Fellow Gardenists, wey unnu dey??!!!!

[Pepper]

Re: Fellow Gardenists, wey unnu dey??!!!!

Does anyone use fertilizers in either of thier gardens? So far, my gardens consist of a mix of compost, top soil, manure, and mulch. Is that enough or do I need fertilizer. I don't think my flowers are blooming as well as they should.

BTW, how is everyone's garden coming along?

[Bigtime]

Re: Fellow Gardenists, wey unnu dey??!!!!

Originally posted by Pepper:
[qb] Does anyone use fertilizers in either of thier gardens? So far, my gardens consist of a mix of compost, top soil, manure, and mulch. Is that enough or do I need fertilizer. I don't think my flowers are blooming as well as they should.

I have used fertilizer ocasionally; this is suject to what I am planting (eg. tomatoes need a lot of phospherous) or if the the garden appeared "tired" the previous season. This year ,the week before planting I dug in a little fertilizer just to boost the ground as last year my garden was very poor.

BTW, how is everyone's garden coming along? [/qb]

My garden is comming on nicely; over the easter weekend I put in some tomatos (Alicante and Moneymaker), couple of roots of skellion, and replanted thyme. The sage, rosemary and mint are doing well from the previous sesons. I'm tempted to put in some parsley.

My existing shrubs are doing well, but I put in some new begonias and geramiums. Will have to cut back the white jasmine as it did not fare too well over the past winter. The virginia creeper is flourishing.

As we are having another long weekend this bank holiday week, there is every chance that I will be visiting my local garden centre in search of more bedding plants.

I walked the bounds earlier the bounds earlier tonight and was pleased with the progress so far this year, despite having two bouncy castles twice so far this year!

[SandiF]

Re: Fellow Gardenists, wey unnu dey??!!!!

It's coming on very nicely. The Lilac bush is in full bloom and perfume up the yard. This time around I decided to dig up some of the young Lilac bush saplings and replant them else where. Just keeping my fingers crossed that they survived.

I'm waiting for some of my bulbs to start sprouting out, especially the Cannas and the Dahlias. Couple Dahlias are pushing throw the earth but I'm keeping a keen eye for one more.

The Rose bushes have buds on them already!

Planted a bunch of seeds, Echinecea (sp?), Columbines and the packet said 12 days for them to start coming out depending on weather. Well, we've been having nuff rain and it's like 30 days since I planted them, so mi not even know if the plants will be coming out or not.

The Hackberry tree seeded all over the place and in my flower beds. Mi tired of picking out the little itsy bitsy saps out of my gardening areas... a mighty profusion of baby Hackberry plants.

Sunday I must've logged over 4 hours in the garden, planting new stuff and then mulching. Cleaning out my flower pots and rearranging them. Taking some plants out of their pots and putting them in the earth.

This weekend, it's over to the farm (new home) and put couple trees in the ground.

[SandiF]

Re: Fellow Gardenists, wey unnu dey??!!!!

I make my own compost. Every year I have a compost pile that consists of prunings off trees, dried leaves, vegetable and fruit scraps all mixed in with cow manure, potting soil and mulch. I call it "cow manure compost".

I must add that this compost pile sits for a year where it gets dried out and then I use it for the next year's gardening works.

Originally posted by Pepper:
[qb] Does anyone use fertilizers in either of thier gardens? So far, my gardens consist of a mix of compost, top soil, manure, and mulch. Is that enough or do I need fertilizer. I don't think my flowers are blooming as well as they should.

BTW, how is everyone's garden coming along? [/qb]

[Irie Dawta]

Re: Fellow Gardenists, wey unnu dey??!!!!

I have no luck with plants at all. They always die on me. But, I'm not giving up though and I just bought a Bird of Paradise plant. I'm going to watch it like a hawk. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

All my poor palm plants died last year [img]/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[Pepper]

Re: Fellow Gardenists, wey unnu dey??!!!!

Originally posted by SandiF:
[qb] I make my own compost. Every year I have a compost pile that consists of prunings off trees, dried leaves, vegetable and fruit scraps all mixed in with cow manure, potting soil and mulch. I call it "cow manure compost".

I must add that this compost pile sits for a year where it gets dried out and then I use it for the next year's gardening works. [/qb]

Thanks SandiF.
Do you store the compost in a store purchased container? Or are you using something home-made? I am going to have to start a pile for next year.

[grandma2]

Re: Fellow Gardenists, wey unnu dey??!!!!

SandiF girl your garden sounds wonderful already.

i only use cow manure from the farm mix with soil

[SandiF]

Re: Fellow Gardenists, wey unnu dey??!!!!

Pepper, yes, it is pretty much home made [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] sitting at a special spot in the back yard.

grandma, I *try* with the gardening. Some times it isn't as successful as I'd want it to be. If a plant fail, I uproot it next season and try something else in its place. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Originally posted by Pepper:
[qb]

Originally posted by SandiF:
[qb] I make my own compost. Every year I have a compost pile that consists of prunings off trees, dried leaves, vegetable and fruit scraps all mixed in with cow manure, potting soil and mulch. I call it "cow manure compost".

I must add that this compost pile sits for a year where it gets dried out and then I use it for the next year's gardening works. [/qb]

Thanks SandiF.
Do you store the compost in a store purchased container? Or are you using something home-made? I am going to have to start a pile for next year. [/qb]

[mountaingal]

Re: Fellow Gardenists, wey unnu dey??!!!!

pigeons took over my balcony since last fall, so it's a complete mess. Poop everywhere. And two baby pigeons were hatched and are still in the nest. When they have grown and flown, I'll clear up the mess, lay down some fake turf, and do some container gardening.

I want to do one with herbs like thyme, coriander, bay, basil. I'd even love to grow fevergrass (lemongrass) but that might be too ambitious.

I'd also love to do one with salad greens like lettuce, arugula, dandelions, spinach.

SandiF - raspberries were one of the few fruit bushes I was really successful with when I had my house. We had the yellow variety, which we found sweeter, not as tart as the traditional red one. The key I found was vigorous pruning early in spring. I would cut back all the old canes that bore fruit the year before. I got LOTS of fruit from the new canes that sprung up.

[hippietoad]

Re: Fellow Gardenists, wey unnu dey??!!!!

Welp, me little gardening space in the world is doing good. The hummingbird garden seeds that we put down are coming up like mad [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] Finally got the pond going w/ plants. Put in some hogwart,hycinthian(think that's spelled right) and some lilies. Couple weeks we'll add the fish.
The stargazers,lollipops and elephant ears have all broken ground and are doing good. Think it's going to be a good year [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Bigtime]

Re: Fellow Gardenists, wey unnu dey??!!!!

As the wweather was exceptionally good for gardening this weekend, other than mowing the lawn I found time to prune the leyendi and put in a more bedding plants. So after a quick visit to my local garden centre I put in some modulus. While at the garden centre I spotted water melon and canteloupe melon which I could not resist. While in the kitchin I decided to borrow some of Mrs. Bigtime's garlic.

It looks like its going to be a good garden year this year!

How's everybody doing in the garden?

[fiver]

Re: Fellow Gardenists, wey unnu dey??!!!!

Originally posted by hippietoad:
[qb] Welp, me little gardening space in the world is doing good. The hummingbird garden seeds that we put down are coming up like mad [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] Finally got the pond going w/ plants. Put in some hogwart,hycinthian(think that's spelled right) and some lilies. Couple weeks we'll add the fish.
The stargazers,lollipops and elephant ears have all broken ground and are doing good. Think it's going to be a good year [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [/qb]

is "hycinthian" the same as water hyacinth? if so they are unique floating plants that rapidly multiply and sprout beautiful fragrant flowers.

i once had a multi-pond setup where the lower pond was pumped into the highest and filtered down continuously. the top stage was a biological plant filter that worked very well. never had an algae bloom.

a trip to your grocery store (especially if you live near a chinese grocer) will provide some interesting water plants too. watercress and water chestnut were my two cheapest purchases.

[Jeanie1]

Re: Fellow Gardenists, wey unnu dey??!!!!

This is a good thread [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] I am definately a fair weather gardener - so right about now am in my garden almost every evening. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Question for the experts here - I have a plum tree which beared beautifully up until two years ago - it doesn't look very happy and in the summer there seems to be likkle blackflys all over it - what can I do to make it better [img]/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]
and
how can I stop cats doing their bizniz in my garden [img]/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

[Bigtime]

Re: Fellow Gardenists, wey unnu dey??!!!!

Originally posted by Jeanie1:
[qb] This is a good thread [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] I am definately a fair weather gardener - so right about now am in my garden almost every evening. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Question for the experts here - I have a plum tree which beared beautifully up until two years ago - it doesn't look very happy and in the summer there seems to be likkle blackflys all over it - what can I do to make it better [img]/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]
and
how can I stop cats doing their bizniz in my garden [img]/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] [/qb]

Hi Jeanie! How u do?
I'll deal with the easier of the problems first: to get rid of the cat problem sprinkle pepper in your garden. You can either use your ordinary black pepper or you can buy the garden version at your local garden centre.

As to your plum tree, I have two questions: Have you ever sprayed it with insectside? Do you feed the roots with manure or fertilizer?

Hope this helps.

[loops]

Re: Fellow Gardenists, wey unnu dey??!!!!

This one's for you G2:

This wreath is a lot easier to make than it looks.

How to make this living wreath:

First, you’ll need a wreath ring. They come in various sizes. These are not the type you use for a Christmas wreath. They are similar but usually have 4 rings all attached and are situated so that you end up with a concave tunnel around the perimeter of the form. You need to line that tunnel with sphagnum moss or sheet moss. I go out in the woods and collect my own…but if you can’t do that, just go to the garden center and purchase some. You need it wide enough to line the wreath form and have it hanging out the sides on both the inside and the outside of the form. (I hope this makes sense…)

Ok, so now you’ve got your moss lined wreath form. I put a little soil in the form as I go. I like to mix my soil with a product called soil moist. Soil moist is granules that when combined with water turn into a gel that will help to keep your plants moist longer throughout the growing season…it’s good stuff for window boxes and containers. Anyhoo…I digress…

You need to choose some plants…you can use just greenery (like herbs) or flowers…or a combination of both. This is where you get to be creative with your combinations. Adjust the number of plants for the size of the ring but a good general rule is a 16 in wreath should have 16 plants. At least 3 of each type looks best…but put what you like and be creative if it pleases you.

Set the plants in the indentation, spacing them evenly, and alternating types. Add soil where necessary and then pull the excess moss up around your plants…adding moss where necessary to hold the plants in the form.

To keep everything in place, wrap some florist wire around the ring and then work it around and over the moss, try not to wrap it over the actual plants. Weave it til the plant material is secure and then tie it off.

To care for the wreath, lay it flat and water it thoroughly. I put mine in a garbage can lid so it can soak in the water for a while. When you hang it, the excess water will drain. You may want to cut back the plants as they grown to retain the shape of the wreath.

Kinsman Company has fancy (two pc) wreath forms for this if you are struggling to find a proper wreath form.

You can use unlimited variations of plants in these wreaths and once you’re done one, you’ll want to keep making more and trying different plants.

Good luck and e-me if you are having problems or pcs of this just don’t make sense.