What's growing on your patio?

[peachexploration]

Anyone avid patio gardners here at the DF? Just wondering. I am growing tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, oregano and rosemary.. Anyone else?

[Genesius Redux]

Anyone avid patio gardners here at the DF? Just wondering. I am growing tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, oregano and rosemary.. Anyone else?

Mold. I can't keep up with your avatars, Peach!

[Abriel]

umm, we have weeds, and some lemony smelling plant that looks like a weed.

[peachexploration]

Anyone avid patio gardners here at the DF? Just wondering. I am growing tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, oregano and rosemary.. Anyone else?

Mold. I can't keep up with your avatars, Peach!

:lol: :lol: I changed it back. The lady dancer is more me. The other little guy had issues. :lol: :lol:

[peachexploration]

umm, we have weeds, and some lemony smelling plant that looks like a weed.

Hmm, lemon smelling weeds. Well, at least it keeps you patio lemony fresh. :lol: :lol:

[Genesius Redux]

Um, Peach. Your avatar is morphing back and forth. You okay? Peach? Peach? It's creeping me out a little. :wink:

[peachexploration]

...... It's creeping me out a little. :wink:

hahahahahha. :lol: :lol: Keeping you on your toes. :lol: :lol:

[pygmalion]

At the moment, industrial strength mold. I have one of those Florida rooms -- basically a screened in porch -- that doesn't get direct sunlight, but does collect moisture when it rains. Eww! Project for the summer? Get glass windows installed.

In the meantime though, the other project is to start a flower pot houseplant garden. I mean HUGE flower pots, like big enough for trees, with tropical plants in them. By the time winter rolls back around (btw it's 89 degrees F here today) the windows should be installed, so my tropical plants will survive.

I did the potted peppers and tomatoes once before. The tomatoes were a big flop. Not sure why. But I ended up with a freezer shelf full of peppers.

[peachexploration]

The tomatoes were a big flop. Not sure why. But I ended up with a freezer shelf full of peppers.

Yeah, in my first year doing it (5th year now), I had alot of peppers as well. I don't know what it is about tomatoes and Florida. You'd think they would be easy to grow in this weather we have but it's really difficult. This year is the first year I've gotten my tomatoes to grow larger than an inch without being attacked by insects from Mars. Will keep my fingers crossed on this one. :D

[pygmalion]

*shudder* tomato worms :shock: Eeek!

[tsb]

propagating bouganvillea to plant along the fance, and in various planters in the back yard i have chives, rosemary, stevia, mint (chocolate & english) purple, thai & greek basil (keep them from flowering and you don't have to replant)...

[MacMoto]

some lemony smelling plant that looks like a weed.

Hmm, lemon balm maybe? Not the prettiest looking plant, especially if not pruned regularly.

My mother-in-law nearly pulled out my camomile lawn a couple of years ago. I wasn't at home when she came over, and she asked my hubby if he wanted her to "weed" the gravel area of the back garden. Luckily, my hubby remembered me spending hours planting those "weeds" one cold, wet summer day... OK, camomiles may look rather like weeds, but I thought the smell would be a dead giveaway...

I haven't got a patio, but I love gardening. I think I've spent more money filling my gardens than furnishing inside the house since I moved to my house 7 summers ago.

[ShyDancer]

Uh-huh.... put me down for mold too :lol: :lol: :lol:

I just cannot keep anything that doesnt take care of itself alive :shock: Even the weeds die on me :lol: :lol:

I certainly did not inherit my fathers green thumb, he grows everything and anything!

[Sagitta]

I don't have anything yet. The poor fish in my aquarium are struggling to live. :( I couldn't put other living things through something like that as well. Got to get better of taking care of those little living things...got to get better...go to get better...

[salsachinita]

I just cannot keep anything that doesnt take care of itself alive :shock: Even the weeds die on me :lol: :lol:

Yep, that's me! I can kill cactus as well........they kinda 'mummified' on me :shock: !

[KevinL]

I don't have a patio, and it still gets below freezing some nights, so there really isn't anything growing, although the grass does seem to be getting greener.

I do have a little spot of ground in front of one window where I had flowers last year, and I'll likely get large potted plants from my sister and brother in law. They've got a greenhouse, and I'll collect some "spare plants" when I'm visiting in May or June.

Kevin

[Christina75]

I'm currently searching for volunteers to help me pour concrete so that I can have a patio. :D Right now I just have a sad looking back yard. <sigh>

I do have a collection of houseplants that have so far survived battle with the house cats. Just added an Easter Lily to the bunch.

My front and back yards are covered with wild violets, both purple and white :D I always try to put off that first mowing of the spring because I hate to see them go.

Christina

[peachexploration]

My front and back yards are covered with wild violets, both purple and white :D I always try to put off that first mowing of the spring because I hate to see them go.

Christina
Don't blame you Christina75. Sounds really pretty. :D

[TemptressToo]

Nothing is on my back patio. It is infested with fire ants.

[Genesius Redux]

Nothing is on my back patio. It is infested with fire ants.

Oh, we used to dream of having a patio with fire ants!

We used to have to sit out on an old rusty fire escape crawling with rats and hornets, and we'd have to stay awake to avoid being nibbled.... :wink:

[pygmalion]

Rats? On a fire escape? :shock: Lucky you survived that experience, GR. :wink: :lol:

[Christina75]

Oh, we used to dream of having a patio with fire ants!

We used to have to sit out on an old rusty fire escape crawling with rats and hornets, and we'd have to stay awake to avoid being nibbled.... :wink:

...and still I ask myself, why is it I've never visited New York?
LOL! :wink:

Christina

[Genesius Redux]

Oh, we used to dream of having a patio with fire ants!

We used to have to sit out on an old rusty fire escape crawling with rats and hornets, and we'd have to stay awake to avoid being nibbled.... :wink:

...and still I ask myself, why is it I've never visited New York?
LOL! :wink:

Christina

Did I say NY? This was in Jackson, MS! :lol: :wink:

[Christina75]

Ah yes, the infamous Mississippi fire escape rats. How silly of me, I should have known! :lol:

Christina :D

[TemptressToo]

You know...I would take a rat over a fire ant any day. At least you can chase away a rat or sic your cat on it. Fire ants are fearless. I've stepped outside barefoot for some glorious Florida sunshine on several occasions and been attacked. For some reason, fire ants have determined in their puny ant brains that they are supposed to bite any object they come across. It isn't uncommon to have 3-4 bite you at once (and god forbid you accidentally step on an ant hill).

It stings/burns to high heaven...then the little pimple like thing wells up. The whole beautiful affair ends in a nasty scab and scar.

So you see...I HATE fire ants.

[pygmalion]

Yes. Fire ants are nasty. I got a couple bites on my toes last summer, and, honestly, the pimples hurt for a week and a half.

Fire ants are evil! :evil:

[Genesius Redux]

Actually, rats are very clean, charming, and social creatures. 8)

[pygmalion]

Yeah, but they're RATS! :shock: :lol: Or are you having "Ben" flashbacks? Somehow, I don't have you pegged as a Michael Jackson fan. LOL.

[Genesius Redux]

It stings/burns to high heaven...then the little pimple like thing wells up. The whole beautiful affair ends in a nasty scab and scar.

So you see...I HATE fire ants.

:lol: That's why they call them fire ants! Good opportunity to practice your quick-step! :lol:

Ah, the hidden joys of living in the south!

[Genesius Redux]

Yeah, but they're RATS! :shock: :lol: Or are you having "Ben" flashbacks? Somehow, I don't have you pegged as a Michael Jackson fan. LOL.

It's Willard all the way! :lol:

Actually, have you ever seen--I think it's called "Scare Tactics," hosted by Shannon Doherty? They used to do a different classic horror film set-up every week, and they had a Willard sequence. The victim got to stare in horror as a trap door opened to release dozens of rats onto her "partner" in Animal Control, who's crawling under a house supposedly retrieving a cat, while the owner of the house opens yet another trap door, sticks her face through, and shrieks, "Eat em!!!! Eat em!!!!!"

The poor girl, encountering the owner outside, still not realizing that this was an elaborate "candid camera" set-up, says to the owner through huge gulps of breath, "Did you know you have rats?"

The best part is that many of the rats are these tri-color fancy rat types!

There's a remake of Willard coming out, isn't there? :wink:

[pygmalion]

Yes, I read there was a Willard remake. I read that about a year ago, and haven't seen or heard anything since.

[TemptressToo]

I have a friend that has a pet rat. So...they don't bother me. However, those bastard fire ants just need to die.

[Bob]

I don't have a patio, but I bet I can find something growing in the back of my refridgerator...


:oops:

[Genesius Redux]

I have a friend that has a pet rat. So...they don't bother me. However, those bastard fire ants just need to die.

Well, TT, I'd suggest you carry a kettle of boiling tea with you in the event you are attacked, but that might not be the wisest course of action in your situation! :lol:

[peachexploration]

*shudder* tomato worms :shock: Eeek!
Ugh, ever seen the big hairy ones. *Double shudder*


Even worse. Last year, I purchased a lemon tree for my patio. It was nice until a month after, I walked out on my patio and there it was. A foot long grasshopper with an armour of black steel and antenna's 3 feet long and waving at me. His eyes were huge. Well, maybe is wasnt quite that that big but I had never seen anything like that in my life. Uuuggglllyyy!! Scared the Fitznippins out me. :shock:

[Christina75]

The South is pretty crazy with bugs and critters but I do have to give Florida credit for being the capital of crawly things. :lol:

A few years ago I went to Orlando on vacation with a friend of mine from Toronto. She went nuts when she saw her first Florida roach. (you know one of those that's about 6 inches long. lol) She even took pictures of the roach and kept saying "nobody back home is going to believe this!" LOL!

I'm honestly not sure which I'd rather deal with, roaches or ants. blech

I went to a college in Atlanta that had a pretty high enrollment of students from the northeastern states. As part of the freshmen orientation package, the school would send out a pamplet on "how to deal with bugs in the South" for those who hadn't been previously crawly-thing initiated. :lol:

Christina

[pygmalion]

OMG! I saw my first flying roach within a week of moving to Orlando. I thought I would DIE. It was in a clothing store, no less. Blech! And, when I first moved here, I lived in a luxury apartment on a golf course. I have never seen so many creepy-crawlies in my life! *shudder*

It's better now. I periodically spray the perimeter of the house, and keep the inside scrupulously clean. (and only get a creepy thing sighting every couple days. :shock: LOL)

[TemptressToo]

Actually, I'm from Maryland. I had never saw a roach before I moved to Florida. Yes, there are flying German Roaches (which are only about an inch long).

HOWEVER...my first experience with one of those HUGE Florida roaches (which are technically called Palmetto Bugs)...went something like this...

"what the HELL is THAT....aaaaaahhhhhhhh.....(running away quickly)." That sucker was reddish-brown and THREE inches long (not including antenna). And they are also vicious (probably related to fire ants) and they WILL chase you. :shock:

:)

[Genesius Redux]

First time I ever saw a hummingbird, I thought it was a freakin hornet....
:lol:

[TemptressToo]

We don't have them in the South...but in Maryland...have you ever seen a Sand Hornet? They are about an inch and a half long, red and black banded...with a temper to match. Again, another insect that will CHASE you (again, related to fire ants).

[Genesius Redux]

:lol: Poor girl! Tormented and chased about by fire ants, palmetto bugs, and sand hornets! You should make a movie! :lol:

[Christina75]

Speaking from experience, hummingbirds will chase you too! LOL! I think it's just curiosity and not malice. I'm guessing hummingbirds are not related to fireants. :lol:

[TemptressToo]

No, not related to fire ants, however...after EATING a fire ant, they are known to do odd things.

[Genesius Redux]

I went to a college in Atlanta that had a pretty high enrollment of students from the northeastern states. As part of the freshmen orientation package, the school would send out a pamplet on "how to deal with bugs in the South" for those who hadn't been previously crawly-thing initiated. :lol:

Christina

Knowing there were so many Yankees who'd never seen southern bugs must have made dormitory or Greek life pretty entertaining for the evil-minded! :twisted:

[Christina75]

Knowing there were so many Yankees who'd never seen southern bugs must have made dormitory or Greek life pretty entertaining for the evil-minded! :twisted:

hmm... well the evil stuff that went on never seemed to involve bugs. Interesting, I never thought about it...

We all did learn pretty fast to not take a room on the ground floor of the dorms. That's where the bugs were the worst. The Greek houses were new so I never saw any crawlies in the sorority house. The frat boys kept bugs as pets I think, so nothing bothered them. :lol:

We weren't supposed to have pets, but several people on campus had iguanas, cats, ferrets, etc. I wonder if they had less or more bugs? I had (and still have) a dwarf rabbit. Only once did I come in to find a roach eyeing the bunny's litter pan. Squished him without hesitating! :D (the roach not the rabbit)

[SCBailarina25]

:lol: Lots of chuckles from this thread...

Having recently re-located to CA from Barbados (Caribbean), where I'm from, I just had to post my 2 cents worth here with the insects and plants, as I come from a land with plenty of both...
We've got the monster-mutant roaches there as well, and they fly. All up in your face sometimes. Horrible looking things, nicknamed "Mahogany Birds". Apparently, years ago locals would lift the wings and spray them with a shalack (sp?) and sell them to tourists as "Mahogany Birds", hence the nickname. Ick. Now a days they're mostly just stepped on, as bug spray just makes them downright onry and mean. Mosquitoes, too. They just laugh at repellant, sprays, coils... People say they don't bother you if you drink enough rum, (just an excuse!) but I'm not a big drinker to start, so I've just had to live with them. Got pretty good at killing them myself. Lethal weapons, these little hands! :wink:
As far as plants go, I'm renting a house right now and figure there isn't any point in getting down and dirty in a garden that isn't mine, though I'd love to. So, there are some weeds in the garden beds, with daffodils and kalanchoe trying desperately to peek out. I managed to bring two baby aloes (aloe barbadensis) from home. They're in a pot, and still adjusting to the climate change. I also have a clipping of rosemary that just caught, begonias, geraniums, some sort of succulent (name escapes me..brown stem, oblong green 'leaf'...quite common) "wandering jew", english ivy, garlic, shammrocks (seeds brought over from Ireland!) poppies, cress and cilantro... I'd like to try my hand at peppers some day, as I loooove cooking with them. In the house, I've got your common spider plant, philodendrums, ficus benjimana, easter lilies and what I know as "Song of India". :) Oh, and the easiest house plant around, "Pothos".
So, that's it! Enough of bombarding you all with my plant prose for the day.... :)

[peachexploration]

Welcome SCBailarina25! Glad to have you with us! Yes, try the peppers, bugs tend to leave those alone. Especially jalapeno. I have them on my patio just for that purpose. :P

[TemptressToo]

two baby aloes (aloe barbadensis) from home. They're in a pot, and still adjusting to the climate change. I also have a clipping of rosemary that just caught, begonias, geraniums, some sort of succulent (name escapes me..brown stem, oblong green 'leaf'...quite common) "wandering jew", english ivy, garlic, shammrocks (seeds brought over from Ireland!) poppies, cress and cilantro... I'd like to try my hand at peppers some day, as I loooove cooking with them. In the house, I've got your common spider plant, philodendrums, ficus benjimana, easter lilies and what I know as "Song of India". Oh, and the easiest house plant around, "Pothos"

You know...I've heard that fire ants like all of the above. :)

[peachexploration]

two baby aloes (aloe barbadensis) from home. They're in a pot, and still adjusting to the climate change. I also have a clipping of rosemary that just caught, begonias, geraniums, some sort of succulent (name escapes me..brown stem, oblong green 'leaf'...quite common) "wandering jew", english ivy, garlic, shammrocks (seeds brought over from Ireland!) poppies, cress and cilantro... I'd like to try my hand at peppers some day, as I loooove cooking with them. In the house, I've got your common spider plant, philodendrums, ficus benjimana, easter lilies and what I know as "Song of India". Oh, and the easiest house plant around, "Pothos"

You know...I've heard that fire ants like all of the above. :)

You know TT. I think we need to organize a fire to put out those fire ants. :twisted: Gosh, I feel for you. Fire ants suck big time. A lady in my office gets attacked every spring when she works in her yard.

[Christina75]

I just can't leave this topic alone without one more comment. :D

I remembered a radio commercial that used to air two or three years ago. I think it was for Amdro. I tried to locate a transcript of it on the net but counldn't find anything. This is probably one of those "you had to be there" things, but believe me it was hillarious.

The commercial was voiced by this serious sounding announcer with a deep voice saying something like "Fire ants are not cute. People don't buy cuddly fire ant plush toys. All we want is for them to die."

Anybody besides me ever hear these ads?
Christina :)

[TemptressToo]

Oh, oh...me, me... I would love to hear that commercial. ;) Sounds like my type of commercial. :twisted:

[pygmalion]

Those were good commercials. 8)

Anybody have input on hardy annuals? I think I want to plant some, just for color.

[peachexploration]

Those were good commercials. 8)

Anybody have input on hardy annuals? I think I want to plant some, just for color.

What do you think about Geraniums?

Colors Available ~ Cherry, pink, salmon, scarlet, white, red and mix.
Flowering Period ~ Mid June to the end of October.
Height ~ Grows 12" to 16" tall (30-41 cm).
How to Grow ~ Plant in full sun.
Outstanding Features ~ Large flower heads, compact.
Soil ~ Rich, moist, well drained soil, high in organic matter.
Spacing ~ Plant 12" to 15" apart (30-38 cm).
Tips ~ Moderate frost tolerance. Pinching results in bushier plants. All varieties tolerate light shade.
Uses ~ Use in borders, beds or pots.

[MacMoto]

Hardy annuals -- I have a soft spot for sweet peas. Big, frilly-flowered hybrids in lots of different colours. You can cut flowers for the house, and the scent is a bonus (though my hubby says he doesn't like the smell -- reminds him of an unflushed toilet, apparently :evil:).

The definition of "hardy" in Florida and Scotland may be very different though... Only 3-4 months out of a year is considered "reliably frost free" up here. A visiting American comic once described Scotland as "the only place on earth where people hear about global warming and say, 'about time!'" :lol:

[pygmalion]

:lol: :lol:

I know what you mean. I grew up in Philadelphia, where winter started in late October and ended in May or June. By the same measure, Florida only has winter for about a month. So the definition of hardy varies considerably. LOL.

[cocodrilo]

OK FOLKS! You want a bug fest? Come to ASIA! The humidity just beckons huge, flying cockroaches, poison-haired caterpillars, tiger moquitoes that leave you scratching for a week, 8-inch long poisonous stinging centipedes and killer wasps. ("SO then why does this crazy bitch live over there?" you may ask? Hey, great SUSHI!!!) :lol:

In my yard I have, besides the bugs, 2 beautiful blossoming cherry trees, a camellia bush, tons of daffodils, a kumquat bush, a bonsai pine(felt sorry for it in its little pot so put it in the yard!) and an herb garden which includes oregano, thyme, mint and rosemary. :D

[Genesius Redux]

OK FOLKS! You want a bug fest? Come to ASIA! The humidity just beckons huge, flying cockroaches, poison-haired caterpillars, tiger moquitoes that leave you scratching for a week, 8-inch long poisonous stinging centipedes and killer wasps.

And now we're gonna have to listen to the debate over whether Japanese stinging centipedes are worse than Floridian fire ants! :roll: :lol:

[TemptressToo]

I'd say the fire ants are the worst. ;) At least the stinging centipedes have sense enough not to tag team you when you step onto your patio. At least the centipedes don't all live together in one happy little mound (which I of course enjoy pumping full of water).

Just my two cents...

[Genesius Redux]

And so it begins.... :roll:

I'd say the fire ants are the worst. ;) At least the stinging centipedes have sense enough not to tag team you when you step onto your patio.

:lol:

[Christina75]

OK FOLKS! You want a bug fest? Come to ASIA! The humidity just beckons huge, flying cockroaches, poison-haired caterpillars, tiger moquitoes that leave you scratching for a week, 8-inch long poisonous stinging centipedes and killer wasps. ("SO then why does this crazy witch live over there?" you may ask? Hey, great SUSHI!!!) :lol:



LOL! Sounds like an episode of "Fear Factor" :lol:

In my yard I have, besides the bugs, 2 beautiful blossoming cherry trees, a camellia bush, tons of daffodils, a kumquat bush, a bonsai pine(felt sorry for it in its little pot so put it in the yard!) and an herb garden which includes oregano, thyme, mint and rosemary. :D

Will a bonsai tree get bigger if it's planted outdoors?

Christina

[Genesius Redux]

OK FOLKS! You want a bug fest? Come to ASIA! The humidity just beckons huge, flying cockroaches, poison-haired caterpillars, tiger moquitoes that leave you scratching for a week, 8-inch long poisonous stinging centipedes and killer wasps. ("SO then why does this crazy witch live over there?" you may ask? Hey, great SUSHI!!!) :lol:



LOL! Sounds like an episode of "Fear Factor" :lol:


Especially if the prevalence of bugs is connected to the great sushi! :lol:

[cocodrilo]

Yes, bonsai plants will grow if they are not confined to little space-restricitve pots.

[pygmalion]

This is going to sound crazy, but I've always wondered how the poor plant feel, being constrained and clipped. :oops:

That's why I've never bought a bonsai. It just seems ... mean to the plant.

[Genesius Redux]

This is going to sound crazy, but I've always wondered how the poor plant feel, being constrained and clipped. :oops:

That's why I've never bought a bonsai. It just seems ... mean to the plant.

:lol:

[peachexploration]

My patio garden is really looking good. 3 huge tomatoes, unblemished and unattacked. (Keeping my fingers crossed) 8) About 40 Jalapeno peppers, blackberries and loads of wild flowers. Yay! :D Still waiting on my strawberries :?

[salsachinita]

This is going to sound crazy, but I've always wondered how the poor plant feel, being constrained and clipped. :oops:

That's why I've never bought a bonsai. It just seems ... mean to the plant.

Well, have any of you ever had braces for teeth...?

I am sure the poor plants feel like that! :shock:

*so I got a toothache every time I look at bonsais*

[TemptressToo]

Wouldn't you know it...I was out on my patio last night dancing to 'Salt Shaker' and felt a sting on my toe. I knew instantly what it was...and before I could snuff out its miserable little life, it bit the toe next to it. So, I spend the next couple hours before sleep alternating between burning and itching of the toes.

Damn fire ants...

[pygmalion]

From what I hear, Texas is pretty high on the creepy crawlie list, too. (My twin lives there.) Between the spiders, snakes, lizards, scorpions, etc, her first year there was a nightmare. :shock: :lol:

I would imagine the Caribbean and certain parts of Asia or the Pacific Islands have to be the worst, though. The humidity, combined with a year-round warm climate, and ick! Nothing ever dies. They creepies just get bigger. *shudder* :shock:

At least, in most of Florida and Texas, you pretty much ahave at least a cold snap or two each year, so the yucky bugs must die ... or hibernate. LOL.

[peachexploration]

I would imagine the Caribbean and certain parts of Asia or the Pacific Islands have to be the worst, though. The humidity, combined with a year-round warm climate, and ick! Nothing ever dies. They creepies just get bigger. *shudder* :shock:

Yeah, Guam, USA is full of brown snakes that try to eat your children, geckos crawling all over the walls and millions of frogs on the road during rainy season! :evil: Most 4-day power outages were because of the pesky brown snakes crawling into the wires. Live there for three years, Didn't like it at all. :?

[Genesius Redux]

Wouldn't you know it...I was out on my patio last night dancing to 'Salt Shaker' and felt a sting on my toe. I knew instantly what it was...and before I could snuff out its miserable little life, it bit the toe next to it.

Maybe he was trying to lead you in a double turn? :wink:

[TemptressToo]

Perhaps you would like to :kissme: my butt. ;)

[Genesius Redux]

:lol:

[peachexploration]

I would imagine the Caribbean and certain parts of Asia or the Pacific Islands have to be the worst, though. The humidity, combined with a year-round warm climate, and ick! Nothing ever dies. They creepies just get bigger. *shudder* :shock:

Yeah, Guam, USA is full of brown snakes that try to eat your children, geckos crawling all over the walls and millions of frogs on the road during rainy season! :evil: Most 4-day power outages were because of the pesky brown snakes crawling into the wires. Live there for three years, Didn't like it at all. :?

Now that I think of it, I never had any plants or a garden over there either. In or outside the lanai. Wonder why? :lol: :lol:

[pygmalion]

Maybe you were afraid the critters would eat anything you planted? :idea: :roll: :lol:

[peachexploration]

Or me! HAHAHAHA They had everything over there. Snakes crawling through your pipes and scaring the fitznippins out of you while you're taking a shower. That happened to this one lady. Poor thing ran out of the house screaming wearing nothing but shampoo. :shock:

Komodo dragons chasing chickens across the highway when you're trying to get to work. :? Giant Land Snails, Slugs, giant toads that keep you up at night.....I was a nervous wreck when I got back to the main land. Oh geez, I need a sedative now. Bad memories. Bad, bad, memories. I'll take fire ants anyday. :?

[peachexploration]

Or this could be the other reason somewhere embedded in my self conscious not plant or grow anything while I was over there:

Weird Plants
Here on Guam, we are blessed with some truly weird plants.
One of the most malevolent is an imported monster called Cuscuta or dodder. It looks like yellow plastic string spread in a messy pile over other vegetation. It has no leaves, no chlorophyll and no roots, although it does have rather pleasant and innocent-looking little yellow flowers. You might wonder, how does a plant with no leaves or roots survive? The horrible answer is this: Cuscuta is a vampire.
If you look closely at Cuscuta, you will find little knobs on its stringy stems. These knobs are called hyphae, and they are the fangs of the Cuscuta. It sticks the hyphae into other plants and drinks their sap. Needless-to-say, it isn't very good for a plant to be encuscutated. If you are a plant reading this, I have some advise for you: acquire some purple pigmentation. Cuscuta doesn't like plants with purple leaves!
We also have a whole bunch of euphorbs. Most euphorbs are considered by humans to be weeds, although Poinsettia is a euphorb and is considered quite respectable. Most of our euphorbs are rather humble and close to the ground. You wouldn't give them a second glance. But put their flowers under the microscope and then you'll get to see how weird they really are. As you probably know, most plants have boy parts and girl parts together in the same flower. Euphorbs have segregated the sexes somewhat. Some plant species, such as gingkoes, keep their boys and girls on altogether separate plants. Euphorbs aren't that extreme. They have boy parts and girl parts on the same plant, but in separate flowers. It's rather like my old college dorm. We had one building with two separate towers connected by a common lobby. That was considered quite daring at the time.
In most of our euphorbs, the girl flower forms first. Then the boy flower grows out of the base of her. By the time the boy comes along, the girl is already pregnant, the developing seeds growing in three fat lobes. The flowers are connected to big, cup-shaped glands. The overall package looks like something alien. You can imagine one, if it were larger, replacing you as you slept...

We also have an interesting tree called in English "strangler fig" or "banyan," but in Chamoru it's "nunu." It occupies a special place in Chamoru culture. The belief is that the spirits of the ancestors, the taotaomo'na, reside in the nunu trees. The trees are treated with tremendous respect, because no one in their right mind messes around with taotaomo'na.
The trees are enormous. There are some in Hawaii that are the size of a city block, although typhoons, war and development have prevented our Guam trees from getting that big. They send roots down from their branches and form an extensively spreading maze. You could live in one.
But these magnificent trees have a dark side. They all begin their lives as a little seedling growing in a hollow or crook in the branches of some other tree. The little nunu, over the years, sends down a bunch of long roots into the soil around the host tree and grows around it. Eventually the older tree is surrounded, covered up and strangled. Hence the name "strangler fig."

We also have another cool tree called Casuarina, or ironwood. It is called ironwood because the wood is so dense it sinks in water. Many people here erroneously refer to ironwoods as pine trees, because that's what they look like. But they are not even conifers. They are a primitive kind of flowering plant. The "needles" are actually stems, with tiny, scale-like leaves on them. The plant has separate male and female flowers on it like a euphorb. The males produce enormous volumes of yellow pollen. The females look like a tuft of little purple strings. Their seeds look like miniature pine cones.
Here on Guam we have an ironwood miracle. She is an ironwood carving of the Virgin Mary who floated to shore escorted by two crabs, where she was discovered by some fishermen. These fishermen knew it was a miracle because ironwood doesn't float. The crabs were another clue. They took the figure to a proa shed. That's a canoe shed, also called a camarin. For that reason, the figure is called Our Lady of Camarin, and she resides in the Hagatna Cathedral. Camarin is a popular name for girls here, and it has no relationship that other Cameron, used mostly for boys.

But of all the cool plants on Guam, probably the coolest and definitely the most fun is sleepy grass. In the US it's called sensitive plant or sensitive mimosa. In Indonesia, they call it putri malu, which means shy maiden. Why would a plant be called "sleepy," "sensitive," and "shy"? It is called these things because its leaves respond to touch.
The plant is a low-growing ground plant with pretty, compound leaves and purple fuzzball flowers. If you touch the plant, its leaves rapidly fold up like praying hands. If you carefully touch the last couple of leaflets on a compound leaf, it folds itself up slowly, starting with the leaflets you touched and moving down the length of the leaf. It's fun to see what happens if you touch one leaflet here, or one there, or tweak a stem or a flower...
Many people don't like sleepy grass because it has thorns. Well, I can't blame it for having thorns. If I were picked on as much as sleepy grass is, I would want some self-defense, too.

[Genesius Redux]

Hey Peach--

Waiting for the next post on the fauna of Guam. 8) :D

[peachexploration]

Hey Peach--

Waiting for the next post on the fauna of Guam. 8) :D

Be sure to check the Travel Forum. 8) :lol: :wink:

[Genesius Redux]

Hey Peach--

Waiting for the next post on the fauna of Guam. 8) :D

Be sure to check the Travel Forum. 8) :lol: :wink:

I didn't know there was one. Are you promoting Guam these days, with its thorny shy grass and boy and girl flowers and wood that doesn't float? 8) :wink:

[peachexploration]

I didn't know there was one..... 8) :wink:

Yeah, I'm gonna put some stuff in there about Guam. In addition to TheTravelForums, there is TheFitnessForums, SalsaForums, and TangoForums as well. :D

[peachexploration]

Oh well. My wild flowers arent growing anymore. Torched by the Florida sun. :? :cry: Gotta search for a patio sun shield now. :?

[pygmalion]

Hmm. I think I'm going to change the landscaping in my backyard. I'm sick of watering and mowing. Maybe I should start a new thread.

[danceguy]

I just added a new aloe plant (one of the REALLY prickly ones) that I found at a flea market. I'd take home so many plants if I had the space! So now I have two aloes, my red Begonias and my white Begonia that sprouted up to about 3 feet tall in only a years time. Oh...and I have a very rare orchid inside my apartment that I picked up from someone who was getting rid of it...I know so little about the thing...no idea what type but I'm going to do my best to keep it alive...can't wait to see it flower! :D

SG

P.S. Can't forget my lucky bamboos! I bought a few more this weekend...all they need is water, hardly any light and they grow slower than any plant I've ever seen. Perfect for us folks without green thumbs. ;)

[pygmalion]

Orchids can be really temperamental, from all I've heard. Fortunately, there are a lot of orchid fanatics out there, so there's a lot of information available on their care. Good luck. 8) :)

[cocodrilo]

My cherry trees are now covered with "webs" of hairy caterpillar larvae. The hair of the caterpillars is poisonous!!! I was weeding under the trees last year, and didn't realize the things were shedding their hair on me while I was down there, and broke out in a horrific rash all over my arms! Didn't realize this was the bugs- thought I had some sort of allergy or SEVERE herpes- till one of my friends told me about it! (Happened 3 times last summer!) I finally acquired some serious bug killer(you need a drivers license and a name stamp to buy it!) and I'M spraying the larvae this week! My face looks like this when I'm in action- :twisted:

[MacMoto]

My Japanese wisteria looks really beautiful at the moment. Wisterias take years to start flowering, and mine (planted when I moved to my house 7 years ago) had the first flowers last year. This year, some of the racemes are over 2 feet long! :D My clematis-and-rose fence is coming along nicely too now that roses are opening. I love June -- my back garden is at its best at this time of the year.

[cocodrilo]

My Japanese wisteria looks really beautiful at the moment. Wisterias take years to start flowering, and mine (planted when I moved to my house 7 years ago) had the first flowers last year. This year, some of the racemes are over 2 feet long! :D My clematis-and-rose fence is coming along nicely too now that roses are opening. I love June -- my back garden is at its best at this time of the year.

Wisteria stopped blooming here a month ago. I LOVE that plant! Over here, they are cultivated on lofty trellises and the scent wafts for MILES it seems, fillng entire neighborhoods with the sweet fragrance. I just love it!

[Purr]

I've got some very bedraggled wave petunias. All the wind & rain is just killing them. :cry:

[pygmalion]

Man. I could use some wind and rain about now. Another 95+ degree day in Central Florida. :(

[peachexploration]

That's the truth, pygmalion. Today is supposed to be better for rain. My plants are dying by the minute. :cry:

[Purr]

That's the truth, pygmalion. Today is supposed to be better for rain. My plants are dying by the minute. :cry:

The forecast here is 70 degrees with rain expected late this afternoon and early evening. I'd send you some of the rain if I could.

[pygmalion]

And, to make it worse, people here are getting warnings and tickets for watering their lawns and flowers on non-watering days. That's it! I'm going to cover the whole backyard in mulch and forget about the whole thing. :P :lol:

[peachexploration]

That is funny, Pygmalion. :lol: :lol:

[peachexploration]

That's the truth, pygmalion. Today is supposed to be better for rain. My plants are dying by the minute. :cry:

The forecast here is 70 degrees with rain expected late this afternoon and early evening. I'd send you some of the rain if I could.

Thanks Purr. We could certainly use it. :D

[Purr]

That's the truth, pygmalion. Today is supposed to be better for rain. My plants are dying by the minute. :cry:

The forecast here is 70 degrees with rain expected late this afternoon and early evening. I'd send you some of the rain if I could.

Thanks Purr. We could certainly use it. :D

I'm just glad my house isn't in an area that's easily flooded. Otherwise I'd be in big trouble. A lot of the streams and rivers are very high right now. It's an ugly, soggy mess. :cry:

[peachexploration]

I'm sorry Purr. :cry: Sending sunshine your way momentarily, (Hmm, now where did I put that magic wand? :) ) I think flooding can be even worse than the sunshine sometimes. :(

[Purr]

I'm sorry Purr. :cry: Sending sunshine your way momentarily, (Hmm, now where did I put that magic wand? :) ) I think flooding can be even worse than the sunshine sometimes. :(

Hey! It didn't rain yesterday, after all. And the sun is shining here today. Thanks a bunch. :D

[pygmalion]

I guess I should be happy. I got a few hours of threatening clouds today ... then at least four seconds of rain. :shock: :lol: That's better than nothing. :?

[peachexploration]

Finally, the rain came. My plants are alive again. :D

[Purr]

Finally, the rain came. My plants are alive again. :D

:D

[pygmalion]

You should see my front lawn. It's positively lush, now that the Central Florida daily summer thunderstorms have arrived. They make for an evil rush hour, but beautiful plants. *shrug* I guess you can't have everything.

[pygmalion]

What's growing on my patio? Baby lizards. Must be lizard mating season. I've seen so many lizard "couples" in the past few days. One today was actually doing little lizard pushups, showing off for a nearby female. Fascinating! :lol: :lol:

[peachexploration]

What's growing on my patio? Baby lizards. Must be lizard mating season. I've seen so many lizard "couples" in the past few days. One today was actually doing little lizard pushups, showing off for a nearby female. Fascinating! :lol: :lol:

Very interesting. Alot like us humans. I remember boys doing pushups in elementary school to impress the girls as well. :lol: :lol:

Looks like I'll have to wait until it's much cooler to plant anything else. Just too hot, even with the rain. :?

[MacMoto]

What's growing on my patio? Baby lizards.
Tadpoles and baby newts are growing in my pond. I used to have goldfish in it but now tadpoles rule. Soon my back garden will be full of finger-nail sized frogs hopping about all over the place.

[chachagirlie]

...just started landscaping the back yard this past January...

So far the perenial beds have Pink Pepperberry Trees, French Pink *****willows, Purple Agapantha, and an assortment of Floribunda Roses.

About a month ago I added a Golden Angel's Trumpet....can't wait to see it bloom...

The patio has an Olive Tree in a very large planter... and a cast iron flying piggie, that my cat regards with great suspicion. :lol:

BTW...GR... I'm surprised...I took you for a rose man!

[peachexploration]

...The patio has an Olive Tree in a very large planter...

Chachagirlie, how big do the olive trees get?

[MacMoto]

Considering the rotten summer we got this year, I'm amazed at the crop of crab apples I got. There are so many fruits on the tree I'm leaving more than half on the tree instead of harvesting most of the fruits like previous years. Every year I make crab apple cramble and compote (probably too much this year) -- the fuits are too small to core so I have to spit out seeds and other hard bits a lot as I eat, but I love the sharpness of the flavour and the pink colour of crab apple compote. Yum! :D

[pygmalion]

Hmm. You learn something every day. I didn't know people eat crab apples. 8)

[MacMoto]

I didn't know either until I tried it the first year my tree cropped -- I reckoned crab apples would be just like cooking apples and decided to experiment. Maybe I'm THE original crab apple eater? :lol:

[pygmalion]

You're probably not alone ... I bet you know what I'm thinking! :google: "lol:

[NeoDevin]

Eating crab apples is fairly common up here, sorry to bust your bubble ;)

[MacMoto]

No probs -- care to share some good recipes?

[pygmalion]

Nothing yet. I've bought a few huge plastic planters, and I think I'll do some pretty-colored annuals in them, while I do research on Texas native plants. I saw a really gorgeous patio at a lady's house several years back that I'd like to emulate. She had gigantic, tree-sized pots all over her fenced-in yard, with miniature trees and other large houseplants in them. Of course, she lived in a year-round tropical climate. So I have to do the research to figure out what would work here.

I think I might try some potted tomatoes and maybe peppers, this year, as well.

[fascination]

when there is no snow...you will find the following: grapes, clematis, magnolia bush trumpet vine, roses, purple coneflower, black eyed susans, hosta pampas grass, day lilies, tulips, daffoldils, poppies , mums...probably forgetting some

[lynn]

Good thing I don't have a patio - don't think I've got the time to take care of the plants!

[fascination]

me neither,...not since I took up dancing...but it used to be beautiful...pro gardens...am thinking of putting him to work on it...grin

[Twilight_Elena]

I have trouble keeping myself alive, let alone a plant. Are you crazy, people? That's exactly why I don't have pets! :shock:

Twilight Elena

[pygmalion]

They have auto-feeders, ya know. :wink:

But I can relate. I have killed so many fish this year already. :?

[DancePoet]

I've got water growing in a sled used for sliding in the winter. The snow is disappearing and melting into the sled from the roof.

Spring is fast approaching! :D

[Twilight_Elena]

They have auto-feeders, ya know. :wink:

Auto-feeders feel like cheating.

Twilight Elena

[pygmalion]

And what's wrong with that? :wink: :lol:

[peachexploration]

.....Even worse. Last year, I purchased a lemon tree for my patio. It was nice until a month after, I walked out on my patio and there it was. A foot long grasshopper with an armour of black steel and antenna's 3 feet long and waving at me. His eyes were huge. Well, maybe is wasnt quite that that big but I had never seen anything like that in my life. Uuuggglllyyy!! Scared the Fitznippins out me. :shock:

Fantastic garden this year! String beans, Eggplant, Strawberries, Red Hot Chilli Peppers (No, not the group. :) ) and an herb garden with basil three feet tall. :)

Learned alot this year about squirrels. They hate tomatoes and absolutely love eggplant and peppers. :(

[cornutt]

Looking forward to getting into the house so I can garden again. Haven't been able to the last two seasons, on account of being in the apartment. Before we moved, I had a garden plot where I tried my hand at a lot of things: tomatoes, peppers of various sorts, cucumbers, string beans, various herbs. I really miss being able to go out back and pick something for dinner -- there's just something about it that seems like beating the system. :D

[Alskling]

Fantastic garden this year! String beans, Eggplant, Strawberries, Red Hot Chilli Peppers (No, not the group. :) ) and an herb garden with basil three feet tall. :)

Learned alot this year about squirrels. They hate tomatoes and absolutely love eggplant and peppers. :(

Any idea if they like sunflowers? Somebody ate all my seedlings while I was away this weekend. I'm thinking probably snails, but we've got a lot of squirrels running around too, since they discovered the bird feeder.

[peachexploration]

You know squirrels are strange animals. I had some banana peppers planted and before the plant could even produce, they ate the leaves and left just the stem? :shock: :confused: I thought they only ate acorns or peanuts not vegetation. My guess is they probably did eat your sunflower seedlings, Alskling. :(
Someone mentioned that if you add peanut butter to your birdfeeder, they may not like it. Not sure. Could have heard it incorrectly.

They also dont like basil, oregano, okra, rosemary, thyme or parsley. Or at least they didn't eat it from my garden. I tried this sulfer and peanut mixture that I purchased from the store but they just laughed at it and ate some of my eggplants and peppers anyway. Any squirrel-be-gone experts out there?

[ssjss]

Nunscap Orchids, Japanese Irises (3), Black Callia lillies, Bat Lilly, Flamboyan Trees (3), Chocolate mint, Orange Mint, Ginger mint, Lemon Balm, Spicy basil, Thia Basil, Purple Basil, Cuban Oreganal, Ginger, 3 different grape vines(not sure which ones they might be) and alot more.

[Alskling]

You know squirrels are strange animals. I had some banana peppers planted and before the plant could even produce, they ate the leaves and left just the stem? :shock: :confused: I thought they only ate acorns or peanuts not vegetation. My guess is they probably did eat your sunflower seedlings, Alskling. :(
Someone mentioned that if you add peanut butter to your birdfeeder, they may not like it. Not sure. Could have heard it incorrectly.

They also dont like basil, oregano, okra, rosemary, thyme or parsley. Or at least they didn't eat it from my garden. I tried this sulfer and peanut mixture that I purchased from the store but they just laughed at it and ate some of my eggplants and peppers anyway. Any squirrel-be-gone experts out there?

Yep, that's what I've got: stems and no leaves. 3 plants decimated in under 24 hours, which made me think not snails. They usually just leave holes in the leaves rather than devouring the whole plant. Sigh....

So far everyone's leaving my tomato plants alone. My herbs are kind of pathetic at the moment, so I can see why no one's interested in THEM. Have some beautiful seedlings waiting to come outside when I get around to it, but otherwise it's the dregs from last summer. I'm very new to all this in the first place, and strapped for time in the second place, so my gardening is...haphazard at best. Amazing how much I enjoy it, though. I find myself wandering around in the back yard just looking at the plants to see what they're doing.

[Merrylegs]

I've been cultivating the garden in my condo association's courtyard since I bought my condo last year and I must say it's starting to look pretty awesome.

My herb garden has catnip (of course), basil (of course), oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme, orange mint. The catnip came back from last year and WAS gigantic but some rascally neighborhood cat decided to dive through the middle of it. I suppose that it is intended for cats, but it was intended for MY cats! I'll have to see what happens.

I have about 50 cosmos coming up that I planted last year but have happily returned. My neighbor, and gardening buddy, has planted about 20 sunflowers and they are huge. We have clematis climbing up a fence, 2 honeysuckle bushes, a blueberry bush in one area. Our bee balm is massive (a leftover from previous owners), and the day lillies are standing tall.

3 of my 4 hollyhock plants came back from last year and I am curious to see what color the blooms will be since I forgot what I planted!

Our sappling dogwood tree has exactly one lil bloom on it, it's so cute!

I planted a lilac tree and a *****willow, they both remind me of my grandmother since she had them growing in her yard when I was a kid. O.K, this is really funny, DF is sensoring the name of my plant! It's the other name for *cat* and really is a harmless plant, but can sometimes be a crude name for a girl's part Ha Ha!

I grabbed a bunch of bulbs from The Christmas Tree Shop and planted them all over the place. I put in 50 gladiola and 150 of something called Sparaxis, I think that's what it's called. They looked o.k. and they were cheap so I thought, what the heck? I also planted a whole pack of zinnia seeds but I suspect the squirrels or the rats got the seedlings since I haven't seen much of anything come up.

I'm bummed, I think I weeded out the foxglove by accident. D'oh! It was there last year and was gorgeous but nothing happened with it this year. I suspect I was a little too gregarious with the weed pulling.

I had to basically replant the rosebush (purple heart) from last year. All the rain we've had loosened the soil and it became top heavy. Yeah, it wasn't fun having a thorny rosebush laying against my chest and neck while I was trying to tie it to the trellis. Also, the spider that took up residence in the middle of it all was a s surprised to see me as I was him!

[peachexploration]

.... I find myself wandering around in the back yard just looking at the plants to see what they're doing.
Me too. My plants are my best buds. :)

Michelle, that is fantastic! I'm not much of a flower planter yet. Sticking to all plants edible for the moment. I do have some Purple Queen, New Guinea Impatients and some other plants that my mom planted but don't know their names. :)

[ssjss]

You know squirrels are strange animals. I had some banana peppers planted and before the plant could even produce, they ate the leaves and left just the stem? :shock: :confused: I thought they only ate acorns or peanuts not vegetation. My guess is they probably did eat your sunflower seedlings, Alskling. :(
Someone mentioned that if you add peanut butter to your birdfeeder, they may not like it. Not sure. Could have heard it incorrectly.

They also dont like basil, oregano, okra, rosemary, thyme or parsley. Or at least they didn't eat it from my garden. I tried this sulfer and peanut mixture that I purchased from the store but they just laughed at it and ate some of my eggplants and peppers anyway. Any squirrel-be-gone experts out there? If you spread hot pepper around vegetation this should kept squirrels and rabbits away. They despise anything spicy.

[peachexploration]

Ssjss, I thought that would have worked but these little animals are vicious. They actually ate the chilli plants before it had a chance to produce. Maybe I'll try some habaneros or chilli flakes next time. hmm....

I think I've mentioned this before but Ssjss, that is the cutest picture. :)

[ssjss]

It might also be locust. They love fresh new growth and can ruin a plant in a matter of seconds. Thats where I cheat. I have my favorate plants inside a screen room/greenhouse. Some how bees get in, but no locust. Did have a little prom with small grasshoppers, but a little 7-Dust took care of them. That pic is of my son with his first black eye when he was two. He ran strait into a table, knocking himself down. Got up saw that there was fishsticks on it gramb one then went to sit down. When I took the pic he stuck his tongue out at me. It just seemed like a perfect moment in time.

[deewoman]

Anyone avid patio gardners here at the DF? Just wondering. I am growing tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, oregano and rosemary.. Anyone else?


Catnip, basil, parsley, rosemary. One tomato plant in a whiskey barrel in the yard.

[deewoman]

Catnip, basil, parsley, rosemary. One tomato plant in a whiskey barrel in the yard.

Geez, guess I'm really late on this one. Just noticed there were 14 pages!

[DWise1]

I'll have to measure it, but my patio is an 8x8 or 12x12 brick pad surrounded by a fence and onto which I almost never step. Last I peeked out the sliding glass door blinds, there's a weed poking out from between two bricks and some kind of a tree or shrub or whatever that keeps trying to grow on the edge, apparently sprouting up from a buried root.

That's one reason why I didn't fight her keeping the dog; I just don't have any kind of a yard for him. Though when my son and his bride move out in a week, they're taking the dog with them, so I'll finally have visitation rights.

[peachexploration]

Never too late, Deewoman. :)

SSjss, Locusts? Never thought of that. Hmmm.... Of course, you never see these little pests in action at the scene of the crime. Only the destroyed plant. Your son is too cute. :)

[fascination]

on my patio...right now...coneflowers and daylillies mostly

[ssjss]

on my patio...right now...coneflowers and daylillies mostly No grapes? I'm suprised.

[fascination]

actually, I DO have two grape vines, but not much luck with them yet...and they ARE on my front porch...see page 12 of this thread...I was just being lazy

[bordertangoman]

Considering the rotten summer we got this year, I'm amazed at the crop of crab apples I got. There are so many fruits on the tree I'm leaving more than half on the tree instead of harvesting most of the fruits like previous years. Every year I make crab apple cramble and compote (probably too much this year) -- the fuits are too small to core so I have to spit out seeds and other hard bits a lot as I eat, but I love the sharpness of the flavour and the pink colour of crab apple compote. Yum! :D


swap yours for a jar of damson jam!

[cornutt]

I had to basically replant the rosebush (purple heart) from last year. All the rain we've had loosened the soil and it became top heavy.

When I was a teenager, my dad used to do a garden plot every year. One year it rained so much that all of the corn plants did this. They wouldn't stand up by themselves. We had to string them up like beans! Unfortunately we used wire to do this, and then lightning hit it. :shock:

[DWise1]

Mmm ... popcorn.

Tom Swift and his Amazing Electric Cornfield

[Merrylegs]

:D you're funny!


Mmm ... popcorn.

Tom Swift and his Amazing Electric Cornfield

[Merrylegs]

Ooh! I have never heard of this!!! We have about 60 blooms opening right now, what should I be harvesting? Dried blooms, buds, leaves? If you can tell me I'll start getting ready for it.

Thanks for the tip. Yay!


Have you tried making tee from the bee balm (also know as lemon balm)? It's great for when your sick. A little honey and alittle bourbon. The perfect Hot Totie.

[peachexploration]

When I was a teenager, my dad used to do a garden plot every year. One year it rained so much that all of the corn plants did this. They woul:mad: dn't stand up by themselves. We had to string them up like beans! Unfortunately we used wire to do this, and then lightning hit it. Ouch! :mad:

[peachexploration]

Check this out! Finally, I found out the problem! It was a family of mice! Yes, about 10 of them living in the back yard. To top it off, the family behind the fence NEVER cleans their yard, hence the mice!!!! :headwall: Anyways, some pretty good mice poisoning has done the trick! :rocker:

:cool:

PS: I hate mice! :mad:

[ssjss]

I got my Bat Lilly and Surinam Cherries in this week. I'm hoping to use the cherries as hedges and the Bat Lilly will add to the different tropical flowers in the moon light, I hope.

[ssjss]

Check this out! Finally, I found out the problem! It was a family of mice! Yes, about 10 of them living in the back yard. To top it off, the family behind the fence NEVER cleans their yard, hence the mice!!!! :headwall: Anyways, some pretty good mice poisoning has done the trick! :rocker:

:cool:

PS: I hate mice! :mad: What was the saying, I hate mieces to pieces.

[Merrylegs]

I'm sure you probably know this but I wouldn't eat anything that comes from the garden if you're using mice/rat poison. Could be big trouble.



Check this out! Finally, I found out the problem! It was a family of mice! Yes, about 10 of them living in the back yard. To top it off, the family behind the fence NEVER cleans their yard, hence the mice!!!! :headwall: Anyways, some pretty good mice poisoning has done the trick! :rocker:

:cool:

PS: I hate mice! :mad:

[peachexploration]

Hi Merrylegs, it's nothing sprayed or spreaded. It's like these blocks of green cheese and not directly in the garden. The garden sits off the ground in a box sort of with fencing around it. Those little D%&^& even ate through the fencing!! :shock: Anyways, we just put the little unassuming blocks of cheese around it and they took it back to their little homes. You could see them get real happy! Dancing in the afternoon sunset singing "Cheese! Cheese! I love Cheese! Can't go far from my every loving Cheese!" They put on a nice off off Broadway show. ;) Haven't seen them since. :twisted: :cool:

[GalacticDancer44M]

Here's a picture of some of the flowers outside my place (condo) up north. Although, I can't take credit for the upkeep. I love doing yardwork though.

[peachexploration]

What beautiful green grass! :D

[fascination]

right now my purple cone flowers(aka echinacea) and my black eyed susan's are fabulous

[fascination]

ahem...at this moment nothing is able to grow b/c the deer are eating it all as fast as it can come in...grrr...there should be crocuses and the begnnings of lillies and irises

[chachachacat]

What's out there is what came up from last year as a nice surprise. Petunias, magenta geraniums, little pink and pale green spotted leaves, and tomatoes which are blossoming. Does that mean they will bear fruit?

[fascination]

it should though, if there are too many blooms you might want to pick off a few

[Sagitta]

nada as the weather still is too erratic...40s today..supposed to drop to 30s tonight...70s tomorrow...

[etp777]

THis is certainly a thread that should ahve pictures.

[samina]

nothin's growin' on my patio...but i have a kick-a** little farm ever since larinda turned me onto farmtown. heh.

[Peaches]

Er...basil, rosemary, sage, jalepenos, habaneros, poblanos, roma tomatoes, possibly green peppers. I think there are other things, but I can't think of them right now.

Have got seeds for other stuff...should get to planting those.

[NURDRMS]

Unfortunately, nothing. I usually have some great flowers but I will be away from home too much this summer and can't rely on hubby to water for me. So, barren patio.

[QPO]

well I don't have a patio but a garden. I have lots of bushes and Bromeliads, Orchids, I would put up a picture but don't know how to do that. I can if it is on the internet but not from my own computer.

[fascination]

pretty white and purple dwarf irises, atm

[Spitfire]

Not into gardening myself, but my sister is and I didn't know that used up coffee grounds can be used to help the soil until my sister mentioned this to me. I've been saving all my used grounds and giving them to her to use.

[fascination]

while it is all now leaning toward being long in the tooth, my garden is still glorious...among the highlights right now are: (in the flower category) coreopsis, echinachea and black eyed susans, the bee balm is just finishing as are the hydrangeas and peach colored roses and the hosta blooms...next will be the sedum and the mums...in the veggie garden the zucchini vines and flowers are showing off, with more zucchini than we can eat...the kale, spinach, lettuce, onions and arugala are diminishing while the tomatoes, carrots, peppers, and beans promise to be next...I hope it all doesn't die when I am off doing two comps in a row shortly...

[JEM]

My gardens are fully mature right now too - color everywhere! I'm trying patio tomatoes for the first time w/limited success - think I'll stick to the generosity of friends in the future. Bushes, ground cover, ferns and perennials all great - roses better than ever and hostas doubled this year. Love my gardens.

[and123]

On my patio right now are lots and lots and lots of acorns. It's like it's raining, bonking my poor cats when I take them outside.

[flashdance]

Triffids... and they are covering the windows :?

[adaco]

oranges for now :-) yum yum

[DancingMommy]

Lemongrass and Water Spinach.

The lemongrass has taken OVER. My water spinach is one lonely cutting that I'm trying to get to grow in my window.

[samina]

oranges for now :-) yum yum

really? wow!

(welcome to DF, adaco1)

[fascination]

patio is beautiful now in a strange sort of way..all of the remnants of things changing colors in fascinating ways, some struggling to enjoy their last gasps at life....really lovely

[j_alexandra]

Triffids... and they are covering the windows :?

I assume you mean wisteria? ;)