GARDENING

Tarah, you could ask the horticulturist at the nursery. I don't mind a little digging here and there, and can be quite tight, and I do the garden.

In a parallel universe I'm locked in similar battles with the maintenance and I'm winning, especially in the garden.

Pleased to hear you're winning, epenthesis. May I ask, do you put bark down to stop weeds?

My jungle of palms and bougainvillea; clivea and bromeliad; plus is self mulching. Some form of mulching will be useful along one side (where the fence was replaced; and shrubs planted), although it's not an imperative. What's growing in your garden, Tarah, eoe, neko nomad (OK OK, I'll get around to reading the whole thread)?

Whereabouts do you live, epenthesis? Somewhere warm if you have palms I suppose, although my next door neighbour (I live in London) has one in his garden.

I've got lots of green which looks like hedging covering the fence that's falling down. The guy who will replace the fence will clear the entire side, digging out all the roots too.

I want shrubs and perennials that will give interest and colour all year. My lovely neighbour is taking me in hand as she's very knowledgeable.

My garden,epenthesis, is what I like to think as,ahem, botanical -- a community of plants and primarily perennial--
not tidy but looked after; as of now it's a study in varying textures of green. Keep watch for my posts, as I post photos with narrative. Generally I comment on gardening activity on this thread.

Tarah, I have an Amur privet and a lilac hedge in the works
as shown here(click to enlarge):



....

The same view three years ago.

Something to consider -- the shrubs, that is-- for your place.

Quite shrubbery neko nomad, I like the backyard: a bit like mine in some ways.

I'm in Sydney Tarah, I think I'm in danger of revamping the entire garden.

My new irises with squirrel protection.
I started with six, but I took a chance
and lost two overnight. They'll stay this way
until new leaves appear.

Good luck. Those little suckers are relentless. My birdfeeder has been empty for the last several weeks because they figured out how to hang off of the little spokes and tilt the wobble device that's supposed to be squirrel-proof but...I've got a plan.
:wink:

Thanks.

It worked before; they go after newly set out bulbs and, in this case, rhizomes. The loose soil must tip those thieves off. Once growth is underway danger should be over (hope- hope).

These are Spun Gold.

Okay. Anyone have advice on rabbits and sweet potato vines? I use them as accents in many of my potted plants, have for at least four or five years and now all of a sudden, for the first time, rabbits are chomping away at them.
What kind of spray can I use to deter the buggers? Don't want to hurt them, just want them to stay away.

A gentle but clear reminder that summer's half over-- sigh--

[

Here in the UK, it hasn't even started!

eoe: You should consider getting hired help with your squirrel issue; that's what I'd do.
I Googled Small Animal Removal Atlanta, and here's a link to one of the sites that showed up.

Rid-A-Critter should be a good place to start.

Squirrels IN the house are one thing. We've already dealt with that. But Atlanta and the surrounding area is very foresty, lots and lots of trees and woods and there's not much to be done about that.

I want something that's gonna zap 'em! I mean, they've grown so relentless this year, I'm seriously considering some kind of structure, like a greenhouse or something.

My project to set the lilac and
its companion peonies in a bed of yellow
primulas is underway.



Some divisions will be set just the other
side of the lilac. Click on picture to see
hte spot as marked.





Now this is the location of the plant
that I'm dividing. The plant is marked
on the enlarged view.





It yielded a dozen starts. (click on pic):





And here they are in their new home.



Some tidy work is next, but stay tuned for
updates.

A fern Polystichum polyblepharum, or Tassel fern,
with a couple of impatiens I picked up at a clearance
sale at the supermarket's gardening tent. With the
tapering off of summer heat they should do gust fine.

I am insane. I have a wicked gardening itch. The itch includes an itch to buy plants. I have managed to keep my spending down this summer because I don't have any money. But, what did I just do? I just spent 170 bucks at Mahoney's..... sigh.

I bought 3 Geum (Avens):



3 moonlight (I think) which look like sunrise:



A bunch of thyme, a stachys, a apricot-ish dianthus (I think), husker red penstomen, and some short sedum ground covers. I dunno if I have enough room for them all. maybe I can return some of them after I see what fits.

I know the feeling, littlek: I can't pass by peonies
and irises, and then have to find space for them.

There's space to the back of those
yellow primulas where I can fit in a tall peony, a
couple of feet in front of a privet bush, using various
materials as shown.
Click on pics.

first,dried lawn clippings scattered over a mulch blend:


second, a bag of budget compostwith a smidge of lawn fertilizer,
and spread to an inch or so in depth:





Add water. It should be ready around mid-
October, when I get my order.
I have my heart set on either Chippewa,Nippon Beauty,or Sinbad.

It'll be a red.

My friend gave me a four inch baby sunflower which I've nurtured and it's now almost as tall as I am. The flower was about to open and this morning I discovered the flower bitten off at the stalk and on the earth. Squirrels?

Sounds like something squirrels do, Tara.

My spot for a new peony, which will arrive early next month, Nippon Chief, is ready.



it's a tall red Japanese type,
about 40 inches tall, and blooms about a week and a half later than Janice,shown here:



This view includes the peony Mrs. Franklin D.Roosevelt in the foreground.



It'll occupy the last remaining space in this part of the garden