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The photos the news feeds are posting sure make it look pink! Or they might just be enhanced. I'll find out for myself as I'll be watching. It's clear and sunny here so should be a good night to view.

Excellent, thanks for the 'heads up'! I saw the moon through cloud cover last night but tonight should be crystal clear, getting lucky for a change :) I didn't know it was called a pink moon, I love that tidbit.

No stars visible on this old farm - did clouds moving in earlier require a cover charge?

o j

GG, that is great info about stemmed/stemless. Thanks so much for that hellebore lesson.

I've been thinking about dividing my stemmed hellebores, but didn't realize they're not fans........

For fun, every few years I grab one of each of my hellebore flowers and put them on a platter. I enjoy studying the flowers up close (as opposed to my laying on the ground. LOL!)

The caulescent hellebores seem to have much "simpler" flowers, but I find the plants are much more robust with many more flowers so form quite a show when in bloom.

And GG, thank you so much for this lesson!

debra

PM2, I have a hand truck, sort of.....or at least a collapsible grocery cart :-) I use that for schlepping all manner of heavy items. The issue is getting those weighty bags of potting soil out of the back of my car, on to the cart, up a couple of risers and then through the house to the back deck where I can off load them. It's an effort but doable. I can't leave anything out front at any time.....HOA rules are very strict about that.

ps. the cart can only handle so much. The stock tanks I am using for a couple of planters were far too big to be transported that way so I had to roll them through the house. Films of that routine would be vastly entertaining to watch!! 😁

Yep, one round and one larger rectangle. The round was small enough to lift up and move quite easily.....the rectangle was another matter altogether!

I need too much potting soil to be dealing with small bags. These are 1.5 to 2 cubic feet and it is as much their bulk as their weight that is the problem. I need at least 3 to fill the rectangle and at least one more for the round. Plus all the other containers I need to fill. I have 3. I'm off tomorrow to get a few more.

I might be coming to the realization that container gardening is not going to be the easy process I thought for a brand new but tiny garden. At least initially.

Each condo unit has a small fenced backyard as well as a deck or a small ground level patio. I have an elevated deck (3 steps) and the rest was/is bare lawn....of sorts ;-) And not very much of that. I have about 500 square feet to work with.

Except for some seasonal stuff, everything will live outdoors in containers year round. And out in the lawn area. A couple of smallish pots on the deck but not much room there for anything other than my herbs and summer vacationing houseplants.

The 'befores' are not very interesting and borderline scary (at least to me) but I'll be taking lots of 'afters'!

Good luck with it, I have a feeling it's going to be great. I find it fascinating that you are in the business, and are such a long time gardener and to downsize to a small space. I'm looking forward to seeing photos.

I believe the favored rootstock is Sawara cypress or Chamaecyparis pisifera. I'm not sure you would be able to discern this just visually (I wouldn't be able to) but most better sellers should be selling grafted plants to avoid excessive disease issues and better tolerance to summer heat and humidity. Ask :-))

" I believe the favored rootstock is Sawara cypress or Chamaecyparis pisifera. "

FWIW, I have asked around for Lawson cultivars on Sawara and haven't been able to find that being offered.

If anyone knows of a wholesaler producing such liners, please post it here. At the moment the PNW wholesalers seem to use a Lawson rootstock that does show better disease resistance *IN THE PNW* - not much help for the rest of us!

The long term non-adaptability of straight cutting grown Lawsons around here explains, for example, why the incredible cultivar 'Imbricata Pendula' isn't seen at Longwood, or National Arboretum, etc. etc. It's a real shame - I'd love one. One of the most amazing looking weeping plant cultivars, period.

What exactly do you mean by "the dirt is bad"? What makes you think that?

Since the dirt was free, I 'm going to assume it is fill dirt since tat is pretty much the only dirt or soil product that is routinely given away. Other than being rocky or rooty, fill dirt is not necessarily bad although typically devoid of much organic matter.

Since you are on a budget, I'd propose you work with it rather than having to pay to have it hauled away and then pay more for some quality soil to be brought in. It may take a bit of effort and elbow grease but remove as much of the rocky material as you can - a soil sieve can help with that. Then pay for some some decent compost or other composted organic matter to be delivered and work the two together until they are fully mixed. The resultant soil mix should be pretty suitable for your needs.

btw, a load of compost is relatively inexpensive.....maybe as much as $50 a cubic yard. And that's about all you need.

Sand won't hurt the lawn a bit but you would want to remove all the large stones and rocks. Smaller than a dime you can ignore.

This has definitely been a learning experience! I Greatly appreciate all your comments!

Sifting out the rocks would be another back breaking operation imo.

I like the idea of garden rake and raking out the larger stones after the soil has been applied.

After you're all done applying the soil, raking will pull all the stones/rocks within the top 1" or so into a pile, then just wheelbarrow them away. As mentioned, I use all the stones I find in other places.

Here's my favorite stone picker. I have one that belonged to my folks and they'd be over 100 yo by now. Been used for mixing/leveling cement and still works like new. ;-)

I'd certainly investigate the possibility of a water issue. Both too much and too little water can produce similar symptoms. And either will not necessarily affect the whole tree. The only way you can determine which one it might be is to dig down into the soil just outside the rootball and to its full depth and physically/visually examine the soil moisture level.

How the planting areas was prepared, how the plants have been irrigated and how level the planting site is can all have a substantial bearing how water moves through the soil profile. It is quite possible to have very dry areas very close to very damp areas.

Aside from normal cultural concerns, not much bothers these tough conifers.

Thank you! I will give that a try as well since in the worst scenario it doesn’t make it and I’d want to replace, I’ll want to know if anything in that spot is causing the problem. This has all been really helpful!

I’ve grown them at my beach home but not in a hot climate. For that I plant Vincas , they like sun & heat & are fairly drought tolerant at my Palm Springs area home, commonly planted as a summer annual there.

NO campanulas are going to be happy under those conditions. By nature, they are neither heat nor drought tolerant and while they will grow in full sun, partial shade is preferred unless you can provide consistent soil moisture. Growing them in a hot, dry and very sunny climate generally means they are very short lived.

Unless it something specifically blue in color, I'd look at lantana or a verbena for a similar growth habit.

Central Pennsylvania?

No Rocks. None. Really, really bad idea.

I went with ground cover plants! Use Preen and very minimal weeds.

If they are white, they are not worms but some sort of larvae or grub. Nematodes are the most efficient way of dealing with these creatures.

Black soldier fly larvae, maybe? If so, they're not a problem (and probably actually are beneficial).

Lol luckyladyslipper! I agree!

Thanks SyinUSA. I'll look into that!

:)

Dee

We need to know where geographically you are located, whether the pavers are in sun or shade and a photo of the area in question would be very helpful as well.

I'm in zone 5 and it gets at least 6 hours of sun a day.

I have used a creeping thyme to fill in around concrete slabs. It's pretty. Now I have moss (I didn't put it there) and it looks nice too.

Epsom salts won't do bupkus for peach leaf curl!! That's like taking an antacid for a broken leg. 😆There is nothing in ES that could possibly be construed as an effective fungicide. Neem oil or other horticultural oils are considered "natural" or organic and may have a limited effectiveness but anything else - other than a proper registered fungicide - is just a waste of time and money.

If you are unwilling to apply a proper treatment to address this disease, then you should look into replacing your peach with a leaf curl resistant variety. Or just stop growing fruit trees, most of which will have a plethora of insect and disease problems.

Sorry, but that's just life. You have to have the right tools to do the job.

Covering the trees from rain is natural and it is effective. You'd have to construct a plastic covered frame for each tree. Stuff from the kitchen isn't going to help. There are no remedies for plc, only preventatives.

Oh, gift giving is fraught with perils! I opt out of being on either end of that game.

Hand made things can be a real albatross around the neck of the recipient and the social dynamics that it sets in place can be an unwelcomed dimension to a relationship.

NO, just NO!

Unless you have something really special that comes from your hands......... and, most of us dont, really.

Why spend the minutes of your life trying to find something for a gift that no one needs, or probably even wants? I am so completely done with all of that!.

Back in times where people had less, a gift may have been more appreciated. But, in our modern lives, most of us have so darned many doo dads already.

Unless you live in a zone 7 or higher, I wouldn't risk it. Containerized plants are far more vulnerable to winter cold damage than their counterparts planted in the ground. A very rough rule of thumb is that the plant in question should be hardy to at least 2 full zones lower than your own. Roots are the most cold sensitive part of a plant and are very easily damaged with the exposure a container receives from the very low ambient temperatures in winter.

Nope. Zone 5 is as cold as they willtolerate. And in that zone they tend to act like a dieback perennial rather than a shrub.

When they survive at all.

Mine in a cold frost-hollow act as semi-dieback depending on the winter here in z6. Ditto for crape myrtle.

With the possible exception of the arborvitaes, none of the plants suggested are likely to survive a Toronto winter in a container. Containerized plants - and even those in good sized containers - are far more vulnerable to winter cold than their inground planted counterparts. Roots are the most cold sensitive portion of the plant and without the insulating properties of the ground mass surrounding them, they can easily be fatally damaged at much higher temperatures than you would expect. Certainly much higher than the average lows of a Toronto winter.

At the very least, you should be looking at plants considered hardy to zone 4. And even that does not take into consideration the pot and its contents freezing solid.

I'd go a different direction. Castor beans, canna, sunflowers - tall plants that can be grown as annuals.

Maybe I shouldn't show my pot of trilliums :-) They have a long back story but this particular clump (part of the original plant I acquired going on 20 years ago) has not been in the ground for 5 years.

If I wasn't already convinced it's spring, the pollen this last week has been incredible!! Everything has a thick dusting of gold powder, you see clouds of it lifting when the wind blows and I have been sneezing my head off!! I don't remember it being this bad before.

Eyes up - Blackthorn and almond blossom.

Eyes down - violets

Eyes closed - lilacs

Nose closed - to prevent sneezing

It also depends on what your existing pH is and what are the mineral constituents that are causing that high pH. Certain minerals will react to attempts to lower pH differently; some can take a much longer time for the reaction to occur. The issues with over-sulfating begin to occur if you apply more than 20# per 1000sf annually and that may or may not be sufficient to lower pH appropriately.

Often the recommendation for growing plants better suited to a soil pH substantially differing from your in situ pH is to grow them in containers where you can specifically tailor the soil mix to plant pH needs.

Blueberries require such a low pH that it is often impractical to grow them in the ground if your in situ pH is 7.0 or higher.

Fair point. If your native soil isn't pretty acidic, it's understood to be largely a losing proposition to try to strongly acidify it. That is, you can heave sulfur on it, and it will reduce the pH slightly, but the pH will pop back up to a higher level in a year or two. It should be understood that where your soil is alkaline, your water (probably ground water) is going to be alkaline as well, so just watering de-acidifies. My soil pH is 7.9, but my water pH is over 9! My lake water is 8.0, but they bump the pH up to remove minerals. Growing blueberries for me in the ground is hopeless, and I suspect growing them in containers wouldn't be much easier.

Thanks guys! I do suspect it will "revert back" if left alone. I will get it tested but not every year. It is only for blueberry bushes so only a localized area. I was also guessing 2x a year was overkill so will reduce it to once a year. I will watch my blueberry harvest, if it is bad then i will test the soil for sure.

Thanks again everyone!!!!!!!!!!

Fruit flies don't/can't live in soil. What was most probably encountered were fungus gnats. Fungus gnats feed off of decaying organic matter in the soil mix and are encouraged by excessive moisture retention.

Sorry mxk3, I meant to say fungus gnats. Coffee hadnt kicked in. I better brew some more Lol. 😴☕️😳

^^ I deleted that comment, it wasn't meant toward you, Jay, but I can see how you might have felt it was.

The AHS heat zone map reflects a similar presentation to the USDA hardiness zone map, except the higher number is the limiting factor. For example, the hardiness zone of a plant focuses on the lowest zone it will reliably survive; the heat zone will focus on the highest zone it will survive. It is measured by the average number of days the temperature exceeds 86F.

Gardenia.net is one of the few websites that routinely lists AHS heat zone data for each plant it profiles. If it lists AHS heat zones 4-7, then 7 is the maximum allowed for best growth. Doesn't necessarily mean the plant will die - heat limitations are rarely as critical as cold limitations - it only means that plant is unlikely to thrive in hotter climates.

I am in a bit of a sweet spot and why so many wholesale growers/nurseries are located in the PNW (WA and OR) - a very low heat zone (2) but a quite high hardiness zone (9). There is not much (other than tropicals) that cannot be easily grown here.

We do have an advantage over St Louis as their summers are way hotter than here since it is farther south but more inland so that it has the same winter temps (we’re even slightly warmer). We can grow cooler climate plants here such as larch trees and other ones that would otherwise not grow in St Louis.

TLDR version of the above: the heat zone map is hard to find and seldom used, and the industry would rather you not use it anyhow because they'd prefer you to waste money on plants that aren't actually suited to your climate.

To that I would add that # of days above 86F is surely not the best and most scientific way to have designed such a metric. I don't have time to elaborate RN but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

But I have the guts to try can you say that for others

Most reputable citrus sources will quote a minimum of 20F for a very short period of time. Certainly not where it will be exposed to below freezing (<32F) for any extended length of time......like being planted in the ground in a zone 6b/7a. And nearly every source states to maintain temps no less then 40F.

" But I have the guts to try can you say that for others "

No doubt others have tried. Someone is always willing to push the envelop. But you can push it too far and what you propose to do is just that.

@gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9), ditching the box. Getting a ilex crenata. Thank you!!

" It'll be on me if it doesn't make it. "

Not necessarily :-) Florida sieboldii has a reputation for being futzy and hard to establish. I have attempted multiple times myself and I can say in all truthfulness I have never had that much difficulty with any other clem, regardless of cultivar or current condition. But once established (at least a couple seasons) it is a tough little vine with amazing looking flowers! I have managed to get mine, grown in a container, through the last 5 years and a move to a new garden this winter. It was originally a transplant from my sister's garden when she moved house, so off to a rough start in my care and not always ideal conditions in the interim.

Good luck with it. Of all the many different clematis I have grown in different gardens over the years, this one is by far my favorite.

Nice to hear a positive review, I'll have to keep them on the list to consider should I need anything.

Yes, seems like they know what they're doing..I liked the careful packaging in addition to the plants. I think they had a big and nice selection.

I wouldn't eliminate nutsedge from the equation! Both purple (Cyperus rotundus) and yellow (Cyperus esculentus) nut sedge produce underground rhizomes that help with their spread. Purple nutsedge in particular will form long networks of rhizomes. "The rhizomes remove nutrients from the soil robbing their fellow plants and can be very difficult to remove. If you pull it up you can see the nut-like nodules that store the nutrients (and are edible) as well as a network of long roots. Unfortunately, once pulled up, the Nutsedge may leave broken roots to form more numerous roots and therefore, new plants in its place "

Identification is critical as nutsedge does not respond to regular herbicides and even the two species require different approaches in their control. Nutsedges can be distinguished from grasses by their stems, which are triangular or V-shaped in cross-section, while grass stems are hollow and round. Their leaves are thicker and stiffer than most grasses and are arranged in groups of three at the base. Nutsedge leaves appear creased with prominent mid-veins.

" Yellow nutsedge is a perennial plant growing from an extensive system of rhizomes, tubers and roots, with stems reaching 12 to 32 inches tall. With age, its rhizomes develop tubers and basal bulbs that bear aerial shoots. " WA State Noxious Weeds

" Yellow nutsedge is a grass-like weed in the sedge family (Cyperaceae) with top growth 8–30 inches tall (Fig. 1a), and an extensive underground network of basal bulbs, roots, thin fibrous rhizomes, and tubers 0.4–0.8 inch long borne singly at the tips of rhizomes (Uva et al., 1997; Holm et al., 1991)." eOrganic

" Nutsedge is a perennial weed. Perennial weeds are always more difficult to control. But, nutsedge is one of the toughest because it spreads by underground rhizomes and tubers. Four to six weeks after the first blades emerge, typically in late June to early July, nutsedge begins forming new tubers (nutlets) and rhizomes (underground stems)." Clackamas Conservation District

" Yellow Nutsedge, is a perennial, glossy green, grass-like native weed or sedge that spreads predominantly by rhizomes and tubers, although viable seed can be produced. " NC Extension

The OP photo does look a lot like Bermuda grass, tho...

Bermuda grass. The common one, not the improved varieties. Pest. It can climb under, over, and through anything. The least little piece left will root.

Makes a sturdy grass for lawns, but invades flower beds.

Actually, Henry's photo looks very much like Kramer's Rote, which is a cultivar of Erica x darleyensis and easily one of the most popular and longest blooming of the winter heaths.

Med Pink is also a cultivar of E. darleyensis. And looks very similar to Kramer's Rote but perhaps not quite so intensely colored.

It is against a rock on the south side of the house

Also, I have no problem protecting it with frost cloth if the temp gets below -5 to -10

I would not suggest azaleas (or rhodies) for containers - they do not thrive under those conditions - but hydrangeas are excellent container subjects!! As are many other broadleaved evergreen shrubs. And as I mentioned in your related thread about Japanese maples, containerizing the shrub is a natural dwarfing process, substantially slowing/restricting growth.

I'd visit a better local nursery and see what you like that fits the container sizes and your sun/shade requirements.

You can very easily grow full sized hydrangeas in containers - I have several that are approx. 5'x5'. And many other BLE's are well adapted to container culture and will reach 5' tall or more, as long as they are in a container properly sized to accommodate them.

I'm more concerned about the availability of light under cover.

Fwiw I've grown rhododendrons, azaleas and hydrangeas in large pots.

Finally!! A pupper photo! Cute!

Klark, you do such nice work. That's a great looking walkway. I had visions of something similar for my place before my budget got blown away.

Would you like to come back up north and help me create my new garden? 😉 DIY'ing at my age is getting to be more and more challenging. You should have seen today me hauling my two new stock tank planters through my house to the backyard (the only access). I'm sure my neighbors found it entertaining. LOL!!

Good luck with your stock tank project Pam! Keep us posted. I think your timing is perfect: new garden just after the worst winter for BLEs since 1996!!! I want one of those stock tanks too (round) but I actually want to put water in it: fish, frogs & aquatic plants. Dune likes "his" new path but Kizzie prefers to walk on the bark, shes a strange one.

Really nice work! And it's clear you had excellent supervision.

Not black, something cheerful. And please put the poop bin down at street level, not next to the door.

There are a number of vendors selling this plant, including several east coast locations, so it must still be being grown for retail sales. Nursery plants get mistagged....a LOT!! It is not intentional but the speed of production required by a successful growing/selling operation at this time of year means accidents happen and mistakes are made.

If it bugs you that much, just bring it to the nursery manager's attention.

..I like the alliteration.

I had to look up that term but good to know.. visiting london for the first time next month lol

Must be Canadian prices :-)) 25 camassia bulbs from my favored supplier are $9.00 at 2024 pricing.

Cecily, you make a great point. I do have a favorite nursery or two and I will still need things that I can't easily reproduce. We use a lot of bagged mulch. Liquid seaweed fertilizer has really gotten dear, but I can't see not using it. I probably only use one large bottle a season. Perennials and shrubs I still can afford to buy a few every season. As you said, careful lists and no impulse purchases should make the best compromise. And of course, buying when on sale. I just got an email for 20% off lilacs this week. And another Perennials 10 for $49. They are $5.99 individually. That's a large increase from past years. I would think a lot of the increase has to do with shipping costs. Have you tried to ship even a small box lately?

We also still have a local plant sale every Mother's Day weekend. Other local gardeners who have established gardens and are always dividing and ending up with plants to share, sell and the prices are really still very reasonable. I end up with a lot for my money. And I know one of the sellers and he starts seeds in the winter to sell as a hobby and he makes a lot of money on that one weekend.

@Lalenoxxa: what/where is this magical bulb wholesale place that you speak of?

Both the chickweed and the hairy bittercress are cool season, shallow rooted annual weeds. There is no need to use any kind of weed killer/pesticide on them. Just water the area well and they will pull up and can be removed easily.

Charles if you do not find a way to get them out be prepared for a lot more. Perhaps try a long handled hoe, 3 pronged fork whatever works for you. The roots come out easily.

They're a tender annual. The only way to prevent a lot more is to get rid them before they seed or put down a pre-emergent early next spring. Whether they're mechanically removed or poisoned doesn't matter once they've seeded. I pull most of them, but some of them are impossible to pull.

I'm not sure why you think a river rock or stone edging would keep weeds out of a gravel drive. They won't. Debris and weed seeds will blow or filter in and weed growth is inevitable.

Sounds like it will create a whole lot more work to me. It’s easier to keep weeds under control (which you concede you will likely have no matter what) on a flat surface rather than between rock nooks and crannies.

Will the rocks impede vehicle traffic at all? Like a UPS driver in a hurry or a new young driver knocking them out of place?

Do you have snow removal issues which complicates driveway edging?

Do rocks appear naturally in your landscape? IMO they look quite out of place in a manicured suburban neighborhood.

And what is a governor’s driveway?

It won't do much for the weeds.

What kills spider mites?

" What kills spider mites? "

A miticide. Neem oil is one and is considered completely organic.

Ferns? Pachysandra? Asiatic Jasmine? Anything but rocks...

No.

A soil test is a good idea but do not use a self-test kit found at places that sell garden supplies - they are almost totally inaccurate and not worth the money they cost. Get a professional test done at a soil lab.

Plants do not make soils acidic. Soil pH is due to the underlying mineral content of the soil and the amount of rainfall. Pine and other conifer needles are acidic when in active growth but once they fall and begin to break down, they become pretty neutral. This is true of all plants that have some acidic properties. It would take truckloads of fresh material to make any sort of significant pH change. Dried needles or leaves, even accumulating for many years, will have minimal impact.

Where you are located can make a difference in a) what type of grass seed to use, and b) when to apply it. Come back with a geographical location and any photos of the area, if you can.

I suggested pH since the trees were there for over a hundred years. Probably dropped lots over time. A hundred years of drop might throw things off a bit. There's pitch/resin, and the stuff in the roots that is now going to start breaking down. Usually I wouldn't mention it- I use a lot of pine straw in my garden and I don't think it does anything for acid. But if I took down old pines, I might suspect it in the spot they were in for so long. To my understanding, pines can prefer a more acidic soil, so old trees could indicate they liked the pH of the soil. Since the OP is also saying they have crab grass that can be an indicator of higher pH. Among other things.

Anywho, you are probably right about the tests. I see them on the regular. Used to use pH strips a lot more when we were doing some experimenting. Haven't used them in years though.

Why is there a mound around the base of the trunk? Mulch should never touch the trunk.

Interesting that Dyna Gro was bought out by Superthrive.

As a container grower gardengal, how much of the fertilizer do you use when you water? I've never really understood how much I was supposed to use. Always wanted to ask that question.

I use the maintenance level - 1/2 tsp per gallon of water. Weekly, weakly :-))

They'll survive much better than the pot will!! They grow in very cold winter climates in virtually no soil or just enough to anchor their roots. Try them in a plastic nursery pot that can withstand the cold and then you can slip the whole works into a more decorative pot during the growing season. Or just plant them in the ground..

They are NOT indoor plants at all, not sure about in pots. What is your zone?

I am in zone 6b

Ah, a high graft. Thanks GG, I did think of that but didn't know enough about this type of tree to be certain.

That would mean those sprouts will simply be the root stock and not worth anything.

A tree tube on the new tree during the Fall and Winter would've prevented that old buck from polishing his antlers. During the rut, they'll mark their territory that same way. ;-)