Author | |
Dawn Forum All-Star
Joined: June 12 2005 Location: Massachusetts
Online Status: Offline Posts: 3191
|
Posted: Jan 31 2006 at 6:13am | IP Logged
|
|
|
All those bright, beautiful seed catalogs are filling up my reading basket, and I am really eager to at least start planning our garden for this year !
So, on this cold, rainy, winter morning I am wondering: what is on your gardening wish list for 2006?
Do you grow the same things every year? Do you have some new thoughts or themes for this year?
__________________ Dawn, mum to 3 boys
By Sun and Candlelight
The Nature Corner
|
Back to Top |
|
|
Elizabeth Founder
Real Learning
Joined: Jan 20 2005 Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline Posts: 5595
|
Posted: Jan 31 2006 at 7:42am | IP Logged
|
|
|
I have grand plans and a brown thumb . This year, I'm going to consult a landscape planner so as not to make any more silly mistakes. I want to relocate my lavender to the backyard and plant much more of it. I also want to put anArbordale Solar Birdfeeder like MacBeth's back there with my St. Francis birdbath. The lady I talked to said she'll teach me how to integrate my vegetables with the rest of the bedding plants. I think this is a great idea. We had a beautiful vegetable garden several years ago but it was located on the side of our house. It got perfect sun. It was also against the homeowner's covenants ("no raised vegetable gardens allowed in side or front yards"). We were forced to move it. Haven't had good veggies since. The landscaper said she'll show me how to tuck veggies into the rest of the loveliness so that each plant can be where it will get the best exposure and nobody will object. I'll keep you posted!
__________________ Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
|
Back to Top |
|
|
Elizabeth Founder
Real Learning
Joined: Jan 20 2005 Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline Posts: 5595
|
Posted: Jan 31 2006 at 7:44am | IP Logged
|
|
|
BTW, I haven't gotten a single seed catalog. Guess the word's gotten out that I'm not very good at this whole planting thing and no one wants to trust me with their seeds.
__________________ Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
|
Back to Top |
|
|
MacBeth Forum All-Star
Probably at the beach...
Joined: Jan 27 2005 Location: New York
Online Status: Offline Posts: 2518
|
Posted: Jan 31 2006 at 8:43am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Love that birdfeeder!
Last fall when I was complaining about gourds, I mentioned the amazing 4th of July tomatoes that my uncle grows (he lives in MA, too, Dawn). They were delicious and prolific.
Because February is a miserable month, I spend long hours at the local indoor nursery admiring seed packs, house plants, and soaking up warm humid air. I'd love to get a few nice antique or heirloom seed catalogues to browse, though.
__________________ God Bless!
MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
Nature Study
MacBeth's Blog
|
Back to Top |
|
|
JennGM Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 07 2005 Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline Posts: 17702
|
Posted: Jan 31 2006 at 9:13am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Of course, with my true confessions about my bulbs, I shouldn't even contribute!
Martha Stewart Living had a list of seed catalogs, especially heirloom a few years back. I signed up for a few, but now I need to give my change of address.
I'm in a new house, and have to plan our garden here. We were in a townhouse and I had two lovely plots, small but manageable. One was vegetables and the other was flower and herb. The latter was fun for me, because I just planted at random seeds, bulbs and plants and it was beautiful.
Now I have a huge backyard that is just all grass...which dh loves. Our neighbors have the trees. Dh is also not keen on me breaking up the yard so he can't have his sports field, so I have to choose along the fence line. And then, if I want flowers and herbs, should I do it out front or beg for another bed out back? Oh, the decisions! I had hoped to have set up a bed by now and done some Lasagne layers to prep the soil...but again, no such luck!
This year I want something child friendly, at least a section, for ds. I know there are several books that I could use for ideas...I can't remember the names..."Root, Shoots and Leaves?" Recommendations...???
__________________ Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
|
Back to Top |
|
|
Elizabeth Founder
Real Learning
Joined: Jan 20 2005 Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline Posts: 5595
|
Posted: Jan 31 2006 at 9:36am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Roots, Shoots, Buckets, and Boots
and Sunflower Houses
and
Hollyhock Days
Love 'em all !
__________________ Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
|
Back to Top |
|
|
JennGM Forum Moderator
Joined: Feb 07 2005 Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline Posts: 17702
|
Posted: Jan 31 2006 at 9:43am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Perfect!!! Thanks!
__________________ Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
|
Back to Top |
|
|
Dawn Forum All-Star
Joined: June 12 2005 Location: Massachusetts
Online Status: Offline Posts: 3191
|
Posted: Jan 31 2006 at 9:43am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Oh it's so much fun to hear garden talk again !
Elizabeth ~ I would love to hear how your garden plans go, integrating vegetables into your existing grounds. Our back yard got pretty mucked up last summer during some construction, and dh says it will take some work putting it all back together . So this year I am looking at container gardening and working things into established planting areas.
The birdfeeder is lovely! I bet it will be especially nice during summer evenings.
MacBeth ~ thanks for the tomato suggestion! My folks LOVE tomatoes and ask that we grow them every year. An early variety would fare better here too.
I confess I requested all the catalogs I have been getting (they gave up on me too!). A beautiful heirloom catalog is R.H. Shumway's.
__________________ Dawn, mum to 3 boys
By Sun and Candlelight
The Nature Corner
|
Back to Top |
|
|
Sarah Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 17 2005 Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline Posts: 1624
|
Posted: Jan 31 2006 at 2:54pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I have lots of seed catalogues that came I'm so excited!!!!
I always forget that. . .
bugs ate all our beans
bugs ate our squash
bugs ate our tomatoes, well just some. We had plenty to share
Rabbits ate my sunflowers shoots
etc. . .
Somehow, I think this year will be different and I'm filled with hope again. Even writing that doesn't discourage me!
What are you going to do differently? I remember MacBeth's cherry tomato resolution (when we get closer to planting, MacBeth, will you share your uncle's good tomato type-if I'm remembering right)
This year we'll make a new squash bed, since we get that weird beetle . . .or whatever its called
This year. . .less cherry tomatoes and more practical ones
This year. . .cover the sunflower shoots from the rabbits
And we might try the sunflower house
and different beets-no flavor with the heirloom ones (what's up with the lack of flavor, anyway?)
More spinach, less lettuce,
Also, don't let the volunteer cosmos take over. I won't wait until their trees and I can't pull them.
And. . .when I hear my husband with the chainsaw, this time I'll go out to see what he's "pruning"
I'll do cukes again, the burpless so dh will eat them and dear dog too and I'll pay closer attention to spacing so it won't be a jungle. (I was 9 mo. pg last summer and couldn't reach a darn thing and I woulds just peek logingly at all the stuff out of reach. . .
More flowers, too. Cosmos b. NOT
cosmos s. or is it the other way around? I'll do the "bright lights" one whichever that is.
I'm doing it again. . .I always think I'm Tasha Tudor
__________________ Six boys ages 16, 14, 11, 7, 5, 2 and one girl age 9
|
Back to Top |
|
|
|
|