Gardening, anyone?

70charger

My Icelandic snow drops are blooming, tulips are up & the robins have arrived.  The gophers are awake but not for long .

Monis

Daffodils are in full bloom! This is one type of bulb that the deer won't eat, but definitely can't have tulips here. I do have some in a vase on my desk though!

70charger

My that's pretty! I lost mine to slugs .

Jazzygirl

Monis- beautiful daffodils!

Here is a photo of my weeping cherry in full bloom right before I left on my little vaca. When I came home late Monday and saw it yesterday, it now is at the end of the flowers and leafing out.

70charger

yesterday....Sunny & 66F degrees out

Today, rain snow mix with 25-45 miles per hour winds, high of 33F.  Ground is white, having trouble seeing across the road.  ABSOLUTELY miserable out.

Wren44

Yesterday hail and thunderstorms. More predicted today. At least our temp is in the 50's. We just had a bit of hail, but a few blocks north it looked like snow, completely covering the road and grass.

Jazzygirl

I went to the Nixon Museum and Library on my recent trip to southern CA. This place has long been on my bucket list for many reasons, but was amazed by the lovely rose gardens there.

I have never had luck with growing roses which only makes me appreciate rose gardens that much more!

quiltlibrarian

70charger we must be close to each other. Edmonton area. Wicked april fools joke.

Monis

I used to have a few rose plants at our previous home, but I didn't baby them enough and they always got that leaf spot fungus thing. Don't have any now - Another favorite, yummy deer food.

Wren44

My BIL was buried in a cemetery bordered by a nature preserve. We put roses on top because the funeral director said the deer would eat them and we knew he would approve of that.

coraleliz

Wren-I think every cemetery needs deer to recycle,reuse those cut flowers.

I'm in California & things are very dry again this year. I'm watering my plants with shower runoff water & my rinse water from washing the dishes. I also use any water I can collect waiting for the water to get hot.

So far, I've only planted tomatoes. I was suprised that a gopher took one out. They've always left them alone in past years. Must be REALLY hungry this year. I ordered some more traps from Amazon. My teenage son agreed to dig down & line one of my gardens with wire. He's on spring break this week but so far hasn't had time Not sure what I'll plant.

There is also a slope behind my property that is subject to erosion & the gophers are only adding to the problem. I was trying to stabilize this slope by planting natives. If it ever rains again I'll resume those efforts.

Monis

Gophers, did someone say gophers? Hate the destruction those little buggers cause, but that's all part of living in the country!

Jazzygirl

MagicalBean

Gophers were the worst. We had them when we lived in the country in Minnesota. The only thing that got rid of them were our cats. In the spring, "the boys" (3 indoor/outdoor cats) would each stake out a mound in the yard and wait for one to pop out. For a few weeks we had to watch where we walked because we were showered with gifts of beheaded gophers. After a while, the remaining vermin left the immediate neighborhood.

Hope everyone has a nice Easter. It was 60 today but it's supposed to snow tomorrow. Rats.

nowheregirl

It's not really gardening but I thought I'd share. These were taken in the park that surrounds the Osaka Castle, about 20 mins drive away from my flat, a couple of days ago.

GG27

Nowheregirl, Is it Cherry Blossom festival there like it is here? There is large festival in both Vancouver & Victoria. GG

flaviarose

Roses, love them. Here in western massachusetts I have about 45 rose bushes, and do very minimal care. I know that I can't grow hybrid teas, or any zone 5 and above varieties. Rosa Rugosa are bulletproof, zone 3, never any problems, have had some bushes for decades. Also good are the canadian explorer series. Recently I have had very good luck with the knockout series. Some are zone 4 and some are zone 5. Some of the zone 5 ones have a lot of winter die back, but some are getting big and bloom all season with little maintenance. I just add compost as a mulch once a year, and do very minimal pruning.

Jazzygirl

Nowhere girl- how beautiful! I love the asian gardens and that scenery is spectacular! Are you from Japan or did you move there?

I took my first visit to my fav nursery today and got some great things I will be putting in the pots to start. A couple other things I want to put in the ground but too risky yet, but will keep them in the pots on the patio and close to the house until it's time for them to go in the ground.

GG27

Bought packets of seeds today, pea pods & spinach only. The slugs pretty much get everything else so I don't bother much any more. Also went searching for heirloom tomato plants, bought 2 kind of boring ones, there should be more coming in the stores soon. Love the black ones especially!

Typical early spring weather here, raining then sunny, then hail & back to sunshine again.... Cheers, GG

TwoHobbies

I found this thread today. I love gardening and can't wait for spring and summer! I moved into a house with tons of flower beds but it seems everything was planted in the wrong spot and one bed is totally overgrown with daylillies so it gives me plenty of exercise each year trying to make improvements. I have a cherry tree, a strawberry patch, we always do herbs and debate every year whether to do the vegetable garden. And every year we try sunflowers but for three years didn't get one. CHIPMUNKs. They are not initimidated by my dog, the neighbor's cat or foxes. All three species have tried to get to them!

jazzy I think your pictures are species tulips and hellobores. Species tulips if I remember correctly came from turkey and don't need the cold like dutch tulips.

As I wait for spring, I'll listen to everyone who is already starting.

Jazzygirl

Hi TwoHobbies- welcome to this thread! I think I know you from the daily exercise thread, yes?

This is a newer thread and we are just getting going but looking forward to sharing and learning from you all!

My cousin told me the tulips are water lily tulips so now I must go research again!

flaviarose

I also have a problem with chipmunks eating my planted sunflower seeds. What seems to work to outwit them is to sprout the seeds first - soak overnight, put in damp paper towels in a zip lock bag, and after the seeds have sprouted, plant them.

BrooksideVT

I'm so happy to see this garden thread, and the beautiful photos. Ahhh, if only those cherry trees were here! My gardens are all under two feet of snow. All I can see is the brown stalks from the phlox and so forth that I never got around to clearing away in the fall.

By the way, those are (almost) definitely species tulips, JazzyGirl. These are the original tulips, more or less the way they grew wild in Turkey or wherever, before they were bred (mostly by the Dutch, I think) into the tall spring glories we are more accustomed to.

DayLily15

Hello All

great thread - a world garden tour in the making

i garden in the great white north, so enjoying all your pics.

after years of $$$$ planting flowers that didnt make it, i now only plant what grows here. daylilys , hollyhocks [single only boo], shrubs and TREES lol

my first gardening this year was shaping the future xmas trees. i only grow them for myself but i have 20 years now. part of my property is boreal forest that i leave to nature, so that i get the special birds and native plants.

this pic was last july, i never bother with the date thing on my critter cam, should learn how i suppose

TwoHobbies

Flaviarose I'll try the sunflower trick. That may help but one year I got a 4 inch stalk and something ate that down to the ground too. I'm not sue if that was the rabbit or chipmunk. I'm thinking of a mini electric fence! Lol, just kidding.

Daylily I've spent some bucks too on stuff I had to baby. Now I'm moving to a more low maintenance theme.

Wren44

Just wanted to show a photo of the cherry trees in bloom on the cross-street near my house. They are planted on both sides of the street for about 9 blocks and all bloom at once.

coraleliz

I've had success with trapping & relocating ground squirrels. I hear it also works for chipmunks. I drop the squirrels off about 15miles away near a state park.

Monis

I love days when it's not raining and I can get out to the garden and get dirt under my nails! Things are starting to grow. Here come the peas!

coraleliz

Monis- love your raised beds. Some day.......

Teka

Daughter took this photo of a lone snow bunting eating seeds in the snow near our seed feeders.

I took this photo of a cooper's hawk perched in a tree watching the blue jays at the suet feeders.