The Garden

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Spideyman

Uber Member
Jul 10, 2006
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Just north of Duma Key
I remember... :hopelessness:

Riding the mower. I had about 3 acres. The birds! I looked like a shrimp boat out there, all following me - dipping suicidal like right in front of me. Scooping moths and things that I stirred up. AHH! Nothing I could do. But watch them pick them off. Felt so bad.

That's when I thought about bird feeder and butterfly bush.


Farms stands are bursting, Spideyman
I can envision them in my dreams!!
 

CoriSCapnSkip

Well-Known Member
Jan 16, 2015
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Hey, it's getting to be that time to think about which plants to take inside, which I do in October. Last year I was caught before being able to fix my kitchen window area to accommodate more, so they all had to sit on sheets of cardboard in the living room lit by a Gro Bulb. Don't want to do that this year. I have things better arranged than last year, but the kitchen window still won't be able to hold everything I might bring in. Does anyone know of any such thing as a small temporary greenhouse which could be set up outdoors over the winter and taken down in spring leaving the area just a regular flowerbed, or is that not possible? Thanks.
 

Dana Jean

Dirty Pirate Hooker, The Return
Moderator
Apr 11, 2006
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The High Seas
Hey, it's getting to be that time to think about which plants to take inside, which I do in October. Last year I was caught before being able to fix my kitchen window area to accommodate more, so they all had to sit on sheets of cardboard in the living room lit by a Gro Bulb. Don't want to do that this year. I have things better arranged than last year, but the kitchen window still won't be able to hold everything I might bring in. Does anyone know of any such thing as a small temporary greenhouse which could be set up outdoors over the winter and taken down in spring leaving the area just a regular flowerbed, or is that not possible? Thanks.
There are these things

Plant Protection for the Winter: Pop-Up Plant Protector
 

CoriSCapnSkip

Well-Known Member
Jan 16, 2015
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Seeking suggestions on how best to remove leaves and other small debris from flowerbeds. In most cases rakes do not work well because they catch on things too much. I have a leaf blower but it doesn't do much good as the flowerbeds are either next to buildings or fences with not many good places to stand to blow the leaves away from the flowerbed plants--they are soggy, and when they do move, just pile up and catch on things. So far the only thing which really works well is picking up by hand but it is extremely difficult and takes way too much time. I am looking for, ideally, a reverse leaf blower (vacuum) which instead of a small catch bag would have a tube to just funnel debris straight into the trash. I would also consider some sort of long-handled grabbing implement. Just can't bring myself to crawl around grubbing up individual bits when there should be and are better ways! I am eager to hear what has worked for others. Thanks.
 

Dana Jean

Dirty Pirate Hooker, The Return
Moderator
Apr 11, 2006
53,634
236,697
The High Seas
Seeking suggestions on how best to remove leaves and other small debris from flowerbeds. In most cases rakes do not work well because they catch on things too much. I have a leaf blower but it doesn't do much good as the flowerbeds are either next to buildings or fences with not many good places to stand to blow the leaves away from the flowerbed plants--they are soggy, and when they do move, just pile up and catch on things. So far the only thing which really works well is picking up by hand but it is extremely difficult and takes way too much time. I am looking for, ideally, a reverse leaf blower (vacuum) which instead of a small catch bag would have a tube to just funnel debris straight into the trash. I would also consider some sort of long-handled grabbing implement. Just can't bring myself to crawl around grubbing up individual bits when there should be and are better ways! I am eager to hear what has worked for others. Thanks.
Hire a neighborhood kid and supervise.
 

Neesy

#1 fan (Annie Wilkes cousin) 1st cousin Mom's side
May 24, 2012
61,289
239,271
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Seeking suggestions on how best to remove leaves and other small debris from flowerbeds. In most cases rakes do not work well because they catch on things too much. I have a leaf blower but it doesn't do much good as the flowerbeds are either next to buildings or fences with not many good places to stand to blow the leaves away from the flowerbed plants--they are soggy, and when they do move, just pile up and catch on things. So far the only thing which really works well is picking up by hand but it is extremely difficult and takes way too much time. I am looking for, ideally, a reverse leaf blower (vacuum) which instead of a small catch bag would have a tube to just funnel debris straight into the trash. I would also consider some sort of long-handled grabbing implement. Just can't bring myself to crawl around grubbing up individual bits when there should be and are better ways! I am eager to hear what has worked for others. Thanks.
50771eb7b2fdd30e9445ae5e06b5f431.jpg
Good luck corey!

I usually hire someone to cut the grass and so on but maybe like DanaJean says, a neighborhood kid could help out
 

Doc Creed

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Nov 18, 2015
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The blackberry plants are bearing fruit, now. In two weeks there should be more. This is a picture of some of the higher growth. The ground is covered in early red berries that stretch a distance of a dozen feet. I snapped this about fifteen minutes ago, thunder rumbling in the distance.
Sitting on the deck, dark and spongy from last night's rain, I felt the tremble roll over my body as the windows vibrated. Cool drops wet my neck and I came inside.
 

HollyGolightly

Well-Known Member
Sep 6, 2013
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Heart of the South
Gorgeous Doc - that's very exciting!! I wish I could discover a wild blackberry bush in the woods behind our house. We've planted some, but I've heard it could take 2 years for them to bear fruit. It'll be worth the wait.

I spent the morning staking my tomatoes - they are growing like crazy. There's one that's turning orange. The sacred tomato. I'm hoping it will be good enough to eat this weekend.

Slugs are eating my broccoli leaves - so I picked them off (barf) and put some little pans of beer about to capture the buggers. I had enough broccoli last week to cook - it was so good.

I had to stake the squash too. There were tiny little squashes. So cute.
 

Doc Creed

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Nov 18, 2015
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The color blue doesn't appear in plants that often. What some call blue is really purple, but here are a few (besides roses) that most greenthumbs would recognize.
Lepplady I hope you are able to grow something this year, if even some tomatoes in a pot. That's what I'm doing. I have two tomato plants that are averaging 6-8 tomatoes at a time. Am I the only one that loves the smell of their dark, crumpled leaves? Vaguely reminiscent of marigolds.

kingricefan Do you still have your purple Clematis? My grandmother had them in the corner of her yard and it crawled up the wooden lattice which covered her swing. She also had yellow lantana and peach cabbage roses which she'd pick for centerpieces to cluster with her gardenias.

HollyGolightly How difficult is it to grow broccoli? Besides going to war with slugs, two beers in each hand. LOL.
I love broccoli and want to grow some and some cucumbers, too. My grandfather has more than enough cukes but I still would enjoy the fun of harvesting them.
 

Doc Creed

Well-Known Member
Nov 18, 2015
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My neighbor's magnolia tree always blooms in May. In the morning light, the stout tree is studded with white blooms soft as cake frosting. Before the dawn, like a practiced nun in her silent routine, she appears and, in solitude, examines her yard. She removes the kinks from her garden hose and waters the plants in hypnotic, rhythmic waves. Up and down. Up and down. Her blue hydrangeas look like tie-dyed Easter eggs of lavender and pink, ruffled and proud, and behind her, in the rose gold of morning, shadowy birds cling to swinging feeders. The remnants of Spring, though never beggars, are quickly forgotten by the promise of Summer.
Hydra  mixed.jpg
 
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HollyGolightly

Well-Known Member
Sep 6, 2013
9,660
74,320
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Heart of the South

The color blue doesn't appear in plants that often. What some call blue is really purple, but here are a few (besides roses) that most greenthumbs would recognize.
Lepplady I hope you are able to grow something this year, if even some tomatoes in a pot. That's what I'm doing. I have two tomato plants that are averaging 6-8 tomatoes at a time. Am I the only one that loves the smell of their dark, crumpled leaves? Vaguely reminiscent of marigolds.

kingricefan Do you still have your purple Clematis? My grandmother had them in the corner of her yard and it crawled up the wooden lattice which covered her swing. She also had yellow lantana and peach cabbage roses which she'd pick for centerpieces to cluster with her gardenias.

HollyGolightly How difficult is it to grow broccoli? Besides going to war with slugs, two beers in each hand. LOL.
I love broccoli and want to grow some and some cucumbers, too. My grandfather has more than enough cukes but I still would enjoy the fun of harvesting them.
Oh Doc! I missed this somehow. But I was so happy to see the thread pop up this morning - I love to look at Lepp's elephant ears! We're growing some too and I'm amazed how quickly they are growing and how big they already are.

About that broccoli - after planting it, I learned that it's a cool weather crop - so I should have planted it in August and harvested in October/November. It did produce 1 crop - I planted 6 plants and I got 6 nice bunches of broccoli - and they were delicious - I haven't had homegrown broccoli in many years. But after that they went caput. I got some seeds and I'm starting them in my kitchen sometime in July so they will be sprouts by August and then they are going in the ground outside and we'll see how that does this fall. Same thing with the Brussel sprouts - they are a cabbage and not meant to be grown in our hot summer, so I'll try again with those. I wish I had planted some melons. I picked a handful of blueberries off our of tiny bush. The blackberries are making some berries, but they are few and not exactly black. Nothing on the raspberries yet - unless I got them mixed up with the blackberries, then they are the ones with a few berries. I'm certain I'm not doing anything right, but it's fun. I spend about an hour puttering barefoot around my backyard every morning, pruning everyone, watering, picking worms off things, cursing the squirrels - they knock at least 1 of my flower pots off the fence shelf every night, they eat all the birdseed - I hate them. I'm having so much fun with all of it though, and I think its good for my head. I'm going out there in just a few.
 

Doc Creed

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Nov 18, 2015
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Oh Doc! I missed this somehow. But I was so happy to see the thread pop up this morning - I love to look at Lepp's elephant ears! We're growing some too and I'm amazed how quickly they are growing and how big they already are.

About that broccoli - after planting it, I learned that it's a cool weather crop - so I should have planted it in August and harvested in October/November. It did produce 1 crop - I planted 6 plants and I got 6 nice bunches of broccoli - and they were delicious - I haven't had homegrown broccoli in many years. But after that they went caput. I got some seeds and I'm starting them in my kitchen sometime in July so they will be sprouts by August and then they are going in the ground outside and we'll see how that does this fall. Same thing with the Brussel sprouts - they are a cabbage and not meant to be grown in our hot summer, so I'll try again with those. I wish I had planted some melons. I picked a handful of blueberries off our of tiny bush. The blackberries are making some berries, but they are few and not exactly black. Nothing on the raspberries yet - unless I got them mixed up with the blackberries, then they are the ones with a few berries. I'm certain I'm not doing anything right, but it's fun. I spend about an hour puttering barefoot around my backyard every morning, pruning everyone, watering, picking worms off things, cursing the squirrels - they knock at least 1 of my flower pots off the fence shelf every night, they eat all the birdseed - I hate them. I'm having so much fun with all of it though, and I think its good for my head. I'm going out there in just a few.
That's ok, thanks for answering. I didn't know broccoli is a cool weather crop. Hey, you made me laugh with the squirrel comments. I can just picture that.
 

Doc Creed

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Nov 18, 2015
17,221
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United States
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These are our purple and white Rose of Sharon shrubs (tall and slim as delicate trees, though) and the bees and hummingbirds love them. I saw the hummingbirds feeding this afternoon before it rained. These plants are in the hibiscus family and the blooms last well into October, which is nice to have color after other flowers have died. The petals are edible and taste like sweet lettuce. People add them to salads and even decorate cakes with them.
 
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CoriSCapnSkip

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Jan 16, 2015
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Does anyone know anything about a special kind of grass which grows only to a certain height, never needs mowing, and crowds out other grass and weeds, and if so is it available only in certain regions? Thanks.
 

HollyGolightly

Well-Known Member
Sep 6, 2013
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Heart of the South
Gorgeous flowers, Doc Creed ! I envy you your hummingbirds. I've only seen 3 this year.
My petunias are leggy, but the marigolds are going strong - I haven't mastered the perennials - well, the gerberas count, but they have a mind of their own. We do have a box full of flowers that come back every year - very hardy and exciting to see them - but I don't know what they are - hodge podge things. I have a pot of dahlias and they are really hardy and just keep on - Makes me very happy. I'll try to share some pictures soon. The elephant ears are HUGE. My tomatoes are terrible. They are so bad I've actually lost the craving for summer tomatoes. My brain keeps thinking of how awful my tomatoes taste. How did I do that?

Oh, I picked up the Fannie Flagg book to read again and discovered it was bluejays that Sookie was angry at, not the squirrels. The squirrels and chipmunks are driving me nuts. (I always forget the word for chipmunks and call them gerbils - close enough). My mom told me that when the squirrels eat all summer long, it means we're in for a hard winter. She has a superstition for every thing. I've also found four feathers in the past couple of weeks. Apparently it means angels are near, so I like that one.

Happy summer! Vacation starts at 5pm tomorrow (going nowhere, just seeing the local sites, sleeping in, it's going to be great).