Yardwork!

[seashell]

Step--Yay for green bean harvest! I'm sorry about your corn. Any chance for some more ears? I hope your grass does well. We have lots of areas of dirt and mud around our complex, and I really wish they would plant grass in those areas. We have a lot of grass; I don't know why they decided to leave so many spots bare.

Wynken, for continuing to clear out your property of weeds and trees. It's going to look great when you get done!

I'm not doing a lot with my plants, because I've been gone a lot and have been so tired. My tomato plant has two sets of blooms, and several radishes have sprouted, but only one carrot. My sister's carrots haven't sprouted, either. I may try to find some Ferry Morse seeds, since they are guaranteed to grow.

Last night, I planted my two spider flowers in the garden, and this morning I put in a reddish-pink penta, and watered everything. My sunflower seedlings are outside hardening off. I'm going to let them get another set of leaves, then plant them. Today, I plan to put my morning glories and moonflower seeds on to soak for a couple of days, before putting them in pots.

I found some of the taller artemesia at the hardware store. If they have any left on Monday, I may get some and fill in that spot under my front window. I'm kind of glad I didn't put the tall zinnia seeds in there, because a neighbor planted some, and the bugs are chewing them up. They're looking pretty rough, and I don't expect that would work for the front of our building.

I'll be gone to my parents' today and tomorrow, so probably won't get much done, except for watering. Then Monday I take hyper dog to get groomed and plan to visit my friend in the rehab place, and maybe stop by to pick up the artemesia and look for carrot seeds.

Happy gardening, everyone!

[seashell]

Well, I'm trying to include pictures, but they are too large, and i can't figure out how to reduce them.

[wynken]

big wtg seashell and step.
step - i took years to get grass growing in my yard. yes - weeds are the pioneer species. Some people try herbs for ground cover i/l of grass. Not sure what would grow where you are but remember someone estatic over there pennyroyal lawn.
seashell - I forget how I resized pics - try searching for free resizing sites. I hope the plantings grow well for you.

I picked up my yard. blown down branches today. Asked neighbours boy to come mow my weeds. Last 2wks of school term so... hoping I don't have to wait 2wks. chick weedseed is sticky and I'm sick of it. . gigantuan palm frond wrestled and folded into bin yesterday. Thought I might pull another penisular of singapore daisy 2' high into lawn/ by a tree. ... maybe tomorrow.
Also yesterday am. - repurposed a wire panel over hole in fence that dog maintains from back running lead. he got himself tangled around bottom fence wire at 11.45pm the other night. cold as. needed torch. got chick weed seed on my slippers and dressing gown. yes he's an indoor dog but he had that really I have to go out now story. grrrr. lucky thing was he still had his cardigan even though it's elastic was around his hips not his neck. He might have left it next door which would have annoyed me.

[eagle]

Jun 16, 2012 10:43:49 GMT -5 seashell said:

Well, I'm trying to include pictures, but they are too large, and i can't figure out how to reduce them.

Seashell, depending on the program you're using, you should be able to save them to a smaller size in a couple of ways. You could look for a 'resize' option where you can choose fewer pixels which reduces the size. Another way that sometimes works is when you use the 'save as' option, that may also reduce the size of the copy you save when you give it a new name.

Are you using a photo storage site such as photobucket? In them, you'll find some instructions about how to edit your photos and how to resize them. Again, you can keep the original and just make a copy to do the editing. Then if you don't like the result you haven't lost the original.

[seashell]

Thanks for the information, eagle.

Today, two coleus potted, pinched back, and pinchings potted. Plants moved to plant stand by front door. Stand tried to topple a few times, but I think I got it stablized. Potted pepper plant. It's already got buds on it.

Morning glory seeds I put in to soak yesterday are sprouting already, and I don't have a pot to put them in. Yikes! I'm planning to send them up the posts that hold my neighbor's balcony up but not let them get that high. The question is: do I pot them or dig a little around the posts and put them in the ground? I know they are invasive. Also, do they have to grow up, or if I pot them and put them on my plant stand, will they drape down? And do I mix the colors or keep them separate?

[wynken]

good luck with the new plants seashell. Morning glory is banned here as it grows too well so I hope its easier to control where you are.

yesterday I cut down some lantana that I found, chopped it up to be binnable, poisoned the stem as It looked like I'd cut it back once before. cut some invasive cassia similarly, some other weed treelets pulled or cut. Today I binned the cut bits (gloves because of the lantana) them startd on the singapore daisy pulling again. filled the bin. bin day here.

[sidestep]

Seashell, good job with all those plantings!

Wynken, on corralling the branches, palm frond, & continued
attempts to remove the lantana, cassia & singapore daisy.
Yes, my soil is very sandy & I don't water like I should, so weeds & sandspur try to take over. But, I'm watering the container garden daily so the new grass has a better chance of surviving there in the courtyard.

[seashell]

Wynken, that's funny. Around here, we buy lantana plants to put in our gardens! I guess one man's weed really is another man's garden treasure.

I watered some of the plants this morning, but just the ones that really needed it. I slipped on hyper dog's bed in the kitchen and fell. Now my knees and left arm are hurting. Fortunately, I had already taken some generic tylenol for mild back spasms.

Yaaah! Just checked my moonflower seeds that are soaking, and they are sprouting!!!! Yippee! Now to find a pot for them on the way back from my session this afternoon. Oh, this is exciting--to be planting morning glory weeds, and lantana weeds, and moonflowers to attract sphinx moths to make hornworms to eat my tomato plant! Gardening is such fun!

[wynken]

In the south lantana remains a"planting" The purple one is allowed here but the red/yellow/cream one is a take over plant in my state. There is a bio bug /insect that has helped cntrol it - but they hadn't found the one in my yard.
Heres hoping its all beautiful for you.

[seashell]

Wynken, I'm glad you are getting so much done. How big is your yard? Mine is just a small area on and around my little patio. I've got to stop buying plants--my garden is full, and I've about run out of pots, except for the three that I will use for sedum.

This morning I planted two flower boxes: one with dusty miller and dichondra silver falls, and the other with pink vinca. Also planted two small impatiens to add to the plant stand by my front door.

I found two large plastic pots at a remotely hidden garden center for just $4 each. That was much better than the prices I've seen everywhere else., I will probably go back and get some more for my mom and my sister.

[wynken]

Seashell - It sounds like you have a real feel for cottage garden. I'm guessing it will be time to enjoy, tend, maybe a bit of planning for another year if there are things you would like to do differently? A note book for next year might help - telling what you did this year, and alternatives you think of along the way.

My yard suffers from being too big. Just over .3 acre. A lot of it is long driveway between two neighbours. I planted trees around some edges, one side of driveway. Some trees are getting past it - and some maybe over 60' tall. Wishing I'd not planted many. Thinking I'd keep things trimmed was wistful thinking. Birds roost in the trees so deliver lots of seed trees that grow. Tis all a bit much.

[wynken]

I skipped yard work last week with the miserable weather - cold drizzle to rain.
This arvo I filled the wheely bin again. Singapore daisy. Pulled about 6ft that was galloping through, over and beside a shrub. It will like having some space of its own. It has a smell. I never knew. Managed to get up a lot of roots this time. I think last weeks rain, and the cooler weather made a difference to the prev rock hard soil.

[seashell]

Wynken, I like your description of the Singapore daisy galloping, though I know it's a pain to deal with. I had thought about getting a house, but the thought of maintenance of house and yard deterred me. I know it's more than I can handle. I admire how well you are doing, and how committed you are to clearing your yard.

I only have a few more plants that need to be potted up; otherwise, weeding, deadheading, and watering will be the maintenance for the summer. I'm kind of glad, as it did take a lot of work to get it done. But I like the results: yellow, orange, red, pink, lavender, blue, green--a rainbow of color!

[wynken]

seashell - It sounds like you have the best idea - just planting a little area, and using pots.

The singapore daisy runners thru the lawn are a widespread problem. The get mown, but the root every few inches so pulling all the criss crossed runners up is tedious. Haven't really started that, Also it has gallopped all over the fence . a long distance of that.
One thing at a time wynken.

[hangers]

Just drought here. Terrible heat. And I don't do well in the heat. Everything is getting crispy. Leaves are falling. I keep watering what I can, but I'm beginning to think that I'll only be able to save the tomatoes. And something chewed up all my green beans!