Mumsy's Romantic Garden Advice

[midnightroo]

We agree on over.. my daughter even commented from across the room about your flower, just lovely, Justine. She also commented on your wonderful photographic abilities.

I will have to look into Lavatera as a perennial.

Oh, Mumsy my husband agreed last night that we could create tallish bushes, flowers around the edges of the garden spot I emailed photos of you. He likes the idea of creating a spot for the chickens in the middle, making it look "wild" with pretty flowers and not having to put too much effort into it year to year. A victory for me!

 

[MumsyII]

We agree on over.. my daughter even commented from across the room about your flower, just lovely, Justine. She also commented on your wonderful photographic abilities.

I will have to look into Lavatera as a perennial.

Oh, Mumsy my husband agreed last night that we could create tallish bushes, flowers around the edges of the garden spot I emailed photos of you. He likes the idea of creating a spot for the chickens in the middle, making it look "wild" with pretty flowers and not having to put too much effort into it year to year. A victory for me!

Double excited for you clear across the country!

That's the spirit! Convincing one person at a time that chickens and gardens can work together and be beautiful spaces. Yes. It will involve some work the first and second year. But you will see lovely results and enjoy it more each new season.

 

[Kassaundra]

A few pic taken at dusk of some of the new 4 o'clock colors that keep popping out, I have one that I need to get a pic of tonight that is white w/ yellow. I tried at the same time as these ones but my battery died.








This one is pure white.




Oh and had to include this shot of one of the caster bean plants. I know this guy is deadly poison, but they are so beautiful and exotic. They are not planted where my chickens could get to them, they are in the front yard.

 

[armorfirelady]

Beautiful flower pics........this thread has created a Gardening monster in me . Every time I am sent to home depot or lowes for stuff for the drainage product I end up in the half off plant section !!

Today I got 2 climbing roses for the fence around the veggie garden. It's 30 ft x 50ft approx and I figured the roses would deter deer and bunnies and the dogs when the hens are in there for winter.

I also got a hydrangea. I love them when I see them at other people's houses. My plan for it is for the side of the coop that faces the road. Will block the view of the coop and give it shade. It's suppose to bloom white flowers that turn to pink over the summer

 

[midnightroo]

Thank you Mumsy. I have been working on him slowly and I think talking about it explanning ways to make it pretty yet hid the spot for chickens is what convinced him. He tries to play the tough guy, but he's a softy even with the chickens.

Kass your 4o'clocks are lovely. Castor beans scare me.

Armor, hygrandeas I think change color depending on the soil ph. Acid makes them blue I think and alkaline makes them pink. I might have it switched though. It certainly does sound like you have unleashed the gardening monster that was hiding in you.

Leah - this home is up the road from me. I think they have done a pretty good job of making it look natural while creating a barrier between them and the road. If you like I can take more and get names of the plants. There are a few roses, a buddleja davidii, and another that I would love to identify because I think it is awesome. It has purple leaves and produces these puffs that tumble off.

 

[MumsyII]

I'm in the midst of a crazy day. Quick pop in to say hi!

I love the pink and white striped four o clocks. They remind me of holiday peppermint candy. Castor plant is really exotic and interesting but reconsider planting it where small children may have access. Death occurs before you can dial 911 or poison control. Puppies would be at risk as well.

Hydrangea are indeed affected by soil pH. If you want to increase the blue, save your coffee grounds and sprinkle them at the root zone. Pink varieties want alkaline additives.

This thread is my happy place. I have popped in here a few times today. Tomorrow Puppy Girl is coming to visit and she wants to dig up plants in Mummy's garden to take home to her new rental! She has her first back yard! She is just now moving in! We are going to dig up things and put them in big pots. She wants to live with her new home and see where the sun rises and sets before she plants. Smart girlie. I wonder who taught her that?..... *tee hee*

 

[armorfirelady]

Mumsy maybe one day you could speak of poisonous plants to chickens? I know that most chickens won't eat what's bad for them. I've been doing some research on them. My mom brought karubi (sp) vegetable home and my dogs liked it. I was looking to see if safe for them and kept doing some research.

There are so many sites with difference of opinions. I've seen flax & garlic on several sites which I know is untrue since I would have dead chickens by now. Others I have seen a lot are potato and tomato leaves, Lilly's , mornings glory, clematis. The tots ate potato leaves and tomato leaves when they were housed next to the veggie garden. They didn't like the tomatoes but they loved the potatoe leaves. The Lilly's they tried but didn't eat them after.

I guess another reason I ask is because when I trim back my plants everything goes in the compost pile which the hens will have access to. I have a lot of plants on the list. My gut says I don't need separate compost piles for f.dofferent plants but wonder what your thoughts are on it? I mean last year everything went in one compost pile which the hens happily dug threw for weeks and obviously they are fine

 

[aoxa]

I love lavatera and mums. I think maybe mums is universally understood for a common name. Love love love the blooms and color. I don't like the scent. My favorite lavatera is a perennial that grows to shrub size here called Barnsely. Some years it is hardy and some years not so much. Another perennial one I like grows like a wild flower when it naturalizes. Lavatera arborea. The flowers are very deep purple. I have it coming back year after year. Your lavatera bloosom is beautiful Justine.

I wish these ones came back year after year! I find perennials hard to grow from seed unfortunately. I have terrible luck starting herbs as well.

 

[Kassaundra]

There are no small children anywhere around me, and the only dogs that would be anywhere around the caster bean would be strays. The most poisonous part of the plant is the bean/seed I don't allow them to fall, but harvest them. The roots are second high in poison and they stay underground. Have never seen anything even touch them, animal, mineral or insect.

 

[Kassaundra]

Charged the battery so here are the 3 other colors I didn't get pics of a couple of days ago