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Post by kerouac2 on Jan 7, 2018 22:32:32 GMT
Obviously I have not planned a garden since it is not possible. However, I have been watching my window box (what a joke when the subject is gardens!). The basil seems to have died, but I will not rip it out until spring since I am wondering if it might be woody enough to have survived the cold weather. I'll cut down all of the stems soon. The mint is trying to regenerate from the base, but I know that nothing useful will happen before spring. There are a few leaves on the upper stems, but I think I will cut it all down to the ground soon. What intrigues me is the dill. I had thrown a few dill seeds on the ground at the end of summer, and they sprouted up but then they proceeded to die during autumn. But there are two little dill plants that have started to grow in the last week or so. No idea why they are doing this. So far they look sturdy.
I took out my pot of daffodils and put it on the ledge, watered it and am waiting for possible results. In the past, I have taken the pot out about a month later and had crappy results -- two out of the three last years, they grew leaves but no flowers. Ungrateful bastards!
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Post by bjd on Jan 8, 2018 7:05:25 GMT
Most bulbs tend to stop flowering eventually. Perhaps your daffodil bulbs are getting old? Or a shot of fertilizer for flowers might do some good?
As far as I know, basil is an annual whereas mint grows back.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jan 8, 2018 15:46:25 GMT
Aren't bulbs supposed to be dug up and reset (after an application of bone meal & fresh compost) occasionally? I'm pretty sure Casimira will be able to advise on this. As far as basil ~ I think it's one of those herbs that we've always grown as an annual because it's so tender, but that doesn't necessarily die on its own. Even in a climate where it wouldn't die from cold, I think it gets exhausted after a while. Dave's Garden is often good for feedback on this kind of question: davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/645863/ Probably for window box gardening it's a good idea to start new basil from cuttings occasionally, if one has the space.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 8, 2018 15:57:36 GMT
Bulbs behave in a totally different manner here in NOLA and aside from that when one refers to bulbs per say, there are just too many flowers that grow from bulbs to pin down any hard and fast rule, regardless of where they grow. That being said, daffodils which are in the narcissi family don't always reliably repeat, dug up, reset, fertilized or whatever.
Even in a warm climate where basil doesn't die, it being an annual, it's just too darn easy to throw down some fresh seeds and nurture a new plant(s) rather than try and nurse a woody stemmed plant back to life.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jan 8, 2018 16:00:37 GMT
I have dug up the bulbs once, but it's true that they are several years old now. However, they did reproduce some new bulbs, so those should have still kept flowering, no? I'll just wait and see what happens. If there are no flowers this year, they are going in the trash.
I am rather annoyed to have discovered that my ivy in the attic room is a biennial. I had already noticed in the past that it could grow brilliantly and be really spectacular (in its own discreet way, climbing up the strings that I lovingly provided to help it reach the roof window), and then after two years -- withered and dead! This year I had the best ivy yet, reaching the window and then climbing around it in its second year. And then, wham, it died about a month ago. The problem is that it is intertwined with the other pot of one-year ivy which is still alive. It is going to be a mess separating them.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 8, 2018 16:11:16 GMT
Good luck with the bulbs.
Are you sure what you are referring to as "ivy" is a true ivy and not a vine that some people might refer to as ivy?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2018 16:40:35 GMT
As I gaze out to my jungle and note the "war zone" before me I am at the same time taking stock of using this opportunity to think of it as a fresh palette and rethink some of the already established design and layout. I spoke with a young woman this morning who just returned from Mexico and was not here for the arctic blast. Therefore, totally unprepared and alarmed at what she came home to, I had to explain all this to her. Mind you, this woman has not lived here long enough to realize that despite what she is despairing over, all is not lost and, I reassured her that many of the plants that appear to be dead are very likely to revive themselves. She had put such an incredible amount of energy (and money) to put in this garden and I served as advisor to her on many of the plantings she put in although, she didn't always heed my word just as I didn't early on in my gardening in NOLA days. (I have to smile at this point because I remember certain people telling me, even pleading with me,( ahem, our own "helper" here, Bixa) "you really don't want to plant that in your garden C." Deaf ears... Now, she will learn what I had to so many years ago...
Back to gazing at my own "war zone" the wheels in my head are churning...
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Post by casimira on Dec 31, 2019 15:58:49 GMT
Many, many aspirations in my mind's eye.
Many of them I am not going to be able to follow through with because of finances. (the major one is being able to pay for extensive tree pruning. Specifically 2 lovely Live Oak trees that have huge canopies and shade out large areas of my rear garden).
In the meantime I am trying to keep it as simple as possible and concentrating on the front which gets excellent sunlight.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jan 1, 2020 17:00:23 GMT
Casimira, I always admired (& copied!) your way of using potted plants even though you had plenty of ground to plant in. It's a shame that the tree pruning has to wait, but since it's such a big and traumatic undertaking even beyond the expense, it should be almost a relief to put it off a while longer. You always had the most imaginative and welcoming front yard. I'd love to see what you'll be doing with it this year.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Jan 1, 2020 17:45:17 GMT
I need to divide a few herbaceous perennials. Planning to bring in a few small flowering shrubs altho I've not chosen anything yet. The garden is a heap atm...but it's still winter so I'm not worried yet...
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Post by casimira on Jan 4, 2020 16:09:25 GMT
Thank you Bixa. Coming from you that is one of the loveliest compliments ever. Most especially because you inspired me in so many ways.
I still remember your garden in Mandeville vividly and how inspirational it was. Set amongst and in radical contrast to your surrounding "neighbors" with their manicured, anal, boring "gardens". It really was a masterpiece.
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Post by Kimby on Jan 4, 2020 17:30:28 GMT
Many, many aspirations in my mind's eye. Many of them I am not going to be able to follow through with because of finances. (the major one is being able to pay for extensive tree pruning. Specifically 2 lovely Live Oak trees that have huge canopies and shade out large areas of my rear garden). In the meantime I am trying to keep it as simple as possible and concentrating on the front which gets excellent sunlight. Maybe your aspirations should be to create a lovely “shade garden” casi, with ferns and other lovers of the dark beneath trees.
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Post by casimira on Jan 5, 2020 14:58:23 GMT
Kimby, I have a huge area in the "back forty" that has been a well established shade garden with several species of ferns, colocasias and umpteen other shade loving plants for about 25 to 30 years now.
It's just that the canopy created by the Live Oaks has expanded so far it has shaded out other sections back there that keep many other not so shade loving plants from thriving or performing to their optimum. (Many gingers that have gorgeous foliage but without sufficient sunlight have puny blooms).
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Post by casimira on Feb 2, 2020 14:13:51 GMT
On Friday I finally accomplished my goal of clearing out the front garden. I tilled the soil, amended with super rich compost and began the planting process and mulched.
Now, it's just a matter of trying to keep my dog out of there and trampling the plants, seedlings, and tender emerging bulbs.
One idea that I conceived of is taking pieces of thin bamboo and placing it strategically around the areas that he could potentially trample upon.
It might look like crap for a while but well worth it in the long run.
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Post by bixaorellana on Feb 4, 2020 5:33:23 GMT
Did you make the compost or do you have A Source?
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Post by kerouac2 on Feb 4, 2020 12:00:38 GMT
I bought a new bag of potting soil the other day. I suppose that means I have aspirations.
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Post by onlyMark on Feb 4, 2020 13:54:40 GMT
That's another plant like and aspidistra, no?
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Post by mickthecactus on Feb 4, 2020 14:14:14 GMT
You’ve confused it with aspirins.
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Post by bixaorellana on Feb 4, 2020 15:14:07 GMT
You all know nothing. It means he's choking, I assume from snorting potting soil.
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Post by kerouac2 on Feb 4, 2020 17:31:22 GMT
Not with my coronavirus face mask on at all times.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Feb 4, 2020 18:34:20 GMT
Good grief. I have an aspidistra you know I'm waiting on the weather. The seed catalogues have been tumbling through the letterbox and I may have a look through them seeing as I'm having to rest.
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Post by casimira on Feb 4, 2020 22:30:15 GMT
Did you make the compost or do you have A Source? I make my own compost. Several years ago I "scored" two very heavy duty plastic barrels that have screw on lids. I rotate the finished compost with the new organic ingredients so while one barrel is breaking down and "cooking", the other barrel has the ready to go very rich, like dark chocolate cake compost in it. I add a little bit of sand to the finished product to tweek the consistency of it before tilling it into the beds. I really love these barrels mainly because I can manage the moisture level of the contents unlike the other compost heaps I used to use which even with a plastic tarp over them they would often times get really soggy. And, the other added benefit of them is they don't attract rodents. Rats in particular, and also problems with red fire ants that I had a problem controlling at times. The other added plus is they are odorless so I can add shrimp and crawfish heads which contain some very rich trace minerals(chitin in particular), that are super good for the soil. As you know, we are blessed with very decent soil to begin with in this part of town, because of our proximity to the river. Delta silt as opposed to other parts of the city that has almost pure clay and is a bitch to garden. I used to turn down garden jobs years ago based on where they were located because I knew I would have to deal with so much clay.It was just too much trouble and labor intensive.
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Post by bixaorellana on Feb 4, 2020 22:32:55 GMT
Sounds wonderful!
I can get heavy plastic barrels with lids here, but would like to know @how big yours are. Are they small enough to turn upside down and roll them to keep mixing the compost, or is that not necessary?
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Post by casimira on Feb 4, 2020 22:45:18 GMT
Excellent question dear.
They are pretty big (I don't know the exact measurements).
That being said, I made the mistake early on of filling them up too much and wanted to roll them as you suggested to mix up the contents and the thing was so f'n heavy I couldn't do it.
So, I only let them get about half full so as to manage rolling them.
I also use a small sized pitch fork with straight tines to mix it up when about 1/4 full which is pretty easy to do.
With your hot hot sun there these would be perfect for you if you have the space to put them.
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Post by bixaorellana on Feb 4, 2020 23:19:09 GMT
The only place I have to keep compost is in the shade. I need to take some pictures of my compost bin in order to explain it. It does make compost in a limited amount of space, but is not efficient.
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Post by bjd on Feb 5, 2020 7:25:00 GMT
Here in France, various municipalities or areas either give composters (like where we live now) or else sell them at a low price but also give advice on how to use it. I have had one for years although I admit I don't use it properly -- just throw stuff in and don't turn it all over the way you are supposed to. My composter is mostly used for kitchen waste like fruit or vegetable waste, tea and coffee grounds, paper towels and the occasional egg carton, plus garden waste like leaves, cut grass. Actually, I used to put cut grass in Toulouse, but here I have a new mower and mulch it so don't have any more cut grass.
And I also leave the lid open so that it gets wet with rain, which of course you aren't supposed to do. It is supposed to be warm enough to encourage the bugs. So it does take longer to get good black soil, but it does eventually happen.
Adding that when I bought the first composter, they said the plastic ones can be in the shade, the wooden ones have to be in the sun.
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Post by bixaorellana on Feb 5, 2020 17:11:27 GMT
Oh, interesting, Bjd! The way you compost is almost exactly the same way I do it, except for the paper towels, which I seldom put into the compost bin. I use one of those tall plastic hampers with a plastic colander in the bottom and just throw in kitchen waste (no meat or fat) & healthy plant clippings. I have a problem getting enough "brown" matter -- it's mostly leaf fall from the out of control honeysuckle. It gets some dappled sun and I just leave it and keep adding until I think most of the inside stuff is rotted. Then I dump it all out, scrape aside the non-rotted matter, and store the compost in a covered container. The unrotted stuff gets put back in the bottom of the composter & the process starts all over again. This picture shows exactly the container I use for composting:
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Post by bjd on Feb 5, 2020 19:08:44 GMT
When I went to the composting lesson, they said you can put in newspaper and other paper too. The reason I put in paper towels is because I line the little compost bin in the kitchen with them so it doesn't get too disgusting. I then throw it all in the big composter every couple of days.
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Post by bixaorellana on Feb 5, 2020 20:12:04 GMT
Glad to know that! So far I only compost paper towels or napkins that are soaked with produce juices from mopping up the cutting board or whatever. I also try to pick out coffee filters from the composter.
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Post by casimira on Feb 5, 2020 22:51:25 GMT
Several years ago the city offered up free compost bins but when I saw them I decided not to get one as they were too small for my needs and were not real solid and rather rinky dink construction wise.
Sure enough, some people I know who did get them were very disappointed with them and abandoned them eventually.
I have access to small oak leaves and cypress which fall from the trees. Wealthy people in particular hire garden cleaner uppers to bag these up and on certain days of the week they are put out curbside on some of the wealthy avenues with large mansions. I cruise in my car on the day before garbage pick up and am able to load up my trunk with as many bags as I want. I use them in the compost bin and also as mulch in some of my flower beds. They are perfect because as they eventually break down they are an excellent additive to both the compost and the soil in the beds. They also are acidic and help balance the PH of the soil which tends to be more alkaline here. Pine needles are also excellent to use in the same manner.
I also use layers of newspaper placed in bare spots and cover with mulch which acts as a weed barrier and looks tidy. It eventually does break down and I replenish on a as needed basis. It sure beats having to constantly weed out some of the invasive growth over and over again.
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