Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
lesdvs9

Sunday 5/27 to Brenda

lesdvs9
16 years ago

Holy cow Brenda!!! You've got some EXCELLENT photos!! If you told me awhile back you had dial up I wouldn't keep dragging on posts on threads when I've attached huge photos on one! What beautiful plants you've got growing and flowering! I like plants but anything that flowers I really am in love with!

You haven't seen how crammed I've got the other flower bed! LOL* That's why I said that other flower bed defeats me. I wanted both to match and they can't, different micro climates in each. The one I'm showing even gets boggy at the bottom. We're going to replace the brick hopefully soon with a continuous cement border. You can't see halfthe plants I have growing in this pic though.

I'll post a pic of the other one but shrink it some.

{{gwi:495523}}

Now when everything matures in this one, it'll be crowded! There are two large roses at the back that are just about 10" high now but they'll be about 5' tall when they're grown. When that happens all the planters will come out from under the window. The front of the bed is ringed in daylillies as supposed to and there's a spiderwort in there too:)

Is this size pic easier to bring up on your computer or no difference?

Comments (14)

  • youreit
    16 years ago

    Oh, Leslie, you're so nice about pic size! Really, it's no problem for me to view other people's pics, as I just stop the page from loading, then load each one individually. For me to post that many pics, then preview them, it would have taken WAY too much time, though. LOL

    In other words, the size of your pics, and the amount of them, are just fine, REALLY. I love looking at your pics! :)

    That bed is going to look so awesome when it all fills in. I like the slope, too, since I'm a big fan of bog-tolerant plants. :) Good drainage on that down-slope, too, I bet.

    But I can totally relate to your frustration. There are so many things I'd love to grow, but there's one of several reasons - not enough hot burning sun, too much wind, or, more often, not enough room....or too many gophers. LOL

    Brenda

  • youreit
    16 years ago

    I sure wish I had my camera right about now! (DH left it in DD's car...) Another of my hollyhocks is blooming, and it's a yellow one! Wow, I think it's my favorite color, so far.

    I hope everyone's gardens (and everyone's bodies!) are making it through the heat. It's currently 97 here at the house, but I'll be curious to see if my weather station handles 3-digit temps. :D

    Brenda

  • youreit
    16 years ago

    I just had to report (and post a pic!) that my new yellow hollyhock is the double as the seed packet claimed all of them should be! Then Mom clarified (communication issues...) that all of the hollyhocks that have bloomed for her (crimson & rose) have been double, as well. Crazy. The singles that have bloomed for me so far (crimson & rose, as well) must have gotten mixed in with the doubles seeds.

    Anyway, here's a pic of my pretty, yellow, DOUBLE hollyhock! :D I LOVE this color! (I'll post more pics, of my Veronica, which I'm so proud of, and Liatris, at a later time!)

    {{gwi:170056}}

    Brenda

  • lesdvs9
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    That's GORGEOUS Brenda!! Someone gave me seeds to grow my first year in the mtns. They never grew and I never tried again. Seeing yours, I think I'm sorry! That's like crinkled paper, I like this one, it'd look good next to one of my climbers next year, if they ever get growing, LOL*

  • youreit
    16 years ago

    If you'd like, I'll try to save you some seeds from this one, Leslie! Of course, not sure if it would come true, but you never know. :)

    I also love the little seed pouches that stay on the hollyhock stems after bloom. They look like tiny purses! Very cute!

    Brenda

  • lesdvs9
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Sure, now do you start them in the ground or in cups? I'm really bad on follow up in pots, I kill most things in pots. I can grow almost anything in the ground though:) I'm qualifying that because I'm having a hard time with the full all day sun and short plants. This would look really good with my apricot, orchid and yellow climbers:) Especially if I can ever get some clematis to go on the fence too! I need some vertical lift to the yard, besides the butterfly bushes that is.

    Oh, the 4 Purple Fountain Grasses are doing really great, they don't mind the heat and sun at all or lack of water. They're hitting about 5' now. The plumes are so pretty, they look pretty with the roses and when the climbers get going will look great with them too. I love it when a plan comes together:) Now if I can just get some companion plants in between the roses started....or maybe it'll all be alyssum, it's really taken off. I have to see how it takes the really severe heat through the summer before I would seriously do more of it. What it's doing on it's own is great, costs me nothing. The toads like hiding out in it too:)

  • youreit
    16 years ago

    I started some alyssum this year, too, Leslie, but mine isn't as happy in my unamended soil. Well, even the batch in a larger pot with good soil isn't blooming. The ones still in small pots have been trying to bloom, but nothing exciting yet.

    I actually started the hollyhocks in my garage under some fluorescents in those little add-water-to-expand peat discs. Then I transplanted them out to the garden. I've always had problems starting seeds out in my soil, so I've found what works for me. Three of them really took off, but 6 of them are fairly small and not close to blooming at all. I bet yours would do just fine if you direct-sowed them, though!

    Not sure if I should remove the hollyhock seed pouches now, or if I should wait until they change color or...?

    My fountain grass is still slow as can be. Purple blades are down there, but...it's being shy this year. I bet yours are SO gorgeous!

    Brenda

  • lesdvs9
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Oops, I thought I was posting a pic in here, had to happen sooner or later I put it in the main forum, LOL* I blame it on the headaches and not thinking straight and I have 3 grandkids here today!

  • youreit
    16 years ago

    LOL!! Well, I felt darned special, checking out the Discussions and seeing my name up there! LOL I'm going to be curious to see if anyone posts on that thread, too. :D

    Yeah, 3 grandkids would fluster anyone, let alone the headaches you get!

    Brenda

  • lesdvs9
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Well you are special too:) I give my alyssum a spray a water every day, so I cheat Brenda. Sometimes that's every other day though. Pretty soon I'm going to let it go now on the watering sprinkler cycle on 3 times a week for 6 minutes twice a day early am hours. That's still not enough water for the back grass though, it's still having some problems, course with the dog and 5 cats, have a stray hanging around since it was a baby we would:)
    I cringed showing my infant garden on the main forum part to be looked and scoffed at. I would throw a pic at you anytime on the main forum part, just narrow it down to the subject matter, LOL*

    Hey! I have my son's 8 week old puppy too, NOT potty trained, that's worse than other son's 2-1/2 year old child! I did have success this am taking it out right away:) He's gone until Sun night, it is going to be a very long weekend!!!

  • youreit
    16 years ago

    I've been watering my alyssum in little pots every day, too! I finally moved them to a place with a bit more shade, and wouldn't you know it, they all have buds now. I was concerned they weren't getting enough sun (the more sun, the better, according to most info about them)! I'm going to put them in bigger pots soon, since digging little holes in my hard, dry soil does NOT sound appealing right now. :D

    Another hollyhock has bloomed! This is one of 3 that's in less sun than the others, so I'm not surprised it's late. Very pretty light pink!

    {{gwi:495524}}

    Brenda

  • lesdvs9
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Oooohhh, very pretty Brenda! I like this one very much! That's 100% gorgeous! I want one of these!!! Holy moly talk about delicate color! How beautiful is this one, wow. Now I'm envious I wasn't listening more closely to you and Pat!

    Re Alyssum: Lay 7 layers of newspapers down and wet them thoroughly. Top that with some coffee grounds, peat moss if you have it and potting soil and/or organic soil 3-4" thick, put your fist in and swirl a hole, stick an alyssum in and close the soil around it and keep the soil moist at all times until the plants are actively growing on their own. After that I water it once a day or every other day, but you've seen how well they've grown now. Voila, fake lasagna bed. What I did for the dragon and the alyssum, easiest planting I ever did and look at the pics at how the alyssum is sowing itself now in the hard clay soil all by itself. Even grandgirl who helped me plant all the bulbs and the annuals last fall and this spring was impressed at how easy this was to plant the alyssum. I think to do the dragon I used 4 bags of Supersoil. The key to doing this successfully is to keep the bed moist at all times so that the paper will break down into the soil, it's supposed to help make better soil out of the clay also. It's my garden experiment too:)

    I have my alyssum in full round the clock sun, but it's also not in pots.

    Real lasagna bed has slightly different recipe, if you're interested I will give you that, but it still doesn't involve digging in the clay. It still is layering on TOP.

  • youreit
    16 years ago

    I'm still saving hollyhock seeds for you, Leslie! I'm sure they'll be all mixed like mine turned out, but they bloom the first year, so you won't have to put a lot of time into them before seeing what color they'll be. :) The pink one really reminds me of Hibiscus blooms!

    Ooo, I really have to get to Home Depot for more soil so I can try your recipe! You're right about the little pots probably getting to hot for full sun. After I get the new purchases from Sat. in the ground, I'll tackle these alyssums. Poor little darlings are trailing all over the place out of the pots. LOL

    Brenda

  • lesdvs9
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Piece of cake Brenda and even with the heat I believe you can do it, IF you keep it moist. You have to keep at it with the hose all day, out there when you get up in the morning, check it and spray when it needs it all day long and one last time in the evening. When I planted I only needed to go out 3 times a day. I never watered it until the water runs off, you don't want to float off the soil, I watered it until I saw the soil was wet through and then simply kept it moist. I used the shower head on the garden hose so it would gently water the plants and soil and not dig holes in the soil. I believe the alyssum likes the sun and I think you've got these plants you have already used to the sun and planting them shouldn't be a problem.

    With the supersoil or what ever bag soil you get, it dries pretty fast and that's why you need to keep it moist. You might get a bag of fine mulch also and mix in with the soil to add in some heavier stuff to help hold in the water longer because it is so hot now, after thought. If you've already gone and done it, you can still carefully add this around the plants. The newspapers also suppress the weeds as an added plus:)

Sponsored
Outdoor Spaces
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars19 Reviews
Experienced Full Service Landscape Design Firm Serving Loudoun County