The 2024 Gardening Thread

[nurseangel]

Winchester I am sorry. I just saw this. Thank you for asking. DH tore a tendon and developed a Dupychen's contracture in his thumb. They had to do a tendon graft from another finger. He is doing good, but the cast gets on his nerves. Plus, he has to be really careful about his thumb, because if he reinjures it, they won't be able to repair it.

DH brought me my first tomato from the garden. I haven't eaten it, it needs to rippen a bit more. It came from that Patio tomato I was complaining about.

I went to check on my blueberry bush maybe a week ago and it was covered with red blueberries. I need to check it again before the Japanese beetles notice and start making flight reservations from all over the country. (If anyone ever wonders where the Japanese beetles 🪲 went, they are at my house.) My blueberry bush has a rather crude name: Big blueberry, but it is the only one I have ever gotten to live and produce a significant crop.

 

[rubysmama]

I need to check it again before the Japanese beetles notice and start making flight reservations from all over the country. (If anyone ever wonders where the Japanese beetles 🪲 went, they are at my house.)

Ugh... I so hate those Japanese beetles. I haven't seen any yet this year though. Maybe they've all headed to your house.

 

[nurseangel]

rubysmama You can bet the farm they are here.

 

[NY cat man]

I have been treating the lawn and gardens with milky spore, which is supposed to kill off the larvae of the Japanese beetle, but is harmless to other animals. We shall see if it works, as I need to make one more application.

 

[rubysmama]

I have been treating the lawn and gardens with milky spore, which is supposed to kill off the larvae of the Japanese beetle, but is harmless to other animals. We shall see if it works, as I need to make one more application.

Let us know if it works. I usually don't see them this early, so fear they just haven't matured into beetle form yet.

 

[IzzysfureverMom]

I have been treating the lawn and gardens with milky spore, which is supposed to kill off the larvae of the Japanese beetle, but is harmless to other animals. We shall see if it works, as I need to make one more application.

I use Milky Spore here for Japanese Beetles. In previous years they have decimated our Crape Mrytles. Milky Spore definitely got our numbers of beetles way down last year.

 

[NY cat man]

I warned you; more pictures incoming
This is called simply a giant tree lily. The blossoms are almost 7" across. We started with 3, and now have 6

The Hello Screamer day lilies are adding to the color. They are pretty while they last

Another day lily, Best Seller, is starting to come on

Next up, the Ernest Markham clematis

Cheyenne Spirit coneflower

And last- at least for now- the Coral Craze coneflower

 

[nurseangel]

I don't know what milky spore is, but I would have a yard full of it instead of grass if it kept away Japanese beetles.

I have a question maybe someone here can help me with. A few years ago, before I hurt my back, we took a mini-vacation to Tiger World (they draw some roadside zoo controversy, but their big cats are mostly rescues from private homes and or/abuse situations. They seem to be well taken care of).

Anyway, I had been searching for daffodil and crocus bulbs online, as I couldn't find them in local stores. They were outrageously priced on a popular website, even though they got terrible reviews.

The other couple had a Sam's Club membership and on the way home from Tiger World, we stopped there. To my delight, I found two 50 count bags of the exact bulbs I wanted. Only $14.99 a bag. Due to reasons that I don't think were my fault, the bulbs were never put in the ground. They have been stored in a curio cabinet, which is used for well, storage. It's been over three years. Do you think the bulbs are still good? I'll have to pay someone to plant them, and I was wondering if there is any chance they'll be okay for fall planting.

 

[NY cat man]

I don't know what milky spore is, but I would have a yard full of it instead of grass if it kept away Japanese beetles.

I have a question maybe someone here can help me with. A few years ago, before I hurt my back, we took a mini-vacation to Tiger World (they draw some roadside zoo controversy, but their big cats are mostly rescues from private homes and or/abuse situations. They seem to be well taken care of).

Anyway, I had been searching for daffodil and crocus bulbs online, as I couldn't find them in local stores. They were outrageously priced on a popular website, even though they got terrible reviews.

The other couple had a Sam's Club membership and on the way home from Tiger World, we stopped there. To my delight, I found two 50 count bags of the exact bulbs I wanted. Only $14.99 a bag. Due to reasons that I don't think were my fault, the bulbs were never put in the ground. They have been stored in a curio cabinet, which is used for well, storage. It's been over three years. Do you think the bulbs are still good? I'll have to pay someone to plant them, and I was wondering if there is any chance they'll be okay for fall planting.

I don't know if they would be good or not, but what you could try is to take a few at random and put them in pots. If they sprout, then you're good to go. If they don't, you're not.

 

[rubysmama]

They have been stored in a curio cabinet, which is used for well, storage. It's been over three years. Do you think the bulbs are still good? I'll have to pay someone to plant them, and I was wondering if there is any chance they'll be okay for fall planting.

N NY cat man 's idea should work. I also googled, and found this:

 

[IzzysfureverMom]

If they are dried out or soft toss them. If they are good and firm they should be fine to plant.

 

[NY cat man]

I have a bit of a puzzlement. A few years back, Michele got me an order from Breck's, which included two packages of day lily bare roots, with two roots in each. One was Best Seller, and the other was Hello Screamer. Both pairs have flourished, but there is a noticeable color difference between the blooms of the two Hello Screamer plants, which wasn't there at first, but has gradually gotten more pronounced. To wit:

Both photos were taken at the same time, so the lighting is the same. Ideas?

 

[Kris107]

I need some ideas. This will be the last year for the delphiniums, as each year it seems that just as they reach full bloom, we get a rainstorm that breaks the stems. I have tried tying them up, but the flower clusters get so heavy that the stalks can't support them, and while they are pretty, they're not worth the aggravation any more. The part of the garden where they are located gets only partial sun, and is about thirty inches front to back. I love that deep blue color, but am undecided as to what to put in as a replacement. We are in zone 6A here, if that helps.

Campanula superba? It's purple though...

 

[IzzysfureverMom]

I have a bit of a puzzlement. A few years back, Michele got me an order from Breck's, which included two packages of day lily bare roots, with two roots in each. One was Best Seller, and the other was Hello Screamer. Both pairs have flourished, but there is a noticeable color difference between the blooms of the two Hello Screamer plants, which wasn't there at first, but has gradually gotten more pronounced. To wit:View attachment 479407View attachment 479408
Both photos were taken at the same time, so the lighting is the same. Ideas?

I have noticed a year to year change in some plants.I tend to attribute changes to changes in the soil. Like difference in compost, fertilizer and other additives.

 

[NY cat man]

I have noticed a year to year change in some plants.I tend to attribute changes to changes in the soil. Like difference in compost, fertilizer and other additives.

Not likely, as the plants are only about 18" apart in the garden,so what one gets, the other gets as well.

 

[IzzysfureverMom]

Burpees sources plants near and far US, UK Holland, India and so on. Maybe your two bare roots came from to different locations that somehow made a change in there color difference .

 

[NY cat man]

Burpees sources plants near and far US, UK Holland, India and so on. Maybe your two bare roots came from to different locations that somehow made a change in there color difference .

I just checked with Breck's, and the closest thing I could find for the lighter one is now called Frosty Elegance, and the darker is now called Inkheart. Hello Screamer is no longer listed

 

[IzzysfureverMom]

So they may just be out of stock for the season of Hello Screamer ...... Or they could have made substitutions without letting you know?
I have been sent items from various companies That I have not ordered. When I catch it and called the item I ordered was not available.

 

[NY cat man]

So they may just be out of stock for the season of Hello Screamer ...... Or they could have made substitutions without letting you know?
I have been sent items from various companies That I have not ordered. When I catch it and called the item I ordered was not available.

More likely is that they just discontinued that name in favor of something else. Kind of like car makers do.

 

[NY cat man]

Garden update: the Japanese beetles showed up, but nowhere near as many, and for two days only, then they were gone. My traps also caught maybe 3 or 4 dozen, rather than the usual hundreds. I guess the milky spore is having an effect on the numbers.
Speaking of; I put down the summer application this morning, and was in the process of watering it in when I saw a butterfly moth on one of the phlox that are coming into full bloom now. We don't see them very often around here; maybe one or two a year.
Another thing I've noticed is that there have been no aphids on the butterfly plants so far this year, whereas they are usually covered with them by now. Concurrently, I have seen a lot more ladybugs this year, so maybe.........?