garden

Reply to: If the deer will leave them alone, the arbs will require less maintenance, I think. My 'Emerald Green' hedge is beginning to meld into a solid hedge about 4 years after being planted.

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Reply to: I would just add that most effective homemade concoctions list eggs as an ingredient. Such as this one. . 4 pcs of raw egg (beaten using mixers) 4 cloves of garlic (minced) 4 cups of water 4 tablespoons of dairy (milk or yoghurt to make it dense and sticky) 4 tablespoons pepper (the hottest, the better)

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Reply to: Great hosta eye candy everyone. All That Jazz? (right before moving it) First Frost and Goodness Gracious at the front Devils Advocate, Guardian Angel and Sum&Substance.....and the All That Jazz? in its new location in back

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Reply to: I've never been in your situation, but I have neighbors that seem to like to use their back yard as a dump. However, I do have a little advice about the vines. You won't get rid of them until the root is dead. Since you can't dig the root, you'll need another route. I have found that Ortho-Weed-B-Gon is better for this. Don't cut the vines back, just snip the vines growing tip and paint (or spray) as many of the the leaves as you can with a double strength solution. This will stunt the growth and take the stuff down to the roots. You may have to do this several times, but the root will eventually die. I have killed poison ivy with one treatment, wisteria and honeysuckle will take several applications as the roots are extensive and shoots will keep coming up from the newer root systems. I suspect that kudzu will be a similar problem. In fact, I suspect that merely cutting the vines back encourages new growth. It doesn't do anything about the root system. You have to kill the main root. Even if you could dig it, it would be difficult to get it all. By treating the leaves, you will at least stunt the new growth on your side of the fence.

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Reply to: Bergenia is an outstanding zone 6-7 performer. These are winter photos in the mid-atlantic:

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Reply to: I like lush plantings and even though I’m a bit of a collector I try to restrain myself and aim at eye pleasing combinations using different grasses, conifers, heucheras, astilbes, different ground covers etc

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Reply to: DH has had good luck with putting overripe fruit, sugar water and bakers yeast in the following contraption to capture Japanese beetles. He throws them in the pond to feed the fish. For some reason they don’t fly out and mainly drown.

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Reply to: I like the curves ... you have so many things lined up straight already, the curves give it more interest. It’ll look a lot different when planted. Jmo, but you’re already looking at so many shrubs everywhere, I’d do color there. I think a perennial bed would look stunning. Something very natural, a bit wild, and organic to nicely mix with the rigidity of all of the shrubs. And especially to compliment a Craftsman style home. I’d also add in a birdbath, a wood bench, obelisk, stone, or other decorative items. I’d do varying heights— Another idea at some point, would be a pathway going from the stairs to the center of the bed ... maybe having a bench there or some sort of seating. It would be very inviting and a nice spot to look around. Whatever you decide, it’s helpful in an area of this size to draw plans. This is an example of a basic way, but I’d measure well and draw it up accounting for mature sizes of plants, colors together, heights, etc. Hope you’ll update us, would like to see what you decide. :)

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Reply to: Question to OP: what are you feeding your roses? If it is a high nitrogen fertilizer (1st # on bag) & it’s greater than 6, the plant will put out foliage. Find a rose fertilizer low in nitrogen & higher in 2nd # (phosphorus). The 2nd # encourages blooms. Also feed monthly during the bloom season & stop feeding monthly by end of August. I recommend an organic fertilizer like compost or Espoma Rose Tone.

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