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@gingerw @funcountess @sueinmn and others.
Rosa rugosa - I've had them for around 15 years, and have never experienced anything like suckers or invasiveness. Interesting. Maybe the climate here keeps them in check. I figure that they aren't attractive to the deer because of the thousands of thorns. In my last residence I had put bird netting over a flower bed where I had a rugosa. A friend told me one day, after I found the netting was gone, that he had seen a buck wearing the netting in his antlers. As @sueinmn mentioned, which I didn't know, they're in the wild rose family (did I get that right, Sue?), and I like wild roses. I dug up a start of an orange one that's in full bloom right now. I haven't seen deer eating them. I'll try to figure out how to share a picture of it. I'm wanting to get a start of a yellow one, as soon as I can figure out where to put it. The orange one is on Barnabas' burial mound.
I mentioned my vigorous yellow clematis tangutica. It was well out of bounds, and I have to keep it cut back off the deck stairs. I did a radical pruning on it a couple of weeks ago. My wife doesn't like it but I'm the one who does the outdoor stuff, so I don't always consult with her.
I planted more asparagus and made a strawberry bed today, and it should go without saying that I weeded. I tend to be OCD about weeds.
I think that the problem I had the past few days was a side effect of Prednisone, which I started on Thursday. I was mowing and had to keep stopping and resting and felt like I was going to pass out. No problem today, thankfully.
@funcountess I like hostas. They're a shade loving plant, and are mostly a foliage plant, though they do have blossoms. I suspect that rabbits would think that you had put them out for their dining pleasure.
Jim
Replies to "@gingerw @funcountess @sueinmn and others. Rosa rugosa - I've had them for around 15 years, and..."
@jimhd I agree that rugosas act differently in different places and soil types. I live in sand, where many things "go wild". My m-i-l lived in rock/clay in the very Northern part of MN, and her bush behaved nicely - didn't even try to climb her stucco.
@funcountess I am familiar with hostas and there are so many varieties to choose from it can be mind-boggling. HOWEVER, Jim is right, rabbits lover tender young hosta plants, so you need to protect them. I do this with a spray called "Deer and Rabbit Repellent" that I spray on every 2 weeks or after a heavy rain until the plants are full-sized. Other considerations - slugs love to munch on hosta leaves and hide under them, so if they are a problem in your area, you have to deal with them. Many hostas need to be divided every 3-5 years to stay healthy and look their best. If you have someone to do that, life is good. If you have to wrangle them yourself it can be a chore.
@gingerw Watching your new yard is a great idea. It's especially good to watch the sun/shade patterns to know what will grow best in each spot. When you're ready to buy, ask neighbors for starts or buy locally grown plants for best success. Here's another tip - watch later this summer at yard sales and big box stores for containers on sale. Vegetables, other than greens, need pots with a capacity of at least 5 gallons, so the investment can be significant if bought at full price.
Happy gardening everyone.
Sue
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Hi Jim,
Gardner’s have been at house since 7:00a.m. They said the nursery they buy their plants from have never heard of deer eating roses, and the Rosa rugosa can be invasive, it does depend on species.
It’s best to always contact a local nursery in your area, since they know the growing habits and weather conditions.
They need to pull another damaged tree out, and will replace with 2 very tall bushes, probably oleander.
Since you are on Rx try not to work outside when it’s hot. I go outside very early, or after the sun is over the mountains.
Between 10:00a.m. and 5:00p.m. During summer I’m in.
Funcountess