Gardening

[DriftingCrow]

I recently started planting some various lily bulbs and sunflower seeds (the giant Russian ones) around the yard in an attempt to de-trashify our yard (seriously, we're those people who drive down the value of homes in the area  ). The lilies have started shooting up out of the ground, and they really loved the rain we got this week up here in Southern New England.

I was thinking of adding some bushes (or something like that) that flower around the sides of the front porch. Anyone have any suggestions for something that's easy to take care of, is an annual, is pretty, and is suitable for Southern New England weather? I am thinking of going to the nursery tomorrow to pick some stuff up.

Where I lived in Florida, we have jasmine growing and it smelled really good. I miss that about FL. I think it's too cold up here for jasmine.

[Devlyn]

I'm a property value devastator myself! Sweet William is a perrenial, but likes New England and smells great. Hosta is another great perennial thats indestructible up here. For annuals, petunias or anything else you like the looks of should do fine. Most annuals require daily deadheading or they stop flowering.  It can he a chore, or an after-work stress reliever, depending on your mindset.

[DriftingCrow]

Ah I want something that I can plant and basically forget about except for watering and the occasional pruning. I'll check out the Sweet Williams and Hosta.

I looked at some website and I'd like to get "Daphne" because they say it smells great and grows up here too,  as well as "Camellia" since it flowers in fall and into winter.

[Devlyn]

There's always dandelions! The roots can be boiled like potatoes or roasted and used like coffee. Everyone loves a plateful of boiled and buttered dandelion greens, and the flowers, well, dandelion wine, of course! The only inedible part is the hollow flower stem, the white, milky sap is bitter.

[DriftingCrow]

Haha yes, that's super easy, I don't even need to plant anything! I have been meaning to try a dandelion salad. I do hear its really good, and I just learned about dandelion wine last night while looking on the link you posted in the "more wining" thread. 

[justpat]

  Plants fear me for I am a Master Gardener ,spent 5 months going to class. I now know that when
you place sod the green side go's up!

[Devlyn]

My dandelion wine had it's own thread: https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,118780.0.html

[DriftingCrow]

Because I am horrible at reading stuff, I just noticed there was a pinned Gardening thread on this board.  D'oh! Feel free to merge if you wish moderators, sorry!

Anyway, I planted some dahlias and they just started opening:

[Devlyn]

And for those who don't know, that is prime New England soil in the picture. I'd say it's only slightly more than 90% rocks!

[DriftingCrow]

Haha yes, I had to keep scratching plans on where to plant them due to giant rocks my pick couldn't pry up. 

[Devlyn]

Don't think of them as rocks, think of them as soil for future generations!

[DriftingCrow]

Don't think of them as rocks, think of them as soil for future generations!

I love that!

[Devlyn]

That's right, and future generations can consider that their entire inheritance.

[Cindy]

I decided to freshen up my vegie patch and since I live close to a race course, there is always free horse manure waiting to be collected. The stables leave it in bags outside on the footpath.

So I collected 6 bags. OMG, that stuff stinks, and of course it was fresh, straight from the horse's bum  so I got a cloud of flies descending on the garden to visit it.

I couldn't open my door to the garden for a few days because of the smell. Then it rained, Yeee, a rare event her but it seemed to help the smell die down.

Then I noticed the maggots 

Is there a board on how to concrete over ex-vegie patches

[Devlyn]

Cindy, a true gardener never gives up! Congratulate yourself on raising a bumper crop of maggots, and start preparing for next year!

[big kim]

I kill plants despite following instructions they die on me.I had a spell as a landscape gardener which didn't last long! There's too many creepy crawlys or worse slimy things in gardening for my liking

[Joelene9]

  This should be on the "What made you unhappy today" thread, but here goes.  I finished up the late spring protion of the gardening by putting in mulch to keep back weeds and conserve water.  I just got done and it started to rain.  Then it hailed, marble sized hail for the second time in two weeks.  The garden has been beaten to a green pulp!  It survived the first hail due to the frost protection and the late deep freeze earlier.  Aaaarrg!

  Joelene

[DriftingCrow]

Sorry your plants got ruined