Meh or great?
Vicky Sheboygan
6 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (33)
dick_in_ohio
6 years agoMadPlanter1 zone 5
6 years agoRelated Discussions
Plants you used to think 'meh...' whose value you now recognize
Comments (37)In my area, nepeta is ubiquitous. In most places it is used, it gets horrible soil, no care and no supplemental water. And yet most clumps are in full bloom for 5 months+ per year. Is it the plant's fault it is overused? It is so fast-growing, easily transplanted, easily multiplied and so compact and pretty in nursery pots that I am not at all surprised by its popularity. Still, I resisted for as long as I could before adding any to my own garden. I now have 'Joanna Reed' which already almost 4 feet wide by a little over two feet tall after being planted from a tiny mail order division last July. Close up, the flower spikes are much longer, denser and with larger individual florets than either 'Walker's Low' or 'Six Hills Giant', but from a distance the overall garden effect is much the same though the flowers are a bit more on the blue side. It is also supposed to be sterile was given a perfect 5 star rating in the Chicago Botanic Garden nepeta trials. The first flush shows no signs of fading and yet the plant is already producing secondary buds that will ultimately be taller than the primary flush. The plant will probably build up to 4 feet tall or more by summer's end. I also have some Nepeta nuda started from seed which have not yet flowered. They are growing well but are not nearly as vigorous as 'Joanna Reed'. Is nepeta my favorite plant? Not by a long shot. But I have come to love its abundant display of blue-violet flowers and ease of care. Many are also enjoyed by pollinators but most of our insect friends will overlook the nepeta if something more appealing like an allium or calamintha is in bloom nearby....See MoreYear in review: A winner, surprise and...Meh.
Comments (11)AC, I too have Schonste. Boy, is that a rose or what???? Move it while you can! : ) Seriously, it's unstoppable and with those prickles and the fact that it is a once bloomer, it has been banished to the back of the garden. It's beautiful though. Surprises for me have been lots of Austins I've tried this season. Pleasant surprises. I'd always purchased them own root and they've been so slow to grow and I'm getting older…..on rootstock they are amazing. Grace, Tamora, Pat Austin, Anne Boleyn, Charles Darwin, Jubilee Celebration, Princess Alexandra of Kent, Princess Anne…they are all fantastic and healthy enough here in my no spray garden. The most beautiful of all is his The Lark Ascending….almost continuous beautiful, gossamer blooms. Another wonderful surprise has been finding a love for vintage HTs…The Doctor, Radiance, Betty Uprichard, Irish Fireflame, Irish Elegance, Bonnie Jean, Betty….I love these roses so much. The blooms blow quickly but the repeat is some of the best! The meh? The same old disease ridden modern HTs that I think I can grow no spray. Nope. Complicata and some of the gallicas just don't thrive here. Didn't do much and then looked nasty all summer… I wish you a long and bloom filled Indian Summer and hope frost will stay away! Susan...See MoreContainer gardening for the Rocky Mt region
Comments (10)David, Interesting to read about your methods and results. Although I've gardened for 40 plus years I really never used containers till 2 years ago. This is my 3rd growing season with them. So far I've mainly grown tomatoes in them. Have one pepper plant in a container this year. Last year was better than the first and so far this year the plants are looking good for what they are and as late as I planted most of them. Due to the drought and my current work situation I only have plants in 11 containers. I use the 25-30 gallon feed tubs. I can get all I want for free from about any farmer/rancher around here who has cattle. They work well. I've grown in smaller containers. My personal opinion is the bigger the better and I would want at least a 5 gallon for even a smaller type tomato. I know several growers who have good results in ten gallon containers. I recycle my mix like you do. This year I added some HuMore compost and a little of the organic fertilizer I used this year. I tried a product from Fox Farms called Happy Frog for tomatoes. I've been impressed with the results. I also mixed a little in around the top and will again around Sept 1st. My plans for my container plants is I will move them from the partially shaded area they are currently in to full sun as the temps cool and then on into my lean to I put up and hope to extend my season 4-6 weeks. Some of these plants will be just starting to produce I figure about the time I move them inside. One thing I've found here in our heat that David don't have a problem with is the containers and especially the black ones will get real hot and even cook the roots. This year I put straw bales around the containers and also mulched the top well. I can tell a big difference even in the extreme heat we had this summer. I've used several potting mixes. I prefer the Ball mixes. I don't use potting soil. I have mixed in some manure compost before from my pens, some pecan hulls and some leaves if I have them. But this year it was just the HuMore mixed in with what was in there except the last 2 which got some Soil Mender I had handy and wanted to use up. Bonnie and anyone else growing okra in a container. I wonder how Stewart's Zeebest would do in a container. It is a big bushy plant so one to a container would be plenty. And one of them will usually out produce several regular plants. And a good eating variety also. In the garden I space them 3-5 feet a part. Jay...See MoreHow do I make my kitchen look less meh?
Comments (44)I think your kitchen is very nice, I don’t think the backsplash clashes with the cabinetry and I’m often critical of that in a lot of kitchen photos I see. You know what your kitchen reminds me of? Those rooms where a lot of different shades of whites, creams, and ivories are used... they don’t really match, but they all just go together nicely... and the thing (I think) that ties them all together is a lot of use of texture. So, for that, I like the chairs you have that are woven, as opposed to the smooth, white chairs. And I don’t think you need that tablecloth, I think the table looks just fine without it. I’d add some natural sea grass like colors and textures and some houseplants, maybe some wood cutting boards against the backsplash... any other colors I would gravitate towards would be soft blues and greens, nothing too intense....See Morenicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
6 years agoteuth
6 years agoConnieMay ON Z6a
6 years agoBabka NorCal 9b
6 years agozkathy z7a NC
6 years agopandora
6 years agoninamarie
6 years agodon_in_colorado
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoConnieMay ON Z6a
6 years agolindalana 5b Chicago
6 years agoteuth
6 years agoperen.all Zone 5a Ontario Canada
6 years agoVicky Sheboygan
6 years agohostahillbilly
6 years agoEleven
6 years agomiles10612
6 years agoteuth
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agobeverlymnz4
6 years agodon_in_colorado
6 years agodon_in_colorado
6 years agojosephines167 z5 ON Canada
6 years agojosephines167 z5 ON Canada
6 years agonicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
6 years agoVicky Sheboygan
6 years agoBill's Electrical Service & Consulting, LLC
6 years agopandora
6 years agoEleven
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoEleven
6 years agopandora
6 years agopandora
6 years ago
Related Stories
KITCHEN DESIGNKitchen of the Week: Great for the Chefs, Friendly to the Family
With a large island, a butler’s pantry, wine storage and more, this New York kitchen appeals to everyone in the house
Full StoryLIVING ROOMSTrending Now: 10 Great Living Room Color Combos to Try
These recent popular photos show examples of color combos that exude comfort and style
Full StoryARCHITECTUREDutch Architects Balance the Familiar and the Avant-Garde
Peek inside a 2013 book to see bold new designs for modern living that never forget those living there
Full StoryGREAT DESIGNERSNew Book: Homes That Honor the Landscape
Explore the extraordinary ways architecture and site can relate through the work of an award-winning California firm
Full StoryKITCHEN SINKSJust a Touch: Faucets Without the Fuss
Faucets that turn on with a tap of the finger, forearm or hand are great for messy hands or full arms
Full StoryARCHITECTUREThe 2018 Pritzker Prize Goes to India’s Low-Cost Housing Pioneer
Balkrishna Doshi worked for Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn before designing nearly 100 buildings in his native country
Full StoryFURNITURE10 Secrets of Successful Secondhand Furniture Shopping
Design professionals offer tips on how, where and what to buy
Full StoryBATHROOM DESIGNRoom of the Day: A Family Bath With Vintage Apothecary Style
A vintage mosaic tile floor inspires a timeless room with a new layout and 1930s appeal
Full StoryFigure Out Your Art Style
Bemoaning bare walls but flummoxed by all the choices for art? Here's help deciding on a style
Full StoryMOST POPULARPhoto Flip: 50 Showers That Create a Splash
Find fresh inspiration in these bathrooms with mosaic and large-format tiles, pebble flooring and more
Full StorySponsored
beverlymnz4