Gardening for Old Folks (Adaptative)

[lazy gardener]

@bruceha2000 True, that. But, I'm wondering if the bulbs have a built in system to move up in the soil aside from the frost heaving.

New crop of rocks every year. When I see you, I have a couple of interesting finds to show that have surfaced in my garden over time!

 

[bruceha2000]

@bruceha2000 True, that. But, I'm wondering if the bulbs have a built in system to move up in the soil aside from the frost heaving.

New crop of rocks every year. When I see you, I have a couple of interesting finds to show that have surfaced in my garden over time!

Should I bring some currants? If you stand me in an appropriate place, I might accidentally drop a couple and shuffle my feet around a bit.

 

[sharron]

They should be fine. Are the daffodils scattered through the bed? If they are in a confined area, you might consider pulling them out so you can give the bed a real thorough cleaning. Over time, bulbs tend to get crowded, and benefit from being lifted and divided/spread out. Then you can lay down a nice deep layer of newspaper, or some cardboard over all of the bed except for where the daffodils are, then cover with the wood chips. Did you know that many bulbs will actually use their root systems to pull themselves deeper in the soil if you don't plant them deep enough initially? I'm not sure if they can lift themselves up out of the soil, but wouldn't be surprised if that is so.

thank you, i usually separate them every spring when i clean the grass and weeds out. all i can do is try, if they can't come thru, will have to buy new ones

 

[sharron]

Agree with you totally.


Weeds and grass are unfortunately more prolific than the cultivated flowers we desire to grow. Just a FACT OF NATURE...
You may consider doing this. (work intensive )
Dig everything good up.,,,,,, remove weeds as best you can,,, Till/overturn soil however you are able to. Place a weed barrier type of cloth on top. Cut out openings and plant your desired plants/flowers thru those openings. Cover everything with a layer of wood mulch.
My personal fav are the NON DYED natural type.
Other option which is easier, and less work is like you stated above. Pull weeds and mulch. The weeds will come thru, but removing them is easier. Eventually if you keep plucking the top growth of any plant, they cease to grow.
I mulched around my trees in front of the house. Any unwelcomed growth gets yanked,,,, it is much easier with the mulch in place.
Third option is to do the weed barrier mat in spring time. Once you have the desired flowers coming up, place mat and cut out openings for them to come thru. Then cover with mulch.
I know from personal experience that the weed barrier mat works. When I put up my fence years ago, I laid down a 2 foot wide strip the whole length. I then covered with crushed stone. No weeds grow under the fence now. (many years now) Everything outside of that 2 foot wide strip grows like as before.
When seeds blow in with the wind, they are not able to reach soil. The shoots that are in the ground from runners are not able to poke thru to surface. Water flows thru mat with no problem.

sounds good, husband wanted brown mulch so brown it is, hes the one who has to put it downthank you so much

 

[sharron]

@bruceha2000 True, that. But, I'm wondering if the bulbs have a built in system to move up in the soil aside from the frost heaving.

New crop of rocks every year. When I see you, I have a couple of interesting finds to show that have surfaced in my garden over time!

so thats why we get so many rocks in the garden every year, umm

 

[JanetMarie]

An update to my post back a week or so ago:#1976

The sod and mulch has been put down and the flowers are doing well! There are no plans to do the backyard yet, but at least I have a green front yard
View attachment 1478865

View attachment 1478867

So tidy! That is my dream, with LOTS of flowers everywhere. Tidiness is a challenge with chickens who dig the landscape rocks everywhere, which I've given up on, and everything planted has to be surrounded with wood logs. The gardens are all fenced. More fencing with electric surrounds about 2 acres.

 

[JanetMarie]

Lilies with bulbils on stems: tiger lilies. They grow in abundance here. I never planted any, yet had one show up about 3 years ago. I have them popping up in abundance now. They grew like weeds at my Uncle's property in Charleston, Me. No doubt they have spread across many old farmsteads.

Yup agree with @lazy gardener they are tiger lilies... Used to grow crazy at Mom's house in northern IN... Haven't seen many down here.

Well I learn something New Everyday
That is what is sooooo great about this forum. I did not know what they were called.. I got these seeded by a friend a long time ago. I just referred to them by name of the Donor... I have also given/shared seeds to some others, which came 2 years later and told me of successful flowering plants.
I kind of thought that these were rare, since I have not seen any in my area. Turns out other areas have them plentiful.
Tiger Lilly name must cover more than one variety. I/we around here call these Tiger Lillie's.(pix below) A long time ago, a gardening person I casually met also gave me a Tiger Lilly plant from her garden. It was different from ether of those I have currently.
I call these; Tiger Lillies in my garden. I see them grow wild in vacant lot areas and along roadside acreage in the boonies as well. Extremely prolific,,,,,, View attachment 1479736

A previous homeowner here went too extreme for me, lining every building, fence, anywhere with these. I've dug a lot out.

They do look nice along one fence where they mostly are now.

 

[sharron]

went out to the garden this morning to pick beans, tomato's and cucumbers , needed to weed so started in the carrots, at the end of the row was a caterpillar that i thought was a tomato hornworm, gave it to husband to give to the chickens, then though it didn't really look the same as what i thought they looked like so came in and went on the internet and found out that it was a swallowtail caterpillar , there were five all together, thought now what am i going to do, i like butterflies, what do i like more, butterflies or carrots, decided i could always buy carrots but butterflies are hard to come by so now they're back on the carrot fronds

 

[cavemanrich]

went out to the garden this morning to pick beans, tomato's and cucumbers , needed to weed so started in the carrots, at the end of the row was a caterpillar that i thought was a tomato hornworm, gave it to husband to give to the chickens, then though it didn't really look the same as what i thought they looked like so came in and went on the internet and found out that it was a swallowtail caterpillar , there were five all together, thought now what am i going to do, i like butterflies, what do i like more, butterflies or carrots, decided i could always buy carrots but butterflies are hard to come by so now they're back on the carrot fronds

You will still get some carrots. Consider this... SHARING

 

[sharron]

You will still get some carrots. Consider this... SHARING

thank you , if i don't, thats ok, like i said i can always buy carrots but in all the years of gardening, this is my first butterfly lava's