25 May 2015
yard plants
Yesterday also took photos of how the newer plants are doing around B Yard, that I set in about a month ago. Finally remember to take my camera along over there! Well, the largest columbine bloomed- pretty delicate purple thing- and is done with that already.
The japanese sage is looking great, I'm impressed how well it's taken off.
Little lenten rose seedlings (hellebores) are growing steadily as well
Patch of forsythia I put in the back corner also nice and green
Other plants of note- I put in a full dozen nicotiana seedlings just a week ago but then didn't get back to water them daily, and most have failed. This one was the largest- it was completely wilted but I gave a good drink anyways, and one leaf has perked up. Maybe it will survive.
My row of sunflowers along one fence. Something has taken out quite a few of them- chopped at the base- at first I thought an animal was stepping on the seedlings at night, but now I suspect cutworms. Now that the plants are bigger, I haven't lost any in a while.
And I have five tithonia planted- a few near the lower deck
several more in the back planting area.
Hi there! I found your blog looking for pictures of Savory seedlings since I'm not sure what is growing in my fledgling garden is actually savory. I love the pictures and the step-by-steps as I'm knew to this gardening thing. I was especially impressed that you do Scrabble art, though! Are you in NASPA? Can I share your art page to the NASPA facebook group? It is especially beautiful. Thanks!
ReplyDeletewhat is NASPA?? No I'm not in it
ReplyDeleteNorth American Scrabble Players Association, the organization in charge of tournament Scrabble in North America. www.scrabbleplayers.org. At www.cross-tables.com you can find maps of clubs and tournaments near you. Tons of fun for those with a competitive streak.
ReplyDeleteSo maybe you can offer some gardening advice, too. :) I planted basil and savory next to each other but it all looks like basil. So either the wrong seeds were in the packet or the savory didn't come up at all, which is possible. Also, should I worry if I have my plants in big pots outside and it won't stop raining? I made sure they are drained well, but I know you're supposed to let a plant dry out between waterings... not water constantly for days. Someone has been snapping off my beanlings at the stem and leaving them to die which is disappointing. It's set me back weeks. Is there a good way to prevent this that you know of? My chiles and tomatoes are all still tiny, despite being started well over a month ago, but I have a squash plant started at the same time that is healthy and monstrous. It's even fruiting! Nothing else has more than 2 sets of leaves. What could be going on? Thanks for any advice you have!
Oh- the Scrabble Association! I had never joined. Play seldom nowadays. Sure, you can share my page. No-one has ever appreciated it before!
ReplyDeleteAs for the gardening well, let's see. Basil has wider leaves- savory the leaves are much smaller so it should be easy to tell apart. I think savory can be difficult to germinate?
I only worry about my plants out in containers if its hurricane weather then I bring them into shelter to keep from getting tipped over and damaged. If it rains very heavy I might cover young or delicate plants so they don't get flattened- you can make a cloche out of a milk jug or juice container by cutting off the base. I'd only worry if the containers are so saturated the plants are starting to fall over, but they should dry out again in a weeks' time when it quits raining. Usually the alternating rain/sun balances things out.
Do your beans get broken off at the very base of the stem? this is probably cutworms- if you scrape the ground around the plant sometimes you can find a curled up grub. There's lots of remedies- google it. Put a collar around the plant- I wrap tin foil around the stem, several inches up and an inch down below soil line. It stopped cutworms from ruining all my sunflower seedlings this year. I also sprinkle coffee grounds around to deter pests.
I really don't know why your chiles and tomatoes are smaller still. Do they get full sun six or more hours a day? Those are both sun-loving plants. Are they in containers or in the ground? Maybe missing some nutrients...
Thanks so much for the advice! My plants are in pots since I'm not sure how long I'll be living in this house, and the yard is tiny and rocky. I'd gotten some suggestions from a gardener for increasing drainage, etc., and the rains don't seem to be bothering the plants too much. Some of my squash leaves are turning yellow, but the plant is fruiting.
ReplyDeleteI don't think my savory ever did germinate so I'm trying again there.
We found the likely culprits for the bean damage - squirrels! I was finding the soil disrupted almost every day for a while. Not sure what to do about this, since at this point I'm not sure if it's worth building an enclosure. It's not as bad lately though, and one of my bean plants is already producing!
The tiny chiles and tomatoes are finally taking off. They are getting plenty of sun (southwest-facing patio) and the rains may well have helped. Seems they just took that long to get rooted but now they're doing okay.
Thanks again, and I will continue to enjoy your blog! :)