No Mo' Diggin' !!...(snicker)...;0)
Posted on 03/18/2007 8:05:23 PM PDT by Knitting A Conundrum
I went out this afternoon and tried to photograph my flowers but it didn’t go well. The lighting was beautiful but the batteries in my camera died after the second shot and, other than some African Daisies, a few Irises, one yellow rose and some azaleas, not much is blooming anyway. In a couple weeks I should have a good show of roses and can get some good shots.
I can’t thank you enough for helping me identify my Tropicana. It really was driving me crazy. I can finally put that to rest as I am 98% sure that is, indeed, it's name.
Now I have sun, and I am getting back to the type of gardening I want to do.
Yes, roses need sun. Two of mine are shaded part of the day by my lemon tree and just aren't doing all that well. My problem is that I have run out of garden space that is suitable for roses, but it is probably good. I have enough to take care of as it is.
I am a bit disappointed in the Chicago Peace that I planted recently. It just isn't taking off like it should.
Not outstanding, IMO, but then I have never had a good nose for rose fragrance. I have a Helena Renaissance rose that was awarded best fragrance by the AARS several years ago, but I have not noticed that it is any more fragrant than some of my other roses.
My criteria for keeping a rose in my garden is how dependably it blooms, whether it is relatively pest free and how long the blossoms hold up after being cut. I love to bring my roses inside during the summer. :-)
Be sure to ping me to the photos, k?
Murphy’s law, great lighting ready to take pictures and the batteries die. That’s happened to me a number of times. I look forward to seeing your pictures.
It’s chilly here today. I’m waiting for some bareroot roses in mail order. I have cut a few beds but I’m not sure how to put it all together yet. I feel like I'm new to gardening, all over again. :)
I have a gardening question, but it isn’t related to roses.
I have a small back yard, with hard pan soil. I would love to plant some dwarf or semi-dwarf trees. I was wondering if Hines is a good brand to use. They are selling them at my local Costco, but I dont’ know how good they are. And also, should I even bother planting in Hard Pan, it seems awful.
Also, has anyone heard of the “Early Navel” type of orange tree?
Raised beds can be a solution.
How Do I Create a Small Garden with Difficult Soil?
Q: Our neighborhood has horrible hardpan soil that makes it nearly impossible to garden. Are there any ways to create small gardening spaces where I can grow some organic tomatoes, herbs and peppers?
A: Nobody has perfect dirt and a lot of us have downright hostile soil. Hard pan, caliche, adobe, gumbo and a dozen other soil types turn hard as a rock in the dry season and refuse to drain in the wet. Only a few of the toughest plants adapted to those soils can survive them.
Despite all the soil amendments and products to fight these conditions, few can really change soil structure. Adding compost or other types of organic matter is only a temporary fix because soil microorganisms virtually consume it. With some hardpans it?s a chemical reaction related to calcium in the soil that makes it set up like concrete. Even after it?s broken up the soil cements itself back together after the first good rain.
Sometimes you must surrender to win. The best way to create a vigorous garden in hard pan is to build raised beds about two feet deep. Fill them with quality topsoil from off site, and do not use amended hardpan! Topsoil offers you optimal soil filled with biological activity that ensures a great chemical free crop year after year.
To create a raised bed garden that is strong enough to take the combined weight of soil, plants and a lot of water, they must be very well made. A carpenter, landscape contractor or even a skilled handyman is the best way to get it done right.
Raised beds built out of wood are vulnerable to decomposition because the wood makes direct contact with soil. Therefore you need to use thick cut redwood, cedar or other rot resistant types. These specialty woods can be expensive and require sealers.
A new alternative that?s tailor made for raised beds is Trex decking, which is lumber manufactured out of recycled plastic. It looks like wood but is thankfully decomposition and splinter free. Trex is heavy, very dense and lasts forever, but requires some knowledge of the product for best results. Whether you choose wood or Trex, raised beds make gardening fun and carefree. Best of all you have perfect drainage and perfect soil that should result in perfectly organic veggies, flowers and herbs.
Mo Gilmer ranks at the top of American gardening and landscaping. She is host of Weekend Gardening on the DIY Channel. Meet her online at www.MoPlants.com
Not sure what type of tree you are talking about. Or where you are gardening at.
Thanks KAC for the information! What I’d like to plant is an avocado tree, a dwarf Fuji and a dwarf Washington Navel.
I don’t know about the avocado, but I bet you could do a 2-3 ft raised bed that would give the fruit trees a great head start, but you will have to remember that they are raised beds and will need good watering.
Yay! My roses are in!
Some pics of what the roses may look like some day:
http://www.pbase.com/missy_gardenwhimsy/yves_piaget
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/131352/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/112949/
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/73731/
http://www.growquest.com/mini%20rose%20gourmet_popcorn.htm
I’ve also planted some other things with them. Soon as I pick up the mess and water it, I’ll take a pic.
No Mo' Diggin' !!...(snicker)...;0)
Ha! Next is a veggie garden!
That looks so neat and tidy. :-)
I like the height of the beds, easy to weed.
Are those your new trees trying to sneak in on the sides of that photo?
On the left is the new tree...on the right is a poor sickly tree that hasn’t made it (don’t know what happened, but the various tenants didn’t help it any.)
The plum tree is in the back yard, doing nicely, though.
hehehehehe,,,The Gnomes Are Everywhere !!...<;0)
Epsom Salts Testers...(0;>
Maybe they’ll give me some of those epsom salts for my sore knees and achy hands! LOL!
our roses were blooming on xmas day.
LOL,,,Works for that Too...<;0)
Now that’s cool. Won’t happen here...
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