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@sueinmn That is a great system. I would love to live in your neighborhood and soak up lessons from you and your garden. I am a budding gardener, having successfully avoided that most of my life. Cactus/succulents and roses are happy with me, because they all are pretty much ignored. Gardening is like fire-tending, you gotta keep after it. I lose my concentration, or get involved in other stuff, and forget. Just as we moved here, I met a fellow Zentangle teacher who lives in the next town down the interstate. She is a master gardener per her proclamation. I would love to get tips from her for our property, but she only came out here once, and claimed it was too far to go!
@jimhd and @funcountess I have an orchid cactus on its way this weekend from southern California. It will be fine for here until the winter, then I will have to think what to do. No greenhouse, no cellar, no extra room for plants to overwinter.
Ginger
Replies to "@sueinmn That is a great system. I would love to live in your neighborhood and soak..."
Hello Ginger,
I called a plant nursery this a.m. the man said there are many varieties of orchid cactus, and some do better in very cold weather then others. He said generally the darker the flower the more hardy the plant is.
The one you are getting was it in the ground, or a planter container?
Do you have a covered patio, where you can keep it during the winter, or near your front door, maybe near a window inside?
You can always buy that green netting nurseries use, just make sure it has holes in it,so the plant gets air and sunlight.
I had no idea Oregon gets so cold, always thought it had moderate temperature.
I learned something new.
How long did your beautiful quilt take you to make, and when did you find the time if you had a full time job.?
With me it’s about time and energy, some days I have plenty of energy, and keep going all day long with cleaning and chores, other days not so much.
Take care,
Funcountess
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@ginger As for maintenance, mulch is your friend! I would not be able to tend my beds without it - 4" deep over everything, it conserves moisture, keeps the weeds down, and as it breaks down it feeds the soil.
As for being a Master Gardener, it is not a title one adopts, it is conferred through participation in education and volunteer service through a land grant university. I work in two states - Minnesota & Texas - so vastly different!
And wow, is this a different experience with Covid-19 - instead of being out in the community, doing plant sales and educational booths, we are trying to do what we can remotely as our governor and board of regents have prohibited in person contact until July.
Today I have a Zoom meeting to figure out how to schedule Zoom "Ask a Master Gardener Booth" sessions for the Saturday mornings and Wednesday afternoons we typically spend doing this in garden centers and farmers markets. The local garden centers have agreed to put up posters for us if we do it. And many of us will be doing weekly "This week in my garden" educational spots for our county Master Gardener Facebook account. I will be showing planting and tending my straw bale vegetable row along the garage, among other topics.
As far as losing focus, I do it too. It works really well for me to have a dedicated time to walk the yard each day, and make a mental plan. If the weather is good, I do it first thing in the morning, before or after my walk, with a cup of coffee in hand. And now, being "locked in" at home, I have set a plan for 2 hours after lunch in the garden each day - this will be Day 4, hope I can make it a habit.
Happy Gardening
Sue
PS - where are you located? I think you may be able to overwinter the orchid cactus outdoors with protection.