2018 Gardening, Landscaping, and Plants

[jill jackson]

Here's what they are.

 

[bmilla35]

Huh...wouldn't have guessed that in a million years! Cool!!

 

[22-rimfire]

Jill, nice garden. No weeds (yet). I am going run to the garden center to see what pepper plants they still have and put a couple in containers. Here, I notice my peppers become almost dormant during the heat of the summer and then in the early fall they really take off growing again. I think they don't like the full sun and the warm daytime temperatures. So, the container approach might just work for me for at least a couple plants and I can move them to shadier locations as the summer progresses.

 

[jill jackson]

I had weeds, ran the tiller and hoed.

 

[LEGION 12]

 

[22-rimfire]

Legion, your tomatoes are nicer than mine. I didn't do the mushroom compost thing this year and it needed it. I can definitely tell a big difference in growth. I look at tomato stem diameter and it just isn't there this year. Biggest tomato is actually one in a large container on my deck.

Added: I slip a tomato cage around my pepper plants that are fairly close to my tomatoes as they tend to get very tall due to the shading and the cage supports them. Believe it or not, I have had peppers get so tall to that the cage still wasn't tall enough to support them.

 

[22-rimfire]

Here's what they are.

I remember the first time I saw tobacco being grown in fields in TN and KY, I thought it so darn cool. Felt the same way when I saw huge fields of cotton ready for harvesting in LA as well. Being from the Northeast, these crops are not grown up there and it was a mind expanding experience.

 

[LEGION 12]

I may have planted these a little to close together.

 

[taldesta]

Finally, trimmer work brings some semblance of order! Now it's easier to see definition of the intended 'lawn' vs the wild grasses. Red petunias in front of boulders. Planted directly behind boulders ... perennials - bee balm (36" red) & echinacea seeded (20-32" reds/oranges), hollyhocks ... and annual sunflowers (happenstance from bird feed buried by squirrels and transplanted). In the afternoon shade of the maple tree are the planters intended for the deck once shade issue is solved.



Love that long handled shovel Weed cover from lower section of this rockery is removed but the soil is so shallow over the rock that the geraniums are left in planters until I can build a retaining wall of sorts - likely with natural rock and concrete, like the birdbaths. Roughly boxed in with scrap lumber for now on the left is portulaca ... a favourite that thrives on neglect.



Trimming just around gardens for now to stop seeding into the planting areas ... more semblance of order. I have trimmer pathways to the veg garden and another rockery which will come under construction soon.



Tomatoes in veg garden may be just a little behind those in planters with better cultivated soil.



I don't know what this is. Nature's beautiful precision always amazes me.

 

[taldesta]

I may have planted these a little to close together.

... looking fantastic from here

 

[LEGION 12]

 

[22-rimfire]

Secret is good soil and partial shade. I've learned this from years of growing peppers.
Cannot recommend Dr. Earth potting soil enough.
Beneficial microbes, fungus, nutes.
Peppers plants don't like wet feet so let soil completely dry out before watering.
Also, half strength fish ferts once a month

I have added four more pepper plants. These are in containers. I used large pots that shrubs came in and a little smaller than the 5 gallon bucket. New potting soil. Generally speaking, I don't like really hot peppers. I was looking at varieties yesterday at the garden center. Was thinking that growing something "just a little hot" might be a good change... I added an Italian sweet pepper, one regular bell, one red bell, and Pimiento (variety) red. I planted two last week and two yesterday. Loking forward to watching them grow.

 

[taldesta]

Hibiscus just seems to glow rain or shine. It's the first time I've had them in the garden - so I am hoping for a prolonged bloom time. Variety is called Hawaiian Punch.





There's a Daisy in the potato patch. The rest of her is bagged following her encounter with the clippers. Potatoes are growing beyond my expectations.





Better Boy here, and Sweet Million are fruiting ... with the Roma and Beefsteak flowering nicely. I must say that the tomato plants in containers appear to be thriving in the foliage and stalk while those in ground seem to be less so but ahead in the fruiting. Turf veg garden needs soil improvement big time.



There is one fat mole in the turf garden and I suspect that he took the emerging leaves off (killed) 3 of 5 scarlet runner pole beans planted at the base of the tripod. I have lots of backup beans planted in containers but will wait until they are larger before transplanting them back into mole territory. There is one rabbit hanging around but he promised to leave the beans alone

Cutworms took one dwarf bee balm - surprising, but perhaps the dwarf variety are tastier than the tough regulars. Cutworm also took one emerging sunflower plant.

Asiatic Patio Lily was a promotional gift that arrived with the bee balm plugs and begonias from the West Coast. Beside it I've set several 'toad houses' ... just flat rocks on rocks to shade and cool this garden that takes drying sunshine all day long.



Finally planted some pansy seeds and hope they will come along although they prefer the cool temps.

The regular bee balm, 10 planted along the boulders that edge the lawn, are getting tall - very healthy. Can't wait for them to bloom. Planters upon planters of nasturtium seeds are leafing and will be flowering in short order. Most of my plantings are all in containers so that I can move them for best shade/sun for them ... and out of the way for when the deck is levelled. Shade around the house and on this property is hard to come by. The maple, planted on the front lawn in 2012, does throw a large patch of cooling shade and this is a life saver on hot days.

 

[22-rimfire]

Your potatoes are huge already. I honestly can say that my garden is going to pretty disappointing this year. I have gobs of broccoli right now and have been harvesting continuously for about a month. Can't eat it all, so I froze some. I just planted a couple tomatoes (June 17th or today) in large containers that I hope will provide table fair later in the season as the other plants start to peter out. But the tomatoes are not large. I usually have my first ripe ones about now. Not this year.

The flower beds look great however. Just added a bunch of bark chips to freshen up the bed. Put down a good layer of hardwood mulch at the end of the house in the shade where there is no grass and hasn't been any since we lived here. The bark looks good. I have a couple potted annuals in the shade there.

 

[jill jackson]

My Roma

 

[jill jackson]

Garden went wild better boy tomatoes in the front are huge.

 

[jill jackson]

Husky cherry in the back..

 

[jill jackson]

 

[jill jackson]

Jalapeno ^

 

[22-rimfire]

Jill, your tomatoes make mine look sick considering they have been in the ground for about two months.