Just planning, thinking, waiting.

So much to do in so little time. One minute you think Spring will never get here and the next minute it's knocking on your backdoor.
We only got 4 1/2 inches of snow. A long freeze to boot. Which is great for decreasing those insects. Been sipping coffee and hot coco searching through 30 catalogs and the internet trying to make that right decision on which plants to grow. Walking through the yard sight planning on how I want things to look and back into the house to make a few notes. Then back to the books to find what you picture in your mind.
I think I make planning a garden more difficult than it should be cause my head is swimming. Have a lot of company over, lots of family staying over during the snowy icy days and just can't find a quiet moment . Wishing I could take all 30 catalogs, my existing seeds, the lap top, and my own coffee to a private park with a heater and huge table. Sigh.
I have most of the seeds that I need. Just a few more to get. I need Nasturtium seeds. I have never grown them. I like dark colors and would like dark green leaves. Any suggestions?
I also need to get some Fooled You Jalapeno seeds. Jalapenos with very mild heat. I don't like hot and spicy food.
I know there are other seeds that I want to get but distracted at the moment=
At this very moment the other family members who are staying over are entertaining themselves by running a red light up the front door just to see the dogs and cats chase it.

Anyway. I have raised block beds and want pink wave petunias growing over the sides. Veggies grow in these beds too. Can you think of another running flower that is just as pretty that will look good planted in between the wave petunias? Or maybe it should be a running veggie? Raised beds are only 24 inches high. I will have to keep the wave petunias cut back cause they normally grow over and down 3 to 4 feet.
I also have a block raised planter bed at the end of my drive way that I grow wave petunias in. I want to grow some Vinca in the center of the wave petunias this year.
Pink waves and Fushia colored Vincas.
I am trying the Asparagus Bean(yard long green bean) this spring. Does anyone know if they are still tender when they get really long ? I am also growing the Maxibel green bean= 8 inch slinder green bean just in case the asparagus green beans turn out to be a disappointment.

Dwarf Okra=? I normally grow Clemson Spineless but was wondering if there is a dwarf variety that produces good and long time. I only want to grow 20 plants this year.

I have never grown garlic chives before now. I like them on baked potatoes. I planted a few. I know they are perennials but still afraid they won't survive the deep snowy freeze. Will they? I sowed the seed back in October. They seem to be a slow grower. Disappointing===maybe I don't know what I am doing.

Some people are intimidated by the fact that I have a greenhouse business and think I know everything already but I do not. I start plants and have them ready to grow in a garden but not an expert at growing them in a garden. Two separate worlds. I do know some stuff==but not all of it. Have to tell this short story= Another greenhouse worker came to my greenhouse to see what I had and she brought her mother with her. I had a plant that she knew nothing about and asked me what it was. I told her. But the mother said to the daughter in a mean disgusted manner " you work in a greenhouse and you don't even know what that is?" She made her daughter feel like a hill and embarrassed her and I just had to speak out loud in her daughters deffense===that just because you work in a greenhouse business or nursery doesn't mean you know everything about every plant and it doesn't mean you are suppose to. The woman shut up. Not sure what was said after they left...but I did my part.

OK, I blabbered long enough about nothing.........

Stay warm, Dream Gardens

I enjoyed your post, Carolyn. I'm picturing you with your catalogs and laptop warmly working away on the beach of a tiny tropical island while your family buzzes and snow swirls just beyond your bubble. I hope you find your "me" moment.

I know what you mean about "experts". I feel sorry for the poor workers in the garden sections at stores during growing season. People inundate them with growing questions and many of them have no clue how to even begin to garden, and they usually have to track down the one experienced person who is frazzled from all the questions.

It's amazing to me how many people really want to grow things, but have just never had the chance to do it and think they don't know enough about it to try. I'm glad you stood up for your colleague. There are so many different veggies and fruits that no one could possibly know everything about all of them, but the more we do the more we learn. The old saying really is true, "Experience is the best teacher."

So Newbies, take heart. I have learned the most from dumb mistakes. (And that means there should be no end to what I can learn.)

I found an hour of me moment early this morning while all were asleep.

I learned that Black Walnuts produce a chemical called Juglone that inhibits the growth of nightshade plants such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplants. I don't have Black Walnuts here, but use to and might explain a few problems that sister and I were having with our toms. wow

I also learned that Basil will kill Rosemary. wow again.

Another thing I learned this morning is that Chamomile and Anise , when grown next to other herbs, will increase the oil production in those other herbs like Basil. interesting.

And the one thing I should of known but did not= is that you should avoid growing potatoes near tomatoes........... weird since they have a tomato plant that was grafted to grow potatoes and tomatoes. I always heard that it did not work well.
HA


Learned that Fennel helps Dill and Dill helps Fennel and everything else does not like Fennel including me.

When I go to a greenhouse or garden dept the only things I ask is "Where are your....." and not how to grow a thing. I feel that most folks are hired as sales clerks and unless you're really lucky, know nothing about the crop or flower.
I make quilts and folks think I must know how to make dresses, etc and I tell them its a different world and not mine.

As for Nastuttiums, you can get a mixed seeds package that has lights and darks in it.

Here are some of mine with reds in a raised bed corner beside carrots with a broccoli growing in a pot nearby.

Walmart here has a bad reputation for knowing nothing at all in the garden center.
Marvins garden center doesn't even know what kind of soil they have in stock for gardening. I did not ask about plants ---figured they didnt know that either.

You are pretty much right. Most stores hire cashiers to get the people out as fast as possible.

Me, myself, and I stand around and talk plants alllllllllllllllll dayyyyyyyy long. Have nothing else to do but water and take care of all the plants.
I been teaching my customers how to care for their plants to the best of my knowledge. The most asked about plant is the tomato cause it has the most wide range of problems. The tricky part to helping is them describing the problem and me trying to match it with a solution without inspecting it myself. ekk.
I have gone to a few gardens personally to help figure it out. (after hours) for free.

Got most of my sfg figured out with plenty of room to spare.
I will make a list later of all the plants-------it might give someone else an idea---or think- oh yeh , id like to grow that too.

CarolynPhillips wrote:
Learned that Fennel helps Dill and Dill helps Fennel and everything else does not like Fennel including me.

LOLOL, Ooooh yeah!! +1

Have sown or will sow for my personal garden:

Easy Wave Lavender Petunias= germinated
Easy Wave Pink= germinated
Easy Wave Blue= germinated
Easy Wave Neon Rose= germinated
Purple Pirouette Petunia= double blooms, purple and white
Red Pirouette Petunia= double blooms, red and white
Orchid Mist Double Cascade Petunia= double light pink shades
Sugar Daddy Petunia---fushia colored with dark veins
Pacifica Vinca Mixed colors-----great for the hot south
Indiana Giant Cockscomb
Maverick Geraniums Mixed
Cleome mixed
Impatiens Blitz
Impatiens Sunbelt
Moon Vine
Marigolds- French Hero
Marigolds Crush pumpkin
Marigolds Crush pineapple
Marigolds Creamy Vanilla
Dahlias dwarf redskin
Dahlias dwarf Figaro
Zinnia Megellan Coral
Zinnia Elegans mix
Zinnia Dwarf Dreamland
Zinnia Swizzle Scarlet
Zinnia Swizzle Cherry
Zinnia Uproar Rose
Begonia Ambassador Rose
Begonia Vodka
Nasturtiums = undecided

Sage
Rosemary
Basil
Peppermint
Lemon Balm
Parsley
Dill
Celeriac
chives
garlic chives
garlic

Cherriette Radish
April Cross Radish= large white
Carrot Danvers Half Long
Carrot Muscade
Carrot Carota
Beet Touchstone

Chili Pepper
Paprika Pepper
Cayenne Pepper
Fooled You Jalapeno Pepper
Early Jalapeno Pepper
Cow Horn Hot Pepper
Sweet Banana Pepper
Super Heavyweight Bell
Big Bertha Bell

Melanzana Eggplant
Black Beauty Eggplant
Hancel Eggplant
Gretel Eggplant

Summer Crookneck Squash

Tasty #26 burbless Cucumber
Eureka Cucumber
Asparagus Green Bean
Maxibel Green Bean
Jade Green Bean
Okra Clemson Spineless
Soy Bean
Snow Pea= Norli

Petit Gris De Rennes Cantaloupe
Golden Jenny Cantaloupe
Jenny Lind Cantaloupe
Hearts of Gold (Hoo Doo) melon
Sugar BabyWatermelon
Solitare Watermelon
Ambrosia Corn

Tomato Brandywine
Tomato Brandymaster Red
Tomato Brandymaster Yellow
Tomato Brandymaster Pink
Tomato Pineapple
Tomato Giant Tree
Tomato Italian Tree
Tomato Delicious
Tomato Mortage Lifter
Tomato Big Beef
Tomato Better Boy
Tomato Super Sioux
Tomato Beefsteak
Tomato Arkansas Traveler
Tomato Better Bush
Tomato The Dutchman
Tomato Caspian Pink
Tomato Beefmaster
Tomato Sweet Million Cherry
Tomato Tommy Toe
Tomato Currant Sweet Pea

Lettuce Lettuce and more Lettuce

Im sure I forgot something

I don't think I can handle much more

Wow, that's quite a list. You must have a big veggie garden.

I love the flowers you chose. That flower garden is going to be beautiful.

Enjoy.

I have many beds. I been gradually moving them closer together.
This is what I have so far.
4x10
4x10
4x10
4x10
4x12
4x14
4x6
4x6
4x6
4x4
4x4
2x12
2x12
I have plans to make a few 2x20 beds==A summer project maybe. Don't have time right now.

I am not growing any brassicas this year. I prefer to buy those and use my garden space for other veggies and flowers. My husband cannot eat veggies high in vitamin K which is salads, greens, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, etc..........I will grow a few lettuce for salads for me and my son.

I have a few perennial flowers in a few beds that I do not count in my sfg beds.
Sedem==Autumn--so pretty in the fall. It has rusty red blooms
I have a large Japanese Tiger Lily
Hawaiian Butterfly Ginger
A few Cannas
Many Hardy Hibiscus=mixed colors
Several giant Iris
Daffodils
Pampas Grass
Verigated Bamboo
Azelea

2 plum trees
3 apple trees
2 pear trees
2 peach trees
blueberries
lots of wild blackberries and dewberries
100 feet of muskedine vines ==shhh, gonna make wine this year
1 fig that is having hard time surviving the winter.

My front yard is about 300x300 ft
The back yard is ===the living area is 150x150.
Total acreage= 10.
We let the neighbors use it for pasture land for 8 horses--plus they use their land.

We call them that because I never say it right lol...

I found "Mahogany" seeds last week at our Botanical Center. They are supposed to be a beautiful dark red color. I used Orange last year but want a change for the area around my chocolate mint container in my front yard. I saved seeds from the orange ones and will probly plant them in one or two squares in the garden.

Garlic Chives are great! I have regular and garlic in containers. Have had them for 4 years now and they just keep spreading and spreading. That is why I put them in a large container. My friends and family keep begging clumps so I have several that owe me if something kills mine!

Holy cow with everything you grow CP. I'm quite envious. But since people are sharing what they're growing I'll share what I "plan" on doing this year.

Tomatoes	Peppers	Beans	Corn	Other
Amish Paste	Biscayne Hybrid	Giant Calico Lima	Peaches & Cream	Carrot?
Better Boy VFN Hybrid	Gypsy Hybrid	Flordia Speckled Butter	Early Choice Hybrid	Radish?
Sweet 100 Hybrid	Sweet Pickle	Dragon Tongue	Early Sunglow Hybrid	Lettuce?
Zogola	Banana Sweet	Beurre De Rocquencourt	Golden Bantam	Pixie Cabbage?
Black Krim	Bishop's Crown	Kentucky Blue
Peacevine	Anaheim M
Rutgers	Hungarian Yellow Wax
Opalka	Zavory
Pineapple
Martino's Roma

Now weather or not I'll get everything planted how I want will depend on how much money we'll be getting back from taxes. That's how I fund my gardening projects in the beginning, and since we're on a 3 year plan, I'm hoping to be able to do this and expand it a little more each year so I don't have to spend so much money on the produce I buy a lot of. And then everything can move with us when we move and all that jazz. =D

I also plan on doing herbs in the front yard around my trees in their own grow beds to act as flowers. I'm also going to try and plant some zinnias and stuff this year too. Maybe some daisies. We'll see

I was so disappointed with Early Sunglow Corn. They never got taller than 3 feet and had really small ears. They should of called it midget corn. But the flavor was pretty good.

I think I have found the Nasturtium that I want to grow
Empress of India= Foliage is deep purple nearly blue, blooms are described
as Vermillion Orange (dark red-orange)
Compact rounded plants that grow up to 12 inches tall.
This sounds great.
112 seeds (approx) for $3.95


As for perennial flowers----I really want to grow Echinacea-Purpurea but skiddish of trying to start them from seed since it takes almost 4 weeks to germinate. Wish I could find a good starting of plants.

CarolynPhillips wrote:As for perennial flowers----I really want to grow Echinacea-Purpurea but skiddish of trying to start them from seed since it takes almost 4 weeks to germinate. Wish I could find a good starting of plants.

We have a college here in town and I will often adopt babies or cuttings from the gardens that are found throughout the campus, just to kind of spruce up the beds, you know.

Camprn

Carolyn Miles has convinced me to try Cherokee Purple Tomato. I had heard that the CP did not produce very well by other gardeners but Carolyn says they produce just fine and hasn't heard of anything about them producing poorly and she knows her toms.

At the same thought----I have heard gardeners complain that Brandywine does not produce well for them but my Brandywines have always been loaded with toms.

It just goes to show that if you are interesting in growing something but not sure on productions due to other experiences===try it anyway===Live and Learn your own experience.

Carolyn......That's rigtht, you just have to try something yourself.

My Cherokee Purple did well in the rose garden this year (I had no more room in my raised veggie beds) and they were ever so tasty. I'd neven eaten them before, but mmmm good.

My Brandywine's didn't do so well but I think it was the tomato hornworm that ruined my crop of Brandywines. I didn't realize what was eating away at my plants and causing such damage until I reached under some leaves and my hand came in contact with a huge hornworm. Ugh.
I was shocked and went hunting there and then. Found ten of them on my plants that day and 4 the following day. Those horrid creatures sure can do a lot of damage.
This year I'll know what to look out for before they can do such damage again.

oh the dreaded hornworm---the evil in the garden===the weakness in my stomach.
I can handle mice, spiders, earthworms, bees, jellow jackets, squash bugs, etc......but it takes every ounce in my being to pluck a hornworm off a tomato plant. double ughhhhugghh then i drop a brick on its jelly filled body.

I agree with not relying 100% on others experience - or alternatively, if I have trouble growing something sucessfully once, try again. my cherry tomatoes do exceptionally well in a spot that would be lucky if it gets 1 hour of sun a week - so well that this year I am putting in a whole new bed just for the little guys - that will be my new tomato spot - although I havent tried other varieties (sungold and sweet 100's I think are the two that have done well by me) - I will still grow some full sun though - I couldn't bear to have a bad year just because other varieties don't do so well.

On the flip side, I can't get my Khol Rabi to behave - and I thought those little guys were suposed to be easy lol - the leaves grow but don't seem to get to the bulby stage. That is probably something I am doing (I know this last crop bit the dust along with everything else with the first hard freeze this winter - it was too hot too late, then really cold really fast), but I have the seeds and will perservere.

My parsley just got transplanted into my half made hoop house, because it seems to still be alive - trying to poke out new leaves. I think that they are only supposed to bienial (although as kids I am sure we lived of one plant my entire child hood) but it was started comparitively late in the season - I will still start new ones in the spring, but if these guys survive I will have an early spring crop for using - and someone told me they were tender ?

I also have 3 sungold lantanas (not in my vege garden though) that come back year after year and they are marketed as anuals - good deal for me because they are huge and lovely now

experience with your own microclimates and soils are my best gague of what will work for me (just keep your fingers crossed for my garlic which I haven't ever tried before and I am ever so excited about )

Cherokee Purple did mediocre this spring, but better this fall, Black Krim did horrid this spring (not a single tom) but much better this fall. We're still eating the last of them off the shelf, they'll be gone this week. They both ripened surprisingly well on the shelf for how little color was on most of them when I pulled the vines.

I think I'll reserve the Black Krim's as a fall tom and not even try it in the spring. The Cherokee Purple I'll try again this spring - starting seed tomorrow.

This website is Tomato Country. If you want to know more about tomatoes , this is the place to learn it.

http://www.tomatoville.com

kiwirose wrote:
On the flip side, I can't get my Khol Rabi to behave - and I thought those little guys were suposed to be easy lol - the leaves grow but don't seem to get to the bulby stage. That is probably something I am doing (I know this last crop bit the dust along with everything else with the first hard freeze this winter - it was too hot too late, then really cold really fast), but I have the seeds and will perservere.

I had trouble with my purple kohlrabi, too, kiwirose. It grew great, they just didn't want to form a bulb, though a few came close and the greens (purples, in my case) on all of them looked pretty good. I think you may be on to something regarding the heat.... if I had to guess, I think mine got heat stressed, freaked out and tried to go directly to producing seed, do not pass go, do not collect $200.

No info on parsley, I have had a horrible time with the stuff.

I am heartened by your info on the lantanas, because I planted one this year and I loved it.... I am hoping it will come back next year. We'll see. The butterflies and bees loved it! And I have always been very fond of the flowers.

I will cross my fingers for your garlic if you cross your fingers for mine!!!

Odd Duck wrote:Cherokee Purple did mediocre this spring, but better this fall

My Purple Cherokee did pretty well last year. Probably would have done better if I had known what I was doing! I was not nearly as aggressive with pruning as I should have been... but the fruit I got was fabulous. Incredibly tender skin, nice size, rich, sweet dark flesh, very few seeds. My Gold Medal tomato vine had problems. I think it was attacked by at least one disease (and me too green to figure out which), so I only got a few fruit, but it was a very, very pretty fruit and I'd like to try it again. It was a bit more hesitant than the Cherokee....I thought at the time that maybe I was too far north for it, but what do I know. Just a hunch, it may have been only bad luck.

The survival of Lantana is hit and miss.. It is best to mulch it to be on the safer side.
Some Lantana are more hardier than others. You have more luck of it surviving if it is planted on the south side of the home or structure.

CarolynPhillips wrote:The survival of Lantana is hit and miss.. It is best to mulch it to be on the safer side.
Some Lantana are more hardier than others. You have more luck of it surviving if it is planted on the south side of the home or structure.

I am probably out of luck, then... mine's on the north side. I can replant if need be, it was just nice to have such a big plant by the end of the season.

Megan wrote:

CarolynPhillips wrote:The survival of Lantana is hit and miss.. It is best to mulch it to be on the safer side.
Some Lantana are more hardier than others. You have more luck of it surviving if it is planted on the south side of the home or structure.

I am probably out of luck, then... mine's on the north side. I can replant if need be, it was just nice to have such a big plant by the end of the season.

Just to let you know, my son in Reston, less than 30 miles from your place, has two beautiful lantanas that he's grown for 3 years now, so don't give up! Don't remember what direction his back yard faces.