How Does My Garden Grow?

[snifferspommom]

As requested, here is the DP garden thread. Please post your tips, problems, questions and photos, and anything else you would like to share!!

Someone mentioned topsy turvy planters in a different thread. While some people have had success with them, they are frowned upon in the plant community. Why? Because roots are programmed to grow down and plants are programmed to grow up. It puts stress on the plant when forcing it to grow in an unnatural position.

Controlling deer and rabbit browse, and what plants are not favored by these critters is a popular topic, one near and dear to me, as my flowers got chowed down by rabbits last year, grr!! Short of putting up a fence, there are several organic and non-toxic sprays you can use. I've read that spraying with hot pepper oil or sprinkling cayenne pepper, putting slivers of deodorant soap around your plants, hanging metallic streamers are few ways to keep those rabbits at bay. I'm using a natural and organic deterrent that is composed of dried cow and pig blood and vegetable oil. So far no nibble marks on anything that is coming up!

This link lists a lot of plants that deer and rabbits don't really like: http://www.icwdm.org/Publications/pdf/Deer/UAZ_deerandrabbit_resistplants.pdf

[kian]

Thanks Alina! I would be very interested in organic means to control pests, I have used Marigolds and planted onions to help in the past, still had to deal with those pesky insects.

I noticed there are many of those plants on our property and my favorite flowers on on the list! I can plant some Dahlias and some daisies!! I think there will be some Herbs in the planters outside now.

[pawsforthought]

I would LOVE to know what this flower is, saw it on my travels around the isle of wight and I love it, but WHAT IS IT?

[Sadie G]

Gaby, that is a beautiful flower! It is called an Iris Japonica.

I'm glad you started this Alina. I know we will all have info to share and learn from each other.

I'm currently looking into compost information. As I learn more I can share that info, and if anyone already has a compost pile or bin I would appreciate any info!

[Margie-Rex's Mom]

Alina, thanks for starting this thread!! And your comment about the topsy turvy planters made me think. I noticed my friends had a couple of tomato plants done that way last year. But one of the tomato plants was trying to grow back UP. It never occurred to me that nature was trying to do what it was meant to do. Interesting...

One flower I can guarantee that deer like is the pansy. I had a beautiful pot of them a couple of summers ago - all different colors and just HUGE. I got up on morning and went out to find just a few stems left. The only way I can have pansies now is to put them in hanging pots closer to the house.

I look forward to reading everyone's advice and tips!!

[kian]

I almost bought Pansy and my dad said those were candy for deer.

Linda I am very interested in composting and starting a bin. I'm impressed you knew the name for that beautiful flower. It is so unusual and so pretty.

I got most of the netting around my garden box, now to put out the wall of water for the tomatoes.

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Back in the 90's (so last century), the town in which we lived, gave every household a huge compost container for organic waste. Despite not living in my community, my Mum has been composting for years. She found one of her good knives in the compost once.

If one doesn't wish to be overrun with vermin and rodents, keep the compost to all things vegetarian. The minute you add meat or bones, you will attract rats and mice.

There are all sorts of bins available for "under the sink", as well as larger ones from which to empty the smaller day to day compost. I know it's easy and makes great soil or addition to soil.

Alina, thanks for starting this thread. I am certainly going to learn a great deal.

Linda, you did very well to name that flower! Now that I know it's part of the Iris family, it is easy to see that it is some sort of Iris. I love the mini ones, especially in dark purple.

[Sadie G]

I knew the flower was an Iris as soon as I saw it, but I did have to look up the exact name. I've been looking at Iris recently because thats one flower I want to add to my garden. Deb I really like the deep purple too!

I knew not to add any kind of meat, bones, grease or fat to the compost. I'm just not sure of the layering. I saw a bin at Sam's last Saturday, but I think I may go for the compost pile and keep it at the edge of the garden area. On the other site I frequent they had a discussion about the two and most of the long time gardeners preferred the open pile. They said the bin was more of a hassle. I can always try the compost pile and if I don't like it, get a bin to keep it in. My neighbor is a composter too, I'll have to make a field trip out behind their garage and check it out

This is where I plan to put a garden. It is SO wet here, we still are getting rain and lots of areas are flooded so I have no idea when I'll get to start. I would really like to have a garden this summer, but I don't know if it will happen with all of this rain.

The pile that is there now is a yard waste pile. Thats what I want to move and turn it into a true compost pile.
This is just wasted space behind our back garage. I think its the perfect area, out of the way and lots of sun. This photo was taken before all of the rains started over a week ago!



Kian, I would love to see photos of your garden area in here. I think we are both thinking about raised gardens (one with edges above ground level) rather than a garden area. Share your photos

[pawsforthought]

Thanks, Linda

I really wish Woody hadn't destroyed our garden, it used to be so beautiful. My mum studied garden design and designed it herself.

[snifferspommom]

Pretty flower, Gaby! I had no idea what it was. Rock on, Linda for ID'ing it!

Funny that composting was mentioned. I am eagerly awaiting my compost bin to arrive any day now! I purchased a bin that you roll to mix it. I have bags of garden refuse to put in it already! I also got a box of compost starter which has microbes to help speed up the decomposition process. It is in granule form and I you just sprinkle it in your compost. I've never personally had a compost bin so we'll see what develops. We had a huge one growing up. There is so much out on the interwebs, that's where I get most of my info.

I like your spot for your compost, Linda. Our neighborhood is so open that we'll have to put our bin against the house.

I must not have deer since a few of my pansies are up and blooming already!

[kian]

I will stick to a green compost that's for sure and that is much better. In my old town we could compost free and I did all my beds with that. Now trying to admend the soil is expensive, it's time to learn to do this. The idea is to save money, so I have to look at ways to do this without spending a lot.

Linda I would love to see a pic of your neighbours and hear how they did this. I have some before, during and will have after pics to share. Alina pic of your new bin!

I think OH's store sell compost starter, doesn't compost have to be turned?

[Sadie G]

Kian, I'll try to take a photo when I go over there. I don't think they will mind at all. If we didn't have a privacy fence back there I could see it! I'm pretty sure theirs is just a pile, not any kind of bin. They have had it for as long as we have lived here (22 years) and use it on their vegetable garden every summer.

I do know it has to be turned, but how often I'm not sure. Thats where I need to spend my evening is doing more research!

Alina, you will have to let us know how your bin does. I have heard about those. I'll wait to see what you think of it!

I have to share something else. I have some dark purple (almost black) tulips our back that I transplanted to the front about 4 years ago. For the last 4 years all I have gotten were the leaves, no flowers. Also the batch out back keeps coming back in force. They really multiplied again this year. I guess I will be moving more to the front! Yay, I love free flowers!

What I really am excited about though is this year there are 4 flowers out front! Yay finally some flowers and not just the leaves!!! These bloom about 2 weeks later than the other tulips too!

They are a bit spread out so I just took a photo of one of them.



This photo has a red cast (kind of) to the flower, but they are a deep dark purple. I think its the sunlight hitting the petals.

[snifferspommom]

Oh those are gorgeous, Linda! Growing up, we had those and just about every color and variety of tulip and daffodil you could think of! Our gardens were crazy in the spring! I wish I had some good pictures.

I have no idea what colors of tulips I'll have, as I bought bags of mixed colors...

Black seems to be the "in" color this year. We took a tour of the largest growing facility in WI and they had black velvet petunias and black petunias with yellow stripes. One plant will sell for about $10. People will buy them because they are something new and different.

I got my tumbler today! Too wet and rainy to put together. Maybe next week when the rains stop.

I noticed some pansies and black eyed susans coming up in places where I did not plant them, yay!

[kian]

Linda that is the "Queen of the Night" Tulip, I had a bunch of those at my other house. I also had some finge ones that were very cool...sigh.

A tumbler, how cool Alina! I did some research and am now collecting my scraps for the bin. (I just have to tell MIL don't throw out the stuff in the big bowl!) I've been on this site for info http://www.composting101.com/composting-tips.html

I need it simplified!

Here's 163 things that can be composted, I don't have dead jelly fish, I do have river mud and I refuse to go out and pee on my compost pile!! See the site at the end of the page. http://www.plantea.com/compost-materials.htm Some of the things are way out there...snow?? Seriously?

[Margie-Rex's Mom]

I have a friend who works for a gardening supply company that is based here in Vermont. I'm not sure what the rules are here in the forums, about naming places....anyway, she had told me that this was the top composter they sell...and they have lots of very happy composting customers. It is a "batching composter" so you can have one side cooking and have another side to add stuff to.

And they were also used in an episode of Star Trek: Next Generation as some kind of alien space bombs!! Apparently, one of the special effects guys had ordered one to use at his house and when it arrived, he was inspired!

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