Deck Gardens - What Do Yours Look Like?
katemartha (z5/6 nj)
2 years ago
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getgoing100_7b_nj
2 years agogetgoing100_7b_nj
2 years agoRelated Discussions
How well do you like your rider's mowing deck?
Comments (2)JD X500 48" mowing deck... Cuts fine and not too difficult to level and that's a good thing because it seems that even though dealers are required to level the deck during the PDI few actually do. R&R of the deck could be a little easier, the J bolts in the rear can be a PITA, but it's not as bad as some I've used or owned. The BEST thing about the Select Series decks are that the anti-scalp wheels rotate 90 degrees so the deck rolls in or out from under the tractor... a nice feature for we old guys. I will not buy a GT without this feature now that I've experienced it....See MoreWhat do you modify in your garden to continue your garden passion
Comments (43)Kim said... >My original obsession was outrageously out of hand and I loved it. [...] I'm keeping to the level area as much as possible. Weeding that slope is offensive enough without having to traipse up and down, sliding on every other step, to maintain anything down there. I know I will resent the ones which go on the slope and will eventually allow them to go the way of the Dodo, so I'm choosing to rid myself of them, instead. That's a LOT of roses, quite a few of which are seedlings either generated through my obsession or those shared with me by other "obsessives", but that is what it is going to take to keep this "fun", doable and prevent the water requirements from eating me out of house, home and desire. Weeding through them to maintain those which are just happier to be here with me and those which are endangered, has been a real chore. Now, if there was a ton of level land with high ground water. Hi Kim, Back in the Dark Ages we lived in California in just the sort of spot you are conjuring up as a high ground water fix. But native trees really like spots like that too... and our house had lots of shade, too much shade for most roses. Still, we wouldn't have dreamed of cutting down a tree. We didn't own the house, we like trees, and anyway, removing a tree was illegal without a good reason for a permit where we lived (a Monarch Butterfly preserve). Anyway, we were relative youngsters at the time and didn't know just how wet that property was until our vegetable garden was swimming in water during the winter months. It was fine, fine black silty sand that held on to the water pretty well too. Your post made me think about what we'd do if confronted with your lack of water problems back in California again. What you're doing makes a lot of sense. But I also am wondering whether a bank full of Renaes rambling around might not survive and also keep the weeds down once they proliferated and established themselves? They might take over the other remaining roses, but if you weren't still trying hard to keep those... A bunch of Renaes might not require so much watering once established? I don't think a big crowd of them would look bad at all, depending on personal tastes, of course. In fact, I prefer that kind of look. We've done that crowded thing in a pretty good sized area with azaleas and rhododendrons here; they all grow together and if there's a weed under there somewhere, well, you can't easily penetrate to find or see it. Once in awhile there's a tree sneaking in that will have to be pulled up, but basically it's too shady under all the plant thickness for most weeds to grow. And I adore the looks of those crowded plants! No, we don't have big problems with fungal diseases, even with the crowd. Maybe fewer than average problems, though phytopthera wilt sometimes does require some cutting back of rhododendron limbs. You know a big problem with azaleas and rhododendrons is that they aren't drought tolerant. Well, we have lost huge numbers since our drought problems began big time here around 2001. It's been wonderfully rainy most of the time during the last couple of years, but the next drought period is probably just around the corner... and if we lose some more azaleas and rhododendrons then, well, I'm thinking of trying to establish some Renaes and Annie Laurie McDowells in their place in the relatively sunnier spots... along with some more camellias, which are drought tolerant after the first year. (Though blooming is less than ideal if August and September are dry.) We lost our Annie Laurie McDowell to Rose Rosette Disease last year, but I am figuring that if it's anything like our Renae here, well, it's as no-care, no-worry a plant as any other plant of any kind we've ever had in our yard. Not a touch of blackspot or any other disease here thus far (though that may well change just a bit as we get more shade as the sun angle changes during the fall). Anyway, I'm hoping for another Annie Laurie McDowell eventually too. Ours is a no-spray all-organic yard for everything we grow and Renae fits well into that way of doing things. I think Annie Laurie McDowell will too. I know it hurts to cut back some on what you are able to continue doing, Kim. But I keep thinking mostly about your achievements and how much you have helped so many others in what you have already contributed. Thank you! Best wishes, Mary...See MoreWhat does your ideal hummingbird garden look like?
Comments (3)I would have my patio done off the kitchen flanked by an arbor and trellis at the outer corners that would be covered with coral honeysuckle. Along the patio edge between the honeysuckle I would have lots of salvia and great blue lobelia. at one edge I would have a sunken pond surrounded by cannas and copper iris. along the sunny side of the fence would be more salvias, monarda agastache and annual vines. In the shady part I would have hosta bleeding hearts, Native columbine (for spring blooms) and jewelweed for late summer Along the driveway in the sunny part of the yard I would have a hedge of red flowering current and at the back dwarf red buckeye for early spring flowers. I would also position shepherd hooks dow the fenceline for hanging baskets of cuphea, fuscia and impatiens. In the front which is very shady I would have manettia growing up an arbor flanked by baskets of fuschia on either side of the arbor and native columbine interspersed with red impatiens. On the east side of the house I would have red morning glories gorwing up a tellis with tall garden phlox and salvia on either side. The west side of the house would be all salvias and agastaches Some of these things have already been implemented and some are still in the planning stage. As soon as I get a dead maple removed out back my red buckey is going in that spot and as soon as the patio gets started I can work on the beds for the salvias and vines that will surround it. I will also have large containers on the patio with whatever I can think to put in them. I would also like to be able to hang baskets of fushias around the perimeter of the patio area...I better buy a couple more shepherds hoods. Penny...See MoreDo You Like Your Deck Mounted Soap Dispensers?
Comments (22)Enduring, I would think about two. One for lotion, one for soap. But, I forgot, is this your Master bath, or a guest one? Unfortunately, for a guest one, you may have the eternal problem of having to explain which is which, or letting each guest experiment each visit... I actually bought our kitchen sink one from HD. I had gone there intending to buy one to match our Blanco Rados faucet, and the sales guy actually talked me into purchasing the no-name $14 one hanging on a rack. We've had it for 7 years (CANNOT believe our kitchen reno is 7 years old!), only clogged once, and DH took it all apart and cleaned out the gook...took me awhile to stop reefing on that poor ol' spout that was no longer plugged! So, the point of my post is that you don't necessarily need to spend the big bucks to find a dispenser that will work well and look good. (The NN one from HD looked very much like the Blanco one that cost 10X more!) Old pic showing soap dispenser:...See Moregetgoing100_7b_nj
2 years agoNeed2SeeGreen 10 (SoCal)
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2 years agonorth53 Z2b MB
2 years agorouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
2 years agokatemartha (z5/6 nj)
2 years agonorth53 Z2b MB
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2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoAnna (6B/7A in MD)
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2 years agoAnna (6B/7A in MD)
2 years agosherrygirl zone5 N il
2 years agowestes Zone 9b California SF Bay
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agogetgoing100_7b_nj
2 years ago
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tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)