How does your Garden grow? part 2

[Evo]

How does your Garden grow? The worst in 30 years. Yesterday the deer finished off what the weather hadn't. Probably be my last post in this threat this year.

Oh no! Well the little peppers I had have all fallen off. But PF MIRACLE, I have one tomato the size of a matchstick head! I keep dragging my plants into any ray of sun that breaks through.

 

[ZapperZ]

I had this Japanese Maple tree planted more than 2 years ago. Then the first winter after it was planted, we had the Polar Vortex in the Chicago area when we had cold-snow-cold-snow... pattern for 2 solid months. That first summer, the tree barely leafed out, and I thought it wasn't going to make it. This past winter wasn't a cakewalk either. So come Spring, I was keeping a close eye on it to see if I need to replace it.

Lo and behold, it leafed out rather well, and finally, it sent out blossoms and the white beautiful flowers came out at the same time as other Japanese maples around the area.

I think it is going to make it. It is strange that this is the only Japanese maple of any kind on my entire block. There are a couple of the same tree 2 blocks away, but none nearby.

In the foreground are my a group of my rose bushes. I planted 5 of them, all the hybrid variety called "Lasting Love". It has a very deep, dark red color, and the flowers are quite large, spanning 6 inches in diameter. But what is even more surprising is the very strong rose scent that you can detect even several feet away from the planting bed. I've had neighbors commenting that they can smell the scent when were walking in front of the house.

This year looks like it will be good for the garden. We have been having a lot of rain (it is raining dogs and cats and elephants and rhinos right now), and everything is lush in my front and back yard.

Zz.

 

[Evo]

Wow, my Japanese maple never bloomed. It's lovely! Did I ever mention that at one time I had 80 rose bushes? They were in raised beds with walkways between them. I miss them.

 

[Evo]

Ok, I now have 3 tiny tomatoes and a few tiny peppers. Found a horned tomato caterpillar on one of my tomato plants yesterday and got it off before too much damage, of course where's there's one there will be others, one of those can eat most of a plant in a day, so I'm out there every few hours now staring at my plants, I can just imagine what the neighbors are thinking.

 

[Silicon Waffle]

Yes, however tiny they are, seemingly you have had a lot more works to do or take care of since the time they appeared in your garden.

 

[Ouabache]

As the clock of the season ticks on, i notice each wildflower coming into its own. While mowing the grassy field last week, I am seeing the burnt orange blossoms of devil's paintbrush (aka orange hawkweed, Hieracium aurantiacum) a vivid contrast to the green grass.

(Others have appreciated this seasonal clock before me; Henry David Thoreau and Aldo Leopold kept annual journals, recording flowering times for many wild plants)

 

[gleem]

Does any know why a hydrangea won't bloom?

 

[nsaspook]

The tomato garden with a few peppers, chives and misc things.

Some flowers on the back deck:

Some (soon to be giant) sunflowers about to be replanted in the front of the house.

 

[Evo]

NSA, why are your vegetable plants still in their pots, stuck in the ground? I've never seen that before.

 

[ZapperZ]

NSA, why are your vegetable plants still in their pots, stuck in the ground? I've never seen that before.

Glad I'm not the only one who thought that was odd.

Zz.

 

[nsaspook]

NSA, why are your vegetable plants still in their pots, stuck in the ground? I've never seen that before.

That's just sections of yard edging the wife put into keep the giant slugs and critters from the base of the plants.

 

[Evo]

Ah, ok.

 

[dlgoff]

I've never seen that before

I've seen that done on biodegradable pots where you'd cut out the bottoms before putting in a pre-dug hole. But in this case, I figured it was one of the "spook" tricks, so I wasn't going to ask.

 

[nsaspook]

I've seen that done on biodegradable pots where you'd cut out the bottoms before putting in a pre-dug hole. But in this case, I figured it was one of the "spook" tricks, so I wasn't going to ask.

The only thing spooky is the size of the slugs in this state. They can eat small trees.

 

[dlgoff]

The only think spooky is the size of the slugs in this state.

And I thought the deer were bad for my garden. Poor Spook.

 

[Evo]

The only thing spooky is the size of the slugs in this state. They can eat small trees.

AAAAARRRRGH!

 

[nsaspook]

AAAAARRRRGH!

My wife is into organic gardening so no chemical warfare and shotguns are too messy so using dry soil and barriers around plants helps.
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/nurspest/slugs.htm

 

[Borek]

We have similar snails here (both in size and color). Ugly plague, not native.

 

[ZapperZ]

While my roses are going wild in my front yard, my backyard is going wild with the astilbe. I think of all the 4 years that I've had them, this is the most lush and the most flowers that I've seen from them. I have 2 well-established clumps of them, and 1 that I planted only last year. The new one is still not flowering much and still trying to establish itself, but the other two are doing quite well.

Strangely enough, without planning it, there is an over-abundance of "white" flowers in my backyard. The astilbe is white, the blossoms from the dwarf crab apple tree was white at the beginning of spring, and there are at least 2 or 3 more plants that shoot out white flowers. Luckily, spots of day lilies, rhododendrons, and a few others will eventually break up the whiteness when they all finally bloom.

Zz.

 

[Evo]

Gorgeous Zz! So this year sounds like suddenly all of your outdoor plants are flourishing.

 

[dlgoff]

Gorgeous Zz! So this year sounds like suddenly all of your outdoor plants are flourishing.

I think Zz has had lots of rain up there like us. Some things here are doing really well despite the lack of sun light. But now that summer is really here, the high temps & humidity and finally the SUN, even my "deer pruned" garden veggies are coming on.

 

[Evo]

I think Zz has had lots of rain up there like us. Some things here are doing really well despite the lack of sun light. But now that summer is really here, the high temps & humidity and finally the SUN, even my "deer pruned" garden veggies are coming on.

Oh, that's wonderful! I was wondering if you were going to try after all. The healthiest, biggest pepper I have is the one that had the stem broken 2 inches above the ground.

 

[ZapperZ]

Now, on the other side of my backyard, I have this small patch that is partially shaded. I've planted several things here, including a few milkweeds. Last year, I saw two monarch butterflies hovering over the milkweeds, and I'm hoping this year we'll get more.

And yes, if you look closely, I have rather "naughty gnome" as one of my garden decoration. :) But I also have this meerkat sticking his head out of the ground.

I also planted several cherry tomatoes on planters. This one has lots of green ones, waiting to ripen. This ripens into bright yellow cherry tomatoes.

Of course, I have lots of herbs for cooking. My basil and thyme plants are still not fully grown yet, but my rosemary is doing very well. Have gotten lots of use out of it already.

The same can be said of my peppermint. I use it as an ingredient in Vietnamese spring rolls and also to make Moroccan mint tea.

Zz.

 

[Evo]

Wow Zz. I never realized what a gardener you were!

 

[dlgoff]

Particle accelerators and vegetables; my favorite things.

 

[ZapperZ]

Growing tomatoes, and growing photocathodes... not that big of a difference.

:)

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Gardening is sometime a hit-and-miss thing. You can fuss over and put all your effort in nurturing something, and yet, it might still die and not make it. Then, at the other end of the spectrum, you can completely ignore something and it thrives!

I have posted maybe a year or two ago of my most favorite lilies. It has huge flowers (~6-8 inches across) and it has a gorgeous peach color. We didn't plant them. They were there when we moved in, although we didn't know they existed until the following summer since we moved into our house in November. Turns out, we have 3 different areas where this lily (I'll call 'em "peachy") exists. When I first saw them flowered that first year, I was amazed at their size and color. I took care of two of them really well. The third was not in a good spot, and so I kinda ignored it and let other plants (hosta, other ground cover, etc.) took over the patch.

Well, guess what? The one that I ignored just because the first peachy to flower and open up! While the other two have been putting out buds so far, the ignored one quietly and well ahead over everybody else put out its shoots and today, I saw for the first time, the huge, gorgeous flower!

And look at where it is growing. Like I said, I neglect this patch because it is tucked in an area that doesn't get seen often.

And then, there's just something that is so tenacious, it just won't die. That November after we moved in, we had a landscaper come in and redid the backyard. They pulled out a lot of plants, moved them around, and then put fresh layer of mulch. After 3 years, I noticed this plant suddenly emerging in between the mulch. I noticed it because it was putting out this purple flowers. I didn't plant it, and I know that the landscaper didn't either. It is not in the most ideal location, right next to the Honeysuckle bush. But ever since then, it keeps on growing bigger and bigger each year. I decided to keep it because it provides a nice contrast of colors in that part of the yard. Can anyone identify what plants this is?

So in this case, it is not only neglect, but also something that I didn't plant. But since a couple of years ago, I've made sure I am taking care of it and that part of the yard.

Zz.

 

[Evo]

Could it be a type of campanula? They grow in Illinois. Scroll down to campanula (blue bells).

http://northernshade.ca/plant-list/

http://northernshade.ca/2008/06/24/lovely-dalmation-bellflower/

There are so many varieties though.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/152646/

 

[ZapperZ]

That's what I was guessing too, but one of my friends didn't think it was a blue bell due to the shape of the leaves. But looking at one of the photos, the leaves appear to match.

Zz.

 

[Borg]

Some years ago, we got a Jasmine tree from someone who didn't have room for it. We put it outside in the spring and then wheel it into the house in the fall. It tends to bloom very fragrantly twice a year after each move. The location outside gets some morning sun but is shaded in the afternoon. It's been liking the rain that we've gotten over the last few weeks.

Here's a closeup of one of the blooms with morning dew on it.