 sj |
||
|
||
BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science
|
|
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 23 May 08 - 12:54 AM You can read them via email or strictly from the web. Lots of choices, and there is room for storing images. Very convenient. (Sorry I had to rush off like that.) |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Bobert Date: 23 May 08 - 07:55 AM Ummmmmm??? Could you just turn them into a blueclickey??? |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 23 May 08 - 08:21 AM Yes, but I have to put them somewhere to turn them into that blue clickey. How about if there is a place where Mudcat gardeners can all park garden photos without reference to my particular Photobucket account? Then you can work with your own photos if you want. I'll address this this morning and let you see the results later. SRS |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 25 May 08 - 01:14 PM I've spent time this morning editing one of the two disks that Bobert sent. I've selected a few of the photos to add to a Google group I created. It's set so people can ask to join or be added by members or manager. To start with, visit the page http://groups.google.com/group/mudcat-gardeners- (somehow I ended up with a hyphen at the end of the name and there doesn't seem to be a way to remove it). I'll be away from the computer for several hours today so be patient, but I think this will let you send a request to join then once you're in you can invite others. SRS |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 25 May 08 - 05:42 PM Look here before you go to that other link! I figured out how to get that stray hyphen out of the address. The other one won't work now--go to http://groups.google.com/group/mudcat-gardeners to get to the pages I've set up. So far there is one for a few of Bobert's photos. SRS |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Bobert Date: 25 May 08 - 08:32 PM Wow, not too sure how you did that, SRS, but thanks... Hope all my gardenin' buds will check out the pics... I tired to capture what we do here with the ol' Pentex but it is impossible... Still pics don't translate... Okay, they may be nice but they in no way represent our gardens... ...so an open invite to any of my good Mudcat garden buds for a private tour... BTW, looks as if the National Rhodo Society is talking about having yus on their tour next year... I think we are allready on the tour schedule for the National Azalea Societ folks for the '09 Convention which will be in NoVa... Thanks again to SRS.... B~ |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 25 May 08 - 08:36 PM Those were only a few. It takes a little time to process the photos for the web and I'm still looking at the possibilities for external html on Google pages before I do too much page stuff. I'd like to use tables, they're a good way to get more photos up, but I haven't tested it yet. If you'll click on the page to request to join then you can edit the page and tell us more about your photos. SRS |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Janie Date: 26 May 08 - 12:27 AM Just popped in and caught up on this thread - and what a fine and lovely thread it is! Thanks, Maggie, for setting up the google group for us Mudcat gardeners. Looking forward to seeing more of your photos, Bobert, as well as those of others who will post photos in the future. One of the neat things about reading here is that people are posting from so many different regions, soils and climates. Maggie, you asked about drought. Here on the northeast Piedmont of North Carolina we have had some good rain this spring - wonder of wonders. The water tables are still low, as are stream levels, but soil moisture levels are good for the time being. I can see the drought damage to my garden, but am in awe at the resiilency of of those beings with green above ground and roots below. As sadly neglected as my garden has been for the last year, spring, which is it's forte, is beautiful without my help - riotous color from poppies, hesperis, larkspur, coreopsis grandiflora, veronica, lychnis, field daisies, etc - and all tall enough to hide the weeds that haven't been pulled. In the presence of human neglect, the garden has transformed itself into a meadow garden. At least for spring. One thing I notice this year is far fewer aphids, and no thrips. I wonder if their populations were held in check by the drought. I will soon be harvesting poppy seeds (Papaver somniferum). This year they are all red. If any of you want some, p.m. with your e-mail and snail mail addresses, as I am only making quick checks a couple of times a week right now to the 'Cat, and often just check for pm's, without opening any threads. E-mail, however, I check daily. When the seeds are ready, I'll e-mail back for your snail mail. They will grow in a broad range of climate zones, are stunning spring flowers, and the seeds are not available except as "pass-along." They absolutely must have excellent drainage. If you have clay soil, you will need to make a bed for them, heavily amended to create a well-draining, loose loam. They are so beautiful, they are worth it. It is likely that hesperis (Dame's Rocket), lychnis (Rose Campion, in white and magenta), and coreopsis grandiflora seed will all be ripe before I move, and I'll be glad to harvest some of them also to send. Other than the poppies, I think the rest are readily available through seed catologs. Kat, I continue to read about your "vinegar" adventures with interest. Don't think I will be gardening much for awhile when I move. Going from full sun to what appears to be full shade, and am going to have to live in the place awhile to observe the light and get a feel for what the place wants. Pecan pollen everywhere - gong to be a bumper year. Luv, y'all. Janie |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 26 May 08 - 12:49 AM I missed something--I know you will be moving Janie, but where to? Please go ahead and join that Google group--it's closed except to Mudcatters who join so while anyone can read it, it's just us chatting amongst ourselves. And if you do join you can upload your photos very easily. Do a page for the current house and a new one for the next house. I guess I should do a before and after for this house I'm in. The email at that site is my new one that I'm going to consolidate some of my others to. I'm tired of so many email accounts. I did a rescue harvest of some garlic yesterday. I was out trimming limbs from trees that edge the yard and found that some scattered garlic had been knocked over by falling branches in recent storms. I dug it up before the tops died away and out of sight. It isn't a lot, but my house smells like an Italian restaurant at the moment. There are a couple more patches to dig in a little while. The little side garden is growing, the tomatoes have about doubled in size and the eggplants and peppers are looking robust. No sign of seedlings yet, but it hasn't been a week. SRS |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Janie Date: 26 May 08 - 01:45 AM Maggie, I'm hoping to close very soon on a house about 10 miles from where I live now - there had been some foundtion work done on the house that I am not sure was up to speed and so have delayed closing pending a structural inspection. It is a large lot that is very shaded and park-like, filled with tall oaks spaced fairly close together - a high canapy over nearly the entire lot that allows just enough dappled light for the right species of grass to grow - no bermuda grass in sight! In essence, the trees If I do close on this place, it will be very different from anywhere I have ever known and all my aesthetic sensibilities will have to adapt, including those related to the garden. Janie |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Bobert Date: 26 May 08 - 07:44 AM Shade gardening (foltered sun) is all we knew back in Wes Ginny, Janie... Your Linten Roses will love you... Hope you are into ferns... Azaleas and rhodos... Helibors... Moss gardening... Pulmanaria... Wild flowers in the spring... And the best part about where you are moving is that those oak trees are like giant air conditioners in the hot Carolina summers... B~ |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 26 May 08 - 11:21 AM You could observe the trees for a year and then decide that you need firewood for the next couple of years and take out one to put a gardening gap in the canopy. Don't mistake me--I love trees, I've worked hard to try to establish shade here so I can have some shady plants eventually. Maybe mother nature will help you out and offer a lightning strike or a wind storm to take one out, but if you have your druthers, you could find a spot to focus the light and do a little removal. SRS http://groups.google.com/group/mudcat-gardeners I hope you'll sign up and start uploading your photos! |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Bobert Date: 26 May 08 - 01:42 PM Just a few notes onh the pics... The guy ain't me... But that is the P-Vine... She is the president of the Northern Va. Azalea Society Chapter and he is the VP... We just had a sale of hybrids that our chapter had hibridized overr then years... The opening pic isn't really of any gardens to speak of... It's of our runoff pond with the mountains in the background... We are at 1700 feet here on Tanner's Ridge and what you are looking up at is around 4000 feet... The pic with the wooden structure that looks like a room without walls of roof is exactlt that... It's a pergolla I designed an built and surrounded by boxwood, holly, NC jasmin up the posts... On the other side of uit that you can't see is my pea-gravel bed with crimpomeria, thunderhaed pine (dwaft), gold thread, grand-bande boxwood, etc... Yo, Janie... Welcome to azaleas... BTW, there is a North Carolina chapter... Good source of plants (cheap or free)... B~ |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 26 May 08 - 02:19 PM I'll put some more of your photos up later, Bobert. I have a question for the group at large. I don't put kitchen waste in my compost right now because I can't keep the dogs out of it. So I've taken a 33-gallon plastic Rubbermaid bin and put it in an area the dogs can't reach. I dropped in some garlic trimmings and grass from the yard yesterday and poured in some water, as a sort of starter. I'm planning to put in kitchen veggie waste, and have this question: I haven't bored any holes in it, but the process needs water, so I'll have to pour some in every so often. If I turn it regularly will this serve, or do I need to bore drain holes and air holes also? I figure since this thing snaps shut, it isn't sealed, air will get in and out (as will methane). It's a black tub, gray top, and it's set behind a fence so the direct sunlight will only be in the middle of the day when its overhead. I'm not ready to set up a worm bin in the house, so this is my dog-proof compost. SRS |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Bobert Date: 26 May 08 - 03:08 PM Air holes, yes... Drain holes, optional... You don't need very much water, SRS... Your kitchen scraps have water in them... Now, stop off at your local gardening center and get some compost starter... It's grainular and just sprinkle some of it in there... It will have the bateria to start the process... After you have yer composter going for awhile if you just empty 3/4's and leave a 1/4th that is enough bacteria to get the next batch going again so technically speaking it's like sour dough bread... Once you get it going it will keep itsel;f going... Our composter is a 2 chamber tumbler... It has 2 40 gallon chambers so we can empty one completely, use half of the other and have enough left to get both chambers going again... Grass is fine but just grass ain't all that good... Lots of leaves if ya have 'um... If not, Janie will ship you some... lol... B~ |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 26 May 08 - 04:26 PM Thanks for describing your system--I have a second big lidded tub I could haul over there to use to turn it into the same kind of operation. I've never done this in a tub or container before, always on the ground. Guess I'll get out the drill and put a few holes in the lids. No need for compost starter, I'll scoop a shovel of the existing non-food compost out in the yard. (The dogs don't fool with that.) The grass is to kick start the heat. Fastest way to torque up a compost heap around here is to use some freshly mown grass. Lots of leaves out there also, since I've been pruning limbs in preparation for bulky waste in about 10 days (these are the limbs on trees I'd like to cut down, they're ratty hackberries destroying the fence, but for now I trim them). I'll have to be sure to keep this working fast enough so it doesn't start to smell. That's the other factor I'll monitor, it's between two houses, not way at the back of the yard like before. Good compost keeps good neighbors. . . or something like that. ;-) I thought about Janie and her leaves when she described the yard. She might not have to rake them all herself. If it's like here in Fort Worth, for years I haven't had big trees out front yet I have to rake several times from the neighbor's trees. There seems to be some averaging out over the neighborhood so everyone gets a share. SRS |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Bobert Date: 26 May 08 - 04:55 PM Well, containers is best, SRS 'cause when ya' do it on the ground pesky roots find it and suck all the goodie outta it from underneath... If ya' have to do it on the ground it best tp put an old sheet of plywwood under it... Sound like a good neighbor to have in that he is willing to share his leaves with you... Because we live purdy much pn a ridge the leaves are blow downhill and way from the house and I have to take the tarctor down there, fill the bucket and bring them up... We run them thru a shredder which chops them up real nice and then they can either go into the composter as shredded leaves or we us the shredded leaves as mulch around acid loving plants... B~ |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 27 May 08 - 04:03 PM Oh, that Bobert, can't leaf well enough alone. . . |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 27 May 08 - 06:09 PM My onions are coming up! I hate to throw away old seeds, so I took some out and poked them in the edges of the veggie bed. Bunching green onions are sprouting in a nice little line! I prefer starting them from seed than onion sets. They're happier that way. I'll have to plant some every so often. I have good luck with sweet onions also. Garlic was dug up last week, and there is oregano going in the garden, along with tomatoes and eggplant and squash and peppers. I see a lot of Italian and Mexican food in my near future! SRS |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 31 May 08 - 12:13 PM MMario posted photos and set up a new page on the Mudcat Gardeners site. Beautiful! (Bear Haven) SRS |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Bobert Date: 31 May 08 - 07:17 PM Very nice, M-M... I have a columbine just about the same as yers... They are so nice... Love yer peonies.... Fightin' with Mr. Skunk here... We're moving lots of out smaller azaleas and he's is diggin' um' up at night... Last night he was in my mudroom where I keep my beer.... Grrrrrrrr.... B~ |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 01 Jun 08 - 12:14 PM I don't suppose a bowl of beer in the garden will inspire him to drown himself, like the snails and slugs do, but maybe if he's drunk he'll leave the plants alone. Just a thought. Bobert, you're added to the Mudcat Gardeners. SRS |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 01 Jun 08 - 02:54 PM Cooling off from mowing for a few minutes; looks like this is the last mow in the back for a while unless I water. I have a pump I've never set up that can water from the creek, but I need to run a line and drop a pipe or hose with a filter cover into the creek. Maybe this is the year. Water when the creek is higher so I don't get such concentrated stuff from city runnoff, and only water turf. I'll keep an area near the house green because the dogs are so much happier with some green grass back there. Ask me how I know. . . I'm headed over to the nursery in a little while to pick up some daylilies for out front; I thinned my irises that were over the top of them then actually moved the lilies I have to a different part of the bed. As for the iris, I will relocate some and give away a lot. I'm still working on watering zones as far as my plantings; I'm about to remove some flowers from around a pine that is so xeric that it really belongs in the desert. I've learned recently that these Afghan pines won't last as long if they get extra water, so no point in leaving thirsty Louisiana iris next to it. This year I have several native volunteers still in pots that need to go in now. The Texas star hibiscus will go along the path of the foundation soaker hose, as will the Louisiana iris I just dug up. The vitex will stay put in pots for a while--I sold a few last year when my front tree was in full bloom. I've already seen people slow down to drive past it, so I may get a few bucks for beer or mulch yet this weekend! :-) SRS |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 02 Jun 08 - 12:31 PM Critter control: trail and error number 1 Shallow bowl depressed in the garden to attract snails and slugs. Put apple juice in (didn't have beer handy) but it only attracted fire ants. I've heard about stuffing some bread and water in an open pop bottle and putting that in the ground and it works like beer. I'll try that next. Beer works well, but the gardener would rather drink it than share it. :) SRS |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Janie Date: 02 Jun 08 - 09:45 PM I like a person not afraid to experiment! Janie |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 03 Jun 08 - 01:20 AM I did a gazillion edits and probably still have typos, but I added a page at the google group site. In my yard I've been working on a lot of the big stuff, but this year I finally have enough shade that I can vary the plantings a bit. I'd love to reach a point where I can put in a Japanese maple or some Oregon grape. Not native, but if I pamper them, they'll make it. :) SRS |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: MMario Date: 06 Jun 08 - 11:12 PM I spent about 3 hours watering tonight - will have to continue tomorrow - they keep saying it will rain, and it keeps missing us. B-I-L just got in a shipment of lilies, hostas and Tree peonies which need to go in - he's going to be away for 4 days. Surprise....! Though I have planted about half the hostas already, a third of the lilies and plan to pot half a dozen of the tree peonies for gifts - so a goodly protion of it is done. also have to put in the annual border this weekend. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 06 Jun 08 - 11:32 PM A guy who likes to cook, knit, and garden. How come some really smart woman hasn't snatched you up already, Leo? |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: katlaughing Date: 07 Jun 08 - 12:18 AM Sorry for just jumping in here, but I am so excited. The sunflower seeds we planted are coming up! The new catnip and flax plants are doing well, and the tansy from two years ago has come up like giants, getting ready to bloom, plus the clematis made it through the winter and is blooming beautifully. Sweet pea is bigger than ever, too. Plus I bought some more to put along the dirt driveway side of the house to "prettify" it some. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Janie Date: 07 Jun 08 - 12:53 AM Well, I closed on the other house this morning. An older lady, (older than me, anyway,) who I don't know but who has a charming vernacular garden up the street several blocks stopped by one day while I was in the yard and asked if she could have some poppy seeds when they were ready. I was so glad she stopped. I had worked as a docent in her garden a few years ago for the garden tour, but didn't get the chance to meet her. I ran into her in the grocery store this afternoon and told her the poppy seeds were ready. She had heard that I was moving soon from someone, and wondered if she might have some other plants. She is coming down early tomorrow morning before the heat gets bad with nursery pots and we are going to dig up irises and the like for her to transplant. That feels good. I have many more plants than friends and gardening acquaintances can possibly take (and we have been passing along plants to each other for years, so they already have anything growing in my garden that they want. It is those plants from dear friends that must have full-sun that I am grieving, not the plants I bought, or purchased seeds for, except those that are descendents of my first efforts. I need to take a page from Amos' book and delight in the now, instead of clinging to the past. *sniff* |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Janie Date: 07 Jun 08 - 12:54 AM Sounds lovely and exciting Kat. Got pictures? |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Bobert Date: 07 Jun 08 - 07:29 AM Ya' know, Janie, my dear... I thought about this when you told us you were moving into the woods... Just what does a sunny gardener do in the woods??? Well, there is life after the move... As you know, the P-Vine and I moved from the woods to farm that has lots of both... I guess we were lucky because we brought 550 of our favorite woods plants but we reallyu didn't know all that much about plants that like that big round ball in the sky and... ...we are still learning... I know right now isn't the time to say this but woods gardening is also very satisfying... There's a plenty of things that you will be able to grow... How close are you to Charlotte... The P-Vine's gardening mentor, Barbara Alexander, is a fantastic shade gardener and a tour thru her garden is priceless... And can be arranged... BTW, when you get settled, look into joining the Azalea Society... Lots of good folks, most who are not sunny gardeners, plues cheap or free plants... Hope the move goes well... I know it;s going to be hot becuase I have to play music at 12:30 today on a hot parking lot... I'll be thinking of you... Beaubear |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Janie Date: 07 Jun 08 - 09:43 AM You're right Bobert. Once I'm moved and settled and living on the place, I think I'll get quite excited about the prospects and the opportunity to learn about gardening in a very different habitat. Even if the lot where I'm moving were sunny, I would have to learn a different asthetic. The big, Victorian style cottage garden I have created here around my 1912 wood bungalow would be entirely incongruous surrounding a modest brick and vinyl 1960's era ranch style house. I've always loved the deep woods and the play of light and shadow, the little gems of spring-beauties, tootworts, wood anemones, trilliums and trout lilies, or a sweep of goldenseal. I've longed to be able to grow astilbes, ferns and cohoshes. I'm already imagining a swathe of your solomon seals, maybe jacob's ladder, native vibernums, hearts-a-burstin', etc. Or simply a bench placed where I can sit and admire the lines and texture of the bark on a tall white oak. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 07 Jun 08 - 10:37 AM I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, Janie, meaning I was intimately familiar with plants that need shade. That's what much of gardening in the PNW is all about. There are marvelous things you'll be able to plant now that you couldn't consider before. Think orchids and salal and trillium and Oregon grape and pipsissewa and blueberries and oh, just tons of moist, shady plants. (If you can muster the moisture). Meanwhile, is there someplace where you can donate those plants that came from friends? The gardener down the road, perhaps? Or can she recommend someone? Kat, sounds like you've laid the groundwork for a nice display this year! Don't rest on your laurels, keep adding those bits and it just gets better every year! Bobert, I still have that second disk to go through and put up on the Mudcat Gardeners page. And Janie, you need to start yourself a page over there. It's quite easy. Kat as well. Off to my little patch. It's overcast and nice this morning. Oh, I should mention that the scenery got altered a bit in the back yard last night. I went out to feed the dogs and the pit bull, who usually does a barking victory lap around the yard when it's dinner time, gave me the look of "stay there, I have something for you" and went into her stall in the garage. A moment later she dropped a fresh dead rat on the step, very pleased with herself. I guess she tucked it into her dog house in the stall to keep the other dog away from it until I came out. I looked around, wondering where she caught it and realized the lemon balm had been squashed at a couple of points. The smallish herb hedge has entry and exit wounds that correspond to the size and shape of a pit bull terrier doing her hunting thing. :) Good girl! I tossed the rat in the wooded path across the street where an owl or hawk or vulture will find it. SRS |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Bobert Date: 07 Jun 08 - 08:02 PM Sorry, SRS, but I ain't navigated the joint nuff to figurae out how to make any comments... But thanks fir putting the pics up... Janie's 1st poppies are up and in bloom... These are lavendar and absolutely beautiful... The other 2 patches are up but not in bloom... I think one is gonna be white but I'm not sure... They are in a great place and I'll just let them resead themselves.... B~ |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 07 Jun 08 - 10:45 PM I spent much of the day digging and designing a front bed. The easiest thing to do would be to remove everything and put it back where I want it, but some of it simply can't be moved and I didn't get out there early enough to do this work before it grew tall. So I work around stuff. I'm plagued by ants this year, and they're all crawling into cracks in the walls. I think sugar ants shorted out a switch in the kitchen over the sink, and whatever this red ant is (bigger than a fire ant, not so aggressive as a biter, but persistent, following long involved paths and they all head into the wall). I picked up a couple of cards of tricogramma wasps today and one is in the veggie garden and the other I put in out front in anticipation of some veggies out there. I walked past the stick I stapled it to an hour earlier and those ants had cleaned the moth eggs off of the card! Geez! The other one is okay, but I'll treat these like fire ants with orange oil and diatomaceous earth and (last resort, according to the Dirt Doctor) Abamectin. Gotta get these things out of the walls and the garden. I won't try to replace that front card until the ants have been treated. SRS |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: katlaughing Date: 07 Jun 08 - 11:36 PM The ants will not walk across baby powder. I had some get in the cracks of my dining room windows and get all over my house plants. All I did was sprinkle baby powder along the window ledge and on the table with my plants. They either died from walking on it or left entirely, but I never had a problem with them again. I also sprinkled some around their holes, last year, in the driveway and so far, this year, I only see a few holes. Last year they were everywhere in the driveway. I will be sprinkling them again. I think I'll wait to take pix until more of my stuff is up and blooming, but I will take some, soon.:-) |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 07 Jun 08 - 11:47 PM That's the same with the diatomaceous earth, they won't cross it. I'll go out early tomorrow and see what I can do. I put out bait this evening so they may collect some of it first thing, but after that I propose to wash the concrete area down and start fresh, once it dries, with a light coat of orange oil on the wall and a line of DE at the bottom. (I also put some beer in a shallow bowl to attract any slugs or snails, now that my veggie plants are getting large and putting out flowers). Why don't you join the Mudcat Gardeners, Kat? Here and you can sign up or I can add you directly if you want to PM the preferred email address). You can upload photos and start a page where you describe your yard. We have a great array of climates represented here already on this thread (I keep hoping some of our Oz members will share their garden stories--they may seem exotic to those of us in the U.S., but the commonality among gardeners is still interesting. SRS |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Janie Date: 08 Jun 08 - 08:18 AM Hmmm.....I can't quite get the hang of navigating the group pages and discussions in a coherent fashion. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: MMario Date: 08 Jun 08 - 09:36 AM had the water running for 10 hours yesterday - hopevfully will finish up watering today.; potted up three tree peonies, planted a flat each of pink allysum and rose verbena, some dusty miller; have a flat of annual pinks to plant still; also planted 5 packages of oriental lilies, plugged an ornamental pepper into a planter on the deck and potted up three planters of ivy geraniums. I slept well last night. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 08 Jun 08 - 10:19 AM I've stumbled around in there also. But if you scroll down the home page the categories are Discussions Members Pages Files When you want to work on a page click on the "edit" link on the page (there are a couple of links; redundancy is built into this system). In your case, I just now started a page called "Janie's Garden - 1" When you have the edit screen up then type in the body of it. To place photos click the image icon and you can search your computer for the file you want to upload or pull one you've already loaded from the "+upload file" link on the first page. You can wrap text easily in this system. Drag the image where you want to place it and you'll see three sizes you can choose from. Once photos have been loaded for a page or as an individual file they're all viewable in the Files area. When you're working on your page these photos show up any time you click to add an image; you can use one of those or upload another. Clear as mud? These darned ants are driving me nuts. Another trip to the feed store, beneficial nematodes here I come. SRS |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 08 Jun 08 - 11:59 AM My man Howard Garrett (Dirt Doctor) comes through again! His Sunday morning radio program is just ending. I'll clear out the debris from under that window so I can monitor the progress, then I'll put some DE in a puffer bottle and puff it unto that space. And I'll pick up some instant grits and sprinkle them around. They're apparently as good or better than any of the commercial baits (the ants harvest the grits then die from exposure to the grits for some reason). Fire ants, DIE! SRS |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Bobert Date: 08 Jun 08 - 12:18 PM Beware of the grits, SRS, 'cause the ones that don't die get real big, drive pick-up trucks and have girl friends with names like Bobbie Sue and Retha Mae... lol... Actually, if you have peonies around the house that's probably what is attracting them... They'll go play elsewhere after the blooms die off... Mowing day here... Yuck... Including the "pond field", the main garden along the woods and the house it's about 6 hours on a 19hp 42" cut lawn tractor... Well, just came in for some water... Back at it... B~ |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 08 Jun 08 - 12:56 PM Same here, in for a drink of water, back to the (much smaller, and no peonies) yard. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 09 Jun 08 - 12:42 AM This new bed looks good! I curved the steel edging and the shape turned out like I hoped. I'm not finished with the mulch and it needs more flowers planted, but I hate to spend the cash on bedding plants when I have lots of seeds here. My Louisiana iris seems to make a lot of seeds, that must be why it is so prolific. It is fussy, it wants lots of water, and it has a stalk almost like a gladiola, with leaves layered along the flower stalk. I put a photo up on a new page for trading seeds and plants on the Mudcat Gardeners group site. SRS |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Janie Date: 09 Jun 08 - 02:41 AM That Chaste tree is stunning, Maggie! How long ago did you plant it? Bobert, Suggest you harvest at least one seedhead of the poppies to toss out in late winter. It will exend the bloom season next year. I'd also like to know if any of the others that bloom are the double pink/peach. I saved seed but didn't sow them, and don't know if they will be viable next year. There is a small section of side yard on the east side of the house that may get enough sun for poppies, and I intend to try. Any of the rest of you want poppy seeds before the goldfinches get them all? (poppy somnifersomethingorother) Janie |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 09 Jun 08 - 08:41 AM Yes, I'd like to try some poppy seeds. I have places in the yard that are sunny enough and that I can keep the dogs from trampling. Do you have any photos of them? Do they need extra water or are they fairly xeriscape? That Vitex (purple chaste) went in in July of 2002. The back yard tree went in a year later and was a smaller plant to begin with but has almost caught up. It likes well-drained sunny locations but I've seen it at the edge of the understory also. I have seeds for that if anyone wants some. It's pretty un-fussy here. I suppose the winter survival is the research anyone further north or with a more harsh winter would have to do. Here it becomes a small multi-trunk tree, though it is also lovely if you keep cutting off the extra limbs and train it to be a single-trunk tree. It's a twisted garly looking trunk. In a couple of weeks my rock rose will start blooming its head off, and while that one volunteers enough that I mow the seedlings down around the edges and pull it out of other beds, it is such a cheerful plant, in the mallow family, that I keep it rounded up with the mower and let it bloom its heart out all summer long. There has been some debate as to whether this is a native version of a plant that also appears as a South American import. Here in Texas we have a mix of migrants on their own and some that were carried here. Kind of like the coatimundi and other Central American animals that stray up into Texas once in a while. SRS |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 09 Jun 08 - 09:14 AM I see that the other plant discussion is closed; just as well. I resisted jumping in there--the Ur environment that was represented in sing-song is a way over-simplified goal. And, were it still open, I probably would have jumped in at the end to introduce the argument that some ethnographers and historians make, that the huge hardwood forest that Janie mentioned was also "artificial." By the time pioneers were hacking their way through that part of the continent a couple of hundred years after sustained contact with North America began, the theory is that millions of the Ur Indians on the continent had been killed off by introduced Euro diseases. Their cultivation and burning practices had gone away a couple of hundred years earlier after the disease vectors had done their work, allowing the forest to flourish as never before. (See Keepers of the Game by Calvin Martin). SRS |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: MMario Date: 10 Jun 08 - 08:24 AM I looked up the Vitex on the web - looks like it would be borderline here; which means on our property it probably wouldn't survive.... drat. Technically I believe we are zone 5 - but we can't count on anything overwintering that isn't rated at zone 4. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 10 Jun 08 - 10:25 AM If you want some seeds, you can give it a try. They sprout easily and grow fairly quickly. Maybe up there it could be pruned into a shrub in a pot. The folliage smells good and the flowers are as sweet as lilac (not quite the same, but the intensity can be there on still days). SRS |
