Outdoor gardens

[Toedancer]

So wondered if nasties could be soaked just for a few hours before plopping in or must be at least overnight. Anyways went to get gardening books - GONE  Went to get next reading book I bought 3 weeks ago - GONE. Where r my books? Dunno.

[Toedancer]

I found one book. Someone is cutting the grass and omg it is glorious to take in.
Off to the garden centre.

[Antonia]

Just went to Loblaw's Garden Centre where they're selling ''Ontario Natives'' in compostable pots. $3.99. Trilliums, jack in the Pulpit, wild Cranesbill, Black Cohosh .... Bought a dozen because my front is so shady it might as well be a woodland.

[Toedancer]

Oh that sounds wunnerful Antonia. I planted some viola pansies, couldn't care less of the date, I need some colour. And I did a planter for back steps, cutting geraniums, snaps and a gerber, all in the same colour zone.

[Antonia]

My back, which is half concrete and the rest super shaded with granite flat stones -- the whole thing is like 8 feet wide between tall fences -- is constantly the victim of Mr. PeePee, aka Jericho. I am pleased to report that, although none of the muguets I planted have survived, the bleeding heart looks robust, the climbing hydrangea is a monster, the Solomon's Seal, Astilbe, yellow spikes and hosta are looking good. Not sure about last year's single clematis. I used to fight the wild violets but no more. I am gonna spread them around where Mr. PeePee likes to go and see what happens. I am not spending another cent back there.

[skdadl]

The wild violets in TO are great, aren't they? I stopped minding them in the lawn, just let them go. I wish I had some here. Not sure they are so common here, but the guy who does my lawn is sort of anal retentive and would probably kill them anyway.

[Debra]

I love the violets in the grass and garden too. and I love creeping phlox at this time of year.. well not so much this year, but then I don't think there is any flora I don't like. 

[Toedancer]

I'm sweating like a nun in a sex shop. Just planted all of my nasties, dug up every single dandelion weed, planted more nastie seeds in a big planter, and transplanted this big succulent flower (I wish I knew what it was) into a big planter and surrounded with viola pansies. The big succulent is RED, it was a nabe condolence plant, I don't even know what to google to find it. The RED flower is in center, big spiky thing and there are 2 wee new purplish ones coming out at the bottom.

I do all of this early, early because I can't standz the sun on me. Great dirty day, and even tho I used the nail scrubber my nails still feel dirty underneath, I lurves it.

eta - skdadl, what exactly does your anal retentive guy do with your lawn? I don't geddit.

[Antonia]

I hope you are rinsing and steaming those dandelions!

[k'in]

Large patches of the violets here too on both sides of the yard.  They mostly don't interact with the grass which is too bad as they are pretty much the perfect ground cover---intensely green (and pretty when in bloom), no maintenance (or mowing) required, and don't mind being trampled.

Be there any Asparagus yet?  I keep looking, and not finding.  Yesterday excepted, it continues to be bleak, cold, and rainy.

[Toedancer]

I hope you are rinsing and steaming those dandelions!

Ha-Ha A! Grammas dead now, so I can just deposit into the green bin. Dandelion Root 500mg - 60 Capsules only cost 6 bucks now.

K'in I had fresh asparagus last wknd at Easter, surely some must be coming your way by now.

[skdadl]

eta - skdadl, what exactly does your anal retentive guy do with your lawn? I don't geddit.

Guy knows he's not allowed to do anything poisonous (although I think he's used to doing that to other ppl's lawns). So he keeps coming up with bio-friendly things to do to mine b/c he has a hate-on for anything that isn't grass. Atm, eg, we have a grain-based thing simmering away for a couple of weeks -- that is supposed to stop everything that isn't grass. Don't ask. I take path of least resistance. The birds love it, btw. Every morning, they're all over the lawn -- I figure it's now porridge for them.

[Toedancer]

I planted nastie seeds in two places this spring. One is under the box LR window, really shitty soil, dirt really. The other in a big planter full of good soil with boost.

Today 2 nastie seeds are already up in the shitty soil, nothing in the planter. 

[skdadl]

First time I've done this: yesterday, I got two sets of plugs (starter plants) from Vesey's, some lavender and some old-fashioned pelargoniums (geraniums). They arrive interestingly, in a plastic case of six plugs, each in its own little compartment. They were a bit squished in there, but they look good and should revive quickly.

Going to put the geraniums in a longish planter and let them summer outside; by fall they should be big enough for me to take cuttings and start a few more single pots, so from now on I can has geraniums inside through the winter.

And if it doesn't rain too much this aft, I'll go out and plant my little lavender farm. Don't know whether they'll flower this year, but I want a lavender farm!

[Holly Stick]

Ahem. I hope you realize that this is World Naked Gardening Day 
 
http://www.yourhome.ca/homes/outdoorliving/gardeningandlandscaping/article/990615--no-need-to-roll-up-the-sleeves
 
Thanks to leftdog who was almost heart-broken when Blogger delayed him posting about it:
 
http://buckdogpolitics.blogspot.com/2011/05/blogger-was-down-for-days-i-almost.html