Hehe! I hang out too much at Home Depot! I forgot to use my 10% off discount coupon Saturday and I'm still mad!

I bought some brick edging for a flowerbed and some more plants. Still haven't planted any! (Too cold). We keep them in our garage and open the door when the afternoon sun is shining.

I have a landscaper coming tomorrow to have a look and then draw up some plans. We need some garden walls here and there because of a slope.

Thanks for your suggestions. I'll be back with more questions, I'm sure!

Okay, I didn't know you could divide them. Cool!

Twink - You might want to figure out your zone and *last frost* before you put a bunch of ploants in. It's likely okay by now, but I saw your posts were in April.

You can check online or in mags with mail order companies for this info, or luck out at Home Depot. Some of those people, not all of them, do garden and know their stuff.

I usually ask serious garden questions at a nursery, not a big store, and get better results.

OR ask a neighbor with a great yard. Real gardeners love to help you out.

I just don't wanna see you loose your plants and hard work to a cold snap - been there, done that.

I'm moving from zone 5 to zone 9, so I'm a novice all over again.

Thanks Brain, et al, for your suggestions. And thanks, Cheryl, for the helpful PM (typed one-handed!).

Now that the weather is nice and warm, I did get most of 'em planted. Then I bought some more and moved them around. Then I decided the poor lil (existing) daffodils needed some sun, so moved the pansies around (again) to make room.

Then last night we bought some Morefor my shady flowerbed. I've never gardened in my whole life, and I just can't get enough flowers! The nice thing about our new yard is the 2 dozen or so mature trees, so I can work in shade much of the time.

My Dad planted a yellow rosebush a few years ago -- it must have 300 or 400 blooms on it. I can't help but think of him whenever I see it. Unfortunately, it will have to be moved to make way for DH's future carport to park his truck. (truckport?) Any tips on moving a stickery rosebush?

Wait till it's done blooming, trim it back, and WEAR PROTECTION! LOL....




You're supposed to leave a pile of loosened dirt - an upside down cone shape - in the hole and set the rose's roots on that. Be sure not to plant deeper than the *heart*. You'll notice the thickest part of the trunk, it's almost a ball or lump - that's the heart.

Right at the top of the trunk, where that gets thick, leave some of that out of the dirt - I leave an inch or two exposed, make sure the soft roots are in the dirt.

Than tamp it in and water/feed like any other plant.

I've moved almost all my roses and they do fine. Only problem - usually, the root will grow back, and you wind up with some wild rose you don't want, because they're all grafts these days...

I'm trying to find an herbicide that'll kill off about 6 of that kind of rose right now.



Round Up for poison Ivy, you think?



now you know why roses symbolize love, cuz they have a heart.

Well, the flowers are doing well, blooming nice and on time. But the weather - cloudy, no rain until last two days, cooler than usual - seems to be putting the veggies behind schedule.

There are peppers on - sweet hungies. But just now getting buds on the tomatoes and the plants are small. The cukes barely grew. The lettuce is almost ready to seed, so I know the other stuff is not on course.

Hello! I'm new to this whole gardening thing and was wondering some things

I want to start a small garden. Not food of any sort because my dad has a half acre of tomato plants peppers squash and other edibles, but some nice flowers that I could have to look at or read by

I live in Massachusetts and know nothing other than frost is bad for plants. My downstairs neighbor collaborates on the garden with my dad and has some exotic flowers from costa rice but they die after 1 season.


I was hoping to plant some annuals that will spring up every year and are easy to maintain. Being in MA our soil is very rocky and lacking nutrients and the spot I want to plant in is shady and already has a bunch of shrubs and things around it.

My mom once had a bleeding heart plant that did well in the spot that I picked (the poor plant was mowed over and killed by my brother :/) so maybe I could get one of those since it thrived so well in that spot.

I need some ideas for shade loving annuals and easy to maintain (won't be over grown) and have some pretty flowers. If anyone has any suggestions please feel free

Thanks

I think you mean perennials, which come back after winters?

It is really hard to give advice generally without seeing the location. If the area gets 1/2 day sun, you could put in some of the new day lilies that continuously bloom all summer. Stella D'oro is one variety..dwarf and cute.

Annuals don't come back in your Zone, unless they reseed.
Counting on seeds doesn't work well, because some don't come back true to form. Petunias are like this...they will reseed but lose their colors and change to a more generic flower.

I would sign up for Park's seed catalog, and also Thompson Morgan. They have websites too, with lots of information and
pictures of flowers along with where to put them for best results.

There is a lot of failure in gardening. So don't get discouraged. Just move on.

Perennials like daisies and black eyed susans are easy to do too, but you need some sun for them as well. At this time nurseries may not have alot of stock left, esp for annuals. Sometimes they put stuff up on sale to get rid of it too. I go to a seasonal guy who sets up shop on a vacant lot nearby and he has tremendous bargains, if you know what you want etc.

Reading the catalogs helps you in the end to choose what you like and what will like the spot you are intending to fill.

Good advice from Mrs D.

I love catalogues for the info and inspiration. Also if you have a really good local nursery, the better local gardeners will know about it. Go there and ask questions.

I've been gardening over 20 yrs, and have found local-grown plants often do better than ordered ones. We have a lot of nurseries around, but I'll pay more at the one where they propagate the local plants - it's been here forever.

And if you get chummy with neighbors, you'd be surprised who's willing to share sprouts.



Also like Mrs D said, don't let the failures get you down. I lose plants every year. It's part of the challenge. And then you really feel triumphant sometimes, when you get them to thrive.

It's all part of the game.

My sis asked me why I did so well at this. I told her two rules in my garden -

1) if I like it it's a flower, if not it's a weed.

2) pull the dead stuff out before anyone else sees it. Then you always look like you have a green thumb.

Keep on trying with things too - I moved my Red Hot Poker, which is supposed to be really easy to grow - every year for the 5 yrs I've had it. Finally, it's blooming.

Some things I have that might work for you - Toad lily, turtleheads and monk's hood, maybe jupiter's beard. Bulbs might work.

I think rhodedendrons and azaleas like acid soil, but they may need more light.

The shrubs will be a challenge because they contribute to the acidity of the soil. But I planted purple coneflowers, forget-me-nots and hollyhocks on an acid bed where we just took out shrubs and they are doing well.

Hi. Do you know anything about fava beans (where in the country are you located?) I am in TN and our favas were not "bit" until 24 degrees. I read somewhere on the net that they will come back up from the roots when the weather warms up. I don't know wether to cut the wilted plants off or not, there are still some greenish leaves and a feeling of suspended animation in the plants. I wonder if I cut them off if the cold rains & snow would ruin the roots? Anyway, I am thinking about leaving them just the way they are to see what happens next. Any ideas?? Aunt Bean

Sorry I didn't see your post till just now! I don't know a thing about fava beans. But I hear you are having a hard winter down there - snow, cold and what all.

I leave almost everything as is until spring - for the reason you mention. It adds insulation for the roots. I'll know in spring what to cut off. Also, it provides habitat and maybe food for wildlife, and the rotting vegetation feeds the plants.

Mt theory is whatever that plant took out of the ground is in the plant. If you put the dead plant back in the ground, it is just the right fertilizer.

And also, you end up removing the least waste from your garden.

I hope the harsh winter did not do too much damage to your garden. Let us know.