https://www.reddit.com/r/GardenWild/comments/d474cb/the_garden_fence_weekly_chat_thread/
created by AutoModerator on 14/09/2019 at 16:06 UTC
13 upvotes, 11 top-level comments (showing 11)
Weekly weekend chat over the virtual garden fence; talk about what's happening in your garden, and ask quick questions that may not require their own thread.
Comment by 5426742 at 14/09/2019 at 17:06 UTC
4 upvotes, 2 direct replies
What’s your favorite plant and what animals do it attract? Trying to decide what new plant seeds to source for next season.
Comment by paulwhite959 at 14/09/2019 at 18:26 UTC
4 upvotes, 1 direct replies
2 hours last night and 4 hours today working the patch of yard I'm doing next. I haven't swung a pick or shovel that long since high school and I feel it *everywhere*. Sown lobelia and hibiscus and praire blazing star along the house line, got some flax and spiderword and hyacinth and winecup sown, going to do the clover come spring (did plant two that I got at a plant sale). Got a drier blazing star sown too.
Has anyone ever mixed some of the shade, drier, mistflowers with pigeonberries before? I've got a lot of turks cap and I like the stuff (putting more in slowly) but I'm wondering if my plan to mix those will work. If it does I think it'd both look cool with good contrast between the plants, and attract a wide variety of wildlife, but that's the question...will it work? The turk's cap has exploded since I put it in in April, so it's definitely fine.
Getting a solid half dozen pigeonberries in with my turks cap and mistflower out front tonight; that should make a really great patch for birds and pollinators.
Comment by Camkode at 14/09/2019 at 19:10 UTC
5 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Working on a rain garden in the back, and going to be planting a few native desert willow trees, 3 in the back, 1 on the side, and 2 in the front. Soo excited for the shade and the benefits for birds, bees, and overall enjoying watching the wildlife :)
Comment by V2BM at 14/09/2019 at 20:38 UTC
4 upvotes, 1 direct replies
July's lack of rain and August and September heat (it was 100 yesterday) along with a severe aphid infestation have destroyed my swamp milkweed. I was hoping to cut them all down and neaten that area up and weed, but I have more than a dozen monarch caterpillars hanging out and eating.
I hope they find a good place to pupate so I can see them before they head out.
Comment by NelyafinweMaitimo at 14/09/2019 at 23:31 UTC
3 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Not very wild-gardening related, but I ordered a small lemon tree and it’s finally here!!! I don’t live in lemon country, so it’ll be a container tree and live outside until it gets too cold.
There’s maybe a bunny nest somewhere in my yard. I’ve seen a bunny darting around and my dog has been very interested, but there haven’t been any direct confrontations.
The sunflowers are attracting SO MANY bumblebees and other wild bees! Every single one of them has at least one bee on it all the time.
No hummingbirds yet. I remain optimistic but I feel like I probably won’t get to see any this year.
Comment by cbru8 at 15/09/2019 at 01:09 UTC
4 upvotes, 0 direct replies
If never planted one before but my giant Mexican torch sunflower brought butterflies that I also never had before despite tons of flowers on my deck. I’m so thrilled. I’ll be planting many of them next year. Easy to grow from seeds and they supposedly will reseed themselves.
Comment by Camkode at 15/09/2019 at 01:27 UTC
3 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Also been enjoying watching lizards crawl around and hummingbirds flitter around and enjoy my trumpet vine :)
Comment by SolariaHues at 14/09/2019 at 21:00 UTC
3 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Last week's thread didn't get posted. I saw Automod's scheduler was having issues, but failed to make the post myself. Sorry all.
I've been doing some pruning and helped dig out some laurels to make way for better things.
Had a visit from a sparrowhawk again :) and some long tailed tit, which only occasionally visit us.
Comment by Staurol at 14/09/2019 at 23:41 UTC
3 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Moved into a new house about a year ago. Tossed together two raised planters, 4 foot by 10 foot, in June. Tomatoes and tomatillo still going super strong. My poor pepper plant has 3 baby peppers on it but I don't think they'll make it as it's so late in the season. It's our first year of gardening and our first real garden and I consider it a success. Sadly though, our pumpkins, squash and zucchini all succumbed tonm the relentless onslaught of vine borer moth larvae. Seeing the pumpkins die was a real bummer. We're going to be able to plant much earlier in the season next year as we don't have to build planters, so I'm really excited for what next year will bring.
Currently trying to clear out a patch on the side of the house that has been overrun by bittersweet and grapevine. I dont mind the grapevine too much, but the bittersweet has got to go. Endgame for this patch is to build my first hugelmound and add a bunch of pollinator friendly flowers to the rest of the space. Ideally, I'd like to let it go wild with flowers, but, I dont know when I can do that. The bittersweet is going to be a long battle that goes on for years.
Comment by linzid83 at 15/09/2019 at 03:02 UTC
3 upvotes, 1 direct replies
I've started a garden club at school and bought bird seed and bulbs today to get sorted for spring!!
Comment by UntakenUsername48753 at 15/09/2019 at 18:29 UTC
2 upvotes, 1 direct replies
I have a milkweed seed pod from a very helpful local wildlife conservationist. I don't recall what it is (probably common milkweed, it's definitely not swamp).
The only place in my yard where it will get a lot of sun would be a section of grass. I don't mind getting rid of some grass to make room, but how should I go about that? If I cardboard it or similar, it will take a month or more, which might make it too late to plant?
How long will the seeds in the pod stay viable?