The plants/gardening thread!

**shedevilang** · March 29th, 2007, 08:47 PM

I just noticed today my dogwood's have leaves they are still alive yeah

**Lobelia** · March 29th, 2007, 09:21 PM

I have two weeping cherries that have never bloomed, but they're only about 3 years old. I have a 5 year-old lilac that produced its first blooms this season. I need to take pictures, heck it might be another 5 years.

**nwgirl** · March 29th, 2007, 09:30 PM

When we bought our first house (7 years ago) I bought a camelia tree (plant?) and planted it in my front yard and that thing never grew another inch. My hubby and I fertilized it to within an inch of its life, trimmed it, loved it, cared for it and nada, nothing. Year after year that damn thing stayed the same size and only had one measly, lonely little bloom.

We sold our house last year and it's only a few blocks from our new house and I drove by over the weekend and that damn thing has all of a sudden sprouted and is HUGE!!!! And I know those damn people have never done a thing with it. I could have cried I was so pissed.

I thought it would be a tad inappropriate, but I had serious thoughts of walking up into their lawn and pulling it out of the ground just out of spite. And spitting on it for good measure.

(I think I might have anger issues.)

**shedevilang** · March 29th, 2007, 09:48 PM

roflllllllll i think you might too

**Mira** · March 29th, 2007, 10:25 PM

nwgirl you crack me up. I've had that same thing happen where you do everything right and it just sits there.

I have this beautiful prayer plant, but it wasn't always beautiful. Last year I moved away from the house I'd been living in for 2 years. I swear the room I kept it in had some really bad energy, because that plant would stay alive, but it wouldn't grow. I had moved it in there from another room where it was doing all right. It was in there fro about a year, and it just sat there, no growth, nothing changed at all.

8 months later (now) I'm living in this nice little place, and that plant has just taken off amazingly. It's huge now, and beautiful! I don't get it. Must have been the energy in that room. I do know that I never wanted to be in that room. Couldn't put my finger on why, though. I have this theory that the rocker dude that lived in it for eight years before I moved in to the house did some terrible kinky things in there lol

**nwgirl** · March 30th, 2007, 10:35 AM

His bad mojo was funking the place up, eh?

I know what you mean though. I've never lived somewhere like that, but have had that experience at friends' homes. Something I can't quite put my finger on, but a room or spot in the room doesn't feel right. And when I've mentioned it, they've said they noticed it too.

**Sojiita** · March 31st, 2007, 10:31 AM

Originally Posted by nwgirl

When we bought our first house (7 years ago) I bought a camelia tree (plant?) and planted it in my front yard and that thing never grew another inch. My hubby and I fertilized it to within an inch of its life, trimmed it, loved it, cared for it and nada, nothing. Year after year that damn thing stayed the same size and only had one measly, lonely little bloom.

We sold our house last year and it's only a few blocks from our new house and I drove by over the weekend and that damn thing has all of a sudden sprouted and is HUGE!!!! And I know those damn people have never done a thing with it. I could have cried I was so pissed.

I thought it would be a tad inappropriate, but I had serious thoughts of walking up into their lawn and pulling it out of the ground just out of spite. And spitting on it for good measure.

(I think I might have anger issues.)

I would have been very very tempted to kill it and spit on it's carcass myself. LOL!

**Mira** · March 31st, 2007, 10:42 AM

This reminds me of a story I had happen to me (sad). I had a beautiful rose bush, huge, that produced lovely blooms. The house was sold in the divorce, and my ex wanted to move it to his new house. I said no, just leave it, it's so huge it might not make it

The people who bought our house were EVIL, really mean people. They cut the bush down to the ground the very day they took possession of the home.

That bush wouldn't have wanted to live in their yard anyway. They were mean ugly bastards who didn't deserve it, nor did they appreciate beauty in any form. My kids don't even want to drive by their childhood home anymore, they've screwed it up so much. effing people!

And speaking of roses, mine are doing great! I use Maxsea granular sea kelp fertilizer, it's made specially in small batches by some horticulturists in No. Calif. You have to order it online, they don't make huge batches. Really amazing stuff. Makes flowers bloom well into winter (not roses, other flowers

)

**McJag** · March 31st, 2007, 11:22 AM

I just planted tons of stuff I ordered online from 3 different nurserys.
Over spent as I am powerless when looking at flowers. Got them all out by yesterday morning. Took 2 days. Last night it poured-about 4 inches in an hour! Floods every which way. Sun is out now & I am afraid to go look at my babies! Crosses fingers!!

**Mira** · March 31st, 2007, 11:25 AM

^^ohhh, I know the feeling. I forgot you're in Texas. We had the same thing last night, but yesterday was very pretty. I'm so damn sick of RAIN! Hope your babies are ok, I'm powerless against flowers too

**Born In A Brothel** · March 31st, 2007, 01:58 PM

Originally Posted by McJag

Also everyone: what is the one plant you couldn't do without and think everyone else should try...!

Honeysuckle or Forsythia. I love Forsythia since it's the first to bloom, even before the tulips.

I also love groundcovers that are made by Stepables

STEPABLES.COM - Plants that tolerate foot traffic.

There are so many different varities and a lot of them withstand heavy foot traffic. Perfect if you have dogs!

**Mira** · March 31st, 2007, 02:59 PM

Very cool link, thanks BIAB! I need something like that. I wonder if it will grow in full sun in the summer. Sun is low in the winter but summers it gets really hot in my backyard.

**McJag** · March 31st, 2007, 11:24 PM

Yes-thanks for that link! Now I'll have more to do, but worth it!

LOVE forsythia-my Aunt has tons & it just is SO beautiful. I have a pink honeysuckle. Slow growing, this is its 4th year & it is really looking great. That heavenly smell drifts all around.
All my plants survived the storms! Yea! Now they will be leaping up!

**shedevilang** · March 31st, 2007, 11:32 PM

we had a great rain today so i'm hoping it makes my dogwoods happy lol i'm so proud they are still alive i'm known as a serial killer amongst plant life

**Lobelia** · March 31st, 2007, 11:34 PM

Originally Posted by Born In A Brothel

I also love groundcovers that are made by Stepables

I clicked your link & have had the page open all day. I've seen Stepables before at my local Lowes, but I really need to get serious & research some options. I have an area of ground that is very difficult. It's on the west side of the house, under a tree. That translates into NO morning sun, NO early afternoon sun, and broiling brutal sizzling afternoon sun.

Not enough sun for regular grass, like Bermuda, but the intense afternoon sun burns up shade grass, like fescue. So it remains patchy & ugly, with about 10 varieties of weeds.

Separated a bunch of canna lily rhizomes today, but didn't get ruthless enough probably. Had fewer blooms in that patch last year, & I'm sure it was because they were too crowded. Funny, I started with 5 canna rhizomes, about 4 years ago, that I bought off ebay. Now I have HUNDREDS of cannas from those 5. They are starting to sprout, with many of them about 4 or 5 inches tall. Probably should have separated them a month ago, but OH WELL.

Hummingbirds like them (cannas), & I am a sucker for pleasing hummingbirds. I always look forward to the return of "my" regulars. Also have salvia, petunias, jasmine, butterfly bush, hibiscus, & a bed that's devoted to wildflowers. I strive to have a hummingbird paradise.