2017 Gardens

What's the caution tape for? You going with poured concrete I assume based on the wire?

I'd get rid of the sliding patio door if you can. They are way too easy to break into.

Legion, I feel sure you can bring them indoors if you want to for the winter. They should last for years. Cut them back if they get too leggy. Stuff outdoors looks "small" until you bring them indoors and you think to yourself.... what am I going to do with that?

My 4 foot tall green pepper plant now has fist sized peppers on it. Looks good and now I'm hoping the weight doesn't break off the stem. Kind of cool being so tall.... It is actually 5 feet tall or the height of my concrete wire tomato cages. Thinking about pounding in a stake and supporting the plant so it doesn't break off.

Tomatoes in the garden are just odds and ends now. There are a few green ones still on the plants. Have one container grown plant that has a lot of tomatoes on that should be ripening soon. It was planted about a month after the other plants. My other two container tomato plants have beared well and have been pretty much roasted by the sun on my wood deck. I technically could move them, but I'll just let them go.

Been very pleased with the container grown tomato plants to the point that next year, I will probably plant fewer plants in the garden and plant other stuff I like such as squash in the space. My garden is small, so space is at a premium. Choosing the right varieties for containers, large containers, and good soil seems to be important.
 
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22-rimfire said:
I grow them in flower beds for their leaf color. I would suggest you cut/nip off the seed or flower stalks to keep them looking nicer. They used to be a common house plant. Now folks grow them in gardens. Very easy to take cuttings and root them for additional plants.
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Sound advice.
 
It's odd ... but this wall of flowers began as a barrier to the pups, because they had been exiting the house, turning immediately right to an area of freshly laid sod. The sod and patio stones had been laid to stop the paws from bringing sand into the house. For a time, the only winners were the retailers of patio stones and sod. Then came the flower wall ... and from that point onward, the pups headed directly onto the aggregate in the laneway. Finally a win.

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The Great Dog Wall of Begonias

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The culprits :D drinking again
Dez, black fur, is still having treatment for her eye ... but it is coming along well. The cornea takes a long time to heal and actually has required serum separated from her own blood administered in drops. Recycling, not giving blood as the vet tells her :)

Daisy has broken into the veg garden several times, so I keep a flashlight on the tomatoes when she is out after dark. Still, there are plenty of cherry tomatoes ripening - delicious - and I do share with the pups as a daily treat. It is just - don't help your piglet self and don't break the plants!

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From first bloom to killing frost, the nasturtium is the humming birds' ever-blooming favourite here. The little birds sit on the wire fence resting and sometimes can even feed from their perch among the trailing plants. They zip through the porch checking us out. Of the new varieties of the plant ordered from seed in PEI, this one is called Orchid Cream ... and it looks stunning along side Rhumba which is solid burgundy matching the red patterns in this one pictured.
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Every growing thing seems to attract a lot of other live things to the porch.

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I am leaning a lot more toward ever-blooming annuals for the humming birds and polinators. Verbena is among them. Petunias of a certain variety. Portulaca perhaps. Bacopa. Cali. Marigolds. Geraniums. Impatiens. Pansies. I would include the spectacular salvia but the slugs seem to adore it.

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The morning glory is so late this year but should come on strong now judging by all the buds ... and should show several different colours.

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The grain, amaranth ... variety Love Lies Bleeding. This plant's blooms always seems to surprise people.

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The monarch butterflies are everywhere. It seems every place I go there are several flitting around together. Other varieties are not so easily spotted this year for some reason.

Yesterday I watched as a bunch of juvenile robins feed from the low hanging blackberry branches. So funny. They would hop as high as they could, flap their wings ... and nab a berry before dropping back on the grass. With them were two juvenile flickers, probing for grubs in the lawn (very cautious birds). I knew if I moved to get the camera, the flickers would alert the whole show, so I just froze in place and enjoyed it.

And ... although we have had a lot of rain and Lumpy is not hydrating in her pot by the porch, I did see her after dark hunting on the lower garden area. She is one fine looking toad!


Happy gardening all
 
Rupestris said:
It was time for that old wood deck to go. Now I get to redecorate.

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Just wondering if there are any 'after' pics in the works, Chris. That's ambitious ... :thumbsup:
 
The garden and the pooches are looking fantastic Taldesta! :thumbsup:

taldesta said:
Just wondering if there are any 'after' pics in the works, Chris. That's ambitious ... :thumbsup:
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Here is a during and a couple "it's getting there" photos.

As you can see in the first two pics, my yard is at the crest of a hill and slopes toward the house as well as away from the house on the back half.

Because it slopes down toward the house, they had to build the patio up higher at that end to keep the water running away from the house. I'll need about five yards of top soil dumped to fill and build up around the concrete. I think that is going to wait until the end of September or early October so I can move it in cooler weather ;).

The Hostas at the end are coming out and we're putting some mounds of mulch with an assortment of perennials at the far corners. Think kidney shaped with a space between to walk off the patio in the center.

Eventually, Mrs. Rupe would like to get one of the screened gazebos which means the hammock stand will be put on the lawn.

Yes. My neighbors maple tree is already dropping yellow leaves :(. The low tonight is going to be 48°F (9°C).

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In a lifetime past I worked for a general contractor. He always felt that the project only came together when the concrete set. That deck is one heck of an addition ... and a great maintenance-free space right off the walkout. Clearly no need to encourage you folks to enjoy it :cool:

Re: pups and gardens - thanks. And temps ... well it was at 6.2C or 43.2F at 6 this morning here. The furnace came on overnight just to keep the house at 66F. Yup, frowny face.
 
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Rupestris said:
The garden and the pooches are looking fantastic Taldesta! :thumbsup:



Here is a during and a couple "it's getting there" photos.

As you can see in the first two pics, my yard is at the crest of a hill and slopes toward the house as well as away from the house on the back half.

Because it slopes down toward the house, they had to build the patio up higher at that end to keep the water running away from the house. I'll need about five yards of top soil dumped to fill and build up around the concrete. I think that is going to wait until the end of September or early October so I can move it in cooler weather ;).

The Hostas at the end are coming out and we're putting some mounds of mulch with an assortment of perennials at the far corners. Think kidney shaped with a space between to walk off the patio in the center.

Eventually, Mrs. Rupe would like to get one of the screened gazebos which means the hammock stand will be put on the lawn.

Yes. My neighbors maple tree is already dropping yellow leaves :(. The low tonight is going to be 48°F (9°C).

View attachment 755226 View attachment 755228 View attachment 755229
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Nice !
 
Now, that's the taste of summer right from own your garden. Sweet!
 
Rupestris said:
I didn't know marigolds got that big.
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Colourful grouping of marigolds there ... attractive landscaping. Sometimes you just can't beat the old favourites that bloom to frost and that the slugs won't touch.. I don't think I've found anything yet that eats marigolds.

I'm looking at my seed packets now. You are right ... there are some amazing varieties of marigold - some Dwarf French Petite 6" tall and 1" blooms - Durango Yellow 12" tall and 2-21/2" blooms. The one I grow here, from seed planted after last frost in spring, is Crackerjack up to 36" tall and double cannonball shaped blooms. These are just starting to bloom now and will provide the newly hatched monarchs with their last day at the trough before migrating in late Sep when a lot of other flowers have faded. And they give me a good chance at getting some colourful pics of the monarchs feeding on brilliant yellows too.
 
I'm in Southeast Tennessee, I believe my hummingbirds have migrated south. Haven't seen one for a couple of days. Seems early, but they are suggesting we may have an early fall this year. Anyone seeing this, especially north of TN?

Rupestes, the new patio looks great! You did a good job.
 
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22-rimfire said:
I'm in Southeast Tennessee, I believe my hummingbirds have migrated south. Haven't seen one for a couple of days. Seems early, but they are suggesting we may have an early fall this year. Anyone seeing this, especially north of TN?

Rupestes, the new patio looks great! You did a good job.
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The hummingbirds numbers here are about the same, not so much attending at the feeders ... but loving the nasturtiums and the abundant touch-me-not blooms that have thrived in this summer's rainfall. Also, when they are using the feeders, they are clearly preferring one on the North side of the house over another one on the South side. So they like the economic plastic over the pricier glass one and/or the cooler side of the house. Maybe, I'll figure out hummingbirds a little better down the road sometime ... :D

Certainly the Canada geese are on the move. Saw the largest flock of this season in a group overhead just last Thursday - but the noisy flyovers started the last week of August.

One bright, shiny new monarch is flitting around the marigolds. One for the good guys so far :thumbsup:
 
Well, after I posted that hummingbird comment, I have seen a couple coming to my feeder. I only have one feeder and it's on the south side of my house (back yard side). I think my Sister in PA was a bit premature in announcing that her hummingbirds have headed south for the winter.
 
LEGION 12 said:
I haven't seen any humming birds but I do have parrots.
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For real!

For several years I looked after a parrot raised by my daughter.
Matty, the parrot, would say "H e l l o B a b y" just like The Big Bopper ... and man would she raise the roof when I tried to talk on the phone. Not good for a business run from home :eek: at times. She did eat at least one whole computer keyboard too ... I love to see them free like in your garden.
 
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