The 2022 Gardening Thread

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posiepurrs

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Always thrilled when the daffodils start blooming! The other photo is of just part of my seedlings I have started. I have 12 trays still inside, 5-6 already hardened off outside waiting to be planted.
 

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NY cat man

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Our daffodils are still about 2 weeks off from blooming, but the fumewort is starting, as are the grape hyacinth. The tulips are well up, and maybe 3 weeks to a month from bloom, weather depending. All of my seedlings are up, and I started some more beans so as to stagger the crop.
The ground is still fairly wet, so progress in weeding and mulching- I use aged manure- has been held up, but I have been able to work up the new ground a couple of times, although it still needs amendments worked in before it's usable.
 

NY cat man

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After a seemingly endless battle with the weather, the new planting bed is finally finished and ready for the seedlings to go in.
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I was pretty close with my guess about the tulips, as they started opening yesterday.
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The fumewort are starting to fade, but the daffodils and hyacinths are doing nicely yet.
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And, finally, Michele's English daisies are poking up through the remains of the dwarf crocus.
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MoochNNoodles

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That bed is gorgeous N NY cat man ! I was just reading about Portage Gardening and the person had brick and stone beds. We’ve had to add wood around my raised beds every few years. It makes my bunny fencing not fit so I add a patch. :rolleyes2:

The kids and I went to the garden center today and picked up my flowers for the year and a couple tomato plants and one pepper. I hope to get them all planted tomorrow. Time to pull out the potting bench!
 

MoochNNoodles

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Does anyone have tips for keeping ants from nesting in flower pots?

This is the 2nd year ants have moved into my flower pots where I had them stacked empty. Last year they did it in my shed so this year I left them on a table under the wood shed. I spent half an hour yesterday hosing each pot out thoroughly before planting but I'm hoping they won't move back in! So gross!! I mean it was literally over 10 pots with ant nests in each one. And then since I flooded them from their homes they were trying to crawl up ME. 😩 :angrywoman: Which reminds me... my clothes are still in the garage where I left them! :lol:

DD and I also found a bunny nest in one of my raised beds for veggies. The hole was exposed and empty but there was a lot of fur. So I don't know if they aren't finished making the nest or something got in there. Either way I guess I'm not planting there this year! DH wanted me to let it rest; maybe this is a sign I should.
 

catapault

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MoochNNoodles MoochNNoodles I have not had this problem but when you stack the empty flower pots for winter storage why not put an ant trap or two, or a couple of mothballs, between every few pots.
 

MoochNNoodles

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MoochNNoodles MoochNNoodles I have not had this problem but when you stack the empty flower pots for winter storage why not put an ant trap or two, or a couple of mothballs, between every few pots.
That's a good idea. I know I've read that ants leave scent trails to food sources. They shouldn't be finding food in the emptied pots; but maybe I should try a soap and water washing when I empty them too in case theres something attracting them to the pots aside from a nice, dry and dark space to build nests. I should google how ants choose nest sites. That might help and maybe I won't find myself washing pots this fall. :lol:
 

susanm9006

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A little experimental planting today. I was at Aldi’s a couple of weeks ago and they had a great selection of bare root shrubs and trees for $14.99, and I should have picked some up then but didn’t. Stopped by today and there were only a few remaining, none looking too healthy, but on close out for $1.99 each. So I picked up and planted some Sedum, which does look like it might survive, and a River Birch, which I give about a 20% chance. It had no buds and hardly any roots but heck for that price worth taking a chance on.
 

NY cat man

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I finally got to put some of my seedlings in the ground yesterday. There were 3 varieties of cherry tomato and a seedless cucumber that went into the new bed, while the string beans are not ready just yet. I also have some common milkweed seedlings coming along, but they aren't ready for the ground yet, either.
 

Jem

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Gardening question....
I have forget me not and black eyed susan seeds that I would like to put in my flower beds this year. It says I can sow them now but I can't find how far apart I should put the seeds. Do I just try to evenly sprinkle them about? Does one seed make one flower/stem or a plant cluster?
Will the forget me nots/susans help choke out unwanted weeds/grass in my beds?
Thanks!
 

MoochNNoodles

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I know the black eyed susans will spread and need to be thinned. They do take over where my mom had them but I haven’t gotten around to putting any in here yet either so I’m not sure how starting from seed will go.
 

posiepurrs

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A few shots of some of my flowers. I have the vegetable garden about half planted. Garlic( planted last fall), onions, celery, cabbage, potatoes, hot peppers, bell, peppers, tomatoes, sweet English peas, squash- zucchini and yellow, collards, mustard, dill, cumin, sesame, and basil, as well as borage and marigolds. Still need to plant my beans (black, pinto, kidney, pole), black eye peas, purple hull peas, watermelon, cantaloupe, and pumpkin.
 

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susanm9006

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It’s alive! 39 days ago I planted a bare root river birch that I had bought on close out from Aldis for $1.99. Every few days I have gone out and not seen any signs of life, just a bare stick coming out of the ground. Online resources said it can take up to six weeks to see any signs that the tree is alive but given its poor start I was losing hope. Today, at 5.6 weeks, I finally saw the tiniest bit of green starting to show and I am so thrilled!
 

NY cat man

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Now that the weather has actually acted according to the calendar, things are starting to pop, both the flowers and vegetables.
The cherry tomatoes are about the size of marbles, after I started them from seeds.
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I have cucumbers that are about 4" long- also from seeds.
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The dianthus are in full flower
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As are Michele's 'Must See' lilies
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The Coreopsis have really put on a growth spurt this year
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As have the Widow's Tears
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The 'Wizard of Ahhs' Veronica are doing nicely
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And finally- at least for this post, anyway- the 'Million Dollar Blue' Delphinium are starting to open up.
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MoochNNoodles

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Gorgeous N NY cat man !!

I have picked a couple cherry tomatoes to eat so far. I have peppers that just need to ripen and tomatoes are growing too. I waited to plant the container corn so that's a few inches now.

My rose bushes got hit with something but I've been spraying them and they are coming back well. My potted flowers mostly look well. The "Queen of Hearts" petunia is insanely large! Something killed my gerbera daisy. I've never had that happen. I need to get something to replace it. But pretty much everything else looks really nice.
 

NY cat man

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More from the garden:
We just picked up a new lily from a local greenhouse. It is called 'Sunny Keys', and all I need to do is find a suitable place to plant it
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Both clematis- the Purple bells and Ernest Markham- are doing well and blooming like crazy.
Purple bells
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Ernest Markham
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The Stella d'Oro daylilies are coming on strong, as per usual
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The 'Blue Star' sea holly may be on it's last legs, but it has looked nice
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And, finally, the butterfly weed is exploding with blossoms.
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We have had problems with aphids on these for the last 2 years, but this year, while at the greenhouse, we saw a display of ladybugs and praying mantis egg cases for sale and decided to give it a try. There were over a hundred ladybugs in the container when I released them around the garden, and I hope that they eat hearty
The grower where I usually got my tomato plants has been closed for the last 2 years, which is why I went with seeds this year. So far, it seems to be working out.
 

NY cat man

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Is that a kind of milkweed? I have a huge one here, but the blossoms are a different colour.

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It is in the same Asclepias family as milkweed. Michele got some common milkweed seeds, and, just like it said on the package, it is quite difficult to get started. Out of 24 seeds, only 4 seedlings emerged, but since I planted them they seem to be taking hold in the garden.
I also have several other Asclepias planted that I got as bare-root plants last year. They are 'Summer Zest', from Breck's.
 
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