2018 Gardening, Landscaping, and Plants

[jill jackson]

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

I use my chicken's manure and put in black cow brand manure and bags of garden soil, plus 50 pounds dolomite lime. Haven't added any fertilizer yet.

 

[22-rimfire]

I should have ripped out the stuff I had already planted (cold season stuff) and added the mushroom compost that I normally do. I believe this is what is causing the poor growing performance this year. Chicken manure is REALLY rich stuff.

 

[LEGION 12]

My tomatoes are getting out of control also , I definitely planted everything to close together.

 

[22-rimfire]

Been thinking that I may shift from indeterminant tomato varieties in the garden to determinant for next year. I really liked how the container grown tomatoes turned out last year and they are determinant. Tomato volume or production is generally not a big deal for me as once they start getting ripe, we have an over abundance of tomatoes.

It is really easy to plant tomatoes too close together in a small garden space. I do it. But I always feel that the space around the outside of the plant (not against another tomato) helps to make them still do okay.

 

[LEGION 12]

 

[Rupestris]

One of my Orange Pixie Asiatic lilies bloomed this morning.

 

[22-rimfire]

I top dressed my little garden with bagged cow manure today. Maybe that will help with the growth. I would rather till it into the soil, but that is not an option at the moment.

 

[LEGION 12]

Onions are coming along .

 

[LEGION 12]

Onions are coming along .

How do you know when they are ready ?

 

[22-rimfire]

The tops get brown. Or you can pick them any time you want. They don't have to be mature onions to be usable. My onions are silver dollar sized right now.

 

[taldesta]

One of my Orange Pixie Asiatic lilies bloomed this morning.

Lovely! Very nice planter choices - I see you have portulaca (known by other names such as moss rose) too; such happy, sun-loving colours.

 

[taldesta]

I top dressed my little garden with bagged cow manure today. Maybe that will help with the growth. I would rather till it into the soil, but that is not an option at the moment.

Welcome, fresh sunny days now following some hot and humid weather with rain. So the gardens are happy. Cool sleeping high 40's to low 50's F around 75 F days.

Not saying the veg garden is flourishing here either ... not like those knockout tomatoes of Legion's and Jill's for sure. It's a tough go here with the compacted soil that needs a lot more working for the tomato plant roots. I did know the potatoes would not have a chance in the compact soil and, true enough, they do seem to like their trash bag containers set on cardboard

The bee balm live plugs that should flower this year are difficult to spot when photographed against the lawn grass so I caught them in the rising light to show how they are coming along. They, with black current and sunflower (far end) and hollyhocks (near) should give some definition to the 'lawn' edge. Here it is important to define where the wild stops and the managed starts or life becomes a never-ending slog. Considering a gas trimmer; tired of trailing endless electric cord.






Planters are thriving with verbena, lobelia (cobalt), potato vine (red and lime) and bacopa (white). In the pine planter are 4 of 6 flowering begonias, red and yellow - these bought as a batch of corms in a bag and will be lifted and stored for overwintering. I have 14 more begonias coming along from corms that shipped later - these are lined up on the ground along the E side of the house. Need to get on the shade piece ... to literally make an east-facing plant wall for these or build a platform on the east side of the house where they can thrive. I loved them at my last digs, but they enjoyed a covered, east-facing porch there. I overdid it on volume of begonias for this sun-filled property - so better get busy making a good place for them.

 

[LEGION 12]

Welcome, fresh sunny days now following some hot and humid weather with rain. So the gardens are happy. Cool sleeping high 40's to low 50's F around 75 F days.

Not saying the veg garden is flourishing here either ... not like those knockout tomatoes of Legion's and Jill's for sure. It's a tough go here with the compacted soil that needs a lot more working for the tomato plant roots. I did know the potatoes would not have a chance in the compact soil and, true enough, they do seem to like their trash bag containers set on cardboard

The bee balm live plugs that should flower this year are difficult to spot when photographed against the lawn grass so I caught them in the rising light to show how they are coming along. They, with black current and sunflower (far end) and hollyhocks (near) should give some definition to the 'lawn' edge. Here it is important to define where the wild stops and the managed starts or life becomes a never-ending slog. Considering a gas trimmer; tired of trailing endless electric cord.

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Planters are thriving with verbena, lobelia (cobalt), potato vine (red and lime) and bacopa (white). In the pine planter are 4 of 6 flowering begonias, red and yellow - these bought as a batch of corms in a bag and will be lifted and stored for overwintering. I have 14 more begonias coming along from corms that shipped later - these are lined up on the ground along the E side of the house. Need to get on the shade piece ... to literally make an east-facing plant wall for these or build a platform on the east side of the house where they can thrive. I loved them at my last digs, but they enjoyed a covered, east-facing porch there. I overdid it on volume of begonias for this sun-filled property - so better get busy making a good place for them.

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Get yourself one of these.

 

[22-rimfire]

I hate gas trimmers.... always have to fool with them if you don't use them all the time. In the last couple of years, you are seeing 40w batteries on trimmers and beginning to see 60w. I have a 40w Greenworks brand (bought at Walmart, but sold by the home centers too) that I paid the hefty sum of $119 for and included a leaf blower. The leaf blower needs a little more power, but is very useful. But have been very pleased with the trimmer. My trimming takes me about 20 minutes or so around the house before I mow. But if you are looking at trimming a field, go gas. If I have a complaint with the trimmer it's the 8-10 feet of trimming line the reel holds (two line type) and you use it up fairly quickly. But it's plenty powerful.

 

[Rupestris]

Lovely! Very nice planter choices - I see you have portulaca (known by other names such as moss rose) too; such happy, sun-loving colours.

Thank you. I had another bloom overnite. It greeted me this morning. The Moss Rose was bright eyed and bushy tailed too.



My Astilbe decided it wanted to rule the roost this year. It's huge!



The lilies on the side of the house are about to go all out.

 

[taldesta]

Get yourself one of these.

Thanks Legion ... I would love to be able to use a battery operated ... but the longest lasting one I've researched is a Stihl that goes for 90 minutes. It's a matter of my keeping the drainage ditches clear on this slope, the hills, the laneway, behind the house and all the rough areas in the lower field - this is the property that taught me to hate grass!

I hate gas trimmers.... always have to fool with them if you don't use them all the time. In the last couple of years, you are seeing 40w batteries on trimmers and beginning to see 60w. I have a 40w Greenworks brand (bought at Walmart, but sold by the home centers too) that I paid the hefty sum of $119 for and included a leaf blower. The leaf blower needs a little more power, but is very useful. But have been very pleased with the trimmer. My trimming takes me about 20 minutes or so around the house before I mow. But if you are looking at trimming a field, go gas. If I have a complaint with the trimmer it's the 8-10 feet of trimming line the reel holds (two line type) and you use it up fairly quickly. But it's plenty powerful.

I share the sentiment. In the heat of summer with hearing, eye and leg protection and a gas engine strapped to you for hours - is just no fun at all. My mower can handle the large flats over the septic bed and the lower field but this property can be so beautiful if the trimming is done well. I recall the relief it was to leave this property years ago ... ah yes, goodbye gas trimmer. So, I must work the problem as they say.

Edited to add: Maybe I should just let a lot of the wild just stay wild ...

 

[taldesta]

Almost forgot this little guy ... Thunbergia (Black Eyed Susan)

Remember from April



All grown up ...




... and blooming begins with one

 

[22-rimfire]

Thanks Legion ... I would love to be able to use a battery operated ... but the longest lasting one I've researched is a Stihl that goes for 90 minutes. It's a matter of my keeping the drainage ditches clear on this slope, the hills, the laneway, behind the house and all the rough areas in the lower field - this is the property that taught me to hate grass!

No body ever said you had to do all your trimming all at once and the charging rate (time) for the lithium batteries is pretty short.

 

[taldesta]

All good information and appreciated

 

[22-rimfire]

I believe you have a riding lawn mower. I would try to get as much of the surface area mowable and perhaps allow some areas to return to their natural state. I like to use landscaping to reduce the amount of mowing I might have to do, but of course it takes time. I would start with the areas closest to the house and work outward as time permits. But getting things mowable is the first step as mowing is certainly the easiest approach.