Tell Me About Your Gardens!

mrscomposer · May 2015

I just got the tracking notification that my box of spring bulbs and roots have been delivered, and texted J to go pick them up at the post office. I get to plant flowers tonight!

I already have tulips, peonies, and lilies starting from last year.

Now I get to plant my goatsbeard, two kinds of rudbeckia, Black Eyed Susans, potentilla, and sedum. Once the frost date has past and I can do seeds, I'll have calendula, four kinds of sunflower, Chinese lanterns, brassicas, poppies, phlox... I'm so excited about my garden!

AND we're having homemade pizza tonight. This kinda just turned into the best day.

JennyColada · May 2015

It doesn't get cold enough here for tulips to last more than one season. They are my favorite flower.

I don't remember what flowers we have in the front, but in our back veggie garden we had tarragon, corn, radishes, beans, artichoke, carrots, and spring onions going on.

sarawifenow · May 2015

So I have a major black thumb, so I love to live vicariously through other people's gardens. I did just plant some pansies in our front yard, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that I don't kill them off!

mrscomposer · May 2015

sarawifenow said:
So I have a major black thumb, so I love to live vicariously through other people's gardens. I did just plant some pansies in our front yard, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that I don't kill them off!

I think that's part of the reason I'm so excited about things I plant - I don't necessarily have an actual black thumb, but I've had a neglectful black thumb for most of my life. Now that I'm actually taking care of my flowerbeds and what's in them, I feel very rewarded: 'oh hey, you little thing! I put you in the ground and now you're growing! Thank you for being so pretty!'

theartistformerlyknownas · May 2015

JennyColada said:
It doesn't get cold enough here for tulips to last more than one season. They are my favorite flower.
I don't remember what flowers we have in the front, but in our back veggie garden we had tarragon, corn, radishes, beans, artichoke, carrots, and spring onions going on.

Pull the bulbs out of the ground and store them in the fridge for the winter, then plant again in the spring. Doesn't save you the work, but at least you don't have to repurchase them every year.

We're going to have H's aunt help us with our flower beds... she's a master gardener so I know it'll be amazing, I just have no idea what will go in there. I definitely want giant allium somewhere though! And lilacs.

JennyColada · May 2015

lolo883 said:

JennyColada said:
It doesn't get cold enough here for tulips to last more than one season. They are my favorite flower.
I don't remember what flowers we have in the front, but in our back veggie garden we had tarragon, corn, radishes, beans, artichoke, carrots, and spring onions going on.
Pull the bulbs out of the ground and store them in the fridge for the winter, then plant again in the spring. Doesn't save you the work, but at least you don't have to repurchase them every year.

I heard that. But I'm really not into digging things out of the ground and then taking up freezer space for 5 months.

theartistformerlyknownas · May 2015

JennyColada said:

lolo883 said:

JennyColada said:
It doesn't get cold enough here for tulips to last more than one season. They are my favorite flower.
I don't remember what flowers we have in the front, but in our back veggie garden we had tarragon, corn, radishes, beans, artichoke, carrots, and spring onions going on.
Pull the bulbs out of the ground and store them in the fridge for the winter, then plant again in the spring. Doesn't save you the work, but at least you don't have to repurchase them every year.
I heard that. But I'm really not into digging things out of the ground and then taking up freezer space for 5 months.

Well yeah there's that. But I forget about whatever food goes in my crisper anyway so I don't use it. It's actually full of beer right now so that'll be in there for at least 5 more months!

KatieinBkln · May 2015

If anyone would like to turn this into a "garden porn" thread a la the kitchen porn one we had a few weeks back, I would not be averse.

Having no outdoor space, my "garden" right now is a lantern full of succulents. Oh, and a palm-y indoor tree thingy.

AW your own gardens, too!

arrippa · May 2015

I don't have any outdoor space. I want something like this.

But my plants die right away.

[Deleted User] · May 2015

We bought the house in September, so I'm calling 2015 the year of the perennial. First, I have tons and tons of green things growing all over the yard. The previous owners really liked their flowers. So, I'm trying to figure out what's growing. And I'm planting perennial food items. So far I have blackberry, rosemary, sage, thyme, and mint. The previous owners planted chives, so those are going gangbusters. I still want to plant rhubarb, asparagus, raspberries, and grapes. And I bought some seeds of creeping thyme for the weird back-behind-the-garage area that I hope will take over as a ground cover. 2016 will be expanding to the annual veggie garden. 2017 will be putting something other than grass and three shrubs into the front yard.

teddygirl9 · May 2015

We haven't fully done our landscaping yet, but I did plant a few things last year, and so far it looks like most of it has returned! So for the front I have a crabapple tree (leaves are just starting), a bunch of lillies, some decorative grass, lavender, some random creeping type things (thyme and some other prairie stuff). What has not returned is my hydrangea I'm still holding out hope. I should probably water those.

I want to add in a small bush near the front and some more flower type guys. I also have a lovely and huge dandelion growing near the crabapple.

drunkenwitch · May 2015

We have 4 types of tomatoes, 2 types of kale, 2 bel pepper plants, green beans, 2 types of lettuce, spinacg, snap peas, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, and romanesco. Will will plant basil and cucumbers next week. For fkowers I planted mixed wild flowers and sun flowers.

Picture of part of our garden is attached

madamerwin · May 2015

I love gardening! When we moved into our house almost 4 years back, the second lot (it's a double lot) was all blackberry bushes. The landlord had cut them down, and wanted to spray them with pesticides. She didn't follow through, which is good because we wanted to put in a garden and didn't want a ton of pesticides. It took us over a month to dig out all the blackberry root balls, during which time we unearthed a wide array of trash: car parts, toys, old soda and beer bottles, roofing tiles... It was kind of like a treasure hunt, except we still haven't unearthed anything of value.

Over the past four springs we have expanded our garden to include 5 raised beds, plus a huge patch (30'x10'-ish). We have a gardening problem, I think. We just can't stop expanding it. We've trucked in a ton of dirt - quite possibly more than a literal ton - since the dirt sucked and was of questionable cleanliness (see treasure hunt above).

So, this year's garden:

Box 1: Kale

Box 2: Broccoli, eggplant, and beets

Box 3: Peas, beets, and carrots

Box 4: Peas and 5 varieties of hot pepper

Box 5: Onions - Walla Walla and red

Big vegetable patch: 6 varieties of tomato, 2 tomatillos, 3 butternut, 2 varieties of potato (which we will intersperse with corn once it's corn-planting season)

We also have raspberries and tayberries planted along the garage, and a few more random squash and wildflowers planted along the fence and wherever we can find space. We basically provide produce for most of our friends and families during the summer.

ETA words

afox007 · May 2015

We have two big empty flower beds in our yard that would be a perfect garden if anyone else lived here. Last year I planted a bunch of stuff and I think only the tomatoes and onions made it.

We are debating spending this week getting a better garden set up with the already started plants. I proved me and seeds do not work. We would also need to put up a small fence since our dog decided he loved rolling in the plants as soon as they started growing.

madamerwin · May 2015

afox007 said:
We have two big empty flower beds in our yard that would be a perfect garden if anyone else lived here. Last year I planted a bunch of stuff and I think only the tomatoes and onions made it.

We are debating spending this week getting a better garden set up with the already started plants. I proved me and seeds do not work. We would also need to put up a small fence since our dog decided he loved rolling in the plants as soon as they started growing.

I cannot grow anything from seed. I forget to water them and they dry out before germinating. FI has better luck, but we plant most things from starts. Works out much better for us!

drunkenwitch · May 2015

afox007 said:
We have two big empty flower beds in our yard that would be a perfect garden if anyone else lived here. Last year I planted a bunch of stuff and I think only the tomatoes and onions made it.

We are debating spending this week getting a better garden set up with the already started plants. I proved me and seeds do not work. We would also need to put up a small fence since our dog decided he loved rolling in the plants as soon as they started growing.

Most of our plant we bought as starters, no shame in that!

paperpusher · May 2015

I love gardening. My bed are being semi neglected until I get the next door neighbor's taken care of. I finished my plotting yesterday for hers and I think I'm just going to have to plant the seeds directly instead of starting them inside.
Mine is mostly tulips and I'm hoping to add more stuff to it and bring it out further so I can have a designated row for annuals.

[Deleted User] · May 2015

I have room on one window sill for 4 small pots so I'm planting seedlings I bought Saturday at the farmer's market- cilantro, rosrmary, basil, and flat leaf parsley.

My future MIL also offered us one of her raised beds. I'm tempted to take it but caring for it could be a challenge- trying to evaluate how realistic this will be before Fiance and I sink money into a bunch of plants we won't have time to tend.

ETF: typos

hellosweetie1015 · May 2015

lolo883 said:

JennyColada said:
It doesn't get cold enough here for tulips to last more than one season. They are my favorite flower.
I don't remember what flowers we have in the front, but in our back veggie garden we had tarragon, corn, radishes, beans, artichoke, carrots, and spring onions going on.
Pull the bulbs out of the ground and store them in the fridge for the winter, then plant again in the spring. Doesn't save you the work, but at least you don't have to repurchase them every year.

We're going to have H's aunt help us with our flower beds... she's a master gardener so I know it'll be amazing, I just have no idea what will go in there. I definitely want giant allium somewhere though! And lilacs.

I WANT THAT.

My little veggie garden has six tomato plants, three squashes (as of right now), some bush beans, and possibly a couple carrots. I planted zucchini but it didn't come up yet.

This weekend I also planted some cantaloupe in a planter. We're going to see how it does.

Then I've got a couple of unknown succulent-type plants, a ficus, an aloe plant, a Christmas Cactus, and a flowery plant of some type.

I talk to my plants. All the damn time. I call the squashes squashies. I suspect the neighbors think a seven-year-old has the garden. Don't care, I have three squashes and no zucchinis, and I blame it on the fact that I can't find a good pet name out of zucchini. They don't think I love them.

chibiyui · May 2015

I only have containers now, can't put anything i the ground. but I'm working on making them really nice and attractive for the hummingbirds. And me. I love succulents, the hummingbirds don't.

This is my nicest looking container at the moment.

.....But I bought some teacups and I want to make a bitchin pinteresty teacup planter. I'll AW when it's done.

sophhabobopha · May 2015

I don't live in a house yet and I kill all house plants.

But I do have cactai.

Herbert was cut off of a coworker's, and I got the babies at Safeway.

JoanE2012 · May 2015

So jealous of everyone's gardens....the deer here eat practically everything.

mrscomposer · May 2015

So my beds are actually really boring right now - but the potential is awesome! I've only been in this house since August, and my fall was a little busy with the wedding, so I didn't have a chance to clean out the beds and plan until this spring. Oy vey, did they need a lot of work. The grass is strong in them.

I have a wrap around bed on two sides of the house. The front has the bushes, and will have calendula, Chinese lantern, and verbena from seed. I also had to move some tulips that some ding-dong planted BEHIND the bushes, so I'm still holding out hope that they'll survive. The corner of that bed has my peonies.

The long bed down the side of the house has lilies and tulips already going from last year, and I just planted my rudbeckia, black eyed Susans, and potentilla. The large empty patch at the back of that bed will have four different shapes and sizes of sunflower. The rest will be hollyhock and poppies.

The raised bed at the back now has goatsbeard, sedum, phlox, and sweet pea in the corner. There'll also be gaillardia, brassicas, and seed phlox in there. I have some pots for lobelia and zinnia.

Basically, the only colour I have right now are the tulips the former resident planted. Those are for you, Jenny

[Deleted User] · May 2015

FeeleyToBe said:
I have room on one window sill for 4 small pots so I'm planting seedlings I bought Saturday at the farmer's market- cilantro, rosrmary, basil, and flat leaf parsley.

My future MIL also offered us one of her raised beds. I'm tempted to take it but caring for it could be a challenge- trying to evaluate how realistic this will be before Fiance and I sink money into a bunch of plants we won't have time to tend.

ETF: typos

TrixieJess · May 2015

We only have a small patch of grass and the rest is garden. We gave tulips, irises, daffodils, lillies, solomon's seal, roses, echinacea, milkweed, butterfly bush, bee balm, strawberries, rhubarb, mint, I planted garlic, kale, radishes, zucchini, beets, and borage. This weekend we are planting peppers, jalepenos, tomatoes and tomatillos. We also have a bunch of herbs sprinkled throughout the garden.

sarahufl · May 2015

@lolo883-
What are those foofy purple things? Because now I want them.

We bought a house in November, so this is the first spring we have been in it and it is fun to watch everything pop up. We have these big, amazing tulips that I love. I grew up somewhere too warm for tulips, so I am a bit obsessed with the fact that I have them in my front yard now.

The previous owners did a lot of really great landscaping, so we are kind of waiting it out to see what grows before we add much more. We also have this amazing Japanese Maple out front that gets fire engine red. Also, a giant Magnolia. Which, while beautiful, litters all over my driveway and is kind of icky.

I can't wait to garden more. Just so excited to have a house now!

Pics, because I love my house.

labro · May 2015

I'm so excited for our garden this year (and next year)! H and I finally got around to digging out a real vegetable garden bed so now we have a 15 x 15 space to do whatever we want with. I transplanted my kale back there, and also planted asparagus and rhubarb roots which have both sprouted this week!! The only bummer is you aren't supposed to harvest either of those plants until Year 2 in order to give them time to establish....sooo no fresh rhubarb bars until next summer I guess.

This year I'm trying my first garden from 100% seeds. I planted about 6 pepper varieties (because H loves hot things), yellow, spaghetti, and butternut squash, watermelon, cucumber, cilantro, basil, sage, dill, cherry tomatoes, brandywine tomatoes, okra, and brussel sprouts. So far everything has sprouted except for the pepper seeds, but my experience last year tells me they tend to take a little longer to come up so I'm not worried yet. I'm nearly ready to transplant a few seedlings from their starter pot to the garden too so I can't wait!

The main reason we bought our house was because it had a huge, landscaped yard. It already had azaleas, gardenias, hydrangeas, irises, hostas, and roses. This year I added more azaleas, more hydrangeas, blueberry bushes, peonies, and a forsythia bush. I also had two rose bushes (that were dead looking when we bought the house) fully recover this year and come back to life with blooms and everything! They are different from the roses that were already established, the flowers have a deep red/purple color with yellow centers. I guess I'll add some photos later. The only thing I have for this year so far are some pics from when our camellias, azaleas and dogwood trees started blooming earlier this month.

Oh, and this one from last year when our gardenia bush FINALLY bloomed for the first time that year. We had a late freeze that really set them back and I didn't see blooms come until October.

KatieinBkln · May 2015

JennyColada said:
It doesn't get cold enough here for tulips to last more than one season. They are my favorite flower.
I don't remember what flowers we have in the front, but in our back veggie garden we had tarragon, corn, radishes, beans, artichoke, carrots, and spring onions going on.

Pull the bulbs out of the ground and store them in the fridge for the winter, then plant again in the spring. Doesn't save you the work, but at least you don't have to repurchase them every year.

We're going to have H's aunt help us with our flower beds... she's a master gardener so I know it'll be amazing, I just have no idea what will go in there. I definitely want giant allium somewhere though! And lilacs.

I WANT THAT.

My little veggie garden has six tomato plants, three squashes (as of right now), some bush beans, and possibly a couple carrots. I planted zucchini but it didn't come up yet.

This weekend I also planted some cantaloupe in a planter. We're going to see how it does.

Then I've got a couple of unknown succulent-type plants, a ficus, an aloe plant, a Christmas Cactus, and a flowery plant of some type.

I talk to my plants. All the damn time. I call the squashes squashies. I suspect the neighbors think a seven-year-old has the garden. Don't care, I have three squashes and no zucchinis, and I blame it on the fact that I can't find a good pet name out of zucchini. They don't think I love them.

BOXFAILBOXFAILBOXFAIL!

If it makes you/them feel any better, the name zucchini is technically already a diminutive in Italian--means "little squash."

mrscomposer · May 2015

sarahufl said:
@lolo883-
What are those foofy purple things? Because now I want them.
BOXXXXESSSS

Allium! They come in little poofs or big hilarious poofs. Those ones are Gladiator Allium. They're in the onion family, of all things. Like a chive on steroids.

hellosweetie1015 · May 2015

KatieinBkln said:

JennyColada said:
It doesn't get cold enough here for tulips to last more than one season. They are my favorite flower.
I don't remember what flowers we have in the front, but in our back veggie garden we had tarragon, corn, radishes, beans, artichoke, carrots, and spring onions going on.
Pull the bulbs out of the ground and store them in the fridge for the winter, then plant again in the spring. Doesn't save you the work, but at least you don't have to repurchase them every year.

We're going to have H's aunt help us with our flower beds... she's a master gardener so I know it'll be amazing, I just have no idea what will go in there. I definitely want giant allium somewhere though! And lilacs.

I WANT THAT.

My little veggie garden has six tomato plants, three squashes (as of right now), some bush beans, and possibly a couple carrots. I planted zucchini but it didn't come up yet.

This weekend I also planted some cantaloupe in a planter. We're going to see how it does.

Then I've got a couple of unknown succulent-type plants, a ficus, an aloe plant, a Christmas Cactus, and a flowery plant of some type.

I talk to my plants. All the damn time. I call the squashes squashies. I suspect the neighbors think a seven-year-old has the garden. Don't care, I have three squashes and no zucchinis, and I blame it on the fact that I can't find a good pet name out of zucchini. They don't think I love them.

BOXFAILBOXFAILBOXFAIL!

If it makes you/them feel any better, the name zucchini is technically already a diminutive in Italian--means "little squash."

Preemptive box fix.

AWWWWW yes that makes me feel much better. I dunno about them. I'll have to tell them about it when I get home tonight. Maybe they'll start growing once they hear that!

paperpusher · May 2015

For anyone interested in forcing bulbs or in climates that don't get cold enough - do NOT put them in the freezer. Only the fridge.
I made that mistake once because I wanted to have tulips all the time inside, well once they thawed they got all moldy and were no longer good. Had to throw all of them away.

Tell Me About Your Gardens!

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