What do your flower bulb gardens look like?
kali_deere
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
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floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
6 years agoRelated Discussions
What do you modify in your garden to continue your garden passion
Comments (43)Kim said... >My original obsession was outrageously out of hand and I loved it. [...] I'm keeping to the level area as much as possible. Weeding that slope is offensive enough without having to traipse up and down, sliding on every other step, to maintain anything down there. I know I will resent the ones which go on the slope and will eventually allow them to go the way of the Dodo, so I'm choosing to rid myself of them, instead. That's a LOT of roses, quite a few of which are seedlings either generated through my obsession or those shared with me by other "obsessives", but that is what it is going to take to keep this "fun", doable and prevent the water requirements from eating me out of house, home and desire. Weeding through them to maintain those which are just happier to be here with me and those which are endangered, has been a real chore. Now, if there was a ton of level land with high ground water. Hi Kim, Back in the Dark Ages we lived in California in just the sort of spot you are conjuring up as a high ground water fix. But native trees really like spots like that too... and our house had lots of shade, too much shade for most roses. Still, we wouldn't have dreamed of cutting down a tree. We didn't own the house, we like trees, and anyway, removing a tree was illegal without a good reason for a permit where we lived (a Monarch Butterfly preserve). Anyway, we were relative youngsters at the time and didn't know just how wet that property was until our vegetable garden was swimming in water during the winter months. It was fine, fine black silty sand that held on to the water pretty well too. Your post made me think about what we'd do if confronted with your lack of water problems back in California again. What you're doing makes a lot of sense. But I also am wondering whether a bank full of Renaes rambling around might not survive and also keep the weeds down once they proliferated and established themselves? They might take over the other remaining roses, but if you weren't still trying hard to keep those... A bunch of Renaes might not require so much watering once established? I don't think a big crowd of them would look bad at all, depending on personal tastes, of course. In fact, I prefer that kind of look. We've done that crowded thing in a pretty good sized area with azaleas and rhododendrons here; they all grow together and if there's a weed under there somewhere, well, you can't easily penetrate to find or see it. Once in awhile there's a tree sneaking in that will have to be pulled up, but basically it's too shady under all the plant thickness for most weeds to grow. And I adore the looks of those crowded plants! No, we don't have big problems with fungal diseases, even with the crowd. Maybe fewer than average problems, though phytopthera wilt sometimes does require some cutting back of rhododendron limbs. You know a big problem with azaleas and rhododendrons is that they aren't drought tolerant. Well, we have lost huge numbers since our drought problems began big time here around 2001. It's been wonderfully rainy most of the time during the last couple of years, but the next drought period is probably just around the corner... and if we lose some more azaleas and rhododendrons then, well, I'm thinking of trying to establish some Renaes and Annie Laurie McDowells in their place in the relatively sunnier spots... along with some more camellias, which are drought tolerant after the first year. (Though blooming is less than ideal if August and September are dry.) We lost our Annie Laurie McDowell to Rose Rosette Disease last year, but I am figuring that if it's anything like our Renae here, well, it's as no-care, no-worry a plant as any other plant of any kind we've ever had in our yard. Not a touch of blackspot or any other disease here thus far (though that may well change just a bit as we get more shade as the sun angle changes during the fall). Anyway, I'm hoping for another Annie Laurie McDowell eventually too. Ours is a no-spray all-organic yard for everything we grow and Renae fits well into that way of doing things. I think Annie Laurie McDowell will too. I know it hurts to cut back some on what you are able to continue doing, Kim. But I keep thinking mostly about your achievements and how much you have helped so many others in what you have already contributed. Thank you! Best wishes, Mary...See MoreWhat do your conifers look like in spring?
Comments (36)Nice photos, Nate and Mike! Alex, I believe it burns in the summer. Even in early winter it was quite brown.. I'll keep an eye on it & see what it does.. Granted, they're in full sun, which helps nothing. A few more photos of interest: Picea abies 'Cruenta' (The red color seems to stay even as the tips fade to green!) Picea orientalis 'Nutans' (nice display of cones) Metasequoia glyptostroboides 'Gold Rush' (love how the water beads up on these!) Picea purpurea (The cones are such a deep, magnificent purple color!) Metasequoia glyptostroboides 'Miss Grace' Abies nordmanniana 'Golden Spreader' Taxodium distichum 'Secrest' Metasequoia glyptostroboides 'Silhouette' Picea sitchensis 'Bentham's Sunlight' -Sam...See MoreWhat do you plant (flowers, mainly) in your winter garden?
Comments (17)Hi JG, welcome to our group. Gaillardia seeds are easy to come by. If you see some growing anywhere just pick a dried up flower pod and start rubbing it between your thumbs other fingers and you'll have a hundred V-shaped winged seeds in your hand in no time.... I planted some nemesia and bacopa this year. Both are doing very well. V, interesting that you still have nemesia going, I fell in love with this one this spring, still in the pots and two of the three are still alive in full shade under the canopy of one of my live oaks. This amazes me since I was led to believe they would not make through our summer heat and humidity. Tom Nemesia...See MoreWhat does your garden look like in October?
Comments (4)Madreselva they all look great! My peppers are doing wonderfully and are lush with a ton of fruit on them right now. My tomatoes are about done except a volunteer cherry that came up late and now looks wonderful and is bearing some fruit. New England Asters just peaked, I have two mums that survived from last year (a white and a yellow). 'Black and Blue' Salvia looks awesome......blooming like crazy with its purple, almost surreal flowers. Pots of tuberous begonias are bright colors. Darn, I did not save or plant Dahlias this year. Yours look great!!...See Morekali_deere
6 years agobossyvossy
6 years agofloral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
6 years agodbarron
6 years agokali_deere
6 years agokali_deere
6 years agofloral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
6 years agokali_deere
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agodbarron
6 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
6 years agofloral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
6 years agoposierosie_zone7a
6 years agokali_deere
6 years agofloral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
6 years agodbarron
6 years agokali_deere
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoJeb zone 5
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agokali_deere
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoposierosie_zone7a
6 years ago
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katob Z6ish, NE Pa