The General Gardening Thread

Figgy1

Figgy1

Well-Known Member
Do you mind if I join in a bit late? My weather is finally breaking, my Earth Boxes are prepped, my bed for deer resistant items has been cleared and is ready to go. With luck I'm planting next weekend:joyfull:
 
Tinkwings

Tinkwings

Pfizered Fairy
Premium Member
In the Parks
No
Have been having major rain past 4 days and more today and onward......my neighbors seeds are up surviving the frosts we had last week....I have not put anything in ground yet.....think later this week we will be getting there.....

Willmark, please get an update picture soon!!! :D
 
Tinkwings

Tinkwings

Pfizered Fairy
Premium Member
In the Parks
No
(moved this here as I forgot where I was...) In regards to your work done this weekend.....Wahooo! Here's to hoping it rains AFTER we get stuff planted.....I can recall a few years it rained so much in May and June and then NOTHING!!!;) Are you planning to do any soaker hose systems?
 
Figgy1

Figgy1

Well-Known Member
I got all my plants but was a bit saddened at the lack of variety this year. The garden center starts some of their own and orders in others. I don't think the started as much as they usually do because they are older than the dirt they grow them in. That being said I got some citronella, patio tomatoes, yellow and orange pear tomatoes, cayenne and Jalepeno peppers, marigolds, petunias and a few other flowers assorted herbs, and I'll be starting cucumbers, zucchini, kale and nasturtiums from seed. Planting starts Friday:joyfull: If I get a chance I'll have my dh find the video he used to make our own Earth Boxes
 
Willmark

Willmark

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
TINKWINGS said:
Have been having major rain past 4 days and more today and onward......my neighbors seeds are up surviving the frosts we had last week....I have not put anything in ground yet.....think later this week we will be getting there.....

Willmark, please get an update picture soon!!! :D
Click to expand...
Won't have anything until Wednesday at the earliest, had a detour of working on the following since the weather was nice Sat and Sun:
  1. Took down the big swing set, its 12 years old, unsafe & the kids have outgrown it.
  2. Weeded the front beds (2)
  3. Weeded the stone walkway I built in 2017. We're growing moss in the cracks, but its slow.
  4. Fixed the muffler on my truck.
  5. Mowed, weed eating/edging.
  6. Dug small trenches around the trees in front, and flower beds and filled it with multi-colored river stone.
  7. Ripped out the plastic white fencing around the main flower bed and replaced it with white wooden fencing.
  8. Partially cleaned the garage.
Today I did get one of the last labor intensive parts of the garden done. I drilled out three post holes and cemented them in for the decorative fence (refer to page 1 with the guide picture). And just like last year when I built 268 feet of linear fencing and digging out 48 post holes? Clay, rocks, more clay and clay. Did I mention clay? Took me a while and I'm beat from it.

But I did construct my first Toad House, painting it now while I sip a cocktail. Pictures later tonight assuming I get it done.
 
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Willmark

Willmark

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
figmentfan423 said:
I got all my plants but was a bit saddened at the lack of variety this year. The garden center starts some of their own and orders in others. I don't think the started as much as they usually do because they are older than the dirt they grow them in. That being said I got some citronella, patio tomatoes, yellow and orange pear tomatoes, cayenne and Jalepeno peppers, marigolds, petunias and a few other flowers assorted herbs, and I'll be starting cucumbers, zucchini, kale and nasturtiums from seed. Planting starts Friday:joyfull: If I get a chance I'll have my dh find the video he used to make our own Earth Boxes
Click to expand...
Look forward to seeing that.
 
Ricky Spanish

Ricky Spanish

Well-Known Member
Willmark said:
Never seen vertical planters with corrugated steel/aluminum. I wonder if heat buildup would be an issue depending on locale.
Click to expand...
Thought about that too.
If I build these, they will go in an area with a lot of afternoon sun hitting them(3pm til sunset)
My thoughts were to line the planters with foam insulation before they are filled with dirt.
Also considering drip irrigation for them.
We live in Chicago and have an alley behind the house.
Thought that I could use these to give height to the garden and also make a “living fence”
If the planters are 2 or 3 foot tall and we plant phlox, sunflowers, and goldenrod then we have something nicer to look at, instead of the alley.
 
Figgy1

Figgy1

Well-Known Member
Willmark said:
Ok, gotcha. That is certainly an interesting strategy and one that is useful for gardeners who might not have a lot of space. Is that why you went that route?
Click to expand...
Not a lot of area that gets sun and can be behind a 6 foot fence. I have deer, lots of them and several other critters. The boxes are up on a 2nd floor deck that get sun
 
Willmark

Willmark

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
As I mentioned I got post holes done today, but did manage to get one other item complete: the first Toad House, in this case shed.

CC189C81-2A55-41E9-B172-AD3D25070BF3.jpeg

Mrs Willmark likes polka dots so blame her.

Plan is to let a small section of the garden grow naturally behind the decorative fence and bury an inch (or so) of the structure into the ground. I’ve got some rocks I’ll place around the entrance to make it seem more natural to the hopeful inhabitants. A small metal pan with some rocks for water and I already have a cheap solar light to attract mosquitoes. Assuming a toad notices it he should have plenty to eat and a nice abode.

Oh yeah I even roofed it too with left over shingles.
 
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MinnieM123

MinnieM123

Premium Member
Willmark said:
Won't have anything until Wednesday at the earliest, had a detour of working on the following since the weather was nice Sat and Sun:
  1. Took down the big swing set, its 12 years old, unsafe the kids have outgrown it.
  2. Weeded the front beds (2)
  3. Weeded the stone walkway I built in 2017. We're growing moss in the cracks, but its slow.
  4. Fixed the muffler on my truck.
  5. Mowed, weed eating/edging.
  6. Dug small trenches around the trees in front, and flower beds and filled it with colored river stone.
  7. Ripped out the plastic white fencing around the main flower bed and replaced it with white wooden fencing.
  8. Partially cleaned the garage.
Today I did get one of the last labor intensive parts of the garden done. I drilled out three post holes and cemented them in for the decorative fence (refer to page 1 with the guide picture). And just like last year when I built 268 feet of linear fencing and digging out 48 post holes? Clay, rocks, more clay and clay. Did I mention clay? Took me a while and I'm beat from it.

But I did construct my first Toad House, paining it now while I sip a cocktail. Pictures later tonight assuming I get it done.
Click to expand...

My goodness, you have been BUSY!! :jawdrop: You're a one-man, Jack-of-all (backyard, and muffler-fixer) trades! :happy:

Willmark said:
As I mentioned I got post holes done today, but did manage to get one other item complete: the first Toad House, in this case shed.

Mrs Willmark likes polka dots so blame her.

Plan is to let a small section of the garden grow naturally behind the decorative fence and bury an inch of the structure into the ground. I’ve got some rocks I’ll place around the entrance to make it seem more natural to the hopeful inhabitants. A small metal pan with some rocks for water and I already a cheap solar light to attract mosquitoes. Assuming a toad notices it he should have plenty to eat and a nice abode.

Oh yeah I even roofed it too with left over shingles.
Click to expand...

That "Toad House"is adorable!! :)
 
Tinkwings

Tinkwings

Pfizered Fairy
Premium Member
In the Parks
No
Ricky Spanish said:
Thought about that too.
If I build these, they will go in an area with a lot of afternoon sun hitting them(3pm til sunset)
My thoughts were to line the planters with foam insulation before they are filled with dirt.
Also considering drip irrigation for them.
We live in Chicago and have an alley behind the house.
Thought that I could use these to give height to the garden and also make a “living fence”
If the planters are 2 or 3 foot tall and we plant phlox, sunflowers, and goldenrod then we have something nicer to look at, instead of the alley.
Click to expand...

DH built me 3 white wooden grid trellises that I grow black eyed susan vines on to block neighbors backyard view.(this year I am trying the white version!) It comes in yellow, pinks, apricot and white....and really goes to town, needs a haircut once in awhile but doesn't mind pruning back, constant blooming. I did have goldenrod, but some people are allergic to it and it gets rather floppy.....I would suggest Joe Pye weed, very tall and sturdy and comes back faithfully each year...and is very drought tolerant once established....I never water it since year I planted it many moons ago. I got the baby Joe Pye weed and don't think there is a difference, it gets like 6 feet tall, some baby marketing ploy...…the Monarchs love it as they migrate back south....as do other butterflies mid to late summer. Have fun blocking the alley view!! :D Eupatorium purpureum 'Baby Joe' Plant and while I see it growing along swampy areas in the wild, it loves full sun to partial shade and here it is growing in mostly clay soil....it says grow in rich moist soil but hey....it's an easy peasy plant to grow.!!!
How to Grow and Care for Joe Pye Weed Amazon.com : White Black Eyed Susan Vine 40 Seeds, 950 mg ...
 
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