ragdall
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Post by ragdall on Jun 13, 2022 2:57:41 GMT
As with everything else in my life these days, I'm far behind in posting seasonal photo links. Crocuses, April 23, 2022 April 27, 2022 Crocuses do not disappoint May 4th, 2022, Hyacinth growing from a 2021 store-bought potted plant that went into a flowerbed after it finished blooming: Blooming a second year! May 24, 2022 The tulips are blooming in the front flower bed. If you look closely you may be able to see the geraniums in each of the basement windows, wishing they could be outside too, but it's still freezing at night and mornings. May 26, 2022
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maeve
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Post by maeve on Jun 13, 2022 19:25:14 GMT
It's never too late to admire seasonal photos, especially such gorgeous spring bulbs. Your crocus! Your tulips! That white hyacinth! I love both gardens, and can imagine those housebound geraniums whispering, "That's where we will be soon... soon."
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maeve
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Post by maeve on Jun 15, 2022 20:26:09 GMT
Spent two hours planting the wildflower species I've been propagating for wildflower restoration: Aquilegia canadensis, Virginia waterleaf, Toad trillium, Jack in the Pulpit, Phlox stolonifera and Viola canadensis. Also planted four varieties of Siberian iris near the head and foot of the bridge: 'Welcome Return', 'Bride's Jig', 'Shaker's Prayer', 'Golden Edge, and one unnamed. (I think- might have to check on these names!) along with some starts of Liatris spicata.
News flash: Not only did the Swamp milkweed seeds I planted sprout this spring, but the woodland species peony Paeonia mairei arrived today and is happily planted in her new garden home, well mulched with pine needles hoarded from two years ago.
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maeve
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Post by maeve on Jun 18, 2022 22:23:29 GMT
I finally took time to haul up the 6 cardboard boxes of cannas and dahlias. I'll need to let them bud up outside in the shade for a wee while before planting- very large pots for the cannas and ground for the dahlias.
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ragdall
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Post by ragdall on Jun 22, 2022 9:30:53 GMT
I recognized one of those names. Red Columbine grows wild here, along roads and in my yard. It's a nice tall showy plant. Are you growing the plants for for wildflower restoration as part of a project in your area, or just for use on your own land?
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maeve
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Post by maeve on Jun 22, 2022 23:39:07 GMT
For now, it is enough to raise enough for our land. Most of the native wildflowers on our land were destroyed by poor logging and deer. There are a few different forms of A. canadensis- a tall, medium and short version are seen and available when buying seed. We had them growing wild along a stone wall when I was in school.
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ragdall
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Post by ragdall on Jul 7, 2022 10:42:08 GMT
Maeve, I hope your native wildflowers will all do well. Will you still have to protect them from deer? My brother and his wife live on an island that has a moderate climate and an abundance of deer. They had to put up poultry fencing barriers around any plants they wanted to keep.
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maeve
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Post by maeve on Jul 7, 2022 14:07:40 GMT
We'll see. I am more concerned about the Jack-in-the-Pulpit since turkeys and deer love to dig the corms and eat them. Most of the others are not favorites of the deer and there is plenty of other more desirable browse available. Nothing ventured...
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maeve
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Post by maeve on Jul 18, 2022 14:27:08 GMT
The columbine I've planted out is all doing well despite the drought continuing. This week I'm moving the long-suffering blueberry bushes (hybrid/highbush) to the new hugelkultur bed and good raised-bed soil and compost. They sat in totes with roots in shallow water overnight to re-hydrate and loosen weed roots for cleaning 'em out. All are fruiting and so far all have taken the drastic mood with no sign of stress. That ground in the old bed was soooo bad!
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maeve
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Post by maeve on Jul 21, 2022 14:27:09 GMT
I thought of you yesterday, rags, when I bought/rescued two small geraniums at the local farm supply store. Poor things were suffering in the heat without care. Flowers are a dark red, so will be lovely with spotted purple with white petunias and some white alyssum- all begging for rescue. Early this morning they were trimmed, re-potted, and given a long drink on our back porch where both male and female hummingbirds spotted them immediately.
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ragdall
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Post by ragdall on Jul 27, 2022 5:46:26 GMT
Good to hear, Maeve, that the blueberry bushes appreciated their move to better soil and that the columbines are surviving the drought conditions. The dark red geraniums, spotted purple with white petunias, and white alyssum, were all very fortunate that you came along to rescue them. Do you plan to bring the geraniums indoors for the winter as I do?
My geraniums are suffering from neglect. They weren't cut back in February, as they should have been, and were very tall and not very strong. They are planted out along the house and have been watered regularly, but I need to spend time pruning them and need to find longer sticks to support them. The soil they are in is badly in need of weeding as well. Since I have a hard time working at ground level, I keep procrastinating. This week's excuse is it's 32-33 C (about 90 F) in the daytime. I've been staying indoors.
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maeve
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Post by maeve on Jul 27, 2022 12:54:08 GMT
Rags, when I have such treasured plants that need weeding and I am unable to do that work for some reason I sometimes just put mulch down and water over it. I don't know if that is any help- shredded bark works the best for me in such circumstances but might be hard to manage right now. Newspaper layers work pretty well when wet but might blow around if your weather there is windy as well as hot. Otherwise I find a regular hoe works more easily than getting down at ground level. Skuffle the weeds at the base and leave them where they fall for the time being as a layer of mulch and possible nutrition. If your soil becomes hard at those temps., hoeing after watering or after rain is easiest. It's often faster than getting down low, pulling by hand, and then trying to get back up again, especially in that heat. I bet you could order a bundle of bamboo sticks online for staking up the lanky bits.
If the dark red geraniums show themselves to be healthy and bloom well I might bring them inside for winter. I used to keep a dozen or so but in the last several years we just haven't had room since my husband became interested in cannas and dahlias and I was breeding amaryllis/hippeastrum seedlings for fun.
It's really hot and dry here too. We had a night and part of a day of real rain this week- heaven!
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ragdall
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Post by ragdall on Aug 16, 2022 10:38:16 GMT
Maeve, Thank you for the good advice about weeding. I'll keep it in mind if the weather is ever friendly enough to work outside in when I have time to do so. When I've had extra time, it's either been too hot to be out there for long, or we have thunder and lightning. A few days ago, I pulled out the worst offenders which are long grasses sprouted from uneaten birdseed. I need to be less lazy and make myself spend more time out in the garden. Before I know it, it will be time to bring in the Geraniums again. While we're sweltering in a heat wave, it's hard to keep in mind that the weather can turn very quickly and we'll have frost. My grandson helped me put the Geraniums out into the flower beds again this year. A few days ago, he told me he will help me bring them in again, this fall, even though he is recovering from both bones in his lower leg being broken in July. I'm afraid that he'll find carrying trays of potted plants is more than he can manage with only one useful leg. I'm sure I'll be able to manage myself, as long as there is some notice that frost is coming.
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maeve
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Post by maeve on Aug 24, 2022 20:17:45 GMT
Hmmm, guess I failed to post the reply I composed the other day. I use a sled or sledding saucer to move such numbers of plants when I don't have a cart handy. In a pinch, a smallish tarpolin works a treat, sliding over most any surface.
The male Ruby-throated hummingbirds departed the other day, the adult females seem to have left yesterday, so all we have left are the immature young of the year. I dug out a gnarly, weed-rooted area near the road that began life as a thyme covered walkway into the yard. This morning we agreed an entrance there was no longer helpful, so I dug out all the awful wire grass roots (probably not its real name), all of the rootlets and white carroty invasive campanula roots, ending with one pile about 3x3x4 feet high. After double digging to be sure all nasties are gone, I planted the sandy, composty arrea with 'Charming Billy' Siberian iris at the top, a trio of 'Shirley Temple peonies in the middle, with the mother plants of creeping phlox (Violet Pinwheels, Ruby Riot, North Hill, and drat- I forget!) with open spaces filled by the red-flowered very low creeping thyme planted so many years ago. I sprinkled the soil with seeds from the poppy stems I pulled out. If I get some cash I'll get little bulbs to tuck in where ever possible this fall along with various Californis poppy seeds. Still need to top dress with compost before mulching with shredded bark, but it looks and will function much better. Working up my nerve to do the same with the erstwhile peony bed infested with the dratted campanula and goutweed... this fall.
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ragdall
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Post by ragdall on Aug 25, 2022 11:20:41 GMT
Hi Maeve, Just reading about all that you accomplish in your garden is exhausting. Your reclaimed walkway will be very beautiful when all the plants are established. Good luck with conquering the unwanted infesting plants.
I've all but surrendered to the creeping bellflowers. I know that I can't win. They are too efficient at surviving and thriving. I've settled for removing as much of the leaves and stems as I can, to reduce the amount of nourishment reaching the extensive root system in the ground, and pulling out and disposing of the flower stalks before they can go to seed. The flowers are very pretty. I'm comforted by the knowledge that when the time comes that I can't look after my flowerbeds, they will be covered with pretty bellflowers in no time.
I was interested to read about you planting poppy seed this time of year. I thought I had to wait "until all danger of frost is over" in spring, or the seed would be destroyed. I have poppy seed that I bought and wasn't able to plant. If I can get the backyard flowerbed that I've made smaller, weeded by the end of September, and bulbs planted, I will try spreading poppy seed there.
Thank you for the ideas for moving my geraniums. I have a wheel barrow that I can use. Individual plants are not heavy, it's the number of them that makes it a big job.
In the spring, I could use my grandson's help because holes had to be dug and it was efficient to carry out planter trays with five pots in each, which he was strong enough to do. The care the plants need to put them back into pots is something I don't think I'd trust to my grandson.
I'm sure I can manage by myself, if I don't try to leave them outside in the flowerbeds until the absolute last moments before hard frost hits. I like to enjoy them outside as long as I can. I don't think anyone else can help me anyway.
It takes time to put that many geraniums into pots and carry them indoors. The geraniums along the back, south-facing side of the house have quadrupled in size, growing freely in soil that is rich in compost, and having abundant sunlight. I hate cutting them back, but it will have to be done for them to fit into pots, in a tray, on a window ledge in the basement. They are usually the first plants I bring in, and the last to go out, because they have no protection from frost falling on them. The geraniums in window boxes have the protection of the the roof overhang, and those along the front have bedrooms jutting out over them.
I spent about 3 hours today out in the heat, deadheading geraniums and poppies, raking out chickweed, along the front of the house, then cutting back the Maltese Cross in a bed under my Birch. It had all gone to seed. Now the sedum, which is getting ready to bloom, can be seen.
The forecast is that this hot weather will continue into September. If it will stay at least five degrees cooler than it has been, it will be wonderful.
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