Interesting conversation. I don't have a dog in this fight, but did want to make a comment about statistics. Often people use the term "average" which is the mean, but think of it as one would "median". Say there are 10 farmers. One makes $2,000,000 a year and the other 9 make $20,000 a year each. Their average income is $218,000 but their median income is $20,000. Is that a well off group of farmers because their average income is $218,000?

Thought some of you might enjoy reading this! Rare chestnut tree still survives in Ohio State official let it slip that one mature tree stands in Ohio; its exact location is protected. Staff and Wire Reports Tuesday, March 25, 2008 SANDUSKY For about seven years, the state's natural resources leaders have harbored a secret. They still won't reveal the exact location of it or allow outsiders to see it. This Ohio treasure's existence was closely guarded until last week when the director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources revealed that a full-size American Chestnut tree still stands in a marsh near Lake Erie, the Sandusky Register reported recently. For tree experts, it's a big deal. American chestnuts that grew up to 120 feet once accounted for about 25 percent of the forests in the eastern half of North America until a fungus wiped out all but a few. 'They are often referred to as the redwood of the East because of their tremendous size,' Gary Obermiller, a regional manager for the Division of Natural Areas and Preserves. The fungus was first detected in 1904 in trees in New York City, and by 1950 some 3.5 billion trees about 90 percent of the species were dead. Only a few trees had resistance to the fungus and survived. In Ohio, most American chestnut trees were found in the eastern half of the state. In August, the Dayton Daily News reported on the existence of a stand of American chestnuts anchored in a working sandstone quarry in Braceville Twp., Trumbull County, just west of Warren near the Mahoning River. The specimens that sit on a standstone knob are a handful, the tallest reaching 75 feet. According to the Register, the state's largest existing chestnut tree known only to a few until last week is in Sheldon Marsh, a 465-acre state nature preserve about midway between Toledo and Cleveland. The tree stands 89 feet tall and has a 5-foot circumference. 'To our knowledge, we don't have any that come close to this size,' Obermiller said. Most surviving chestnut trees are small, sprouting from the roots of trees killed by the fungus. Steve Maurer, the new chief of Natural Areas and Preserves, decided the public should be told about the tree, Obermiller said. 'He realized this was a very special tree,' Obermiller said. American Chestnut facts American chestnut trees once made up about 25 percent of forests in eastern North America. The trees grew up to 120 feet tall and lived up to 600 years. Its wood was valuable because it was straight, light and rot-resistant. A fungus that eventually wiped out most of the trees was first found in 1904 in New York. All American Chestnut trees in New York City were dead by 1912. By 1950 about 3.5 billion trees about 90 percent of the species were dead

AUGUST***** Pennsylvania - salvias, especially red ones; black-eyed susans (though the rudbeckia goldstrum are done); chelone; zinnias; marigolds; moonflower; a few ratty-looking nasturtiums; one persistent "Happy Returns" daylily which is happily returning!; blue mist shrub, beautiful and effortless; "Clara Curtis" chrysanthemum; ornamental grasses; boltonia 'Nana'; Heliopsis; Phlox paniculata; Chelone; Centranthus; balloon flower; Gaura; Stokesia; Coreopsis; the Sedum and Solidago are close to starting; Nepeta and Yarrow are just starting to rebloom; Lantana, Pentas; mini petunias; alyssum; Cleome; Brazilian Verbena; Ageratum 'Blue Horizon'; Cosmos; Portulaca; Dahlias; Morning Glory; Daylily "Rosie Returns"; Hosta plantaginea; Begonia grandis; Anemone 'September Charm' Maryland - Japanese anenome; Lobelia cardinalis; Cannas; Naked lady lilies; four o' clocks; hardy hibiscus; helianthus; morning glories; rosemary Washington, DC - Caryopteris; Hibiscus 'Lord Baltimore'; cannas; castor beans; Verbena bonariensis; Asclepias curassavica; Asclepias tuberosa has already bloomed and it should do even better next year; Catmint; Begonia grandis; Pineapple sage; Achimenes (a.k.a. magic flowers, widow's tears, among others) outdoors this year. They definitely love the heat. Among the best are 'Purple King' with big deep purple flowers--blooming continuously since late June; Achimenes cettoana is smaller growing and took a bit longer to get going, but has been covered with smaller luish-purple flowers for several weeks. SEPTEMBER***** Maryland - Garlic chives -- oh, dear, more seeds! Sunflowers, Gaura from madgardnr--this drought baby won't stop! Coneflowers, Figs - (they're flowers!) Tomatoes & cukes, Balloon flowers (pruned after 1st bloom), Aster tartaricus 'Jin Dai', Heteropappas 'Blue Knoll', Allium senscens glauca, Kirengeshoma palmata, Trycirtis hirta 'Miyazaki', Cimicifuga Racemosa (C.Simplex will bloom later in the fall), Clematis (an un-named white that goes all summer), Grasses!! But still waiting for Pennistum Moudry to bloom. Sanquisorba, Ceratostigma plumbaginoides, Perennial Begonia (Begonia Grandis), Salvia guaranitica 'Argentina Skies', Sedums, many types (pinched early and often to prevent summer blooming), Nippon Daisy is in full bud. A few summer bloomers still making an effort: Rudbeckia Hirta, Verbena bonariensis,Ground Cover roses, Nepata, Agastache,Buddleia, Coreopsis,Scutellaria biacalensis. And lots of annuals are still going strong. Species nicotianas, zinnias, pentas, Ceratotheca triloba, Ricinus communis. Artichokes (1 at least) seem to be firing up for a second season, too. Anemone Japonica, Roses Butterfly Bush, Liriope, Pyracantha 'Mohave' (w/berries). Hmmm...Rosemary "Hardy Hill" ("Hill Hardy?") just starting. Many Roses, Butterfly Bush (Buddleia), Sedum "Autumn Joy", Mist flower (Eupatorium coelestinum), Mirabilis jalapa (Four O'Clock), Cleome hasslerana, Crepe Myrtle, Anemone, White Wood Aster, Unidentified lilac-color aster, Marigolds, Eggplants, Scarlet runner beans, Purple, green white bush beans, Garden Phlox, Ceratostigma plumbaginoides, Passiflora caerulea, Datura "Blackcurrant Swirl" finally starting, Agastache Foeniculum. Plus lots of (other) annuals that have been blooming nonstop all summer. Washington, DC - Annuals: Ceratotheca triloba (one of my favorites!), Celosia spicata 'Flamingo Purple', Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue', Cannas (various cultivars), Datura (unknown species, marginally a perennial), Fuchsia 'Gartenmeister Bonstedt', Rehmannia angulata (annual, biennial, or short-lived perennial), Dolichos lablab Perennials: Begonia grandis, Caryopteris (unknown cultivar), Hibiscus 'Lord Baltimore', Persicaria 'Red Dragon' (not very showy, but cute little white flowers), Verbena bonariensis. Unexpectedly, Spigelia marilandica is putting out a second flush of bloom! Pennsylvania - Boltonia 'snowbank' and 'nana', Obedient Plant, Chelone, Russian Sage, Japanese Anemones, Sedums are just starting. 'Clara Curtis' chrysanthemum. Phlox paniculata are going strong. Purple Dome Aster is in bud. Roses are blooming their hearts out. Annuals that are going strong include: Salvia, several varieties, Alyssum, Portulaca, Cleome, Zinnias, Morning Glory, Ageratum, Pentas New Jersey - Golden Rain Tree (Koelreuteria paniculata), Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) OCTOBER********** Pennsylvania - "Medallion" rose is blooming, also Japanese anemones, mums, "Black-Eyed Stella" daylily, asters, gerbera daisies, "Burgundy" gaillardia and coreopsis. Scentimental rose and knockouts are going strong. The pineapple mint is flowering bright red and the mums are in full swing. After tonight's 28 degree frost though things will change. Hollyhocks are still blooming. Double anemones are blooming, so is geranium Nimbus, still have blossoms on Coreopsis ?Limerock Ruby?, lots and lots of johnny jump ups, the autumn crocus are just in their full glory, plenty of purple and rose chrysanthemums, a few pinks here and there, a very pretty sedum with blue foliage and lovely rose pink blooms, buddelia still hanging in there, coneflowers still blooming, too. Roses still blooming are: Buff Beauty, Frederic Mistral, Abraham Darby, Angel Face, Mary Rose must have 30 blooms on her, Sombrieul has 10 to 20 blooms, a couple on Graham Thomas and Tamora, Darlow's Enigma, and the fabulous Brilliant Pink Iceberg never has fewer than 20 blooms on her since May. Four or five different clematis are blooming onesy-twoseys Maryland - "Gruss an Aachen" rose has 12 buds. Salvia Involucrata 'rose leaf sage' is the color of the fuschia zinnias in the same garden. Picked up a cutting at the Baltimore Conservatory plant sale this spring, and the plant is now at least 4'high by 2' wide. I never imagined the flowers would be so beautiful. Lovely surprise. The Nippon Daisy (shrublike) is in full bloom, having it's best (third) year yet. Climbing aster Acarolinianis is just getting started. Blooming is white wood aster, aster 'Alma Potschke', plumbago, hardy begonia, japanese anemone, toad lilies, lobelia cardinalis, eupatoriam purpureum, obedient plant and New York aster. Sedum 'Autumn Joy' is still going and hyacinth bean vine (lablab) is still going and going and going... I've even had a few blooms on my clematis tanganutica. I also have camellia bushes in bud and they should pop in a couple of weeks. Cyclamen hederifolium is pumping out blooms! Started a few weeks ago. Oddly, my Digitalis lutea are throwing up bloom spikes (spring bloomer). Aster tataricus 'Jindai" is in full bloom. What's really happening out there is that the plants have finally received adequate water during the past month, and are spreading! I was out planting bulbs today, and found offshoots and stoloniferous spreading everywhere I tried to poke in a bulb. Foxglove is also blooming, although it is almost finished now. The blue monkshood is in full flower and the cleome is in its final flush. Two or three salvias are still at it and the alpine strawberries look like they are going for one more little crop. Aster oblongifolius Raydon's Favorite doesn't begin to bloom until October and is still at its peak. A great easy care plant but a bit of a thug. Neighbors are always wowed. New Jersey - Camellia sasanqua 'Sparkling Burgundy', C. s. 'Pink Butterfly', Impatiens omeiana(perennial!), Salvia suaveolens, Cestrum parquii, a perennial which flowers midsummer-frost. Fall blooming Crocus. Salvias including Van Houtei, Indigo Spires. Hedychium coronarium. Washington, DC - Most true perennials have stopped blooming, with a few exceptions: Begonia grandis, Hosta sp. (not sure which, small narrow dark green leaves and tall spikes of purple flowers), Persicaria 'Red Dragon' (tiny white flowers not terribly exciting, but the plant is still putting out new foliage, which is much more dramatically colored with the cooler weather). Many annuals or tender perennials still have flowers: Asclepias curassavica, Begonia sutherlandii, Cannas, Ceratotheca triloba, Datura sp. (metel?) (having removed all fruits as they form), Morning glories, Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue' (but nearly finished), Verbena bonariensis (first year in my garden, not sure if it will be a reliable perennial or not) NOVEMBER****** Maryland - Still have cyclamen, salvia greggii, autumn crocus, pansies. Rosemary, pineapple sage, cosmos, Japanese anemone and blooming roses, chrysanthemum Sheffield, Clerodendrum bungii, ?Stella? daylily, pervoskia, fall anemone. The Cimicifuga racemosa are in full bloom and smell wonderful (though I have to walk into the middle of the garden to smell them :-). Cimicifuga simplex is covered with racemes and just starting to open. (Frost always came too early in NH, so I never saw C. simplex bloom in that garden.) Salvia involucrata 'Rose leaf sage' still blooming and untouched by frost, (love that fuschia!), as is the S. guaranitica. I plant 30 or 40 Argeratum "Blue Horizon" (2 feet tall and branches madly) every year in a garden that's becoming too full of perennials to accommodate them...but I can't stop. They deal with lack of rain, too much rain, are not susceptible to early frosts and take drought and sun and just bloom! I've cut nearly everything else in that garden down, and the ageratums are going to keep blooming 'til Christmas. Pictures I've seen in catalogues never do these justice. They have larger leaves and are much more graceful and a deeper blue (not purple) that the pics show. Great annual. Nicotiana sylvestris are still putting out fresh blooms in the shady areas. These came back from last year and I'm curious to see if they'll go one more winter. My Cyclamen is still blooming, and the leaves are coming up ten inches away from the flowers, so this has more than doubled in size since spring planting. I want more and am going to try some from seed this winter. I think I need to find room for a Camellia or two :-) Butterfly bush is still going strong (bloom height must be above the first freeze); whereas, mums starting to blow. Circium japonicum, Echinacea, Saffron Crocus, Spiderwort, Tomatoes (like they'll have time to set fruit!). Spring Swap goodies: Asters, Gaura ?Apple Blossom? from Madgrdner--this is a great plant! White Salvia - from First Kim (gee, that name bothers me. LOL) A few blues I can't identify (DH removed tags--GRRRRR!) Craziest one? My neighbor's lilac is blooming! No kidding! Narrow-leaved sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius). This attention-getting late season perennial grows 6-8 feet tall and doesn't start blooming until mid-October, then produces a "tidal wave" of flowers that can persist for six weeks. The stems tend to lean over neighboring plants when in bloom, although I've read that a stronger branching structure can be produced by cutting the plant back in early summer (before it has grown to giant size). To add to the above, my aster carolinianus - climbing aster is blooming it's head off, camellias in full bloom and New England aster just stopped a couple of days ago. Still some blossoms on my Lonicera sempervirens 'Blanche Sandman' and sporatic blooms as well on Lonicera sempervirens f. sulphurea 'John Clayton'. Elaeagnus! I can still catch a whiff of this in the garden. Great fragrance. New York/Connecticut - Osmanthus, Disanthus and Hamamelis virginiana are all at their blooming peak right now! New Jersey - Salvia 'Indigo Spires', Spilanthes (stolonifera)?, Verbena 'Snow Flurry', Cestrum parqui(hardy here), Camellia sasanqua 'Sparkling Burgundy' 'Seventh Desire','Pink Butterfly', 'Sekkugeke', 'Leslie Ann', 'Shishigashira', 'Little Slam'(just starting) Camellia oleifera, Camellia 'Mason Farm', 'Snow flurry ', Camellia sinensis, shrub and groundcover roses. Washington, DC - Fuchsia 'Gartenmeister Bonstedt'--still going strong, in fact looking better than it did all summer. Lobularia maritima (sweet alyssum), Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue'--still a few flowers, Persicaria 'Red Dragon'--tiny white flowers, but any are appreciated right now, and the foliage looks fabulous (cool weather really brings out the color). I'll have to go check, but I believe there are still a few flowers on Verbena bonariensis and Lantana 'Miss Huff'. The blue monkshood is in fullest bloom, aster are now just past their peak in the middle of November. Pennsylvania - Camellias and Galanthus reginae-olgae are in flower now. Delaware - My Camellia still hasn't flowered, due to the cold and snow we got a couple weeks ago. However, the flower buds haven't dropped off, so maybe there's hope. DECEMBER***** Pointsettias JANUARY****** Ice FEBRUARY****** and Snow MARCH 2003 ******* The end of one of the harshest winters in the Mid-Atlantic for many years. *Posted by ChrisMD 7 (My Page) on Tue, Mar 4, 03 at 7:46 Saw the first crocus today, Cream Beauty. * Posted by: Blueangel Md 7 (My Page) on Tue, Mar 4, 03 at 8:17 I have helleborus blooming as well my Arnold Promise witchhazel. * Posted by: KidHorn 7a MD (My Page) on Tue, Mar 4, 03 at 10:06 Nothing. I think the ground is too cold. I think the daffs and hyacinths will come up later than usual this year. Good thing. Last year they came up early and were hit with temps in the teens in late March. Killed a lot of blooms. * Posted by: Nannie6 z6PA (My Page) on Tue, Mar 4, 03 at 10:16 Nothing yet. Still a lot of snow covering everything. But today is the second day in a row that the sun has been bright and it's wonderful! So, again, I walked (rather trudged and slid) all around, looking and dreaming. * Posted by: aka_Peggy Md6b (My Page) on Tue, Mar 4, 03 at 13:22 I have some daffodils planted against a brick wall with a south facing exposure. They started to emerge a couple of weeks ago. Everything else is still covered in snow. No blooms for awhile here. * Posted by: mary11 6B/7 (My Page) on Tue, Mar 4, 03 at 14:18 I am starting to see dead grass where some of the snow has finally melted away -- everything is relative this year, I guess... * Posted by: steve_NJ z7A NJ (My Page) on Tue, Mar 4, 03 at 22:09 Hamamelis 'Jelena', Hamamelis-yellow, 1 daffodil bud, Wintersweet. * Posted by: robin_DC (My Page) on Wed, Mar 5, 03 at 14:28 Oddly enough, this morning I saw some green sticking out from the snow and cleared it away to discover what appear to be dianthus, with a few buds, buds but no blooms. Other than that, everything is later than usual. Daffodils, tulips, and crocus stems are just starting to emerge from the ground. * Posted by: carol23 z6PA (My Page) on Thu, Mar 6, 03 at 7:09 Helleborus foetidus, some winter aconite, and a couple of snowdrops in bud. * Posted by: hscott z7 maryland (My Page) on Thu, Mar 6, 03 at 13:33 my ground is still frozen under snow in Baltimore * Posted by: ToddMM z7aMD (My Page) on Thu, Mar 6, 03 at 14:19 I discovered buds of an early double-bloom daffodil and about-to-break buds of snowdrops this morning. They had come up under the snow. * Posted by: Vgkg 7-Va Tidewater (My Page) on Fri, Mar 7, 03 at 8:58 Old daffodils are now blooming at my home near Richmond. That one day of 70F got em' going. The daff bulbs I planted last fall are breaking ground now too but the tulips are still hiding. vgkg * Posted by: Daylily 7 (My Page) on Sat, Mar 8, 03 at 11:29 NOTHING! Except the plants in the greenhouse, brugmansias, abutilons and a few others. * Posted by: beth_b_Kodiak MD 7 (My Page) on Sat, Mar 8, 03 at 15:19 Iris reticulata and species crocous have been blooming for almost a week on southern Delmarva. A few pussy willow are peeking out and today, the red maple buds have exploded. * Posted by: Nannie6 z6PA (My Page) on Sun, Mar 9, 03 at 17:01 The snow is melting some and I saw bare ground AND some daffodils coming up. A welcome sight! That's about it. Lots of snow still here. But, I did see two robins yesterday! * Posted by: Cynthia z7 MD (My Page) on Sun, Mar 9, 03 at 18:18 This is like thawing a 30 pound turkey! My entire yard is still -in spite of 50+ temps this week-end solid snow. At the edge of the property near the road there's a patch of snow melt in the front garden and I see Eranthis blooming!!! Also think there may be species tulips and crocus starting to poke through in the same area. * Posted by: gardenwitch 7 Va (My Page) on Mon, Mar 10, 03 at 8:55 Some Minature Daffodils , Crocus, Hellebores are in bloom and the Pulmonaria is setting buds .My Camillia got frost bud blasted and I don't know if my Dahpne will bloom or not. Yesterday was 70 but today highs of 40 are predicted and maybe snow later in the week . Ahhh spring!!! * Posted by: madsquopper 6b No. VA (My Page) on Mon, Mar 10, 03 at 14:13 A few of the earliest yellow crocus are open, and the heathers, despite being covered by 2 feet of snow until this weekend, are starting to show some pink flowers. I unwrapped the camelia and it looks like the several hundred buds made it through winter OK and will open within the next few weeks. * Posted by: collectordi z7VA (My Page) on Wed, Mar 12, 03 at 0:24 I have snowdrops just starting to open and the buds on my hellebores look more beaten up but at about the same stage as they did when I last saw them before all the snow (when was that nice warm day- February or January?) Since its supposed to be warm again tomorrow I hope those buds will open. Last year I had flowers blooming on those hellebores from January to April! I've been wistfully looking at pictures from early March 2002 of my garden with crocus blooming. Yesterday I was lucky to see crocus leaves. * Posted by: Wolfe15136 z6 PA (My Page) on Thu, Mar 13, 03 at 12:12 just a few snowdrops and one single viola blossom. * Posted by: chicfox z6 NJ (My Page) on Sat, Mar 15, 03 at 12:29 I'm soooo excited!!! Today I saw tulips, tiger lilies, daffodils, irises peeking through the mulch.... ....just need to figure out how to get rid of those darn squirrels * Posted by: Springcherry 6/7 Philly,PA (My Page) on Mon, Mar 17, 03 at 10:19 Snowdrops just starting to bloom. Nothing else with buds, thou lots of green shoots are poking thru the mulch. I saw the snowdrops right before going to a memorial service -- a nice juxtaposition. * Posted by: Cecilia_MD7a 7a/Baltimore,MD (My Page) on Mon, Mar 17, 03 at 12:49 Snowdrops, Crocus, Hellebores. * Posted by: Kathy92757 z6 PA (My Page) on Mon, Mar 17, 03 at 17:12 Nothing is blooming here, but there is a lot of stuff poking up through the ground! * Posted by: Cynthia z7 MD (My Page) on Mon, Mar 17, 03 at 20:19 Well, everything except for the north iceberg has melted here ;-) Clearly I overplanted the winter aconite, and the garbage men will, after a long winter, finally have something to aim at again when return the cans to earth. I'm happy for them. Daffs and bulbs poking up everywhere, and while I garrote myself on the tree stanchions, myopic me can spot the minuscule nodes of the emerging perennials 12 feet away. Spring is 3 days away!! * Posted by: Nannie6 z6PA (My Page) on Tue, Mar 18, 03 at 0:06 Finally...some winter aconite. Bulbs poking up here, too. And my tree peony buds are looking good. With the snow gone, I see more rabbit damage and deer damage, too. A harsh winter for us all. * Posted by: Johnnieb Washington, DC (My Page) on Tue, Mar 18, 03 at 14:08 Snowdrops and several species crocus finally started blooming this past weekend. I think this is the latest I have ever seen them bloom. Just yesterday I saw the first open flowers on Iris hystrioides 'George'--very nice. Still buds only on my daffodils, and tulips have barely even begun to poke through the soil. One bonus: three pots of Sarcococca confusa, which I never got into the ground last fall and thought for sure were goners after freezing solid, are blooming on my back steps and filling my yard with a sweet fragrance. * Posted by: loghomelady z7 VA (My Page) on Tue, Mar 18, 03 at 20:57 Just returned from Cold/snowy Connecticut to find forsythias blooming, crocus & daffodils, the winter blooming jasmine and the star magnolia in my Blue Ridge Mtn yard. * Posted by: Kathy92757 z6 PA (My Page) on Wed, Mar 19, 03 at 6:19 My first crocus bloomed yesterday in one of my flower beds! Many other things are poking up, but I was so excited to see the crocus. * Posted by: handhelpers z6 PA (My Page) on Wed, Mar 19, 03 at 19:06 my snow drops are blooming!!! * Posted by: Connie_MD z7 MD (My Page) on Thu, Mar 20, 03 at 9:16 Snow drops, Helleborous Foetidus, Winter Aconite, Crocus blooming. Hyacinths and Daffodils poking up * Posted by: Cecilia_MD7a 7a/Baltimore,MD (My Page) on Fri, Mar 21, 03 at 12:41 All of a sudden, the mini daffodils and iris reticulata in my backyard have started blooming. * Posted by: nickel_KG z7 VA (My Page) on Fri, Mar 21, 03 at 21:14 Spring is definitely running late. My daughter's birthday is March 16, and we had only one daffodil of my earliest variety. Usually she gets a big vase of mid-season daffodil varieties.... * Posted by: steve_NJ z7A NJ (My Page) on Mon, Mar 24, 03 at 23:33 Daphne mezereum * Posted by: ChrisMD 7 (My Page) on Wed, Mar 26, 03 at 13:26 Today one of the Manchurian apricot trees is in full bloom. The others are still dark pink with buds. "Tete-a-Tete" daffodils have been out for the last week. * Posted by: Alfie_MD6 z6 MD (My Page) on Wed, Mar 26, 03 at 14:16 Viola odorata (next to the house). * Posted by: busyasabee 7MD (My Page) on Wed, Mar 26, 03 at 15:10 My Crocus and Daffs are blooming; Angelique tulips and hyacinths are peeking their heads through the mulch and the peach tree blossoms are getting ready to pop! * Posted by: cloudy_christine 6B SE PA (My Page) on Wed, Mar 26, 03 at 22:11 Chinese witch hazel, wintersweet, Narcissus minimus 'Little Gem,' Iris reticulata, anemone blanda, winter aconites and snowdrops. Helleborus foetidus, with H. orientalis and abchasicus just showing buds. * Posted by: Johnnieb Washington, DC (My Page) on Thu, Mar 27, 03 at 13:40 Forsythias are blooming in my neighborhood. Downtown, I see the ornamental plums (can't remember the species, but they have pale pink flowers followed by dark purple foliage) just coming into bloom. * Posted by: steve_NJ z7A NJ (My Page) on Fri, Mar 28, 03 at 21:34 Abeliophyllum, Prunus mume * Posted by: ChrisMD 7 (My Page) on Sun, Mar 30, 03 at 12:23 Snowing here today - the air is warm so the flakes are clumping together into fat feathers. APRIL 2003****** Maryland - Blue starflower, daffodils ?Minnow?, ?Ice Follies?, and ?Thalia?. Nanking cherries, various daffodils, and hyacinths. Pulmonaria 'Silver Lance', bloodroot (yep, first year w/ one little stem and bloom... ):o( grr..now to keep the squirrels out of the pot), forsythia, Snow Glories and hellebores. Daffodils 'Ice Follies' and 'Jet Fire' mixed (gardener's little joke and it actually looks good :-) Most years the Jet Fire bloom first...Forsythia, Forsythia, Forsythia and it's so darn....yellow. Hellebores, Pulmonaria, muscari, crocus. Very yellow in my garden just now - Leatherleaf Mahonia (usually blooms in Jan-Feb) is prime, my all yellow daffs, species tulips, pieris andromeda japonica, creamy hyacinths, and Glory in the Snow, (okay, a little blue). The Umbrella Magnolia is just beginning to pop at the top. And I just discovered a hybrid tulip growing in the thick ivy under my blue spruce. Squirrels! Don't you just love 'em. I'm seeing the Virginia bluebells starting to flower out this way. The red buds are coloring up well and the grape hyacinths have just burst open after last weeks rains. Also Claytonia virginiana spring beauties are abundant. Various azaleas, tulips, common lilacs, viburnum juddii, kerria, pulmonaria, grape hyacinth, epimedium, creeping phlox, various narcissi, vinca minor & major, spring snowflakes, candytuft (late this year!) and white money plant. Deutzia and wood hyacinths are just starting. As of today April 27 - My garden is blooming in shades of white, pink, purple and red. Angelique tulips, hyacinths, phlox, azaleas, Anemone sylvestris, Anemone coronaria ?Mr Fokker?, ?Firewitch? dianthus and late blooming narcissus. Violets and Dandelions (mowed them.) Iberis, species tulips, Ipheion (finally! I guess they bloom late the first year.) Geranium tuberosum, Lychsimachia atropurpurea has buds (!), brunnera, creeping phlox, pulmonarias (what a great plant), dogwoods, lilacs, azaleas are in bud but not blooming yet. The species tulips 'Lilac Wonder' opened up wide for the sun today and it's like looking into the sun. Johnny, find a magnifying glass, you'll see little nubbins on the Spigelia. Saxifrage virginiensis, (sp, too lazy to look up) and the viola "pedata." Armeria's, several alliums. Many tulips still going strong and some daffs as well. Azaleas, lilac, wisteria, tulips, pansies, and strawberries (oh, and dandelions). Virginia - Daffodils are on the wane here now but the tulips are just starting to bloom, a few have been found by the voles though. Old single apple tree is just blooming this morning, been in the 80's for 3 days now. Phlox divaricata and stolonifera, dicentra spectabilis and eximia, Pulmonaria, lilacs, dogwoods, some azaleas, tulips are fading, late daffodils are fading except one just started blooming I think it?s Cheerfulness, Brunnera Hadspen Cream, Tiarella, Lunaria, Iberis, Arabis, Iris Baby Blessed, primroses, pansies, violets, Corydalis, Myosotis, Virginia Bluebells are fading, Vinca, Muscari, Lamium, redbuds. It?s all just so gorgeous!! A few more that I forgot: variegated solomon's seal, Mazus reptans and holly. The holly blossoms don't look like much but they smell wonderful maybe better than the lilacs. ?White Cloud? dogwoods, redbud, viburnums, lilacs (purple and pink), heather. ox eye daisies, roses, iris, cross vine, jack in the pulpit, wood hyacinth, columbine, dianthus, sweetshrub, spirea, weigela, GOTTA LOVE SPRING! New Jersey - Magnolia stellata, Rhododendron mucronatum, Daphne odora (green and variegated), Edgeworthia papyrifera, Aubretia, Forsythia (4 varieties), Corylopsis sinensis, C. platypetala. Camellia japonica 'Professor Sargent'. Pennsylvania - Around the area - forsythia peaking, daffs waning, some deciduous azaleas are out, some cherries, saucer magnolias in full glory, redbuds, Bradford Pears, serviceberries. Ahh yes, and some early pierises are blooming with my P. japonica "Valley Rose" about to burst open all the way with its heavenly fragrance, if the sun would only come out already...LOL Washington, DC - What a late spring! Some late daffodils are still blooming, and all but the earliest tulips are still going strong. Iberis is in glorious full bloom. There might still be a flower or two on Asarum splendens (not that they're much to look at!). A tree peony is heavily budded and the first flower should open in a day or two but the herbaceous peonies are at least a week or two away from blooming. Some of my perennials aren't even up yet: Asclepias tuberosa, Spigelia marilandica, Hibiscus 'Lord Baltimore', Begonia grandis, Dryopteris marginalis, all either just beginning to grow, or not even showing above ground. How could I have forgotten violets? One of the weeds in my garden I tend not to pull... Tree peony just opened its first flower today--huge, double, pale pink. Very nice. One of the few things planted by the former owners that I actually like! Azaleas are in full bloom. Tulipa batalinii 'Bright Gem' just began to open today--I'm not sure why these bloom so late (last year too), perhaps because I planted the bulbs too deep. Dianthus gratinopolitanus (sp.?) cultivars and Aquilegia canadensis are heavily budded, and should be opening in another day or two. I just saw bearded irises blooming in a sunny yard down the street from me. (My own are on the north side of my house and not even in bud yet.) May 2003 ? the wettest May in many years, after one of the coldest winters!***** Maryland - White and blue Dutch iris, sweet woodruff, pansies, Hershey Red azalea. Fuchsia azaleas everywhere! And the dogwoods are in their glory. Centaurea Montana (Mountain Bluet) are about to pop, some hardy geraniums have buds, wild buttercups are out (I allow them in selected spots 'cause the foliage is nice too), the half-dead Erodium pelargoniflorum is blooming anyway. Alliums have fat buds. I notice every year that the leaf tips are always browned before the flowers open on the alliums. These are A.Christophi and A.Giganteum and A. Idon'tknowsmalldrumsticktype. Lilac (fading), woodland squill, bridal wreath spirea (peak), woodland phlox (stonilifera), dianthus ?Firewitch?, ipheion, ?Otto Luykins? cherry laurel, ?Lancaster? perennial geranium, doublefile viburnum, ?Yaku Princess? rhodo, variegated solomon seal, lily of the valley and vinca (ho hum). Oh and a couple of generic azaleas. Azaleas, lilacs, roses. dianthus "Bath's Pink", the no-name Allwood dianthus that came from Walmart, Dianthus deltoides, Spanish bluebells Scilla hispanica, roses ?Nymphenburg? and ?GrussAnAachen?, Geranium maculatum, Geranium "Nimbus", Geranium "Max Frei", Centaurea montana, late azaleas, bishopweed, yellow Dutch iris (blues and whites bloomed earlier), Penstemon smallii putting up flowers, a rescue iris that has to be the ugliest iris in existence, several different colors of self-seeded trandescantia, pansies and petunias, honeysuckle bush. Just finished: sweet woodruff, camassia. Roses are really starting to hit full bloom now, iris winding down. Blueberries, blackberries, hybrid rugosa roses, alliums, catmint, rhododendron ?Home Depot?, culinary sage, clematis ?Nelly Moser? and "The President", bearded iris. My tall bearded iris are exploding! on the ground!!!! This rain has got to go!! Peonies are loving all of this rain, as are my Asian lilies, which are about 5' tall waiting for the sun. 5/22: Scutellaria baicalensis has been blooming a few weeks, Lysimachia atropurpurea (deepest burgandy against blue silver foliage), Allium karataviense in full bloom and starting to pass, Allium christophi just starting to open, Allium giganteum on their last legs, Aquilegia canadensis is fully blooming with a bunch of other cultivars, Trollius, Phlomis tuberosa has sent up giant scape (singular, hmm.) Salvia lyrata 'Burgandy Bliss' (If you call those blooms :-), the Campanula persicifolia and Adenophora would probably be blooming if the 3 foot stalks hadn't been 'pinched' (cleanly cut) but a bunny or woodchuck. And the stars: Rodgersia and Baptisia are both in bloom after 3 years of waiting!!!! May 27: roses ? ?Gertrude Jekyll? & ?Sheer Bliss?, foxgloves, phlox, Mexican evening primroses, alyssums, gypsophilia, ?Firewitch? dianthus, shasta daisy, anemone sylvestris, chives, sweet william, columbines that I started from seeds last year, and purple & yellow bearded irises I got from the fall swap. May 29th: Valerian (Valerian officinalis), peonies, and more roses. Virginia - My gardens are coming alive with color. I've got over 200 hybrid iris (most in bloom already), Iceland poppies, Oriental poppies, old fashioned yellow rose, bridal wreath spirea, pink spirea, variegated spirea, scotch broom, weigelia, blue sage, mayapples, bleeding heart, lily of the valley(pink & white), azalea (pink,red,purple & yellow), hyacinth, tulips, jasmine, Star-of-Bethlehem, amsonia, orange field poppies, lettuceleaf poppies(pink), columbine, redbuds, fruit trees, dogwoods, ground geraniums (cherise), ground phlox, ajuga, blue flax, baptisia, Viburnum(white), Solomon seal, prickly-pear cactus. Isn't gardening WONDERFUL? My false indigo is fabulous right now as are my rhododendrons! Roses haven't popped open yet, but buds are numerous and promising! Pennsylvania - In my garden in early to mid May (western PA): Blue flax, Centaurea montana, early clematis, iris, coral bells, allium, Snow in Summer, bleeding heart (Dicentra), rhododendron, forget me nots (Myosotis), Weigela variegata, the shrub Calycanthus floridus--with fruity-smelling flowers, rosa 'Therese Bugnet,' and honeysuckle 'Gold Flame', peonies (just starting), dianthus, beauty bushes, flax, irises, poppies any minute now, and still have one lonely tulip :), pansies from last year and some annuals I just put in pots. Bridal Wreath spirea, weigelas, azaleas, rhodies, lilacs, TB irises, and something else that I think is a kerria. Washington, DC - May 21st, in Washington DC: Snowball viburnum, privet, Chinese dogwood, climbing rose, azalea, mock orange. Aquilegia canadensis has been blooming its head off for two or three weeks. Dianthus gratiopolitanus 'Bath's Pink' and "Firewitch" have been in full bloom for at least 2 weeks. Chives have been blooming for about a week. Bearded iris and Siberian iris have just opened, within a day of each other. Peonies are either in bud or just beginning to bloom (and I think I will cut them all for indoors because several days of rain will ruin them). Neighbor on one side has roses blooming, neighbor on the other side some kind of bulb that I believe is Hyacinthoides (Spanish bluebells). Everything is so late this year! On top of the late spring, my property is on a north-facing hill which makes it even worse. Bearded irises across the street (facing south) were blooming two weeks ago. Bridal Wreath spirea, weigelas, azaleas, rhodies, lilacs, TB irises, and something else that I think is a kerria.

* Posted by: karenm 7 ) on Wed, Nov 13, 02 at 12:52 Well, I'm posting again. I had the original post 4mts ago. Have managed a few more mistakes in this time. Being a new gardener, I am always looking for free plants so one friend (maybe she really doesn't like me) gave me, gooseneck loosestrife, wild violets, periwinkle, and several mints. (ALL of these are considered VERY INVASIVE!) I planted the gooseneck in with my roses to cover the Roses leggy bottoms. Next spring I will begin the process of elimination. Already pulled up all the mints. I like the violets so far, but they have not invaded anywhere I don?t want them to be. Also, went to a plant sale with same friend and bought several plants with Latin names and metric measurements. (I haven't gotten that far in my education.) Did not have a clue what most of them were, but they were at a good price. Anyway, I bought some aster. I knew what that was. Yea, right. It grew to be about 5-feet tall and 3-4 feet wide. I had planted it in the front of the bed. It looked like Godzilla stepping all over my other sweet and dainty plants. To make matters worse, I too tried to move this huge monstrosity in 100-degree heat. Needless to say it did not live. Would loved to have seen it in bloom. For that matter, I have quite a few plants I have never seen bloom because I move them so much. Gotta get that perfect placement ya know. I'm looking forward to spring to see what new adventures are awaiting me! * Posted by: wavesmom sf calif (My Page) on Wed, Nov 13, 02 at 14:53 I have been gardening for years, and composting for 3. My worst mistake was when I dug up the crabgrass, and wanting to be the perfect composter, threw the crabgrass in the compost. My pile doesn't get hot enough to kill seeds. Guess what I have EVERYWHERE in my yard. Note to self: if you don't want the plant everywhere in the yard, don't compost it. I had the same experience (same year) with tomatoes. I could have fed the masses with the number of tomato plants that came up. * Posted by: Nelz z5b/6 NW PA (My Page) on Wed, Nov 13, 02 at 22:57 I had the worst one until this afternoon. 1 - A few years back I started all my cukes and squash (summer and winter) and melons in peat pots inside to get a few week head start when they hit the ground. I had the following number of varieties; 2 cukes, 4 winter squash, 3 summer squash, 3 watermelon, 2 canteloupes. I had several plants of each type. More than I needed, but you know, always plant a few extra in case all do not germinate. Everything germ'd. After 10 days I sorted everything out, what I wanted, and what I'd toss. My mother in law plants everything, and even though her garden was in, she said she'd take the rejects. I gave the flat explaining it was a lot of cukes and a few squash and 1 watermelon. Wrong, as in wrong flat. I forget which was which. I had cukes out the ear, and mom was nice enough to share the harvest. 2-Use only clean straw! I think I got oat straw, with all the oats attached. At $1 a bale I got excited and loaded up the truck. I put my beds to sleep for the winter, planted my garlic, and mulched HEAVILY with the straw. Every bed is growing lots of green blades through the straw. So, here I am weeding in November. I'm limiting my work to the garlic beds, the rest will be a 'covercrop' that I'll hoe in next spring. At least they pull up easy. PS - This is an awesome thread, and I didn't see many mistakes, just learning experiences!! * Posted by: bdot z7 NC (My Page) on Wed, Feb 26, 03 at 13:25 1st, what is a "DH"? Every time I see that I think designated hitter and it confuses me. :) My first mistake was when I moved into my house 2 years ago. The back yard was small but was over grown with weeds and vines and stuff. I loved it cause it's a good animal habitat. The wild rose bush (it's the kind that's invasive that people hate but I've come to love) is about 10 ft wide, 15 ft long and about 7 ft tall. Anyways, I decided I would clear out some of the wild grape and also honeysuckle from the trees especially all the dogwoods. Well I'm happily pulling things out and since it's the winter (no leaves on vines) I didn't think until I started itching. Let's just say I used to get poison ivy by just being in the same town as it is in. It hit the blood stream and I had it for 3 straight months. Near the end I had a swollen shut eye and had to get medicine. Went to Immediate Care (since I don't have a doctor since that requires setting up an appointment 3 months in advance) and they gave me allergy medicine. Luckily mom works for a doctor and got me some good pills and I haven't had poison ivy since even though I work next to it when feeding the tigers. My other mistake was in a way related. I had read that jewelweed helps keep you from getting poison ivy. It did wonders back when I did get it and would rub it on the spot. Well anyone that knows about jewelweed knows it has the water-resistant leaves. Well I had made a flowerbed beside my house. I couldn't get much to grow last year in the severe drought. Well these 2 plants came up that looks just like jewelweed leaves. i was so happy that I continually watered them. They got up to 1ft.. then 5 ft... then 10 ft.. ok, somethings wrong. Either I have a very happy jewelweed plant or that's not what it is. I did some investigating on the web. I found out I had lambs quarter. HA HA HA! I hate killing plants so I didn't want to take it down but then I knew the thing would reseed one day and that would be a mess. Luckily after it was up to about 13-14ft, we had a heavy rain and wind. Knocked both plants sideways into the yard. Didn't kill them but they were in the way so I removed them. * Posted by: Storey z8b TX (My Page) on Wed, Feb 26, 03 at 17:58 One of my most recent was allowing my friend to walk through my pepper patch. He tried a few peppers and asked what they were after tasting. Before I could stop him, he tried a habanero... I never knew anyone could run to a hose that fast or drink that much water at one time :o) Fortunately, he survived, but now he asks about the plants BEFORE he tries them. Stephen * Posted by: Peach_Fuzz 4 (My Page) on Wed, Feb 26, 03 at 18:36 Bdot, DH is "Dear Husband" in our land of abbreviated computer lingo. (although I'm going to think "designated hitter" now!) * Posted by: valeriePA z6 PA (My Page) on Thu, Feb 27, 03 at 6:42 I repeat it every year-too many seedlings and plants and not enough prepared soil. The seedlings or plants end up dying waiting for me to dig up more of the lawn. I think I'll give lasagna gardening a try this year. * Posted by: MaryMarg Zone9/San Jose (My Page) on Thu, Feb 27, 03 at 15:27 We moved into our first home four years ago, and had a gorgeous bougainvillia draping over the tops of the french doors to our bedroom. New to gardening, my husband and I couldn't figure why it "died" several months after moving in. My husband, escaping with multiple minor cuts and several colorful expletives, managed to remove it. We found out several weeks later (after it had been taken away by the garbage man) that the beautiful climber was merely dormant. Such remorse! * Posted by: somara ) on Fri, Feb 28, 03 at 15:10 I'm now starting my second year gardening and I have a feeling that I'll be a beginner for another 5-10 years. Here are last year's mistakes: 1. Plant swaps are great and the people are friendly; however, people are NOT giving you plants out of generosity... they just don't want to go home with what they brought. I finally understood this during the fall swap when I couldn't get rid of the last of my plants without having to take something from someone else. So I went home with another truckload and needless to say, most of it didn't make it in the ground again. So I'm only attending one swap a year now. 2. I found a small patch of Bermuda grass in my yard last spring. I thought I'd get around to it later. Nope. Bermuda grass will take over your entire yard the moment you turn your back on it. This year I'm breaking out the flame thrower. 3. Find out what the dimensions of the full grown plant is before you put it in the ground. That cute little wild current tomato that wouldn't grow for two months, eventually hit a growing spurt and took over the entire bed (4'x6'). It was STILL producing tomatoes through December. 4. The biggest mistake, and probably the one I will continue to make every year for my entire life, is trying to do too much with my yard. This year I promised my sweetie that I'd only work on the area around the back patio... but I've already drawn out plans for under the trees, the front bed, and pretty much the entire property. But ya' know something? As long as I'm not repeating my mistakes year after year (with the exception of #4), then I must be learning... * Posted by: mindi1248 z9 FL (My Page) on Mon, Mar 3, 03 at 22:47 This one just happened to me today... I bought some veggie and herb seeds about a week ago (even though I've no idea where to put them) and I decided yesterday that I would get them started in some dixie cups. Labeled and stuck the dirt in the cups, and poked a hole in the bottom to drain, and planted the seeds. I left them outside... This morning it started pouring rain. Turns out that the little holes in the cups couldn't keep up with the flood and when I went outside all the cups were overflowing and soggy and the seeds were floating or on the ground..lol.. I replanted what I could and brought them on the porch..we'll see if they germinate! :) * Posted by: mindi1248 z9 FL (My Page) on Tue, Mar 4, 03 at 14:33 Mistake Number Two: Not using waterproof ink on those dixie cups! I replanted in some real seedling cups today, but now I have no idea what's what! Guess I'll have a surprise when they grow..if they do..lol :) * Posted by: ticksmom419 z7 NC (My Page) on Fri, Mar 7, 03 at 10:30 Somara, in response to your bermudagrass mistake, it only spreads all over your lawn if you don't want it to. I'm tired of fiddling with my sad fescue and WANT the bermudagrass to take over. How many years will it take, do you suppose? Murphy's Law strikes again. * Posted by: ernie50 z7ga (My Page) on Sun, Mar 9, 03 at 7:20 I've been gardening for some years, however still learning. Tried to grow Joe Pye last year from seed, but never came up so couldn't identify seedling. Finally saw a few tiny seedlings & nursed along for 3 months. Was poking around outside & saw same thing growing wild outside. It was a weed!Had somehow got in my seed flat! * Posted by: timtijones z5 Milwaukee WI (My Page) on Sun, Mar 9, 03 at 11:36 Last year was my first year gardening in my first house, so the mistakes were many and frequent. Some of the most important lessons I learned were ... 1. No matter how warm April may be, there's a reason people around here (Milwaukee, WI, zone 5) say don't plant until after Memorial Day. We managed to get some make-shift cold frames around plants both in the beds and not-yet-planted, but we still lost almost a third of the annuals and perennials during a May cold snap. 2. Try to have at least SOME idea where you're going to put that beautiful plant you just saw at the nursery. Lost a few plants that stayed in the pot way too long after purchasing because we didn't have beds ready. 3. EVERYTHING takes at least twice as long to do as you think it will -- digging beds, amending or replacing soil (we have lots of clay, so sometimes we just empty out a big area and refill with garden soil), fertilizing, weeding, pruning (actually, that takes 4 times as long!!). One of these days I'll try to leave time to actually sit out in the yard and ENJOY my gardens, but it didn't happen last year. Maybe if I schedule the time in my DayMinder... 4. Just because it's the north side of the house and shaded in April doesn't mean it's a shade garden. I planted a dozen astilbe and 6 goatsbeard (aruncus) in the front of the house, which is on the north side. The astilbe did OK, but the flowers dried up and turned brown in less than a week, and the poor goatsbeard probably didn't survive ... they grew less than an inch last year from the planting size. That bed gets FULL SUN from May to August! So I'm moving everything that survives the winter to the west side of the house under the shade of the neighbor's black walnut tree. 5. Which brings up the last one ... black walnuts' roots kill most plants planted anywhere near their canopy. Fortunately, astilbe is one of the plants that can survive the black walnut toxins, along with ferns and hostas. Guess what I'll be planting in the west side beds this year!! * Posted by: veilchen z5 S. Maine (My Page) on Sun, Mar 9, 03 at 11:56 One of many: When removing the pachysandra from the front of the house to put in a new shade garden, I discovered what was obviously a small shoot of a rose. My house was built in 1930, so I was excited to have found what may have been an old climbing rose that survived neglected all these years (in the shade!). Just think how hardy it must be! I carefully dug it out, getting all of the long tap root. I pampered it for a few days in a container, keeping it moist. Then I transplanted it around a metal obelisk trellis in a sunny spot in my garden. I gave it lots of compost and water. By the end of the summer, I trained it up the obelisk and it was thriving. I was very proud of my horticultural accomplishment of saving an antique rose and couldn't wait til next year so I could see the blooms. Well, it bloomed last summer. Very plain, single white small blossoms. Totally unexceptional. Japanese beetle magnet as well. What I had transplanted and nurtured was an old root stock of a wild rose. I yanked it out at the end of summer, and it had really anchored itself in. I hope I got it all. * Posted by: John_Blutarsky (My Page) on Sun, Mar 9, 03 at 14:44 Trying to drive 400 miles with a bunch of houseplants in the back of my car. They were exposed to too much sunlight and at the end of the journey their leaves had turned black! Fortunately, none of them died, just took a year to get back to their old selves! Next time, I'll keep them covered up better. * Posted by: clg1 z7 AR (My Page) on Sun, Mar 9, 03 at 20:46 Thanks so much for this thread. I truly thought I was the ONLY one who had ever cultivated, nurtured and sang to rogue blades of grass mistakenly thinking they were long-awaited flower seedlings. * Posted by: teka2rjleffel z10FL (My Page) on Tue, Mar 11, 03 at 15:27 I love this post. I'm not new to gardening. I have been doing it for over 20 years. But when we moved to Florida from New York I made a big boo boo. The house and lawn had been badly neglected. So my husband (who hasn't a gardening clue) and I started pulling up the weeds in the lawn. After we were well into the project our new neighbor came over and asked what we were doing pulling up all of the St. Augustine grass (which looks like a weed but is the only thing that will grow here.) * Posted by: somara z8 - Austin, TX (My Page) on Thu, Mar 13, 03 at 16:56 My Mom and I were talking about what we were going to plant this spring and that brought up the subject of caladium bulbs... this was a BIG mistake from last year so I thought I'd mention it: Do NOT plant the bulbs upside down. Less than half of my caladiums made it. Unfortunately since both ends looked so much alike - this is easy to do. Someone told me later that the easiest way to avoid the same mistake is to plant the bulbs sideways. That way the plant has a better chance of breaking ground before it runs out of steam. * Posted by: Pickwick z5 (My Page) on Thu, Mar 13, 03 at 18:14 The grounds superintendent of a large estate where I worked in the days of my youth, assigned me to plant grass seed in a freshly prepared area. He conveyed to me where I might locate this seed. Evidently, I seemed to have grabbed the wrong bag. It was thistle birdseed........... * Posted by: LesLazz z17CA (My Page) on Sun, Mar 16, 03 at 5:26 Great laughs on this page, literally laughing and holding my side on a couple of them! My story is a bit different but true. Not necessarily, MY stupidest mistake but alas it happened any way. We move in 3 years ago to this house with the previous owner promising that the garden right outside my family room wall (all windows) was a tea garden, that she had worked very hard on. It being February when we bought, she said I couldn't tell until the bulbs came up. So I waited and waited and WAITED... all we had the first year were big weeds. Convincing myself I may had neglected the bulbs, I went out the next January and cleaned all the weeds and religiously watered, once again waiting for the tea garden, which never arrived. I decided to make it a rose and bulb garden, dug all the soil up and proceeded to plant three rose bushes and several different kinds of bulbs in a teagarden type pattern. Well, my hubby came out in January of last year and had a packet of wildflower seeds and decided to spread them throughout my garden (while I was cursing him behind his back, mind you). Fast forward, lots of wildflowers, bulbs grew but no flowers-because the wildflowers took all of the sun/nitrogen/whatever out of the soil (roses seemed to be ok tho). I told him I am going out to take everything out except my bulbs and roses. He asked if I would leave the poppies. I told him I will try (but between you and I , I know what a poppy looks like as opposed to a weed/wildflower) and I guarantee my bulbs will bloom next year! * Posted by: Vroomp z7Ga (My Page) on Sun, Mar 16, 03 at 10:34 What I have learned from my Mistakes: Tradescantia (Spider Wort) blooms in afternoon sun, but the leaves will fry and make the plant look like it's dying. It blooms three times longer in afternoon shade. Foxgloves and Gladiolas need to be in a protected area from wind. Otherwise the become groundcover quickly. Never put an Amaryllis in a pot whose base is larger than the neck. They don't come out without breaking the pot. Inkberry Bushes do not grow on the North side of your home. I lost 6 seven gallon plants. Morning Glories produce a lot of seeds. And they ALL germinate............. For years to come !! Stonecrop Sedums spread like mad under cover of winter leaves. Which happens to be the best way to multiply your Blackeyed Susans too! A Wild Cherry is the wrong tree to leave for shading your patio. In Spring it drops flowers(too tiny to be pretty)then it drops little black fruit(which stains).The insects that thrive in them can dump around 1 pound of poop per night. (that's how much fell on the tarp over the food table last party). Glad I had the forethought to put it up !!! Then in the Fall the twigs and leaves seem to never end. * Posted by: ladykemma katy, texas (My Page) on Tue, Mar 18, 03 at 22:34 pulling up the foxglove seedlings because i thought they were weeds..... * Posted by: Lynn9 z9,Northern Ca. (My Page) on Thu, Mar 20, 03 at 23:25 HA! I think the "pet" poison oak is the funniest one. My mistake this year was building a nice frame for a raised box-bed, filling it in & then realizing it is in the wrong spot! My second mistake was buying all that "organic" compost/potting soil that was on sale & *then* reading the ingredients. It's organic with a "wetting agent" added. It carries a warning "as in all soil, gloves should be worn before handling this product". I don't dare use the stuff & lost the receipt. * Posted by: Adina Zone 7, Atl GA (My Page) on Fri, Mar 21, 03 at 15:55 This wasn't a big mistake, but only because I'm a biological fluke. Several years ago, back when I lived in an apartment that didn't even have enough light for houseplants, I "adopted" the vacant lot next to my father's house and started cleaning it up a bit and planting some excesses from his garden. One day he came out while I was pulling weeds, pointed to the plant in my bare hand, and asked if I realized it was poison ivy. I didn't. My hands turned pinkish and itched a little for an hour or so later. I had never learned to identify poison ivy because I've never reacted to it. Still don't. Ivy--regular English Ivy--makes me itch and break out in red blotches, however. Go figure. * Posted by: GaiaChild N.Alberta,Can. (My Page) on Sun, Mar 23, 03 at 2:16 I agree that this is a great thread! I can relate to some of these mistakes and I'll try to learn from the rest :o) I've had small veggie gardens and have experience with indoor plants but last year was my first real flower/ornamental gardening attempt. This year I've planned even more so I'm glad I can come here for some good tips. TIA *thanks in advance* * Posted by: Holedigger z10 SO-CAL (My Page) on Tue, Mar 25, 03 at 15:38 All time dumbest.....designed a complete backyard courtyard with stamped concrete patios, flagstone walks, rip-rap planting beds, lighting, stucco walls, the works. Had it all installed, planted it and realized I had no way of getting irrigation to the planters, or onto the groundcover between the flagstone. Duh.I learned all about native plants and xeriscaping after trying to handwater (twice a day) the first summer. Everything fried. * Posted by: jslatch z8 Austin, TX (My Page) on Wed, Mar 26, 03 at 17:52 Yeah, ok... as a new gardener with a new house, I should probably have researched tulips before putting a delicate 12 bulbs in my 10'x6' bed. Having lived in Washington DC, where every spring the city is covered in gorgeous, prolific tulips, I had assumed that they would bloom and bloom and be this beautiful carpet of red tulips in the middle of my yard. Little did I know that in DC, there are countless men paid by the city to run around in the pre-dawn hours transplanting fully grown tulips for the spring tourists. Needless to say, I got a week and a half of pretty blooms, and then nothing. Ugly green flowerless stalks. What is that about? Who knew that tulips only bloom once and don't multiply? I guess everyone but me. So then I tried to repair my sad-looking bed with eight expensive ranunculus transplants, which looked great for a week. Now they are fading fast, leaving me once again with tired stalks. Sigh. I have now optimistically sprinkled the entire thing with cosmos seeds. Too bad they won't be up in time for my mother's visit... I was so excited to show off my green thumb. I have a feeling I will have many more lessons coming to me... * Posted by: Dic_Tamnus z5b OH (My Page) on Thu, Mar 27, 03 at 10:12 I had a "Three Stooges" moment while walking out to the garden. The side door of my house had a metal awning (sharp edges) that hung exactly 6' above ground level. As I (height 6'1") walked toward it I was verrrry carefully trying to take a sip from a cup of scalding hot coffee. In mid-slurp my scalp met the metal, raking across my skull like a hoe raking across concrete. From pain and surprise, I gasped, inhaling the burning brew. It sounded something like "Scrrrapeaacghgarglekoffplttttt!" So I spent the next ten seconds staggering, bent at the waist, one hand on top of my head and the other wiping coffee that was still running from my nose. My only regret is that I didn't catch the whole thing on video. * Posted by: Tannatonk z3 MT (My Page) on Thu, Mar 27, 03 at 15:08 This is a great thread! I don't have a tale to tell on myself but would like to make a suggestion. Seems like a lot of you have in the past purchased too many plants at one time without having given thought to how or where you were going to put them. The next project on your "honey-do" list should be to build a nursery bed. It could be as big or small as you like but a nice size is 4' x 8' with 6-12" sidewalls. Fill the frame with loose compost and soil. Now you have a place to store all those wonderful finds that you just can't pass up until you know the perfect spot for it. * Posted by: carolynkelsea San Jose (My Page) on Fri, Mar 28, 03 at 12:33 Wow this thread has been around since last year and it keeps getting funnier! I already posted once (transplanting large shrubs in a heat wave) but in my second year of gardening I've made an even sillier mistake... When we moved in I discovered two unidentified bushes hidden beneath some overgrown daisy clumps... For whatever reason I decided they were azaleas and I've been babying them for a year, giving them acid fertilizer, doing everything I could to make them happy... Well just the other day they finally bloomed, and oops, they're not azaleas, they're hawthorn bushes, which is a very common, tough shrub around here, they use it in parking lots because you just can't kill it... After a year of babying these things I feel a little let down! (The pink flowers are pretty though!) *Posted by Cactus_joe 7b (My Page) on Sun, Dec 12, 04 at 1:50 Stupid things that I learned while gardening this year: 1. If you plant a canna tuber right at the bottom of the container, and place it upside down, the canes will emerge through the drainage holes. A real talking point in the garden (?Did I hear words like "stupid thing to do", "how silly", "what was he thinking of", ""senilility", etc being whispered?). Doesn't do much for esthetics either. 2. If you pull a long cane of a prickly rose down too far, and let go, it will neatly grab hold of you pants and tee-shirt, and give you a painful surprise. 3. If you get real mad at how much rocks you have to excavate out of your lousy subsoil before you can plant any thing, make sure your shovel is equipped with shock absorbers before you ram it hard into the ground in frustration. Otherwise, the shock wave generated when you hit that big rock (the one which is always lying waiting for you to do just such a stupid act) will give your bones a jangle that you will never forget. 4. If you go on vacation and have the neighbour tend your yard while you are away, don't forget to tell her not to dead head the roses if you are into hybridising. 5. Never even think of pulling the stun of stepping smartly on the head of the garden rack to get it's handle to flip up - unless you happened to be wearing a suit of armour. * Posted by: NGraham z6 KY (My Page) on Sun, Dec 12, 04 at 8:08 I can sympathize. I've experienced much the same things. Once when my husband had back surgery, I didn't ask, but my neighbor kindly mowed my yard for me. Took out a white lilac a friend had just given me, it did come back but sulked for a long time. Several times I coulda kicked myself when I nurture seedlings I have carefully grown & cared for, plant them out, then carelessly pull them out when weeding. * Posted by: FlowrPowr 5 OH (My Page) on Sun, Dec 12, 04 at 22:10 Joe, the one about the rake really made me chuckle. We were planting some end of season roses about a month ago, and I did that very same thing. It was not one of my more graceful moves. Let me tell you, a rake upside the head, can really hurt. I saw stars for a couple of seconds. Of course, my hubby thought it was funny. I guess one thing that I did that was kind of stupid was loose one of those little hand held garden cultivators. It was an older tool, and just kind of blended in with the soil. I sat it down, and when I went to pick it up, I couldn't find it. My hubby found it when we were doing the fall cleenup. I think I am going to paint the handle day-glo orange, so it doesn't get lost in the perennial jungle again! * Posted by: EGO45 6bCT (My Page) on Mon, Dec 13, 04 at 0:52