The 2021 Gardening Thread

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NY cat man

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It has been over 2 weeks since these tulips budded. Due to the cold, overcast, and rainy weather we have had, the bloom process has halted right here
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There has been no change at all, but with some sun and warmer temps,they should be opening up soon- I hope..
 

WillowMarie

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Do you do that too? I cart a big tray load of cacti and succulents outside every sunny morning. Great exercise for the arm muscles.

:lol:
Yup! Not sure how much I did it last year since I started late, but this year I for sure am! I also brought them in last year, at least on the enclosed deck but maybe all the way inside, if there are wind warnings or tornado watches, etc. if I'm worried the plants are tall enough to get damaged.

Is that a rollable cart??? My succulents and cacti are in 3 trays, which I carry them in. I carried them all the way inside last year overnight, but started just bringing them onto the porch this year. I'm just worried animals may find them overnight and not sure I want anyone eating them! Yes, it is great exercise! How heavy are yours?
 

posiepurrs

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I have my cart that I used to carry my supplies from when I was showing the cats that I use to move mine in and out. I will be THRILLED when I don't have to do that any longer! I was at Lowes the other day and saw that they had Itoh Peonies. I wanted to buy one so badly! I was to cheap to do it though - $60 is a little pricey for me. They had a yellow one, which is what I have always wanted. What are your dream plants? Besides the Itoh, I would love to have camellias (wrong growing zone), some old fashioned climbing roses for a nonexistent arbor- it is in the plan, and some Japanese Iris.
 

di and bob

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We are STILL trying to plant tomatoes and cantaloupe here, it has just been too cool and windy. Lows in the lower 40' s . After tonight, lows in the 50' s. I think we will go ahead and plant our cantaloupe and put hot caps on them. It will take the seed a while to come up. My plants are getting too big!
 

WillowMarie

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It will be nice not having to move supplies and plants anymore

What are your dream plants?
Honestly, I'd be happy if my strawberries seeds germinated this year! Hm... I've always wanted a succulent that looks like a mini tree. One of mine is getting bigger and starting to resemble palm tree style, with tall stalk and just leaves at the top. My Jade may be similar to a mini tree as it grows, esp. if I trimmed the leaves just right. It is very slow growing, but the stem is getting very thick and maybe almost woody. So I'm excited to watch that one keep growing!

I'd also love to have succulents that would do well out here in the winter. Hen and chicks should work, although my mom is redoing the gardens so I haven't tried getting any and planting in the yard, haha. But something to look forward to when I have my own place!
 

MoochNNoodles

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I haven't been moving my tomatoes and peppers. It's been cool but not so cold that I've had to move them. They are up against my house on the patio for now so that probably helps some too.

I have been wanting a light yellow or possibly cream rose bush to honor Noodles. 💛 Yellow is suppsoed to be the color of friendship so I think that would be nice. I don't want a dark yellow though. Our Lowes had some yellow knockout roses last week and my mother was planning to take me to get a new plant for mother's day. So maybe I'll find one whenever we get to go.

Lilacs are my absolute favorite and I deffinitely want more of those. The first 2 I had didn't survive. We got 2 more and one is ok and the other is barely hanging in there. I see a lot around here so I know they SHOULD do ok. I think I need to try them on the other side of my house. The garden center where I got them closed so I have to stick with Lowes I guess.

I really like peonys and camillas also but I don't think they will do well here. Maybe if my house faced the other direction; but I don't see where i could put some in that they'd get protection from the sun at the right time of day.
 

rubysmama

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Lilacs are my absolute favorite and I deffinitely want more of those. The first 2 I had didn't survive. We got 2 more and one is ok and the other is barely hanging in there. I see a lot around here so I know they SHOULD do ok. I think I need to try them on the other side of my house.
Lilacs need sun to bloom. Or at least the old fashioned ones do. I had 3 in my yard, and 2 bloomed every year. One *might* get 1 or 2 flowers, but usually none, as it didn't get much sun. I eventually cut it down. The other 2 tend to have one good year of blooms, followed by a not so good year. Last year was a bad year. This year is shaping up to be a good one. They seem to be ahead of schedule, like everything else this year, and will probably be in bloom in a week or 2.

I really like peonys and camillas also but I don't think they will do well here. Maybe if my house faced the other direction; but I don't see where i could put some in that they'd get protection from the sun at the right time of day.
I have a peony in the front of my house, which is south facing, and it does well. I think they actually need sun. But I think the main thing is they need a climate that has below freezing temps for a period of time each winter. Mine started sprouting really early this year, and I was afraid it would get frost damage, but it's now thriving and will probably bloom sooner than usual too.
 

MoochNNoodles

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Lilacs need sun to bloom. Or at least the old fashioned ones do. I had 3 in my yard, and 2 bloomed every year. One *might* get 1 or 2 flowers, but usually none, as it didn't get much sun. I eventually cut it down. The other 2 tend to have one good year of blooms, followed by a not so good year. Last year was a bad year. This year is shaping up to be a good one. They seem to be ahead of schedule, like everything else this year, and will probably be in bloom in a week or 2.



I have a peony in the front of my house, which is south facing, and it does well. I think they actually need sun. But I think the main thing is they need a climate that has below freezing temps for a period of time each winter. Mine started sprouting really early this year, and I was afraid it would get frost damage, but it's now thriving and will probably bloom sooner than usual too.
I'm not sure what killed my first 2. I got that white stuff on them last year. That killed part of it but the rest is ok. My house sits at a bit of a south-west angle and summer temperatures are 80s and 90s and occasinally over 100. August is humid. I have a tall privet hedge at the back that blocks morning sun; and then the afternoon sun tends to be scortching. I have roses in the front that do well but it can feel absolutely baking on that side in the summer. We used to have a big tree in the front yard for shade but DH thought it was rotting so we had it taken down before it could be a danger to the house.

I tried hydrangeas on the opposite side and those got too much sun no matter how much i watered. They looked crispy. The lilacs get a good mix of sun and shade. That side of my house actually looks nicer than the rest landscape wise. It's not super wide but the neighbor has a bradford pear and pine tree on her side. I've got the lilacs on the outside and then lillys against the house. The grass grows better there too. Too bad it's the least seen part of the yard! :lol:

When/how do you prune your lilacs? I know i need to get the dead parts off and that they bloom on old growth not new.

Whatever i end up choosing will go in the backyard where i tried to put the hydrangeas. There is one tall pine in the neighbor's yard; but otherwise it's pretty open and gets that end of day sun. I had sunflowers against that side of the house last year and they did well. I'm waiting for those to sprout.
 

rubysmama

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I'm not sure what killed my first 2. I got that white stuff on them last year. That killed part of it but the rest is ok.
Powdery Mildew maybe? I think mine have gotten that too, but not bad enough to kill them.

When/how do you prune your lilacs? I know i need to get the dead parts off and that they bloom on old growth not new.
Except for cutting off some badly growing branches when I first bought the house, I don't regularly prune them. I know I should. And every year after they finish blooming, I tell myself it's time, but I never quite get around to it. I think needing to use a ladder is a deterrent, as I have a bit of a fear of falling.

I decided to start a little garden out back. Going to need some lawn edging and then going to build a steel frame to keep the squirrels out.
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Looks good. :)

It got up to 60° today, with plenty of sun, and the first blooms have opened on the amsonia.View attachment 380312
Beautiful.

Here's a couple pics from my gardens.

My mini rhododendron:
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Tulips:
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posiepurrs

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"When/how do you prune your lilacs?" Right after they finish blooming. As for the white stuff, probably powdery mildew. It is unattractive but not fatal. Mine get it every year. Humidity contributes to developing it so if it is particularly humid look for it.
 
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NY cat man

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"When/how do you prune your lilacs?" Right after they finish blooming. As for the white stuff, probably powdery mildew. It is unattractive but not fatal. Mine get it every year. Humidity contributes to developing it so if it is particularly humid look for it.
I guess that phlox are prone to that, so I hit them regularly with neem oil, as it seems to have worked so far.
 

NY cat man

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Thursday, the 'Storm Cloud' had a handful of opened blossoms. Today, it's a full-on eruption.
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Also, I'm kind of surprised at how long that Michele's new tulips have remained in bloom
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Graceful-Lily

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I spent the evening installing the edging. Not sure if you guys can see it. It's that black rubber you see just on the top around the garden bed. I didn't have to put it all around because the parts that are touching the stones already have an edging there.
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The zucchinis really need to be planted outside. I don't have adequate lighting indoors for them. The peas seem to be fine. I set some squash seeds in my fish tank and they sprouted already. I planted them in dirt tonight also.
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MoochNNoodles

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I finally got my corn in the ground today. DD helped a lot with hauling the composted manure and getting it spread in the corn patch. DH worked on the rose bushes I got yesterday thanks to my mother. We needed more soil so only one is in the ground now.

I need to get fresh pictures tomorrow. Tonight I’m ready to sleep!
 

NY cat man

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Those black tulips- called Queen of the Night, from what I have seen on various sites- have finally opened, and it looks like another one is just budded out.
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The only thing that is different is that last year, I dug up the beds to make room for other plants, and then replanted all of the bulbs that I found. I don't recall any black tulips previous to this year..
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The 'Storm Cloud' amsonia are now also fully in bloom.
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So, too, are the English daisies.
 
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