Hi vladpup! Your dry streambed idea is precisely what I've been trying to work out in my mind's eye. Especially because my furball loves both bridges AND tunnels! She would have a ball if we had both in the yard. I've been going through my zillion garden books and magazines, looking for good examples. Our yard is pretty small, but I think I can find (or make) room!....

Say, are you the one who is looking for a dwarf persimmon? Not that I know anything on the subject, but I wonder if you've checked out Edible Landscaping's online catalog? They carry several persimmons. Don't know if any would fill the bill for you, but you might take a look, if you haven't already. ALthough I live nearby, I haven't visited the nursery myself, but it sounds like Peggy, one of our other forum posters, has and was happy enough with what she found that she's planning to go again.

Speaking of Edible Landscaping, the problem with the period after I have ordered the seeds but before I have started them is that there is nothing gardenish to do except feed the worms (outside and inside) with the two-year-old, make silly jokes on the compost forum, and persuade myself, at 11 pm in front of the computer, credit card in hand, that I really need -- need! NEED! -- an apple-scented geranium, another Nanking cherry, and a kumquat tree.

Alfie to Mr. Alfie: I just spent way too much money on plants.
Mr. Alfie to Alfie: Oh well, what else would you do with it?

How do you keep your dog out of the garden without fences? How do you keep the rude dogs of loving neighbors with out of your garden? How do you keep your patience with these things in your garden?

Alfie...If you're at loose ends for something to do this time o'year, check out the Winter Sowing forum! We're all planting up a storm outside in containers.

swifty.....I'm pretty lucky that my darlin' canine is NOT a digger. And, when plants are UP in the summer, she's pretty good about not tromping through the garden beds. (But I confess, I did concede defeat last summer and give her a kind of informal path of her own through our main garden bed. As long as she sticks to the same route, I can live with it.)

This time of year is the toughest. I'll catch her napping in the garden in the sun---invariably on top of emerging spring bulbs! I'm convinced I'm going to have some patches of crocus or daffs that bloom two weeks earlier than normal because the furball has 'incubated' them like a hen on a nest. I've started piling rocks in 3/4 arcs around the most fragile bulbs, but I'm not sure that will do the trick.

We've juuuuusssssst had a black lab puppy move in next door this past weekend----and my dog is verrry unhappy about it. There's no fence per se between the yards, so I'm fearful that the fur is going to fly the moment the little one tries to come over to 'make friends.' My dog loves people, but ain't too crazy about her own kind. Yikes! Don't know what we're going to do except take it a day (hour?) at a time. We've tried to introduce them twice since Sunday and mine just growls, looks deeply suspicious and clearly wishes the tiny one would go back to wherever he came from. Oh dear! It's gonna be a rough spring and summer while they sort things out. In the end, the newbie is going to be at least twice the size of mine, and that will level the playing field. But in the meantime, he's 10 lbs of squirmy, nippy, 'let's play' fur---and the last thing my six-year old canine wants to deal with.

Swifty, if you were asking me about dogs--The back 6 acres is fenced so I don't have a problem with other dogs. I don't know what to do about the Plott hound. I'm going to get one of those deterent sprays and see if that helps. My other 3 dogs aren't really a problem. As far as the bunnies and deer--I've had some sucess with Deer Off if I spray early in the season before the deer have a chance to nibble at the new growth. I've seriously been thinking about deer fencing of some kind too.

Hi, I am new to Garden Web, new to winter sowing and fairly new to gardening. I live in Silver Spring near a branch of Rock Creek. I bought the house about 5 years ago and it has a small but very nice backyard with some tall old trees, some semi-shady area and a terraced sunny perennial garden. So far I have gotten a bit more confident about which plants to pull up as weeds and which to water and have spent inordinate amounts of time wrestling spreading bamboo. I have made some failed experiments with vegetables and had uneven luck with herbs. On the other hand, I had great success with bee balm, butterfly bushes, and hyssop which brought in butterflies and a couple of hummingbirds that made me smile.

Hi Goldylocks. Come on in, the water's fine.

It sounds like we must be sort of near each other. I'm near the Walter Reed Annex (read strange old girl's school with the castle and four story pagoda) and the Mormon Temple.

You should try our next swap, brownie and gossip meet this spring, which you can read about on the exchanges page to this forum (see the top of the Mid Atlantic Forum page for the button). Whether you have any extra plants or want any (we're not too sticky about the "swap" part of the swap), we always have fun.

Alfie,

I've been planting my seeds but not watering them yet. Altho I have lettuce and onions under lights waiting for them to sprout. I'll wait till the correct time to start the others. That keeps me pretty busy.

We're gearing up for a major kitchen remodel this spring in which everything will be removed from the kitchen so the oak floors can be sanded. They've been covered in vinyl for 65 years and altho the wood is a little rough, they seem to be in excellent condition. I'm sorta not really looking forward to this tho. But it will be nice to have some much needed additional cabinets, all new countertops and a new sink and stove.

Kathi, if I lived near Edible Landscaping I'd be there every weekend. The orchard is organic and they encourage you to eat whatever is ripe. Last June we ate blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, peaches and some of the best and biggest mulberries I've ever eaten. The orchard is quite nice and it was great to see the plants growing in the ground and not just in pots.

Welcome Goldylocks and all the newbies. The more the merrier! Your place sounds nice. You'll get better with time. We've all had some failures so stick around.

I'm actually a midwesterner. However, I will be moving to the DC/northern VA area next year, so I've been lurking to see what the climate's like (and where the *good* nurseries are). From what I've read here, the zone, weather, and plant selections will be similar to what I'm used to here in St. Louis. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the real estate prices...holy cow, how do you guys afford the house payment and plants at the same time?!

Jenny in St. Louis

"holy cow, how do you guys afford the house payment and plants at the same time?!"

It's pretty easy if you forego eating ;-)

Actually, we consider ourselves lucky. Bought the house in 2000, just ahead of the boom. I'm pretty sure the value of the property has appreciated at least 100%

Suja

Oh dear, it sounds like a trip to Edible Landscaping is a 'must' this year! I'm already addicted to Andre Viette's wonderful nursery in Fishersville, a half hour jaunt on the other side of the mountains. I must pass very close to Edible on my way to and from Andre's. Guess I'll have to make a little detour! And then there's Sherando Roses (roses AND clematis), a stone's throw from Edible's backyard. What a wonderful find! Last summer, my poor pooch had to ride home in our two-seater with six pots of sprawling clematis from Sherando stuffed into every available space around her!

Jenny in St Louis! The salaries would be higher here too, so it all balances out. If your company is relocating you the Runzheimers adjustment will solve your problem for a few years. Make sure they do the comparison to places like Chevy Chase and Bethesda Md.

Hi Davila,

Yes, salaries in the area are higher. My family in North Carolina thinks we're rich because of the pay scale we enjoy but they don't have to make the mortgage payment. And where I live isn't nearly as expensive as the DC burbs.

Allright Kathi, I can see I'm gonna have to email you and get some information on these other nurseries.

I'm MOSTLY Lurking, LOL
Swifty, I'm on the shore too. My place has a dog run and I've got my WS containers there to protect them from the dogs and the deer. Figure what should keep a dog in could also keep them out.
The basil sounds great. Are you going to take some to the swap??? I went a couple years ago when I didn't even really live here yet and it was a blast.
Jenny in St LOU, my daughter in in Southern MO and says it is definately colder there than here, at least on the shore. Maybe not colder than Northern VA.
Beth B

julia3,
I also live in Laytonsville. I knew there had to be some gardeners around here. There are lots of dogs. I only have .66 acres and it's surrounded by wooded areas. I have had to remove a lot of invasives to make room for my gardens. There were actually multiflora roses planted in the yard as ornamentals. They were the first I identified, and the first to go.

Sandy asked me about the deer-deterrent garden I am planning. It started out as 3 rose of Sharons we moved into the sun. Then they got attacked by japanese beetles and I was planning on planting a garden of 4 o'clocks around them. Then the deer started encroaching after some of the small trees and brush on the wild side of the street was removed. It is mostly going to be strongly scented plants like herbs: artemesia, rue, yarrow, catmint, nasturtiums, coreopsis, and alyssum. Just past this spot is the shady area where I had placed all the hostas from the plant swaps = the targeted deer food. I have some pulmonarias I can move there to distract them and I am trying to grow some beautyberry bushes and find sources of hakone grass, brunnera, and green and gold so the hostas are not so conspicuous. If anyone has any of these to swap, please let me know.

I have one happy dog who loves to be outside with me gardening or walking or playing. She's a sheperd/husky mix, medium size with a curly tail. Her one failure is riding in the car without getting sick, so she will not be attending any plant swaps.

Edible Landscaping sounds great. Where is it?

Susan

I am on the Eastern Shore near Elkton. Have a quarter acre of mostly high shade. I love hosta and lavendar and daylilies and iris and clematis. OK, I like it all.

My dog is well behaved and only digs under the house when she is chained up, and that is not often enough to cause concern.

I want to dedicate time to get some beds finished up this spring. I also have 9 acres of community land that could use some rhodies and laurels for naturalization.

Love crabs in just about anything. A fun recipe is Crab Critter Fritters.

Come on Spring.

Jan

I do check-in often but mostly lurk. I live in Germantown. I have full sun in the front garden and mostly shade in the backyard. I love fragrant plants and Clematis. My fingers are itching to get out in the sweet earth. As for crabs and oysters...love them.

I'm surprised by how many people here love oysters. People generally look at me like I have 2 heads when I say I love oysters. Also love crabs and lobster. Yum!!

lvmygrdn, glad to see you came out of lurk-mode. I too am itching to get out into the garden. My lettuce seed has begun to sprout which excites me to no end.

Susan, EL is in Afton, Va just outside Charlottesville. I live over by Harper's Ferry and it's only about a 2 hour drive from here. DH and I went last yr for our 20th anniversary and spent a wonderful weekend in the area. It's very scenic and there's much to do and lots of good restaurants. Also the quaint town of Staunton is near by. It's definitely worth a day trip.

Here's the link to Edible Landscaping. And I'm in no way affiliated with the place tho I wish I was. I bet if I worked there I could get some great deals;-)

They ain't cheap!

Here is a link that might be useful: Edible Landscaping

I check in here every couple of days, but there just isn't much to say when everything is snow-covered. The deer tracks in the snow around my azaleas are so depressing to see.

I live in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, near Crofton.

Hi there Susan! How come your zone is 6a and mine is 7a? I'm near the actual town of Laytonsville, where are you?

I suppose Multiflora rose could make a good hedge if you have lots of space but the things are everywhere!

Who doesn't love oysters (except, of course, people who are allergic to them)? Not fried oysters, though. Fried oysters might as well be fried anything else, despite the strong preference of somebody in my household -- not naming names -- for having his oysters fried.

Julia, so might kudzu be a nice bank stabilizer :-).

Hi everyone, I am just checking in from Cloverly (aka Silver Spring) Md. Looking forward to the swap, I have wintersown plenty of plants, so I should be able to do some swapping/giving away of my excess. I can't wait to see everyone again at the swap. I had so much fun there the last time.

Sophia

Hi!
Julia- I may be wrong about the zone, but my yard seems to have a colder microclimate and the plants are always a couple weeks behind others in the area. We always seem to get more snow, too, than 1 mile in either direction. It's bizarre. My house is off Griffith Rd. just north of 'town' and is surrounded by trees. I noticed on the old zone map of the US that there is an area of zone 6 that dips down into MD and decided that I was near that zone. Lately I've been wondering that maybe the low here is not consistent with zone 6a.

How did you decide on your zone?

Susan

Hi! I check in here once in a while. There's snow everywhere right now so I'm not focused on gardening. It's nice to meet so many local gardeners. I'm in Gaithersburg, MD. It's definitely zone 6b here according to the USDA maps, though some winters I swear it's colder and more like a zone 6a.

I'm a vegetarian, but I used to like to eat crabs when I was much younger. I'm allergic to oysters and lobster.

I have a 1/3 acre which I guess is pretty small, but I pack in what I can. I am nuts about antique roses, but I'm also into perennials (including salvias, of course!) and other shrubs. I have a small veggie garden too. An electric fence protects my main garden from deer, which is a big problem where I live.

I always used to say I was zone 6b but several months ago, Adrian Higgins (the Wash. Post garden columnist) said that the zones had been changed and now all of Maryland was zone 7 (mostly 7a, I guess). There used to be that dip that encompassed Damascus and some of Howard County.

I know a family who lives on Griffith Rd. the Clarkes?

Hi Julia, you are right, the USDA has changed the zone maps, but most places haven't caught up yet. Therefore, I still consider my area as zone 6b for when I am looking at plants.

Sophia

Hi Julia et al,
Time for some more "presence" from Virginia, I think. I'm in Herndon, and we're in a 'zone pocket' also. My 1/4 acre ranges from a solid 8 next to the house down to a 6b on the far edge, though we're nominally a 7a. Yes, we have wildlife in this area, also, but thank goodness no deer in my yard yet. I've seen them at my office 3 miles away, though, and we've had an opossum and a groundhog.
Jenny, yes, the climate is remarkably similar to St. Louis. I was in college out there, and would say that the timing of everything, and the tree and shrub palette, were very much as they are here - soil not quite as acid there, perhaps. I didn't garden there, so can't vouch for relative hardiness of perennials etc.
Oysters - yes please, preferably in my grandmother's oyster stew. Take cream, heat with seasonings and oyster juices, drop in oysters long enough to curl the edges, slurp with enjoyment! Crabs are good, but I didn't spend enough time by the water in Maryland to really get properly hooked. I don't know if Maine crabs are the same as Md crabs, but they're almost as expensive now. Once upon a time, we used to get them almost for free from the lobstermen . . .
Back to gardens - I'm working on reducing lawn, adding permanent edibles as well as a proper vegetable garden, and letting a corner of my yard go native (with a bit of training - not all natives are welcome, and not everything that shows up is native!).
Hope to make it to the swap - don't yet know if I'll be in town.

Robin

I love seeing the board get active again. I have never made a swap but will try this year. I have lots of perennials that need dividing and will need a home. As for zones, I am always trying to push the limit with some plants. :-) I remember seeing the article in the post. I consider myself zone 7.

Ree-->who is doing her best to come out of lurk-mode. :-)

I've been visiting this forum on and off since last summer and had the pleasure of meeting Vlad (great guy if youalready didn't know). Hopefully I'll be able to meet some of the others here this year since I'm now moved into my new home.

I guess I could say I'm near Treehouse, since I'm in Cecil County, but I'm south of Elkton, here in Port Deposit.

I've got 1 acre, and have been buying seeds (for the veggie garden), grape vines, and a few fruit trees to plant this spring. Not sure exactly when I can get everything in the ground because I need to get my builder back out to regrade my back yard. They did a terrible job!

Other then that, not much to say. I'll just keep lurking and if all goes well, I'm hoping to make the swap meet since I missed the one in the fall.

Later folks!!

BTW, I love crabs, oysters and pretty much any shellfish. For whatever reason, I don't like finfish.

Peggy,
Don't get me wrong, I love wine. I have gotten picky about my Merlots, lots of weak or too jammy ones have flooded the market...I like Jacob's Creek! Have you tried the new Aussie Black Swan? Their Cab/Merlot or Cab/Shiraz ...Can't Remeber, it was several months ago. Anyway surprisingly nice. I tend to prefer Shiraz and med. bod. reds and Viognier for whites. Is there a forum here for wine snobs with no money? Burlwood (not cheap, it was a gift) has a LOVELY Merlot. Happy Drinking--Oh! I mean Gardening.

Heya!
I'm in Westminster and have been talkng on and off with people in Carroll County. I just ordered seeds and got some heirloom tomatoes in the mail this week. I'm SO psyched to try new stuff! We have about 5/6 acre, mostly in full sun to play with and I'm just starting!
Hello to my former neighbors in Fairfax ,VA-(I'm out of Oakton to the lovely farmland of Carroll County!)

Hi

To any one who is new I heartily recommend attending the swap. I was a lurker untill the last swap and went and met a very knowledgeable and friendly group of people. Just before the last swap the voles found my hosta beds and a few people at the swap gave me extra plants to get started again.

I garden in Clinton MD on three acres of sun and shade up againt a park, which is great, untill the deer who are protected there come wandering by for a meal of azealeas.

We have been here eight years and most of my time has been involved with hardscape, including a koi pond, and raised beds to make it easier for my wife who has had a hip replacement. But I now have reached that point she has been talking about. "Don't Build what you can't maintain" so it is time to stop building and get serious with all the beds I've put in.

Les

Hello Everyone!!

I haven't been stopping by much all fall and winter, but I do lurk from time to time. I hope to come to the plant swap this year. I've missed the last two due to conflicts and travel.

I garden in Columbia and have a very small garden.

Newt

Hi! I'm from Charlottesville also. I do a lot of reading on Gardenweb but not much posting. I'm planning a trip to Edible Landscape this spring. I've not gone before because I have a bad habit of buying plants and then trying to figure out where I'm going to put them. This summer I may finally have my potager ... knock on wood. I love Sherando Roses, and I'm planning on roses to border the potager (I love calling it that, so much fancier than "vegetable & fruit garden"!)

HI Peggy! I'm back for my bi-monthly visit ;o). Yes DO love oysters, crab meat, and all seeseafoods. Esp like oysters roasted in the shell on the BBQ. They'll open up once done and dipped in melted butter or cocktail sauce..YUM. Get them whist they last cause they're almost on the endangered species list. vgkg

Hi Folks!
I live in Lanham, MD, just outside the DC beltway near NASA. I bought out my ex a year ago and now I'm doing all the home repairs and yard hardscaping I never had his support to do. I've been collecting/murdering plants for at least a decade here, and expanding anything that does well. The goal is to have something blooming -- preferrably sweet-scented -- from February to frost. Christine and I are buddies (she teaches me yoga and common sense, I help her lay out garden beds). Welcome to all you newbies -- ask me and I'd be happy to arrange a "shovel tour" of my yard -- send you home with spare green kittens, no?

I also LOOOVE seafood -- sushi or cooked for fish, but no raw shellfish, please. I DO make a mean oyster stew, though my New England sweetie Richard says I put altogether too much stuff in.

AKA-Peggy, I'll be driving up to Brunswick this weekend for a load of free rocks (fallen from the highway cliffs). Too soon to plant, yes, but NOT too soon to build walls for new beds!

LynnT

Am I really the only Pennsylvanian who comes here anymore? It looks like all the other replies come from south of the Mason-Dixon line.

I'm into most types of outdoor gardening, but the only roses I'll grow are shrub/rugosa types - the ones that need only minimal attention. I'm starting with a clean slate this year due to a divorce and subsequent move, and I can't wait 'til the ground warms up enough to go play!

BTW - this year my favorite salvia is discolor. It'll probably be different next year.

FirstKim,

I'm south of the Mason Dixon line, but I'm so close, I do my grocery shopping in Quarryville, PA. It's only a 20 min drive to there and I can get fresh milk in glass bottles at the dairy farm's store. Now how many other places can you still get milk in glass bottles?

Hey Vgkg, it's good to see you still check in from time to time. I haven't tried putting oysters on the bbq but that's a great idea.

Kim, don't let the fact that us Marylander's dominate this forum stop you from posting here. I always find it interesting that I can drive to Va in 2 minutes and W. Va in 3. Pa is around 40. When I told some friends that in Dallas TX, they almost fell over.

Lynn, do you mean Cemetery Rd in Knoxville? The fella's that host the plant swap every fall? I was there last fall and mentioned gardenweb at which point someone asked if I knew LynnT. I live about a mile away from them but in the next county. In fact, you can almost see my house from their front porch.

I like sushi also and like you, have chosen not to eat raw shellfish anymore;(

FirstKim - no you're not the only one. ;-) I think sometimes winter has many of us doing (or talking about doing) all those "inside" chores and I tend to find myself lurking more and researching what to get and planning what I need to do out there when the growing season is underway.

Hi all! I'm in Culpeper, VA, raise horses, & am an avid organic veggie & herb gardener with a few flowers & fruits thrown in for good measure. Am SLOWLY fixing up a 21-acre farm, which I hope will enable me to pursue all my passions.

Oh - & I also LOVE to cook - mostly seafood, poultry, & veggie dishes, particularly different ethnic cuisines.

Hey everyone,
WOW look how many people on the eastern shore!and I thought I was all alone over here. I'm in northern Caroline county a stones throw from Baltimore Corner. I was born and raised in MD and have explored and/or lived all over the central and eastern parts of the state, have family everywhere. I moved to my current residence last winter. I have a 7.5ac farm with lots of greenbriar, so I am off to a fresh start.
It's exciting to see all of you winter sowing as well. This is my first year winter sowing I hope all goes well I have one container with a little green, woohoo!
I too am planning for lots of edibles in my landscape, although I haven't heard of the place you guys/gals have been raving about but will check it out right after typing this.
I am patiently waiting for the spring swap, although every year I wonder if Old Blue will make the trip.
Well, I am going to check out that edibles place.
Great 'seeing' you all again.
Lettssee

Lettssee, You mean American Corner don't you? I drive through that neck of the woods once a week, I don't recall ever seeing Baltimore Corner, anyway its good to have you here,lots of good info and friendly people to share it with. Paul

Definitely Baltimore Corner, for some reason it is on the map even though the population is like 3 or something. It is where people used to turn to go to OC before the bay bridge was built. I'm in Henderson if that helps, there are really no big towns here so I picked Baltimore corner because I know it's on most maps. I think American corner is in the southern part of the county. I've been wanting to go to the auction there that I read about in the paper.
Very glad to see people from this side of the bay. Hope to meet you all at the spring swap.
Lettssee

I live in the woods in New Kent VA zone 7, on the border between Tidewater & Piedmont. Grow mainly shade-lovers, but thanks to Isabel have a few more sunny spots these days. Have mainly been a lurker here, but cabin fever and the rare warm FEB day are making me dream of spring and wanted to see how other gardeners survive the last weeks of winter

Yes, AKA-Peggy, Jim and Dan have been friends of mine for at least 20 years, in SCA, music, gardening, whatever. We are in the same SCA household. Wonderful people; how do you know them? I'll be up there again Saturday April 23 for the first Passover Seder; where do you live and maybe I can stop in by you that afternoon? Anything in particular you want by way of green kittens?

I made two trips up there this weekend -- Saturday with sweetie Richard and his truck to bring back flat slabs of slate for another 10X10 area of patio, and Sunday in my own little (overworked) wagon to get chunks for another stretch of wall.

I sent plants to that swap with another old friend Phil N, since I had the awful choice of going to the Four Seasons Fall Swap or going to the Folklore Society of Greater Washington Getaway Weekend in Havre de Grace. Didn't see how it'd be worth the three hours of driving to try to do both. So yes, they were taking my name in vain.

One wonderful thing to do with oysters is to take a nice thick beefsteak, an inch at least, and cut a pocket in the middle. Lay in some raw oysters, then season and grill the steak as you normally would. The exquisite sea flavor penetrates the meat, and you get a bit with each bite. MMMMM. If you want to get real elaborate you can put a couple leaves of young spinach or even basil flat in the pocket before putting in your oysters, but some folks consider that overkill.

I have the day off (there are real advantages to working for the government) and I'm trying to decide if it's too miserable out to start digging the base for the new section of wall I laid out yesterday...

Lynn

I live in a small rowhouse in D.C. Thanks to the person who mentioned how lonely we D.C.-ers would be if the Maryland folk up and left the forum!

I was starting to post a bit on this forum last summer when family medical issues put a stop to my gardening and most of my Gardenwebbing. I'm starting to have a bit more time for both, so expect to check back in more regularly.

is what I think the oyster-stuffed-steak is called. I've had it, because I like both steak & oysters, but unfortunately often end up taking it home & recooking the oysters. I LOVE oysters cooked, but can't stand them raw, & quite often the oysters inside stay rather raw, especially if you're like me & like your steak rare/medium-rare.

Breez, I don't eat raw oysters anymore, tho I love them. I also don't eat raw fish...as in sushi, anymore.;( My favorite sushi is, and always has been, smoked eel.

Lynn, Jim & Dan are awesome. I was fortunate to meet them thru a mutual friend in Harper's Ferry. I'll e-mail you tomorrow and see if we can't get together in April. That would be awesome.