Small Talk: I Like Them All, I Just Can't Choose!

[SentimentalLady]

27 minutes ago, Fishy said:

My backyard is filled with the hardy Hibiscus.  Plants I've cultivated from a singular plant on the property to all over my back yard and formed them all into tree shapes with continuous pruning.  Another blue flowered plant with a siren song that hypnotized me.  Oh, to turn back the hands of time and re-think THAT!!  They are beautiful in bloom but a bear in maintenance because seedlings sprout absolutely EVERYWHERE if you don't get rid of the seed pods!!!  That was okay when I was young and had limitless energy, but these days, it's becoming a big chore.

Sounds beautiful!  I have a friend in your neck of the woods who also grows beautiful hibiscus.  I always thought they were just for tropical climates.  I don't have much room to plant so I would have to have them in pots.  And they would have to be red?

[TexasTiffany]

I've been fascinated with Hibiscus lately, too. Where I live, the landscapers added hibiscus at the entry gate. I didn't know hibiscus could survive the Texas heat. It's got me wanting 2 in pots on my balcony and maybe 1 by the front door. The leaves are such a pretty, glossy, vibrant green. 

[SentimentalLady]

42 minutes ago, TexasTiffany said:

I've been fascinated with Hibiscus lately, too. Where I live, the landscapers added hibiscus at the entry gate. I didn't know hibiscus could survive the Texas heat. It's got me wanting 2 in pots on my balcony and maybe 1 by the front door. The leaves are such a pretty, glossy, vibrant green. 

I have only seen them up close in the Bahamas.  The hotel staff would put them on the bathroom vanity and our pillows when they turned down the bed.  Unfortunately one time they did not shake off the ants.?

Edited August 2, 2017 by SentimentalLady

[SentimentalLady]

26 minutes ago, PearlClutcher said:

I bought two yesterday and received a bonus Jonathan Adler gift set.  Really cute.

I saw the name in a Clinique email but I am not familiar with J.A.

[Fishy]

I always get my Black Honey on ebay. 

I remember Jonathan Adler from HGTV.  What did you get in your bonus gift set??

[my3sons]

On 7/30/2017 at 3:39 PM, Cricket said:

Some of my lilies are blooming. One of the Star Gazers I had was toppled over at the base this morning, another chipmunk victim.

I have since given Joe permission for open warfare on them now.

Sorry, Elvin. You and yours were warned...

The lilies are beautiful!!!!  I had lilies in my wedding bouquet but they weren't as pretty as the one pictured on the bottom.  I envy those of you who can grow plants.  I don't have a green thumb at all.  A neighbor called me once and said she never saw me watering the flowers in the hanging baskets on our porch.  She proceeded to ask my secret in keeping the flowers looking so pretty.  I replied, "They're artificial."  I bought three hanging baskets of flowers from Kmart in the early 2000s.  I threw them out last year because they looked their age.  I definitely got my money's worth out of them.  Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find anything that nice since then.  The ones at the Michael's stores in my city are overpriced and skimpy.  The baskets from Kmart were bigger and had a lot more flowers.

On 7/30/2017 at 10:05 PM, Thumper said:

We had a chipmunk get in our house once!  We think it came through the garage into the mud room and then in our kitchen/family room.  My husband ended up buying a live trap to get it, and we did capture it overnight.

We had a chipmunk get in our garage one time.  Son number two thought it was hilarious when that thing ran over my foot as I was walking to the car (this is how we discovered he was in there).  Son number two didn't think it was as funny when the chipmunk pooped in one of his shoes he left in the garage. I don't know what happened but the chipmunk disappeared a few days later.  The people we bought our house from had a shed in the back yard that was built directly on the grass.   The chipmunks moved in there and had a village set up.  It had distinct areas and one of them was definitely the bathroom.  The chipmunks pretty much moved out after we were adopted by the sweet girl in my profile picture.  Unfortunately, moles have taken over our yard.  Our cat has caught over 40 of them that she proudly brings to the back door to show me.  A few years ago, we paid a company to set up traps but they didn't catch very many and they don't work if your neighbors have moles.  Our neighbors on both side of us have moles so it's a losing battle.

[lovemesomejoolery]

7 hours ago, Fishy said:

My backyard is filled with the hardy Hibiscus.  Plants I've cultivated from a singular plant on the property to all over my back yard and formed them all into tree shapes with continuous pruning.  Another blue flowered plant with a siren song that hypnotized me.  Oh, to turn back the hands of time and re-think THAT!!  They are beautiful in bloom but a bear in maintenance because seedlings sprout absolutely EVERYWHERE if you don't get rid of the seed pods!!!  That was okay when I was young and had limitless energy, but these days, it's becoming a big chore.

That sounds so beautiful, despite the massive effort to keep them pruned. 

I had a similar disaster when I first put my garden in 20 years ago.  I bought three small perennials called Malva Fastigiata, whose flowers look a lot like your blue hibiscus, but it isn't a woody plant.  I thought it was the most beautiful thing and it was.  They grew very tall and provided a screen from my neighbors next door.  The second year they were magnificent, the third year they were EVERYWHERE.  I hadn't learned the virtues of deadheading and these things seeded like mad!  To this day  I am still pulling out seedlings that crop up, 17 years later.  Two years ago, I let one of them grow because I mistakenly thought it was a hollyhock, that had perished, given to me by a friend who had passed away.  I thought the hollyhock magically came back (malvas and hollyhocks are in the same family so their leaves look the same).  When it bloomed the second year, I was disappointed it wasn't my hollyhock, but enjoyed seeing my old friend, Malva.  After it bloomed, I cut it down by half just so it wouldn't seed.  I don't have the energy or the patience to fool with something like that these days!

[Cricket]

On 8/1/2017 at 1:02 PM, ennui said:

I have observed that squirrels are slightly migratory. Now that the walnut tree and the oak tree are getting ready with walnuts and acorns, I have more squirrels.

I read somewhere that when squirrels have a litter, the adults will move on and let the babies have the first home. So, there will always be new squirrels, no matter what you do.

In my area, it is illegal to relocate wildlife. Your only option is to make your yard less welcoming, but when people feed feral cats, it's a lost battle.

I hate raccoons. Hate.

That is all.

A little research says in NYS we can't relocate them. However, we can kill them in season, taking 6 per day.  Okay... like that is better?  We can't kill red squirrels but grey ones are ok.

Good example, just because something is the law, doesn't mean it makes a lick of sense.

We have some possum here, so homely they are cute as can be! Meant to say red squirrels can be killed ant time. Grey in season. Good to be grey I guess 

Edited August 3, 2017 by Cricket

[Cricket]

This is my only hibiscus. First daughter gave me 4 from QVC about 4 years ago... all guaranteed. This is the only one to survive. Seems to be well settled in at least, blooming for the last 3 years. Think it was from Springhill

[TexasTiffany]

I tried for 3 years buying Cottage Farms and Roberta's plants. None of them did very well. 

An 8 piece mini roses TSV grew some. A couple plants never grew and died the first month. The others I had put out leaves but no blooms. They finally put out tiny tiny roses about 3/4" in diameter and they dropped all their leaves. I needed a magnifying glass to appreciate them. I was convinced I didn't have the right fertilizer for them so I splurged on the special QVC container of fertilizer packets. Pfft. Did nothing. Money wasted.

(2) 3-tiered poodle tree topiaries. Purchased for my front entrance. Was told they'd produce roses pompoms. Of course the ones on QVC were beautiful. Mine never grew at all. They were large dead sticks on arrival. Customer service kept telling me to water and wait. I sent them a picture of them. Got a refund.

I tried other rose bushes from them that didn't green up from the roots, more dead bushes. Strawberries, gloriosa lilies, blueberry hanging basket, Mr Lincoln rose tree (I kept falling for the rose tree gag.) None of them lasted more than 6 months. Some did better than others, but the Texas heat and sun was too much for everything even though my climate zone was well within the recommendation. I watered every day, fertilized, moved in and out of sun if drooping. I practically celebrated every leaf that popped out. Nothing did well. If they were supposed to bloom, all the leaves would fall off before the flowers opened. The flowers faded and some sparse leaves tried to come back. Everything was too fussy even for my pampering. 

Every year I'm soooo tempted by the Cottage Farms plants on air, but I remind myself DON'T DO IT. Nothing from them will work. It's not me, it's not my soil ph, it's not watering or fertilizing problems. It's that those plants don't do well in texas.

I've contemplated moving up north someday so I can have a better time gardening. However, getting older is crap. I have some time now to do things like garden but I'm finding my interest and energy in things is waning. Things I used to like to do I'm finding they are "so what". Anyhow, not to be depressing... I plant easier to grow plants for my area that tolerate the sun and heat. If the Hibiscus work well at the front entrace gate and survive this summer, I will consider getting my own next year. Probably not from cottage farms. 

Edited August 3, 2017 by TexasTiffany

[Coffeecup]

Hardy hibiscus are also called "althea" and "Rose of Sharon." I have lots of them in my yard, some white with red centers, and some reddish purple. They bloom best in sun but will bloom in part shade too. I prune them every fall. Two years ago I let a large one grow instead of pruning it, and it's a small tree now, full of blooms. They attract bumblebees, among other insects. Yes, they're invasive. You get numerous little altheas coming up around the big ones.

Talk about invasive plants:  golden rain tree! They have gorgeous sprays of yellow flowers, but each little flower turns into a big seed pod and drops on the ground. Then you get little GRTs all over everywhere. I had to cut my GRT when it got 20 feet tall because it kept spreading limbs all over my car park area and shading out my other plants. That was three years ago, and new ones are still coming up. Even the stump sprouts every year, although I've sprayed it with herbicide several times.

Here are pics of a golden rain tree and seed pods.

 

 

[Fishy]

9 hours ago, lovemesomejoolery said:

That sounds so beautiful, despite the massive effort to keep them pruned. 

I had a similar disaster when I first put my garden in 20 years ago.  I bought three small perennials called Malva Fastigiata, whose flowers look a lot like your blue hibiscus, but it isn't a woody plant.  I thought it was the most beautiful thing and it was.  They grew very tall and provided a screen from my neighbors next door.  The second year they were magnificent, the third year they were EVERYWHERE.  I hadn't learned the virtues of deadheading and these things seeded like mad!  To this day  I am still pulling out seedlings that crop up, 17 years later.  Two years ago, I let one of them grow because I mistakenly thought it was a hollyhock, that had perished, given to me by a friend who had passed away.  I thought the hollyhock magically came back (malvas and hollyhocks are in the same family so their leaves look the same).  When it bloomed the second year, I was disappointed it wasn't my hollyhock, but enjoyed seeing my old friend, Malva.  After it bloomed, I cut it down by half just so it wouldn't seed.  I don't have the energy or the patience to fool with something like that these days!

Boy, can I relate to this.  .... and seedlings 17 years later??!!  holy crap!

[Thumper]

Cricket, I am worried about you.   (See her posts on Shopping forum.).  If you cannot sleep due to pain, that is not good.  Please keep us posted -- remember, you need to take care of yourself so you can take care of Joe.  ❤️❤️

[ennui]

15 hours ago, Cricket said:

Meant to say red squirrels can be killed ant time. Grey in season.

Squirrels are edible, and the rules are usually different for game animals.

[ennui]

2 hours ago, Thumper said:

Cricket, I am worried about you.   (See her posts on Shopping forum.).  If you cannot sleep due to pain, that is not good.  Please keep us posted -- remember, you need to take care of yourself so you can take care of Joe.  ❤️❤️

It seems to me that Cricket's issues started around the same time Kody came home. I wonder if she pulled something, picking up a heavy puppy. Or maybe he had worms* and she caught them?

This is not meant to be an insult -- puppies do catch things when they're small and too young for treatments. 

Edited August 3, 2017 by ennui

[Cricket]

24 minutes ago, ennui said:

Squirrels are edible, and the rules are usually different for game animals.

Yes, I can't bring myself to eat them though. My brother likes them. I am curious as to why there are different rules from Gray to Red squirrels?

[ennui]

59 minutes ago, Cricket said:

 I am curious as to why there are different rules from Gray to Red squirrels?

There is a misguided notion that red squirrels are endangered (they are not).

[SentimentalLady]

20 hours ago, TexasTiffany said:

I tried for 3 years buying Cottage Farms and Roberta's plants. None of them did very well. 

An 8 piece mini roses TSV grew some. A couple plants never grew and died the first month. The others I had put out leaves but no blooms. They finally put out tiny tiny roses about 3/4" in diameter and they dropped all their leaves. I needed a magnifying glass to appreciate them. I was convinced I didn't have the right fertilizer for them so I splurged on the special QVC container of fertilizer packets. Pfft. Did nothing. Money wasted.

(2) 3-tiered poodle tree topiaries. Purchased for my front entrance. Was told they'd produce roses pompoms. Of course the ones on QVC were beautiful. Mine never grew at all. They were large dead sticks on arrival. Customer service kept telling me to water and wait. I sent them a picture of them. Got a refund.

I tried other rose bushes from them that didn't green up from the roots, more dead bushes. Strawberries, gloriosa lilies, blueberry hanging basket, Mr Lincoln rose tree (I kept falling for the rose tree gag.) None of them lasted more than 6 months. Some did better than others, but the Texas heat and sun was too much for everything even though my climate zone was well within the recommendation. I watered every day, fertilized, moved in and out of sun if drooping. I practically celebrated every leaf that popped out. Nothing did well. If they were supposed to bloom, all the leaves would fall off before the flowers opened. The flowers faded and some sparse leaves tried to come back. Everything was too fussy even for my pampering. 

Every year I'm soooo tempted by the Cottage Farms plants on air, but I remind myself DON'T DO IT. Nothing from them will work. It's not me, it's not my soil ph, it's not watering or fertilizing problems. It's that those plants don't do well in texas.

I've contemplated moving up north someday so I can have a better time gardening. However, getting older is crap. I have some time now to do things like garden but I'm finding my interest and energy in things is waning. Things I used to like to do I'm finding they are "so what". Anyhow, not to be depressing... I plant easier to grow plants for my area that tolerate the sun and heat. If the Hibiscus work well at the front entrace gate and survive this summer, I will consider getting my own next year. Probably not from cottage farms. 

Sounds like you tried a good selection from QVC.  Sorry they didn't work for you.  I am hesitant to order online.  They say they will replace them.  I know what you mean about simplifying things.  I am relatively new to growing things and I don't want to waste money.

[Fishy]

10 hours ago, Friedbaloney said:

I found out the hard way that lily-of-the-valley is also very invasive. ( I'm sure everyone else in the world already knew that.) A few years ago I planted 10 pips in a shady area of my yard. Now there's hundreds of them over there and they're even creeping through the lawn.  I had no idea their berries were poisonous either--found that out after Walt used them to poison little Brock on Breaking Bad. 

They smell so beautiful though! I only wish the flowers lasted longer than just a couple of weeks. 

Invasive you say?  Well, then it's a good thing I haven't been able to root them or have them thrive as many times as I've tried.  :-)

20 hours ago, TexasTiffany said:

I tried for 3 years buying Cottage Farms and Roberta's plants. None of them did very well. 

An 8 piece mini roses TSV grew some. A couple plants never grew and died the first month. The others I had put out leaves but no blooms. They finally put out tiny tiny roses about 3/4" in diameter and they dropped all their leaves. I needed a magnifying glass to appreciate them. I was convinced I didn't have the right fertilizer for them so I splurged on the special QVC container of fertilizer packets. Pfft. Did nothing. Money wasted.

(2) 3-tiered poodle tree topiaries. Purchased for my front entrance. Was told they'd produce roses pompoms. Of course the ones on QVC were beautiful. Mine never grew at all. They were large dead sticks on arrival. Customer service kept telling me to water and wait. I sent them a picture of them. Got a refund.

I tried other rose bushes from them that didn't green up from the roots, more dead bushes. Strawberries, gloriosa lilies, blueberry hanging basket, Mr Lincoln rose tree (I kept falling for the rose tree gag.) None of them lasted more than 6 months. Some did better than others, but the Texas heat and sun was too much for everything even though my climate zone was well within the recommendation. I watered every day, fertilized, moved in and out of sun if drooping. I practically celebrated every leaf that popped out. Nothing did well. If they were supposed to bloom, all the leaves would fall off before the flowers opened. The flowers faded and some sparse leaves tried to come back. Everything was too fussy even for my pampering. 

Every year I'm soooo tempted by the Cottage Farms plants on air, but I remind myself DON'T DO IT. Nothing from them will work. It's not me, it's not my soil ph, it's not watering or fertilizing problems. It's that those plants don't do well in texas.

I've contemplated moving up north someday so I can have a better time gardening. However, getting older is crap. I have some time now to do things like garden but I'm finding my interest and energy in things is waning. Things I used to like to do I'm finding they are "so what". Anyhow, not to be depressing... I plant easier to grow plants for my area that tolerate the sun and heat. If the Hibiscus work well at the front entrace gate and survive this summer, I will consider getting my own next year. Probably not from cottage farms. 

well, you gave it the old college try.  Sounds like you'd do better buying locally and will then know first hand that the plants you buy would thrive in your climate.

[Booney]

I've had a couple of things become invasive. When I moved into my house 30 years ago, I had a small vegetable garden. I ordered some strawberry plants from Springhill - not through QVC, but directly from Springhill's catalog. I planted them and was totally disappointed by the strawberries. They were so tiny you practically needed a magnifying glass to see them. The birds, however, loved them...and ate them...and pooped out the seeds...everywhere. Thirty years later, those darn strawberries are everywhere (still as tiny as ever!). They're in the lawn, in my garden beds and they've made it into my neighbors' yards too. They put out runners, so they're almost impossible to get rid of. I've given up trying, and figure they're a treat for the birds.

My neighbor planted something called Burdock a few years ago. It's starting to get out of control in her yard, and this year I've found a few Burdock plants popping up in my yard in areas that are nowhere near the border with my neighbor. I've tried pulling them up but they have a stubborn root so they'll probably come back.

I also have two large Pin Oak trees in the yard. They drop a ton of tiny acorns in the fall. The squirrels love them and, of course, bury the acorns all over the yard. I could start a Pin Oak nursery with the number of tiny trees that have sprouted up all over the yard! I dutifully pull them up, but it seems like a never-ending task.

[ennui]

I just learned that Kenneth Jay Lane passed away on July 20, 

I'm sad.

Nice obit in the NYT - https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/20/style/kenneth-jay-lane-dead-designer-of-fake-jewelry.html

Edited August 4, 2017 by ennui

[SentimentalLady]

54 minutes ago, Fishy said:

Invasive you say?  Well, then it's a good thing I haven't been able to root them or have them thrive as many times as I've tried.  :-)

well, you gave it the old college try.  Sounds like you'd do better buying locally and will then know first hand that the plants you buy would thrive in your climate.

Good point Fishy.  That's why I always talk myself out of ordering.

[Thumper]

35 minutes ago, ennui said:

I just learned that Kenneth Jay Lane passed away on July 20, 

I'm sad.

Nice obit in the NYT - https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/20/style/kenneth-jay-lane-dead-designer-of-fake-jewelry.html

The obit is interesting.   Nice to read he had a sense of humor about his work.   I thought he was from NYC high society!    He was another odd duck on QVC.  They gave him the royal treatment; very deferential.  I remember by the end, before he stopped presenting on air, he had this horrible cough and we were all afraid he'd keel over on air.   Sounds like he had a pretty exciting life.

Many of his items were too OTT for me, but I still have one of his watches.

[ennui]

One of my favorite KJL pieces is a gold cuff bracelet. I saw it in a magazine, by Verdura in 18K, price in the thousands. Kenneth copied it.  :)

Btw, Verdura knew Kenneth made copies, and they didn't mind!

Quote

It’s not often — if ever — that a storied jeweler celebrates those who knock it off. But on Wednesday afternoon, Verdura owner Ward Landrigan proudly displayed costume earrings, necklaces and brooches by Kenneth Jay Lane that were near replicas of the real thing. Lane’s pieces were identified in Verdura’s showroom cases by blue tags with cheeky phrases such as “Fabulous Phony” and “Deja Verdura.”

[lovemesomejoolery]

On ‎8‎/‎2‎/‎2017 at 10:22 PM, Cricket said:

This is my only hibiscus. First daughter gave me 4 from QVC about 4 years ago... all guaranteed. This is the only one to survive. Seems to be well settled in at least, blooming for the last 3 years. Think it was from Springhill

pretty

[lovemesomejoolery]

4 hours ago, Booney said:

I've had a couple of things become invasive. When I moved into my house 30 years ago, I had a small vegetable garden. I ordered some strawberry plants from Springhill - not through QVC, but directly from Springhill's catalog. I planted them and was totally disappointed by the strawberries. They were so tiny you practically needed a magnifying glass to see them. The birds, however, loved them...and ate them...and pooped out the seeds...everywhere. Thirty years later, those darn strawberries are everywhere (still as tiny as ever!). They're in the lawn, in my garden beds and they've made it into my neighbors' yards too. They put out runners, so they're almost impossible to get rid of. I've given up trying, and figure they're a treat for the birds.

My neighbor planted something called Burdock a few years ago. It's starting to get out of control in her yard, and this year I've found a few Burdock plants popping up in my yard in areas that are nowhere near the border with my neighbor. I've tried pulling them up but they have a stubborn root so they'll probably come back.

I also have two large Pin Oak trees in the yard. They drop a ton of tiny acorns in the fall. The squirrels love them and, of course, bury the acorns all over the yard. I could start a Pin Oak nursery with the number of tiny trees that have sprouted up all over the yard! I dutifully pull them up, but it seems like a never-ending task.

Pin oaks!  We have one behind us that is magnificent - I can't even say how large it is but it is humongous.  Squirrels go up and down it, hummingbirds rest in the branches, all sorts of birds are in........but those acorns?  EVERYWHERE in my yard, too.

That burdock reproduces by seed - so your neighbor could get rid of it pretty easily by cutting the stalk of flowers, either before it blooms or after, to prevent it from reseeding.  It's a biennial herb, grown for its root, which is why it seems so hard to pull out.  Not to sound offensive, but why did your neighbor plant this?  It's not like it's an attractive plant or anything, in my opinion!  To each his own, I guess!  By the way - it IS on the list of invasive plants in the mid-Atlantic.

Useless fact:  Burdock was the inspiration for the invention of Velcro.

https://www.velcro.com/about-us/history

My current scourge is thistle.  That does spread by underground runners......it's difficult to eradicate. 

Edited August 4, 2017 by lovemesomejoolery

[Coffeecup]

Another invasive plant: mint. I love to put a couple of fresh mint leaves in my tea, but it spreads in your garden like CRAZY. I could never drink that much tea! It's best to grow your mint in a pot so you can control it. Or just cheat and buy a little package of fresh mint in the grocery store produce section.

Isn't it funny how some of the perennial plants you really like are not only non-invasive, but you can't even get them to come back for one year? I have tried over and over to get phlox, foxglove, and coneflowers to come back. No luck. I've had the most perennial success with daylilies and nicotiana. Some of my daylilies are 25 years old, and I think the nicotiana patch is at least 15 years old.

[seahag]

10 hours ago, SentimentalLady said:

Sounds like you tried a good selection from QVC.  Sorry they didn't work for you.  I am hesitant to order online.  They say they will replace them.  I know what you mean about simplifying things.  I am relatively new to growing things and I don't want to waste money.

I get all of my perennials from friends or local greenhouses.  They know best what grows in our area.  I have a strange sun pattern in my yard; almost none in front and a LOT on the south side.  I am gradually repopulating after a knucklehead in our building decided to let her dogs do their business in the yard.  (FYI, it's illegal to do that within 15 feet of anyone's window in Chicago.)

[lovemesomejoolery]

2 hours ago, Coffeecup said:

Another invasive plant: mint. I love to put a couple of fresh mint leaves in my tea, but it spreads in your garden like CRAZY. I could never drink that much tea! It's best to grow your mint in a pot so you can control it. Or just cheat and buy a little package of fresh mint in the grocery store produce section.

Isn't it funny how some of the perennial plants you really like are not only non-invasive, but you can't even get them to come back for one year? I have tried over and over to get phlox, foxglove, and coneflowers to come back. No luck. I've had the most perennial success with daylilies and nicotiana. Some of my daylilies are 25 years old, and I think the nicotiana patch is at least 15 years old.

I'm with you on the mint - I love mint.  When I first started my garden, it's the first plant I put in.  Big mistake.  Luckily, it was on the side of the house, where my attitude is "anything goes" and "each man/woman/plant for himself".  I successfully got rid of it after a few years and now just buy it at the grocery store.

It is in the same family as Bee Balm...you can tell because their stems are both square.  I love Bee Balm, but one plant has taken over.....I finally let it go and do its thing, but realize this year I have to start getting rid of it as it's sort of overrun a bed that has 20 year old clematis vines growing on a fence.

I am envious of your 15 year old Nicotiana patch!  Love that....can't get it to reseed to save my life.  I don't know where you live, but foxgloves just aren't all that perennial to begin with - they are biennials, so rely on reseeding.  There are one or two varieties that are true perennials, but they aren't those big, beautiful ones you always see in garden magazines (there's one that is a pale yellow and another one with rusty colored flowers).  I have tried and tried with that plant, despite knowing that you basically need the climate of England to make it work!  This was the first year I didn't plant them.

[Booney]

7 hours ago, lovemesomejoolery said:

Pin oaks!  We have one behind us that is magnificent - I can't even say how large it is but it is humongous.  Squirrels go up and down it, hummingbirds rest in the branches, all sorts of birds are in........but those acorns?  EVERYWHERE in my yard, too.

That burdock reproduces by seed - so your neighbor could get rid of it pretty easily by cutting the stalk of flowers, either before it blooms or after, to prevent it from reseeding.  It's a biennial herb, grown for its root, which is why it seems so hard to pull out.  Not to sound offensive, but why did your neighbor plant this?  It's not like it's an attractive plant or anything, in my opinion!  To each his own, I guess!  By the way - it IS on the list of invasive plants in the mid-Atlantic.

Useless fact:  Burdock was the inspiration for the invention of Velcro.

https://www.velcro.com/about-us/history

My current scourge is thistle.  That does spread by underground runners......it's difficult to eradicate. 

I've been attacked by thistle too. If you pull it up by the roots, it stimulates growth (or so I've read). So apparently cutting the leaves off at ground level is the way to go, or paint the leaves with white vinegar. I've had some success with the vinegar method. You can buy an industrial strength vinegar, although it's very nasty stuff.  Household vinegar works too. Spraying is not a good idea with vinegar because you don't want to get it on anything else that may be near the thistle.

My neighbor who planted the burdock did so because one of her relatives cooks it. It sounds kind of bizarre to me, but that's the reason she gave. She's also a self-styled "healer," so maybe she thinks it has some medicinal properties? Who knows, but that darn plant is ugly as sin! Get off of my lawn!

[lovemesomejoolery]

44 minutes ago, Booney said:

I've been attacked by thistle too. If you pull it up by the roots, it stimulates growth (or so I've read). So apparently cutting the leaves off at ground level is the way to go, or paint the leaves with white vinegar. I've had some success with the vinegar method. You can buy an industrial strength vinegar, although it's very nasty stuff.  Household vinegar works too. Spraying is not a good idea with vinegar because you don't want to get it on anything else that may be near the thistle.

My neighbor who planted the burdock did so because one of her relatives cooks it. It sounds kind of bizarre to me, but that's the reason she gave. She's also a self-styled "healer," so maybe she thinks it has some medicinal properties? Who knows, but that darn plant is ugly as sin! Get off of my lawn!

thanks for reminding me about the tip to use vinegar!  I was going to use Roundup, selectively on just the thistle, but after the warnings about cancer this year, am a little gun shy.  A tip for selectively spraying something - and this will work with the vinegar - is to save toilet paper and paper towel rolls.  On the day you are going to spray - preferably a non-windy day - slip one of the tp rolls over one of the plant stems, making sure that the roll is at least an inch or two higher than the plant.  You can cut the plant to fit.  Then, spray away just on that stem with the tp / paper towel roll.  Let it dry, then remove the roll.  The roll allows you to only spray the plant you want to get rid of, without accidently having overspray to something you don't want to get rid of if you are in a mixed bed situation.

[Booney]

Just now, lovemesomejoolery said:

thanks for reminding me about the tip to use vinegar!  I was going to use Roundup, selectively on just the thistle, but after the warnings about cancer this year, am a little gun shy.  A tip for selectively spraying something - and this will work with the vinegar - is to save toilet paper and paper towel rolls.  On the day you are going to spray - preferably a non-windy day - slip one of the tp rolls over one of the plant stems, making sure that the roll is at least an inch or two higher than the plant.  You can cut the plant to fit.  Then, spray away just on that stem with the tp / paper towel roll.  Let it dry, then remove the roll.  The roll allows you to only spray the plant you want to get rid of, without accidently having overspray to something you don't want to get rid of if you are in a mixed bed situation.

Great tip, LMSJ! I'm going to try that. I'll have to wrestle the tp rollers away from the kitties though, because they like to bat them around! :-)

[lovemesomejoolery]

Just now, Booney said:

Great tip, LMSJ! I'm going to try that. I'll have to wrestle the tp rollers away from the kitties though, because they like to bat them around! :-)

yes...I have a paper bag full of the rolls in the closet, which I accidently left open a tad bit.  My two went in there, found the bag, ripped it to shreds and we found the rolls all over the place!  When it comes to little kitties, everything is a toy!!

[Booney]

Just now, lovemesomejoolery said:

yes...I have a paper bag full of the rolls in the closet, which I accidently left open a tad bit.  My two went in there, found the bag, ripped it to shreds and we found the rolls all over the place!  When it comes to little kitties, everything is a toy!!

So true! Mine also love big twist ties, the bigger the better. Mittens carries them around in her mouth like a dog carrying a stick.

[kittygirl]

Thanks for the KJL obit link. As I was reading it occurred to me that LR the Douchess is trying to copy KJL by selling her janky joolry and her cheepy clothes and bags. The problem is she's no KJL... she doesn't have " the eye" as he said.

[Julie hunter]

And speaking of our kitties, which is the best topical flea medicine this season?

[Booney]

3 minutes ago, Julie hunter said:

And speaking of our kitties, which is the best topical flea medicine this season?

I use Revolution for mine, even though they are indoor only cats. It protects against fleas, ticks and heart worm.

[Julie hunter]

6 minutes ago, Booney said:

I use Revolution for mine, even though they are indoor only cats. It protects against fleas, ticks and heart worm.

Thank you, Booney.  We are checking that one out now on Amazon.  I appreciate it.

Edited August 4, 2017 by Julie hunter

[SentimentalLady]

8 hours ago, Booney said:

So true! Mine also love big twist ties, the bigger the better. Mittens carries them around in her mouth like a dog carrying a stick.

Yes, my girl does that also.  She brings it to me and drops it at my feet.  I throw it and she brings it back.  Any toy that I  pay for is ignored.  My boy loves to bat around fortune cookies. 

[Birdiebutt]

19 hours ago, lovemesomejoolery said:

My current scourge is thistle.  That does spread by underground runners......it's difficult to eradicate. 

Gardens Alive makes a selective weed killer which works on Bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare).  It's called Iron X® Selective Weed Killer for Lawns.  Active Ingredient is Iron HEDTA (FeHEDTA).

I use it on my lawn to kill dandelions.  After it dries (in 3 hours) it doesn't wash off, won't transfer to pets and children or enter ground water.  Follow instructions.  It actually makes my lawn greener in spots where the dandelions were sprayed and died. 

HTH.

[Fishy]

On ‎8‎/‎3‎/‎2017 at 7:42 PM, Booney said:

My neighbor planted something called Burdock a few years ago. It's starting to get out of control in her yard, and this year I've found a few Burdock plants popping up in my yard in areas that are nowhere near the border with my neighbor. I've tried pulling them up but they have a stubborn root so they'll probably come back.

The only thing I've gotten in my yard from my neighbor on one side is weeds!!  A large section along the fence line used to be a vegetable garden until the homeowner got too elderly to maintain.  Now it's a rental and the renters do nothing.  The owner comes around and sprays but not often enough for me (sad trombone)!

[Fishy]

12 hours ago, lovemesomejoolery said:

I'm with you on the mint - I love mint.  When I first started my garden, it's the first plant I put in.  Big mistake.  Luckily, it was on the side of the house, where my attitude is "anything goes" and "each man/woman/plant for himself".  I successfully got rid of it after a few years and now just buy it at the grocery store.

It is in the same family as Bee Balm...you can tell because their stems are both square.  I love Bee Balm, but one plant has taken over.....I finally let it go and do its thing, but realize this year I have to start getting rid of it as it's sort of overrun a bed that has 20 year old clematis vines growing on a fence.

I am envious of your 15 year old Nicotiana patch!  Love that....can't get it to reseed to save my life.  I don't know where you live, but foxgloves just aren't all that perennial to begin with - they are biennials, so rely on reseeding.  There are one or two varieties that are true perennials, but they aren't those big, beautiful ones you always see in garden magazines (there's one that is a pale yellow and another one with rusty colored flowers).  I have tried and tried with that plant, despite knowing that you basically need the climate of England to make it work!  This was the first year I didn't plant them.

Ruh roh  and I just this season planted a Bee Balm - can't win AND I thought Nicotiana was an annual. 

[Coffeecup]

5 hours ago, Booney said:

I use Revolution for mine, even though they are indoor only cats. It protects against fleas, ticks and heart worm.

I use Revolution too. I've tried Frontline and Pet Armor (which is generic Frontline, according to my vet), and found that Revolution works much better.

My vet mentioned a new flea/tick medicine called Bravecto that lasts three months and is supposed to have greater flea/tick/larvae killing power than the other medicines. However, I'm afraid to use it after reading a couple of blogs about how strong the chemical is, and how some animals have gotten sick after it was applied.

For temporary relief of a heavy flea infestation that is driving the cat crazy, you can give the cat a Capstar pill. Either get him to swallow the pill, or grind it up and mix it in food. Capstar kills all the fleas within six hours. It only kills the adult fleas, so the cat will have fleas again when the eggs hatch a few days later. But it can give kitty some short term relief from itching and scratching. I bought Capstar on Amazon, but vet clinics probably have it.

Edited August 5, 2017 by Coffeecup

[SuprSuprElevated]

Regarding the invasive plants, mine is violas.  Hate to call them invasive as they are darling until it gets hot, but holy shit they're everywhere!  I bought two small potted violas 3 years ago in early spring for some color, and because they would tolerate the cool temps.  Now, they are freaking everywhere, all through my river rocked beds.  I had no idea this would happen, as I thought they were a once-and-out annual.  I pull them up when they get leggy and brown, and they come back.  They have wintered over, under a couple feet of snow, and as soon as snow melts, there they are, flowered up and ready to go, lol.

[SuprSuprElevated]

Interesting -  (if true)

 

Edited August 5, 2017 by SuprSuprElevated

[lovemesomejoolery]

14 hours ago, Fishy said:

Ruh roh  and I just this season planted a Bee Balm - can't win AND I thought Nicotiana was an annual. 

Do not worry - Bee Balm is a little easier than mint (though not by much) to pull up and control if you catch it early.

And yes, Nicotiana is an annual......but it reseeds itself (which makes you think it's a perennial), unless you are lucky to live on the west coast, where it may actually be a short lived perennial.

[lovemesomejoolery]

10 hours ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

Regarding the invasive plants, mine is violas.  Hate to call them invasive as they are darling until it gets hot, but holy shit they're everywhere!  I bought two small potted violas 3 years ago in early spring for some color, and because they would tolerate the cool temps.  Now, they are freaking everywhere, all through my river rocked beds.  I had no idea this would happen, as I thought they were a once-and-out annual.  I pull them up when they get leggy and brown, and they come back.  They have wintered over, under a couple feet of snow, and as soon as snow melts, there they are, flowered up and ready to go, lol.

They are cute - love the little "whisker face" on the yellow ones!

[TexasTiffany]

13 hours ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

Regarding the invasive plants, mine is violas.  Hate to call them invasive as they are darling until it gets hot, but holy shit they're everywhere!  I bought two small potted violas 3 years ago in early spring for some color, and because they would tolerate the cool temps.  Now, they are freaking everywhere, all through my river rocked beds.  I had no idea this would happen, as I thought they were a once-and-out annual.  I pull them up when they get leggy and brown, and they come back.  They have wintered over, under a couple feet of snow, and as soon as snow melts, there they are, flowered up and ready to go, lol.

 

I had no idea either! So pretty and apparently very hardy. I might try those next year, but put them in a container. It'd be nice to grow something pretty that's such a strong grower. I jokingly told a friend of mine that I considered getting kudzu for my planters. 

[SuprSuprElevated]

1 hour ago, TexasTiffany said:

I had no idea either! So pretty and apparently very hardy. I might try those next year, but put them in a container. It'd be nice to grow something pretty that's such a strong grower. I jokingly told a friend of mine that I considered getting kudzu for my planters. 

Here's the thing...mine were in pots also.  These are all volunteer seedlings that germinated in the rocks and in the mulch bed.  They are literally growing on three sides of my house.  If I were to plan them, I would have them in a part sun exposure, (they don't like a lot of direct sun or heat), and make sure it's somewhere where I don't have other plantings planned.  In one place, they completely filled a 5' x 3' area.  What's so great is they're all different colors* because that's what was in the pot originally.  You can pull them when they get leggy and tired, because there are new seedlings starting pretty much all the time.  You can see in the photo with the purple ones, the little green leaves near them - those are new flowers growing.  It's crazy, lol.  They do their best in early spring to early summer, then again in early fall until winter.  We have had a couple of mild winters here, and seriously, they have survived being buried under snow for weeks at a time.

*eta - they're different patterns, mostly yellows, whites, purples, and variants of these.

Edited August 5, 2017 by SuprSuprElevated

[Coffeecup]

16 hours ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

Interesting -  (if true)

 

Fascinating. Just think, back in 1990, none of this existed. We were spending our precious minutes doing other things. I noticed that I unintentionally cut back on doing real-life things I enjoyed, like sewing, when I started spending a lot of time online.  That's sad. Real life activities should be most important.