Quote :

"Also, anyone have any experience convincing an HOA that a communal garden would be super awesome? We have the perfect space!"

Better stay on top of that shit. There are several "communal gardens" around downtown Charleston. Some of them are awesome, but the neglected ones look like shit. I'd probably vote it down if I were in the HOA.

3/13/2012 10:29:16 AM

Quote :

"Did Family Home and Garden charge a delivery fee? We need about 6 cubic yards of compost and 2 cubic yards of soil conditioner delivered in addition to some mulch. We checked out the garden supply store down the street from us but they wanted $45 to deliver 2 miles Meanwhile I talked to a place on Capital Blvd that will deliver to us for free."

Luckily my husband has a truck so we did it ourselves, but they did have a delivery fee. Dunno if it varies on distance though. my SIL used Capital Mulch after the tornado and hers was free b/c she was within a certain radius, but their fee was still pretty minimal if you were outside that. I *think* he was going to go by there today to get the last little bit that we need; I'll have him ask.


and imma repost this portion of my post for this page

Quote :

"also...any suggestions for sunny patio plants? we've got a large patio in the back, and i'd like to get some big leafy container plants back there for ambiance and a little shade offering. i was thinking a banana tree or elephant ears. any other favorites?"

[Edited on March 13, 2012 at 10:37 AM. Reason : post]

3/13/2012 10:36:04 AM

2^im a little worried about that. I need to make sure my neighbors would actually use it. My adjacent neighbor killed two potted plants and all the sod they put in almost immediately

3/13/2012 10:39:26 AM

Yeah usually we just use the Subaru for stuff like this but I don't think that much dirt is going to fit in the back without destroying my suspension

Elephant ears love our hot, humid summers so those would work well, though they don't get all that big so I don't know how they would do for shade.

On my grandmother's patio, she strung up some netting on the southwestern side and planted morning glories and moonflowers. The vines climbed up the netting and provided a wall of shade. It looks really awesome as long as you plant them densely enough to form a nice, thick wall. I imagine you could do that with any climbing annual like sweet peas (though it's probably too late to start those), or even something like cucumbers. I'm thinking about trying that out on my deck this year as a cheap solution to blocking out our neighbors. I'm going to plant the seeds in containers and put landscaping fabric underneath to try and discourage any volunteer seedlings next year in case I decide I want to plant something more permanent.

Some fruiting bushes might be fun to plant along the patio on the side that gets the most sun. Imagine hanging out on your patio and being able to reach for a handful of blueberries when you get hungry for a snack

3/13/2012 10:44:53 AM

On a whim this afternoon I bought a bunch of plants. I got a crapload of moss to try and make our weird shaded microclimate less ugly, some ranunculus for next to the mailbox, and some random dark blue flowers groundcover plant for in between my iris patches. They were all pretty cheap so if they drop dead I won't be too upset

3/13/2012 8:04:22 PM

Cool idea with the netting! I've wanted to do a pergola somewhere, but one house project at a time.

3/14/2012 8:50:57 AM

Netting is great! It lets you try some stuff out without committing to something more expensive. Granted if you were doing kiwi vines or jasmine or something netting wouldn't do you any good but for annual vines they're perfect.

3/14/2012 10:34:36 AM

planning on bargain hunting for more pots/tubs and soil this weekend. On that note - Tuesday Morning at that shopping center on Lake Boone (store is next to sushi-thai, where I ate dinner tonight) has an incredible selection of ceramic pots from big to small and they're all cheap as hell. 8 gallon painted ceramics for ten bucks. Some of them even have sets going from big to small. I plan on returning.

just got a couple early girl tomato plants, some lemon thyme (the one I have just doesn't look right compared to this one), some cilantro, a bunch of leeks that I just planted, parsley, and some strawberry bulbs.

I'm thinking about getting a few blueberry bushes this weekend but may wait until indigo farms has theirs ready because the ones at home depot looked small and weak.

one thing I'm really excited about is this chocolate mint I go today. if you rub a leaf it really does smell like an andes mint - I couldn't believe it. tastes like one too. I had to buy one, may get a couple more and get a big pot full. anyone ever see this stuff? they also had orange mint but I was less wowed by it.

Finally, I got some pickle bush cucumber seeds so I'll start those in the next couple of days so they'll be ready to go come April. I've been looking for more dill so I can get a really big pot or several pots of it because I plan on brining my own pickles this summer

I can't wait til I buy a house and have a yard.

3/15/2012 8:08:57 PM

it's on BEEtches

3/16/2012 6:24:24 PM

Quote :

"MUST BE ITALIAN"

[Edited on March 16, 2012 at 9:01 PM. Reason : or MUST BEE ITALIAN, lol]

3/16/2012 8:57:48 PM

3/16/2012 9:12:50 PM

^ gets it

3/16/2012 10:09:28 PM

^^ hahaha. Also djeternal, I'm jealous of your bees!

ncsuallday, chocolate mint is amazing! I make a pretty awesome ice cream from it if I do say so myself I'll have to look for some at the Farmers' Market today since I no longer have access to my old patch.

And you are 100% right about the bushes at Home Depot. Don't waste your time. I got three bushes from the guy at the Farmers' Market last fall and they're all growing like CRAZY right now. And I'm pretty sure they were the same price as the ones at Home Depot but much bigger and healthier. Just make sure you amend the soil really well wherever you plant them and I also bought some bags of soil amendment from the guy at the market and just dumped it all into the hole we planted the bushes in. They seem to love the stuff. They also like conditions similar to plants like hydrangeas and azaleas so feel free to mulch them with pine needles. We just go into the pine woods next to our house and fill supermarket bags with needles every time we mulch them.

Oh yeah, and you'll want to get at least two different varieties of blueberries. The same variety will pollinate, but if you get more than one variety you'll be better yields overall and a longer harvest season. We got one early harvest, one mid-season harvest, and one late harvest bush. I don't remember the names of the varieties off the top of my head but the guy at the market will hook you up.

Oh and for pots another good place to look is Home Goods. I was in there last night and they had lots to choose from for cheap.

[Edited on March 17, 2012 at 9:54 AM. Reason : x]

3/17/2012 9:50:55 AM

I found the chocolate mint at Lowe's by Cary Crossroads. I'd like to get to the FM today or tomorrow though to see if they have anything new.

I was thinking about doing three varieties of blueberries because I had heard that. I just hope I get some fruit this year. Also, they'll be in big tubs so I hope they'll do well - I know they like soil that's a bit acidic so I'll have to try to monitor that.

Tuesday Morning really had an impressive amount of pots for dirt cheap!

3/17/2012 3:31:54 PM

6 yards of cedar mulch later, finally done. BTW if anyone is considering cedar over other types, it costs a little more but it lasts about twice as long as triple shred hardwood mulch and ants hate it. I did one of my beds with it two years ago and it still is in great shape and just needed a little topping off. Also the smell makes spreading it much more pleasant.

3/17/2012 8:08:01 PM

Hey Djeternal, did you do the Brushy Mountain Bee Farm kit? Your veil and smoker looks like mine.

I need to get on painting and assembling my hive. I'll pick up my ladies in May.

3/17/2012 10:27:46 PM

I got a rosemary bush, dill, chocolate mint, candy mint, and african blue basil today. didn't see any sweet basil, but the blue was pretty so I picked one up. I don't think it will lend much to cooking, though.

3/18/2012 12:54:56 AM

i used the leaves of my blue basil in a huge batch of pesto with other kinds, it was ok. the prolific flowers are nice sprinkled on salads and stuff, and the seeds can be used for drinks. birds like them too.

3/18/2012 12:17:01 PM

hmm, good to know! thanks.

3/18/2012 12:25:43 PM

Quote :

"I was thinking about doing three varieties of blueberries because I had heard that. I just hope I get some fruit this year."

The first year you'll want to cut off the flowers so the bushes can focus on building a strong root network. You'll get much better results in the long run that way.

3/18/2012 8:06:42 PM

had a nice weekend planting.

got three different blueberry bushes from Atlantic Ave. Gardens that are about 3' high each with lots of flowers. actually had bees pollinating them when I selected them, so that's a plus. planted them in big 5+ gallon tubs. got some perennial soil that's a bit more acidic, and a Ph tester as well to keep track of that. these plants are 10x better than what they had at home depot and are about the same price with the 25% discount they have going on right now.

bought lots of nice planting medium.

going to plant my strawberry bulbs later tonight if I get a chance.

planted two early girl tomato plants in 3 gallons (may transplant later) and one cherry "patio" tomato

my carrots started coming up

my onions are coming up very nicely

the peppers and heirloom tomatoes I've been growing from seed in my trays are sprouting

going to start my picklebush cucumbers soon, and bought 16 dill plants for $8 and planted them in a one of the 5+ gallon tubs I got. can't wait to make some homemade pickles!

remounted my grow light inside for my herbs to give the basil I started from seed a while ago some more light. I'm still nervous to move the herbs outside permanently, and honestly I love the color and smell they add to the kitchen.

still going to pick up some bayleaf and some varieties of basil. I'd like to grab marjoram and fennel but I've never cooked with either of them.

I'll post pics sooner or later

3/18/2012 8:13:26 PM

Marjoram is beautiful in a hanging basket, and it smells really nice. Good for headaches, too!

3/18/2012 8:26:58 PM

Anyone have suggestions for good part sun plants for hanging baskets?

3/18/2012 8:39:50 PM

^I,too, would like such suggestions. +1 if they're edible

3/18/2012 9:50:13 PM

Wandering Jews are hard to kill and look nice in a hanging basket. Just take some clippings, stick them in the soil and they take root! Not edible though.

3/18/2012 10:38:39 PM

^^^ thyme would be good. I have some growing in partial sun area and it's thriving. Plus it would look cool hanging off the side of a basket.

3/19/2012 7:29:11 AM

Million Bells, but we don't eat them.

3/19/2012 7:49:32 AM

The storm last night beat the shit out of my sunflower seedlings. Good night, sweet prince

3/20/2012 9:43:33 AM

Should I be concerned to put a garden in the same yard as a septic tank?

3/20/2012 10:43:47 AM

If your septic tank is working properly, no. If it's not, then I wouldn't grow any edibles near it

3/20/2012 10:58:22 AM

Im on the fence on whether or not to get a tomato plant. It would have to go in a container, and I only get a few hours of sun in my yard. I guess I could put it out in the common yard area, but Im still unsure as to how strict my hoa is.

3/20/2012 11:27:43 AM

Ehh, you figure you can buy a tupperware storage bin for what, $5? Drill a hole in the bottom, fill it with $2 bags of compost, will probably only take one to fill it. Then the tomato plants will cost you $2-3 each. You're out less than $10 if the experiment fails.

3/20/2012 12:36:54 PM

i'm in zone 5 and this weekend I planted some spinach, chard, parsley, lettuce and beet seeds. there was still some ice in the soil. I hit a very frozen spot and was very confused for a few moments. I guess I thought it was a rock, and ice shavings were flying everywhere. very interesting.

It's been 65° for a couple days and today is a ridiculous 73°, so i'm going to go plant some onion sets and try to clear some dead leaves away from my perennials. its very strange that it is so warm and everything is still basically dead.

I'm just grateful i was able to plant something before june this year, last year was terrible

3/20/2012 6:01:53 PM

Quote :

"You're out less than $10 if the experiment fails."

Good call. What is the hardiest tomato out there? One that could potentially survive with less than stellar conditions?

3/21/2012 12:02:17 AM

early girl is good for containers and matures in 60 days, meaning it might get enough enough sun to make some tomatoes even if it's shady for much of the day

3/21/2012 12:07:27 AM

Yesterday was a very productive day. I have been meaning to get in our front garden bed and clean out some plants that the previous owner just went overboard on.

Too many hostas in one spot; they were choking each other and growing over the walkway. I dug up 8, transplanted 2, and are dividing the rest & transplanting those as well or giving them to my sister-in-law as they are still rebuilding their yard from the tornado.

When I trimmed back our japanese maple in the winter and we staked it so it would grow away from the walkway as well, I found a gardenia being smothered. Dug that up too and am also giving it to SIL as we have plenty.

Dug up ~50 monkey grass plants. Again...too many that had spread and I just hate monkey grass. There's an ad on Craigslist for free monkey grass--that's us lol. If you want em, PM me for my address. We're in Cary. We've had some responses, but I dunno if people are taking the whole lot or just a few. Regardless, I want it gone!

Also got up some dead bushes. Just need to remove a dead tree and the front is good to go for this year. I'm very excited

Thursday I'm making the trek to Angier for seedlings for our raised beds.

3/21/2012 8:10:52 AM

Quote :

"Hey Djeternal, did you do the Brushy Mountain Bee Farm kit? Your veil and smoker looks like mine. "

Yeah, I bumped the Beekeeping thread so we can discuss it there. This is going to be a lot more expensive than I first thought, but it will be worth it.

I compare it to keeping a saltwater fish tank. Expensive/labor intensive in the beginning to get it set up right, but once it is established it's fairly easy/cheap to maintain for years.

[Edited on March 21, 2012 at 12:51 PM. Reason : a]

3/21/2012 12:40:27 PM

do want bees and a garden. Renting sucks.

3/21/2012 12:45:05 PM

lol so the idiot former neighbors two doors down from us planted Bradford pears right up against their foundation in a raised bed. Like literally these saplings can't be older than three years old and they're already touching the siding of the house. If the new owner is smart he'll rip them all out before they get bigger and start causing damage.

3/21/2012 2:51:24 PM

^^^I'll buy some bulk honey off you if you have any to spare.

would love to make some mead

3/21/2012 4:07:31 PM

^ Have you checked out the honey guys at the farmers' market? They've got really good honey.

3/21/2012 7:37:23 PM

I am happy to share all honey. I am really just doing this for the crops.

3/21/2012 7:38:33 PM

^^the main thing I'm looking for is cheap, bulk honey for mead. online bulk honey is outrageous expensive but I'll check the FM that's a good idea.

Have you ever bought meat there? (can't remember if you're a vegetarian or not) if so, was it a good price / quality?

3/21/2012 7:49:33 PM

I really like the meat at Rare Earth Farms. Good stuff. Obviously more pricey than cheap meat at the supermarket but cheaper than grass-fed beef at Whole Foods. I keep debating trying out their CSA. I've gotten some pork products from whatever the name of the farm is two doors down from the beef vendor and while I like their standard cuts of meat, haven't really liked their sausage products. I felt like their prices were kind of hit or miss as well.

I signed up for the weekly emails from most of the meat farms around here so I can see what they're charging each week for their stuff. Gives me a good idea of who is charging fair prices for their stuff.

3/21/2012 8:24:56 PM

maybe you could be neighborly and tell the new owner that them jizz trees are turrible... and why

3/22/2012 1:10:18 AM

Yeah I was actually thinking that last night when walking past their house. But the dude is like never home. I guess I could leave a note in his mailbox lol.

3/22/2012 8:58:09 AM

the trek to angier was totally worth it...yay wholesale/retail nursery!! i got three tomato varieties, eggplant, 3 pepper varieties, rosemary, cilantro, oregano, chives, thyme and basil seedlings. got them in the ground today (yes, nosy neighbor, I *do* know that if there's a threat of frost I will need to cover them up). got a very ambitious amount of seeds (only put sunflower, cabbage and onion in today), but some i'm going to hold on til late summer.

the biggest endeavor is going to be corn. if i can successfully get corn to grow I'll be super pumped. if not, no biggie I'll start my other items in the space i've set out for them there.

also got marigolds and zinnias, an aloe plant (i always wanted an aloe plant), a banana tree, forsythia and honeysuckle.

3/22/2012 5:01:45 PM

^^well hurry up before they bloom

^curious now, how much did you spend?

3/22/2012 6:12:58 PM

^^ corn is actually REALLY easy. I grew it for the first time last year and was very successful. Didn't do anything but put the seeds in the ground.

3/22/2012 6:22:31 PM

does corn grow to its full height and yield ears the first year?

anyone have any tips for cilantro and parsley? all of my herbs do well but I keep killing those two. Parsley less so, but the cilantro just dies and dies. gets really limp and keels over.

3/22/2012 6:37:23 PM