet]

one pint hardly seems shareable in this house. I keep trying to grow blackberries and raspberries they havent gone anywhere. Any tips?

[Vijaya]

Lily, your flowers sound lovely. And yes, those deer like the hydrangeas too.

Here in SC, I've not had much luck with berries but in WA, they grew wild. So no tips, I'm afraid.

Green tomatoes will ripen indoors. I make salsa when we cannot consume all of them. We have problem with the crabs taking bites out of all the fruits (planted in the ground). The ones on our porch are safe from them. But squirrels will come to take bites out of them.

So great you got watermelons already! Ours are still small.

[Maggie Ann]

My curcumin is up and I have one bloom so far. Orchid Cactus is also blooming, but fruit instead of flowers. Don't know it it's edible.

[LilyBLily]

Black raspberries seem perfectly happy in sun or partial shade. I can't claim they need good dirt or good drainage, either. I think they're pretty tough (although the deer love to eat them) but they have a relatively small and delicate fruit so they're seldom seen in markets.

[idontknowyet]

100 seeds in cups to be planted in the middle or end of august for my fall season

Can't wait im going to try onions this winter! Going to put in an 3x18 bed of them.

[JRTomlin]

Heat seems to have killed my hydrangea. Other plants seem to be surviving--barely.

[LilyBLily]

Heat seems to have killed my hydrangea. Other plants seem to be surviving--barely.

Hydrangeas do not like direct hot sun. Ours wilts every afternoon, but most of the day it's in shade, so it recovers and keeps getting bigger. It also doesn't like poor drainage. One of ours got killed that way. 

[LilyBLily]

The day lilies have started: mustard with maroon centers, maroon with yellow centers, a cream much like a peace rose, a double orange, and a dark orange. The Stella d'oros are already gone; I don't know why ours don't last long but they seem healthy.

The first pink phlox bloomed today. Some of the echinaceas are up three feet high and opening. Desperate for sunlight.

[JRTomlin]

it was in partial sun, but it simply could not seem to take temperatures of 115°. I did extra watering of course, but that was just too much for the poor thing. At least my peonies survived.

[LilyBLily]

it was in partial sun, but it simply could not seem to take temperatures of 115°. I did extra watering of course, but that was just too much for the poor thing. At least my peonies survived.

That's a shame. During prolonged heat waves, plants that prefer milder summers die off (such as silver birches, which should stay in New England) and others mysteriously appear whose seeds have been in the ground all along.

[JRTomlin]

Prolonged heatwaves of that severity are rare in the Pacific NW or at least used to be. That hydrangea had been doing well and blossoming nicely. Oh well, these things happen.

[Mark Gardner]

The monsoon started, so my corn is happy…

[Maggie Ann]

The monsoon started, so my corn is happy…

I can just taste the butter and salt and sweet corn. The taste of summer.

[LilyBLily]

Whoa! Just remembered I have corn in the fridge! (And that's as close as I will get to growing it. I don't have enough sunshine even for a marigold.)

[idontknowyet]

Bugs bugs bugs and more bugs should be the title of my fall garden.

They just wont stop.
I've ordered lady bugs now im thinking of ordering lacewings.
If not does anyone know how to build a bomb? That should get rid of them!

[Jeff Tanyard]

It's done nothing but rain here since mid-June.  The bugs are insane.  I can't do anything without getting eaten alive by mosquitoes.   

[Vijaya]

Yup, the critters won't leave our stuff alone. I don't mind sharing but taking a bite out of every tomato? Here are some pictures: https://vijayabodach.blogspot.com/2021/08/garden-tales.html

[LilyBLily]

My tomatoes have been growing despite the weird alternation of extreme heat and downpours, but the result is super hard skin. Not wonderful to eat.

This is the time of year I sit back and enjoy the flowers and don't worry too much about gardening as such. I occasionally weed here and there and that's all. I haven't even deadheaded any of the echinaceas, although I have been doing that to the gallardias. Naked ladies came up to bloom and are gone now. I'm hoping I gave the lycoris enough water so they'll make an appearance this year. They're finicky.

[JRTomlin]

Our 113° temps managed to kill my tomato plant but my peppers are doing okay, not great but okay.

[Simon Haynes]

I was facing the prospect of digging around 400 square metres of garden by hand (4000+ square feet). I tackled it last year, pulling up weeds and digging it over enough to plant some veg, but it seemed like an awful lot of work.

So, I started eying cultivators, but a decent one is $800 new. That's an awful lot of vegetables.


But last week someone on a rural property advertised one for $200, which was an absolute bargain. I snapped it up with barely a second thought, and I reckon it took me less than an hour to plough/plow the whole back garden.  I'm taking up pavers on the few remaining areas so I can turn the whole area into one modestly-sized field.

I also planted 2 mulburry trees, 3 fig trees, two mango trees, two loquat trees and four banana palms, mostly around the edges. They're all waist-high, grown from cuttings, and even though they're a bit close together I'll just keep them pruned and mulch the branches.

It's late winter here, so I'm getting ready to plant out a load of veg. Still growing my seedlings while the weather is cold.

[LilyBLily]

I envy you. Our property is mostly woods--tall oaks and hickorys. In addition to the daunting lack of sunshine, the dirt around here is mostly rocks. One cannot get through it with a shovel, only with a spading fork. I had a small gas tiller at one time but it simply could not make headway. I freecycled it. That might have been a mistake, but it relieved the pressure to attempt the impossible. 

[Simon Haynes]

I envy you. Our property is mostly woods--tall oaks and hickorys. In addition to the daunting lack of sunshine, the dirt around here is mostly rocks. One cannot get through it with a shovel, only with a spading fork. I had a small gas tiller at one time but it simply could not make headway. I freecycled it. That might have been a mistake, but it relieved the pressure to attempt the impossible. 

This is a suburban block, and in Western Australia that means a large sandpit.  I'm slowly improving the soil but a few days of sun and it looks like the sahara again.

My parents live in a more rural setting with massive gumtrees, rocks, etc, so I know where you're coming from.

[LilyBLily]

I keep telling myself that people dream of living in the woods. I dream of a small yard with black dirt and lots of sunshine.   

[Maggie Ann]

I keep telling myself that people dream of living in the woods. I dream of a small yard with black dirt and lots of sunshine.

My son-in-law wants to move to a more rural setting of about 20 acres with a lot of trees. They want me to build a tiny house on the property so they can look after me. But when I think about that setting, I think mosquitoes, alligators, and snakes. Not for me.

[LilyBLily]

I keep telling myself that people dream of living in the woods. I dream of a small yard with black dirt and lots of sunshine.

My son-in-law wants to move to a more rural setting of about 20 acres with a lot of trees. They want me to build a tiny house on the property so they can look after me. But when I think about that setting, I think mosquitoes, alligators, and snakes. Not for me.

It's nice they want to look after you. As for the pests, add poison ivy and you have a perfect circle of unnecessary species.

[Vijaya]

I envy you. Our property is mostly woods--tall oaks and hickorys. In addition to the daunting lack of sunshine, the dirt around here is mostly rocks. One cannot get through it with a shovel, only with a spading fork. I had a small gas tiller at one time but it simply could not make headway. I freecycled it. That might have been a mistake, but it relieved the pressure to attempt the impossible. 

This is a suburban block, and in Western Australia that means a large sandpit.  I'm slowly improving the soil but a few days of sun and it looks like the sahara again.

My parents live in a more rural setting with massive gumtrees, rocks, etc, so I know where you're coming from.

Simon, that's us too in SC. But the lowcountry has its own beauty. We're learning about permaculture and slowly transforming our backyard into a little orchard with fruit trees.

MaggieAnn, we used to live at the edge of the woods in WA and the soil was what I always imagined soil to be. I loved walking in the woods, picking berries with my kids. Very few pests.

[Maggie Ann]

I envy you. Our property is mostly woods--tall oaks and hickorys. In addition to the daunting lack of sunshine, the dirt around here is mostly rocks. One cannot get through it with a shovel, only with a spading fork. I had a small gas tiller at one time but it simply could not make headway. I freecycled it. That might have been a mistake, but it relieved the pressure to attempt the impossible. 

This is a suburban block, and in Western Australia that means a large sandpit.  I'm slowly improving the soil but a few days of sun and it looks like the sahara again.

My parents live in a more rural setting with massive gumtrees, rocks, etc, so I know where you're coming from.

Simon, that's us too in SC. But the lowcountry has its own beauty. We're learning about permaculture and slowly transforming our backyard into a little orchard with fruit trees.

MaggieAnn, we used to live at the edge of the woods in WA and the soil was what I always imagined soil to be. I loved walking in the woods, picking berries with my kids. Very few pests.

Ah, Yes. But this is Florida, and the soil is alkaline. Even in this suburban area, we have snakes and alligators. Just the other day, I found a baby snake, about 8 inches, curled around one of my succulent plants. I ran inside and got my grandson to capture the little critter and release it humanely in a vacant lot. We also have bobcats although the population is shrinking due to their shrinking habitat.

[LilyBLily]

I was confronted with a snake in my basement last week and was not amused. Harmless black snake, but snakes have freaked me out since I was young enough to ride a tricycle. Anything that enters my house has signed its death warrant.

That's about all we have to worry about here aside from the endless mice and voles. In summer black widow spiders like to hide out under the trash cans outside, but they're easy to get rid of. There are other spiders, wolf spiders, I believe, but they don't seem to be a problem. Technically, yes, there could be bears and rattlers, but generally not on our property because we don't have fresh water, big visible rocks, or dense underbrush. As the trees have matured, the underbrush has mostly disappeared. We had a lot more blackberries and other brush when we moved here. Most of the larger animals don't like the wide open spaces. Even the deer hug the edges of the property. We don't lure them in by feeding them, either, as so many people do.

[Jeff Tanyard]

And that's why the alligator is still around long after most of the rest of the dinosaurs died out.

They can do some crazy zen-like voodoo in cold weather, too:

[Simon Haynes]

I envy you. Our property is mostly woods--tall oaks and hickorys. In addition to the daunting lack of sunshine, the dirt around here is mostly rocks. One cannot get through it with a shovel, only with a spading fork. I had a small gas tiller at one time but it simply could not make headway. I freecycled it. That might have been a mistake, but it relieved the pressure to attempt the impossible. 

This is a suburban block, and in Western Australia that means a large sandpit.  I'm slowly improving the soil but a few days of sun and it looks like the sahara again.

My parents live in a more rural setting with massive gumtrees, rocks, etc, so I know where you're coming from.

Simon, that's us too in SC. But the lowcountry has its own beauty. We're learning about permaculture and slowly transforming our backyard into a little orchard with fruit trees.

I've poured a lot of effort into turning my sandpit into decent-ish soil, but it's amazing how it reverts to a sandpit when we get a run of 35-40C days.  When I moved into this place the front garden was pretty much a carpark, but I took up all the pavers and put down 4 inches of shredded tree mulch, which has now turned to soil and grown hundreds of daisies. (Currently in flower - they look great and the bees love them.)

I'm planning on scraping up that composted mulch and moving it to the back, then getting another truck full of shredded trees and repeating the process. Takes about 2 years to break down, and the only thing stopping me is moving all that stuff in a small wheelbarrow.  I think I'd be better off parking my trailer out there and filling that 3-4 times, before reversing it through the garage to the rear. I also need a compost fork or something, because this stuff is really light and bulky. (And very dusty in summer!)

A mate and I once cleared a large area of mulch by putting a tarp down and raking the stuff onto it. Then we picked up the tarp and hauled it to the area which needed mulch. Fast, but you need 2 for that.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

My donkey tail has lots of flowers on  . I usually just get one or two.

[notthatamanda]

Love it.

I dug yesterday and didn't find any potatoes. Found some ginger, I don't think more than I planted. One dahlia multiplied nicely, next year I'll be able to plant them all along the road.

[LilyBLily]

The donkey tail looks neat. A succulent?

I finally got a bloom out of my morning glory. It never blooms until October and I have at last realized that's because it gets no morning sun the rest of the year. Well, I think that's the reason. The sun's arc has changed dramatically.

I have 525 bulbs to plant and want to dig up my cannas and maybe the two or three remaining callas. The weather is turning cold this week after rain so it's a good time to dig. No gnats, and the garden dirt isn't like concrete.

I also have a small ambition to move a bush to a sunnier location, but it's a risk. It might be smarter to see if I can find one to buy, even this late in the season. We're edging toward our first freeze but nowhere near frozen ground yet, so it's at least theoretically possible to plant something new. It's a toss up these days whether we will have more drought in winter than in summer, though.   

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

The donkey tail looks neat. A succulent?

Yes, it's a succulent.

Good luck planting all those bulbs. Sounds like a lot of work.   

[Maggie Ann]

The donkey tail looks neat. A succulent?

Yes, it's a succulent.

Good luck planting all those bulbs. Sounds like a lot of work.

My donkey's tail bloomed, but the blooms died before I noticed it. We'd been parking the car in the driveway right next to the tree where it's hanging so I always had a good view of it. Then I cleared out the garage so I could park the car where it's protected. That's why I didn't notice the blooms.

My Dendrobiums just keep on putting out flower stalks and buds so I wasn't surprised to see three of my plants blooming just a few weeks after the last flowers died off. I was surprised to see one of my Vandas, which are notoriously reluctant to bloom, put out an 8 inch stalk with too many buds to count.

[LilyBLily]

The first spot I chose for the bulbs--most of them are tiny: chionodoxa, camassia, muscari--has a very thin layer of former sod over fill dirt, which around here is always decomposing shale. It's nasty stuff that grows nothing. I might have gotten down three inches before I had to give up from sheer exhaustion. A shovel won't do the job, and even the spading fork--a shorter version of a pitchfork with thicker tines--was having trouble. So was I. I called it a day.

At this rate, it'll take me three tries just to get one hole dug. It'll be a couple of feet around, and these bulbs do not need much space for their roots, but what a chore. When I order the bulbs I always forget what hard labor it is to plant them.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

The first spot I chose for the bulbs--most of them are tiny: chionodoxa, camassia, muscari--has a very thin layer of former sod over fill dirt, which around here is always decomposing shale. It's nasty stuff that grows nothing. I might have gotten down three inches before I had to give up from sheer exhaustion. A shovel won't do the job, and even the spading fork--a shorter version of a pitchfork with thicker tines--was having trouble. So was I. I called it a day.

At this rate, it'll take me three tries just to get one hole dug. It'll be a couple of feet around, and these bulbs do not need much space for their roots, but what a chore. When I order the bulbs I always forget what hard labor it is to plant them.

I get bored after planting about 30 cuttings of the same plant  .

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

I planted this plant about three or more years ago. Not sure where I got it from (definitely didn't buy it) or what it is, but thought I'd put it in my succulent section. It wasn't doing anything and I thought I'd take it out, but it suddenly put out a flower  . The flower has been growing now for about three months. We are anxiously awaiting the final opening of the flower to see what it is. The flower identifying app doesn't seem to work on my phone. 

[LilyBLily]

That's dramatic. Maybe put the photo up on iNaturalist and see if someone identifies it.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

That's dramatic. Maybe put the photo up on iNaturalist and see if someone identifies it.

Thanks. I'll maybe just go to the local nursery and ask them. Will wait until it flowers properly. It's taking ages 

[Maggie Ann]

That's dramatic. Maybe put the photo up on iNaturalist and see if someone identifies it.

Thanks. I'll maybe just go to the local nursery and ask them. Will wait until it flowers properly. It's taking ages 

How did your garden survive the ditch digging?

[Post-Crisis D]

Looks like maybe a yucca or hesperaloe.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

That's dramatic. Maybe put the photo up on iNaturalist and see if someone identifies it.

Thanks. I'll maybe just go to the local nursery and ask them. Will wait until it flowers properly. It's taking ages 

How did your garden survive the ditch digging?

We still have trenches everywhere  They are over two months behind time. Had to take my Ixora out and put it in a bag, but its been there for weeks and looks like it has died, but I won't give up on it. 

[Maggie Ann]

That's dramatic. Maybe put the photo up on iNaturalist and see if someone identifies it.

Thanks. I'll maybe just go to the local nursery and ask them. Will wait until it flowers properly. It's taking ages 

How did your garden survive the ditch digging?

We still have trenches everywhere  They are over two months behind time. Had to take my Ixora out and put it in a bag, but its been there for weeks and looks like it has died, but I won't give up on it. 

I hear ya'. I have a couple of orchids I won't give up on.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

My neighour gave me a selection of tiny cacti when she re-did her garden. One of them opened yesterday  . It was only open for a few hours and then closed again. Today it opened again, but not as fully. Now waiting to see if any of the other varieties flower.

[LilyBLily]

That looks beautiful. I love surprises in the garden.

[Vijaya]

oh how beautiful!

[notthatamanda]

Oh wow, that's stunning.

[idontknowyet]

So pretty!

[idontknowyet]

My fall/winter garden is starting to take shape.
A little over 3k spinach seedlings have popped up.
My peas and lettuce are lagging.
The lettuce im not surprised with. It seems to take forever to get going. The peas  just seem to be taking forever to germinate. The potatoes were planted after and a few of them were up before the  peas.
Also planted kale, kholrabi, brussel sprouts and beets.
Waiting on the onion starts to be delivered. I'm also starting cabbage, broc, and cauli in pots this year.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

My neighbour's ponytail palm is again in flower, but it is a new neighbour who has changed the garden enormously. They have white Christmas lights in the palm and they look so pretty at night, but unfortunately it doesn't take a very good pic in the dark. 

[Maggie Ann]

My neighbour's ponytail palm is again in flower, but it is a new neighbour who has changed the garden enormously. They have white Christmas lights in the palm and they look so pretty at night, but unfortunately it doesn't take a very good pic in the dark.

Wonderful picture, Jan. I love the little guys on the bench beneath the palms.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

My neighbour's ponytail palm is again in flower, but it is a new neighbour who has changed the garden enormously. They have white Christmas lights in the palm and they look so pretty at night, but unfortunately it doesn't take a very good pic in the dark.

Wonderful picture, Jan. I love the little guys on the bench beneath the palms.

Her garden is full of all sorts of quirky things as she loves doing craft work.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Grew this 2.3 kg butternut squash from the compost heap. It had loads of flowers and a few small butternuts that wizened and died, but this one just kept growing. 

[LilyBLily]

Impressive!

By contrast, I grew a handful of cherry tomatoes this year. That's it.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Impressive!

By contrast, I grew a handful of cherry tomatoes this year. That's it.

I chucked a few cherry tomatoes into the garden last year and hoped for the best - and was lucky to find them growing a few months ago. They are spreading quite a lot and I've been getting about 40 a day. Been giving them away or freezing the ones I have over.  Also eat them like sweets 

[Vijaya]

Oooh, what a big, beautiful squash. I love volunteers from the compost heap. And cherry tomatoes are such a sweet treat!

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Oooh, what a big, beautiful squash. I love volunteers from the compost heap. And cherry tomatoes are such a sweet treat!

Yes, and expensive to buy here. It was always a treat if I bought them - but now I'm treating all my neighbours as well 

[Maggie Ann]

My Christmas Cactus bloomed in time for Christmas

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

My Christmas Cactus bloomed in time for Christmas

How lovely. 

[LilyBLily]

That's nice. My indoor plants are mostly the kind that don't have blooms one notices. Aloe occasionally puts out some tiny white flowers on a long stem.

The lantana I dug up and brought inside has visible flowers but also is producing very large leaves and is a total water hog, too. Annoying as an indoor plant.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

One of the ponytail palms in our retirement village has pink flowers  . Apparently these are the female plants. The ivory flowers are the male plants. If they are close together the female may bear fruit. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a male one close by.

[Maggie Ann]

Jan, you have spectacular landscaping in your retirement village.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Jan, you have spectacular landscaping in your retirement village.

Thanks  . We are blessed with a sub-tropical climate so most things grow in abundance (including the weeds  ). We have some avid gardeners who take on the common ground. Unfortunately we still have the plumbers with us. Covid and other delays have meant a 6 mth job is now in its 9th month and still a long way off being finished. Our most enthusiastic gardener is fed-up as his lovely bank was demolished and he's been re-designing it into a rockery with steps made from retrieved bricks from the digging up of the trenches etc. It was starting to take shape as he re-planted everything - and then the plumbers had to dig out the huge pipe joins and cement underneath them, so a lot of his hard work was undone 

I'm waiting to replant my ixora until I'm sure they are finished and gone. The poor plant has been in a plastic sack for about 3 months, but it has flowered so I hope it will survive the replant. 

[LilyBLily]

Refreshing to see your plants as the current view from my window might as well be the steppes of Asia--complete with howling winds.

[Jeff Tanyard]

Saw a pileated woodpecker today.  I'd never seen one before.  It was pretty cool.  Big sucker, too.  Probably just passing through, but maybe he'll stick around and build a nest.

I also saw the red-tailed hawk that's sort of staked a claim here.  He likes perching on top of the bird feeder pole every now and then.  Naturally, the seed-eating birds are reluctant to go near the thing, so the feeders remain deserted until he leaves.

It's crazy how much interesting stuff you can see just by looking out the window from time to time.

[LilyBLily]

Someone I know has a cage of sparrows in their yard and a hawk likes to come sit on top. Can't get at the sparrows but keeps hoping, apparently.

[Jeff Tanyard]

Someone I know has a cage of sparrows in their yard and a hawk likes to come sit on top. Can't get at the sparrows but keeps hoping, apparently.

I can imagine the hawk saying something like this:





 

[Jeff Tanyard]

My forehead is peeling.  I burned a bunch of sticks and logs on Saturday, and I was out in the sun for a while.  First time I can recall ever getting sunburned in February.   

Some of the grass has started greening up.  Between that and this week's weather forecast, I'm afraid spring will arrive too early and then a cold snap in late March or April will kill all the new growth.

I haven't seen the pileated woodpecker again.  I guess he was just passing through.  Too bad; there's a big dead pine in the woods that he think he would have liked very much.

The maple trees have started blooming, but they're cold-weather trees, so they usually bloom early.

Looking forward to the dogwood and holly flowers.   

[LilyBLily]

We found our first crocus two days ago, and the very early tiny iris are poking their noses up. Lots of snowdrops. The very earliest daffodils, tete-a-tete, are in my estimation only a few days from blooming. It hasn't been an early spring, despite the warming cover of snow and ice. We've had these iris bloom in February sometimes. Not this year.

Saw a large hawk yesterday who was chasing a squirrel, but he gave up. Once the squirrel reaches the trees, he's more agile than the hawk and can escape. This hawk gave up early.

[idontknowyet]

We're transitioning from our winter garden to our spring garden.

I kills me because i have like 40lbs of kale that my family can't eat.

[Vijaya]

Kale chips. They are delicious with oil, salt, garlic. Even my dog, who won't eat anything green loves them.

We used to have a myna bird that died from a heart attack because he didn't know he was safe in the cage when a hawk threatens him. Here we have a pair of hawks I really enjoy watching on my walks. They're so beautiful.

I think spring is here to stay--our starts are doing good and we'll get them outdoors in a couple of weeks.

[Maggie Ann]

Went to an orchid show a couple of weeks ago and here's what I bought.

Very few vendors but I'm going to another show this weekend and hope to have a better selection.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Hope they all survive. They look lovely.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

My amethyst vine is in bloom. It very much wants to creep along my fence, but that will cut off my view so I'm training it into a bush shape. 

[Maggie Ann]

My amethyst vine is in bloom. It very much wants to creep along my fence, but that will cut off my view so I'm training it into a bush shape. 

Beautiful, but they can take over.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

My amethyst vine is in bloom. It very much wants to creep along my fence, but that will cut off my view so I'm training it into a bush shape. 

Beautiful, but they can take over.

Yes, they do seem to be very enthusiastic when they get going. I'll have to be brutal with the trimming back. 

[idontknowyet]

With flowers that beautiful i'd have such a hard time cutting them back.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

With flowers that beautiful i'd have such a hard time cutting them back.

I'll wait until it's stopped flowering before getting the secateurs out 

[Maggie Ann]

Went to an orchid show yesterday. Some spectacular displays and I just wanted to show you one extra spectacular orchid. It's a Dendrobium Nobile and I'm guessing it's about 4 feet long.

[LilyBLily]

Wow!

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Went to an orchid show yesterday. Some spectacular displays and I just wanted to show you one extra spectacular orchid. It's a Dendrobium Nobile and I'm guessing it's about 4 feet long.

Spectacular specimen 

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

If there is ever a time to use the F word I think this is it.
About nine months I mentioned that the plumbers were replacing all the pipes in our retirement village. The roads were dug up, the pathways were dug up and the pathway to each cottage was dug up. My lovely ixora was right in the middle of where the pipes were laid. I had to dig it up and it sat in a bag for about three months. It started dying off, but I cut off the dead branches and it picked up. About six weeks ago the paving was cemented over in the pathway, but I was not happy because it had been done slightly askew, so my partner and I bought cement and made a proper job of it. The ixora was returned to its place (now half the original size) with compost and potting soil and the river stones replaced. New leaves started sprouting and it looked as if it had survived  .
We all thought the plumbers had finished and everyone was re-doing their gardens and the common ground.
But then leaks started happening. It appears that inferior polycop piping had been used to connect each cottage to the main pathway  .
Today the plumbers arrived to chop up the concrete once again in order to replace the inferior pipes. We had to dig up the poor ixora and put it back in a bag  . We are once again negotiating mounds of soil and rubble.  F*ck.

The ixora has now been replanted, but is a shadow of its former self. Just hoping it survives. 

[Jeff Tanyard]

One of the cool things about having members from different continents in this thread is that we get to see all kinds of flora and fauna we've never seen before.

Thanks for the pics, Jan.   

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

One of the cool things about having members from different continents in this thread is that we get to see all kinds of flora and fauna we've never seen before.

Thanks for the pics, Jan.   

Yes, it's interesting getting to know what people grow in other countries.

The plumbers were quite quick this time and the soil and cement were done this afternoon. We have returned the ixora to its home. Will take a pic once we have leveled everything and put the stones back.

[Maggie Ann]

One of the cool things about having members from different continents in this thread is that we get to see all kinds of flora and fauna we've never seen before.

Thanks for the pics, Jan.   

Yes, it's interesting getting to know what people grow in other countries.

The plumbers were quite quick this time and the soil and cement were done this afternoon. We have returned the ixora to its home. Will take a pic once we have leveled everything and put the stones back.

I have never seen an Ixora with so many flowers. I don't think I have even seen that shade of pink. Beautiful.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

[/quote]

I have never seen an Ixora with so many flowers. I don't think I have even seen that shade of pink. Beautiful.
[/quote]

Thanks. It's more of an orangey colour. We have pink, red and yellow as well.  It's a miniature one. I also have a miniature one in yellow, but it doesn't get as many flowers. I have a pink one in the standard size. 

[Jeff Tanyard]

That cold snap I feared is on its way.  High temp of only 41 on Saturday.   

Luckily, most stuff hasn't bloomed yet, so spring isn't ruined.

[LilyBLily]

We were supposed to get snow today and I wondered about a few of the hyacinths poking up, but it's only rain. The daffodils and crocuses don't care about snow much. There's another threat upcoming on Saturday, but this is March and it's expected: "In like a lion, out like a lamb." Or the reverse. Ice storms are typical.

[Maggie Ann]

We were supposed to get snow today and I wondered about a few of the hyacinths poking up, but it's only rain. The daffodils and crocuses don't care about snow much. There's another threat upcoming on Saturday, but this is March and it's expected: "In like a lion, out like a lamb." Or the reverse. Ice storms are typical.

Alexa tells me "it's breezy at 7.1 mph."

[idontknowyet]

I almost put my squash plants in this week, but we're supposed to hit the forties one night soon and my plant babies wouldn't enjoy that.

[Jeff Tanyard]

Here are some pics of stuff that has started to bloom/sprout:


Azalea:





Purple-heart:





Bearded Iris:





These are just the earliest blooms, so even if this weekend's weather kills them off, it's not that big of a loss.  There's still plenty left.

We'll see what happens.   

[Maggie Ann]

Lovely.

When I used to visit my father in NJ, I would always take the time to walk around the neighborhood and admire the flowers that don't grow in our "humid sub-tropical" climate. I particularly liked the irises, all colors and types. Seemed like everyone had large bed of them.

[Jeff Tanyard]

I particularly liked the irises, all colors and types. Seemed like everyone had large bed of them.

They spread.  Even if you just start with a single bulb, it's only a matter of years before you have a large bed.

[LilyBLily]

Tiny early iris of an unusual color.

[Vijaya]

Loving all the pretty pictures. I'm enjoying all the blooms on my walks with my dog. The scent too.

[LilyBLily]

Extremely unusual conflation of spring and winter.

[Maggie Ann]

I see snow so clean and so white from a thousand miles away.

[Jeff Tanyard]

And... they're gone.   

Okay, not really gone.  But the cold definitely hurt them.  Azalea flowers are browned, purple-heart is gray-greened, and irises are hanging their heads.

Azalea:





Purple-heart:





Bearded Iris:

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

And... they're gone.   

Okay, not really gone.  But the cold definitely hurt them.  Azalea flowers are browned, purple-heart is gray-greened, and irises are hanging their heads.

 

[Maggie Ann]

And... they're gone.   

Okay, not really gone.  But the cold definitely hurt them.  Azalea flowers are browned, purple-heart is gray-greened, and irises are hanging their heads.

awwww!

[Vijaya]

Jeff, thank you for sharing them when they were still pretty. Reminds me to: Carpe diem.

[Jeff Tanyard]

I dug up a stump today.  At my age and considering the shape I'm in, it's a notable achievement.  I can still swing a mattock, and that feels pretty darn good.   

In other news, I mentioned earlier that the blooms that were killed by the cold were just the earliest ones, and now the next round is starting to come in.  I took the following photos today.

Bearded Iris:





Azalea:







Purple-heart:





Dogwoods have started to bloom, too, but I didn't get a pic.  I'll try to do that tomorrow or the next day, depending on weather.  (Storms are coming.)

The Holly tree has black tips where the new leaf growth had started and then got killed by the cold, but I don't think that will affect its flowers.  At least, I hope it won't.  Holly flowers aren't much to look at, but they smell fantastic.  I'll know for sure some time within the next few weeks, I guess.

Pollinating insects love those holly flowers, too, by the way, so if you're looking for a bee-attracting thing to plant, there you go.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

I dug up a stump today.  At my age and considering the shape I'm in, it's a notable achievement.  I can still swing a mattock, and that feels pretty darn good.   

In other news, I mentioned earlier that the blooms that were killed by the cold were just the earliest ones, and now the next round is starting to come in.  I took the following photos today.

Glad the new blooms are coming out and you can still swing a mattock (wtmb)  . They do say gardening is the best exercise 

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

My first attempts at penjing moss gardens.  Need a lot more work  . Had them outside but the hadedah ibis were destroying them, so had to put them on the veranda. We'll see how they get on.

[Vijaya]

Beautiful flowers, Jeff. And Jan, so cute! My daughter and I used to make little fairy gardens/houses. So fun.

[djmills]

Jan, I love the moss gardens. Thanks for the photos. 

[Jeff Tanyard]

Dogwoods have opened but aren't fully bloomed yet.

[LilyBLily]

First violets.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Dogwoods have opened but aren't fully bloomed yet.

Don't think I've seen a dogwood bloom 

[Jeff Tanyard]

Don't think I've seen a dogwood bloom 

The Dogwood is one of my favorite trees.  It's native to this region, so it's hardy enough to withstand the turbulent climate (unlike non-native plants which have a tougher time).  Here's the Wikipedia page for the species that grows around here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornus_florida

There's a legend of the Dogwood, too, for those Tolkien-esque folks (like me) who like to wax romantic about trees:

https://www.bowerandbranch.com/the-legend-of-the-dogwood/

[Vijaya]

I love dogwoods too, Jeff, but never seen a flower at this stage. Neat legend--never knew it until now. Our azaleas are in bloom too.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Don't think I've seen a dogwood bloom 

The Dogwood is one of my favorite trees.  It's native to this region, so it's hardy enough to withstand the turbulent climate (unlike non-native plants which have a tougher time).  Here's the Wikipedia page for the species that grows around here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornus_florida

There's a legend of the Dogwood, too, for those Tolkien-esque folks (like me) who like to wax romantic about trees:

https://www.bowerandbranch.com/the-legend-of-the-dogwood/

Pretty flowers for a plant with a name that sounds like a weed   

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Most of these flowers have been pink, but this one is yellow.

[Jeff Tanyard]

Well, it seems the cold snap did more damage to the dogwood flowers than I thought.  Most of the trees are performing poorly.   

One is well-protected from the wind, though, and it's doing okay.  Not great, but okay.  Here's a pic taken skyward through its branches:





Azalea of a different variety:





Bumblebees were out and working today.

[Maggie Ann]

I love azaleas.

I have four oak trees and a few years ago, a windstorm blew off at least half the leaves. Three of the trees never recovered. They're still alive but looking sparse. The fourth tree had problems before the storm and there are branches growing from the bottom of the trunk. I know I've got to get a tree company out here to look at it, but I dread what they are going to say and how much it's going to cost me.

[Jeff Tanyard]

Here are some of the dogwood flowers that fully bloomed and didn't get truncated by the cold:





Bumblebees still doing their thing.  (The bee is a little hard to see; it's slightly left of the center of the pic.  Look for the color yellow.)





Here's another azalea, one I haven't posted yet.  It's outperforming the others.

[LilyBLily]

Quite envious. Deer nibble my azalea buds. Also, you're six weeks ahead of us. Our azaleas won't bloom until mid-May. I just sprayed them all today so I have hopes that the remaining buds will be left alone to bloom.

[Jeff Tanyard]

More Bearded Iris.  Lavender-colored this time.





Holly flowers are on the way.   

[LilyBLily]

Species tulip:

[Jeff Tanyard]

Bearded Iris again.  Yellow this time.

[Maggie Ann]

Bearded Iris again.  Yellow this time.

I love yellow and that's a particularly beautiful yellow flower.

[Gerri Attrick]

Stunning photos of Azalea and Iris flowers. Two of my favourites, so thanks for posting them.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

I didn't think the paw paws/papaya were ripe enough to pick. The monkeys thought differently 
The tree has some really large fruit, each weighing about 1.5 kgs  Have picked some and will let them ripen with the bananas.

[Maggie Ann]

The first is a Dendrobium Nobile

The second is a Cattleya

The third is another Dedrobium

[Jeff Tanyard]

Holly and Tulip Poplar trees are in bloom.

Holly flowers:





This tree is a male.  The female has slightly different flowers.  And, of course, the female produces bright red berries just in time for Christmas whereas the male does not.

Holly trees have very smooth bark, and their trunks are quite handsome.  I wouldn't advise walking barefoot beneath a Holly tree, though, due to the spines on the leaves.

The trunk:





The Tulip Poplar's flowers are too high up on the tree for me to get a good picture of them.  Recent winds, though, ripped some small branches off, so I took a photo of a flower that was lying on the ground.

[Maggie Ann]

I didn't know there was such a thing as a tulip poplar. Beautiful flowers.

[LilyBLily]

I didn't know there was such a thing as a tulip poplar. Beautiful flowers.

They're wonderful big sturdy trees and their blooms are beautiful. Alas, on our current property the only ones are by the road and each year the road crew attacks them with a chopper. 

[Jeff Tanyard]

I didn't know there was such a thing as a tulip poplar. Beautiful flowers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liriodendron_tulipifera


They're also called "whitewood," and you'll find them as lumber at Home Depot.  As the Wikipedia page says, the trees grow straight and fast without being weak, and that makes them ideal for construction lumber.

[Vijaya]

Carolina jasmine is starting to bloom, filling the air with its fragrance, and the magnolias are budding. The smaller variety is starting to bloom. Also fragrant so I picked one on my walk with my dog.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Carolina jasmine is starting to bloom, filling the air with its fragrance, and the magnolias are budding. The smaller variety is starting to bloom. Also fragrant so I picked one on my walk with my dog.

Jasmine is my favourite. It blooms in August/September here. I put the blooms in every room in the house. The perfume lasts for days. I also have some star jasmine. Also a lovely perfume, but I prefer the other one (not sure what type it is  )

[Maggie Ann]

Carolina jasmine is starting to bloom, filling the air with its fragrance, and the magnolias are budding. The smaller variety is starting to bloom. Also fragrant so I picked one on my walk with my dog.

Jasmine is my favourite. It blooms in August/September here. I put the blooms in every room in the house. The perfume lasts for days. I also have some star jasmine. Also a lovely perfume, but I prefer the other one (not sure what type it is  )

I had night blooming jasmine but one of my neighbors was allergic to it so I ripped it out.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

[/quote]

I had night blooming jasmine but one of my neighbors was allergic to it so I ripped it out.
[/quote]

That's a shame  . I have planted hedges on both sides of my property and worried that new neighbours might complain of allergies, but thankfully they have both enjoyed the blooms, which only last for about six weeks.

[Vijaya]

You're a good neighbor, Maggie Ann.

Jasmine is my favourite. It blooms in August/September here. I put the blooms in every room in the house. The perfume lasts for days. I also have some star jasmine. Also a lovely perfume, but I prefer the other one (not sure what type it is  )

We used to have a mock orange and that too was heavenly.

[LilyBLily]

My mother had a mock orange. Great scent.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

The stork has decided the cactus is a good place to perch despite a stick being placed in the middle to discourage it. Perhaps it's considering making a decorative floral nest 

[Maggie Ann]

The stork has decided the cactus is a good place to perch despite a stick being placed in the middle to discourage it. Perhaps it's considering making a decorative floral nest 

He looks like he thinks he can give that stick a run for its money with that beak.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

The stork has decided the cactus is a good place to perch despite a stick being placed in the middle to discourage it. Perhaps it's considering making a decorative floral nest 

He looks like he thinks he can give that stick a run for its money with that beak.

  He actually walks up the path to my partner's cottage and taps on the door demanding his morning snack of polony, chicken or meat. They also wreck some of the plants by pulling out the leaves of the staghorn fern, cacti etc. 

Stork is becoming quite destructive and ripping out the leaves of the cacti  We've had to put some netting up to discourage it.

[Maggie Ann]

The stork has decided the cactus is a good place to perch despite a stick being placed in the middle to discourage it. Perhaps it's considering making a decorative floral nest 

He looks like he thinks he can give that stick a run for its money with that beak.

  He actually walks up the path to my partner's cottage and taps on the door demanding his morning snack of polony, chicken or meat. They also wreck some of the plants by pulling out the leaves of the staghorn fern, cacti etc. 

I haven't seen a staghorn fern in ages. I used to see them wrapped around trees, but they were a target for thieves. I don't know about your part of the world, but in mine, they were very valuable.

[Jeff Tanyard]

It's late May: time for Hydrangeas and Gardenias.   

[Vijaya]

Oooh, I can practically smell that gardenia! Beautiful, Jeff.
And Jan, that stork is something. Perhaps a PB in the making with his attitude.

[Maggie Ann]

I do miss hydrangeas but they don't do well here.

Two of my Vanda orchids are spiking for the second time this year. That's a first for me. The Dendrobiums are continuing to bloom as always.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

The stork has decided the cactus is a good place to perch despite a stick being placed in the middle to discourage it. Perhaps it's considering making a decorative floral nest 

He looks like he thinks he can give that stick a run for its money with that beak.

  He actually walks up the path to my partner's cottage and taps on the door demanding his morning snack of polony, chicken or meat. They also wreck some of the plants by pulling out the leaves of the staghorn fern, cacti etc. 

I haven't seen a staghorn fern in ages. I used to see them wrapped around trees, but they were a target for thieves. I don't know about your part of the world, but in mine, they were very valuable.

We have lots of staghorn ferns here. They get so big and heavy that neighbours have asked us to split them and divide them up. It's actually quite an effort to do it. I think we eventually used a saw to cut through them the last time. We've put some in the mango tree and some on the silver birch (I think it's a silver birch, but could be wrong). We just tie them on and they soon start wrapping round the trunk. Some people attach them to pieces of bark and hang them up. I had a thatched umbrella in my previous house and a staghorn started growing in the thatch. I've no idea where it came from. 

[LilyBLily]

Great photos. Right now we're in the anemone-poppy-iris-peony-loosestrife stage. Our hydrangea is budding but not ready to bloom yet.

[Gerri Attrick]

I took on a new gardener last September and he's worked wonders. (He's a qualified horticulturalist, not a maniac with power tools as so many who call themselves gardeners have proved to be.   

He planted dark purple and white tulips, though the white ones all turned out to be the most beautiful shade of pink when they flowered earlier in the month.

Right now, my solitary poppy is in bloom (papaver orientalis). The flowers look like huge white dinner plates with a dollop of chocolate in the centre, and there are more of them this year since he gave it a dressing and a good mulch last autumn.
I still have white hydrangea panniculata, plus bergamot, sedum, agastache, and echinacea to come.

I really must learn how to upload photos from my phone to the computer, and here.

[Jeff Tanyard]

I really must learn how to upload photos from my phone to the computer, and here.

I can't help you with the phone-to-computer part.

For posting here, though, I use this site:

https://postimages.org/

I upload a pic from my hard drive to that site, and then the site gives me a forum link to copy and paste here.  No registration or login necessary.

[notthatamanda]

Gerri, what I do is email my photos from my phone to my email account, open it on the computer and then I can save the photo wherever I want on the computer. There is probably a way to hook the phone to the computer and just copy them, but I can't be bothered to try to make that work.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

The staghorn fern on the wall of the veranda had a twin but it got so heavy it fell and we had to cut it up and find other places to attach it. 

[Maggie Ann]

The staghorn fern on the wall of the veranda had a twin but it got so heavy it fell and we had to cut it up and find other places to attach it. 

Wow!!

[Vijaya]

What a beauty!

[Jeff Tanyard]

That fern looks like an alien.

I like it.   

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

That fern looks like an alien.

I like it.   

[Jeff Tanyard]

I saw a weed growing, and I suspected it was wild blackberry, and it was in a convenient place for me to let it grow, so I didn't pull it up.  As it grew, though, and the leaves took shape better and flowers and berries appeared, it became apparent that it wasn't blackberry.

After a little internet sleuthing, I concluded the mystery plant was Black Nightshade.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanum_nigrum

Here's my potentially deadly plant:





In spite of the current heat wave--it's 99 degrees here at the moment, and the heat index is 110--the plant doesn't seem too stressed.

The berries are apparently safe when ripe, though the internet isn't unanimous about that, and even though I'm not really the thrill-seeking sort at all, I'm tempted to try one.  Has anyone here ever eaten one?

[LilyBLily]

My kid ate a couple as a baby. After an exciting phone call with the poison center, nothing happened. Kid was too young to tell me how it tasted. Probably better that the pebbles the little darling tried next.

People in my family are/were highly allergic to nightshade's many relatives. As in the EMTs having to be called and the person having to be hauled off to the ER. Make sure you aren't similarly allergic before you experiment.

[Jeff Tanyard]

People in my family are/were highly allergic to nightshade's many relatives. As in the EMTs having to be called and the person having to be hauled off to the ER. Make sure you aren't similarly allergic before you experiment.

I can eat potatoes and tomatoes without any problems, so I'm guessing I'm not allergic to Nightshade plants.

I might chew one of the berries without swallowing it just to see what it tastes like.  Still undecided.

[Lorri Moulton]

FYI:

"Deadly nightshade ranks among the most poisonous plants in Europe. All parts of the plant are poisonous, and contain tropane alkaloids. It belongs to the Solenaceae family, as do the potato and tomato. Nightshade's principal danger lies in that its berries are very pretty and look edible, have a pleasantly sweet taste, and are at eye level for children, to whom they look like overripe cherries. Two to four berries are a fatal dose for a child, an adult needs ten to twenty. The most poisonous part of the plant is the root, but the consumption of even a single leaf can be fatal for an adult. Symptoms are initially a red face, dry mouth, dilated pupils and quickened pulse; in later stages, heart arrhythmia, tremors, hallucinations, paranoia and cramping."

http://poisonousnature.biodiversityexhibition.com/en/card/deadly-nightshade

[LilyBLily]

I hate plant drawings. That one doesn't look a thing like the nightshade I know.

There's a dead ringer for Queen Anne's lace that's extremely poisonous, too--hemlock. I don't think it smells like carrots as Queen Anne's lace does.

Poke sallet is very dangerous, but tastes like asparagus and is harmless if harvested early in the season and properly cooked. Grows all over in my part of the country, as does nightshade. Our parents warned us away from it when we were kids, because kids really will eat anything and those berries look enticing.

[Jeff Tanyard]

FYI:

"Deadly nightshade ranks among the most poisonous plants in Europe. All parts of the plant are poisonous, and contain tropane alkaloids. It belongs to the Solenaceae family, as do the potato and tomato. Nightshade's principal danger lies in that its berries are very pretty and look edible, have a pleasantly sweet taste, and are at eye level for children, to whom they look like overripe cherries. Two to four berries are a fatal dose for a child, an adult needs ten to twenty. The most poisonous part of the plant is the root, but the consumption of even a single leaf can be fatal for an adult. Symptoms are initially a red face, dry mouth, dilated pupils and quickened pulse; in later stages, heart arrhythmia, tremors, hallucinations, paranoia and cramping."

http://poisonousnature.biodiversityexhibition.com/en/card/deadly-nightshade

Deadly Nightshade is a different plant.  Mine is Black Nightshade.

Don't worry.  I'm not interested in ingesting any part of the Belladonna plant.   

Poke sallet is very dangerous, but tastes like asparagus and is harmless if harvested early in the season and properly cooked. Grows all over in my part of the country, as does nightshade. Our parents warned us away from it when we were kids, because kids really will eat anything and those berries look enticing.

Dad used to eat that stuff growing up.  His mother (or grandmother; can't remember) would boil the leaves and then they'd eat them like collard greens or something.

I've never touched the stuff, and Dad told me from an early age not to eat it except in the case of boiling the leaves.

Elvis knew all about it.   

[LilyBLily]

The stems are fine. This should be the early season plant, though. You boil it and throw out the water and rinse it, and rinse the pot, too. Some people who eat it all the time aren't that careful, but their guts probably are used to it.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

I saw a weed growing, and I suspected it was wild blackberry, and it was in a convenient place for me to let it grow, so I didn't pull it up.  As it grew, though, and the leaves took shape better and flowers and berries appeared, it became apparent that it wasn't blackberry.

After a little internet sleuthing, I concluded the mystery plant was Black Nightshade.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanum_nigrum

Here's my potentially deadly plant:





In spite of the current heat wave--it's 99 degrees here at the moment, and the heat index is 110--the plant doesn't seem too stressed.

The berries are apparently safe when ripe, though the internet isn't unanimous about that, and even though I'm not really the thrill-seeking sort at all, I'm tempted to try one.  Has anyone here ever eaten one?

Unless it's the only food between you and death by starvation, I wouldn't risk it. 

[Post-Crisis D]

Here's my potentially deadly plant:

I am not a botanist but I am 99.9% certain that is a black nightshade.  I don't know how, or if, you can tell whether it's considered an "edible" strain or not.

In spite of the current heat wave--it's 99 degrees here at the moment, and the heat index is 110--the plant doesn't seem too stressed.

They seem pretty tolerant outdoors.  On the same note, however, I've never had them spread to the extent where they've become troublesome.  I'd much rather have them around than thistles which are definitely problematic.

Indoors, I've never successfully kept one alive.

The berries are apparently safe when ripe, though the internet isn't unanimous about that, and even though I'm not really the thrill-seeking sort at all, I'm tempted to try one.  Has anyone here ever eaten one?

Answer recommended by the legal department: Don't be crazy, man.  Stay away from potentially deadly berries.

Truthful answer: When ripe (black), yes.  But only like 1-3 because I was curious as to taste, not how many I could eat before suffering abdominal distress or death.  I was also younger and, as I recall, the book I had said that adverse effects were most likely in young children and older adults and I was neither at the time.

[Jeff Tanyard]

I went ahead and tasted one of the Black Nightshade berries about an hour ago.  I didn't ingest it; I chewed it up and spat it out.  I rinsed my mouth out with water afterwards, too.

It wasn't good, but it wasn't bad, either.  Very weak flavor.  Almost flavorless, really.  Just a slight tartness like one might find in a raspberry, but much less strong.  No sweetness at all.  More similar to a tomato, I guess, than to other berries, which makes sense since tomatoes are also a nightshade plant.

The berry's skin is very thin.  It crushed easily when I chewed it, much easier than a cherry or grape.

Anyway, my curiosity is satisfied, so that's the end of that.  I went ahead and pulled up the plant.  There's a little sprig of what I think is wild blackberry about a foot away from where the nightshade was, so I'm going to see if I can train that plant to take the nightshade's place.  And hopefully this time what I think is wild blackberry will actually turn out to be just that.

[Vijaya]

Jeff, thanks for the report. I had some wild blackberries about a week ago walking about in Francis Marion National Forest. Delish. Also picked some chanterelles--really lovely in stirfry. Some ticks got us though. Had to pull off two from my husband's body.

Our garden is giving us a bounty of okra, tomatoes, eggplant, cucumbers and greens. Waiting on the squash and melons.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

I went ahead and tasted one of the Black Nightshade berries about an hour ago.  I didn't ingest it; I chewed it up and spat it out.  I rinsed my mouth out with water afterwards, too.

It wasn't good, but it wasn't bad, either.  Very weak flavor.  Almost flavorless, really.  Just a slight tartness like one might find in a raspberry, but much less strong.  No sweetness at all.  More similar to a tomato, I guess, than to other berries, which makes sense since tomatoes are also a nightshade plant.

The berry's skin is very thin.  It crushed easily when I chewed it, much easier than a cherry or grape.

Anyway, my curiosity is satisfied, so that's the end of that.  I went ahead and pulled up the plant.  There's a little sprig of what I think is wild blackberry about a foot away from where the nightshade was, so I'm going to see if I can train that plant to take the nightshade's place.  And hopefully this time what I think is wild blackberry will actually turn out to be just that.

As a child in the UK my Dad and I used to go blackberry picking in the hedgerows. We had our own tiny apple trees in the garden and my Mum and Gran used to make blackberry and apple dumpling. I can still remember how delicious it was with custard. We had loganberries in our garden, and blackcurrants. Loganberries are a cross between raspberries and blackberries. My favourite are raspberries, but they are quite expensive here in SA (probably also expensive in the UK).
I've had a lovely crop of papaya this year. Three of the trees have been loaded with fruit, the heaviest one was 2.5 kgs.

[LilyBLily]

Very brave to try that nightshade. I'm not that adventurous. I've heard one can eat false strawberries without any problems, but they simply don't have any flavor.

I have a large patch of wild black raspberries and I am picking every day. One seldom sees black raspberries in the market--maybe in a farm store--and the jam is my favorite. I spray myself for ticks, wear long sleeves, don heavy gloves and a hat with a net, and still don't venture into the thickest part because I know ticks do hang out there. So far, only one this year, a small one at that. But the black raspberries are worth it. It's a delicate flavor, and more present than the wild raspberries (actually, an invasive, non-native plant) called wineberries.

Unless we have a rainy June and July, the wild blackberries here dry up. They seem to be doing that right now. For a tough native plant, they're surprisingly iffy.

[Jeff Tanyard]

I used to enjoy the occasional handful of raspberries.  Unfortunately, I had an allergic reaction a few years ago, so I don't eat them anymore.

The good news is that it's the only plant I know I'm allergic to.  Raspberries and seafood are the only things on my "can no longer eat" list so far, and hopefully that list won't grow any longer.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

I used to enjoy the occasional handful of raspberries.  Unfortunately, I had an allergic reaction a few years ago, so I don't eat them anymore.

The good news is that it's the only plant I know I'm allergic to.  Raspberries and seafood are the only things on my "can no longer eat" list so far, and hopefully that list won't grow any longer.

It's odd that you would suddenly develop an allergy. What a pity as raspberries are delicious with cream 

[LilyBLily]

As we get older we can develop unpleasant reactions to foods. I wasn't allergic to cherries as a child or young adult. Now, I am, although it's an inconvenience rather than anything serious. After eating cherries, my eyes get itchy the way they do around cats. I just have to remember not to rub. (Also, to keep away from cats.) I've been allergic to raw apples for years now--including the un-sprayed apples from my own trees. The solution there is to cook the apples.

My sibling developed a violent allergy to the nightshade family as a young adult, and it only seemed to get worse as the years progressed. Favorite foods of the past were now forbidden. Visits to the ER happened a lot. 

Black raspberries are delicious with cream, too.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

I laughed when my partner said he was going to plant a grape seed to see if it would grow. Grapes do not grow in KZN. The Cape is the grape growing area. Undaunted, he put a few seeds in a plastic container with some damp padding and soil.
We now have the beginning of a vineyard 

[Maggie Ann]

I laughed when my partner said he was going to plant a grape seed to see if it would grow. Grapes do not grow in KZN. The Cape is the grape growing area. Undaunted, he put a few seeds in a plastic container with some damp padding and soil.
We now have the beginning of a vineyard 

Can a glass of wine be far behind?

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

I laughed when my partner said he was going to plant a grape seed to see if it would grow. Grapes do not grow in KZN. The Cape is the grape growing area. Undaunted, he put a few seeds in a plastic container with some damp padding and soil.
We now have the beginning of a vineyard 

Can a glass of wine be far behind?

 

[Vijaya]

Ah, new beginnings! A friend of mine has a parrot that loves nibbling on champagne grapes.

[Jeff Tanyard]

The Joro spiders have arrived.  A bunch of them appeared all at once a few days ago.  Now they've got me surrounded.   





These critters are native to East Asia.  They arrived in Georgia, presumably in a container ship, in 2013.  If you live somewhere on the eastern seaboard, it's only a matter of time before you see one.  The good news is that they probably don't pose a threat to the native species, or at least no more of a threat than any other spider species.

I kind of like them, frankly.  They're similar to the native garden spider, but with the bonus feature that they eat stink bugs.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichonephila_clavata

[Vijaya]

I like them too, Jeff. I didn't know they were a non-native spp. Apparently Charleston is ground zero for hive beetles. Our bees manage their invasion but I wish they didn't have to.

With all the sunshine and rain, we've been eating fresh chanterelles and honey mushrooms along with our garden veggies. Very tasty.

[Maggie Ann]

speaking of non-native invasive species, the Peter's Rock Agama has made it's way up the Florida coast and we are now seeing them here. Pretty cool looking, but they are feasting on our native lizard population. And they get into our roof soffits, but not inside our attics. They're very fast and bigger than our native lizards, of which we have many.

[Jeff Tanyard]

speaking of non-native invasive species, the Peter's Rock Agama has made it's way up the Florida coast and we are now seeing them here. Pretty cool looking, but they are feasting on our native lizard population. And they get into our roof soffits, but not inside our attics. They're very fast and bigger than our native lizards, of which we have many.

With those bright colors, you'd think they'd be easy for predators to catch.   

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

speaking of non-native invasive species, the Peter's Rock Agama has made it's way up the Florida coast and we are now seeing them here. Pretty cool looking, but they are feasting on our native lizard population. And they get into our roof soffits, but not inside our attics. They're very fast and bigger than our native lizards, of which we have many.

Very colourful. Not unlike our blue-headed lizards. Unfortunately they are not quick enough for the cats - and some dogs - so lose quite a few to gifts from our pets 

[Maggie Ann]

speaking of non-native invasive species, the Peter's Rock Agama has made it's way up the Florida coast and we are now seeing them here. Pretty cool looking, but they are feasting on our native lizard population. And they get into our roof soffits, but not inside our attics. They're very fast and bigger than our native lizards, of which we have many.

With those bright colors, you'd think they'd be easy for predators to catch.   

Adult snakes, hawks, and feral cats are most likely to catch the Agamas. But they have been known to catch and eat baby snakes, small birds, and other small rodents.

Very colourful. Not unlike our blue-headed lizards. Unfortunately they are not quick enough for the cats - and some dogs - so lose quite a few to gifts from our pets 

Probably related.

[LilyBLily]

I went to Chicago's Garfield Park botanical garden this weekend and enjoyed looking at the flowers and especially their vegetables in raised beds of various ilks. I wonder how effective those are in keeping bunnies away? Rabbits usually are rife in cities even with minimal green spaces, and this garden is part of a large park.

I saw no turtles in the lovely lily pond and no frogs, either, which surprised me. A few tiny fish only. As a child I found tadpoles in the most minor of streams, so why this well-appointed pond had none baffles me. Frogs love to peek out from under lily pads. 

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

I saw no turtles in the lovely lily pond and no frogs, either, which surprised me. A few tiny fish only. As a child I found tadpoles in the most minor of streams, so why this well-appointed pond had none baffles me. Frogs love to peek out from under lily pads.

  This immediately reminded me of this scene:

"Now it's time to rescue Mole," thought Leon. But how were they going to do it? Perhaps the frogs could help? But they were much smaller than Mole, and if he were to fall in the water and thrash about, they probably would not be able to save him. No, Mole was much safer staying on the lily pad, decided Leon.

"Leee-on. What are you doing now?" came Leonora's shrill voice.

"I'm thinking how to rescue Mole," snapped Leon, annoyed at having his thoughts interrupted.

"Why doesn't Mole use the lily pads as stepping-stones, like Frog is doing?" suggested Leonora, who had been watching Water Lily Frog hopping across the lily pads.

It's a scene from my yet-to-be published Leon Chameleon PI and the case of the bottled bat. 

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Decided to try a mini Zen garden for my lounge.  I was given the lovely dish some time ago and never found a really useful place for it until now.

[Maggie Ann]

Decided to try a mini Zen garden for my lounge.  I was given the lovely dish some time ago and never found a really useful place for it until now.

Very nice!

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Decided to try a mini Zen garden for my lounge.  I was given the lovely dish some time ago and never found a really useful place for it until now.

Very nice!

Thanks. It's quite relaxing making patterns in the sand. 

[Jeff Tanyard]

The Joro spiders are apparently inviting all their friends to come here and take up residence, because their numbers continue to grow.  I counted 37 Joro spiders in webs next to the house.  There are more in the trees, but I only counted the ones that are cocooning my dwelling in an apparent attempt to take me hostage for ransom money.

Their silk is yellow, and that's pretty cool.  There's something romantic and mythical about a golden web.  But it's still a problem when they use that silk to blockade your path.  Don't fence me in, spider bro!

Even though I appreciate spiders and the role they play in controlling more troublesome insects, I'm reaching the end of my tolerance, so I'm going to start knocking down some webs soon.  Not today, because it's wet and muggy and musty and the mosquitoes are a plague and it's just plain miserable outside and I simply can't summon the energy.  It's rained almost every day since July 1st, and the outdoors smells like it.  It's swampy enough that I imagine it's only a matter of time before a little green dude shows up to teach me to use the Force.

On the positive side, there are a bunch of little trophies in those webs.  The spiders are doing good work.

In unrelated news, a motorist saw a bear chase a trio of deer across the road just a few miles from where I live.  I'm not enthused about the prospect of encountering a bear.   

Speaking of predators, I saw a red-tailed hawk on the ground with a bird it had killed.  It was a young hawk, and it seemed pretty excited about it.  It was sort of hopping around in between pecking at it.  It eventually picked up the bird and flew away.

It's a jungle out here, folks.

[Maggie Ann]

Jeff, there's been so much building going on here, we are seeing bobcats (entire families) and coyotes. Snakes are making more frequent appearances, too.

[LilyBLily]

Whereas I saw nothing outside today. I was hoping I might spot a box turtle. I love them and I know we have them here--well, we did until the fox kits grew up and learned to hunt, anyway.

It was muggy and awful out today and (much needed) rain is forecast, so phooey.

At this time of year my garden is awash in black-eyed susans and tiny white wild asters. A few bits of phlox and echinacea remain, and mist flower (it's either a self-seeding annual or perennial ageratum, and it grows tall) is happily among them. The glamor flowers in the garden right now are the colchicums, which are a lovely orchid color and larger than a true autumn crocus. Squirrels leave them alone but I have to spray the flowers against the deer. Still, that's a better situation than the actual crocuses have. 

[Jeff Tanyard]

Jeff, there's been so much building going on here, we are seeing bobcats (entire families) and coyotes. Snakes are making more frequent appearances, too.

You live in Florida, so when you talk about snakes being a problem, I assume you mean giant pythons are swallowing young children on a daily basis.   

I have yet to see a bobcat, and I'm glad for that, though the neighbors saw one hanging around years ago.  No coyotes yet, either, though foxes abound.  I know the coyotes are a plague in Georgia now; I just haven't seen one yet.

I welcome the snakes so long as they're not the deadly ones.  Snakes eat mice and moles and whatnot.  I appreciate snakes.  But I appreciate them because they're just ordinary snakes, not the giant pythons of Florida or some other kind of eldritch horror.

Whereas I saw nothing outside today. I was hoping I might spot a box turtle. I love them and I know we have them here--well, we did until the fox kits grew up and learned to hunt, anyway.

At my childhood home, we'd occasionally find a box turtle in the backyard.  I haven't seen one since I've lived there, and I miss them.

[Maggie Ann]

Jeff, there's been so much building going on here, we are seeing bobcats (entire families) and coyotes. Snakes are making more frequent appearances, too.

You live in Florida, so when you talk about snakes being a problem, I assume you mean giant pythons are swallowing young children on a daily basis.   

I have yet to see a bobcat, and I'm glad for that, though the neighbors saw one hanging around years ago.  No coyotes yet, either, though foxes abound.  I know the coyotes are a plague in Georgia now; I just haven't seen one yet.

I welcome the snakes so long as they're not the deadly ones.  Snakes eat mice and moles and whatnot.  I appreciate snakes.  But I appreciate them because they're just ordinary snakes, not the giant pythons of Florida or some other kind of eldritch horror.

Whereas I saw nothing outside today. I was hoping I might spot a box turtle. I love them and I know we have them here--well, we did until the fox kits grew up and learned to hunt, anyway.

At my childhood home, we'd occasionally find a box turtle in the backyard.  I haven't seen one since I've lived there, and I miss them.

The pythons are coming. They caught an 18 footer with 110 eggs inside her. They hide in the Everglades and are hard to find. They have dogs who hunt them. They are decimating the deer population but I haven't heard that they're swallowing alligators or panthers. But they have been seen in more populated areas.

Mostly, we have black racers. Harmless except to rats and mice. Since the garbage debacle, we love the black racers. There have been sightings of cottonmouths and rattlers.

We used to have a turtle hanging around but not for ages. Rabbits are coming back and we had a few Ibises roaming around. I thought we'd lost them for good.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

We used to have a turtle hanging around but not for ages. Rabbits are coming back and we had a few Ibises roaming around. I thought we'd lost them for good.
[/quote]

Are yours the same hadeda ibis that we have?

how to wake the entire neighborhood with a baby tomato 

https://www.facebook.com/leishlerproductions/videos/1704124506541024/

[Maggie Ann]

We used to have a turtle hanging around but not for ages. Rabbits are coming back and we had a few Ibises roaming around. I thought we'd lost them for good.

Are yours the same hadeda ibis that we have?

how to wake the entire neighborhood with a baby tomato 

https://www.facebook.com/leishlerproductions/videos/1704124506541024/
[/quote]

We have white ibises and glossy ibises. The white ibis is the University of Miami's mascot. I went there for two years.

They hang out together pecking at out lawns. We used to see groups of 20-30 every day. Now it's only 3=5 in a group.

[Vijaya]

That is such a gorgeous picture, Maggie Ann. I see them here (SC) on my walks with my dog.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

We used to have a turtle hanging around but not for ages. Rabbits are coming back and we had a few Ibises roaming around. I thought we'd lost them for good.

Are yours the same hadeda ibis that we have?

how to wake the entire neighborhood with a baby tomato 

https://www.facebook.com/leishlerproductions/videos/1704124506541024/

We have white ibises and glossy ibises. The white ibis is the University of Miami's mascot. I went there for two years.

They hang out together pecking at out lawns. We used to see groups of 20-30 every day. Now it's only 3=5 in a group.
[/quote]

We have lots of the hadeda ibis. They have that terrible noisy cry. They peck at pot plants as well as the lawn and ruined a bonsai. They also pulled apart my penjing gardens when I left them on the lawn in the rain .  We call the white ones the sacred ibis, but they are not seen much.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Summer is just about here and the cacti are flowering. Not sure the names of these, but they are quite unusual flowers.

[Maggie Ann]

Wow, Jan. That first flower I thought was an overturned pot. 

My orchids are blooming, quite early.
The first photo are mini vandas I bought I couple of years ago. The second vanda I bought last Saturday at a show. Unusual ombre color with candy stripe stems. The third one is a Cattleya I bought at the same show.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Lovely orchids. My (very common variety and not sure of name) have just finished flowering. They are growing on the fence between my neighbour's and have become very heavy. My neighbour and I are planning to cut them back to make 'babies' and maybe attach to driftwood and then onto the trees.
Our expert orchid grower in our retirement village has a tree full of orchids, but sadly is now too ill to look after them, but they seem to be doing ok at the moment.

[Maggie Ann]

Lovely orchids. My (very common variety and not sure of name) have just finished flowering. They are growing on the fence between my neighbour's and have become very heavy. My neighbour and I are planning to cut them back to make 'babies' and maybe attach to driftwood and then onto the trees.
Our expert orchid grower in our retirement village has a tree full of orchids, but sadly is now too ill to look after them, but they seem to be doing ok at the moment.

In my experience, orchids can actually benefit from a little benign neglect.

Make sure you know how to separate the keikis (babies) from the mother plant. I've never had much luck with separation. I have one Dendrobium Nobile that has seven keikis on three canes and I'm not touching them. When they mature and bloom, they'll be spectacular.

[Jeff Tanyard]

Those cactus flowers look suspiciously like demogorgons.   





Jan, y'all have all the weirdest coolest things over there.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Those cactus flowers look suspiciously like demogorgons.   





Jan, y'all have all the weirdest coolest things over there.

Never seen a scary plant before  Don't think I'd put it in a vase 

[LilyBLily]

The scary plants I deal with are the non-native invasives my neighbors keep planting, like burning bush. I've harvested over a hundred seedlings alone on my property from their bushes this year. Luckily, they're very easy to identify. Pretty, too, but useless to birds. Although the deer do seem to enjoy eating them, so maybe they're not as bad as I have been told. Illegal to sell in some states.

[Vijaya]

Beautiful flowers, Jan and Maggie Ann, but Jeff, that thing looks demonic.

[notthatamanda]

The scary plants I deal with are the non-native invasives my neighbors keep planting, like burning bush. I've harvested over a hundred seedlings alone on my property from their bushes this year. Luckily, they're very easy to identify. Pretty, too, but useless to birds. Although the deer do seem to enjoy eating them, so maybe they're not as bad as I have been told. Illegal to sell in some states.

Wow I had no idea burning bush was invasive. They certainly don't grow very well around here. I've been waiting for mine to get bigger for 5 years. Here mustard garlic is a huge problem, and bittersweet and mile a minute vine.

[Jeff Tanyard]

...Jeff, that thing looks demonic.

It might be.  I don't know.  It's a monster from Stranger Things, a show I haven't seen.  I've only seen the demogorgon mentioned here and there, and I googled it, and the image stuck in my head.

[LilyBLily]

The scary plants I deal with are the non-native invasives my neighbors keep planting, like burning bush. I've harvested over a hundred seedlings alone on my property from their bushes this year. Luckily, they're very easy to identify. Pretty, too, but useless to birds. Although the deer do seem to enjoy eating them, so maybe they're not as bad as I have been told. Illegal to sell in some states.

Wow I had no idea burning bush was invasive. They certainly don't grow very well around here. I've been waiting for mine to get bigger for 5 years. Here mustard garlic is a huge problem, and bittersweet and mile a minute vine.

I've got about five non-native invasives I'm fighting, and garlic mustard is one of them, too. Mostly these are at the edges of the property; the battle is to keep them from spreading and then beat them all back to nothing. Some are way ahead of me and I can't get rid of them until I have something viable as a replacement. Meanwhile, finding the sneaky little ones gives me a daily outdoor mission.

[notthatamanda]

You can eat the garlic mustard if you get it before it flowers. There is a trail I hike in town that is completely overgrown with it.

[LilyBLily]

You can eat the garlic mustard if you get it before it flowers. There is a trail I hike in town that is completely overgrown with it.

I've tried it. It's okay. A member of my family loves it.

[LilyBLily]

Turns out I was wrong about the birds not eating the berries. They do. The problem is these invasives take over and push out the native flora and create a monoculture. Areas with floribunda rose become impassable, I am told.

Even that, I must admit, is kind of an interesting question. Floribunda rose has to duke it out with high bush honeysuckle, which dukes it out with burning bush and a number of other items that have a tendency go wild and jump from a suburban landscape to the woods. I can see on our property that the bush honeysuckle shades out all the undergrowth except vines that climb trees. I haven't seen that the regular honeysuckle climbs the bush variety, though I have areas where there are both plants. But floribundas do climb, although they don't seem to entwine; they can coexist without killing each other. Honeysuckle usually wants to strangle whatever it climbs.

Now that I finally have all my spring bulbs planted I can look more to grooming what I can of the property edges. Yesterday I found nine more burning bush seedlings and pulled them. The ground is not frozen, so pulling more bush honeysuckle bushes also is possible. A reason to go outside in the feeble and short-lived December sunshine.

[Jeff Tanyard]

It's been a long time since I've seen honeysuckle in the wild.  I still remember how to carefully take the flower apart so as to get to the little droplet of honey.

I'm not envious about your gardening dilemma, Lily, but I am sort of yearning for some honeysuckle now.  You've brought back some childhood memories for me.   

[LilyBLily]

It's been a long time since I've seen honeysuckle in the wild.  I still remember how to carefully take the flower apart so as to get to the little droplet of honey.

I'm not envious about your gardening dilemma, Lily, but I am sort of yearning for some honeysuckle now.  You've brought back some childhood memories for me.   

Yes, those childhood memories are sweet. I live in almost the same climate as that in which I grew up, but the so-called dirt in West Virginia (mostly rocks) is nothing like the dirt in Maryland (mostly heavy clay), and I miss some of the interesting wildflowers I enjoyed finding as a child. We were technically suburban but really just a few years from being rural and nothing was built behind us; we roamed the woods daily and found Jack-in-the-pulpits, lady's slippers, and other wildflowers I've not seen since. There was a kind of airy vine that might have been mistletoe but wasn't, and a super low-growing thing with berries my mom called partridge berry but probably wasn't. Here we have a cute plant called spotted wintergreen, but that's about it. Even the burrs I was endlessly taking off my socks as a kid don't grow here. We have to treat our flower bulbs almost as if they are annuals, as they get no nourishment from the soil and the trees steal the bulb fertilizer. 

[Maggie Ann]

It's been a long time since I've seen honeysuckle in the wild.  I still remember how to carefully take the flower apart so as to get to the little droplet of honey.

I'm not envious about your gardening dilemma, Lily, but I am sort of yearning for some honeysuckle now.  You've brought back some childhood memories for me.   

I remember, too, and I miss the scent and taste of honeysuckle.

[Vijaya]

It's been a long time since I've seen honeysuckle in the wild.  I still remember how to carefully take the flower apart so as to get to the little droplet of honey.

I'm not envious about your gardening dilemma, Lily, but I am sort of yearning for some honeysuckle now.  You've brought back some childhood memories for me.   

 

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

My partner feeds polony or similar to the woolly-necked storks outside his cottage. Yesterday it followed him to my cottage and stood at the kitchen door until I gave it a bit of chicken. Today it followed him and had the sense to fly into the front garden as we were sitting on the veranda. I've no idea how it knew we were there. I went inside to look in the fridge for something to feed it and it followed me inside. I eventually gave it some cat food, which it loved. There is now an extra item on my shopping list😛

[Vijaya]

That's hilarious, Jan. Looks like it could be a springboard for a fun children's story.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

That's hilarious, Jan. Looks like it could be a springboard for a fun children's story.

Just discovered the stork also went to my neighbour asking for food. She gave him some cheese that he took from her hand. Stork is becoming cheeky 
Might be an idea for a story. 

[Vijaya]

lol Jan. I hope you do write the story that's beginning to brew. Your stork reminds me of a stray cat who made the rounds around the neighborhood and was overfed!

[Jeff Tanyard]

For when you get tired of feeding the stork:

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-nov-21-fo-35826-story.html

 

[LilyBLily]

For when you get tired of feeding the stork:

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-nov-21-fo-35826-story.html

 

Probably more fun wandering around panhandling than in a roasting pan.

[Jeff Tanyard]

For when you get tired of feeding the stork:

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-nov-21-fo-35826-story.html

 

Probably more fun wandering around panhandling than in a roasting pan.

Probably right.

Makes me wonder, though, how many wild critters a stork would have to evade on a daily basis just to survive.  Hungry baboons, venomous snakes, and so on.  When I was there, the baboons creeped me out, and the prospect of encountering a puff adder wasn't an appealing one.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

[/quote]

Makes me wonder, though, how many wild critters a stork would have to evade on a daily basis just to survive.  Hungry baboons, venomous snakes, and so on.  When I was there, the baboons creeped me out, and the prospect of encountering a puff adder wasn't an appealing one.
[/quote]

We don't get baboons in Durban, just vervet monkeys, which are much smaller, but still a nuisance if you're growing fruit or veg. They can be quite entertaining if you're not busy chasing them off. We seem to get mostly harmless bush snakes here, which the storks catch and eat if they get the opportunity. But they don't need to bother if we all feed them 

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

I put a pineapple top in a plant pot about 3 yrs ago. Left it very much to its own devices. It has now born fruit. Wondering how long it will take to fully ripen. I think it was a queen pineapple. Don't know if pineapples are attractive to the monkeys, but the leaves have tiny sharp thorn-like bristles that have to be picked from fingers with tweezers 

[Maggie Ann]

Aw, Jan, cute little baby pineapple. My daughter has grown several.

[Jeff Tanyard]

Spring has sprung here.  It's about six weeks too early, so there's a fair chance of a killing frost sometime between now and, say, late April.  Fingers crossed that it doesn't happen.

Azaleas have started to bloom and bumblebees are visiting their flowers, and that's always fun to watch.

The first of the bearded irises have bloomed.

Seeing more bugs in general.

Found a snake in the garage the other day, so the reptiles have apparently awakened from their winter slumber.

Lots of yard work to do.  I try to do some of this stuff during the winter so I don't have to deal with the bugs, but winter was rainy and short this year, so I ran out of time.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

My neighbour's ponytail palm is in bloom again. I took the pic as the light was fading. Will have to take a better one when the blooms are fully open.

[Maggie Ann]

It's beautiful already. Can't wait to see when it's in full bloom.

[Vijaya]

It's a veritable fairy garden. So pretty!

[Jeff Tanyard]

Jan, your country has some enviable flora.

Here, I saw the first hummingbird of the season this week.  Some of the new plant growth turned black when the cold snap hit--as I feared it would in my previous post--so spring this year is going to be pretty blah.  The dogwood flowers were kind of stunted, and the azaleas seem confused about whether to bloom or not.

I still have hope for the bearded irises.  A few have already bloomed and faded, but most haven't, so they might turn out okay.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Jan, your country has some enviable flora.

Here, I saw the first hummingbird of the season this week.  Some of the new plant growth turned black when the cold snap hit--as I feared it would in my previous post--so spring this year is going to be pretty blah.  The dogwood flowers were kind of stunted, and the azaleas seem confused about whether to bloom or not.

I still have hope for the bearded irises.  A few have already bloomed and faded, but most haven't, so they might turn out okay.

Yes, we are fortunate to be in a sub-tropical climate. We are constantly cutting back common orchids, many types of bromeliads, cacti etc. and pulling out jatropha and other plants that are quite costly at nurseries. Lots of plant swapping goes on and we have to inform new residents not to buy any plants until they have seen what is available. 

Lovely for you to see humming birds. Our woolly-necked storks are getting over-fed. They  are visiting so many residents and knocking on doors asking for food. They are quite amusing as they stroll around from door to door trying their luck. 

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Ponytail palm now in full bloom and looking spectacular. We have others in the retirement village that are in bloom, but this is by far the biggest. Mine is still in a pot in the garden.

[Maggie Ann]

Just beautiful. I imagine they will grow very well in my area.

[LilyBLily]

Very dramatic. One thing I love about visiting other climates is seeing all the blossoming trees. The flowers, too, but so many have been imported here that they aren't quite the novelty they once would have been.

[Maggie Ann]

Is it a cucumber? Is it a cantaloupe? Is it a watermelon?

[LilyBLily]

 

[Jeff Tanyard]

Lol... mystery fruit!   

On a related note, I think I might have some wild black cherries this year, assuming I've correctly identified the tree.  Stay tuned.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Is it a cucumber? Is it a cantaloupe? Is it a watermelon?

Looks like a water melon to me 

[Vijaya]

Lol... mystery fruit!   

On a related note, I think I might have some wild black cherries this year, assuming I've correctly identified the tree.  Stay tuned.

Ooooh, black cherry ice cream!!!

[Maggie Ann]

Is it a cucumber? Is it a cantaloupe? Is it a watermelon?

Looks like a water melon to me 

Me, too. And notice the out of stock tag on the top box that's clearly full. 

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

This ponytail palm also grows in our village but seems to have a different sort of flower  . We had a pink flower on one of the palms, which indicates it is female. The flowers lasted for weeks.

[Maggie Ann]

Such wonderful landscaping you have in your village.

Did you ever get the trenches filled in?

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Such wonderful landscaping you have in your village.

Did you ever get the trenches filled in?

Been busy making a new rockery. Must take a pic.

Yes, eventually got the trenches filled. But we still seem to have water leaks  The plumbers who did all the work seem to have vanished.

[Maggie Ann]

Such wonderful landscaping you have in your village.

Did you ever get the trenches filled in?

Been busy making a new rockery. Must take a pic.

Yes, eventually got the trenches filled. But we still seem to have water leaks  The plumbers who did all the work seem to have vanished.

Typical plumbers

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Yes, eventually got the trenches filled. But we still seem to have water leaks  The plumbers who did all the work seem to have vanished.
[/quote]

Typical plumbers
[/quote]
 

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Our 'lace trees' (not sure of their actual name) are in flower throughout our retirement village. They look like nothing without their flowers for most of the year, but when they are in flower they make a lovely display and people are going round looking for young ones shooting up next to the parent plant. Those in pots have to be guarded 

[Maggie Ann]

Stunning!!!

[Matthew]

We had some strange weather around here with a frost in early spring. Killed one of my Azaleas and slowed my poor Easter lily and hydrangeas. Somehow my Asiatic lilies are doing better than ever, and my rose bushes aren't doing too bad. I'll probably replace the Azalea since it was doing fine for years. Haven't decided if I want to add any more flowers during the summer or wait until next Spring.

[LilyBLily]

We've had almost no rain lately after a winter of no snow and the ground is dry, dry, dry. I foolishly dug up some plants from the yard of a friend who is moving, and this is hardly good transplant weather. Additionally, I started some grass seed to patch the lawn a couple of weeks ago. To my shock, it has sprouted. Now my task is to keep it from burning out.

[Jeff Tanyard]

Black cherries are ripe.  Did a little picking.





Due to the tiny size of these things, it's a lot of work for a little bit of fruit, so this might be all I decide to collect.

I'm thinking about trying to make some jam.  Haven't decided yet.  Slicing and pitting these things would be a lot of work for what would probably end up being no more than two-pieces-of-toast worth of jam.  The only reason to do it would be so I could put "I've made jam before" on my list of accomplishments.

I've eaten a few of them as is, and they're slightly tart and not really sweet at all.  They're certainly palatable, though.

Some of the cherries are already starting to get wrinkled and/or mushy on the tree, so I've concluded that the optimum ripeness window only lasts a week or two.

In any event, this has been a new experience for me, so it's been a worthwhile endeavor just for the novelty and educational aspect.

[Vijaya]

Oooh, lovely! I didn't realize they'd be so small. Yeah, it'd be too much work to pit them. Maybe boil them with some sugar and then strain them through a sieve that will allow the pulp and juice but retain the seeds. But I'd collect a whole lot more. It'd make a tasty compote.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Oooh, lovely! I didn't realize they'd be so small. Yeah, it'd be too much work to pit them. Maybe boil them with some sugar and then strain them through a sieve that will allow the pulp and juice but retain the seeds. But I'd collect a whole lot more. It'd make a tasty compote.

That sounds like a good plan. 

[LilyBLily]

I've never heard of black cherries. Where can they be grown? In the east, we can't do Bing, my favorite. I had some other kind of cherry tree in my yard at the previous house and the way I knew they were ripening was seeing the birds grab them all. I tried harvesting them once, but then realized I don't really like any cherries but Bing. (I even try to palm off the cherries in fruit c*cktail to other family members.)

What I'm harvesting now are wild black raspberries. I have a dedicated spot where I let them do their thing. This year, despite the drought we've had, there are too many for me. Of course the nicest ones are always just out of my reach unless I press into the bramble and risk picking up ticks. An endeavor filled with tension. I don't make jam; I freeze the berries.

[Jeff Tanyard]

Oooh, lovely! I didn't realize they'd be so small.

Yeah, they're less than a centimeter in diameter.  They're about the size of holly berries.  It took me about an hour to collect what you see in that photo.  The reward/labor ratio is very small.

But I'd collect a whole lot more.

Easy for you to say.  You're not the one doing the work.  ;)

I've never heard of black cherries. Where can they be grown?

According to the map on the Wikipedia page, they grow almost everywhere in the eastern U.S.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prunus_serotina

[Jeff Tanyard]

Well, I've decided against making jam.  Trying to de-pit these things is way more trouble than it's worth.  The mass of the pits is at least the equal of the mass of the flesh, and that simply isn't worth it when you're talking about a fruit the size of an English pea.  Also, the cherries don't "keep" for very long after being picked.  They get mushy fast.  I've concluded that the only sensible way to eat these things is as raw fruit right off the tree, so that's what I'll do going forward.

[Vijaya]

Good plan, Jeff. When you get hot working outside, it's nice to pick berries. Once my girlfriend and I took an impromptu hike on our way home after a weekend camping trip and I was so tired and thirsty, I sat on a rock and ate huckleberries and salmonberries while she explored farther. Enough to revive me for the walk down to the car.

[LilyBLily]

Mulberries are ripe here on the east coast. I had some yesterday. They're very mild. 

[Jeff Tanyard]

And... they're gone.   

It was rainy for most of this past week, so I didn't go outside much.  It wasn't until Friday afternoon that it was sunny enough and dry enough for me to attempt to pick some more black cherries.

To my surprise and dismay, the tree had been denuded of fruit.  I can only assume the birds and forest critters discovered it while I was stuck inside due to the weather.

Ah, well.  Easy come, easy go.   

[LilyBLily]

Wineberries are just about to begin. They're the wild raspberry and not my favorite at all but family members like them so I finally decided to let some grow on our property. Previously, I had ruthlessly removed them--but since they are wild, more blew in. Last year I got at least a couple of pints from a very small group. Thorny plants!

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

My tillandsia (air plant)  has finally flowered  I've got lots in my garden, and there are many around the retirement village, but it's the first time I've seen mine in flower.

[Jeff Tanyard]

Pretty neat.  Reminds me of the flowers produced by Christmas cacti.

[Vijaya]

Lovely, Jan! I've never seen an air-plant flower.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Pretty neat.  Reminds me of the flowers produced by Christmas cacti.

Yes, they are similar. 

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Lovely, Jan! I've never seen an air-plant flower.

Quite a few people here have the same plant but have never seen them flower, yet others have. It might be where they are placed. I have mine on a gate. The whole gate is covered in them, but the one that is flowering is shaded slightly by the larger leaves of another type of air plant.

[Jeff Tanyard]

Last year, it was in August that the Joro spiders suddenly appeared from nowhere and proceeded to try to cocoon my entire home in their webs.

It's now August again, and while I've seen a few Joros, they're nowhere near as numerous as last year.  They're also not as big.  Perhaps they'll grow rapidly over the next few weeks or something.

One of them still managed to annoy me, though.  I was sitting outside, watching the hummingbirds battle and basically just enjoying the outdoors as best I could in the oppressive heat, when I suddenly felt something crawling on my elbow.  I looked, and it was a Joro spider.  I let out a yelp, frantically brushed the spider off, and leaped out of my chair as if electrocuted.

I wasn't bitten, and I'm not anachrophobic.  I don't react well, though, to being startled by a spider on my skin.  That gives me the heebie-jeebies.

I didn't kill the offender.  I relocated him.  Hopefully he'll build a new web in an out-of-my-way location and help put a dent in the local insect population.

Ordinarily, finding a spider on my skin isn't something worth mentioning.  It happens from time to time, and it's no big deal.  These Joros are different, though, because they're a non-native species that only arrived a few years ago, and it's still something of a mystery about how well they'll adapt to the region and how the native species will adapt to them.  The novelty of them is still fascinating to me.

[LilyBLily]

I googled a photo. Joro spiders are huge! And very colorful. Looks like, similar to Daddy-long-legs, their "mouths" are the wrong size to bite humans. Good to know.

All summer, we've had a few teeny tiny little white aphids. Enough to notice but by no means an infestation. They're called (surprise) woolly aphids and up close they look like what the Victorians imagined fairies to be. From a distance, they look like floating bits of white fluff--and they showed up three months early. I wonder if this means we'll have a genuine deluge of them in September?

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Last year, it was in August that the Joro spiders suddenly appeared from nowhere and proceeded to try to cocoon my entire home in their webs.

It's now August again, and while I've seen a few Joros, they're nowhere near as numerous as last year.  They're also not as big.  Perhaps they'll grow rapidly over the next few weeks or something.

One of them still managed to annoy me, though.  I was sitting outside, watching the hummingbirds battle and basically just enjoying the outdoors as best I could in the oppressive heat, when I suddenly felt something crawling on my elbow.  I looked, and it was a Joro spider.  I let out a yelp, frantically brushed the spider off, and leaped out of my chair as if electrocuted.

I wasn't bitten, and I'm not anachrophobic.  I don't react well, though, to being startled by a spider on my skin.  That gives me the heebie-jeebies.

I didn't kill the offender.  I relocated him.  Hopefully he'll build a new web in an out-of-my-way location and help put a dent in the local insect population.

Ordinarily, finding a spider on my skin isn't something worth mentioning.  It happens from time to time, and it's no big deal.  These Joros are different, though, because they're a non-native species that only arrived a few years ago, and it's still something of a mystery about how well they'll adapt to the region and how the native species will adapt to them.  The novelty of them is still fascinating to me.

Sounds nasty - and a bit scary 

[Vijaya]

Interesting, Jeff. I didn't know Joros were an invasive species. I generally like spiders because they eat a lot of nasty bugs. And aphids--hate those things. Calling all ladybugs!

[Jeff Tanyard]

I googled a photo. Joro spiders are huge! And very colorful.

They're similar to our native black-and-yellow garden spiders.  Big and colorful and scary-looking, but basically harmless to people and beneficial so long as they're not in your way.

So far this year, I haven't seen any big ones yet, just quarter-sized ones.  Maybe they grow rapidly during August and September; I don't know.

Sounds nasty - and a bit scary 

It's definitely disconcerting to find one crawling on you.   

Interesting, Jeff. I didn't know Joros were an invasive species.

They only first arrived in 2013, presumably on a shipping container from Japan that arrived in the port of Savannah.  They were first spotted here in Georgia, but they've already spread to neighboring states--including your own--and are expected to become a permanent feature of the whole Eastern seaboard.  If you haven't seen one in your backyard yet, it's only a matter of time until you do.

They're orb weavers, but while most orb webs are just a single plane of web, the Joro's web has a three-dimensional aspect to it.  It's like an orb web inside a separate cage of silk.  I think this unique design is something that the local insects aren't adapted to avoid very well, and I think that's why Joro webs tend to be full of captured-bug trophies.

Joro silk is yellow, and it shines like gold when direct sunlight hits it at the right angle.  It's also stronger than usual for spider silk; it takes some effort to knock the webs down with a stick.

They're fascinating creatures, and I'm perfectly fine with them hanging around so long as they don't build their webs in my way or crawl on me.

[Vijaya]

Thanks Jeff. I'll keep a lookout for them. They sound lovely--spun gold! Charleston is ground zero for hive beetles--also brought from a shipping container. This year, when our bees split, the remaining ones didn't do so well and it got overrun with those hive beetles. Our bees didn't even have a chance to make a new queen. Sigh.

[Jeff Tanyard]

Thanks Jeff. I'll keep a lookout for them. They sound lovely--spun gold!

There's definitely a bit of elegance about them.  It's easy to see why the Japanese are fond of them.

[Jeff Tanyard]

I took this photo a few days ago.  One of the local Joros munching on a winged insect:





You can see what appear to be a cast-off exoskeleton in the web from when the spider last molted.

You might also notice that the spider's trophies and old skin are on a separate plane in the web, not the same plane as the spider itself.  That's the web's three-dimensional aspect I mentioned earlier.

[Jeff Tanyard]

I apologize for filling this thread up with spider stuff, but these Joros have fascinated me.  It's not every day that I get to play naturalist and study a new species.  Is this how John J. Audobon felt all the time?  It's exciting.   

The yellow color of the Joro's silk isn't always apparent.  In fact, their webs often seem like the same white color as other spider's webs.  To see the yellow, I've found that I need to view the orb from the side.  That way, all the strands are bunched up in my field of view, and my retina picks up the color better.  I suspect that the yellow coloring will get stronger as the spiders mature and the webs get bigger and have thicker strands, but that's just a hypothesis on my part.  We'll know in a couple of months, I guess.

In the photo below, the web is viewed from the side, making the yellow color of the strands more apparent than it would be otherwise.  Hopefully it will be visible on y'all's computer screens or devices.

[djmills]

That spider is beautiful. And the yellow web.

[Vijaya]

The natural world is filled with delights. Grateful for people who share beauty--I've always loved spiders and their webs. And that pretty yellow is visible in your picture. Spun gold!

[Lynn]

I started practicing exposure therapy for my fear of spiders some years back. There was a time when even seeing that picture would have made my stomach quiver and my heart thud. I can now zoom in and stare at them to see the details. Tennessee isn't that far from Georgia so I'm going to keep an eye out for them.

Orb weaver spiders love my door frames. One year, all summer long, I had to open my front and back door cautiously and look around before I stepped outside, because they would make a web and sit right in the middle of it. That was when I started the exposure therapy lol. I almost knocked myself out trying to knock down one of the webs with my broom. The spider came flying at me because the silk stuck to the broom. ;D

[Jeff Tanyard]

Tennessee isn't that far from Georgia so I'm going to keep an eye out for them.

They'll be in your neighborhood sooner or later.  When they arrive, you won't just see one or two.  They'll pop up everywhere.  Start looking for them in August; that's when they've grown big enough to actually be noticed.

...they would make a web and sit right in the middle of it. That was when I started the exposure therapy...

It's a good thing you've already gone through that, because you'll need it.  I had to knock down some Joro webs last year because they had barricaded me in my home.  They're harmless critters, and I enjoy looking at them so long as they're not in my way, but they eventually did get in my way.

The good news is that they eat a ton of bugs.  Their webs are constantly full of trophies, and whenever I go outside to take a look at them, I usually find at least one spider actively munching on something.  This land is just one big smorgasbord for them.  They're probably kicking themselves for not immigrating to the New World sooner.

[LilyBLily]

With zero snow last winter, we've had an invasion of bugs this year, so anything that eats them is welcome. Unless it's Dracula's assistant.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Had a lovely crop of papayas this year. This is one of the last ones. It weighs 2.4 kg and measures 37 cm. The tree popped up on my compost heap a few years ago and has been giving some delicious fruit. Have to pick them before they are properly ripe in case the monkeys get them

[LilyBLily]

Looks good enough to eat!

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Looks good enough to eat!

 

Very nutritious.  Will have to wait a while until it ripens. Will be sharing with neighbours and freezing some. 

[Jeff Tanyard]

A few new gardenia flowers have blossomed recently, presumably as a result of the substantial rains we had a few days ago.  The hummingbirds are still swarming impressively, and they sometimes poke their noses into the gardenias.  I also sometimes poke my nose into the gardenias because those flowers are one of my favorite aromas.

The weather forecast for the next few days is supposed to be sunny and pleasant and about as perfect as weather can be, so let's hope that actually happens.

I'm pretty burned out on yard work.  I did a lot of it this year, and I'm ready for the dormant season.

[Vijaya]

Gardenias!!! Oh yes! Our hummers have been in our okra--such pretty flowers. It's been gorgeous in Chs too! Loving it. And my kids are home with their friends, so all is well in my world.

[LilyBLily]

During our drought, my window hummingbird feeder was mysteriously knocked down on three successive nights. I decided something was thirsty, and I put water in the birdbath that usually holds none. Saw a cat take a drink there a day later. The culprit? It's not a feral cat; it has a collar and I believe belongs to near neighbors, but it is a roamer.

I've been taking the feeder inside after dark, but I fear some damage was done. It's only plastic. (Glass would have broken on the pavers below.) Wasps have been all over it for days. I tried washing it thoroughly and the situation seems better, but this exact feeder is no longer being made. If necessary, I'll use Krazy Glue to fix the cracks over the winter.

Meanwhile, the hummingbirds are still fighting each other over the feeder. They utterly refuse to share. It has been so dry that few other flowers are available for them, although the next door neighbor has multiple feeders so mine isn't the only one around. These are all females--probably pushed away from those other feeders by the males.

They'll leave soon. They usually vanish when the weather gets a little colder.

[Jeff Tanyard]

Gardenia flowers:







Hydrangea is also putting out new blooms:

Meanwhile, the hummingbirds are still fighting each other over the feeder. They utterly refuse to share.

Unfortunately, that's simply what they do.  No matter how much food you put out there for them, they're still territorial about it.   

The ones here are fickle and skittish.  One moment, they'll be territorial and running each other off, but the next moment you'll see two drinking from the same tiny hole in the feeder.  They go from friends to enemies and back to friends in the blink of an eye.

They're basically the bird equivalents of meth-heads.

These are all females--probably pushed away from those other feeders by the males.

It's also possible the males in your area have already flown south.  The males migrate earlier than the females; they're the first to leave in the fall and the first to arrive in the spring.

[LilyBLily]

That's interesting. Usually, we have both males and females at our feeder, but this year up to five females have been vying with each other to get at the nectar.

Beautiful gardenias. 

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

The cycad in our retirement village is in fruit. It has been there for many years and is in the original garden on the land that was used to build the village. Fortunately it is mostly hidden from view as they are quite valuable.

"They are also one of the most threatened groups of plants in the world. In South Africa almost 70% of our cycad species are threatened with extinction, with four species on the brink of extinction and seven species with fewer than 100 plants left in the wild."

"Do you need a permit to own a cycad in South Africa?
Because cycads are protected by the national and provincial legislation, as a buyer you must ensure that you know where your plants come from and that you have a permit for owning the plant. Various permits are needed for any activity that relates to cycads such as possession, transport, growing, buying or selling."

[Jeff Tanyard]

There's some creeping cucumber growing here and there as weeds.  I'd never tried the fruit before, so I decided it was time.  I picked a few berries and ate them.  They do indeed taste like cucumber.





Here's some of it growing up on an azalea.  I'll eventually remove it.

[LilyBLily]

That cycad looks amazing.

I think the woolly aphids are back, but only in very small quantities. I've seen some bits of fluff supposedly floating around--and then veering sharply to land on something. I haven't been close enough to investigate, but I am suspicious. 

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Never heard of creeping cucumber. Do you use it in a salad?

I've got some tiny c*cktail tomatoes growing from my compost heap. I left them to do their own thing and they started creeping up the bottle brush tree. I've sort of helped them by hanging them over the branches. Should have been nipping off the ends but left them to wander. They are now so high up I have to stretch to reach the ripe ones. Next thing it will require a ladder to reach them.   I see they are also growing in various parts of the garden where I put compost. Might have to cull a few.

[Jeff Tanyard]

Never heard of creeping cucumber. Do you use it in a salad?

Some people do, according to the internet.  I've never tried it before this week.

[Jeff Tanyard]

Picked and ate a few more creeping cucumber berries.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Picked and ate a few more creeping cucumber berries.

Make an interesting addition to a salad.

[Jeff Tanyard]

Still getting the occasional canna lily.





Here's a Joro spider munching on a grasshopper.  Notice the mass of silk strands just above her.  I think this might be a stabilimentum, though that's just a guess on my part.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stabilimentum





This Joro is a fully mature female.  You can tell by the color pattern on her back.  The juveniles have a different pattern.

Call me a weirdo, but I really do think they're handsome critters.   

The black and yellow patterns on the spider's sides and underside remind me of Ambassador Kosh's ship from Babylon 5.  None of the spiders have yet tried to communicate with me by spelling out words with their coloring, but I'm still hopeful.  If I can succeed in making contact, I'm going to change my name to Kosh and start wearing an encounter suit.

[Vijaya]

Really striking photos! Love the yellow silk.

[Jeff Tanyard]

Well, the "stabilimentum" is gone now, so I guess it wasn't a stabilimentum at all and was instead just clutter in the web that the spider decided to remove during her nightly remodeling session.  The grasshopper is also gone.

In another Joro web, the owner was munching on a stinkbug.  This is good.  Stinkbugs suck.

[Jeff Tanyard]

Some mid-October flowers for y'all's viewing pleasure:











For anyone who likes "hoary ancient forest" type imagery, here's a moss-covered dogwood:





Here's a Joro spiderweb I had to take down.  It was in my way, so it had to go.  The spider escaped to safety, so maybe she'll rebuild elsewhere.

You can see a male Joro a few inches above the female.  The males have been lurking in the webs since early September.  They're small, drab, and unremarkable, so I haven't mentioned them yet.  This is the first male Joro pic I've posted.  From what I've been able to observe so far, the female sits in the center of the orb part of the web while the males hang around on the outer "cage" part of the web. 

Also, you can see a tangled mass of silk just above the female.  A few days ago, I speculated that this sort of thing might be a stabilimentum, but then I changed my mind and decided it was just clutter.  Well, I've changed my mind again.  I'm seeing similar silk masses in several other webs, all just above the center of the orb.  Too many to be coincidental.  It's not clutter; whatever it is, it's there on purpose.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Lovely flowers. We are into Spring/Summer and also have lots of flowers coming into bloom.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

This baby Jatropha was really determined and came up through the newly tarred pathway that had been dug up to fix a leak. 

[Jeff Tanyard]

Spring has definitely sprung here.  New leaves have appeared on the trees and bushes.

The big question that remains is whether or not we'll have a killing frost in the coming weeks.  I really hope not, because we've had a few of those in recent years, and I'd like to enjoy a spring without blackened frost-killed leaves and shoots.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

A large (10 cm) snail has decided to roost in my pawpaw (papaya) tree. It moves about - at a snail's pace - 😛, but so far I haven't ascertained what it is eating. Should I find bite marks in my pawpaws it will be removed to another location.😀

[Vijaya]

What a pretty fellow!

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

What a pretty fellow!

We seem to have quite a number of them and often find their empty shells. One of our residents paints the shells in various coloured patterns and places them throughout our retirement village. 

[Jeff Tanyard]

Some of the flowers have bloomed.  Azaleas and bearded irises.  If you look carefully, you can see a dusting of pollen on the petals of the irises.








Only the purple irises have bloomed so far.  The other colors have yet to appear.

Black cherry tree has flowered.  Expecting fruit again in a couple of months.

Holly trees and presumed-to-be-Rubus plants have buds on them, so they should bloom in the coming weeks.

[Jeff Tanyard]

Holly trees are in bloom.  The air is tinged with the wonderful scent of holly flowers.   





The flowers don't last long at all, maybe a day or two.  They're constantly raining down from the tree as they fall off.  But there are many buds, and they don't all bloom at once, so that stretches the blooming period out a bit.  The pollinating insects are all over it, creating a nice background buzz.

Something else has started to bloom, too:





Looks like I was right about that mystery weed.   

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackberry

Looking forward to picking some fruit at some point.