Alive but discouraged...good to see some folks are still finding satisfaction in their gardens.
The drought and the fact that a lot of the rain comes in deluges has taken a toll on our downhill yard. The 7 inches overnight a few years ago washed away inches of good soil we built up over the years by shredding leaves, composting. I feel guilty when I water and guilty when I don't.
The compensation for our awful humidity used to be lush growth. I'm waiting for the plant providers and garden publications to reveal which plants like humidity without water.
In a few weeks, when the survivors are burgeoning, I'll probably be suckered in to spending my days out there again :>).

Yes Sunny, it's Erin!

Last year my maters were pounded by heavy down pours, but.. that's to be expected around here. Nice during the day then pop up t-storms out of no where. I was still a major downer to go outside and see the damage. Better than getting hail though!

How do you put those little smiley's in the message??

Can you believe this weather? It's almost 70 degrees! It's gettin ready to rain though which is good. We need it. GO figure. It usually rains everyday this time of year then when I start winter sowing it goes and dries up. Oh well, gives me a reason to check my seedlings/or lack thereof more often.

Erin, you have to upload them to a photobucket like site then you can get the code to post with them. They like to be let out every now and again.

Ok, that will give me something to do this weekend when the weather is yuck.

I just noticed that you are z7B and I am z8.. and we live 15 min apart LOL! I think I will update mine. Not sure where I got 8 from anyway.. :) Come to think of it, looking at everyone elses' zones.. I am definitely off by a hair!! Funny..

Va changes from 6-8 depending on where you are. Are you by the ocean? I'm about 20 minutes away from there. That might bump it up a little. I checked both zone maps and one said 7b and the newer one said 8a. But we are doing a container count on the winter sowing forum and I had started posting for 7 by the time I realized it might be 8. Oh well, guess it doesn't matter too much. It's still really cold here in the winter and really hot in the summer. Hell, by May we will be sweating our butts off.

I am in Forest too...and have a SERIOUS case of spring fever!!! We moved into a new house a year ago and I left behind my beloved garden with over 100 roses. Pretty much worked on the inside of our house over the last year and am now ready to play in the dirt again...NOW. Have ordered some roses and clematis, along with a few perennials, and am planning on starting some seeds too. I also did winter sowing a few years ago at my last house and had great results. Wanted to work on getting some beds ready this weekend but now rain and also winter storm watch...sigh...rain is good though...

Spring fever here too. Have 3 fluorescents in the closet w/ 60 toms,peppers,basil. A few more still waiting to germinate. The rains good, have a second rain barrel to get filled up still, but the freeze next week isn't all that great.

If you use the big chart, we live in the coldest "6" before it becomes a "5". We never buy anything unless its rated for Z-5. The coldest I've ever seen it here was -25F [air temp--not wind chill], but that is NOT the norm :-)

Best,

Tom

Hi,
I'm usually on the Holiday forum, but I have spring fever bad and need all of the info and hints I can get. DH and I tilled our usual garden spot day before yesterday. I'm in northern Appomattox. It's good to have some neighbors to talk to.
I need to find out more about winter sowing.
Betty

Well, the snow found us. Thankfully it's only a little. How 'bout y'all?

Ugh, well Sunny you and I are in the same boat. I was able to get a work-from-home day in though.. hehe.

Betty, I think GW has a Winter Sowing forum. I stumbled on this site recently looking for tomato seeds or something.. It's pretty neat.

Warmer temps on the horizon!

Erin

Here is a link that might be useful: Winter Sowing

At least 10 inches here with drifts higher! I wanted a nice snow this winter but not necessarily in March when I am itching to get out there. Oh well...in like a lion and out like a lamb...I checked with Gary's nursery here and they will have stuff coming into the greenhouse by the end of March so only a few short weeks to go. I like to get most of my annuals there...salvias, verbenas and such.

Betty...yes the winter sowing forum here is great. Read the FAQs. I had a very good success rate in getting seeds to germinate...even the harder stuff that I never had success with before.

Hi everyone :) I'm in Orange and last year was the first time I tried to grow much of anything. My husband brought home the book Square Foot Gardening and we're going to try it this year, so this weekend we'll be building raised beds and putting in my pea seeds :) They were so delicious last fall! I couldn't believe the richness of flavor.

Part of my problem is that I've never gardened so I don't know when to do what, but that book has some charts in the back that will hopefully help, and I also found the link to the VT chart in another thread.

If anyone lives near Orange or between Orange and Charlottesville, feel free to drop me a line. I'd love to find some gardening buddies!

Hi Bobbic, Rick_in_VA is out by you. He hangs out on the hot pepper forum.

As far as charts, I'd pick up a Farmer's Almanac.

Good luck!

Erin

I am very much alive and anxious for warm weather and dirt digging. I am a novice gardener, but I am completely addicted.

Sunny 631 - I think I have exactly the same mini-greenhouse as you show in your pic above. My husband got it for me for Christmas, and I was so thrilled. Now it is tied to my front porch (after losing a bunch of lettuce seedlings when the wind knocked it over... oh well, live and learn) with some happy looking spinach and lettuce seedlings.

I am in Central VA, between Charlottesville and Richmond (right outside of Gordonsville to be more specific).

Like I said, I am a novice gardener. Last year all I grew was basil, parsley, and chives. The chives have come back up, and I am so thrilled. This year I am expanding to some veggies and hoping that I have some success. I put some peas and radish seeds in the ground last weekend, and I check every morning to see if anything has come up... *crosses fingers*

Well, if nothing else, at least I have my compost pile to keep me entertained!

~ Christine :)

Hi louisagardener. Another trick for your greenhouse... Put a board across the bottom shelf, longer than the greenhouse is wide so the ends stick out 6 to 12 inches. Then put bricks, cinderblocks, cobblestones, whatever you have that's heavy, on the part sticking out. It will weight down the greenhouse so it won't blow over. That's what I did with mine and it's withstood summer storms and winter winds very well. Of course, it's also backed up the the side of the house on my deck so that does give it some protection but without the weights, it would have sailed off the deck and into the yard on more than one occassion! LOL

Sandy

Sandy,

Thanks for the tips! I might try that, as my porch has a roof and I would kind of like to put the little greenhouse out in the yard somehow so it can get even more sun... maybe weighting it down like you suggest would work.

~ Christine :)

I started some winter sowing this month- I hope it's not too late! The weather here was really nice, then we got snow. Right after I pulled all the pots of plants I accumulated by last fall out for some fresh air. I have learned something, I think. My plan to "winterproof" shrubs and perennials didn't work as planned. I think they needed much more water and snugging them against the house to stay warm worked against that. Also the roses look just awful. Live and learn, I guess. The bulbs are doing splendidly though- daffodils and crocus planted decades ago are everywhere, (some even growing through the straw I left behind on a bed). The new daffs and tulips I put along the walks are coming up too. Now, I got tired and potted up dozens that are in the garage. I need to check on them as last I looked there was some sprouting. Also, I potted up some hyacinth and daffs I found last month (forgotten about) and lo and behold those hyacinth are busting through the soil and blooming.

Ah, spring . . . even the frogs were singing last night.

Hello again everybody!
Tazebell, glad to hear about your bulbs doing well. I was in Norfolk the other day and Daff's were everywhere. Mine are coming up but no flowers yet. And I wouldn't worry about your roses. They are tough plants. They should make a full recovery.
Did anyone else get all that dang rain we got? It's been raining for three days. There's finally a break in it now but it looks like it will start again any minute. The good news is that all my w/s seeds sprouted in spite of the rain.
Almost everything is sprouting now except the annuals I planted a few days ago. During all the rain I got bored and I put out pot after pot into the cold wet backyard.
Sunflowers are sprouting already and my baby carrots are coming up,too. I will have to move them soon as I can.I here they don't like to be moved. They are teenie tiny now so I hope I can wait a few more days for the ground to dry up a little. I can't possibly put them in the mudpit I call my backyard.
Spring is in the air folks!

Sending a big HELLO from Tidewater Va to all my fellow Virginians.

Been lurking around for a few years and thought I would check back and see what's going on in the Virginia forums and decided it was time to register. I am glad I did.

I have those "let me at the dirt blues" but not the weather allowing me to get out and play in it, so I am just starting to clean up the yards for late spring and summer planting.

I am thinking about starting an eating garden this year. Haven't done that for many years but I think it's time to try my hand at it once again.

I can use any help anyone can offer...Not planting anything fancy now. Just your regular salad and side dish plants and green peppers are a must have. My family and friends are looking forward to some good old home made spaghetti sauce and stuffed peppers, not to mention Zucchini bread.

My problem being, is that my side yard where my garden will be has a 6ft high fence surrounding it and it does cut down on the morning sun so I thought I might take some of the more leggy plants and use the Topsy Turvy bags and hang them off my garage eaves, where the sun shines most of the day. Has anyone tried Topsy Turvy planters?

I have been slowly re-inventing my front and side foundation plantings and think this is the year I will make my final commitment to what I am going to actually do with them. Mostly I plant perennials like Knockout roses, day Lilly's, small foundation shrubs and Begonias in between the shrubs. But I think the foundations could use a bit more polishing.

Glad I stopped by today, hope to have many good chats with y'all.

I am getting so many things started that I am getting none of them done! Today's nice weather is inspiring me to make another run to the local Magic Mart and get some soil- see, the thing is, I keep making these runs, loading up on bargain plants and seed packs and somehow manage to "misplace" them before I get them in the ground. I also hit the Farm Bureau- big mistake. Apparently I think I am a farmer or something. So, added in to the fray are my "crops" which need to get in the ground pretty soon. About the winter-sowing project, some seeds have germanted. I need to give them a little attention but who knows? Maybe I will have a spectacular veggie and flower garden this year. The boxwoods look bad, though. They didn't get in the ground and suffered some winter damage. Does anyone know if they will recover? Should I prune the brown branches off? Thanks.

Hello all, We're in Richmond, Chesterfield area. Well This is our First veggie garden. we have corn ,let, cabbage,green beans,tomatoes,peppers, melons and cantaloupes.
we started everything indoors and hope to transplant mid April. we started with the 72 crate seedling kit from HD 2 weeks ago. Today we replanted in Styrofoam cups (inexpensive)because they are growing so fast and the roots are extending into their neighbors especially the corn. We have another week or so before trying the hardening technic.

Good Luck to all this season!

Hey varose? Are you in the Tidewater area? I have some Topsy Turvey bags and I am going to do bell peppers and tomatillos in them. Never used them before but if you go to the tomato forum and search you will get a lot of opinions on them. I noticed that Home Depot and Lowe's are selling the bags this year.

Hi All. I'm in VA, zone 7a, Shenandoah valley. Does anyone know... is it too early to plant my cold weather veggies in the garden? I have a bunch of brocolli started that I'd like to set out. It is getting too hot in the greenhouse for them.

I don't know much about veggies but with the heat right around the corner I would plant them now. It is spring time after all.
FINALLY!!!!

So I started my peas outside on St. Patrick's day, and we still have no seedlings.... any ideas what might be wrong? (other than some rather chilly evening weather? is it normal for them to take this long, did I plant them too deep?)

My peas took longer this spring than they did last fall. Don't lose hope, they may yet surprise you :)

Hi spencersmom,

Thanks for the heads up on the Topsy Turvy planter information. Going to run over and see if I can get them bright and early Monday morning. I am really excited about going to Lowe's and Home Depot this year. Can't wait to get started in the gardens.

Been out there all day yesterday and today getting things cleaned up and ready for planting. Hope they have them in stock so I can grow some good old slicing tomatoes and some small grape tomatoes for our salads.

I am also hoping they have some preformed ponds this year too. I put a small one in last year and now I want a larger one. I think most people want a larger one once they see how how nice the smaller ponds are. That's another post though.

I am wowed over as to how many Virginians are here.
Good to see that. I know I can use all the help I can get with my gardens and what better way than from all those wonderful Virginian gardeners.

Hope everyone has a wonderful week planned, even if you have to go to work...remember to take some time out for those simply pleasures that our gardens give us.

Chat with you all soon.

omgoodness..

So yesterday I decided to put a couple bell pepper plants in a topsy turvy bag. I know I'm early but I'm over it. I started waaay too early and have over 100 plants.

But anyhoo..

I thought I was going to kill my plants. I loosened the root ball and then had to shove what was left through what looked as friendly as a medieval chastity belt.

Got the plants in and they looked awful. I figured.. I killed them. I watered and made sure I was watering near the root ball and kept checking on them. Well finally later in the evening they had perked up. Today they looked much better. Not sure I'm a big fan of these right now but I'll keep an eye on them.

Happy Easter, everybody!
Today family and I are headed out to Richmond to my moms. We are having a big ol family get together there.Assorted sisters, husbands, nieces and nephew's. Lotsa food, great weather,I can't wait.
I am bring some of my wintersown babies. She has a huge yard and I am so jealous. She only moved there less than a year ago from Alexandria, so her garden is almost a blank slate. And I have wayyyyy more than I can fit in my little yard. ( Gotta throw some gardening in to the fun) so I get to play in her yard, too.
Oh, whadda day. And it hasn't even started yet!

Just checked in ..the weather has been rotten here-cold and lots of rain- did get my garden cleaned up though...Have lots of perenials coming up now. Daffs have bloomed and candytuft is blooming.

Kadz-have you been to Gary's yet to see what he has in? I am probably going to check it out in the next few days. Looks like the weather might be getting better around here.

All I've got to say about the recent weather is .....

Brrrrrrrrrr!

Sandy

This weather has been chilly the past few days. I can't complain too much, though... I just keep reminding myself that the spinach and lettuce I have going in the garden are very happy with that weather! :)

Fortunately, we've finally got some sunshine coming out today.

Oh, what a beautiful day yesterday was!!! Got outside and transplanted some black-eyed susans. Also planted some new salvia and I bought a double Knockout rose for the front of my garden.Got it planted. Hope it does good.Got some hollyhock seed and zinna's to plant. Going back out today and see what else I can dig in...

How 'bout those storms yesterday?!!? Wow! I was sitting here at work in Chesapeake and thought.. looks mighty dark out. BLAMO! Then the hail started. I thought.. bye bye garden. End of the day could not come fast enough. I rushed home.. no damage. Nothing was blown over.. very weird. Then round two rolled through.. again no damage. There was hail only a few miles in each direction but the garden gnomes must have looked favorably upon my plants. I'm gonna have to get one of those...

I hope everyone else faired the same!!!

Snowed here yesterday.

There was hail? I missed that. I got tired of lugging all my pots in and out so I just stuck a sheet over them so the dirt wouldn't all splatter out ( learned that lesson In March) and it worked great. Nothing is getting lugged in ever again! Well, maybe if there is hail.....

WooHoo! Now this is more like it. 96.5 degrees on my north-side-of-the-house porch at 3:00 this afternoon. Love it!

Sandy

Here's another tidewater VA gardener on Gwynn's Island. This year I am trying to raise '100 pounds of potatoes in 4 sq ft' http://lifehacker.com/5202849/grow-100-lbs-of-potatoes-in-4-square-feet
The potatoes are up and growing... We'll see what happens! I am interested in teasing the greatest production out of our little garden.
Best wishes to you all! Suzie Q

Hi,
Its sooo nice to see other Virginians YEA....Im in Blackstone and its pouring here right now Big time heavy rain...Of course it did not rain while I was at work..LOL

Shannon

Hello all you Virginia gardeners!
Rose & clematis are blooming & I'm so pleased as I planted the Zepherine Drouhin climber 2 yrs. ago & thought it may not do much for a couple of more years. This pic was taken 2 weeks ago, & it's even more floriferous now. The Jackmanni is even more abundant as well. I used Rosetone for the 1st time about a month ago. I'm a believer!

The azalea's are my neighbor's. I'm so glad our colors merge so well.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1323749}}

Hi there all Virginians. I have been keeping busy in the garden this year. I have built 7 new beds in my back yard and am now working on 3 other. Most of them are shade or part shade. I only have one full sun garden and it is popping this year. It is super hot in that bed though. My mom calls it my cactus bed... I have no cacti in it so imagine that. My red yucca is blooming in that bed. It has a beautiful salmon colored stalk and flowers. If anyone has a super hot/super dry spot in their garden then i definately recommend that plant. It literally is in bloom from May to Nov here in Central VA, with a 5 foot stalk. I tried to grow Lupine in this garden but it was not having that. I did not double check the web, but something tells me that Lupine does not like temps over 100 like I had in this garden a few times this May already. I have moved that plant to my part shade garden and it perked up by the next morning. I planted a large star aloe and some hannibals dwarf crinum in a pot together and they do not seem to enjoy the exact same light conditions. Live and learn I guess. So I will be redoing that planting. Does anyone know how to keep big clumps of Achillea from getting that dent in the middle which looks like a cat sat in it. It has happened to all the large specimens that I have seen this year. My phlox in my "cactus garden" is now about 2 feet tall and I have already trimmed of the top 3 inches to make it poof. Does anyone grow Delphinum as a perenial here in VA. I have only tried once a few years ago but then I moved so I am not sure if they made it. I drove by but didn't see it. Anyway I can go on forever regarding my plants and other plants in general so I will stop now.

I love the spring :) And here is a shout out to all the great people I have traded with since I joined here. Thanks!!!

David

I've had no luck with delphiniums here in northern va. They're pretty, but temporary. Aside from edible landscaping, I'm concentrating on tree peonies these days. This year all four rockiis bloomed, three for the first time, also Kao and Hoki and Hanadaijin--the most new blooms I've ever had in one year!

Anyone seen Lemon Daddy or the new Incredibal hydrangea for sale in Va????

I think I am done outside for the year other than my secret garden that I am constructing(my wife doesn't know lol). But I think I may be hooked on purchasing plants on ebay. This last batch is mostly indoor plants though other than a few hostas and heuchra. I picked up Paul's Glory, Rainforest Sunrise, So Sweet, and Grand Tiara Hostas. I got a Key Lime Pie, Amethyst Mist, and Peach Melba Heuchra. I got an unnamed Plumeria about 2 ft tall with pink pinwhell flowers with yellow centers(I plan on potting this up and babying it). I got a 2" tall Variegated Cathedral Cactus as well as a white blooming Orchid Epi Cactus. I also picked up 2 Paw Paw trees to try outdoors. I also placed a big order for a bunch of african plants including Euphorbia obesa, Euphorbia neobosseri x rossii, Euphorbia milii longifolia, Euphorbia milii var nova Makay, Euphorbia milii siegfriedii, Euphorbia milii splendens, Euphorbia milii tenuispina, Euphorbia gottlebei, and Aloe jucunda.

I have the hosta and heuchras under control with my plantings but I have no experience with any of the others. I should also be okay with any of the succulents as well since they are easy.

I was curious if anyone else is growing Plumeria or Paw Paw trees in VA.

I have one delphinium plant originally grown from seed in 2001 that has come back each year since then, always surprising me. I think the only reason it survives is the location in the back of the garden, where it gets no traffic. Also, after about April it is almost completely shaded by a maple tree and other surrounding trees. It does bloom each year but doesn't spread.

Hi Everyone,

Sorry I haven't been around lately. Not been feeling well plus the constant rain in my area isn't helping me pop out of my winter doldrums either.

Today I transplanted my Christmas Carmelia from the street side of my house to my neighbors side of my house. Hope I don't lose it. It sure gives me a much needed holiday thrill to see all those beautiful red and yellow center flowers at Christmas, when virtually nothing is growing then. Maybe this year I will actually get to see them as my knockout roses towered over it last winter. So please say a few of those great garden prayers, we have all needed from time to time, maybe they will help my beautiful Camellia bush adjust to it's new home. We both would appreciate all you can send our way.

Hope everyone is well and happy and enjoying the long holiday weekend. Please take a few minutes and say a prayer for those who gave their lives for us.

Have a safe and enjoyable Memorial day weekend.

Take Care Everyone.

Doh!!!! Both of my Delphinums in full bloom got crushed by a falling branch yesterday night. What good is it to have annuals if you lose their blooms :sadface: And I just commented to my wife this weekend that the delphinums are looking better than ever. I am at work now and I do not want to see what happened to my garden today after the quarter sized hail.

I heard on a news promo that we are supposed to have a Texas summer. What is a "Texas Summer"? I know Florida summer but not Texas. Why can we just not have a VA summer anymore? damn global warming!!!!

Also to those of you who grow Plumeria around here... How do you give the heat and sun that they need to thrive but not give them the rain or water? Do I need to be super vigilant with these plants. Are they higher maintenance than my pets where I have to move them around everytime it rains. I certainly do not want to grow these inside until I have to(winter).

Also does anyone know what the Wal Mart special Red Lava rock is made out of? Is it artificial igneous rock or what? Pumice maybe? idk any ideas? I am looking for a nonexpensive ammendment to my miracle grow cacti mix to allow for faster drainage.

David

Anyone in Williamsburg???

Just signed on from Newport News. Damm it's been hot round here!