Hello all! I am a new gardener this year with my new house. I want to do
some landscaping but I am so not swift when it comes to picking out flowers!
My husband and I have been going around town trying to fiugre out what we
want but man are there a ton of flowers!! I wanted to do two or three
different kinds in front of my house. We live in Ohio so our weather is not
always wonderful. Like yesterday with about 3 stinking storms that were
tearing down trees!! I need something that is easy to take care of. The
flowers would be in the full sun most of the day. I had been told
"impatients' would be good but when I looked them up it said that they
needed morning sun...they would get that but also afternoon and evening!

I also have a shrub problem. The people who lived here before us decided to
plant a privacy shrub in the middle of the "flower bed." How the heck do I
get rid of the thing. We already cut one down but we are left with the
wonderful stump! Not bug enough to use a stump remover but big enough to be
a pain in my a**.

If anyone has any suggestions I would love to hear them!

Thanks!!!

"rnjroberts" wrote in message
...
Hello all! I am a new gardener this year with my new house. I want to do
some landscaping but I am so not swift when it comes to picking out
flowers!
My husband and I have been going around town trying to fiugre out what we
want but man are there a ton of flowers!! I wanted to do two or three
different kinds in front of my house. We live in Ohio so our weather is
not
always wonderful. Like yesterday with about 3 stinking storms that were
tearing down trees!! I need something that is easy to take care of. The
flowers would be in the full sun most of the day. I had been told
"impatients' would be good but when I looked them up it said that they
needed morning sun...they would get that but also afternoon and evening!

I also have a shrub problem. The people who lived here before us decided
to
plant a privacy shrub in the middle of the "flower bed." How the heck do
I
get rid of the thing. We already cut one down but we are left with the
wonderful stump! Not bug enough to use a stump remover but big enough to
be
a pain in my a**.

If anyone has any suggestions I would love to hear them!


Regular impatiens like partial shade. The do not like afternoon sun and
will wilt. You can however plant New Guinea impatiens in full sun as long
as you keep them well watered. There are small plant tags in most annuals
that are sold in garden centers and box stores. The tag should have an
indication of the exposure (full sun, part sun, part shade, full shade) and
how big the plant gets. Most tags have a bit more information. Read the
tags and ask questions. I would recommend that you go to a real garden
center if you don't know much, because if you go to Wal-Mart or Lowe's or
other stores where plants are a seasonal item, you are unlikely to get good
advice.

The shrub roots will have to be removed by digging them out. An alternative
(which I am not necessarily recommending) is to tie them to a sturdy vehicle
with a rope and pull them out. Of course there is potential for serious
injury with the latter method, so use precautions.

One way to get an idea of what you think looks good is to visit display
gardens and garden centers. There are also books available that discuss the
selection of annuals. You must live in northern or central Ohio because we
didn't have any severe weather here in the Cincinnati area. Let me know
where you live and I might be able to suggest some display gardens.

I also have a shrub problem. The people who lived here before us decided to
plant a privacy shrub in the middle of the "flower bed." How the heck do I
get rid of the thing. We already cut one down but we are left with the

Before you go whacking and chopping, you might want to find out what
you have. Might be something really nice.

Shrubs and trees are typically the backbone of landscaping, with perennials
and annuals providing most of the color.

Personally, I'd suggest some easy annuals for you this year, and maybe
some easy perennials, while you visit gardens and garden centers and
think about what you'd like your yard to look like and how you're
going to do it.

My nomination for a beginner's full sun perennial that is fairly low care
and hardy in Ohio is garden chrysanthemum. Sun, decent soil, water until
they're well established, and they're good for 20-30 years. Run a lawnmower
set very high over them in early July if you want lots of flowers instead
of a few big ones.

For beginner annuals for full sun, there are lots of marigolds, ranging
in height from 6 inches to about 3 ft. Dahlias from seed are fun, though
it's a bit late in the year to start them from seed. Sunflowers come in
all sorts of sizes now, and are easy and quick to come from seed, while
petunias are a common and easy plant with lots of colors. A little
fertilizer, a little water, a little deadheading and you can have
quite a show.

A very famous landscape architect was supposed to have said, "Figure out
what you can grow, and then grow lots of it". It's a good rule... a big
bed of petunias tends to be much more impressive than a petunia next to a
salvia, next to a marigold, next to a dusty miller...

Some sites for you: http://ohioline.osu.edu/lines/hygs.html
http://mastergardener.osu.edu/
http://www.buckeyegardening.com/
http://cbgarden.org/

I've mentioned it before, but still my favorite book for beginning gardeners:
Rodale's Chemical-free Yard and Garden, by Anna Carr et al. Any edition.
Pay special attention to the initial chapters on soil and water.

Gardening can be relatively easy when you spend some time initially on
basics, like building good soil and proper digging of beds initially,
and on choosing plants that will do well with your conditions. It can
be a real backbreaker if you don't pay attention to the basics and choose
unsuitable plants in unsuitable locations.

Kay Lancaster

"Vox Humana" wrote in message
...

"rnjroberts" wrote in message
...
Hello all! I am a new gardener this year with my new house. I want to
do
some landscaping but I am so not swift when it comes to picking out
flowers!
My husband and I have been going around town trying to fiugre out what
we
want but man are there a ton of flowers!! I wanted to do two or three
different kinds in front of my house. We live in Ohio so our weather is
not
always wonderful. Like yesterday with about 3 stinking storms that were
tearing down trees!! I need something that is easy to take care of.
The
flowers would be in the full sun most of the day. I had been told
"impatients' would be good but when I looked them up it said that they
needed morning sun...they would get that but also afternoon and evening!

I also have a shrub problem. The people who lived here before us
decided
to
plant a privacy shrub in the middle of the "flower bed." How the heck
do
I
get rid of the thing. We already cut one down but we are left with the
wonderful stump! Not bug enough to use a stump remover but big enough
to
be
a pain in my a**.

If anyone has any suggestions I would love to hear them!


Regular impatiens like partial shade. The do not like afternoon sun and
will wilt. You can however plant New Guinea impatiens in full sun as long
as you keep them well watered. There are small plant tags in most annuals
that are sold in garden centers and box stores. The tag should have an
indication of the exposure (full sun, part sun, part shade, full shade)
and
how big the plant gets. Most tags have a bit more information. Read the
tags and ask questions. I would recommend that you go to a real garden
center if you don't know much, because if you go to Wal-Mart or Lowe's or
other stores where plants are a seasonal item, you are unlikely to get
good
advice.

The shrub roots will have to be removed by digging them out. An
alternative
(which I am not necessarily recommending) is to tie them to a sturdy
vehicle
with a rope and pull them out. Of course there is potential for serious
injury with the latter method, so use precautions.

One way to get an idea of what you think looks good is to visit display
gardens and garden centers. There are also books available that discuss
the
selection of annuals. You must live in northern or central Ohio because
we
didn't have any severe weather here in the Cincinnati area. Let me know
where you live and I might be able to suggest some display garden


We have tried tying a truck to the shrub and it wouldn't budge. Plus it is
right by my steps and I really didn't want to yank them out!!! Thanks for
you advice though!

"Kay Lancaster" wrote in message
...
I also have a shrub problem. The people who lived here before us
decided to
plant a privacy shrub in the middle of the "flower bed." How the heck
do I
get rid of the thing. We already cut one down but we are left with the

Before you go whacking and chopping, you might want to find out what
you have. Might be something really nice.

Shrubs and trees are typically the backbone of landscaping, with
perennials
and annuals providing most of the color.

Personally, I'd suggest some easy annuals for you this year, and maybe
some easy perennials, while you visit gardens and garden centers and
think about what you'd like your yard to look like and how you're
going to do it.

My nomination for a beginner's full sun perennial that is fairly low care
and hardy in Ohio is garden chrysanthemum. Sun, decent soil, water until
they're well established, and they're good for 20-30 years. Run a
lawnmower
set very high over them in early July if you want lots of flowers instead
of a few big ones.

For beginner annuals for full sun, there are lots of marigolds, ranging
in height from 6 inches to about 3 ft. Dahlias from seed are fun, though
it's a bit late in the year to start them from seed. Sunflowers come in
all sorts of sizes now, and are easy and quick to come from seed, while
petunias are a common and easy plant with lots of colors. A little
fertilizer, a little water, a little deadheading and you can have
quite a show.

A very famous landscape architect was supposed to have said, "Figure out
what you can grow, and then grow lots of it". It's a good rule... a big
bed of petunias tends to be much more impressive than a petunia next to a
salvia, next to a marigold, next to a dusty miller...

Some sites for you: http://ohioline.osu.edu/lines/hygs.html
http://mastergardener.osu.edu/
http://www.buckeyegardening.com/
http://cbgarden.org/

I've mentioned it before, but still my favorite book for beginning
gardeners:
Rodale's Chemical-free Yard and Garden, by Anna Carr et al. Any edition.
Pay special attention to the initial chapters on soil and water.

Gardening can be relatively easy when you spend some time initially on
basics, like building good soil and proper digging of beds initially,
and on choosing plants that will do well with your conditions. It can
be a real backbreaker if you don't pay attention to the basics and choose
unsuitable plants in unsuitable locations.

Kay Lancaster


Thanks for all your help! I appreciate it!!

Go to your local arboritum or garden and walk around and look at
what they have read the signs and see what you like all the things
will be planted in areas where they doo best. and you will get great
ideas for design. and talk to the gardeners and staff about what is
easy or difficult to grow and get advice about soil and such and
then make a list of what you like and go to your local garden center
and be sure to ask or read what ar anuals and which arn't so you will
know about what will come up next year.
On Mon, 24 May 2004 20:14:06 -0400, "rnjroberts"
wrote:

Hello all! I am a new gardener this year with my new house. I want to do
some landscaping but I am so not swift when it comes to picking out flowers!
My husband and I have been going around town trying to fiugre out what we
want but man are there a ton of flowers!! I wanted to do two or three
different kinds in front of my house. We live in Ohio so our weather is not
always wonderful. Like yesterday with about 3 stinking storms that were
tearing down trees!! I need something that is easy to take care of. The
flowers would be in the full sun most of the day. I had been told
"impatients' would be good but when I looked them up it said that they
needed morning sun...they would get that but also afternoon and evening!

I also have a shrub problem. The people who lived here before us decided to
plant a privacy shrub in the middle of the "flower bed." How the heck do I
get rid of the thing. We already cut one down but we are left with the
wonderful stump! Not bug enough to use a stump remover but big enough to be
a pain in my a**.

If anyone has any suggestions I would love to hear them!

Thanks!!!