Gardening, anyone?

Deblc

Hi All. I am a terrible gardener but keep buying plants anyway. I am very lucky to live in a tropical country and right now I am into hibiscuses. Just bought some, and because the picture on the pot is not very representative, I really look forward to them blooming to see what they actually look like. Here is the the most recent. Very unusual delicate colouration, yellow edges with grayish purplish centre

Jackbirdie

Fortunately, the strawberries are planted on the inside of the garden fence, which runs eight feet high. I've never seen a deer come near it. They come up the driveway to pick up a game trail behind. I have blueberries inside the fence too, but that will be unwinnable against the birds. And I love the birds.

I have put out a variety of home remedies to deter the deer from the rock garden. So far so good in six months.. Many starters from friends and sale plants. All supposedly deer resistant. Not a lot invested, so I'm rolling the dice.

I love everybody's photos. And it just gets better from here. Less treatments to go, and more gardening! I like that formula!

Jackbirdie

I found this little friend on the edge of agarden pot. I can't identify it. Anybody know? Friend or foe?

Wren44

I think it's a friend. Maybe turns into a butterfly? My kids called them wooly bears.

Deblc

cool.some kind of caterpillar ?

Jazzygirl

Check this link out. It shows you what catipillar turns into what butterfly! I am keeping this link forever!

I don't see your little orange fellow here though. Looks close to a monarch though?

http://northernwoodlands.org/articles/article/tran...

Jackbirdie

the color seems close to a monarch but it's so veryfuzzy. The Monarchs larva I've seen were smooth. I'm sure it will be cool and friendly ( and cancer eating, hopefully!)

Wren44

If you see it again, maybe you can put it in a jar and take to a garden center. It looks a little bit like a tent caterpillar, so check your trees.

Teka

Jazzy, the planter is a lovely shade of blue, but I was referring to the pretty blue gecko. ;o)

Jackbirdie

Wren, there is a small house here with big trees all around. I planted a few small trees inside the fence but most are 30-50ft tall, ringing the property. I take it a tent is a bad guy?

Jazzygirl

Teka- oh, the gecko! I will get a picture of him this summer. They are always trying to get into the house.

As my sister say's "reptiles want in the house." She has outdoor turtles so guess what happens there!

Teka

I'll be looking forward to the gecko photo, but also love turtles! )

footprintsangel

My peas are blooming and I love my herbs are

coming up good.

quiltlibrarian

Good news the snow is almost gone, just in the deep shadows.

Have you ever tried "plants skid" it is a spray to keep the deer and mice from eating your plants. It is a spray. Tastes terrible the garden center said.

Hugs all

Wren44

Jackbirdie, Tent caterpillars can hurt trees. Their webs look like tents and may contain hundreds of caterpillars. Just watch for them on your small trees. Anything 50 ft would probably be OK even if they were on them. If you see the tent before they hatch and take action, you can avoid a lot of grief. It probably isn't tho. If you can catch one a garden store could probably tell you - or perhaps a science teacher at a high school or college.

ananda8

If you have tents with caterpillars in them, just break the tent with a stick or long pole.  The caterpillars will fall to the ground and the birds will get them.  Break as many tents as you can reach and as the trees mature, the tents will have less of an effect because the tree will develop chemical defenses against them.  It worked on my young trees.

 

Jazzygirl

Chilly morning here today, feels more like March than May. But that did not stop me from getting to the herb festival here at the local nature center.

Here is my take away: herbs in the containers at the bottom include stevia, lemon balm, mints (choc, orange and pepper mint), and two kinds of basal. Plants include left to right, a mexican primrose, a pink salvia, and a variety of dianthus called cheddar pinks. These three varieties of flowers do well in my garden, so I am adding some different species of these to my back gardens where a couple things I planted last year don't seem to be coming back.

Jackbirdie

thanks for the advice on the caterpillar, wren and everyone. I will look for him today and take him to the garden center. They have master gardeners usually at our weekly Farmer's Market, but the next one isn't till net Wednesdy. So I could keep him in a jar. As a caterpillar does he need some leaves to eat until then? Damp? Does he need moisture for hydration?

And the lovely herb pots! That will surely brighten up a chilly day

I had applied for our master gardener program this year and was accepted. Days after I learned I would be having chemo, so I bowed out, hoping they could save my long application (you don't get into that program easily), but I guess next year may bring other things

ananda8

Perhaps the Master Gardener programs vary in admission standards based on the number of people applying.  I would sign up to my local one, but they require 20 hours of work in our local public gardens as the admission price.  I would be glad to volunteer but I just have too much to do around our 2.5 acres.  I hope this is the last year I spend trying establish interesting "bones" to the space while still keeping the time it takes to mow down to 3.5 hours and that's with a large riding mower.

Jackbirdie

yes that's s lot of work. Here they give you the option to work off all but $50 of the tuition. But right now I couldn't even manage the classes

Jazzygirl

One of my good friends here did the Master gardeners class this year and now is doing her community service part of it. She loved it, but if anything comes up along the way, hard to sustain. She got through the classwork but now pausing for a few weeks as she has a stress fracture in her foot and a boot on. As a result, she was unable to go to the herb fest today so I just went on my own (and that was okay too!)

Jazzygirl

Happy Mothers Day one and all. I hope some of you get some nice flowers and/or plants on this special day! A perfect gift for any and all of you!

I put my herbs in pots today and now the herb garden feels done. From left to right 1) three kinds of mint 2) lemon balm 3) stevia and 4) three kinds of basil.

Jackbirdie

Looks very pretty

Jackbirdie

we had a beautiful sunny day today and the clematis really opened up. And the roses a bit more. Wanted to share:

Monis

Beautiful weekend. Spent Mother's Day mowing the fields!

Jazzygirl

Monis-whoa sister, that is quite a mower you have!

Jackbirdie

Monis- you look like you're having fun! That IS a big mower!

ananda8

My mower looks like a toy compared to yours, Monis.  How many acres do you have?

ananda8

It appears we have two gardening threads going.  What fun.  My first flowers from the gardens.

 

Jazzygirl

What is the other gardening thread?