Gardners, Come In Please!

[hviola]

Im in zone 5B. This year, I'm doing Butterfly Bush, Black Eyed Susans, Violas, Tiger Lilys, and Hydrangeas.

Im also doing an herb garden and a cherry tomato garden. I will have 3 types of cherry tomatoes. Red, Orange, and Pear.

Ive scaled back a bunch this year due to my pregnancy. I usually do a ton of other veggies, but I cant live without my cherry toms or herbs. My husband will be doing all the digging and mulching for me this year, yay, so all I have to do is the planting and care.

[yorkiegirl83]

Oh my gosh you guys, I have never fertilized anything!!! Maybe that's why nothing works out well -- what is fertilizer anyhow? LOL

[Baby Blessing]

I now only have the rose gardens and a garden of flowers scattered about in several areas, Rather than to do from seeds I had bought the flats already started and that worked out best, we have lilies, petunias (double ruffled ones) remind me of a big carnation, dahlias (love, love them), gladiolas, vinca (spreading kind) verbena white and red (spreading kind) purple lantana also the yellow lantana ( I preferr the purple), Canna's (don't do good for us) love the clematis vines, honeysuckle vines, and we have one vine which has beautiful large orange flowers all summer but cant think of its name. Our ground is well fetilized and well prepared beds for flowers and we find they tend to take care of themselves after they got established. Was really amazed to see many in bloom after the big snow we had in December. Our yard is surrounded by large giant Oleander bushes(they are poisonous but soooo pretty) ours are one red one white, guessing I think we have at least 150 of them, I think everything gets protected from the winds from the west with the large Oleander bushes.

Luckily we have our own well so we are okay, folks on community or city water are loosing much of their vegetation due to being rationed with the water companies. They passed a new ordinance in the cities last year not allowing folks that bought new homes to put lawns in their front yards and had to do something else in landscaping. Really sad. Some areas even had to do away with their fruit orchards.

Hope Connie sees your thread here, she is one that is really knowledgeable about garening.She has a beautiful yard and flower beds.

This is a great thread, gonna go read the others postings.

Have fun and enjoy your garden.

Patti and Jack
p.s love using miracle grow :-) the flowers flourish and so does our lawns

[hviola]

Originally Posted by yorkiegirl83

Oh my gosh you guys, I have never fertilized anything!!! Maybe that's why nothing works out well -- what is fertilizer anyhow? LOL

Yes, miracle grow! Awesome stuff. I like the bottle one that attaches to your hose so you can fertilize a lot at once. Or you can get the plain box of it and mix it in buckets/jugs. I buy it usually at walmart or menards.

[stovesj]

Originally Posted by yorkiegirl83

Oh my gosh you guys, I have never fertilized anything!!! Maybe that's why nothing works out well -- what is fertilizer anyhow? LOL

You're too funny...

I'm not sure what you're looking for, annuals, perennials, evergreen...but one of my favorites is an annual called "Million Bells" or "Calibrachcoa". It is a mini petunia and one plant grows quite large and is totally covered in blossoms. It now comes in a wide variety of colors. I would also suggest looking at "Proven Winners" for your zone. These are plants that are disease resistant and should do well in your area. Usually you cannot go wrong with them. I also love the petunias like the wave, which can get hugh and totally covered with blooms.

Here is a link to a great gardening website that has forums for just about any type of plant you can imagine. Much like YT but for plants. Warning...you could get hooked on this!!!!!

The GardenWeb Forums - GardenWeb

[Baby Blessing]

Originally Posted by stovesj

Here is a link to a great gardening website that has forums for just about any type of plant you can imagine. Much like YT but for plants. Warning...you could get hooked on this!!!!!

The GardenWeb Forums - GardenWeb

Thank you for posting this link, already copy,pasted and emailed it to our daughter. That is great information.

[RowdysMom]

The best fertilizer is an organic fertilizer. Some of the chemical fertilizers have bad stuff that can leach into the ground water. Our city, Austin, TX, asks us to only use organic fertilizers. It's also much safer for the furbutts.

Liquid seaweed and fish emulsion are two of the best. You just water your newly planted plants in with seaweed or fish emulsion (one capful per gallon of water) and then drench them once a week with the same. It's very easy.

Also, never use a weed and feed product on your lawn as the weed killing part of it can kill your trees and shrubs. We are cautioned to never use weed and feed due to the harmful chemicals that will run off into the ground water.

[a2luckygirl]

If you like Roses- check out KNOCK OUT ROSES - they are really a no fuss rose bush- that just bloom and bloom!!!
My sister has several in her yard- and loves them!

[hviola]

Originally Posted by RowdysMom

The best fertilizer is an organic fertilizer. Some of the chemical fertilizers have bad stuff that can leach into the ground water. Our city, Austin, TX, asks us to only use organic fertilizers. It's also much safer for the furbutts.

Liquid seaweed and fish emulsion are two of the best. You just water your newly planted plants in with seaweed or fish emulsion (one capful per gallon of water) and then drench them once a week with the same. It's very easy.

Also, never use a weed and feed product on your lawn as the weed killing part of it can kill your trees and shrubs. We are cautioned to never use weed and feed due to the harmful chemicals that will run off into the ground water.

Where could something like this be found? Organic fertilizers sound like they would be healthier for my food plants since I am pregnant.

[RowdysMom]

Originally Posted by hviola

Where could something like this be found? Organic fertilizers sound like they would be healthier for my food plants since I am pregnant.

They are found at local nurseries - not the chains, at least I have never found any of these products at walmart, home depot or any store like that. Look up your local nurseries on the internet or phone book. Call them and ask if they carry organic lawn and flower care products.

I'm putting links to find these products online - you can read about them and then call your local nurseries to see if they have them or you can order them online

Natural Lawn Care

This is a link to the exact liquid seaweed that I use and buy at my local organic gardening store. Maxicrop Liquid Seaweed (Kelp Extract)

Here is a link to organic lawn pest control. Beneficial nematodes are the best at controlling fleas in your yard. No harmful chemicals, nothing to harm your furbabies or soon to be skin baby! Beneficial Nematodes - Organic Insect Control This site also has lots of other natural organic products.

I've been using only organic pest and lawn/garden products for about 10 years, and I couldn't be happier with the results. As mentioned before, our city has asked us to only use natural organic products on our lawns and gardens due to the harmful chemicals that leach into the ground water and contaminate ponds, rivers and streams. You can see my antique roses in my avatar - they've only had liquid seaweed and organic fertilizer on them and they are gorgeous!

[hviola]

Thank you for the information Rowdysmom.

[wemple2]

How do you keep your dog out of the flower beds after applying fish emulsion? Mine goes bonkers over it!!!

[RowdysMom]

I have a little fence around my raised beds.

[Lou]

We just moved into a house that is a virtual blank slate! I think the previous owner liked to plant annuals. I, on the other hand, am a lazy gardener and only want perennials. I plan on planting a few of the new everblooming lilac bushes, some cornflowers, and maybe some hardy roses. I do want to do a raised bed in the front and I think I am going to put a dwarf tree in the center of it and maybe surround it with Wave petunias. Does anyone have any advice for me? I'm in zone 5 also!

[hviola]

Originally Posted by Lou

We just moved into a house that is a virtual blank slate! I think the previous owner liked to plant annuals. I, on the other hand, am a lazy gardener and only want perennials. I plan on planting a few of the new everblooming lilac bushes, some cornflowers, and maybe some hardy roses. I do want to do a raised bed in the front and I think I am going to put a dwarf tree in the center of it and maybe surround it with Wave petunias. Does anyone have any advice for me? I'm in zone 5 also!

I love the little weeping trees, like this: View Plant

They are zones 4-8. I plan on getting one this year. My local nursery carries them.