A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion Landscape trials and triumphs What Did You Do in the Garden Today #9

From the last one re: vinegar,


Good luck, Bobbi!

I haven't done anything today.. it's raining here.. finally. I hope we get plenty. Our ground is so dry it's cracking. Boo!

Last evening we planted a Day lily I got at WalMart and 9 other Day lily roots I had bought from a mail order catalog. They were already starting to grow in the bag! I wish I would have gotten a picture of that. I just hope they do well. I put them out on a bank behind the house. I will get pictures soon.

I fought with grubs...they are cutting off my pepper plants.

Darn bugs anyway....Didn't do anything in the garden today. Haven't planted the Lupines yet....we had some chilly, windy weather and decided to wait till the weather turned a little better....tomorrow I think. Have lots of flowers on my tomato plants...can't wait to see those get ripe!! Picked a few more cucumbers, yum yum, Have a good night all

What size pots are the lupines in? I planted 3 pink ones this year.

I love Lupines--pictures please....

Hope you don't want pics of mine..they are only 4 inches high.

Today I weeded the veggie gardens and flower beds. Re-edged all the beds(that half moon edger is the best tool ever) and then moved around two shrubs..I have a bad habit of planting things before planning it out.

i watered the garden and cut off all the growing top of my Tomato bush. HAHAH.
so it can be MORE of a bush. sprayed the lawn with those mosquitoes spray thing. i always get mobbed by mosquitoes when i'm out in the yard. hopefully that will help

Then i cut down my rose bush. and left one stem... i am attempting to grow a small rose tree... lets see how that goes.

OK then--wait until they are a bit taller--THEN show us pictures---

According to my rain gauge we got 3-1/2 inches yesterday so today the garden is muddy. I ventured out in my foots and brought in a tomato, a few cukes, and some squash. Way to wet to work on the weeds.

I'm jealous, Sheri, I have flowers, but not even a sign of a green tomato! I did work a little in the green house, weeded here and there and snipped off all the suckers from my tomatos. Never heard of chopping them off so they will bush out more, JoLu. Does it make the tomatoes come on faster? Last year I didn't know about snipping off the suckers, and my plants were way too big. But this year I've been diligent and my plants seem healthier with a thicker base. Now if I were to get some fruit!

I snip the top only after the green tomatoes start. That way the energy is spent on what's already there instead of new growth.

I've never snipped anything on my tomatoes. Where should I snip?

I brought in a few more cukes today and murdered 1 squash bug. I hate those things.

The most expert people are divided on tomato trimming. Some say take off all suckers. Some say only top them. Some say leave them alone. I've always left them alone except take off anyhing so heavy that they were breaking, etc. I've had to make a shade cloth covering over them during our hottest seasons.

We only snip here because our growing season is so short. That way we get a few larger tomatoes instead of many smaller ones.

Mowed grass and 'weed wacked' for most of the day.

Well the other day I bought a no-name species of blueberry for 50% off. Today I amended the soil planted it with the other two and watered it in well. Hopefully it will be a veriety that blooms at the same time as my other two. But even if it doesn't I really won't mind. I know crazy right? There is so much to do out there and I have been so lazy.

Weeded, fertilized and hoed up the veggie garden today.

Sprayed Neem Oil on the squash after the torrential rain we've had. Brought in some cherry tomatoes. Good!

...lossing the war of the lawn. Today I cut 1/3 of the grass in the back and I already need to start on the first part again. Then I went after the blackberry canes that are growing along the side of the shed. Yes I put them there - dummest thing I ever did. We maybe not but not one of the smartest things I ever did either.

I got half of them cleared out but still have 1/2 to go and those will be the hard ones because they are interspersed with the horseradish and the egyptian onions.

I already lost that battle... I gave up when my Deere died........

Did nothing in the garden.I dont have one..LOL

You have a paradise at your place Bill. Me I've got a weed factory at mine.

While I was off taking my unscheduled vacations, the weeds took over my gardens. Nothing was cared for for over two years and now I have a giant mess to try and restore.
Wet snow collapsed the roof of Hummingbird House (and part of my house) last winter. I haven't even begun to think about fixing those problems.
The only way to save most of my lost perennials was to dig and transplant them to a new garden area that I've been working on. The weather hasn't been cooperating either, which is why I haven't had much to say about what I've been doing in my gardens this year...

Sorry of all the bad luck Mr. Bill.. I sure know the feeling...Just remember , theres always 2maro.. I lost many to weeds an wet an cold.
Now even ones I buy are dying???????????odd mom nature.
Good luck Mr Bill Happy fathers day to you.

Dodge

We appreciate you an the site.

Yea Bill, Dodge is right in everything that she says...

It is hard to recover from the havoc that long term health issues have caused. I have gotten on top of the weed and massive litter issues outdoors From John's long illness. But have lost many lovely plants and shrubs to damaged water systems. And I am attempting to maintain the house too. Tough stuff. But it is coming along.

Oh my Bill, was there much damage to your house?

I agree Tina..health issues seem to take a toll on everything. It's so easy to get behind and get discouraged.

Is there no one to give you a hand Bill?

~~~

I weeded part of my mom's garden yesterday evening.. wan't mine but it still counts.

I'm sorry to hear about your troubles. Hummingbird House is definitely one of the favorite places for me in your gardens. Did you insurance at least pay for the repair of your house?

I definitely understand about lost plants. I've bought and placed all the plants I wanted to have in my garden at least once. Many have died. I don't know exactly why. They were placed in the right conditions and it's the right zone. But that's the way it goes I guess.

Right now I'm fighting the grass seeds that someone put in an (other-website) seed exchange. I've got to wonder why a person would want to destroy a seed exchange. It just doesn't make sense to me. The grass has now completely covered the new birdbath flower garden. I'm to angry to even get out there and dig it up. But I'll get there sooner or later.

Right now I'm working on getting the arm strength to be able to cut enough lawn per day to stay ahead of just that. The other little things I get done are pure luck.

The house damage is fairly minor, but I will have to redo a big section of roofing. I don't have insurance...
My biggest barrier right now in the non-stop rain. It is supposed to start drying out later this week. I HOPE!

wow, I don't know what I'd do in that situation. I have everything insured except my library. I got a quote on that and they wanted a monthy payment equal to 1/10th of the FMV of the collection. No way could I afford that. So I just have to hope the house doesn't burn down.

Do you have someone who can do it for you? I'm afraid of heights and hate to hear about people having to get on the roof.

On a different note - I've been out in my yard cutting grass. I got about 1/3 of the front yard cut which is good progress. Then I tied up the new blueberry bush. The compost pile got banana peels added to it. that's about it. Hopefully between the rain showers I'll be able to manage some other quick chores. Like rescuing the black berry lily that is trying to grow in the sidewalk sand. It's actually doing very well but I want to move it before I step on it.

I built my house. I can rebuild it if need be. They want lots of $ for insurance in a forest... and they would only cover it for 7K + contents, so

I pulled lots of weeds today, but it was muddy and very slow going....

P.S. the was for the ins. companies, not you!

Yes, only the contents of mine are insured. Too close to Nat'l forest. If it burns, it is gone forever. I do need to update my list of contents though.

I have no insurance either..they won't insure for anyone with a wood stove here and I can't afford an oil furnace or electric heat.

I weeded and watered last night.

That is why I have no wood heat here...when we first moved & I complained about the "cold heat" Rod spoke about putting a wood stove in the basement for me, but he was afraid of what the insurance would be if they would even cover us. My homeowners insurance is killing me though---about $70.00 a month. (payable once a year)

Carol that isnt a whole lot. I pay more than that for my Health insurance a month.
Have to pay it..............

However the newer the homes, more the insurance an taxes around here.
Maybe we can go to the jungle

I brought in some cucumbers and tomatoes and pulled up another squash plant. I'm not having the best luck with squash this year.

dodge, you didn't plant anything at all?

no garden here
just stuck tomato an lettuce an onion in the flower bed.
Gives me more goof off time

yes our health insurance is VERY high as well, VERY high, and that is with a $3000.00 a year deductable (for each of us)
This was just the insurance on our house, & while this house is only 8 years old, it is just a plain-jane house with white siding.

My garden has not yielded anything as of yet---well my herbs are big enough to be harvested---but I only have very small zuchinni so far & small green tomatoes on my larger tomatoe plants---on my cherry tomato plant I should be able to harvest a few toms tonight though.

I enjoyed reading back over this topic,,,my favorite!

The "suckers" I snip off of tomatos: Look at your hand and the space between your thumb and finger, if a branch starts to grow in that type of area on my tomato plant I snip it off. But it might not work for all types of tomatos! Last year I did not do this and my plants were over 7 ft tall and very spindly. So this year I began snipping early and my plants are still very big, but "heftier". I do have mini green tomatoes, but it will be a while yet before I get ripe tomatoes!

Sorry about your snow issues, Bill. If we were closer my DH would help. He is a builder and a fixer, I am lucky to have him to take care of all the house issues that always occur for a home owner.

I did get my lupines planted and took a picture with my new phone, but my lap top does not want to read my phone, so not sure how to get the pictures off! I may have to put them on a card and then to my computer. Don't have the time to figure that one out right now! Some of my larkspur have begun to bloom, boy I like those flowers!

Not too much to do in the garden right now, but did get some carrot and beet seeds in the ground where I took out the broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage plants. Picked my first green beans yesterday, they were yummy. And I think I weed almost every day!

My compost is doing great, a friend brought over some sawdust which I am hoping will help.. I think I have too much "green" and not enough "brown". I've started a new compost pile, letting the other one work down to a usable compost.

Happy grwoing