Friday, April 30, 2010

Gardening : Things I’ve Learned and Questions I Have

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Something I Learned

This rose food is amazing.  No. Really.

This rose food is amazing. It has supernatural powers. I realize it seems pricey at $8.95 for 4 lbs. , but that is cheaper than therapy when your roses turn black.

I ordered my last batch online, directly from the company ,and it was a little less. My friend Aissa and her mother brought this to me.  They are rose whisperers.

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Something Else I Learned

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A long hose is not a better hose.  It may seem like a good idea at first because you can drag it for miles.  Just don’t look behind you. You have just choked or leveled everything in its wake.

Concerns, Questions, and Dramatic Garden Worries

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I am concerned about my zinnias.  Some of the leaves are turning yellow.  I am afraid to feed them, because I may kill them. I am afraid if I don’t feed them, I will kill them.

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I am concerned about my tomatoes.  I actually have tomatoes (green). How am I going to keep varmints away from my tomatoes? Should I ask my husband to sit out all night with a big stick and night vision goggles?  I could also arm him with a flashlight, and he could look for cutter ants during his breaks. I think I will also ask him to cart my too long hoses all over the yard.

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When temperatures hit the 100’s (which is right around the corner), how will I keep everything alive? My caladiums are starting to bloom, and they are trying so hard. I want to honor their efforts. I better add them to my husband’s night shift.

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(my husband can sit here)

Questions I Have

(please answer if you can)

What flowering perennials will grow in shade in Zone 9?

What does it take to have perennial beds like Jayme at Tales From the Coop Keeper?

Is it too late to plant wildflower seeds?

Is it really important to weed your flower beds?

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34 comments:

Deb said...

your roses are so pretty...now I know why...I don't have any answers for you I'm sorry...I look forward to finding out the answers also...also would like to see what your husband thinks of standing guard...it will be 100 degrees before we know it..

Blondie's Journal said...

Your roses are gorgeous. I can see why you would want to take drastic measures to keep them thriving. I can't grow them...too much shade here. And I am Zone 5 so I really have no advice for you. I have learned that some plants thrive on neglect and some with a watchful eye {your husband?}, but worrying about it never does any good.

Your post made me smile.

xoxo
Jane

Loui♥ said...

Laura..
your roses are gorgeous!
I think your zinnias need thinning, transplanting, fertilizing..
Tomatoes could benefit from netting..
Shade tolerant perennials..?
I personally would consult my local county extension agent..
or a Master gardener in your area..
both would be most knowledgeable for plants/soils in your area..
or check at your favorite gardening center for help.
I love tossing Impatiens into the shady areas for the much needed spot of color, whether it be vibrant or cool..or maybe some Coleus?..
and yes.. very important to weed flower beds.. otherwise, you will have weed beds instead of flowers!
good luck..
hugs and smiles..
Loui♥

Beth said...

Your roses are very pretty! Best wishes with your garden this year!
Beth

Stacey said...

I agree that the zinnias need to be thinned. That has always been my experience with them.

Fun news, your caladiums are actually foliage and not flowers. That's one of the reasons I love them so much.

I am a complete tomato killer. No advice from me at all on that one.

I think you can put out wildflower seeds. The mixes include all kinds of flowers and many will bloom later in the heat.

Here's a link to a Texas A&M fact sheet that lists some perennials for your zone.
http://harris-tx.tamu.edu/hort/pubs/pubs/texassuperstars.pdf

Now I'm going to whisper when I say this, my dad is a Texas Master Gardener. He grows only perennials. Shh....don't tell him I said this...he lives in Lockhart...when it gets really hot they mostly look like weeds to me.

Stacey said...

That's not to say that the Master Gardeners won't give you excellent information. :) How about cone flowers or lantana?

Stacey said...

I'm so sorry...that link isn't working. Try this one:

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/events/38252_Superstar_revApr10.pdf

Lisa said...

Laura,
Your garden is so beautiful it looks like you don't need ANY help.:)
PS The hubster with a flashlight sounds good to me. I'll send batteries.

Darla said...

Zinnias need to be thinned, it's my experience that over watering will cause them to turn yellow and die..they like it hot and a little on the dry side. Can't begin to tell you how many plants have been broken due to my garden hose. How about monarda--bee balm, it's beautiful and smells wonderful. No mam it is not too late to plant wildflower seeds. I sow them all year long here in North Florida.

Kim @ Savvy Southern Style said...

Cute post. I think your husband should sit out and guard your tomatoes at night. That's the least he could do if he wants good tomatoes. I don't have any answers for you about plants or zone 9. I believe I'm in zone 7. Good luck though.

Robyn said...

Here's a good source for some pretty photos and ideas...I hope it helps you...God bless you, Robyn
http://www.backyardgardener.com/shade/zone9.html

Atticmag said...

Wish I could answer gardening questions but I'm hopeless. Your roses are lovely though. Jane F.

Wendy said...

Your roses are so pretty! Wish I knew the answers to your questions! I also learned about long garden hoses the hard way!! You have a great blog!
Wendy

Meri said...

The caladiums are gorgeous, too. So I'm figuring you're in the South, since here in the Pacific NW we can't grow caladiums. . . too cool a spring and summer's too short for their hothouse natures. And do you know about Immunox? It's a spray for treating rose diseases that's amazing. It totally reverses black spot and when I spray it on my roses, within a week they look like they were just fertilized and they're totally healthy. Thanks for your comment over at my place!

Alea Milham said...

Thanks for the info on the rose food. I am sorry, I live in zone 4 so I don't have any answers. However, if your find a way to convince your husband to sit outside with night vision gogggles and a big stick, let me know.

Jojo said...

I can't believe that you've already got tomatoes! The rose food sounds wonderful. My poor roses always look terrible by the end of the season. I might have to try it.

June said...

Laura, I just think you and hubs should move in with me and my hubs and our husbands can take turns with the night shift. Whatta ya say???
I don't know what does well in zone 9 cause I'm zone 3/4. That means damn cold in garden talk.
But yeah, it is important to weed your beds. That is where you come in...when you move in with me.
hugs

Jeannie B. said...

Your roses are beautiful. I am wondering how long you have been using the food. Sorry, I don't have any answers to anything. I need to go look up what zone i live in!!

Sherry @ No Minimalist Here said...

Your roses are beautiful...the deer eat all of mine. My hubby WOULD sit out all night to guard the tomatoes. That is how much he loves home grown tomatoes. Funny, I can't get him to stand guard over my roses though!

Jess said...

Beautiful garden! I love posts about gardens. Thanks so much for posting this on Favorite THings Friday!

Tammy @BeatriceBanks said...

Wow! I just wish I had a garden that looked like yours. I'm hopeless in that department. Thanks for sharing the tip about rose food. Can't wait to order me some!

trash talk said...

Hydrangeas are my answer to everything...especially the Endless Summer variety. Blooms all summer (although the heads don't dry especially well, but who cares...color!)
I'd probably be harvesting those tomatoes and frying 'em up. No problems...no worries!
Debbie
P.S. I've put the rose food on my to-do list!

Marguerite said...

Your roses are beautiful and thanks for the tip! I have a large Zinnia patch and think that maybe yours have gotten a bit too much water. Maybe thin them out cut the yellow leaves off, and dry them up a bit. And for the tomatoes, plant Marigolds alongside of them, and most pests will stay away. Have a wonderful weekend!

From the Old InkWell said...

Hi Laura, your gardens and pics are beautiful! I tried to grow tomatoes last summer in pots with no success. Our yard is really too small for a veg garden since we use so much of it for flowers and shrubs so I just buy my veggies at the fruit stand and cigar man appreciates it! LOL!

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

Your garden is far ahead of mine! We are having a cool wet Spring so far. Good to know about the rose fertilizer. I'll look for that one around here. I go in spurts about how much I weed the flower beds, a couple of times in the Spring and it seems during the summer the weeds don't have chance once all the flowers take over the beds.
You had a question about the picture sizes on my blog. I do use minima stretch, but I have to change the html on the pictures I upload. If you are interested I can email you the directions I was given to enlarge them, although your pictures look great already. gardenerprogress@comcast.net

Robyn said...

Laura, I know I've already posted you a message on this topic, but I found out a tid bit of information about Zinnias I never knew about. I read that when you plant them in their final spot you need to make sure that they aren't planted too close together because they can get a powdery mildew on them if they can't "breath"...thought I'd share that with you...I'm looking forward to seeing some pictures of those zinnas this summer...I'll post some of mine too...Yay Zinnas!

Manuela@A Cultivated Nest said...

LOL! Those are a lot of questions! It's not too late to plant wildflower seeds at least in my zone 7. I plan on doing so the end of the week.

I found last year that even when the leaves of my Zinnias got powdery mildew, the tops still flowered fine. The do need space to let the air circulate but when it get's to be 100 and humid here no amount of space will help. So I just live with yucky leaves but I have shorter plants that grow below them so it's not so visible.

I companion plant marigolds and basil with my tomatoes. When you only have one thing growing you're more likely to have pests attack. When you grow something else along side the pests get confused.


Manuela

Barbara Jean said...

Laura,

What gorgeous pictures!!
Sure would be nice not to have to weed flower beds!
I'm going to see what the other comments say, but I would think the weeds would use some of the nutrients in the soil, and maybe choke off the 'good' plants from the sunlight.
Just a non-gardeners guess though. =)

thanks for coming by. Glad I inspired you to do more organizing. How is it going?

blessings

barbara jean

Apron Senorita said...

BEAUTIFUL!!! I am in love with the gorgeous roses. I wish you special May flowers!

Yoli :)

Nola said...

I'm with ya on the hose situation, the longer they are, the more they tangle.
Plant the wildflower seeds in the fall for next year's spring blooms.

DreamgirlLisa said...

I'm in zone 9 too, I have luck with roses, foxglove, hollyhocks, hydrangeas (if planted in the right spot), rose scented geraniums, lavender mallow, to name a few :) Thanks for stopping by my blog. Nice to find a soul mate when it comes to old houses!!

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