The PS Garden

[Matata]

Oh please can we post stuff about our gardens in this thread? What's growing now, what we're planning to grow, our harvests when the time comes. I'm delighted to have a proper garden this year and would love for others to share their love of gardening.

Here's all I've got blooming so far. My backyard is only 9 months old. Ninety eight percent of the plants survived an unusually cold and snowy winter. Some are just beginning to poke their little leaves up from soil.

There's one little berry on the strawberry plants.
These are flowers on the fava bean plants I grew over winter in the greenhouse. They look sort of like orchids and have a lovely aroma.

The state flower of Oregon, Mahonia Aquifolium (Oregon Grape)
Purple and blue -- my favorite colors in the garden
I forgot to take pictures of the tomatoes I just planted in the greenhouse and the artichoke plant keeping the strawberries company. More on those later. I have several flowering plants coming via mail the first of May and will be planting lots of herbs, lemon cucumbers, watermelon, and cataloupe mid-May.

 

[telephone89]

I just got back from the garden center! Timely thread.
I don't have much growing yet. Some of my green onions came back this year (I didn't think they could survive the winter up here!) and my creeping thyme is greening up. Haven't looked too hard at much else.
I picked up some dahlia tubers today. "Carribean fantasy" and "Café au lait" hot damn they are going to be show stoppers.
Also grabbed some tomato starters (3 I think!) and a jalapeno starter. I was going to do seeds this year, but the starters were $1.89 and I couldn't resist...

 

[OreoRosies86]

I planted tulips and crocus, blackberries, raspberries, and am creating a succulent garden for the sunroom, so I may be quite active here once I have more to report on!

 

[redwood66]

Matata those are lovely! I have nothing yet but snow is just gone in the last couple weeks. Eliot please post pics when you get ready. I love to see everyone's pretty gardens. I will miss packrat's annual post of her yard updates if she stays away.

 

[Matata]

This is the stuff I've got coming in May:
Butterfly weed (for some reason the nurseries here carry yellow and I wanted orange)
For a shady area: coleus, hellebore
These succulents are going out front in a very sunny area where it's difficult to grow stuffand I"m growing some moonflower from seed I'm excited about the moonflower because it's night blooming and supposed to be fragrant. Two vines will go outside the dining room window and I'll put the rest where ever I can find room.

 

[redwood66]

You are going to be busy when they all come! IIRC you are in Oregon? My parents have been having rain something awful with water running everywhere. They are ready to get in the garden.

 

[Matata]

You are going to be busy when they all come! IIRC you are in Oregon? My parents have been having rain something awful with water running everywhere. They are ready to get in the garden.

Yep, southern Oregon. Today it's sunny and near 70 -- the first day in weeks where it hasn't rained. There are big clouds starting to form to the southwest but we're supposed to stay dry until Thursday. I am giving stink eye to all the weeds that survived winter and are now flourishing in my flower beds. In between rain showers these past two weeks I've gone out there like a ninja weed warrior and for every weed I pull up, three more sprout behind me.

 

[OreoRosies86]

Speaking of weeeeeeeds, guess what I could grow in my state

 

[PintoBean]

Hee hee I have some hocus pocus crocus! I'm amazed they survived the snow that hit them a few weeks ago when they start popping up!

If it's dryer tomorrow I will venture into my backyard to see what is popping up. The landscapers did some surprising stuff during spring clean, including trimming away the dead lavender in my pots lololol! Last year I couldn't get them to consistently open my gate to mow my back yard!

 

[redwood66]

Yep, southern Oregon. Today it's sunny and near 70 -- the first day in weeks where it hasn't rained. There are big clouds starting to form to the southwest but we're supposed to stay dry until Thursday. I am giving stink eye to all the weeds that survived winter and are now flourishing in my flower beds. In between rain showers these past two weeks I've gone out there like a ninja weed warrior and for every weed I pull up, three more sprout behind me.

Ninja weed warrior. I lived in Medford (actually Central Point) for a very brief time less than a year around 1994. I hardly recognize it now. I loved the Applegate Valley though.

 

[Matata]

Ninja weed warrior. I lived in Medford (actually Central Point) for a very brief time less than a year around 1994. I hardly recognize it now. I loved the Applegate Valley though.

Yeah, the 20th century is slowing making its way here so we're on an uptick

 

[redwood66]

Yeah, the 20th century is slowing making its way here so we're on an uptick

I can remember terrible star thistle problems in all the fields.

 

[Matata]

I can remember terrible star thistle problems in all the fields.

Where ever we go hiking we pull it up. Lost cause but we do it anyway. Pear orchards have given way to vineyards and this area is now internationally known for the wines produced. Lots of houses and commercial establishments are being built. There's some needed repairs being done to roads/bridges. Microbreweries are on the rise. Basically, we're starting to do the stuff that has made Portland a mecca for business, foodies, and the environmentally conscious.

 

[PintoBean]

Here we go again - almost like we are starting from scratch! At least now that the landscapers have done spring clean, I can see that the plants from last year are indeed bigger (but not overwhelmingly so that I have to worry about them growing out of the space!

As you can see, crazy rainstorms swept the top soil away. I have a couple bags of worm casting and will pick up compost soon and mulch.

Can I sprinkle the work casting and compost on as a top dressing then top that off with cedar mulch?

When should I begin this process?

 

[Matata]

Here we go again - almost like we are starting from scratch! At least now that the landscapers have done spring clean, I can see that the plants from last year are indeed bigger (but not overwhelmingly so that I have to worry about them growing out of the space!

As you can see, crazy rainstorms swept the top soil away. I have a couple bags of worm casting and will pick up compost soon and mulch.

Can I sprinkle the work casting and compost on as a top dressing then top that off with cedar mulch?

When should I begin this process?

You can do your sprinkles on established plants and you can do it now but probably better to wait until the last frost date for your area. General rule of (green) thumb -- see what I did there, lol -- is not to use compost on just planted or very young plants with tender roots because it may burn the plant because it is too rich. I've rarely followed that rule and haven't noticed any bad effects from the compost.

 

[Calliecake]

Beautiful gardens Matata and Pinto Bean. I can't wait for it to warm up here so I can get out there and garden. My gardens are all roses bushes and may potted plants of geraniums and ivy. Summer can't come soon enough.

 

[Arcadian]

No pictures at the moment but I'll add some in the coming weeks. I ordered some patchouli plants. I love the smell so I figured it would be a great way to bring the smell into my yard. I'm also considering doing something floral. I have a plumeria tree...hot pink no less! Its gorgeous. just starting to bloom, but down here, its quite common. I want to do either jasmine (maybe sambac) or, magnolia. There's a variety that does well for zone 10 which I'm hankering to try. I nixed tuberose because it might be on the finicky side for this zone.

For the most part I'm doing stuff in pots which do well down here year round.... Lemon balm, lavender, mint, etc....

I have mangoes which I thought didn't come in until june, but I have them NOW and they're ready to eat....

 

[missy]

Matata I love your garden and thank you for starting this beautiful thread. Pinto, pretty garden.
I love seeing photos of everyone's lovely flowers and am looking forward to many more pics. And maybe I will have some to share soon. Haven't been to the beach house for a while but when we go for a weekend I will see if there are any worthwhile pics to share.

Love the mix of colors-the pastel colors and also the rich deep colors with the bright greens. So soft and fresh and full of promise of a happy spring!

 

[Matata]

Compost anyone? In the past I did open heap but don't want the hassle anymore of turning the pile with a pitchfork. I've done some research on tumblers and this one -- the Yimby -- is rated high in every source I've read. I'm going to order it today. It kills me to throw kitchen waste away when it can be turned into garden gold.

 

[PintoBean]

Wow these bulbs are blossoming! I see a few daffodils opening in my backyard and the grape hyacinths are starting to open!!! I heard we have rain tomorrow so I expect to see more action the day after that!

It doesn't look too different from yesterday but I swear there is progress!

 

[Calliecake]

Looks great Pinto Bean. Be careful, gardening is very addictive!

 

[PintoBean]

Looks great Pinto Bean. Be careful, gardening is very addictive!

I know :-/ I have a shopping cart full of heucheras and hostas. Online shopping for plants is dangerous! I'm leaning towards all things ruffly this year lololol (Rrrrrruffles have RRrrridges!). Ruffled heuchera and mini ruffly hostas as gap fillers towards the front of the gardens. I've also been collecting rocks daily to use for edging. Some sank after the heavy rains this winter. Some got kicked away or blown away by the landscapers lololol.

 

[Matata]

Two things that bloomed in the past 2 days: heuchera and snow drop anemone
The peonies are unfurling their leaves. They were planted last Aug. so I didn't get to see any flowers and I'm anticipating their blooms this year. The hydrangea are coming on strong too.

 

[VRBeauty]

My contribution could be called "Scenes from a Hall Strip."

I live in a very old neighborhood that has some very old trees planted in the Parking strips – the little planting strip situated between the sidewalk and the street. These strips are maybe three to four feet wide, and in warmer climates like my own they are often referred to as "hell strips" because they reflect heat from both the sidewalk and the street, making it difficult to grow plants in these areas. The hell strips in front of my house are also home to two very large, old elm trees. Their roots mess with the sidewalks, they send up lots of volunteer would-be elm trees, and they provide a lovely roost for birds that pop out all kinds of seeds and weeds.

Several years ago I realized that I had to do something to drain water that would accumulate on the sidewalk in front of my house, and I ended up putting in a dry stream bed lined with landscape fabric and river rocks. The dirt I had excavated formed a little mound that helped provide some visual interest to the remaining space. I've planted that area with a number of different things over the years. I have to admit that I babied plants along for the first few years, but in the past few years my life simply didn't allow that kind of attention or even regular watering during our blistering summers, and the area has become very much a garden of the survival of the fittest. But, it's pretty much at its finest right now. So here are some pictures:

First, the view from the sidewalk.

Followed by the view from the street.


And a close-up of one of my favorite plants, a celery-scented cranesbill geranium.



Most of the other pink and purple flowers you see are tapien verbena, a hybridized (and I think patented) variety of verbena. The spires that aren't quite blooming yet are common veronica/speedwell and will be a deep blue when they bloom. In the early spring there is also a sizeable ring of grape hyacinths, the offspring of bulbs that I first planted 25-30 years ago, around the base of each elm tree.

The rest of my gardens are pretty much neglected and in serious need of work!

 

[Calliecake]

So Beautiful VRBeauty

 

[OreoRosies86]

Ok, tomorrow I am building an herb stand. No wacky tobaccy, but I know for sure I want basil, lavender, mint, and catnip for the lady cat. I think a nice sun porch with catnip will help her compensate for the fact that she can't go outside at my house. I live next to too busy a road to take any chances!

 

[PintoBean]

OMG vrbeauty that is so luscious!! I can't wait to see the neighborhood awash in colors! Even though it's been warmer, I still spotted snow mounds today! I'm truly sick of this never ending winter. Is this something we should be worried about? Like "winter is coming" Game of Thrones?

 

[redwood66]

VR those are beautiful! !!

 

[VRBeauty]

By the way I'm also adopting a garden of sorts this year: an abandoned, gold-rush era Chinese cemetery near my boyfriend's house. I first stumbled on it a few weeks ago. A little bit of research indicated that a separate Chinese cemetery was needed because the local town would not allow the Chinese miners and railroad workers to be buried in the town's cemeteries, so this special cemetery was established several miles outside of the old "downtown"area. There's not much left of it really, many of the bodies had been disinterred and the bones return to China, and it appears that many of the gravestones have been plundered over the years. But there are still a few graves and a few markers. Anyhow, after visiting the cemetery, I couldn't get out of my mind how nice it would be to have some daffodils blooming there in the spring time – daffodils do very well in our area, and they will survive even our fairly harsh summers without supplemental water. It was too late to plant daffodils by then, but I did buy and plant about four dozen freesia bulbs. Freesias also naturalize well and will even reproduce from seed, although the plants grown from seed tend to revert to more of a species form then the colorful hybrids.

When I went back to plant the bulbs I was very excited to see two or three areas where someone else had apparently been planting bulbs as well! I did not dig up the bulbs to see what kind of flowers they were planting… it did it look like they had a probably planted larger bulbs than the little freesia bulbs I was planting. I'll have to wait for next spring to find out!

Anyway, here are some pictures of that "garden." The tiny white flowers in the second photo are, appropriately, white forget-me-nots that seem to be growing wild.

 

[Calliecake]

Elliott, FYI. I just looked up mint and it says mint is toxic to cats. I have no idea if you plan on having this somewhere Oreo can't get at.