March Garden accomplishments, dreams, goals, frustrations, what's up? Talk to me.

[Miss Tick]

6 minutes ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

I was just losing my mind with various seed packets. This is a bazillion times easier. I mean it. Not having to get packets to stick back or fumble for tape or look though a pile of them for something specific. 

Plus trying to corral seed packets blown by a gust of wind or trying to get extra seeds back into the packet! I'm totally just laughing at myself that it would never have occurred to me that there might be a better way. You have blown my mind!

#thisistheway

[Ann.without.an.e]

21 minutes ago, Miss Tick said:

Plus trying to corral seed packets blown by a gust of wind or trying to get extra seeds back into the packet! I'm totally just laughing at myself that it would never have occurred to me that there might be a better way. You have blown my mind!

#thisistheway

It’s a little time consuming to set up but it saves time in the long run and the little boxes are fairly cheap. 
 

I put all of my emptied seed packets in a ziploc bag for now just in case I need to reference them but I typically don’t ever do that. I’ll toss them when I’m done with the seeds. Also the way I numbered, you never have to change the labels if you change the seed type in the container. You just have to change your list to match what’s inside.

 

[Clarita]

Seeds are in a tub somewhat labeled. I've been watering it and they are starting to sprout (peas and okra anyway). We'll see what happens. The Alliums are still alive. There has been enough rain that I haven't had to water them. 

[popmom]

@Ann.without.an.e I’m impressed! I have mine in the original packs. I keep them in clear baseball card holders in a big binder. I don’t refrigerate them or anything. I didn’t know that was a thing!

Edited March 8, 2023 by popmom

[Ann.without.an.e]

21 minutes ago, popmom said:

@Ann.without.an.e I’m impressed! I have mine in the original packs. I keep them in clear baseball card holders in a big binder. I don’t refrigerate them or anything. I didn’t know that was a thing!

Refrigeration isn’t necessary but they are supposed to last longer 😊

[SHP]

8 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

I live in the natural environment for hydrangeas. They can become very, very huge….like 12’ tall and 16’ wide huge. 

And will eat your house

[SHP]

6 hours ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

I was just losing my mind with various seed packets. This is a bazillion times easier. I mean it. Not having to get packets to stick back or fumble for tape or look though a pile of them for something specific. 

 

I dumped all seeds in a mason jar, shook and spread them everywhere. 

[prairiewindmomma]

1 hour ago, SHP said:

And will eat your house

I am willing to believe it. I saw a bush next to a 1930s house a few years ago and it was amazing. The bush seemed bigger than the cottage. 
 

It’s so funny because I tried SO HARD to grow hydrangea when we lived in the Midwest and it was never happy no matter how much I watered it, how much I amended the soil, etc. it would never grow past 2’x3’. Here, like raspberries, they can become a nuisance.

[prairiewindmomma]

I started another batch of seeds today, but the soil outside is still too wet to work. We were wiped out three times last spring, so I am starting extras in waves just in case the early plantings get destroyed. 

[SHP]

5 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

I am willing to believe it. I saw a bush next to a 1930s house a few years ago and it was amazing. The bush seemed bigger than the cottage. 
 

It’s so funny because I tried SO HARD to grow hydrangea when we lived in the Midwest and it was never happy no matter how much I watered it, how much I amended the soil, etc. it would never grow past 2’x3’. Here, like raspberries, they can become a nuisance.

I was doing research on different hydrangeas and found an article with a picture of one that looked like it was eating either a house or garage. It talked about how the listed height was the height at 10 years old and that they keep growing. I crossed them off my list. We don't have the yard space for larger plants.

[popmom]

1 hour ago, SHP said:

I was doing research on different hydrangeas and found an article with a picture of one that looked like it was eating either a house or garage. It talked about how the listed height was the height at 10 years old and that they keep growing. I crossed them off my list. We don't have the yard space for larger plants.

@SHP  @prairiewindmomma  I think people here prune them. Oak leaf hydrangeas are native to our area. They can get pretty big, but when used in landscaping--just like any other shrub--you gotta prune them. 🤷‍♀️

Edited March 8, 2023 by popmom

[SHP]

Just now, popmom said:

I think people here prune them. Oak leaf hydrangeas are native to our area. They can get pretty big, but when used in landscaping--just like any other shrub--you gotta prune them. 🤷‍♀️

I have so little space that even keeping them pruned isn't enough. There was one when we moved in and it was only 3ft wide and it just over powered the area. It has been frustrating to find plants we want and not have them look strange and out of place or be illegal. Last year I realized I would have to give up on having a Dwarf Red Twig Dogwood, even on the smallest end it was just too much plant. 😞 We cannot have anything over 15ft tall either so this has been an interesting experience finding perfect plants

[prairiewindmomma]

I have been trying to eradicate a hydrangea for five years now. The roots can go out quite long and sprout up new plants. I tried for a while to keep things pruned down. I took a 8’ plant down to a 2-3’ one one spring(shaped it into a ball from a wedge) but by the end of November it was back to 7-8’ wide. It’s been two years now of me just trying to kill the thing and I saw some green leaves the other day so I suspect I will go out soon and pull it and hope I can get all of the root this time. 
 

 

[Faith-manor]

6 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

I have been trying to eradicate a hydrangea for five years now. The roots can go out quite long and sprout up new plants. I tried for a while to keep things pruned down. I took a 8’ plant down to a 2-3’ one one spring(shaped it into a ball from a wedge) but by the end of November it was back to 7-8’ wide. It’s been two years now of me just trying to kill the thing and I saw some green leaves the other day so I suspect I will go out soon and pull it and hope I can get all of the root this time. 
 

 

I am having the same problem with a black cap bush. (Black caps are a black raspberry.) I would have preferred not to kill it because the berries are edible and delicious. But it was planted by the previous owner right up against the foundation of the house. It is causing damage and busting up all the brick in that spot. Every year so think I have murdered it, only to have it come back. I don't want to spray Monsanto Round Up and refuse even though that would probably take care of it. The new plan is dh is going to dig up around it in the hopes of exposing roots and dump a five gallon bucket of boiling water on them. Then a couple weeks later he is going to make up another five gallon bucket of tobacco slurry (water, large pouch of chewing tobacco, and a cup of dish soap, mix and let sit for 48 hours) and douse the roots with that. Basically, tobacco poison it. The dish soap works as a surfactant to help coat the roots.

Fingers crossed. But who knows. I think these things have nine lives.

[Rosie_0801]

6 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

I have been trying to eradicate a hydrangea for five years now. The roots can go out quite long and sprout up new plants. I tried for a while to keep things pruned down. I took a 8’ plant down to a 2-3’ one one spring(shaped it into a ball from a wedge) but by the end of November it was back to 7-8’ wide. It’s been two years now of me just trying to kill the thing and I saw some green leaves the other day so I suspect I will go out soon and pull it and hope I can get all of the root this time. 
 

 

I think it took me three years to starve a cotoneaster to death.

[itsheresomewhere]

This is my that kills poison ivy, ivy and anything you don’t want. 
 

you need-

40% Cleaning Vinegar

Orange Oil

Wear a mask as it is a strong smell. 

I usually do half or a bit more of the cleaning vinegar, a cup of Orange oil and just a bit of water in a large pump sprayer.  Soak the offending plant.  For extremely offensive plants that just are stubborn, I would pour the vinegar straight on it.  
 

You can grow plants in the ground in 4-6 weeks after a really good soaking.  I have been doing this for years.  Your yard will smell like pickles when applying and for a few hours. 
 

Faith- I love those black cap bushes.  If you want to save it, you can usually dig it up and transplant into a container to help the roots heal.  Then replant where you want it.  I have relocated several this way from other yards and it has worked. 

[BeachGal]

I live in a complex of old buildings and most of the landscaping is in sad shape.

When we get back from our vacation, I will be selectively pruning about 55 densiformis yews in the front. They have been massacred for the past few decades and are barely hanging in there, all legs and big shoulders. Sheared in December in Chicago area for years! That is probably the worst time to prune them. It was a battle to get pruning changed to late March. But they are yews and thankfully, hardy beasts.

I am almost finished thinning out 40 years worth of the thickets of wintercreeper that contain 40 years of trash — layers and layers — infested with root weevils that have been eating everything, including some beautiful rhodeys and yew roots. The trash is so bad, I am going to suck it out with a shop vac before applying nematodes that should kill hopefully most of the springtime grubby root weevils. My guess is that the areas will need to be treated for a few years in spring and late summer.

Then on to pruning the boxwood. Never pruned. Very sad and neglected. They have psyllid bugs but it’s not horrible.

Then pruning roses and dogwoods. Hydrangeas are done.

Also will be dividing hostas and anything else so that we can use the freebies elsewhere in the garden instead of buying them.

Planting more Japanese grasses, coral bells, rodgersia, bergenia, lobelia (black truffle! I’m excited to see how it does) and other foresty shade lovers. We have mostly shade.

Shredding the leaves our trees give us instead of hauling them away.

Removing Star of Bethlehem that is everywhere. And wild violets. They are pretty though so it’s hard to hate them.

I am in Nashville atm and will be checking out a few nurseries today to see if they have anything yet. Might be too soon. We will be in Louisville tomorrow visiting the Dell Yew Botanical Gardens. I'd love to take a workshop there with Paul Cappiello.

[Faith-manor]

2 hours ago, itsheresomewhere said:

This is my that kills poison ivy, ivy and anything you don’t want. 
 

you need-

40% Cleaning Vinegar

Orange Oil

Wear a mask as it is a strong smell. 

I usually do half or a bit more of the cleaning vinegar, a cup of Orange oil and just a bit of water in a large pump sprayer.  Soak the offending plant.  For extremely offensive plants that just are stubborn, I would pour the vinegar straight on it.  
 

You can grow plants in the ground in 4-6 weeks after a really good soaking.  I have been doing this for years.  Your yard will smell like pickles when applying and for a few hours. 
 

Faith- I love those black cap bushes.  If you want to save it, you can usually dig it up and transplant into a container to help the roots heal.  Then replant where you want it.  I have relocated several this way from other yards and it has worked. 

I wish I could. The roots are going up under the foundation and causing damage. We have tried so many times to dig it out with no success. There will be some.baby tendrils, and I will be trying to salvage one to put on the opposite side of the property before we go completely barbarian on it.

[SHP]

10 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

I have been trying to eradicate a hydrangea for five years now. The roots can go out quite long and sprout up new plants. I tried for a while to keep things pruned down. I took a 8’ plant down to a 2-3’ one one spring(shaped it into a ball from a wedge) but by the end of November it was back to 7-8’ wide. It’s been two years now of me just trying to kill the thing and I saw some green leaves the other day so I suspect I will go out soon and pull it and hope I can get all of the root this time. 
 

 

Wow I had no idea about the roots. I am thankful ours died without the fight. I hope you get it all this year

[KungFuPanda]

On 3/6/2023 at 9:07 PM, SHP said:

I need someone to talk about herbs to me like I am 3. I don't know why, but I seem to have a block. I know all mint goes into a container or it will take over, beyond that? Over my head. 

I am zone 6 that wants to be 7. It is very common to overwinter plants that are only hardy to zone 7 without issue.

 

Herbs are relatively easy and a lot of them like some shade, so you don’t need full sun. Thyme, tarragon, sage, and oregano come back every year. Soooo easy. Parsley will stay green most winters in 6b/7a and you can enjoy fresh parsley year round. They’re biennial, so keep starting them so you don’t forget and face a year without. I did this. More than once. Rosemary and basil like more sun, but will still thrive in part sun. I keep them all near the house so harvesting is easy and I can snip and cook. Chives and green onions are easy too and go in everything. I have trouble keeping enough cilantro going, so I’m cilantro challenged, but I really use and enjoy my herbs almost daily. I’ve got dried ones hanging in my kitchen right now. I haven’t been successful with Rosemary from seed, but the rest were easy enough. My method is to plant everything and just be happy with what does work with little effort. 

[SHP]

2 hours ago, KungFuPanda said:

Herbs are relatively easy and a lot of them like some shade, so you don’t need full sun. Thyme, tarragon, sage, and oregano come back every year. Soooo easy. Parsley will stay green most winters in 6b/7a and you can enjoy fresh parsley year round. They’re biennial, so keep starting them so you don’t forget and face a year without. I did this. More than once. Rosemary and basil like more sun, but will still thrive in part sun. I keep them all near the house so harvesting is easy and I can snip and cook. Chives and green onions are easy too and go in everything. I have trouble keeping enough cilantro going, so I’m cilantro challenged, but I really use and enjoy my herbs almost daily. I’ve got dried ones hanging in my kitchen right now. I haven’t been successful with Rosemary from seed, but the rest were easy enough. My method is to plant everything and just be happy with what does work with little effort. 

Thanks! The only place I have for them is full sun after noon. I will look at putting something like tall canna lilies near them to provide some shade from the intense midday sun. 

Do you use planters? I have been seeing slightly different size suggestions and I really would prefer to plant in the correct size planters from the start rather than transplanting later. 

[KungFuPanda]

5 minutes ago, SHP said:

Thanks! The only place I have for them is full sun after noon. I will look at putting something like tall canna lilies near them to provide some shade from the intense midday sun. 

Do you use planters? I have been seeing slightly different size suggestions and I really would prefer to plant in the correct size planters from the start rather than transplanting later. 

Eh, I'd just throw everything in the ground and see what's happy without doing anything special.  My herbs get sun for 5 or 6 hours from late morning to the afternoon. They're mostly not fussy plants.  Even the rosemary and basil, which would probably benefit from more sun, thrive.  I think they're just easier plants.  They're kind of good for the ego. 🤣

[SHP]

Just now, KungFuPanda said:

Eh, I'd just throw everything in the ground and see what's happy without doing anything special.  My herbs get sun for 5 or 6 hours from late morning to the afternoon. They're mostly not fussy plants.  Even the rosemary and basil, which would probably benefit from more sun, thrive.  I think they're just easier plants.  They're kind of good for the ego. 🤣

I would love to have them in the ground, but I will not have any this year. Next year or the following, maybe. This year we are building berms and getting the plants in in another area to stop erosion. The real reason for the billion tulips was to get something in the bare ground in the fall as a type of erosion control place marker so I wouldn't lose more ground. It is the same area where all the horrible weeds were that I spent all last year killing. 

[KungFuPanda]

14 minutes ago, SHP said:

I would love to have them in the ground, but I will not have any this year. Next year or the following, maybe. This year we are building berms and getting the plants in in another area to stop erosion. The real reason for the billion tulips was to get something in the bare ground in the fall as a type of erosion control place marker so I wouldn't lose more ground. It is the same area where all the horrible weeds were that I spent all last year killing. 

The gardening to-to list never seem to get shorter.  Mine are actually in raised beds, but I really think I want to move them to large containers next to the patio.  Last year I had some parsley on the patio in an old recycling bin (because I'm classy) and I loved having it so close to the kitchen.  Every year I swear I have the beds the way I want them and NEXT year I JUST have to plant.  Then I always change something and create a huge manual labor project for myself.  I might like designing gardens more than the actual gardening. 🤣

[SHP]

19 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said:

The gardening to-to list never seem to get shorter.  Mine are actually in raised beds, but I really think I want to move them to large containers next to the patio.  Last year I had some parsley on the patio in an old recycling bin (because I'm classy) and I loved having it so close to the kitchen.  Every year I swear I have the beds the way I want them and NEXT year I JUST have to plant.  Then I always change something and create a huge manual labor project for myself.  I might like designing gardens more than the actual gardening. 🤣

I have been team 5 gallon bucket for everything. This year I want to buy some basic terracotta pots for the herbs instead of using buckets.  

I have a small gas powered tiller that I swear by. I wouldn't have any garden without it and would just mow the weeds. Even with a tiny yard, I am too old to be out there digging everything with a shovel. My bulb planting method is till, toss, cover with dirt, mulch. For other areas that I didn't need bulbs to helpcstop erosion I tilled  covered with cardboard and mulched with about 2ft of mulch. It compacted to 3-4 inches.

I am overwhelmed with plant selection! Or maybe it's that I am just underfunded and have limited space and tons of restrictions and cannot buy all the plants. 🤔

[KungFuPanda]

13 minutes ago, SHP said:

I have been team 5 gallon bucket for everything. This year I want to buy some basic terracotta pots for the herbs instead of using buckets.  

I have a small gas powered tiller that I swear by. I wouldn't have any garden without it and would just mow the weeds. Even with a tiny yard, I am too old to be out there digging everything with a shovel. My bulb planting method is till, toss, cover with dirt, mulch. For other areas that I didn't need bulbs to helpcstop erosion I tilled  covered with cardboard and mulched with about 2ft of mulch. It compacted to 3-4 inches.

I am overwhelmed with plant selection! Or maybe it's that I am just underfunded and have limited space and tons of restrictions and cannot buy all the plants. 🤔

For next year, Google winter sowing. I start all of my plants from seed in milk jugs. It’s wonderful. Inevitable something doesn’t survive and I have to buy a plant, but most of them make it. 
 

ETA I’ve never properly gotten my mulch act together. This may be the year I do a chip drop. 

Edited March 8, 2023 by KungFuPanda

[prairiewindmomma]

I took a road trip today to pick up a dwarf Fuji apple and a dwarf gala apple today. I am planting them a bit  close together, in shallow ground, so I amended the heck out of the soil and will top dress with compost from time to time. I am going to prune them into a hedge, I think. Both were grown on M26 stock. 🤞this works.

[itsheresomewhere]

2 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

I took a road trip today to pick up a dwarf Fuji apple and a dwarf gala apple today. I am planting them a bit  close together, in shallow ground, so I amended the heck out of the soil and will top dress with compost from time to time. I am going to prune them into a hedge, I think. Both were grown on M26 stock. 🤞this works.

I have columnar apple trees.  They grow in pots and do very well. We get a good amount of apples from them. If the ones you got don’t seem to thrive in the ground, try them in pots.  

[Melissa in Australia]

Dd came yesterday with her juicer.       2 1/2 washing baskets of apples juiced. 

We both also made tomato salsa, 3 harvest basketful of tomatoes, 1 of capsicum, 2 small baskets of chilli and 1 of onions. Enough for all my adult kids to take home for the year. 

[Faith-manor]

32 minutes ago, Melissa in Australia said:

Dd came yesterday with her juicer.       2 1/2 washing baskets of apples juiced. 

We both also made tomato salsa, 3 harvest basketful of tomatoes, 1 of capsicum, 2 small baskets of chilli and 1 of onions. Enough for all my adult kids to take home for the year. 

That is amazing! You certainly inspire me. Right now my adult kids are making lists of what they want, and I took one look at it and told Mark he will be canning, dehydrating, processing food with me on the weekends because it is too much for me to do alone. he said he was happy to help so we shall see.

 

[itsheresomewhere]

10 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

That is amazing! You certainly inspire me. Right now my adult kids are making lists of what they want, and I took one look at it and told Mark he will be canning, dehydrating, processing food with me on the weekends because it is too much for me to do alone. he said he was happy to help so we shall see.

 

Faith-  check out a digital Electric pressure canner.  It has paid for itself when doing large batches as I have one pot I don’t have to watch.  I have the Presto one and Nesco ( found this one on marketplace).  

[SHP]

Does anyone have advice about creating a book that shows all the plants you have? I am overwhelmed by this. I have the bulbs and so many smaller plants blooming at different times. I have metal labels that I created for the plants I had the names of but I do not know what everything is because I picked them up off of the curb. Some irises were plucked from the curb late last fall and I don't even know what they will look like. 

Should I organize the ones I know by when they bloom? Crocuses first and moving through the season. 

There are over a hundred known cultivars and dozens unknown. 

Asking because my husband is planning to share what we have currently done this summer and when we have toured gardens they usually have a paper with all the plants and where they are located. 

[itsheresomewhere]

3 hours ago, SHP said:

Does anyone have advice about creating a book that shows all the plants you have? I am overwhelmed by this. I have the bulbs and so many smaller plants blooming at different times. I have metal labels that I created for the plants I had the names of but I do not know what everything is because I picked them up off of the curb. Some irises were plucked from the curb late last fall and I don't even know what they will look like. 

Should I organize the ones I know by when they bloom? Crocuses first and moving through the season. 

There are over a hundred known cultivars and dozens unknown. 

Asking because my husband is planning to share what we have currently done this summer and when we have toured gardens they usually have a paper with all the plants and where they are located. 

I have a map of my gardens. I drew a map of each section and have the areas label out with each plant.  I keep it in a notebook along with receipts of what I have bought and a slip of paper telling me where I found it if it was a curb/free find. I have the same sheet set up for my house plants. 

[Faith-manor]

5 hours ago, SHP said:

Does anyone have advice about creating a book that shows all the plants you have? I am overwhelmed by this. I have the bulbs and so many smaller plants blooming at different times. I have metal labels that I created for the plants I had the names of but I do not know what everything is because I picked them up off of the curb. Some irises were plucked from the curb late last fall and I don't even know what they will look like. 

Should I organize the ones I know by when they bloom? Crocuses first and moving through the season. 

There are over a hundred known cultivars and dozens unknown. 

Asking because my husband is planning to share what we have currently done this summer and when we have toured gardens they usually have a paper with all the plants and where they are located. 

Be like me. Be so happy that a plant survives you that it doesn't matter what it is or when it blooms! The whole thing is a miracle! 😁😉

[El...]

The lavender seeds popped up! Amazing! 

I've never tried to grow it before, and I stratified them in the fridge for a month, but mold grew on the (overly damp) paper towel they were on and I thought they might be toast. But no! They grew!

[KungFuPanda]

5 hours ago, SHP said:

Does anyone have advice about creating a book that shows all the plants you have? I am overwhelmed by this. I have the bulbs and so many smaller plants blooming at different times. I have metal labels that I created for the plants I had the names of but I do not know what everything is because I picked them up off of the curb. Some irises were plucked from the curb late last fall and I don't even know what they will look like. 

Should I organize the ones I know by when they bloom? Crocuses first and moving through the season. 

There are over a hundred known cultivars and dozens unknown. 

Asking because my husband is planning to share what we have currently done this summer and when we have toured gardens they usually have a paper with all the plants and where they are located. 

I just have the occasional map of different beds. I haven’t really done it by bloom because so many things are in and out and I’m lazy. Do you have photos that show change over time? Unless someone wants to draw it im not sure how you’d do a book without a year to plan and photograph. 
 

If you have taken seasonal photos of a garden, could you put them in chronological order and provide a planting map? 

[Faith-manor]

My pile of mulched leaves are composting really nicely. The raised bed that dh filled with whole leaves from the yard are NOT composting at all. So when the weather breaks, I need to shovel those out, and put composted leaves in.

Dh is building 5- 7'x2.5'x2' beds (roughly 87.5 qft or 8.129 sq meters) the weekend of April 15. Unfortunately we are out of town the first two weeks of April so he can't get them done before then. He will also build 3 - pallet beds for bush beans and radishes that day. They will be three pallets deep so my quess is 12" deep but I haven't measured the pallets to know for sure. Here is a link to a pic of single pallet deep beds so you can get an idea of what it they will be. Just imagine two more pallets stack on top with the slats in the top two removed in the middle and all three screwed together for stability. Everything will be built on top of several layers of cardboard for weed barrier, and since we don't need 2' deep soil in the large beds, they will be first filled with sticks and some of our "gopher wood" rejected firewood logs to take up space and introduce organic material to rot, and then soil and compost. 18" of soil and compost for the tomato beds, 12" for the other beds. 

Also, photo of the deep beds. I do not have him bother with the little flower trough beds on the ends. He is doing enough work for my gardening dreams without taking the time to add that. These are not photos of our beds. Just an idea of what they will be similar to when done. For reference, it is snowing outside yet again, 30 degrees, and the sun is not shining. 😥 I am so over this!

 

[BeachGal]

@SHP I use a large 3-ring binder to keep track of individual plants. It’s divided into sections—trees, shrubs, woody perennials, herbaceous perennials, bulbs, annuals, etc—listed alphabetically. For each plant, if possible or necessary, I tape down tags, list cultivar, note its needs, when planted, when it appears, disappears and blooms, when to prune, observed pest or disease problems, etc.

Then I keep a separate list for bloom times.

I had to identify all of our buildings’ many plants last year. For that I used an app. Huge timesaver but it took all summer to do.

I also create maps because they’re a useful reference when planning and planting. Otherwise, I’m left guessing where the bulbs and shorter season plants are. Don’t want to accidentally dig those up. Photos are another easy way to keep track of the garden.

It seems overwhelming to do this but I’ve found it’s not too difficult if I tackle a little at a time.

[SHP]

3 hours ago, KungFuPanda said:

I just have the occasional map of different beds. I haven’t really done it by bloom because so many things are in and out and I’m lazy. Do you have photos that show change over time? Unless someone wants to draw it im not sure how you’d do a book without a year to plan and photograph. 
 

If you have taken seasonal photos of a garden, could you put them in chronological order and provide a planting map? 

I started taking pictures almost daily over a year ago. 🙂 A planting map would be insane to even consider since I mixed bulbs in a large box in several areas. One area only has 5 cultivars, which would be fine, but another has dozens. 

 

[SHP]

2 hours ago, BeachGal said:

@SHP I use a large 3-ring binder to keep track of individual plants. It’s divided into sections—trees, shrubs, woody perennials, herbaceous perennials, bulbs, annuals, etc—listed alphabetically. For each plant, if possible or necessary, I tape down tags, list cultivar, note its needs, when planted, when it appears, disappears and blooms, when to prune, observed pest or disease problems, etc.

Then I keep a separate list for bloom times.

I had to identify all of our buildings’ many plants last year. For that I used an app. Huge timesaver but it took all summer to do.

I also create maps because they’re a useful reference when planning and planting. Otherwise, I’m left guessing where the bulbs and shorter season plants are. Don’t want to accidentally dig those up. Photos are another easy way to keep track of the garden.

It seems overwhelming to do this but I’ve found it’s not too difficult if I tackle a little at a time.

I have used an app to ID plants in the past and found it helpful, but I haven't found one that can help identify specific cultivars and I am pretty sure the scope of that would be absolutely insane especially since websites dedicated to that don't have a full list. I wish it did. I want to know what some of the cultivars we have that are over 50 years old are. Peony, Rose, and Daffodil. And then there are Daffodils that are even older, possibly close to 75 years.

[BeachGal]

39 minutes ago, SHP said:

I have used an app to ID plants in the past and found it helpful, but I haven't found one that can help identify specific cultivars and I am pretty sure the scope of that would be absolutely insane especially since websites dedicated to that don't have a full list. I wish it did. I want to know what some of the cultivars we have that are over 50 years old are. Peony, Rose, and Daffodil. And then there are Daffodils that are even older, possibly close to 75 years.

Identifying exact cultivars would be trickier but sometimes you can get pretty close if you look up the features on a site that specializes in selling the specific plant. For example, I was trying to identify an unusual viola and was able to do so by going to online stores that sell hard to find seeds.

Another resource would be societies of specific plants, such as the American Peony Society, for example. Also maybe Dave’s Garden or even Houzz. Post a picture, describe it some more and sometimes other gardeners are able to identify it. It’s a tedious process though.

[prairiewindmomma]

I use the GardenAnswers app to identify plants I like when I am out and about, and it’s great at some cultivars, and not with others.

I kept a map at other houses. Here, what I have is so small that I don’t need much. 

[itsheresomewhere]

This is opening day for one of my favorite green houses/nurseries.  It is the first time I have missed it all these years.  

I ordered my lettuce seeds and they will be here probably tomorrow.  We are going to get snow/rain so they won’t go into the patio container until Monday. At least those containers are safe. 

[Faith-manor]

4 minutes ago, itsheresomewhere said:

This is opening day for one of my favorite green houses/nurseries.  It is the first time I have missed it all these years.  

I ordered my lettuce seeds and they will be here probably tomorrow.  We are going to get snow/rain so they won’t go into the patio container until Monday. At least those containers are safe. 

That is sad. Opening day for my favorite nursery is March 15. Though I could call and order my delivery of top soil and composted manure for the new beds, I am going in person so I can salivate at everything that I can't put out yet. I will console myself with buying a new pot for an indoor plant or something.

[itsheresomewhere]

1 minute ago, Faith-manor said:

That is sad. Opening day for my favorite nursery is March 15. Though I could call and order my delivery of top soil and composted manure for the new beds, I am going in person so I can salivate at everything that I can't put out yet. I will console myself with buying a new pot for an indoor plant or something.

They usually open the same time as yours but due the lack of snow/cold winter, they decided to  open early.  That is one way to guarantee snow.  Lol

I absolutely love just walking around there and checking out all plants.  Maybe I will go next week and bring home a new pot. 

[Faith-manor]

1 hour ago, itsheresomewhere said:

They usually open the same time as yours but due the lack of snow/cold winter, they decided to  open early.  That is one way to guarantee snow.  Lol

I absolutely love just walking around there and checking out all plants.  Maybe I will go next week and bring home a new pot. 

Oh goodness yes! That is just begging for a blizzard! 😂

[Halftime Hope]

I am having the hardest time finding citrus this year! I wanted a small plain lemon, and all anyone has are Meyers. Humbug.

[Faith-manor]

16 hours ago, Halftime Hope said:

I am having the hardest time finding citrus this year! I wanted a small plain lemon, and all anyone has are Meyers. Humbug.

Garden probably has it if you are willing to deal with larger stock being shipped.

https://www.yarden.com/about-us/

In other news, Mark just ordered a new, 10 tray dehydrator with horizontal blowers for me! That is going to really help during harvest season. First up though, basil. My two basil plants are going bananas. I can't use it fresh, fast enough. So I am going to dry it for everyone else's herb cupboards.

[Halftime Hope]

2 hours ago, Faith-manor said:

Garden probably has it if you are willing to deal with larger stock being shipped.

https://www.yarden.com/about-us/

In other news, Mark just ordered a new, 10 tray dehydrator with horizontal blowers for me! That is going to really help during harvest season. First up though, basil. My two basil plants are going bananas. I can't use it fresh, fast enough. So I am going to dry it for everyone else's herb cupboards.

I'm in one of those states that the USDA rules don't allow shipment into. Sigh.

Local garden centers are at the mercy of growers within the state, and apparently people are enthralled with Meyer lemons, so that where growers are focused.

Thanks for playing, though! 😉

[Faith-manor]

33 minutes ago, Halftime Hope said:

I'm in one of those states that the USDA rules don't allow shipment into. Sigh.

Local garden centers are at the mercy of growers within the state, and apparently people are enthralled with Meyer lemons, so that where growers are focused.

Thanks for playing, though! 😉

So sorry! Absolute bummer!