Gardners, Come In Please!

[velobabe]

Originally Posted by samnotoes

The purple and white are phlox, or as I knew them as a kid, mountain pinks. They come in white, purple and pink. You can get them anywhere. They like poorer soil and are used in rock gardens. You can buy a bigger plant and separate it before you plant. It only takes a year or two and they creep and spread. They only bloom in spring.
In my backyard I have an herb garden on one side of my deck, the other side is a hummingbird/butterfly garden. I keep adding to my gardens every year to make them as easy to care for as possible.

Thank you! I will definitely be looking for them. When is a good time to purchase and plant them? I am in so much need of help!

We bought our home in large part because of the beautiful yard and all the wonderful things the former owners had planted and loved, but now we find ourselves lost in the midst of all they had planted and nurtured. I cannot tell a plant from a weed half of the time. We also have a small orchard of fruit trees but we know nothing about taking care of any of it. The maintenance is more than we expected... I knew nothing about pruning and when and how to cut things back. I think about starting it all over, so I know what I have and how to take care of it but hate the thought of ripping any living thing out....

[hviola]

Originally Posted by velobabe

Thank you! I will definitely be looking for them. When is a good time to purchase and plant them? I am in so much need of help!

We bought our home in large part because of the beautiful yard and all the wonderful things the former owners had planted and loved, but now we find ourselves lost in the midst of all they had planted and nurtured. I cannot tell a plant from a weed half of the time. We also have a small orchard of fruit trees but we know nothing about taking care of any of it. The maintenance is more than we expected... I knew nothing about pruning and when and how to cut things back. I think about starting it all over, so I know what I have and how to take care of it but hate the thought of ripping any living thing out....

Is there any way to get a landscaper to your home to maybe help identify your plants and trees, and give you some ideas if you dont want to tear out whats there?

[samnotoes]

The phlox is available here in my area now. Still to cold to plant it. Find out what your last hard frost date is. You can google that. Our last hard frost date here is May 15th. I have to wait here until end of April at least, depending on the weather forecast. Cold weather veggies, spinach & peas can be planted the end of March, beginning of April here.
Do you have any friends who could help identify plants? A cooperative extension in your area that has gardening classes? We have Cornell Cooperative extension that has places in different counties here, which give classes. How about the folks you bought the house from? Are they still in the area? If you aren't sure about something, let it grow and see if it flowers. You can then identify it much more easily.
Fruit trees need to be pruned in early spring, end of Feb., early March. They should also be sprayed with dormant oil now while we have at least 2- 40 degree days, before the flowers or leaves pop out. Then follow the directions on regular fruit tree spray and spray at intervals that are listed on the directions. Spray in the morning or evening when there is no wind. I have learned what I know through my husband (he worked on a fruit farm as a kid), trial and error, reading, and picking other peoples minds.

Gardening is a lot of work. I like to work outdoors. I also have raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, grapes, currents and kiwi. I pick my fruit, freeze it and make my own jams and jellies in winter. It all depends on how much time you have and how much you like gardening. To me it's therapy, relaxing.

[hviola]

Originally Posted by samnotoes

Gardening is a lot of work. I like to work outdoors. I also have raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, grapes, currents and kiwi. I pick my fruit, freeze it and make my own jams and jellies in winter. It all depends on how much time you have and how much you like gardening. To me it's therapy, relaxing.

I find it relaxing too. You are probably in a simlar zone as me. How does the kiwi work out for you? I heard it is difficult to grow.

[samnotoes]

This is new to me. I found it at a nursery here and also I believe it was available at Lowes. It is my experiment!
It is different than the stuff in the supermarket. It is supposed to be large grape size fruits, all green and sweeter. This is the second year it is in the ground. It takes 8-9 years to produce fruit. Sooner if your lucky. It is a vine. You need a female and male, and a trellis. I have it on the side of my tool shed and keep it trimmed back, away from the roof so it doesn't ruin the shingles. It also needs to be covered (the base of the plant) in the winter for protection. I used an old sheet with burlap on top. It grew no problem last year and made it through the winter. We had about 102 inches of snow here so far this winter. I am so happy to finally see the ground!

[holisticScott]

Hey Hot Rod- You definately have a beautiful garden.

[lizzieg]

So glad you posted this. Gardening is a fairly new interest of mine, so I am not an expect by no means. Just started my first flower bed, and put azaleas and Asiatic Lilies in it. We are zone 8. I'm disappointed to find out that the lilies that I got only bloom 3 weeks a year; the blooms are already falling off. ): Looking for more flowers that grow well and have a longer bloom life.