This coming spring I will be hopefully finishing off the dividing of plants and moving out several. I want to eliminate 50% of the seedlings and keep only the ones that have shown promise, at least in my eyes LOL. No new plants coming this year although I would LOVE to add but first got to get things done.

We have to get our roof done this year so I'm not looking forward to the chaos this will cause.

We reached zero degrees last night and had on and off snow showers for the past couple of days with the high winds but the temps will finally get up to the 20's but not till next week. I have no desire to walk the gardens this week but it is January so we hibernate this time of year.

Hope you feel better with the wrist Kay. Have you heard from Jean at all?

Julia

I think I saw where she had posted on here a couple weeks ago, but other than that, no. I only started posting again a little over a week ago. It was 12 this morning, but later when it was in the 20s I actually pulled a few weeds...stinking things don't die in the winter, and very tardily put up all but one tomato cage before I got too cold to stay out longer. A roof will be a bear, I hate that for you. I do look forward to the blooms after the changes I made in the garden this year.

kay

Kay,
I had several years like that. It finally caught up with me spring of 2013. I thinned out dayliles, they were terribly overcrowded, and didnt really know what I kept and what I moved. Last season I removed my "mistakes" and ordered about 30 new daylilies and several new hostas. I still have about 12 Stellas and Happy Returns to remove this spring while I am waiting for about 8 new dayliliies and 2 more hostas. I do have a planting plan for the new ones
. We did trim some long ignored shrubs too. I would say right now i am about 50% happy but after this spring it will be 90%, I hope. Also have to put edgers around a newer? bed I started about 2 years ago. I hope I am satisfied with the results next year at this time!

I didn't get around to mulching this fall, no reason other than pure laziness. I did get daylilies divided & moved, I think they are all good for a while. I started moving my iris to a dedicated iris bed a couple of years ago & should get finished with that this year & hopefully finished ridding my garden of extra iris.

Sounds as if all of us are "remodeling" our gardens and dealing with "accessory plants. Ngraham, I had started reworking and in fact eliminating one of the three iris beds two years ago. I got between 1/2 and two thirds of it done, but hope to get more of it done this year. Sherry, I did the "Stella out" thing about four years ago to make room for ones I wanted more...and them got rid of some mistakes this year. What I have to do is get rid of the very sub-par ones that are still in my garden...beautiful blooms but too few. Ones that always managed to be ragged, you know the ones I mean.

kay

Please tell me more about your ultrasound treatments. I had two tendons cut in my right shoulder a year ago and the pain is unbearable. I've given up on most of my gardening because of it.

Zackey, I am so sorry, because I understand that pain. The ultrasound treatment was originally done at the physical therapy center. After a lengthy stent (about three months) undergoing therapy for the shoulder without improvement, I told the therapist I was about to give us and have the surgery. That day I had the first ultrasound and had some improvement in the pain level. I had three treatments a week for about 2/1/2 weeks and felt enough relief to just come for a "touch up" if the pain started back.

According to what I have been able to learn, ultrasound treatments do not help everyone, but are extremely effective for some people. The theory is the scar tissue formed from our tears or cuts is what is causing the degree of pain we feel. Backs are not done...it is not done directly over a bone, and it can cause a small degree of discomfort when the applicator goes over the affected area. I now have only slight discomfort where it was debilitating and it kept me from almost all gardening. It is surely worth a try for you. My husband actually bought me a real medical device because it was so much help...Not financially sound since it cost $900, and a treatment is only $25 here if the insurance didn't cover it (mine did) but it is nice to have on hand. Good luck to you, I hope you find relief, and I will be praying for you to do so.
kay

Hello,
I think a garden is just a work in progress. Last year I lost my sister and a niece to cancer. Last Spring I really let things go, but then by Fall gardening became my therapy.

I have old things in my garden. I collect antiques, so I have a dinner bell, vintage watering cans and iron wheel. This yr I want to add an old grinding wheel that was my grandfather's. Also get the See Rock City bird house mounted.

I thinned out 2 beds dls and made new 2 row. My biggest job. I am looking forward to seeing about 40 new plants bloom this year!

I have also been looking at fairy garden ideas on Pinterest.

Teresa

Hello,
I think a garden is just a work in progress. Last year I lost my sister and a niece to cancer. Last Spring I really let things go, but then by Fall gardening became my therapy.

I have old things in my garden. I collect antiques, so I have a dinner bell, vintage watering cans and iron wheel. This yr I want to add an old grinding wheel that was my grandfather's. Also get the See Rock City bird house mounted.

I thinned out 2 beds dls and made new 2 row. My biggest job. I am looking forward to seeing about 40 new plants bloom this year!

I have also been looking at fairy garden ideas on Pinterest.

Teresa

I have thought about a small koi pond, but don't know if they are worth the cost and effort. How do feel about your pond, if you have one? I would be interested in knowing. Thank you.

Teresa

This post was edited by bluegrassmom on Sat, Jan 10, 15 at 6:16

Over the past 2 years I did some serious dividing, began to get rid of ones that don't perform well or I don't love. My beds were too crowded, and with a relatively small property there is no room to expand without telling the kids that they can't play anywhere in our yard, so I haven't added much.

I am hoping to add a few good performers this year and get rid of several more disappointments. I had peaked at 200, am at 166 and plan to get down to about 160. This will nicely use all the space I have available and have what I want.

Last year I discovered a number of sources of free mulch--pine needles! So I was able to mulch all my beds fairly well. I had planned to get more this past fall and put a new layer, but life and the weather didn't co-operate. Hopefully in very early spring I will be able to do that.

I don't seem to have any pests so I don't worry about that; however, several types of weeds, especially violets, are determined to take over. Last year I did not do a good job of weeding.
Brad

My beds are not in to bad shape. Last fall we cut back some of the overgrown shrubs, they were leaning into the daylily beds. This spring I plan to start more of some of the plants I already have plus buy some new plants, especially foliage plants. I do have to divide some daylily clumps and cull some of the older seedlings. I'll also try harder to do a better job of weeding this summer instead of just calling them unique new plants! Marg