One thing I should have realised with this mulch. The primary source is chipped gum trees so the pile absolutely reeks of eucalyptus. I should never get a cold again.
Thanks, gardentraveler, this year I’m doing the beds and other ‘late start’ projects since we didn’t get into the house until March. Next year during dormancy I’ll tackle my real passion, getting some new oak trees in place, to replace a lightning damaged one and an open space.
Cat Whisperer, I definately have to provide enough shade to keep my Japanese Maples happy through our summers. Hurricanes are a threat too as Ike’s winds killed my biggest one at the old place. Their beautiful color and leaf shapes make it worthwhile though.
Wile E BoPs do really well in containers. That might give you the sun and protection you desire.
Cicero, I took a cameraphone pic of my mulch pile to share w/ you but I can’t figure out how or just don’t have the mechanism in place to put it on my computer or Flickr. I have some other great pics to share of the yard too but I guess will need to locate the real camera in some moving box.
Ellen, I’d give anything if dogwoods did well here. I tried two and lost 'em both.
Rhodos and Japanese maples are both iffy here, but by God, we can do dogwoods! 
Japanese maples seem to do well in central Ohio. I’m hoping to get at least a couple in the next few years. The crabapples in front of my house are getting old and I’m starting to figure out how to replace them. (I’m already growing a magnolia under one of them.) I’m also going to have to replace the cherry tree in back. I’ll probably go with a couple of dwarf cherry trees because I LOVE tart cherries and love to be able to make cherry jam.
Cicero: better eucalyptus than manure. I like pine bark in part because it smells nice…
Weather hasn’t been very cooperative for planting during the week and it looks like we’re about to get more rain. I’m hoping to be able to get containers planted, at least. I should be able to plant them in the garage and then cart them out to where they’ll live.
Square foot gardening used to be one of my favorite PBS shows, or was it on some cable station? Can’t remember… way back in the early nineties, I do believe
See, I was almost thinking of treating my planters as a hydroponic garden in some ways, to overcome the “stunting” factor… Constant infusement of a perfect nutrition and water to the highly formulated compost bed.
Currently, I have them resting on concrete. I have seen some recommendations of raising the planters with brick shims to allow best drainage and I assume aeration of the roots from underneath. Do you think it is wise to raise the pots instead of keeping them flat on concrete?
I was reading about some dwarf sour cherries that they are developing for the Canadian prairies - they’re looking to create an industry with them. They’re small, round bushes of cherries that can grow on the prairies (down to Zone 3, I imagine), and have a short, rounded form that can be harvested with harvesting machines. I’d love to get one of those - my mom makes me sour cherry jam that is to die for, and these cherries are supposed to be good even for eating, not just jam and baking. It would be a nice addition to my nanking cherry and saskatoon berry shrubs out back.
Very nice use of custom titles!
:eek: That. Is. Astonishing!
My Lebanese friend that gave me persimmons from his yard is taking me to pick out a tree soon. They’re my new favorite fruit. He’s also shown me pics of their house and plants back in Lebanon, particularly after the last conflict there as he lamented the destruction. “Garden of Eden-like” is an apt descriptor. Magnificent clusters of grapes grown up on their 2nd story patio. I’d love to try gardening in a Mediterranean environment. Endless new possibilities.
I found the camera and took a bunch of yard pics yesterday. I’ll try and get them up in a day or two.
Anybody build their own raised garden beds? I’m wondering what type of wood is best, can you use treated wood and if not doesn’t untreated wood rot faster in contact with soil and water?
I have a space behind some Ilex bushes in my front yard. I think I will have to put a raised bed there so plants could get some sun. There were originally azaleas back there but they died and in the meantime the ilex got bigger and fuller so anything new might not get as much sun if planted at ground level with the ilex.
Thank you.
I would use treated lumber for a raised bed - my back bed has lumber surrounding it, and I can see that it is definitely rotting below the surface. We’re going to be replacing fences and gates and stuff around here in the next couple of years, I suspect.
I use treated wood for raised beds. You can also get expensive woods that resist rot naturally. Anything else can rot out in a couple years.
Wile E woods like cedar or redwood can make good raised beds. Anything that doesnt rot quickly - so you could even use cinderblocks or brick if you wanted to.
Here in Northern CA, we are just waiting for some sun. We’ve had a pattern of being colder than average, by almost 10 degrees, and weekly rain, if not more often. My tomatoes are sulky and my peppers are worse. The lettuce that I thought I got into the ground way too late is loving it though!
For really stubborn, huge weeds I’ve started to pour boiling water on them and it seems to kill them. Does anyone know if this kills the taproot or just the top growth? I don’t want to use pesticides, if it can be avoided.
Gah - every time I check the longterm forecast, the lows for this weekend are getting closer and closer to freezing. I was saying to Jim yesterday that I might be out there putting pillowcases on all my cotoneaster hedge plants, except I don’t have 20 pillowcases! We knew we were taking a chance putting the hedge in already, but since we need 32 plants, we didn’t want to take a chance on not being able to get enough. This weekend every gardener in Calgary will be in the greenhouses buying their plants (it’s started already - I was in the greenhouse picking up my viburnum for the front bed today, and it was pretty busy). Fingers crossed that it stays above freezing from now until, oh, November.
Well, I’m going to try to get a little gardening in before the snow and freezing temperatures tomorrow. Sigh.
I finally got our plot ready for planting today. It is literally the first day all damn month that I’ve been able to get anything done out there–on the handful of days that it’s not been pissing down rain or waterlogged from it pissing down rain the day before, I’ve either been working till 7pm or out of town.
Our plot is pretty small, especially by local standards where most people who raise a garden grow enough to can, but it’s enough for the two of us. We usually put out a half dozen or so tomatoes of various types, a few peppers (though the bell ones never do much), some eggplant, some sort of squash, and whatever oddball odds and ends appeal to us as we’re out shopping. I’m hoping we’ll get most of it in the ground tomorrow, but you just never know.
What is secret to green peppers? I’m feeling more cheerful about the tomatoes, pretty much all the seeds came up. I planted out 40 arugula yesterday and now have to prepare the bed for the other 60 or so in seed pots, and sort something out for the tomatoes - the packet says they need support, plus it’s pretty windy around here - some sort of windbreak/support system is needed. I’ve only just cleared the land so there’s all sorts of wild tamarind roots sticking up through the bed.
Some serious downpours and a black horizon mean I’ll be dashing in and out trying to get that ready without getting too wet but it’s all good, the ground will be easier to turn over.
I am anxiously awaiting the results of the Round Up and hopefully the end of my noxious weed problem. I covered my garden with a tarp to stop any new weeds from sprouting and am looking into garden mesh. The only problem with mesh is I have a lot of seeds I would like to plant.
I have been busy at my clients planting and moving around her perennials. She has a beautiful sloped rock garden and just had her front re-landscaped with new shrubs and some perennials. Yesterday I spent 2 hours fertilizing everything with Oscomite. I put down a bag of black mulch which is new for me. I am used to brown mulch.
I talked her into tall pink garden phlox which should be coming out soon. If anyone needs some color that lasts about 2 to four weeks weeks midsummer tall garden phlox are pretty and they come back to zone 4 and up. I’m zone 4.
The perennial geraniums and Roto’s are flowering now and the carpet phlox are finishing up.
Bam Boo, I can’t grow green peppers up here in zone 4 but in Ct growing up, my Mom had some beauties. This was her secret. ((Full sun and good dirt and support)) if needed. We lived on the ocean and used composed seaweed but if you can find some black rich dirt enriched with composed manure it will help.
First find out what your soil is. If it is sandy or clay dig it up and wheel barrel it away and replace it with good dirt. I never supplement lousy soil. If it light colored, clayish or pale get rid of it and replace it.
Only water from the bottom. No shade. If you live on the ocean collect seaweed and rinse it well with a hose and them put it in the compost bin or pile for next year. It stinks so you may want to use a bin and give it a year to break down.
It’s the old 1 dollar plant 10 dollar hole thing that works. Vegies like roses are heavy feeders so you need full sun and some rich soil for healthy plants. I use Oscomite and one application lasts a whole season. Good luck!
I think they may be calling them Zone 4 to cover their asses - people grow them successfully all over the place here (Zone 3 with a Chinook Asterisk). They call A LOT of things Zone 4 that are tougher than that. I’m not sure why this is; it makes it more difficult to garden here when I never know if a plant is a true Zone 4 or a Cover Your Ass Zone 4. I’ll usually try one anyway, or plant it close to the house.
I think I’ll take your advice on the crappy soil next time. I’ve got a small bed by the house that I’m re-conditioning; I thought it was good soil that had just been left to dry out, but I’m having a hell of a time getting it worked back to good. I wish I’d just dug it out and replaced it with 3-in-1 mix and topsoil (I have plenty of topsoil in my yard).
I built myself a little raised veggie/herb bed yesterday, using salvaged pieces of a spare fence panel I had (the closeboarded type). Two fence planks high and only about 6’ x 4’, but it still took me most of the day and had my arms aching from digging up the turf. I doubt if it will last too long as the panels are not very thick and stong, but it’s only an experiment!
I’ve planted mangetout, radishes, chives, parsley, fennel, coriander (although I have since read you’re not meant to plant coriander and fennel close to each other!), and we have tomatoes and chillis at an early stage in the mini greenhouse (one of those frames with a plastic cover).