While it's fresh in your mind, what improvements will you make on next year's garden?

[igorsMistress]

He built my cold frame with those plastic plumbing pipes, and thick plastic cover. It's been three days, and it's already falling over! Sometimes I have to let him do it his way, and fail, to get it done *my* way, and succeed.

I have the same issue. Sometimes it's just easier that way isn't it. Though to be fair, his way works sometimes too. Might not work like I want it to, but it works

 

[lazy gardener]

My issue I have is this: Hubby is a great builder, and can think his way around me and get a job done in a fraction of the time, with far less effort. However, he doesn't know how to think like a "farmer". So... given that my words don't always convey what's tumbling around in the vast wasteland of my head, his concept doesn't match my concept, and it can be "an issue" getting to a common ground.

 

[henless]

One thing I am going to do is actually put up my cattle panels in the garden. I bought them last year, but things happened and they never did get put up.

I'm changing my wooden short raised beds to cinder block tall raised beds. I just can't believe the destruction of my beds in just one year. Live and learn.

 

[GldnValleyHens]

Hey I got a question, didn't want to bother with posting a new thread.
How can I revive/keepalive my hydrangea bush? We bought it late summer and planted it on a part sun slope, with clayey soil that I improved with potting soil and such. The hydrangea sort of suffered over time, and now at the end of fall it's stems are broken, and it looks really bad. I mulched it and made sure to water it often, but I hope it survives winter, because it is a really beautiful and expensive bush.

 

[lazy gardener]

I've never had luck with Hydrangea. Hopefully, someone will chime in. In colder climates, they often die back, but come back from the roots. I know they need specific pH in order to thrive. I think they may be a bit finicky re: water also.

 

[CapricornFarm]

The pH determines the color of the flowers! Hydrangeas need lots of water, very often. Mulch it good. Those are the key things i discovered with the one i had in TN.

 

[henless]

Mine were looking really good this year, until we went into a dry spell. Some of mine I've had 3 yrs now, and they still look blah by the end of the summer. I keep mine mulched year around. I will trim them up during the winter and give them some compost early spring. They need a lot of water. I don't worry about the ph with mine. They can be what ever color they want.

This is how mine looked in their 2nd year . They are planted on the North/East side of the house:



These are the same plants in May of this year. They are about the same size as they were last year.



They supposed to get 3' wide & 4' tall. I don't think they ever will. I don't know if I would plant them again. They need so much water in the summer. At least I got them for half price.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Mine were looking really good this year, until we went into a dry spell. Some of mine I've had 3 yrs now, and they still look blah by the end of the summer. I keep mine mulched year around. I will trim them up during the winter and give them some compost early spring. They need a lot of water. I don't worry about the ph with mine. They can be what ever color they want.

This is how mine looked in their 2nd year . They are planted on the North/East side of the house:

View attachment 1188714

These are the same plants in May of this year. They are about the same size as they were last year.

View attachment 1188719

They supposed to get 3' wide & 4' tall. I don't think they ever will. I don't know if I would plant them again. They need so much water in the summer. At least I got them for half price.

You could do drip irrigation. Have you fed them?

 

[lazy gardener]

Lovely.

 

[igorsMistress]

My issue I have is this: Hubby is a great builder, and can think his way around me and get a job done in a fraction of the time, with far less effort. However, he doesn't know how to think like a "farmer". So... given that my words don't always convey what's tumbling around in the vast wasteland of my head, his concept doesn't match my concept, and it can be "an issue" getting to a common ground.

You took the words right out of my mouth.