gardens

[*Robert* 2]

I just planted a beer can....can i expect a keg in the morning?

If it works, let me know!! I have a beer dispenser at home, and I'm tired of having to go buy fresh kegs!!! :lol

[sukie175 0]

You have alovely looking home and garden, I love the way you have it laid out on the slope

Thank you, sukie! We had to work hard to get the ground sort of level again; the slope, we just have to live with.

edit to add: meant to tell you, since you're in hot country there.. we used burlap bags around the roots of the clematis as a shade--it's done remarkably well and I agree with your earlier comment that they are worth the extra effort. We got an evergreen variety because we needed the folliage year-round, but of course we had to give up some options on flower color as a result.

What are Burlap Bags??

[*Robert* 2]

You have alovely looking home and garden, I love the way you have it laid out on the slope

Thank you, sukie! We had to work hard to get the ground sort of level again; the slope, we just have to live with.

edit to add: meant to tell you, since you're in hot country there.. we used burlap bags around the roots of the clematis as a shade--it's done remarkably well and I agree with your earlier comment that they are worth the extra effort. We got an evergreen variety because we needed the folliage year-round, but of course we had to give up some options on flower color as a result.

What are Burlap Bags??

You're joking... right?!!!

Just ask Gary... believe me, there are plenty of burlap bags in OK!!!

They are the brown, woven type string material that they make bags out of for various things. One use, is potatoe sacks! Another use, is for wrapping the roots of trees and shrubs, since they allow moisture both in, and out.

You can also try Google!

Well... though I could start all over here on Kauai, it takes soooooo much time and a lot of money, and right now I'm just renting, so I will wait till we get our own home. Right now, my money is going for other expenses, that we ALL are inccuring in this process!

Here are some pictures of my potted garden on Kwajalein.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/roi_aggie/album?.dir=/2512

I miss my garden, but not the two hours a day it took to take care of it!!!

ohhhhhh. .I envy your tropicals! That will have to be my next project---when we move to Mexico or further south!

And I hear you on the expense. I was out yesterday tallying the damage from our weird winter and all I could do was remember the price I paid for every one of those dead sticks out there!

Thanks Meauxna! I really miss them, and I don't even want to think about how much they cost. Lets just say, when I was leaving, I was selling them for next to nothing, and still made 6K, with 200 plants left to go!!!

[Tiksman 0]

I cant plant anything damm ants take off with everything!!!

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Wow beautiful pics !!! These are really some wonderful gardens you folks have... keep the pics coming !

This year, I am trying water gardening for the first time.... we started this pond in February. Here is my first water lily bloom....

-MK

[meauxna 15]

What are Burlap Bags??

hiya sukie,

If you go to google /images and type in 'burlap' the first image is a burlap bag. My UK husband calls them Hessian sacks; same fabric. As noted, they're pretty common in agricultural areas

Thanks Meauxna! I really miss them, and I don't even want to think about how much they cost. Lets just say, when I was leaving, I was selling them for next to nothing, and still made 6K, with 200 plants left to go!!!

Oy... I was thinking of you last night as I was watering in a couple dozen new geraniums... all those pots! I can see why it took you a copule of hours each day to make the rounds.. flat amazing!

So, you must be a 'green thumb' with the houseplants too? I'm death on them!

[meauxna 15]

Here is my first water lily bloom....

MK, your lily is *gorgeous*!

ooooh, I just want them all! A pond is so ambitious---congrats on your success!

Tiksman: the ants are a problem for me too. I've tried everything from boiling water on---sorry, I've got no useful remedy (well, gasoline works, but not very eco friendly).

We have started on something new that you all can share on. For spot killing weeds, spray plain ole vinegar on them. The weed just melts away. This has been very useful for dandelions and the odd bits of grass that keep trying to come back (hey! where were ya when this was a *lawn*?!)

We're surprised that neither of us had tried this before, and how well it works. Buy whatever's cheap by the gallon and put it in a spray bottle. Excellent for sidewalk crack weeds too.

[cbd2cai 0]

Wow beautiful pics !!! These are really some wonderful gardens you folks have... keep the pics coming !

This year, I am trying water gardening for the first time.... we started this pond in February. Here is my first water lily bloom....

-MK

Wow, MK!! That is really nice!

[almaty 19]

i agree..very nice...

[Dixie_Peach 1]

Here is my first water lily bloom....

MK, your lily is *gorgeous*!

ooooh, I just want them all! A pond is so ambitious---congrats on your success!

Tiksman: the ants are a problem for me too. I've tried everything from boiling water on---sorry, I've got no useful remedy (well, gasoline works, but not very eco friendly).

We have started on something new that you all can share on. For spot killing weeds, spray plain ole vinegar on them. The weed just melts away. This has been very useful for dandelions and the odd bits of grass that keep trying to come back (hey! where were ya when this was a *lawn*?!)

We're surprised that neither of us had tried this before, and how well it works. Buy whatever's cheap by the gallon and put it in a spray bottle. Excellent for sidewalk crack weeds too.

well... i should have looked at where your locations are before posting...

but, my mom always put out grits on the antbeds... *uncooked*

not long afterwards... the antbeds were GONE!

[Canuck Carrie 1]

We have started on something new that you all can share on. For spot killing weeds, spray plain ole vinegar on them. The weed just melts away. This has been very useful for dandelions and the odd bits of grass that keep trying to come back (hey! where were ya when this was a *lawn*?!)

We're surprised that neither of us had tried this before, and how well it works. Buy whatever's cheap by the gallon and put it in a spray bottle. Excellent for sidewalk crack weeds too.

Just plain ol' white vinegar? I hope so because the round-up is getting expensive.

We're not really 'gardening' yet and mainly concentrating on our lawn. Puncturevine is trying to take over one of the backyards so I've been pulling and spraying daily.

We borrowed a tiller to try to get the front bed in shape and will be doing that tonight, I spent last week pulling out what I could from there, now it's just a matter of trying to figure out what can survive in there, mainly shade with poor drainage. I envy all you green thumbs

Edited April 24, 2006 by Canuck Carrie

[butuan 0]

[*Robert* 2]

Wow beautiful pics !!! These are really some wonderful gardens you folks have... keep the pics coming !

This year, I am trying water gardening for the first time.... we started this pond in February. Here is my first water lily bloom....

-MK

That is a great looking lily!!! I have always wanted a pond, waterfall, bridge, and lilies, along with some fish... sooooooo much work though!!! Not to mention a little pricey!!!

[almaty 19]

i agree ....i like one too..too much work and expenses..maybe down the road

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Thanks, you guys !

Actually it was not quite as hard or expensive as I had thought it would be. I already had a pre-formed pond liner on hand, so all we needed to buy was the pump, hoses and filter, and of course the stuff to run the electric. We had a bunch of topsoil left over from our patio project, so we used that to backfill and landscape around the new pond.

Our pond is really pretty modest – it's a small one, only 4 ½ x 6 ½ feet by 18 inches deep with a small water fall. I have 2 water lilies and about a dozen marginal plants and floaters. I’m too afraid to take a risk and spend big bucks on fancy fish so I just put 12-cent feeder fish in there. I am still in the processing of planting in and around it -- I will try to take some more pics and post them.

Maintenance is pretty easy now that the pond's established. Other than feeding the fish once a day, I just take a minute or two to skim out any dead leaves or other detritus every few days, and rinse out the filter once a week.

So far the fish and plants seem happy, and we noticed a toad moved in last month. Last week, I found a jillion tadpoles in the water. We are also attracting some dragonflies. I added a couple solar lights, and it's very nice to sit by the pond at night, watching the reflections on the water.

I’m still learning… but enjoying it very much !

-MK