pepperbird Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 Anybody else doing some gardening because they can't go out? I love working in the garden anyway, and since I was stuck at home, I was able to give it a good spring clean up. I ordered a lot of perennials, and most of them came up. I was able to visit one garden centre a few hours away that had special hours, and we picked up some small shrubs and I was finally able to get a gas plant! (Dictamnus). I've never small scale grown vegetables before, but this year, my son and I put in pumpkins and potatoes- they have really taken off. I find working in the garden really peaceful, and there is something about getting your bare feet on the grass and your hands in the soil that I really believe everyone needs- especially now, with everyone coping the covid-19. 5 Link to post Share on other sites
Author pepperbird Posted June 30, 2020 Author Share Posted June 30, 2020 Is there any supplies you've found hard to get? For some reason, I couldn't get pelleted lime. I had also ordered some herbs and scented geraniums to grow indoors. I paid for the two days exprespost, but due to the volume of mail because so many were ordering online,, they got lost somewhere between Ontario and here. and when they did get here, they were a mess. We cleaned them up ans saved all but the lavender. Link to post Share on other sites
Angelle Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 I'm trying to get back into it, but I got plants in the ground too late. A friend reminded me last year, that I can plant autumn food plants/seeds, in July or August, so I'm hoping to do that. This year, I had planned to drive down to Berlin Seeds, but I changed my mind when it snowed one Saturday morning, and the following weekend, they were talking about quarantine, and social distancing. I thought I'd order online from Baker Creek, but they sold out before I could even log in. So I waited to check for plants at Lowe's, a month later. I've been too depressed to do much, I need to pick up the pace with it, and go through the seeds I already have. What with the way this is going, I want to order more in at some point, before they sell out again. 3 Link to post Share on other sites
Ellener Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 1 hour ago, pepperbird said: Anybody else doing some gardening because they can't go out? Yes, I've been experimenting with growing seeds and planting bits of ginger and stuff. The ginger was just from a piece in my kitchen! I have a little patio, it's a learning curve what will survive in pots and tolerate the heat/storms. 1 hour ago, pepperbird said: saved all but the lavender. my lavender died off too in the heat. A friend sent me some Cypress Vine seeds from Monticello, they are the latest things to sprout. It's very therapeutic. 💚 4 Link to post Share on other sites
eleanorrigby Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 (edited) I garden every year, and coronavirus has caused me to have one of my biggest ones so far. I sometimes order things from the catalogs but they were so backlogged I didn't bother. I'm growing fairytale pumpkins this year, I was thinking if we got a lot of them, maybe we can set up a pumpkin patch at the end of the road and sell them. Hmm after giving that idea a little thought, it probably wouldn't go over well to try to sell from my yard during the Corona Days. Edited July 1, 2020 by eleanorrigby 3 Link to post Share on other sites
Kitty Tantrum Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 I did a lot of gardening as a kid, but this is the first year I've dared to dig up part of my (rented) yard. I've got LOTS of things growing over here. Mostly skepticism, and righteous anger. ❤️ 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Ruby Slippers Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 I've planted some pretty cool gardens in the past, but I had too much going on this spring to do much outside. I had two vinca flowers on the front porch and those came back in early spring - one pink, the other hot pink. These are great flowers because all you have to do is water them and you get lots of pretty foliage and blooms, very low maintenance. I have a few herbs in the back yard, but I haven't been watering them much, so only the sage is looking really happy and healthy. My new thing is house plants! I already had a few (pothos, a neon philodendron, ferns, and a big indoor palm tree), a friend just sent me one in the mail for my upcoming birthday, and I just ordered a few more online. I've been watching YouTube house plants tours and there are some people out there who are totally obsessed with their house plants. I ordered a monstera deliciosa, a burgundy ficus / rubber tree, and a 4-pack of surprise house plants. Some of the plants are trailers, so soon I want to figure out how to hang those in planters from the ceiling. 3 Link to post Share on other sites
Ellener Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 2 hours ago, Ruby Slippers said: I want to figure out how to hang those in planters from the ceiling. Me too! It's too high for me to climb. I live in a cool place now, lot of my neighbours have those hanging solar light strings, I am wondering where to hang that too! I'd make friends with the maintenance guys if we weren't in lockdown 😉 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Angelle Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 I need to get more house plants - my mother was the one to pick those out. I have to be careful with them, because I have dogs and cats. 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Author pepperbird Posted July 1, 2020 Author Share Posted July 1, 2020 19 hours ago, Angelle said: I'm trying to get back into it, but I got plants in the ground too late. A friend reminded me last year, that I can plant autumn food plants/seeds, in July or August, so I'm hoping to do that. This year, I had planned to drive down to Berlin Seeds, but I changed my mind when it snowed one Saturday morning, and the following weekend, they were talking about quarantine, and social distancing. I thought I'd order online from Baker Creek, but they sold out before I could even log in. So I waited to check for plants at Lowe's, a month later. I've been too depressed to do much, I need to pick up the pace with it, and go through the seeds I already have. What with the way this is going, I want to order more in at some point, before they sell out again. My daughter has been growing on some ferns she started in tissue culture back when he runi. classes were still is session. We've got about 20 of them. We also started trying our luck at getting tropical fruit seeds to sprout. We were too successful, lol. We now have loquats, passion fruit, milk fruit, mangoes, avacadoes, a lemon tree, a pomello tree and about 25 jack fruit seedlings. They were taking over the living room, so they've been hardened off and put outside now they are taking over the back deck. I've also got a pot of millet out there I started from some of the seeds I feed my budgie and lovie. I have put a bat house out on our little garden shed, but none have taken up residence yet. I can't feed the birds because it's not safe for them to have one here in the summer. I do put out water for them ( I leave the hose running so kit makes puddles in the drive way) on hot days, and some for the bees too. It seems to be very helpful to the native bumble bees, as they visit the water dishes a lot. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Author pepperbird Posted July 1, 2020 Author Share Posted July 1, 2020 18 hours ago, Ruby Slippers said: I've planted some pretty cool gardens in the past, but I had too much going on this spring to do much outside. I had two vinca flowers on the front porch and those came back in early spring - one pink, the other hot pink. These are great flowers because all you have to do is water them and you get lots of pretty foliage and blooms, very low maintenance. I have a few herbs in the back yard, but I haven't been watering them much, so only the sage is looking really happy and healthy. My new thing is house plants! I already had a few (pothos, a neon philodendron, ferns, and a big indoor palm tree), a friend just sent me one in the mail for my upcoming birthday, and I just ordered a few more online. I've been watching YouTube house plants tours and there are some people out there who are totally obsessed with their house plants. I ordered a monstera deliciosa, a burgundy ficus / rubber tree, and a 4-pack of surprise house plants. Some of the plants are trailers, so soon I want to figure out how to hang those in planters from the ceiling. I used to work at Sheridan Nurseries' indoor plant store year's ago. A lot fo what I did was plant care/ transplanting and getting them ready for sale. I loved it- it was like a mini vacation in the middle of winter. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Ruby Slippers Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 (edited) I forgot to mention that I have dozens of figs coming in on my small fig tree - however, I'm pretty sure the critters will steal those as soon as they're ripe 😐 But my mom visited a friend with a huge fig tree recently and picked a whole bunch, made some homemade preserves. I'm pretty sure she'll be giving me a jar or two of those next time I visit 🤤 Edited July 1, 2020 by Ruby Slippers 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Happy Lemming Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 My grapefruit tree is starting to "fizzle" out. To be fair, I ate A LOT of grapefruits during the last 3 months, so it did provide. There are a few small ones left that are over ripe, but still edible and small green new grapefruits are starting to form. 2 Link to post Share on other sites
lana-banana Posted July 1, 2020 Share Posted July 1, 2020 We may live in a city and have a backyard the size of a postage stamp, but damn it, we're trying! I do find it intensely therapeutic. Something about looking at, nurturing, and talking to plants is going a long way to help my mental health. I think everyone needs space outside even if it's just a small patio. We are all organic creatures whether we want to acknowledge it or not. The main obstacle is the absolutely staggering amount of sun we get. We are in a rowhouse with rowhouses on either side, nestled in a small cluster of other similar turn-of-the-century rowhomes. Our home is positioned just so so that when summer arrives, the whole area bakes. Even the hardiest plants dry up almost as soon as summer arrives. When we renovated the house we installed irrigation, regraded the soil, built a deck with shady areas and laid nice new stones, but it's still not sufficient. Today we bought shades and shade sails that will hopefully give our plants a chance to live. Almost all our plants are in pots so they can be moved indoors in case of emergency. What's thriving: a Concord grape vine and a fig tree (both from last season), shis***o and jalapeno peppers, a Roma tomato plant, some trailing petunias, basil, cilantro, parsley, thyme What's not: the creeping thyme, stevia, dill, oregano, valerian rhubarb, one of the other trailing petunias What could go either way: ornamental onion, some of the other tomatoes, ghost peppers, zucchini, eggplant 4 Link to post Share on other sites
Author pepperbird Posted July 2, 2020 Author Share Posted July 2, 2020 4 hours ago, Happy Lemming said: My grapefruit tree is starting to "fizzle" out. To be fair, I ate A LOT of grapefruits during the last 3 months, so it did provide. There are a few small ones left that are over ripe, but still edible and small green new grapefruits are starting to form. the lady we bought the house from had planted a hardy kiwi vine ( very vigorous), and our back yard neighbours have a multiflora rose. The two vines have climbed up the cherry tree I planted. No,w I get fruit in early summer and fall, and the birds get the rose hips. Mind you, it looks like brush pile sometimes, lol. 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Ruby Slippers Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 I checked my fig tree and was able to pick 7 or 8 ripe, delicious figs to munch on. So sweet and yummy! I'll try to remember to check them every day for more that are ready. 3 Link to post Share on other sites
Happy Lemming Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 3 minutes ago, Ruby Slippers said: I checked my fig tree and was able to pick 7 or 8 ripe, delicious figs to munch on. YEA!! Isn't it great to go into your yard and get fresh fruit!! 3 Link to post Share on other sites
Ruby Slippers Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 Totally! I'm amazed I beat the squirrels to them. Last year I got a few and then the squirrels completely raided them. Hopefully I can outpick them this year. 2 Link to post Share on other sites
QuietRiot Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 On 6/30/2020 at 8:15 PM, eleanorrigby said: I garden every year, and coronavirus has caused me to have one of my biggest ones so far. I sometimes order things from the catalogs but they were so backlogged I didn't bother. I'm growing fairytale pumpkins this year, I was thinking if we got a lot of them, maybe we can set up a pumpkin patch at the end of the road and sell them. Hmm after giving that idea a little thought, it probably wouldn't go over well to try to sell from my yard during the Corona Days. Of course, if you check the Lowes Reddit, they are hating on people crowding their stores for "essential" mulch. Link to post Share on other sites
Ellener Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 3 hours ago, Happy Lemming said: YEA!! Isn't it great to go into your yard and get fresh fruit!! My home last year had a wonderful garden there and the owners' place nearby, I never ate so many kumquats as last thanksgiving! @RubySlippers the old lady kept feeding the squirrels, they didn't seem to bother with the vegetable garden but they wrecked the fig trees! 2 Link to post Share on other sites
eleanorrigby Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 13 hours ago, QuietRiot said: Of course, if you check the Lowes Reddit, they are hating on people crowding their stores for "essential" mulch. I've stopped going to Lowes for now because more often than not there is a long, long line to wait in to enter the store. So far stand alone garden centers are as easy to get into as they were before, so I'm frequenting those. I don't blame the workers for complaining though, I wouldn't want to be out there working anything less important than health care services these days. I would be resentful as hell. Link to post Share on other sites
Author pepperbird Posted July 2, 2020 Author Share Posted July 2, 2020 15 hours ago, Ruby Slippers said: I checked my fig tree and was able to pick 7 or 8 ripe, delicious figs to munch on. So sweet and yummy! I'll try to remember to check them every day for more that are ready. I am so jealous! I love fresh figs. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Author pepperbird Posted July 2, 2020 Author Share Posted July 2, 2020 On 6/30/2020 at 9:15 PM, eleanorrigby said: I garden every year, and coronavirus has caused me to have one of my biggest ones so far. I sometimes order things from the catalogs but they were so backlogged I didn't bother. I'm growing fairytale pumpkins this year, I was thinking if we got a lot of them, maybe we can set up a pumpkin patch at the end of the road and sell them. Hmm after giving that idea a little thought, it probably wouldn't go over well to try to sell from my yard during the Corona Days. I made this mistake of choosing Dill's Giant pumpkins. These are the ones that can get to be over a ton in size. I'm hoping mine will be a bit more diminuative,lol 2 Link to post Share on other sites
eleanorrigby Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 I thought about trying to grow one of those giant pumpkins but the water and fertilizer to grow just one is probably what I use for my entire garden for the season lol Link to post Share on other sites
Kitty Tantrum Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 On 6/30/2020 at 6:08 PM, Ruby Slippers said: I had two vinca flowers on the front porch and those came back in early spring - one pink, the other hot pink. These are great flowers because all you have to do is water them and you get lots of pretty foliage and blooms, very low maintenance. My husband just gave me permission last week to order a bunch of Vinca Minor for ground cover. It was on sale, 50% off. I probably ordered WAY more than I need and will be trying to pawn some off on neighbors. I'm hoping it's the blue/purple variety like in the picture (hate it when websites aren't specific...), but any color will be nicer than bare dirt! My mom used to grow the little purple ones for ground cover and I always loved them as a kid. ❤️ Link to post Share on other sites
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