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Frustrating garden news ...
Hello everyone,
Well I'm pretty new at this whole gardening thing, and was pretty excited at the prospect of learning all about different flowers, shrubs, and so on. So this morning I bring in the tip of a "plant" growing in my garden only to find out from my boss that they are lupins! I could cry... Obviously they were permitted to grow like crazy, as they are growing everywhere in the garden and you can see the remnants of last years growth. One of the bunches has about a 1 foot radius. The lady we bought the house from said that the garden was fully developed. Of course, she also told us that the lawnmower and BBQ they left worked and that there were no leaks in the house and that she only left useful things in the garage... So what I thought was a beautiful developed garden is actually a weed-invested gravel pit. What am I supposed to do? I guess my future holds a lot of intensive digging in order to get rid of them and a lot of money spent on new plants to fill in the garden. It would look pretty foolish if left bare... A discouraged new gardener, Katherine |
Frustrating garden news ...
Lunpins? Do you mean Lupine? People around here buy it to try and grow.
Beautiful flowers. Laura B. only to find out from my boss that they are lupins! I could cry... |
Frustrating garden news ...
If they look pretty, what's the problem?
Charlie. "KR" wrote in message m... Hello everyone, Well I'm pretty new at this whole gardening thing, and was pretty excited at the prospect of learning all about different flowers, shrubs, and so on. So this morning I bring in the tip of a "plant" growing in my garden only to find out from my boss that they are lupins! I could cry... Obviously they were permitted to grow like crazy, as they are growing everywhere in the garden and you can see the remnants of last years growth. One of the bunches has about a 1 foot radius. The lady we bought the house from said that the garden was fully developed. Of course, she also told us that the lawnmower and BBQ they left worked and that there were no leaks in the house and that she only left useful things in the garage... So what I thought was a beautiful developed garden is actually a weed-invested gravel pit. What am I supposed to do? I guess my future holds a lot of intensive digging in order to get rid of them and a lot of money spent on new plants to fill in the garden. It would look pretty foolish if left bare... A discouraged new gardener, Katherine --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.476 / Virus Database: 273 - Release Date: 24/04/03 |
Frustrating garden news ...
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Frustrating garden news ...
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Frustrating garden news ...
Hey Katherine don't get too concerned just yet. I moved into a house with a
developed but neglected garden as well. What I did was allow what was there to stay for the first year as it is sometimes difficult to tell a weed from a beautiful flower/shrub from first growth. In fact particular flowers that I thought were weeds have proven to be some of my prize treasures in my garden. I liked what Doug had to say as well. I have discovered that there is a big difference between a gardener and a garden admirer. I am very much the later but quickly learning that you need to be the former first. So, relax and enjoy what's there. It might not look great this summer(but it may) and plan for next summer. I did a lot of transplanting to get what I wanted. Good luck Ed "KR" wrote in message m... Hello everyone, Well I'm pretty new at this whole gardening thing, and was pretty excited at the prospect of learning all about different flowers, shrubs, and so on. So this morning I bring in the tip of a "plant" growing in my garden only to find out from my boss that they are lupins! I could cry... Obviously they were permitted to grow like crazy, as they are growing everywhere in the garden and you can see the remnants of last years growth. One of the bunches has about a 1 foot radius. The lady we bought the house from said that the garden was fully developed. Of course, she also told us that the lawnmower and BBQ they left worked and that there were no leaks in the house and that she only left useful things in the garage... So what I thought was a beautiful developed garden is actually a weed-invested gravel pit. What am I supposed to do? I guess my future holds a lot of intensive digging in order to get rid of them and a lot of money spent on new plants to fill in the garden. It would look pretty foolish if left bare... A discouraged new gardener, Katherine |
Frustrating garden news ...
"KR" wrote in message
om... Aren't they also poisenous to children and animals? About 200 common garden plants will make people ill, or worse. As long as she avoids Monkshood, she'll be fine. Even juniper berries, in large enough amount, can be a problem. Meanwhile, trendy chefs use them often. |
Frustrating garden news ...
In one of his great books, garden writer Henry Mitchell comments that
tourists love to visit Versailles, and comment on what amazing gardens were created by King Louis the whatever. They forget that except for the statues, the beauty they're seeing is due only to one thing: The labor of the people who cared for it yesterday, not hundreds of years ago. Perhaps the previous owner let one season go by without doing the necessary work, hoping it would care for itself. As another person here suggested, limit yourself primarily to maintenance and observation this year. Take pictures, make notes, walk around with catalogs & books and identify what's there. Have a couple of beers. Things could be worse. You could be one of the unfortunate people who doesn't have a garden at all. |
Frustrating garden news ...
Thanks everyone for your advice, it has all been great!
I think I will sit back on the front porch and watch my gardens grow while enjoying a tall glass of drink. I will definately take those beers next summer, I am pregnant right now. I realized yesterday that similar to the quote, "One man's trash is another man's treasure," perhaps it is also true that one man's weed is another man's rose! Katherine "Doug Kanter" wrote in message t.net... In one of his great books, garden writer Henry Mitchell comments that tourists love to visit Versailles, and comment on what amazing gardens were created by King Louis the whatever. They forget that except for the statues, the beauty they're seeing is due only to one thing: The labor of the people who cared for it yesterday, not hundreds of years ago. Perhaps the previous owner let one season go by without doing the necessary work, hoping it would care for itself. As another person here suggested, limit yourself primarily to maintenance and observation this year. Take pictures, make notes, walk around with catalogs & books and identify what's there. Have a couple of beers. Things could be worse. You could be one of the unfortunate people who doesn't have a garden at all. |
Frustrating garden news ...
With that quote, I am reminded of my mother's flower garden around the bay
that I started for her. She called me several times to tell me of the lovely tall spiky plant that was growing beautifully in her perennial border and that she couldn't wait for me to come out and tell her what it was so she could label it so as not to forget where it was over the winter. When she called in utter delight, that it was starting to bloom in pinkish purplish flowers, I packed up the dogs and kiddies and drove around the bay to investigate. I arrived to find her carefully weeding chickweed from around her pride and joy: a wonderfully healthy, fertilized, mulched, 4 foot tall, bushy and profusely blooming FIREWEED! Without saying a word, I leaned in to the back of the border , grabbed it by its main stem and promptly pulled it straight up and out of its place of honor. The resulting shrieks of horror from dear old Mom brought more than one curious neighbors eye peering over the fence. I don't think she ever really forgave me or indeed agreed with my selective destruction. Given her druthers, I believe, she would still be cultivating a little patch of fireweed in that border still. "KR" wrote in message om... Thanks everyone for your advice, it has all been great! I think I will sit back on the front porch and watch my gardens grow while enjoying a tall glass of drink. I will definately take those beers next summer, I am pregnant right now. I realized yesterday that similar to the quote, "One man's trash is another man's treasure," perhaps it is also true that one man's weed is another man's rose! Katherine "Doug Kanter" wrote in message t.net... In one of his great books, garden writer Henry Mitchell comments that tourists love to visit Versailles, and comment on what amazing gardens were created by King Louis the whatever. They forget that except for the statues, the beauty they're seeing is due only to one thing: The labor of the people who cared for it yesterday, not hundreds of years ago. Perhaps the previous owner let one season go by without doing the necessary work, hoping it would care for itself. As another person here suggested, limit yourself primarily to maintenance and observation this year. Take pictures, make notes, walk around with catalogs & books and identify what's there. Have a couple of beers. Things could be worse. You could be one of the unfortunate people who doesn't have a garden at all. |
Frustrating garden news ...
I see nothing wrong with wildflowers like fireweed, lupins and others. If
you control them in your garden they make lovely backdrops and are perfect for the areas where nothing else will grow, or areas that are hard to get at. -Karen "Barry C. Parsons" wrote in message ... With that quote, I am reminded of my mother's flower garden around the bay that I started for her. She called me several times to tell me of the lovely tall spiky plant that was growing beautifully in her perennial border and that she couldn't wait for me to come out and tell her what it was so she could label it so as not to forget where it was over the winter. When she called in utter delight, that it was starting to bloom in pinkish purplish flowers, I packed up the dogs and kiddies and drove around the bay to investigate. I arrived to find her carefully weeding chickweed from around her pride and joy: a wonderfully healthy, fertilized, mulched, 4 foot tall, bushy and profusely blooming FIREWEED! Without saying a word, I leaned in to the back of the border , grabbed it by its main stem and promptly pulled it straight up and out of its place of honor. The resulting shrieks of horror from dear old Mom brought more than one curious neighbors eye peering over the fence. I don't think she ever really forgave me or indeed agreed with my selective destruction. Given her druthers, I believe, she would still be cultivating a little patch of fireweed in that border still. "KR" wrote in message om... Thanks everyone for your advice, it has all been great! I think I will sit back on the front porch and watch my gardens grow while enjoying a tall glass of drink. I will definately take those beers next summer, I am pregnant right now. I realized yesterday that similar to the quote, "One man's trash is another man's treasure," perhaps it is also true that one man's weed is another man's rose! Katherine "Doug Kanter" wrote in message t.net... In one of his great books, garden writer Henry Mitchell comments that tourists love to visit Versailles, and comment on what amazing gardens were created by King Louis the whatever. They forget that except for the statues, the beauty they're seeing is due only to one thing: The labor of the people who cared for it yesterday, not hundreds of years ago. Perhaps the previous owner let one season go by without doing the necessary work, hoping it would care for itself. As another person here suggested, limit yourself primarily to maintenance and observation this year. Take pictures, make notes, walk around with catalogs & books and identify what's there. Have a couple of beers. Things could be worse. You could be one of the unfortunate people who doesn't have a garden at all. |
Frustrating garden news ...
"Karen" wrote in message
... I see nothing wrong with wildflowers like fireweed, lupins and others. If you control them in your garden they make lovely backdrops and are perfect for the areas where nothing else will grow, or areas that are hard to get at. Not only that, but (get ready for some really dumb logic): If they're happy there, it's because they're happy there. Too many gardeners (myself included) struggle with plants which are wrong for the larger climate (your entire zone), or wrong for the mini-climates around the house. If you have plants which are thriving and spreading, why mess with it, as long it you're not talking about bindweed or horseradish. |
Frustrating garden news ...
Doug Kanter wrote:
"Karen" wrote in message ... I see nothing wrong with wildflowers like fireweed, lupins and others. If you control them in your garden they make lovely backdrops and are perfect for the areas where nothing else will grow, or areas that are hard to get at. Not only that, but (get ready for some really dumb logic): If they're happy there, it's because they're happy there. Too many gardeners (myself included) struggle with plants which are wrong for the larger climate (your entire zone), or wrong for the mini-climates around the house. If you have plants which are thriving and spreading, why mess with it, as long it you're not talking about bindweed or horseradish. Last year I found wild grapes growing along a fence in the back of my yard. My husband was ready to pull it out when I said no leave it grow for the birds. He insisted wild grape vines don't grow grapes - they just looked like grapevines. Well, my wild grapevines are now loaded with beautiful little grapes! I'm eager to see what birds they attract. -- Bonnie NJ http://home.earthlink.net/~maebe43/ |
Frustrating garden news ...
"Bonnie Espenshade" wrote in message
... Last year I found wild grapes growing along a fence in the back of my yard. My husband was ready to pull it out when I said no leave it grow for the birds. He insisted wild grape vines don't grow grapes - they just looked like grapevines. Well, my wild grapevines are now loaded with beautiful little grapes! I'm eager to see what birds they attract. My wild grape vine attracted pteradactyls - huge ones. Unfortunately, they had no appetite for any of the local dogs. :-) |
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