Gardening, anyone?

Jazzygirl

Well ladies, I am highly annoyed by something in my backyard biting the tops off my flowers! I noticed a couple of the pentunia's had been nipped last week, but today came home to find the lovely lily posted above down on it's side and all the flowers gone! Ugh! I don't know if I will get any more blooms on that one, but going to plant it out front. I don't have animals so I can't blame them!

Wench, that family of geese are so cute! I love how vigilant the parents are with protecting their offspring.

Blessings2011

Oh, Gardening Gals.... I have been in Computer Purgatory for the past two weeks.

Now I am up and running (after one massive repair effort, an expensive All-In-One that decided to become defective the minute I set it up. and a tower/monitor combo that is probably more than I need), so am hoping to post more pics.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the pictures of all y'all's gardens...

I see snail trails every morning, and I promised a friend I wouldn't use snail bait, so I used diatomaceous earth. Ha. Didn't do a thing.

Hey, has anyone ever grown a bamboo plant on purpose?

Instead of tearing up last year's big landscaping project (thanks to the neighbor who cut down all the 100 foot redwoods that provided shade), I am thinking of just filling in blank spots with bamboo plants in galvanized tubs. I can get them to grow 15-20 feet tall, and I don't need a dense screen, just filler. The galvanized metal keeps the runners from getting loose, and we'll fill the bottom with pea gravel, then drill drain holes around the edge, so we can see if anything tries to escape.

This way, I can put pots in between all the new Nandina shrubs we planted last year. They will hide the lower part of the bamboo, and the tops will bush out and look leafy and foresty. (I hope...)

Am I being too optimistic?

Teka

Our stunted red japanese maple has survived 35 frigid winters.

The stunted red japanese maple has a thick trunk and is the same height as the tall old honeysuckle bush because of branch dieback from the frigid winters! Probably would've winter-killed years ago if not for the bush. I've seen some beautiful tall red japanese maples in Rhode Island. _________________________________________________________________________________

Jazzy, 4-legged critter?

This week was in the 80's with fireflies flashing at night.

Wren44

Blessings, Good idea. They sell non-running bamboo. That would be easier to contain.

Jazzy, Have you made any crows mad lately? We planted onion starts one year and the crows pulled them up. We replanted. They pulled them up again. This went on until we gave up.

Lookforward

Wren bamboo would look lovely in a garden, too bad about the Redwoods.

Teka the Japanese maple is a beautiful tree. I am not able to grow it here, but I do have an Amur maple and the leaves turn red in the fall. I had two but a not so nice neighbour destroyed one.

WenchLori

While transplanting a few plants this afternoon I noticed the corn the squirrels have hidden in my flower pots is growing better than the corn I planted in my garden. Go figure lol

I love bamboo too! I've never grown it myself but a few apartment complexes have it. The yard guys just mow over the new shoots and that keeps it in line. I do the same with my blackberry bushes. I've noticed some of my baby peaches have fallen off the tree with the last hard rain. I hope some grow to be a good eating size. I still have no flowers to take pictures of yet but I've got stems with buds so they are almost here. lol

Blessings2011

Teka - nothing "stunted" about that beautiful red Japanese maple...

Wren - the "non-running" bamboo is called "clumping", but unfortunately, that variety is not as hardy as the runners in our zone 8 temps. (Supposed to be 100 on Wednesday!) But the galvanized tubs are supposed to be great at containing them.

Lookforward - Yeah, I'm almost over losing the redwoods. It is what it is. Except that he replaced them with three large olive trees... very Mediterranean. As long as they are the non-fruit producing kind, we'll be good, but if not, we're in for a mess, and horrific pollen. This was a nice house and yard to begin with, and the new owner has gutted not only the entire inside of the house, but also the entire front and back yards. He will end up having spent close to a $900,000 or more when all is finished. We wonder why he didn't just spend the money on a house in a million dollar neighborhood, where everything was more to his liking?

Lori - so funny that the squirrels plant corn! I keep saying I wish we had squirrels (we're in kind of a new development) but I know they can be naughty critters. You are so lucky to have blackberries and peaches!

Blessings2011

Just love this pic of raindrops on a spiderweb...

Scottiemom11

Blessings. . .I luv Bamboo. Our zoo actually buys bamboo from local homes with extra to feed our Pandas. We had a ton in a rental home when I was a kid and we made bamboo forts. I've been thinking about adding some but it's just one of my gazillion ideas for the backyard for when I win the lottery. (When I do win, dh and I will probably buy a fancy truck and camper and travel the states, leaving the house and backyard to the kids to deal with LOL).

Jazzy, I had deer, rabbits, whole geese families and raccoons and possibly beavers munching on my yard last year. We got a spray that leaves a sent they all hate. No critters this year.

Teka, I am also trying to work a couple of Japanese Maples into my yard. The next door neighbor has a beautiful one.

Dreaming of a English Garden. . .

Scottie

Teka

Our stunted red japanese maple with a thick trunk is the same height as the tall old honeysuckle bush because of branch dieback from the frigid Winters! Probably would've winter-killed years ago if not for the bush. I've seen some beautiful tall red japanese maples in Rhode Island.

TwoHobbies

I've been on vacation so I'm enjoying catching up and everyone's updates and lovely pictures. Love all the hydrangeas, roses and other flowers I'm seeing. Very cool picture of the waterdrops on the web, Blessings. I came home to some new blooms, so maybe I'll run out and catch you up on some photos while I'm out mowing the 6 inch grass! In the meantime, I wanted to share some tropical photos I took on vaca.

TwoHobbies

This first picture is a seagrape, but if you look closely you may see the donkey/horse face I see. The other picture is a Kapok, which I think are so amazing.

TwoHobbies

One more, frangipangi and the beautiful, gorgeous bay.

Teka

Yes, I see the donkey/horse face!! ;o))

Such lovely photos!

Jazzygirl

Twohobbies- love the tropical photos. Where did you go on vaca? Looks like Hawaii or somewhere in the south pacific?

TwoHobbies

Jazzy, that's St. John in the US Virgin Islands.

Jazzygirl

Oh yes, been there and it is a lovely spot!

Scottiemom11

Twohobbies. . .I do see the horse face. How cool is that? We have never been to the Virgin Islands. That may also be an option for our 25th in 2 years. We renewed our vows at 20 and will do so again at 25. We want to go to Scotland. Been there but want to photograph with my new cameras. Hawaii is another option b/c BFs family lives there. It will come down to what we can afford and where BF and her husband can join us.

Relaxing at the waterpark today.

Scottie

Wren44

Beautiful flowers. Makes me want to jump on a plane to Hawaii. The donkey's face could also be a dragon's with the trunk behind being a long neck. I don't know why dragons are always drawn with long necks, but they seem to be.

WenchLori

Beautiful pictures! I also see the donkey/horse head. My DH and I have discussed going back to Hawaii. He says if we go we'll go back to being young and skinny again. Like all the people in the commercials! Silly man!

TwoHobbies

Yes, Wren, now I see a dragon with that long neck!

Scottie, we got married there and were planning the return trip for our 20th anniversary, and instead I got cancer again and was doing chemo all summer. We couldn't really afford to go "all out" with the medical bills, but we did go to Aruba when I was done with radiation. So this year I decided I'm going back to our honeymoon resort. Life is short and who knows what might happen by our 25th, so we celebrated our 23rd anniversary there this past week. Scotland or Hawaii sounds lovely. There are so many great places to travel to. If you're like me I can't hardly decide where to go next, but I always look forward to the planning and the next trip.

Wren44

Lori, Tell your hubby you'll just slap on a mumu and a Hawaiian shirt. No one will notice size.

Jackbirdie

such lovely photos. I see the horse face! Made me smile and also brought back memories of the smell of frangipani. So happy for you that you had a wonderful trip!

WenchLori

Great idea Wren! I'll also tell him we'll fit right in with some of the older native people ;-)

woodstock99

been crazy busy past few weeks and haven't had time to post although have read posts here and there so keeping up. Wanted to pass along a link - can't seem to insert on my iPad - made me think of everyone and their lovely and comforting posts and images. Please copy and paste into new browser window. https://www.brainpickings.org/2016/02/29/robin-wall-kimmerer-braiding-sweetgrass/

Jazzygirl

Flowers from my travels to northern NM.

Daisy

Indian paintbrush (my fav wildflower)

Poppies

Wild verbena

Wild squash

Yellow columbines

Anyone know what this one is?

WenchLori

Jazzygirl, it looks like pentstemon snapdragons??

TwoHobbies

Pretty pictures, Jazzy. The yellow flower in the bottom picture looks a bit like our wild mullein that grows here in Illinois, but I can't really tell if that could be it, nor do I know if it grows in New Mexico. The top flower we call Indian Blanket (Gaillardia). They are a good late bloomer that needs very little care.

Lori, I can testify that there's no reason to avoid going to an island or beach because you no longer have your beach bodies. I rarely see anyone over 35 who looks like a swimsuit model. Go and enjoy yourselves!

Balthus, I loved the link. I love how she/he says a bean tastes like August.

Yesterday I planted 5 planters with lettuce, basil, herbs, cucumber (an experiement), marguerite daisies and a hibiscus. I guess after traveling to the tropics the hibiscus replaced my idea of the hydrangea in a pot.

Lookforward

Two hobbies lovely going somewhere and seeing different plants that don't grow in our regions.

Jazzy always nice to see wild flowers blooming, I think they are under appreciated at times.

The sun has returned and we have warm temperatures again. I went to the garden centre to look at trees and came home with more plants. I brought home a Japanese Blood Grass perennial, which I have not seen before, hopefully it will survive the winter.

Lookforward

A couple pictures of my gardens and my new bird bath. My dog always photobomb my pictures.