Back home, in Alaska, the fireweed grow from nothing to over 5 feet in just 3 months. When the flowers (a gorgeous pink) reach the top of the spike, summer is over. I'm also partial to dandelions, although I seem to be the only one who is!

How do you keep your garden interesting and attractive in winter?

Here is a link that might be useful: Alaskan fireweed

For winter interest, I grow woody plants with interesting shapes (such as Cornus alternafolia) or interesting bark (such as Hydrangea quercifolia). There are also some conifers for color, and garden ornaments that look good with snow on them. I let plants with interesting seedheads stand til Spring and I have some small native grasses that look good in winter (tho sometimes both are buried). I should add some plants with berries.

Dirty fingernails - do you mean Yellowwood seeds? It didn't bloom last year, so I might get some seeds from it this year.

And now, the question: when does your garden look its best, is at its peak, when you would be willing to let the public see it?

This IS fun...

My garden is currently a work in progress, since I just moved to this house (my first!) two years ago. I had to contend with 7000 square feet of boring sod and a post-war tract house. The garden was lovely last year, given the aforementioned qualifications, although I anticipate even bigger and better things this year!

Given its appearance last year, I'd have to say that early fall was the best in my garden. The foliage and colors and blooms all came together in a lovely fashion. But my goal is to have something interesting and lovely all year round, with foliage and texture that would invite a garden walk in any month.

I loved chickwit's response...born and raised in Alaska, I share the love of fireweed and dandelions! One of my favorte family vacations was spent in Homer, Alaska. We tried to camp in early June, but it was freezing cold and pouring rain, so we stayed at a dinky motel after clam digging in Clam Gulch. That motel had the most gorgeous swath of brilliantly blooming dandelions that I have ever seen. My sisters and I spent HOURS creating dandelion chains and adorning each other with them! :)

My question: any suggestions for squirrels that take a solitary bite out of each tomato? Or rabbits that eat Casablanca lily buds? I really don't want to go to the extremes of encasing my plantings in chicken wire...

Mogardengal,
Here's my suggestion...works for me...we let our 2 labrador retrievers chase squirrels and rabbits and somehow those animals get the message and move on to other homes. So far the dogs have not hurt any animals, and I don't have to build fences or use poisons, so it's working. I tried blood meal one year, but caught the dogs licking it before it had a chance to scare off the wildlife!
About the dandelions..we took a trip to Alaska one year, and as we were leaving the airport, I jokingly said to the cabby, wow, look at all your pretty yellow flowers. He said, seriously, "Aren't those beautiful? We have lots of those in Alaska." That really shut me up, and made me re-evaluate them. Dandelions and fireweed, both lovely. I remember poppies everywhere too, and I can't grow those in Kansas to save my life!
Anyway, for the question...what plants or trees have you moved from home to home? Why did you take it with you?

5 years ago when I moved here, I divided and brought part of my white and red hibiscuses. Also orange,pink, and red asiatic lilies, fern(unknown species), crocuses,grape hyacinths,hostas, and spearmint. I took these to use for landscaping when I get around to it. I planted them in a "holding area " in the front yard.They are still there. lol
Q: Whats your favorite canning peach?

oh man, i'd have to come n on a question i know nothing about, this year WAS to be my year to learn to can, but the heavy rains washed my garden, so we're startin over. answer, don't know, sorry. Q: Whats your favorite sunset?

Ok fav sunset was in Jamaica looking out over the water at montigo bay I believe it was. Lots of colour against the ocean. My turn for question... Who's your fav frog excluding kermit? I love anything that eats bugs
Frogged (Ribbit)

Okay, I have to keep this going. This thread is very entertaining.

My favorite frog is the singing one from Bugs Bunny. It is the episode where Daffy finds the singing frog that sings "Hello My Darling, Hello My Honey..." and everytime Daffy tries to show someone, the frog does nothing but croak! Too funny!

Okay, my question:

What type of climate would you prefer to live in? One that has all four seasons, or one that you can garden all year long with no problem?

Question:
What type of climate would you prefer to live in? One that has all four seasons, or one that you can garden all year long with no problem?

Answer: All year! I actually grew up in So. California where we could garden year-round, but I never did any kind of gardening at all!
We moved up to the PNW a year ago and really got into gardening big time, now I'm wishing I could garden year round - I love the seasons up here as opposed to just spring and summer in California, but I do wish I could be out in the garden almost year round!

Question - What plant did you just have to have, only to end up not liking it so much after all?

I needed to have the latest corydalis, blackberry wine, only to discover that it really isn't the tidiest of the species. Nice blue green foliage but it really starts to look "ragged" around the edges....
and my question is, what is your altime favourite garden centree or nursery and why?

My favorite nursery would have to be the one my grandfather and his brothers owned when I was little. It was in western NY. I have this vivid memory of my extended family all together assembly line fashion potting up what seemed like 1000s of geraniums.

What was the most desperate or outrageous thing you did to scratch your "gardening itch"?

I live in the Ozark Nat. Forest. The rangers built a road near me into the forest. I was right behind them. They squished a group of wild Dwarf iris. I scolded the ranger and scooped up the remaining iris and brought them home. I could have been fined big time for taking plants from the forest. But the ranger did'nt say a word.Since then i've replanted some nearby but in a safe place and i've got lots in my yard.

Question- Had you rather live in a rural or urban setting?

Wow, what a question to stumble upon, as a matter fact I am in the process of closing on a house, 12 days from now and will be going to a rural area after living in an urban setting most of my life. So in answer to this question, I'll say rural.

Let's see, my favorite fresh water fish is the German Blue Ram, what is yours?

Fav. fresh water fish is Walleye pike. Delicioous as lobster!

What is your favorite way of preparing a potato?

Cooked! As long as it's cooked, there IS no bad potato!! I have, however, been known to crunch the occassional raw one. It's a family thing..my dad would always walk by when Mother was peeling potatoes for our very large family...irked her to no end! There was always one more potato to peel. My favorite way of preparing would have to be baked...it's easy and fast. Time saved is time to spend digging in the dirt.

What is your favorite time of the day? (and,if we can do a 2 part question....) Why?

My faviorite time of day is the morning! Anytime of year! Sunrise just puts a smile on my face. The summertime dew on the plants, birds chirping.. Everything is just wakeing to a fresh new day... Ummm love it..

?---- What is your favorite yard art/decoration that you either have in your yard now or just have to have some day?

I would love to have a working pitcher pump attached to a large barrel with flowers all around it and the water running all the time. My husband sold my pitcher pump at our yardsale and I could have killed him.

What are your favorite water/aquatic plants?

My favorite water plants are cannas.They get so big and beautiful and they love standing water.

Do you do spring cleaning?

Not inside my home, only in the garden! I love getting out and tidying up the beds in the spring, pruning back dead winter stuff and getting ready for new growth. Spring yard cleanup is very exciting to me.

How do you try to prevent backaches from too much yard work, and how do you make them better once they occur?

Wear a back brace especially if you are lifting anything heavy - - then, don't lift anything heavy. When the back aches, I looooove balms containing methyl salicylate applied with a careful massage.

May be too hot of a remedy for this time of year but BenGay, Mentholatum Deep Heat, and Icy Hot all contain methyl salicylate. There are a number of different Tiger Balm products but only some contain any salicylate analgesics - check the label.

My favorite at the Asian markets is Wood Lock. When you feel like your back is "locking up" like a stiff piece of pine - reach for the Wood Lock. (Use as directed and if you can't read directions in Chinese, use in moderation.)

What is your favorite garden herb for tea (commercial blends do not count)?

Steve

My favorite garden herb for tea is Lemon Balm, a friend gave me some and it made a wonderful tea. I have thought about growing the tea plant itself, which is a Camellia. It might be fun to grow that.

What's your favorite plant to put in a pot right by the front door?

Coleus. With it coming in so many different colors, it is always a conversation piece if nothing else. I actually had 4 pots filled with different ones this year, by the front door.

What is your favorite showy annual for pots?

I am amazed by Marigolds. There are so many kinds and they are all bright and cheery. They keep blooming when everything else is caput.

What is your favorite Winter plant?

Great thread -- I'll keep it going.

Favorite winter plant? It is hard to pick a favorite anything because I feel like I have turn my back on all the others, but I am very fond of Gaultheria procumbens, aka wintergreen, aka checkberry, aka teaberry. This classy little ground cover has deep green glossy foliage in summer, white/pink bell shaped flowers in spring, and in winter, the foliage turns a stunning burgundy and the bright red berries persist until spring. It spreads politely and does not strangle its neighbors, and is easily moved and/or redirected. The berries taste like teaberry gum, hence the common name.

Next up: What is your favorite deciduous woody shrub and why?

I like my holly trees because of the red winter berries. Several years ago I took tall, overgrown holly shrubs and cut them up to create holly trees that are stunning against my white house. I love the red berries on the female tree and in the winter I cut some branches, go to the flower shop for Baby's Breath and create winter bouquets for my home. Looks great for the holidays.
Q.- If you could raise only one type of annual what would it be?
Trowelgal/Tina

I think it would have to be morning glories. I have always love the sky blue colors. They bloom non stop all summer.

If you had to chose between a big mansion with no yard or a little old house with a huge yard, which would you chose?

a little old house with a big yard.no nosy neighbors.are there any really lazy gardeners?

I'm a really lazy gardener! I hate sweating. Yuck!

Once I got so lazy, I didn't feel like sowing seed and just threw them outside and never bothered watering. They were the most beautiful cardinal climbers a few weeks later! :)

Have you ever grown anything by sowing or planting and forgetting about it?

This is FUN!!...Well every year I would get this weed in my garden that would get tall with what looked like lil' dark maroon colored berries on it.It would drop those berries and make more weeds.I started recognizing the weed babies, and pulled them up yearly. Well one year, abt 5yrs ago I got extremely busy. I didnt have alot of time that summer to tend my garden. One evening I was able to go out back and see the damage. I looked around and my eyes rested on the weed! It had gotta lush and strong! My excitement knew no bounds when I saw THEEEEE MOST BEAUUUUTIFUL ORANGE TIGER LILY FLOWER GROWING ON TOPPPPPP of it !!!!!!! i HAD FORGOTTEN THAT I PLANTED IT when i planted my casa blanca lilies!
OK........My turn
QUESTION............What is the most exotic plant that you are growing now?

The most exotic thing I'm growing right now is my nearly 16 year old daughter.

Oh...wait....you meant plants...well, probably either my brugs or my plumeria.

What is your favorite container plant/combination?

Favorite container plant/combo? I just started my first two last spring. So far the only things I have planted in each are red Geraniums and sweet potato vines. I think this year, I will try something else. Haven't decided what. I do like the looks of the Million Bells.

Who do you think you inherited the gardening bug from and why do you think so? My mom and grandmother said I got it from my grandfather who died when I was 4.

I inherited my gardening bug from my Mom. She could grow anything under any conditions.

Do you plant flowers to attract butterflies?

Yes!!!!!! I grow soley to attract butterflies and to raise their larvae. Mexican Flame Vine, Mexican Sunflower, pentas and milkweeds are the big attracters. I have host plants mixed in with the nectar plants. My gardens probably look like crap to most people but the butterflies are in heaven!!!!!

What is your favorite "suprise plant?"

One year a bird left me sickle pod seeds. This is a rather weedy plant. At the time I did not know it. I just let it grow. Then at the end of the summer I noticed that it was covered in caterpillars which turned out to be Sleepy Orange Butterfly larvae.

>What is your favorite "suprise plant?"

Aloe. 'Twas a gift.

I look forward to a time when surprises are volunteers.

My favorite surprise plant is when someone gives me scraggly root or tuber, and tells me it will become a pretty flower....and it does...like my first cannas...WOW!

Who is your favorite garden mentor...and why?

That would be my Daddy, a natural-born gardener who could - and did- grow anything edible and make it look effortless. He never knew what a great gardener he was. Last year, before he passed away, I mentioned that I was putting in some strawberry plants and he said he'd "never had much luck" growing them. I replied, "Are you kidding? I used to sit out in the garden and eat them by the handful!" He said, "No WONDER there were never any out there." We had a good laugh over that.
Second place would go to one my oldest and dearest friends, SylviaTexas, for oh so many reasons.
And here's my question: do you ever plant according to the stages of the moon?

No.

What singular gardening event makes you the most excited?

Tomatoes ripening.

What plant has repeatedly failed to grow in your garden, no matter how hard you try?

Well, define "failed." Ones that have never done well are roses, despite the fact that I live in a perfect mid-Atlantic climate for them. Maybe I'm just too lazy (or too busy with plants that interest me more) to tend to them properly - I suspect even the "low maintenance" types could keep a gardener busy.

Can we repeat questions? I'd like to repeat the one that asked "What is your favorite lazy gardener trick?" (I liked the previous poster's response of mowing leaves and grass together for mixed browns and greens.) If I have to come up with a new one, my question is, "Do you have a "moon garden" (white flowers), and, if so, what's planted in it?"

Thanks.

Verdant Croft

To the repeated question, my favorite lazy gardener trick would be raking up the old leaves and putting them around my plants & wetting them to winterize the perennials, so about the same answer as the other. To the new question, I don't have a moon garden. That might be something I could look into in the near future. I think I have some flowers/plants that could go in a moon garden, like petunias,cosmos, and dusty miller. Thanks for this great idea Verdant Croft!

What kind of flowering tree is your favorite and why?

Catalpa! What a display when a huge tree is smothered in white. When the blossoms fall to the ground it looks like New Hampshire snow and up close, each one is like an orchid.

Question:

What plant that you love to grow did you have to forego because of an animal eating them every year?

I love Hydrangeas and tulips both of which I have to give up because of the deer...
Whats your favorite way to acquire new plants?

My favourite way to acquire new plants?
Every way. I like to acquire them as gifts. Quite often gardeners give me plants that they insist I must try. For my birthday, my mother-in-law always gives me some money to buy my own present, so I always get a hosta. One from her, some from me, a few from my husband - who's counting? I grow a huge number of perennials from seed each year, and I love that part - trying something unusual and seeing if it will survive in my snowy, cold zone.
I'm also head buyer for a perennial plant nursery and it's amazing how often the nursery needs a new cultivar that my gardens are screaming for.
However, I'm very picky about where I acquire new plants from. I do not even look inside box stores anymore, having brought home too many problems - bugs and viruses. And I now isolate all gifts - after all, many gardeners are well meaning, but I really don't need any goutweed, thank you.
My own gardens are also a source. Plants drop seed, always need dividing, and best of all, I have some very interesting sports that appear, like gifts from the gardening gods.

Horrors! I forgot to ask a question. I hope I don't get drummed off this thread.
Alright, in keeping with the last question...
What is the best garden gift you ever received?

My best garden gift was a fold up (Collapsible) stool that has storage pockets full of trowels, pruners, and other hand size garden tools, plus a large zippered area where you can put anything up to maybe 12x12x10 inches in size. I love it!

What is the animal pest you have to battle most to keep from eating or destroying your garden?

I rarely have animal pests, but I usually have aphids but the ladybugs swarm and have a tasty treat.

What is the one thing you regret adding and growing in your garden/yard? Mine are privet hedges.

I just love this thread so much I can't resist playing along even though I've never posted here before!

I think the one thing I regret growing in my yard would be either the mimosa tree or the day lilies. I say Mimosa tree because it's growing out of the foundation of the house and I should have had the stump ground out years ago...or it could be the lilies, because I've got new plans for the flower bed they're currently in, so I'm going to have to move them.

Here is my question: What is the one thing you are most likely to bring someone from your garden? Right now mine would be roses. Mine are just blooming like crazy right now, but come summer time no body gets out of a visit without a tomato or two:)

Sunflowers.

I planted a bunch of sunflowers in a seed starting kit and now have way more than i need. Ive been giving them away to the little kids in the neighborhood hoping to pass on the garden bug. The sunflowers are screaming to get out of those tiny squares.

How long have you had the garden bug?

Thirty years. Since we bought our first house. Mine got so strong, and I was spending such an inordinate amount of time on gardening, planning, etc. I decided some fifteen years ago to go professional. We now have a nursery which specializes in perennials and native plants. We grow about 2,000 varieties.
Unfortunately, owning and managing a nursery really cuts into my gardening time. And I still lust for plants!
That was such a good question that I think I will break with tradition and ask it again, with a modification.
How long have you had the garden bug? How did you get bitten?

I've had it since April of this year when I decided that the gardener I paid for 2 years in a row was wickedly overpriced for poor service- I told her I didn't like impatiens, so she planted them in the front foundation and around the back of my house because " it's the only thing that will grow in shade."

Well, after money poorly spent, I took myself down to the garden center and bought a few flats of stuff, a few hanging baskets, and after looking at my work decided-
" Hey, I'm no so bad, and this is kinda fun!"

Then the obsession begins.

I'm poring over catalogs, finding online plants, raiding the garden center every other day. Then I'm pulling out ridiculous holly shrubs from the entryway, relocating blue fescues and hostas. Then I'm planting a moon garden where my annabelle hydrangeas are (good start), then I'm assessing the woodland areas, what will grow next to the creek, etc...

It's been fun. The most fun is recognizing plants, being able to name them and know something about their growth conditions and habits, especially roadside wildflowers (or some people's weed :) I expect to have an anxious winter wondering what will come back and what the garden will look like next year.

I have since learned a little constraint as the budget strains, but next year I am carefully budgeting for the wants and the must haves.

Next question- How far as the gardening bug pushed you? What's the craziest thing you've done/spent/said for the love of plants?