Garden Thread II

[newleaf09]

To see original garden thread (Garden Thread by Tippyclubb, Apr 23, 2009 05:32PM) please search.  If someone else knows how to make a live link, please do.

It's coming onto fruit season, believe it or not, in the Deep South.  I'll start picking goumis this weekend.  It's a cousin of russian olive, that makes a red berry which can be turned into exquisite jelly (do I have the energy?  Hope so).  A delicate flavor and gorgeous gold color.  Then I'll move to figs (wonderful fig tarts; a sweet short crust, open face and brushed with melted jelly), then concord grapes (terrific grape juice, better than Welch's).  I gave up on the strawberries; too many slug bites.  I watch everything out the window and the day the first bird lands on the plant, I dash out and pick everything.   MMMMM; can't wait.

[newleaf09]

Everybody in their garden this holiday weekend? I have nearly gotten to the end of the pot graveyard that grows from my garage door.  Must have been a dozen pots.  Can't guarantee I will muster the enthusiasm to water them in the heat this summer, but at least they'll die in the ground instead of the darn pots.  Took all my energy to haul those 5-gallon shrubs to the back garden and I immediately talked myself out of the extensive soil prep I usually do.

Well they were easy things (if you water them) like azaleas & clethra and one lilac.  Lilacs this far south are like sheep here; just an animal looking for a place to die.  Let the sacrifice begin.  Only a swamp spider lily and 3 easter lillies left to go!  And I swore I would not buy a single plant this year!

[GSDgirl]

winner, thanks for the heads up.  We are planting this weekend, a bigger garden than I ever imagined  planting.  Hope it doesn't kill me LOL.  I was gonna buy Preen for weed control but my friend at the greenhouse sold me a 20 lb bag of corn gluten which is what the garden Preen is.  More for the money, lots more.  Hubby's adult kids are are supposed to help, we'll see how much help I get.  

Girls, I got 2 new stepables today, I will get some pics soon.  I also got a bunch of flowers for my pots on the patio.  I'll get some pics of them aftre they grow & fill in.

Denise

[winner727]

forgot to spray soapy water on young bean plants .gypsy moths cut em down !   putting my cukes in the screen room also .   terrible year for moths in northeast !!  

[Tippyclubb]

I know over fertilizing Rhodes can kill them---yes, I killed two of them like that--burnt them up.

[portann]

I never thought of that, to use peat moss around the shrubs.

My early rhodo had a glorious showing this year but it seems spent faster than usual. Is there some way to sustain flowering? I fertilize but can over-fertilizing result in a quicker show?

This is the first year in a decade I pinched off the extra buds on my peonies. They're going to be big melons. The garden thread motivated me! I hope everyone keeps those photos coming.

[eureka254]

GSD: For flower gardens my favorite mulch is shredded cypress (but it's pretty hard to find these days), with shredded cedar a close second.  I like to mulch w/ peat moss around the flowering shrubs (azaleas, rhodos, roses, etc.), but not the in flower garden, found it made the soil more acidic and wicked moisture rather than retain it.

Tippy:  nice plantings!