Gardening 2020

[Norachan]

My tulips are just starting to open. Most were new bulbs bought last year. Though you'll see some that just sent up leaves

I think I'll give up on the tulips. These were last years tulips in planters.

Let them flower and brown, dug them up before the monsoon started and replanted them in October. All I got was one flower!


Even the new tulips I bought in October didn't do very well. They got buds on them, but they didn't open. Just shriveled and died.

Michele planted some lilies last year, but they didn't do anything, so I dug them up and relocated them, and this year they are coming up just fine.

I moved the wild azalea bush I found last year and it's doing much better now. Loads of flowers this year. Yay, I did something right!

The ferns are opening now, and we have loads of wild purple flowers too.

I don't know what the purple ones are, but they attract loads of honey bees and they're very pretty.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I think some of my beans are starting to come up. I need to hurry up and get bunny fencing around that bed so I can put bird netting over it. Anyone want to come give me a hand?

 

[rubysmama]

I twist my daffodils and tie them so they don't look as straggly -

That's pretty ingenious.

Let them flower and brown, dug them up before the monsoon started and replanted them in October. All I got was one flower!

Frustrating, isn't it.

 

[di and bob]

The most common reason for tulips not blooming or doing well is they are planted too deep. Bone meal given at the time of planting does help too.
This year is moving year so the garden is kinda on the back burner. But you know how that goes! We moved several of our raised beds and I planted onions strawberries and peppers in them, only twelve tomato plants and after a torrential rain lost half of them already due to being too wet. Replanted, we'll see....I hate the idea of starting all over again, my soil was finally beautiful. Now I have gumbo hardpan that is drowning plants and doesn't want to grow anything. we added three-year-old composted manure from a neighboring farm, and have tilled in grass clippings but it didn't help much, yet. Maybe better next year!

 

[WillowMarie]

Absolutely I always knew fort worth was out of the question for me for those reasons! Dallas is a big city and metropolitan but still behind the other big cities. Ideals are still relatively old fashioned in general. I think things like that will change with time but I want to enjoy good food and nature NOW. I really miss fresh seafood. Where did you end up moving to from Fort Worth?

I think I'll give up on the tulips. These were last years tulips in planters.
View attachment 335371
Let them flower and brown, dug them up before the monsoon started and replanted them in October. All I got was one flower!


Even the new tulips I bought in October didn't do very well. They got buds on them, but they didn't open. Just shriveled and died.
View attachment 335372View attachment 335373


I moved the wild azalea bush I found last year and it's doing much better now. Loads of flowers this year. Yay, I did something right!

View attachment 335374
The ferns are opening now, and we have loads of wild purple flowers too.
View attachment 335376

View attachment 335377
I don't know what the purple ones are, but they attract loads of honey bees and they're very pretty.

Beautiful flowers. Especially love the fern with the curled fronds <3

Anyone want to come give me a hand?

I wish! Getting outside more would be great for me.

 

[WillowMarie]

The mushrooms exploded overnight! The timeline doesn't show them "pinning" until Friday, but looks like they are pinning now.

 

[NY cat man]

The most common reason for tulips not blooming or doing well is they are planted too deep. Bone meal given at the time of planting does help too.
This year is moving year so the garden is kinda on the back burner. But you know how that goes! We moved several of our raised beds and I planted onions strawberries and peppers in them, only twelve tomato plants and after a torrential rain lost half of them already due to being too wet. Replanted, we'll see....I hate the idea of starting all over again, my soil was finally beautiful. Now I have gumbo hardpan that is drowning plants and doesn't want to grow anything. we added three-year-old composted manure from a neighboring farm, and have tilled in grass clippings but it didn't help much, yet. Maybe better next year!

We have really heavy clay only a few inches below ground level, and it is an ongoing effort to improve it. I compost our grass clippings for a couple of years before using them, but each year add in peat moss, perlite, and mushroom compost and till everything together. It seems to be helping, with a little less hardpan each succeeding year, but the battle continues.

 

[catapault]

di and bob Two suggestions for your gumbo soil. And one benefit of clay soils is that they are often nutrient-rich.

Number 1 - get hay bales and plop right on top of soil, then plant right into the hay bales. There's lots of information out on the web. As the hay disintegrates in a year or two just dig it into the soil beneath it. Earthworms will have been working the rotting material into the soil.

Number 2 - gypsum will - fancy word here - flocculate the clay particles. That means they clump up and will drain better. Just remember to use a generous amount of the gypsum, not a fine dusting.

Actually here's a third one. Number 3) Plant something like daikon radish. Their long roots will penetrate the soil. Leave them there to rot, down in the soil. Look on the Johnny's Selected Seed site for more information.

Number 1 will at least get you going this year. It all takes time but the results are worth it.

 

[Winchester]

I took the last of the asparagus last night for dinner. Most of the bean plants are now up, but we had to cover them due to yet another frost warning. We got down to 35, ridiculous for May, IMO.
Norachan , your pictures are so pretty. We pretty much stopped planting tulips. We think the mice and moles are chewing on the tulip bulbs. We should probably plant them in cages.
W WillowMarie Your mushrooms look quite interesting!

 

[WillowMarie]

I took the last of the asparagus last night for dinner. Most of the bean plants are now up, but we had to cover them due to yet another frost warning. We got down to 35, ridiculous for May, IMO.
Norachan , your pictures are so pretty. We pretty much stopped planting tulips. We think the mice and moles are chewing on the tulip bulbs. We should probably plant them in cages.
W WillowMarie Your mushrooms look quite interesting!

How's your home grown asparagus taste? Is it different tasting than store bought like other veggies?

Don't they?? Excited to what they end up like!

 

[posiepurrs]

I finally planted my annual seedlings yesterday that I started earlier. I also got my tomatoes in the ground - FINALLY! They had been transplanted into quart sized pots because they grew so large. Now if Percy, the ground hog will leave everything alone! I also got my green beans planted. Now to figure out where to put all the peppers I started and plant the cucumbers. I still have flower seeds to plant too.

 

[WillowMarie]

I finally planted my annual seedlings yesterday that I started earlier. I also got my tomatoes in the ground - FINALLY! They had been transplanted into quart sized pots because they grew so large. Now if Percy, the ground hog will leave everything alone! I also got my green beans planted. Now to figure out where to put all the peppers I started and plant the cucumbers. I still have flower seeds to plant too.

Love how the local groundhog is named Percy <3

What annual seedlings and flower seeds are you/will you be planting? How long has your tomato plant been growing? I planted some tomato seeds last week. Waiting for them to sprout and will transplant into a 5 gal. bucket once big enough.

Of the other seeds I've planted, the lettuce seeds have sprouted! Some were started indoors (sprouted) and some were started outside in a window box style planter.

 

[WillowMarie]

My mushrooms have exploded the past couple of days and look like actual mushrooms now!

Yesterday:

This morning:

 

[foxxycat]

Need to catch up...lots going on-the perennials are just starting to come up-for some reason my yard is always 2 weeks behind everyone else..I bought 3 colors of petunia waves on ebay again-they are now completely hardened off and will be going into containers this weekend-too hot today..

I have to pick up some tidal wave petunias and night Shade ones at the local fancy garden center-then will put them in the ground soon..only veggies I am growing this year are potatoes and beans. I don't have the patience to deal with pots of tomatoes this year.

The forget me nots are blooming and the vinca/periwinkle. The lupine are just starting to grow their leaves...Lilacs starting to bud-I think this spring will be a good one..

AbbysMom I love the idea about the daffodil greens-I think I will do the same. Mine are still blooming but on way out.

 

[NY cat man]

I finally got my tomato plants in the ground, after sitting on a window sill ever since I bought them. The only good thing is that they got so tall and spindly that when I dug the trenches, there was a lot of stalk to bury with the roots. We also visited our favorite greenhouse today. I needed a couple of low-growing perennials to shade the clematis roots, so I got a couple of coreopsis- the 'Daybreak' variety of tickseed. They only get between 8 and 12" high, but that's all I need.

 

[Norachan]

It rained a lot this week. The ferns were really happy about it.

 

[posiepurrs]

What annual seedlings and flower seeds are you/will you be planting? How long has your tomato plant been growing?

I planted annual dahlia, stock, celosia, veronica, and snapdragons. I seeded (so far) flax, annual and perennial poppies, shasta daisy, butterfly weed, gaillardia, african daisy, iopomis (not sure of the spelling) also called hummingbird flower. So far some have not come up so I doubt they will. I also have coleus, delphiniums, hollyhock, tall butterfly weed, and carnation plants I started from seed to be planted. I have more flower seeds to sow yet - sunflowers, helichrysum, amaranthus, babys breath, bachelor buttons, marigolds, larkspur, and more balsam. My tomatoes were planted at the beginning of March. I would have started almost everything inside to get a head start, but I ran out of room and grow lights. My goal is to someday have a greenhouse to do all of this in. Fat chance of that happening!

 

[Tworagdolls]

I’m late with everything because of the lockdown. My little city allotment has become overgrown as they were closed for the last while. I popped down today and this is what greeted me.



But I cleared a small piece and planted the red and white swirl beetroot, coloured beets and radishes this morning.



And I planted up some courgettes, sweet corn, sprouting broccoli, various salads, pumpkin and dwarf french beans.



I hope something works out. As it’s late, I’ll be happy with a small (but delicious) harvest. I’ve ordered young tomato and cucumber plants as it’s too late to start from seed. Summer is short here.

 

[WillowMarie]

It rained a lot this week. The ferns were really happy about it.
View attachment 335724

Just beautiful! When I was in North Carolina for school, many of the walking trails had ferns. Very green and lively to see. Is this your yard?? Love more natural looks like this.

I planted annual dahlia, stock, celosia, veronica, and snapdragons. I seeded (so far) flax, annual and perennial poppies, shasta daisy, butterfly weed, gaillardia, african daisy, iopomis (not sure of the spelling) also called hummingbird flower. So far some have not come up so I doubt they will. I also have coleus, delphiniums, hollyhock, tall butterfly weed, and carnation plants I started from seed to be planted. I have more flower seeds to sow yet - sunflowers, helichrysum, amaranthus, babys breath, bachelor buttons, marigolds, larkspur, and more balsam. My tomatoes were planted at the beginning of March. I would have started almost everything inside to get a head start, but I ran out of room and grow lights. My goal is to someday have a greenhouse to do all of this in. Fat chance of that happening!

Nice. Butterfly weed! That is also a native and very beneficial plant.

I hear ya on the greenhouse. After watching a youtube video of someone giving updates on their succulent selection, which was housed in a greenhouse, it excited me to own one some day! That would hold a lot of plants. Are there any specific plants you'd grow specifically in the greenhouse when you acquire one?

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I looked at putting in a small greenhouse a few years ago. I took 2 years of Floriculture in high school and I loved working in the big greenhouse. It was going to go where I had DH till for corn this year. Maybe in the future I will get something; but shopping the garden centers is fun choosing new plants.

Many of my beans and limas are up now. I was out there Thursday evening and I thought I saw some poking through. They are all around 2” tall now!

We had some crazy rain go through that flooded some nearby strawberry fields. DH had already cleaned our gutters once but I guess we underestimated how many maple seeds had fallen afterwards. And leaves from a windstorm we had last week. The gutters overflowed over my petunia planters and splattered the house with dirt. This is before I cleaned up but after I scooted the planter over. I have 3 other pots sitting in the sun. One I had forgotten to punch the drain hole in the bottom and it was completely waterlogged. DH helped me get that done and water just poured out like coffee. I did find a little frog on the planter. He wasn’t too happy with my moving everything around.

On the positive side; the gutters are clean again! I do need to replace a little potting soil that was washed out. Its just hot and humid at the moment!