Planting zone!? Well, I am in a tricky area. This is how I look at it: if it is a really spendy plant and it won't work in a zone 3 - I won't buy it!!! HA HA HA! Zone 5 seems to be ok. Sometimes I'll take a risk with a zone 4... only if it can take full sun up against my house. I did buy a spider lily (freakin' awesome, kind of orchid like) last year which, sadly, did not make it this past winter. I've been talking to the dead sticks this season in hopes that it comes back to life! We're still early so I'm holding out hope!
What is really popping my buttons is the critters lately. Between bugs and animals with four paws, I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle. Sunlight and water mixture is my spray of choice. It is on everything but then I think I burned some leaves earlier this season.
A funny story... we have a family of chipmunks, which are cute as the dickens! Last year, they were making holes for tunnels in all of my gardens. To the point where they would uproot a plant to make the hole. I started putting my cat's poop in the holes! Ok - I was desperate! These holes were everywhere and it was becoming a joke!!! I figured sustainable, safe and better than the alternatives my husband was suggesting... *ahem* This spring, it started again. I was ok with it because I could work around the holes because it was early enough in the season... Well! One morning a couple of weeks ago, I went out to water and a GIANT diarrhea raccoon poop was in one of the chipmunk holes. I couldn't help but laugh picturing a raccoon steady it's behind over a hole!! It's like a battle ground back there... *sigh*
I wonder if anyone here has a fool proof plan to over winter dahlia tubers? I've tried it two years in a row and been unsuccessful both times. Last year, I had a beautiful dinner plate white dahlia with the most amazing petals and I lost it. I bought another one this season. It's not so much the cost but sometimes I can't find the same tuber the second year (like the pink dahlia above).
I've got a wheelbarrow full of pics! I'll post some more if I'm not hogging the thread!
What is really popping my buttons is the critters lately. Between bugs and animals with four paws, I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle. Sunlight and water mixture is my spray of choice. It is on everything but then I think I burned some leaves earlier this season.
A funny story... we have a family of chipmunks, which are cute as the dickens! Last year, they were making holes for tunnels in all of my gardens. To the point where they would uproot a plant to make the hole. I started putting my cat's poop in the holes! Ok - I was desperate! These holes were everywhere and it was becoming a joke!!! I figured sustainable, safe and better than the alternatives my husband was suggesting... *ahem* This spring, it started again. I was ok with it because I could work around the holes because it was early enough in the season... Well! One morning a couple of weeks ago, I went out to water and a GIANT diarrhea raccoon poop was in one of the chipmunk holes. I couldn't help but laugh picturing a raccoon steady it's behind over a hole!! It's like a battle ground back there... *sigh*
I wonder if anyone here has a fool proof plan to over winter dahlia tubers? I've tried it two years in a row and been unsuccessful both times. Last year, I had a beautiful dinner plate white dahlia with the most amazing petals and I lost it. I bought another one this season. It's not so much the cost but sometimes I can't find the same tuber the second year (like the pink dahlia above).
I've got a wheelbarrow full of pics! I'll post some more if I'm not hogging the thread!