BS: Seed Catalogs comin' in the Mailbox

Subject: RE: BS: Seed Catologs comin' in the Mailbox
From: Janie
Date: 12 Dec 05 - 03:47 PM

Where the biggest dahlia bed is now, I planted a very late blooming perennial sunflower 2 years ago and I will let it take over the entire bed. I've never been able to key it out. It blooms in October here and grows 6 to 10 feet in height. Early-spring, that bed already has daffodils and tulips. Midspring Cerise Queen yarrow is scattered through it, and tuberoses in summer. I will probably also go scatter some opium poppy seeds to bloom in May. The sunflower does not really start growing up until late spring and the other stuff should do well enough around and under it. I'm not real sure what I'll do in other places. I'm moving more and more toward natives and plants that naturalize easily.


Maybe it is just because I have so many of the dahlias, but the rest of the garden was being neglected as I tried to keep up with deadheading. I have big cages around them that I built, but they get so big that they still needed additional staking, and/or many would topple the cages during high wind. In general, I found the selections I grew exceeded their expected height by 1 1/2 -2/12 feet. They also require supplemental watering here, and I am trying to move away from having to routinely irrigate.

If I can legally ship dahlias to California and you want any of mine you can have divisions. (same offer to the rest of my fellow "12-steppers" of the garden. Let me feed your addiction!) I've got photos of all of them, or can direct you to photos of them on the Swan Island website.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Seed Catologs comin' in the Mailbox
From: Janie
Date: 12 Dec 05 - 03:48 PM

You got a greenhouse!!!????

Janie, green with envy.

Subject: RE: BS: Seed Catologs comin' in the Mailbox
From: open mike
Date: 12 Dec 05 - 04:13 PM

and it isn't even christmas yet...
you must have opened your prezzie early!
shame on you...

yes i would love to give a home to dahlias..
they do well here..no need to dig in winter
(hopefully) at least in my former garden I
was a bit higher elevation...here the frost
settles...do you think that mulching will be
sufficient in this zone..let's see what zone
am i? checking on this...

Subject: RE: BS: Seed Catologs comin' in the Mailbox
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Dec 05 - 04:31 PM

I saw a really cute and functional greenhouse for sale at a tool outlet store in the U.S. called Harbor Freight. I don't know how broadly their stores are distributed, but I found a nice little model of it yesterday when I was looking for some storage bins. This structure is a bit too small (not tall or wide enough) but it is along the right lines. A friend of mine has a big plastic one they bought at Sam's Club many years ago and it is really quite durable and well designed. It looks very elegant out in their back yard.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Seed Catologs comin' in the Mailbox
From: Janie
Date: 12 Dec 05 - 04:44 PM

OK dahlia lovers. Assuming they all overwinter, you can go to www.dahlias.com (or dahlia.com) and look up the varieties I've listed below. PM me with your list if you want some of them. First come First served. I also have a few more that are not in the Swan Island catalog. Dahlia divisions are heavy so I may ask you to help me with postage. I will probably dig them mid April and won't know how many divisions I will have of each until then.

Gitt's Perfection, Oregon Reign, Banana Rama, Bold Accent, Chilson's Pride, Gitt's Attention, Herbert Smith, Lady Liberty, Nadine Jessie, smarty Pants, Snow Flake, Ted's Choice, Victoria Ann, Voodoo, Jennifer's Wedding, Miss Delilah and Who dun It.

Love,

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Seed Catologs comin' in the Mailbox
From: Cats
Date: 12 Dec 05 - 05:01 PM

Yes I got a greenhouse. We moved into a 400 year old house just over a year ago and the garden had been under sheets of black plastic for over 4 years. In the last year we have brought it back to life and I decided that for my pressie I wanted my partner, father out law and brother to buy me a greenhouse. I ordered it last week and it arrived yesterday. It's a 4 x 6 lean to variety, and will fix against my woodshed, but after Christmas we have to level the area out and start putting it together... anyone know any greenhouse putting together shanties? I have a very good farmer neighbour who brings me as much well rotted manure as I want, he brought me a tractor load when we first started on the garden and two more sacks last week for my rhubarb crowns. I know, most people put custard on their rhubarb......

Subject: RE: BS: Seed Catologs comin' in the Mailbox
From: Janie
Date: 14 Dec 05 - 11:07 AM

Oh Boy! Two more catalogs and Horticulture Magazine came yesterday. The wholesale catalogs that started coming in early December are interesting, but the retail catalogs are so full of pictures and so much fun--really can get led astray easily with them. Every year I think "This is the year when I will really be successful with lisianthus from seed." Hah!

Catalogs like Johnny's give really good information about what is easy and what is not to grow from seed, and excellent culture info. Park and Burpee, while they offer a lot of variety, don't give you a clue.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Seed Catologs comin' in the Mailbox
From: ard mhacha
Date: 14 Dec 05 - 02:21 PM

What is all this rubbish about a drought, come to to Ireland lovely damp soil, you can grow anything, the nearest thing we have to a dought is when the local Clubs run out of drink.

Subject: RE: BS: Seed Catalogs comin' in the Mailbox
From: Janie
Date: 14 Dec 05 - 06:34 PM

Hey am. I'm all green too--with envy!

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Seed Catalogs comin' in the Mailbox
From: LilyFestre
Date: 14 Dec 05 - 07:20 PM

You got Johnny's already? *POUT* That's one of my favorites...I'll trade you a Johnny's for a Totally Tomatoes...*GRIN*

I can't wait for more seed catalogs to start arriving and then of course you have to keep track of who is offering what deal...some will give you $20.00 worth of your pick of see when you spend $20.00....but then some offer free shipping, others offer other free stuff....oye......decisions decisions!!!

:)

Michelle

PS. Even if you don't want any dahlias, you should check out www.dahlias.com....the photos of the flowers are beautiful!!!   :)

Subject: RE: BS: Seed Catalogs comin' in the Mailbox
From: LilyFestre
Date: 01 Jan 06 - 04:15 PM

Another favorite has arrived: R.H. Shumway....it's not so much in what they have to offer as the design of the actual catalog. Most of the catalog is made up of drawings that have the coloration and style of drawings found in magazines of the 1940's era. I LOVE THAT!

Call them and get one for yourself...they are free and truly beautiful to look at! 1-800-342-9461

Or, sign up for a catalog on their website (which is nice but definately NOT the same as looking through this oversized catalog).

RH Shumway's Garden Guide

Enjoy!

Michelle

Subject: RE: BS: Seed Catalogs comin' in the Mailbox
From: Kaleea
Date: 01 Jan 06 - 07:25 PM

Turns out I was out of town earlier & longer than I had anticipated due to my father being ill. I gave away the Poinsettia, and the kitty cat went to an "auntie" for a few weeks. She gained about 3-4 pounds! I didn't get the opportunity to look at or send off for seed/bulb catalogs, but things got a bit dicey when a relative asked me to help her figure out what was wrong with her plants. We went to her "sunroom" which was filled with plants. An entire roomFULL of plants! They were potbound, needed new soil & fertilizer, different light, pruning . . . I very nearly succombed to the old evil.
   She had plant catalogs & gardening magazines on the coffeetable in her living room. I saw them. It was scary. After I finished helping her, I had to leave & go cold turkey!
   Then, I drove back to Southern CA. I was ok till I saw the cacti. I could get into serious trouble with the Giant Saguaro. I just love "The Old Man of the Desert!" When I lived in Phoenix, people were always bringing fresh oranges & lemons & limes to the office cause they had so much on their trees--their own trees in their yards!
   Oops. I gotta quit thinking about it all. I need a meeting!

Subject: RE: BS: Seed Catalogs comin' in the Mailbox
From: Janie
Date: 01 Jan 06 - 07:28 PM

Usually I celebrate New Year's Day planting spring bulbs. I didn't order any bulbs this year, but have spent the last two days in the garden. Don't know if I am late with fall clean-up or early with spring clean-up--but it sure has been a grand two days. It also really brought home the need to significantly downsize.

    The Bermuda grass has seriously invaded two large beds, and has got a really strong foothold in another two. The last couple of years I haven't had the money to buy mulch, and heavy mulch is the only way to keep the B-grass in check. (It takes two dumptrucks of mulch to cover all the beds.)

    There are larkspur and ammi seedlings coming up all over the place, and here and there poppies are beginning to sprout. My earliest daffodils and species tulips are peaking through the dirt and the reticulated iris leaves are up. Should have blooms in about a month.

    For Christmas, Mom got me an Earthway seeder. I was hoping the ground would be dry enough by tomorrow to try it out with lettuce and kale, but it is supposed to start raining tonight. So tomorrow I get to cozy in with the catologs again!

Happy New Year! 2006 is the year when the rain and sun and temperatures will occur just right so that we all have splendid gardens!

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: Seed Catalogs comin' in the Mailbox
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Feb 12 - 04:24 PM

Tell me what some of your favorite current seed sources are for ordering online? And what kinds of things are you planning to grow this year.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Seed Catalogs comin' in the Mailbox
From: maeve
Date: 18 Feb 12 - 05:09 PM

Fedco Seeds and Johnny's Select Seeds are our two Maine favorites; other excellent North American companies are listed in this article in Mother Earth News: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/2007-11-01/Best-Garden-Seed-Companies.aspx
I'm also tempted by:
http://www.chilternseeds.co.uk/ & http://www.mr-fothergills.co.uk/

Subject: RE: BS: Seed Catalogs comin' in the Mailbox
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Feb 12 - 01:47 AM

Are you testing your USDA zone boundaries? What are you planning to put in this year - and is any of it new? I know you're so far north that it may not contribute to the choices I make here, but it's an interesting process, deciding what is going to be on the dinner table several months from now. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Seed Catalogs comin' in the Mailbox
From: Janie
Date: 19 Feb 12 - 09:14 AM

What a pleasure to read through this thread again. Thanks for digging it out, Maggie. It brings home how much my life has changed over the past 7 years.

Subject: RE: BS: Seed Catalogs comin' in the Mailbox
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Feb 12 - 02:37 AM

Janie, I hope it isn't torture, that this serves as a reminder why you need to have the knee heal properly and soon, so you can get back to the garden!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Seed Catalogs comin' in the Mailbox
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 20 Feb 12 - 09:49 AM

"There's seed catalogues comin' in the mailbox"
Hold -on


Phil Collins anyone?

Subject: RE: BS: Seed Catalogs comin' in the Mailbox
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Feb 12 - 05:47 PM

I put potatoes in yesterday, and have more to plant, but those are from existing potatoes. I'd like to get seeds for some simple things, like my favorite variety of tomato (Super Fantastic) and start my own. I have simple needs as a gardener. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Seed Catalogs comin' in the Mailbox
From: MAG
Date: 20 Feb 12 - 09:52 PM

anyone else just love "Harvest Time" by Stefanie Davis? captures this perfevtly

47 boxes just sign right here

looks like someone's gonna have 'em quite a garden this year"

i used to get a ton, but have discontinued them until I cab put in more raised beds -- or cut the trees down -- Portlanders wpild pocket me ==

Subject: RE: BS: Seed Catalogs comin' in the Mailbox
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Feb 12 - 12:04 AM

I dug another section of the garden this evening, but I'm still not doing seeds, I'm doing potatoes. I'll put them in tomorrow. This is chatter, mostly just to run it back up to the top, see if we can snag any more gardeners in the net.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Seed Catalogs comin' in the Mailbox
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 21 Feb 12 - 04:03 AM

Okay,

Just to refresh the thread once again:

What's large, round, and has holes in the bottom?


...


...


It's a Riddle

Subject: RE: BS: Seed Catalogs comin' in the Mailbox
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Feb 12 - 10:32 AM

There wouldn't be much of my garden left if I used one of those, but it is lovely to look at!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Seed Catalogs comin' in the Mailbox
From: gnu
Date: 21 Feb 12 - 02:51 PM

Thanks! I have two sets of sieves for doing gravel grain gradation analysis that I shall never use again. I'll pull out the approriate sizes and sell the rest for the brass.