Confessions of a Lame-O Gardener

12 years ago

Yup, I confess, I am so lame, I have perrenials in tubs/planters all over my deck, cuz they didn't get a new bed to live in this year...well, the year isn't over yet, but I feel so lame! Sheesh! Just a flop year for all my gardening projects. I wanted to share some pics tho: Got 2 kinds of phlox blooming, orange and a variegated?(Aftermidnight has given me 3 plants that are still living on my deck...oh and orange phlox is in a tub with huchera and yellow foxglove), Momma Mia rose did good, got it in the ground. and another planter with a hollyhock in bloom, carnation that bloomed and liatris and violets blooming! Just a wierd year all the way around...even the weather?! Sheesh!

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Comments (13)

crackingtheconcrete
12 years ago
Lol. That is an awesome title! However, I totally love your plants in pots, especially the gorgeous hollyhock and your liatris combination. You have some really cool things on your deck- what is the shimmery tile in the first pic? I like the square-ish terra-cotta jug in the background, too
:)
Ctc
crackingtheconcrete
12 years ago
Lol. That is an awesome title! However, I totally love your plants in pots, especially the gorgeous hollyhock and your liatris combination. You have some really cool things on your deck- what is the shimmery tile in the first pic? I like the square-ish terra-cotta jug in the background, too
:)
Ctc
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Milk jugs, Simply Juice OJ containers, cranberry juice containers and mesclum mix boxes. We end up with a healthy diet of things that we'd probably eat otherwise, and then get a huge garden of blooms and veggies out of it. I threw all my jugs out last spring because they were all several years old and am starting a new stash this year. Will save them from this year in big trash bags so that there will be less prep work the next few winters. If you're really short of containers, you can go to your local coffeeshop and ask the manager if they will retain the milk jugs for you. If you make arrangements to pick them up at the end of the day each day, you can get a huge stash very quickly. I did this for a week, and ended up with something like 150-200 jugs a few years ago.
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WOW!!!! I guess I forgot to check the box about replies to this thread *blush*... oops! You guys are seriously too funny ya know that? And about that spelling mistake? I didn't even notice it and probably wouldn't have if you didn't reply with the correction.. ;-) I have the AHS website bookmarked as well as the Delaware Valley page... as far as I can tell that's the one closest to me as the other is in or near Pittsburg. I live just outside of a tiny little town called Yellow House. It's about 5 minutes west of Reading, PA. I just LOVE it out here in the country... I'm close to Amish country but haven't seen any buggies yet. Anyways, thanks to EVERYONE who replied and posted info links... I was planning on visiting Manatawny Daylily Gardens which is about a mile or two from my house. :-D I guess we should start up a club called DA? (daylilies anonymous) LOLOL I already have the Lily Auction website bookmarked as well as about 30 or so others.... just ask my hubby.. I've been staying up till 3-4am reading and looking at all the pretty flowers... my housework is suffering... my pets are ignored.. except my one outdoor kitty who follows me EVERYWHERE and will probably be my garden helper... he was laying in between the rows in my newly planted veggie garden... I know, I know... a little late in the year but things are happening quickly out there now... I might just have to have a little farm stand of my own when everything ripens!! :-O I told DH not to plant so many melons, watermelons, pumpkins and cukes... or lettuce, carrots and green onions... I'll be overwhelmed with them ... I just know it!! Thanks again for all the replies... and sorry for not replying sooner. ttfn Mystic. (sitting her still laffing from the responses)
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Kelli, the main difference between the two locations is our cool seasons are very very short. It seems like Spring and Fall last a few hours. This will affect the cabbage family and root veggies mostly. Before you know it, they'll try and bolt and be done. For these things, you may be better off with plants, at least for this year. On the up side, our summers last F O R E V E R. This is a good thing if you're raising tomatoes, peppers, okra, and you can get a couple of crops of squashes and beans in if you stagger the plantings. You will also find out that many varieties of tomatoes are much better adapted to hot humid summers than those up north, and the opposite is also true. As to seed starting: I start tomatoes, peppers, and herbs indoors about 2 months before time to set them out. I like to grow varieties that the big box stores won't carry, so it's kind of a hobby for me. My ideas germinated from the seed starting forum on this site. For about $100 total, I bought plastic shelves from Home Depot, making sure that the surface has grates, so I can hook my chains to them. (More on that later.) These shelves snap together about 5 high like tinkertoys. Next, I bought a couple of flourescent shop lamps (2' long), and each lamp has 2 grow bulbs in them. These were wired for direct current, so the guy at the store had to show me how to rig them for a power cord. These lamps are suspended from small chains, which allow the light to be directly over the plants. The chains hook on to the shelf grates with "S" hooks. This is important, so the tiny seedlings don't get all leggy struggling toward the light. As they grow, I raise the lights up with the chains. Come to think of it, the total cost was more like $150, but this should last for years. Walmart and Home Depot sell grow trays with compressed peat pots. Each tray has 72 cells. I soak the pots in warm water, and watch them grow. Now you can plant. I use popsickle sticks (from a craft store) and mark each pot with a code (sharpie pen works well). This code will tell me which variety is which. The trays have a clear greenhouse top to hold in moisture for a while. I have my lights connected together and on a lamp timer. I try to give the seedlings about 14 - 18 hours of light a day. When they start putting out true leaves (not seed leaves or cotyledons) I spray them with a weak tea of stinky fish emulsion. It's amazing that the cats don't mess with this! When the plants get bigger, and the weather warms up, you can either re-pot them into a 4" pot or directly into the ground. It is best to ween them into direct sunlight before setting them into full light. I set the plants out on my back stoop which gets good morning light, then afternoon shade. After a few days of this, you're ready to plant. I just started 4 flats this week. Mostly heirloom tomatoes with some chili peppers and herbs also. I guess I planted about 20 varieties of maders. Most of these will be given away to friends and family, and the rest will go to the Ghetto Garden that I share with some friends. One of these days, I'll figure out which tomatoes I like best, and which ones work best for me. With so many varieties, it may take a while!
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I'm Becky. I'm finding out that my behavior is not that of an addicts, but completely normal (at least here!) LOL! I started 29 different varieties of heirlooms - all from old seeds (2009-2012). All 29 varieties of tomato seeds germinated!!! Some with more success than others. Now I have 100+ seedlings taking over the living room, dining room and spare room. Its like Wild Kingdom in here! Of yeah, in the garden, I have room for 40 or so plants.
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aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
12 years ago
.... and there will be more plants to be picked up in the fall beside the joe pye weed, another climbing rose for one, an ornamental grape if you want it, that is if we can get it dug without wrecking it. A couple of siberian iris (one I don't think you can find for sale now) and..... LOL

Annette
loisthegardener_nc7b
12 years ago
That hollyhock is gorgeous. Save the seeds, LOL!
Annie
12 years ago
What is that variegated Phlox? I didn't know there was one like it!
And that Hollyhock? Wowie Kazowie!

I love it all. I don't see any reason why you should think yourself even remotely lame. Pish posh!

~Annie
hosenemesis
12 years ago
Love that glass/tile!
I had to cram irises into every nook and cranny because I didn't get dig the new bed, so I sympathize. Next year.
Renee
Ginny McLean_Petite_Garden
12 years ago
Isn't it always next year? I love this forum! Every one of us is such a proud addict! There are many worse addictions, trust me!

Calam ~ You wanna see my deck! and I don't have near the size of deck you have! I have pots of daylilies and irises all over the yard. Then there is the liatris, lilac, dogwood, and asiatics that have been overwintering in pots for about 3 years now! If this was a Lame Gardener contest, I would win hands down! And I have a name to live up to! LOL So long as no one complains, don't worry! Personally, I love the look! True cottage style!

And that goes for Crackingtheconcrete too! Your pics of the 4 seasons are awesome! I love what you have done in such a small NY garden!

I so enjoy the rapore on these garden forums. Keep it up ladies.....and gentlemen..... I love it and need it! :)

Ginny Garden
Ginny McLean_Petite_Garden
12 years ago
PS I have the same Phlox growing out back. Can't remember the name off hand but will see if I can find an ID. It's beautiful!
Calamity_J
Original Author
12 years ago
I feel so blessed to have a Cottage Garden Forum Member so close by! So here is a few more pics of the hollyhock blooming, the volunteer glad in the walkway, the sign behind the orange phlox and last yrs pic of the deck...it is so sad looking this year...and of course the grass is fried as we are on severe water restrictions(even the water pressure is really bad!)Oh and a blooming cactus!?
Ginny McLean_Petite_Garden
12 years ago
That is such a cute sign! My many dogs don't use their inside voices very well so neither do I most of the time! Your deck looks fabulous! Oh I so miss my glads! Something I ususally plant a lot of. I came across a quote I thought appropriate for my life at this time. Perhaps others can relate. My life situation is such a mess right now and so is my garden. Oh well, this too shall pass.

Gardens are a form of autobiography. ~Sydney Eddison
aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
12 years ago
Wow, You've got a lot more color then I have and sooooo very pretty. We finally cleaned out the goldfish pool yesterday and covered it over to catch all the falling leaves for the next few months. Now just have to get the tree service in for an estiment to take down that ugly old cherry tree up by the koi pool. Hopefully next year the garden will look like it's old self again. I'm loving the job my weed torch is doing on the gravel paths. Fingers crossed for a nice fall, so much more to do.

Annette
luckygal
12 years ago
Oh Jane, not lame at all! Thanks for showing your lovely container plants and deck. Your deck reminds me of when I was working away from home and rented a house with a large deck. Couldn't garden in the yard as the landlady had roses she had someone else tend but I had 2 dozen containers with roses, lavender, and many other plants. Made for a very enjoyable garden as there were no weeds and only pretty blooms.

This year I still have potted plants that need to be put in the ground. They are doing well in the pots so I've ignored them but must get them done soon.

Honalee, I like your quote "Gardens are a form of autobiography. ~Sydney Eddison". I'm also in a "this too shall pass" place in my life!

Annette, are you using a propane torch for your weeds on the gravel paths? I must do that on my patio and driveway as I can't seem to keep ahead of those weeds.
aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
12 years ago
Lucky Gal, I had a couple of weed torches over the years, Lee Valley has one version but I use the one you just have to screw a propane bottle on the end and away you go. The last one I bought at Canadian Tire, much cheaper. I've even used it in the lawn on dandelions and such and.... other spots :) our city has a ban on pesticides. I always have the hose ready and soak the areas I've burnt just to be on the safe side.

Annette

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Confessions of a Lame-O Gardener

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