Gardening in 2023

MarkD said:
I think a mole would be easier to contain but a gopher is able to climb out of the ground and over things to some degree. But I’m the wrong one to ask. I was a gopher virgin until this hell spawn showed up.
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......something to keep you busy!
 

Trila said:
......something to keep you busy!
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Yes and in a way a wake up call to complete the project at long last. I may even have access to capable labor to complete the task. After letting the garden run rampant through the unusually cold, wet and windy winter and early spring, I am now actively restoring order. I have an arborist coming in next Wednesday and this Saturday a friend is loaning me his experienced crew in preparation for a gathering we’re hosting here mid June. They get paid a living wage by Bay Area standards, so not cheap; but they’re super competent. That one will mark the beginning of more gatherings in the garden for other groups as well. Feels good to be helping the garden look it’s best again.
 
Trila said:
emoticon
One year ago, we planted "Piney". It's grown a lot, but the ice storm last week had it bent in half. I can only hope that it didn't crack on the inside!

Here is the "1 year" portrait ....
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Put a stick upright next to it and tie up to straighten, not to tight, next time you know a night will be cold place straw at the base
 

Timewise 60+ said:
I gave my 'square foot gardens' to my eldest son. This year I am putting my garden in containers on our patio. I will have Three tomato plants, one being a cherry tomato, and one cucumber plant. I will use a mixture of 1/3 Compost, 1/3 Peat, 1/3 Vermiculite in each container. Hope we get lots of tomatoes and cucumbers...they are our favorites...

Comments please...
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Did you know that vermiculite is toxic, once used as insulation
 
Thanks for the advice. I do have it tied, but it is still very top heavy. I'm hoping that the trunk will thicken up and get some strength. We'll see how it goes over the summer.
 
I missed the hard pruning back of my drift roses this year...now they have crazy new growth, canes shooting up everywhere, so I've been busy cutting back roses (with a lot of blooms :() for days now...lesson learned, I'll not miss cutting them way back next February...
 
Trila said:
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My white daisies have started to open! I'm still waiting to see some purple coneflowers and chicory in this area. I planted a ton of seeds.....surely some of them made it!! 🤔
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This is lovely. I did for a couple years try to make a meadow garden. I gave it up as too laborious, constantly removing weeds which threatened to overwhelm my wildflowers as they sprouted. Perhaps an area with no summer rain just isn’t suited? Some pictures of that effort from 2009:

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My attempt was inspired by our 2008 trip to see English gardens in 2008. Great Dixter especially made me want to try. I don’t seem to have any wider photos of the large grassy area through which paths are mown as photos just didn’t do it justice. Here are some details of plants around which you might get a sense of it. But even here you can see I’ve chosen areas at the edge of the meadow, nearest to architecturally more interesting backdrops


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MarkD said:
This is lovely. I did for a couple years try to make a meadow garden. I gave it up as too laborious, constantly removing weeds which threatened to overwhelm my wildflowers as they sprouted. Perhaps an area with no summer rain just isn’t suited? Some pictures of that effort from 2009:

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My attempt was inspired by our 2008 trip to see English gardens in 2008. Great Dixter especially made me want to try. I don’t seem to have any wider photos of the large grassy area through which paths are mown as photos just didn’t do it justice. Here are some details of plants around which you might get a sense of it. But even here you can see I’ve chosen areas at the edge of the meadow, nearest to architecturally more interesting backdrops


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Your meadow garden is fabulous!!! 😍

Just outside of my kitchen door, I have what I call my "bulb garden". Over the years, I've dedicated many hours to planting a variety of hardy bulbs in this field. I don't water it or weed it....the area is too big. The section that runs along the driveway is more rocky, and this is where the daisies thrive. I have more varieties of daisies than I can count....all of them do very, very well. This is my 3rd or 4th year of trying to get purple coneflowers and chicory started. I have no idea why I'm having such a hard time. (sigh). BTW: yesterday I saw tons of purple coneflowers growing wild along the road. And chicory should be blooming soon, too. So I live in the right climate and area for these flowers. Soooo, I just keep trying.


Here is an old picture of the bulb field, when the daffodils were blooming....
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Trila said:
Your meadow garden is fabulous!!! 😍

Just outside of my kitchen door, I have what I call my "bulb garden". Over the years, I've dedicated many hours to planting a variety of hardy bulbs in this field. I don't water it or weed it....the area is too big. The section that runs along the driveway is more rocky, and this is where the daisies thrive. I have more varieties of daisies than I can count....all of them do very, very well. This is my 3rd or 4th year of trying to get purple coneflowers and chicory started. I have no idea why I'm having such a hard time. (sigh). BTW: yesterday I saw tons of purple coneflowers growing wild along the road. And chicory should be blooming soon, too. So I live in the right climate and area for these flowers. Soooo, I just keep trying.


Here is an old picture of the bulb field, when the daffodils were blooming....
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Looks like you have lots of room to try lots of plants. Do live in the Great Plains then? In coastal California it is rare to get rain outside of December to April. Looks like you’re surrounded by natural areas with trees. Working in the garden can be a good workout or at least good activity.
 
MarkD said:
Looks like you have lots of room to try lots of plants. Do live in the Great Plains then? In coastal California it is rare to get rain outside of December to April. Looks like you’re surrounded by natural areas with trees. Working in the garden can be a good workout or at least good activity.
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No plains, here....just rock and mountains. Summers are like a desert, hot (100° plus) and no rain.

Gardening comes to a screeching halt once the summer weather kicks in. At that point it's a challenge to just try to keep everything alive. 🌞
 
Thank you all, who have posted their garden pictures.

Having returned from vacation, our flower gardens are over grown.
It will be an endless circle of cleaning beds,, cutting down weeds & grass.

I'm surprised to see the iris in bud already.

And the lilacs I thought that got frosted are blooming!

I really need a younger person to help with all the gardens & lawns.

And I've saw swallows swooping about!
They are great bug catchers, along, with the blue birds.

I've asked hubby not to spray weeds again this year.

I know its an temptation to spray the weeds,,,but its not good for all the insect eating bird & bats.
 
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