The 2019 Gardening Thread.

[MoochNNoodles]

President Grevy

I just looked that up. VERY pretty!!

I decided to get my mulch when I was out and I came home with a hydrangea too. I keep talking about getting one; so I decided it's time to just do it! It was only $17; so not bad. I'm tempted to go back for a 2nd that is supposed to get a little bigger. I'm going to put it along the side where I need privacy. They will screen our patio a bit when they are full grown.

 

[DreamerRose]

It IS pretty, and it doesn't sucker much.

 

[NY cat man]

I just looked that up. VERY pretty!!

I decided to get my mulch when I was out and I came home with a hydrangea too. I keep talking about getting one; so I decided it's time to just do it! It was only $17; so not bad. I'm tempted to go back for a 2nd that is supposed to get a little bigger. I'm going to put it along the side where I need privacy. They will screen our patio a bit when they are full grown.

If you have the room, I would get another- or 2. From what I have been reading, and from shows like Ask This Old House, it is better to cluster plants together to create a better effect. That is, if you have the room to do it.

 

[rubysmama]

I was more afraid to try the color because it's around edibles.

That makes sense.

I need a good source of newspaper since we don't buy them normally.

Do you have any free community papers? We have some that you can pick up in some stores / malls, so that's were I get my supply.

 

[foxxycat]

go on craigslist/facebook etc and put up an ad you want free papers-there will be people saying come get mine!

The tire pumpkins have gotten bigger. I will have to post a picture.

Jon took the lawn mower and completely cut down everything down there to the right of the tires..he's gonna do the rest by hand. Told him he will sink in if he goes in there with the tractor.

One year I left old rotted tomatoes in the ground where they were growing, the following year in June=guess what started growing??? These things you can't kill. So yes even if it's a store bought one-toss it in dirt=it will grow I guarantee it. Same with potatoes. Cut them in cubes=plant it-you will get potatoes.

Love lilacs. Mine are still blooming but almost finished. The Daisies are just about to open up. Lupine starting to grow stalks too.

Last night made a new garden and planted my Zinnias in a long double line. Gonna put tomotos and petunias there to fill in..

 

[NY cat man]

My family used to have a compost pile, and every year we would get plants like tomatoes, pumpkins, and squash growing there.

 

[foxxycat]

Ok here's some pictures

Zinnias are almost ready to open

Here's the new garden I'm digging up. Doing a little bit every day . I planted most of the Zinnias I bought from Ebay...this was my goal anyways. In the larger section going to put tomatoes and marigolds there.

My tire garden is coming along nicely

We got a good amount of rain last night so all barrels are full.

 

[foxxycat]

Here's the bloom booster and tomato fertilizer that I use. I get them on Amazon but many garden centers not big box stores will carry Jack's brand. It is added once every 2 weeks. Ive been surprised by how big my petunias are now with it.

Here's a lupine almost ready to open up.

 

[NY cat man]

Our PBS station had a program on last night about growing plants that are indigenous to this area, and now I have ideas for next year. The plant that most interested me was lobelia cardinalis, or Cardinal flower. Does anyone have experience growing them? They seem to be well adapted to my particular situation, but ironically, none of the local growers carry them.

 

[Mother Dragon]

We're harvesting our Sweet Million grape tomatoes. They're really prolific. So are the jalapeños. Most of the herbs have gone crazy. Even the super-hot peppers have made, and they usually aren't ripe until about October. The only thing not prolific is the basil, or maybe I'm just harvesting too often. There's no such thing as too much basil.

 

[Norachan]

The tire pumpkins have gotten bigger. I will have to post a picture.

Are they pumpkins? They look happy in those tires. My compost heap Kabocha are looking pretty good. Won't it be ironic if the only vegetables I can grow are from seeds I toss into the 'post?

Here's a lupine almost ready to open up.

I love the leaves, they look like umbrellas. I was hoping last years lupines might come back, but no sign of them.

Cardinal flower

I just googled them, beautiful colours. I wonder if these are the same thing? I buy them every year, they last for ages and they do really well even in our soil.

Here's my hosta.

foxxycat what do you think this is, could it be some kind of wild Hosta? We have about half a dozen of them in one corner of the enclosure.

A few pics of the deck. These were taken about a week ago, everything has come on a bit more since then.

The monsoon started today, that usually turns the enclosure into a jungle.

 

[LTS3]

go on craigslist/facebook etc and put up an ad you want free papers-there will be people saying come get mine!

Try FreeCycle, too.

Maybe ask around local stores, offices, etc for any old newspapers sitting in the recycle bins? Is there a local college? The student center often has newspapers, both paid and the free kind, available. Maybe you can ask to have old newspapers before they go into the recycle bin.

 

[posiepurrs]

foxxycat what do you think this is, could it be some kind of wild Hosta? We have about half a dozen of them in one corner of the enclosure.

That is a hosta.

I wonder if these are the same thing? I buy them every year, they last for ages and they do really well even in our soil.

It appears to be a red salvia. It seems to have square stems like members of the mint family, while in the video the cardinal flower appears to have round stems, being a member of the lobelia family. Here is a video of the cardinal flower and how to identify it.
cardinal flower perennial - Bing video

I have never had any luck with lupines. The aphids love them more than I do so I gave up on them.

 

[NY cat man]

We're harvesting our Sweet Million grape tomatoes. They're really prolific. So are the jalapeños. Most of the herbs have gone crazy. Even the super-hot peppers have made, and they usually aren't ripe until about October. The only thing not prolific is the basil, or maybe I'm just harvesting too often. There's no such thing as too much basil.

Lucky you. The only thing we are harvesting is the bumper crop of mosquitos from all of the rain.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I'm going to ask around for more newspapers. Someone has to have them.

If you have the room, I would get another- or 2. From what I have been reading, and from shows like Ask This Old House, it is better to cluster plants together to create a better effect. That is, if you have the room to do it.

I do have room and I think I'd like to do 3 altogether. I went out to measure about how much space they should take up. I have a corner where we used to have pine trees (we had them all down the side of the property when we bought it; but they were uncared for and started dying off). There are 1.25 left just over the fence. One fell years ago and the old property owner just left the 6' tall stump. It's full of bugs. But the new property owner said he plans to knock it down. I don't know why he hasn't yet. But he will have to eventually since its a rental property for him.

Anyway... If I put 3 of them in an L shape in the corner they should eventually make a privacy screen both from the front and the side near our patio. Then we can start adding the Emerald Green Arborvitae and get privacy from the side. It looks like all the varieties I looked at get about 5 feet tall. That will be nicer than looking at the neighbors place all day any day.


Did you know it's a myth that pine needles make soil more acidic? I remember hearing that from childhood. I was thinking because of all the pine trees that have been in that area that I'd end up with blue blooms on the hydrangeas. I came across an article on that the other day. I've never had our soil tested and my veggie gardens are all raised beds with brought-in soil; so I have no idea what colors I'll end up with. That could be fun though!

 

[DreamerRose]

Our PBS station had a program on last night about growing plants that are indigenous to this area, and now I have ideas for next year. The plant that most interested me was lobelia cardinalis, or Cardinal flower. Does anyone have experience growing them? They seem to be well adapted to my particular situation, but ironically, none of the local growers carry them.

I've tried the Cardinal flower. It requires a very wet site, almost a bog. You will have to order it online. Mine didn't survive our summer desert.

 

[NY cat man]

I did locate a couple of places where I can buy them, neither of them local. One is near Rochester and the other near Dansville. Day trip, anyone?

 

[catapault]

Pine needles decay very slowly so have minimal effect on altering soil pH. Sold in bales as "pine straw" in the Carolinas where people use them for mulch. Very nice around strawberries - rain easily penetrates but fruit stays clean and dry.

Mophead hydrangeas are either pink or blue. Alterations to raise pH (more lime) will intensify the pink, turn blues muddy. Reverse and acidify the soil (lower pH with ferrous sulphate) and blues will be brighter, pinks become muddy.

If you want Lobelia cardinalis ask your local nature center for a source. Hummingbirds love the flowers. Plants tolerate damp conditions, do just fine with average soil here in New Jersey.

 

[posiepurrs]

“It looks like all the varieties I looked at get about 5 feet tall” The emerald green arborvitae gets 10-15 feet tall, with a 2-3 foot spread. Remember too that they also have to be pruned so you don’t get dead centers.

 

[CatLover49]

I would love to do some gardening...but I live in an apartment complex n they dont allow it