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Let's Talk about Gardens

Posted by Rosemary, Volunteer Mentor @rosemarya, Mar 31, 2020

Spring is on it's way and many of us are looking forward to some sunshine and warmer weather and being outdoors...and gardens!
Perhaps you look forward to digging in the fresh spring time soil as you prepare for a summer garden? Do you plant flowers? Do you plant vegetables?
Do you garden for enjoyment? Do you garden for health benefits? What do you want to share about your garden?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Just Want to Talk Support Group.

Mentor
Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | May 2, 2020
In reply to @jimhd "Some of the things I call weeds in my yard are wildflowers on someone else's property...." + (show)
@jimhd

Some of the things I call weeds in my yard are wildflowers on someone else's property. Bachelor's Buttons could become weeds because they are such fertile reproducers. I have mounds of them that two years ago were a dozen spindly looking plants. There's another plant, I think called the money tree, that falls into that same group. The purple flowers are so pretty in early summer, then they produce round pods that resemble silver dollars. I have to work to limit the space they think belongs to them. They and the buttons, along with feverfew seem to be duking it out, choking out other perennials. I'd like to get them started in an untended area, without supplementing its water needs. Alfalfa and bitterbrush, rabbitbrush, orange mallow along with a few flowers that I'd have to get up and go to the reference section of our home library to look up their names. I decided a few years ago that I'd leave that space untended rather than keeping it mowed. It's around a quarter acre. I've been planting evergreen trees out there. Blue spruce, Austrian Pine, and another pine whose name I can't remember. Oregon grape is pushing its way through the fence that separates the yard from the untended area. I'd plant some juniper trees, but they can become invasive, and they rob all of the water from anything else close by. There's one at the edge of the backyard that the neighbor's cows like to use as shade.

Somehow, choke cherry planted itself in the fenced garden, and this year killed two evergreen shrubs and is encroaching on everythin within reach. It sends out roots from which more chokers keep coming up. It's a challenge to keep it confined to its space, and I don't water it because I don't want to encourage it. I suppose I should borrow a backhoe and pull it out, but if I didn't get every piece of root, it would continue in its quest to take over the world.

We had a little rain today, so I didn't get as much time in the yard as I'd planned. Oh well, tomorrow's another day. I appreciate the rain.

Jim

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@jimhd That's always the problem with naturalizing - identifying the garden thugs before they get out of control. My nemesis is Canada Anemone - an innocent looking little leaf with a white flower in the center - it hitchhiked in here with something else 20 years ago and I've been pulling it ever since. There are others that need assertive digging and pulling, but that is my worst.
On a happy note, our Minnesota weather is cooperating now that I'm home and I got one bed cleared out this afternoon. My goal is a bed a day for the next week and a half. Then my "diggers" come in to thin out selected perennials - they get to take half of what is dug, the rest usually goes to our Master Gardener Plant Sale, but this year it was cancelled, so I'll sell them through Nextdoor and donate the proceeds. The diggers became my way to get the job done several years ago when I was ill, now the new gardeners near me look forward to it - lots of nice perennials, mostly natives, in exchange for a bit of labor. And I have become a friend and garden mentor to several of them.
Tomorrow I place a bulk order for veggies and plants for pots and hanging baskets for 5 friends and myself with a local grower whose greenhouse is closed to the public. I will pickup curbside, then do driveway dropoffs of the orders. Just trying to help out a small business in this tough time.
All this helps to distract me from my sadness at not being able to hug my kids and grands right now.
Happy gardening.
Sue

REPLY
Ellen | @helenfrances | May 2, 2020
In reply to @parus "@gingerw Again, unfortunate we are not closer in miles. We could have tea, pull weeds and..." + (show)
@parus

@gingerw Again, unfortunate we are not closer in miles. We could have tea, pull weeds and solve the problems of the world-or not. I could teach you much about the green and growing things. Playing in the dirt is also cathartic for me. I don't plant annuals until after Mother's Day as covering them due to a late frost does not seem appealing to me.
@jimhd I hope you were able to pull some weeds. As for pulling weeds in the landscapes at stores I am guilty as well. I have been known to even dead head roses and perennials to keep them blooming. Worse yet, I dead head flowers in garden centers. It is truly an affliction or sure a type of disorder or syndrome and without a doubt chronic.

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I bet the garden centers want to hire you!

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Mentor
Rosemary, Volunteer Mentor | @rosemarya | May 3, 2020

I drove past the local greenhouse display setup yesterday. As I was sitting in my car and "window" shopping before placing an online order, I learned that I could walk thru the display and select what I wanted, which is what I have done in the previous seasons. So tomorrow morning I am on a garden mission before the Mother's Day and the amateur gardiners get there!
I can almost taste the tomatoes already.

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1 reply
Mentor
Jim, Volunteer Mentor | @jimhd | May 3, 2020
In reply to @gingerw "@jimhd I need to get a book to help me identify the plants/weeds/groundcover in our yard!..." + (show)
@gingerw

@jimhd I need to get a book to help me identify the plants/weeds/groundcover in our yard! Like @zep said, we can grow weeds really well! The lawn is mostly weeds, big healthy ones. The other night we had a covey of mountain quail picking through the grass. This was different, as we regularly see the California quail here. The big rain storm we had today will bring more growth, no doubt. My mother would always say that weeding relaxed her, and she had a green thumb [that gene missed me!]. Well, I should be well-relaxed in a few weeks.

Dang it! I spent a lot of time cutting down the japanese burberry bush right in front of the house, and there are new shoots already starting. grrr! There are two more to severely trim back. Sounds like a trip to the dump coming up soon.
Ginger

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@gingerw @sueinmn I thumbed through two books last night Weeds of the West, several authors, and Sagebrush Country, Robert Taylor, and made a list of shrubs and flowers on our place - Greasewood, bunch grass, cheat grass, Tumble mustard, Pigweed, Dock, Bull thistle, Canada thistle, Russian thistle, Puncture vine, and 3 that I didn't find in the books. I collected seeds along the wayside of Highway 97 in California, near the Oregon border, from prickly poppy, and several kinds of cactus from several places. I noticed that bachelor button was listed as a wildflower. Works for me. I like perennials, as long as I can keep them in their places.

Jim

REPLY
Funcountess | @funcountess | May 3, 2020

Hello Jim,
I grow Orchid Cactus, they are in large pots on my side retaining wall. My variety is the big yellow flowers that grow on the cactus sides. They come in many colors. They survive the cold weather in winter, and need little water.
Maybe look them Up since you like cactus.
Funcountess

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1 reply
Mentor
Jim, Volunteer Mentor | @jimhd | May 3, 2020
In reply to @funcountess "Hello Jim, I grow Orchid Cactus, they are in large pots on my side retaining wall...." + (show)
@funcountess

Hello Jim,
I grow Orchid Cactus, they are in large pots on my side retaining wall. My variety is the big yellow flowers that grow on the cactus sides. They come in many colors. They survive the cold weather in winter, and need little water.
Maybe look them Up since you like cactus.
Funcountess

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@funcountess Are they hardy to -10? I have a collection indoors, but don't ask me their names. My cactus guide is out in the garage, and I won't get out there until tomorrow. My feet and back are hurting too much to take any non-essential steps.

This week I laid a path from the deck to the cellar, using 12" pavers. Today I trundled dirt with my wheelbarrow from the pile out at the northwest corner of our place to the new path. I needed to put quite a bit of dirt next to the path to make it level with the lawn. Several years ago I made the path, two pavers wide. Over time the shrub and a bunch of blue fescue clumps had grown and nearly covered the path. So I moved the pavers a bit and pruned the shrub (the name of which is buried somewhere in the back of my brain) and made the path three pavers wide. A lot of work down on my knees.

After moving dirt and some rocks to put next to the path, I weeded my Barnabas garden. Barnabas was my service dog for 7 years, and one night he had a stroke or some other brain event and couldn't walk. Having him put down the next morning was a really distressing job. At the vet's office they have a quiet room, and I sat next to him and cried for an hour. One of our neighbors came over with his bobcat and dug a big grave for Barnabas. I planted an orange wild rose, along with several other things, to mark his new home.

I put the Barnabas garden next to the fence, which may not have been the best place. Our neighbors have their field in pasture grass, with 2 or 3 cuttings a year, and their grass makes its way to our side of the fence, so it's an ongoing chore keeping the fence line clean. That accounts for 90% of the weeds in his garden.

Time for supper now.

Jim

REPLY
3 replies
Funcountess | @funcountess | May 3, 2020
In reply to @jimhd "@funcountess Are they hardy to -10? I have a collection indoors, but don't ask me their..." + (show)
@jimhd

@funcountess Are they hardy to -10? I have a collection indoors, but don't ask me their names. My cactus guide is out in the garage, and I won't get out there until tomorrow. My feet and back are hurting too much to take any non-essential steps.

This week I laid a path from the deck to the cellar, using 12" pavers. Today I trundled dirt with my wheelbarrow from the pile out at the northwest corner of our place to the new path. I needed to put quite a bit of dirt next to the path to make it level with the lawn. Several years ago I made the path, two pavers wide. Over time the shrub and a bunch of blue fescue clumps had grown and nearly covered the path. So I moved the pavers a bit and pruned the shrub (the name of which is buried somewhere in the back of my brain) and made the path three pavers wide. A lot of work down on my knees.

After moving dirt and some rocks to put next to the path, I weeded my Barnabas garden. Barnabas was my service dog for 7 years, and one night he had a stroke or some other brain event and couldn't walk. Having him put down the next morning was a really distressing job. At the vet's office they have a quiet room, and I sat next to him and cried for an hour. One of our neighbors came over with his bobcat and dug a big grave for Barnabas. I planted an orange wild rose, along with several other things, to mark his new home.

I put the Barnabas garden next to the fence, which may not have been the best place. Our neighbors have their field in pasture grass, with 2 or 3 cuttings a year, and their grass makes its way to our side of the fence, so it's an ongoing chore keeping the fence line clean. That accounts for 90% of the weeds in his garden.

Time for supper now.

Jim

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Jim, I don’t know exactly where you live. You mentioned the Columbia gorge, so I am guessing Oregon. I don’t know if the orchid cactus live in real, real cold weather. I get frost in the winter, and the orchid cactus do o.k. Right now it is full of giant yellow flowers.the flowers bloom all spring, and summer. It is a easy plant to grow.
Your land sounds big, do you have many acres?
My property is very big, I also have a big hill in the back, and smaller hill on the side.
There is a path up the hill that I sometimes walk up, and can look out at the hills/mountains.
On a clear night you can see all the stars, and a lot of Owls flying around. One time last summer a big white owl came within inches of my head. He must of thought I was pray or something. Now I wear a hat, don’t want an owl that close to me.
I know how you feel about losing a pet dog. They are family. It does leave a void in your life, and heart.
Do you have a SUNSET book? It has all the plants that will live in an area. Mine is for California, but I’m sure they print for other parts of the U.S.
You did a lot of work with pavers. Did you have help?
Take care,
Funcountess

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1 reply
lioness | @lioness | May 3, 2020

@funcountess Funny you mention Owl,s when I was up at our camp just sat down when this big white owl came out of nowhere scared me and he wasn't expecting to see a human I decked and he took of upwards What a site it was love to see owls . Something you dont forget

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Mentor
Jim, Volunteer Mentor | @jimhd | May 4, 2020
In reply to @funcountess "Jim, I don’t know exactly where you live. You mentioned the Columbia gorge, so I am..." + (show)
@funcountess

Jim, I don’t know exactly where you live. You mentioned the Columbia gorge, so I am guessing Oregon. I don’t know if the orchid cactus live in real, real cold weather. I get frost in the winter, and the orchid cactus do o.k. Right now it is full of giant yellow flowers.the flowers bloom all spring, and summer. It is a easy plant to grow.
Your land sounds big, do you have many acres?
My property is very big, I also have a big hill in the back, and smaller hill on the side.
There is a path up the hill that I sometimes walk up, and can look out at the hills/mountains.
On a clear night you can see all the stars, and a lot of Owls flying around. One time last summer a big white owl came within inches of my head. He must of thought I was pray or something. Now I wear a hat, don’t want an owl that close to me.
I know how you feel about losing a pet dog. They are family. It does leave a void in your life, and heart.
Do you have a SUNSET book? It has all the plants that will live in an area. Mine is for California, but I’m sure they print for other parts of the U.S.
You did a lot of work with pavers. Did you have help?
Take care,
Funcountess

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@funcountess I live in central Oregon, which is high desert. I think it's around 3000' elevation, and it gets cold and stays cold, quite a bit more than just a frost.
I have a cellar that stays between 40 and 55 year round, and I keep the summer patio plants down there under grow lights when it starts to get close to freezing.

I do everything myself. I have a Sunset garden book, learned a lot from reading a lot of books and websites. Gardening is a challenge here, with deer and coyotes and hungry birds and earwigs.

We have 10 acres, with 7.3 acres irrigated with water rights. When we moved here it didn't take long to see that the previous owner wasn't big on maintenance. The first thing we had to do was replace the old field fence with horse no-climb. That's a lot of fence and fence posts. We met a couple with two young sons who needed a place for their horses and the boys' 4H animals. They used the pasture and barn in exchange for them to put up the fence and take care of the irrigation until a year ago. Then a neighbor asked if they could lease our pasture for cows and horses in exchange for doing the irrigation and upgrading the ground. They put a gate in our fence that makes it really convenient for them to move the animals from my pasture to their corral.

Our house is a little higher than town so we have a good view of the valley and the Cascades. The isolation associated with the corona virus isn't all that different from the way we already live. We enjoy our space, quiet and dark enough to see the milky way. Sounds like you can say the same about your home.

Jim

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wildcat | @wildcat | May 4, 2020
In reply to @rosemarya "I drove past the local greenhouse display setup yesterday. As I was sitting in my car..." + (show)
@rosemarya

I drove past the local greenhouse display setup yesterday. As I was sitting in my car and "window" shopping before placing an online order, I learned that I could walk thru the display and select what I wanted, which is what I have done in the previous seasons. So tomorrow morning I am on a garden mission before the Mother's Day and the amateur gardiners get there!
I can almost taste the tomatoes already.

Jump to this post

Yes, i know that feeling! My delivery from my local garden centre arrived last week and I spent a glorious, sunny week-end planting my tomatoes, courgettes, ( zuccini to you folks!) and a few bedding plants. The joy of starting the growing season was wonderful especially as I had feared it would never come. Just to bring me down to earth, I changed my medication this morning from Prograf to Adaport. Despite lots of assurances from my Transplant Team and, just as importantly, information from my friends on Mayo Connect, I should not have any concerns but, it is strange to say goodbye to the drug that has kept me alive for the last few years. We've had our difficult moments but, by and large, it's been a good relationship. Enough worry, back to my garden......

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