Follow
Share
Read More
Find Care & Housing
Storing bulbs over winter or for transporting due to moving.

Purchase plastic baskets similar to a handle held shopping basket with open square spaces for air. You see these in craft stores or elsewhere. Water the bulbs well the day before removing from the soil. Cut the tops of the plants leaving about 3-4 inches of green leaves. Carefully dig up the rhizomes. Rinse well with water and lay single layer in the container. You can cover the rhizomes with moist soil, straw, or paper. Check on them periodically over the winter to make sure they are not getting too dry or are too moist. If dry, rinse them in water again.

I provide this info now since I am taking my iris rhizomes with me when I move to Idaho the end of June. It is a bit early to be removing them now, but I don't want to leave them here, lol!!
(2)
Report

I saw some pictures of Sonor Pas here in central California. Cal-trans is clearing SR108. 20 feet of snow on the side of the road as they continue to clear the roadway opening it up to hwy 395 on the eastern side of The Sierras. Unbelievable!!!
(2)
Report

Send, we have a lizard living in our front flower bed. I Call it a she... Lizzie the lizard. I really have no idea what her actual gender is, lol!!! She is usually on the wall of the house in the sun. She has been with us about 3 years now, from head to tail, about 6 inches long. The new owners can have her.
(0)
Report

The skink has returned, seen once by hubs.....there are new lizards, the one little one today is named Zippy.
There was a really dead flower pot that I have been wanting to have thrown out for over a year. Today hubs sat it on the porch so I would see the new bloomed pink flower! See, he really can be kind.
Saw another pink garden snake in the road-this one was not going to make it across. What is with all the pink snakes, never seen before this spring?
Feeling better, even though the pain at 8 is constant, there is improvement.....and hope.
(3)
Report

Everyone I know has been encouraging me to get out in the garden, but I've been feeling meh, why bother. But I did a walk around the yard and noticed my little redbud tree is covered in buds for the first time since I planted it, my rose survived the winter and so did my replacement japanese maple. My mind automatically started planning what needed to be changed here and added there... gardening truly is therapy.
(4)
Report

I tried to move some of my grandmother's rose bushes. I failed. I read something about the general rule is to trim the bush to the same length of root if you're going to take the whole thing. So that means what? Trimmed to 2' above ground and taking 2' of root? I suppose, but like I mentioned, I failed to get them to replant.

Seems like you can take many cuttings from a bush and try to get them to root. If you take many, then you're likely to get a couple that will root successfully. I think I'll do this with the remaining massive red rose bush here. It's at least 30-40 years old and I keep it well pruned for past few years. It's about to explode in first-spring bloom again. I'll take a picture and post. I kill most things, but this rose bush is doing very well.
(4)
Report

Hi Daughter, apparently Garden Artist no longer is posting on the site. We all miss her great garden knowledge.
(1)
Report

I haven't been here in a while and have missed out. Can I ask where Garden Artist has gone? I've so enjoyed her writing
(1)
Report

I can understand that Susan. We are in the process to move to Idaho, about 850 miles (9 hour drive). Our son lives in SoCal, while our daughter is in Idaho. With us moving to Idaho, it will make it easier for our son to visit all of us in one trip. We can visit him and stay in a hotel because he lives with his wife and in- laws.

I will be taking the irises I planted last autumn to Idaho too.
(3)
Report

Sharyn - I'm not sure at this point. My dream is to head north, over 600 miles away, but again...that's a dream. Right now I just need to get through the MERP mess with the house and figure out what's going to happen there. Moving that far away would make it hard to see my kids and grandkids as well, so that's a consideration too.
(2)
Report

Susan, you may be able to dig up the entire plant but like any perinnial , prune it back first. Water it well before and then package the root ball with something organic like straw and wrap in plastic. Be sure plant immediately within a day or two. How far away would you be moving?
(0)
Report

Back to the positive aspects of a garden, and how only a brief visit to the garden can be therapuetic for the caregiver. That was "Garden Artist's" intent, a lovely respite thread, focusing on blooming and not whining. That, and how-to ideas, how-to achieve an appreciation of the garden, and how-to grow that garden.
My garden is green.
Garden Artist went back to nature, and I feel abandoned to our own devices.
But I will try harder to achieve the positive legacy left by the author of this thread, hoping she may visit again.......
(0)
Report

Actually, since I can no longer perform major feats in the garden, I shall be grateful instead, to have a garden at all.

Now, G, you are really secretly laughing! Are we done with the snake topic yet, or do you have more? Lol.

Why, or is it where oh where did the Vinca go off to? They're not blooming, still look dead.
(0)
Report

Visiting my garden, only visiting this year, I can pretend that I am a rich land baroness, dead-heading the only rose bush left (due to a very thin wallet), and the gardener, dH has done a hostile takeover. Off with his head!

Yes, dH does work cheap.  

Now, there really is a snake in my garden. The takeover snake-type. I don't get a say anymore, because one cannot argue with aspergers.  Maybe I will be visiting his wallet too.  

The pink snake was on the road somewhere, but a few years back, there was a snake, so scared it left when I screamed.
(0)
Report

In my mind there are two kinds of gardeners. The first kind has only an overgrown, stony patch of clay and a vision. With years of trial and error, hard labour and ingenuity they transform it into a garden. The second kind has a fat wallet and a landscaping company on speed dial. They can take that same worthless piece of ground and have it transformed overnight, and delight in wandering the garden paths and deadheading their roses. As I get older the second kind of gardening is becoming more appealing, but unfortunately the wallet is a little on the thin side. lol
(1)
Report

Well, I don't like snakes, and not in my garden. But if they are beneficial, ok.
I will just NEVER go out there, and make the pathway to the carport wider, so they don't bite me. Everything is very bushy now-the one cape honeysuckle that I wanted to grow for privacy, that was first on hubs list to decimate. I really don't want to wait for it to grow back. Sad, .....I give up.
(0)
Report

With all the rain this year, the bare root roses mom planted are in full bloom
(5)
Report

How *interesting* Linda! I certainly didn't know that about sunflowers and cucumbers, but actually it makes a lot of sense - especially about pollination. Sunflowers are always crawling with bees once they're in bloom, so maybe the bees will be willing to make their way down the cucumber vine too?

Do you have to stake the sunflower to make sure it's got enough support?
(1)
Report

Thanks, Linda22!

When Mom passed away, I came home from the hospital that day, wrung out and exhausted - and found 2 pink roses blooming at the same time on her rosebush - something I'd never seen it do before. One for her and one for Dad, I guess.
(4)
Report

Susan, when my parents' house was sold, my sister dug up four rose bushes - they were about 40 years old. She brought me two, which I planted in June, in 90+ heat and sun. Despite doing everything one shouldn't do, they are both thriving 15 years later. Oh, David Austin roses are so beautiful...and the fragrance...
I have volunteer green beans popping up so it must be safe to plant! I have peppers in, the rest I'm putting in this week. I started a lot of flowers from seed indoors and they are doing well getting used to outdoors. I'm going to try growing cucumbers up sunflower plants - who knew they are companion plants? I think it will look so interesting. We have tiny plums so I'm hoping for plums this year. I'm planting the usual - tomatoes, peppers, etc.
(2)
Report

Depends how big and how old they are, and how vigorous; and at the other end how hospitable their new premises are. I'd take cuttings anyway and root them, and then if they can't cope with the move at least you'll have their offspring. If you know the variety you can probably get good advice from David Austin (though mind they don't just try to flog you a replacement!).
(2)
Report

Do you think I could just dig the rose bushes up and transplant them? If I took a big enough root ball of dirt with them? I hate the thought of leaving them behind at all.
(2)
Report

Take cutting from the lilacs, Susan - they should root pretty easily. Roses are unbelievably easy, too - 9" cuttings, straight at the bottom, slanted at the top, heel them in, dig them up after winter and Bob's your uncle - new little rose bushes. I didn't believe the gardening programme about that until I tried it!

I feel for you about having to leave things behind. Actually I don't want to think about it, sorry :(
(1)
Report

I got to thinking today....if I leave this house, I need to dig up a large number of plants. Rhubarb, Mom's 2 rosebushes, some of her flowers....(sigh). That's not a fun thought. There are also 3 very large lilacs that I wouldn't be able to take with me that she nurtured from saplings. They're at least 40-50 years old.
(3)
Report

There was a pink snake in the street, real pink! Not pale pink, but real pink.
Looking it up online, it was a corn snake. Spring. Wonder what these snakes do when they are in the garden?
(1)
Report

I love the hummers too, Sharyn! Take them to the feed store and let them choose, within reason😉
(1)
Report

Zucchini, cucumber, bell peppers. Put in flowers to bring in humming birds. They are so fun to watch.
(3)
Report

Glad, Cilantro and Parsley?

Oh No! Missed the blooming of my one and only white hyacinth! It already came and went, so when Crocus were mentioned (another bulb spring flower), I went outside in the sun to look for it today.
The cape honeysuckle got way carried away and hid the hyacinth. Only one plant, no other colors. Durn it!
(1)
Report

The troughs are all nearly filled with dirt. Add some magic dirt to the top stir in and ready to go. Can probably find cheap manure around here. Daughter 2 is coming tomorrow with two granddaughters. Maybe a project they would enjoy. Hopefully spring is here and nights won't be getting too cold.

Ornamental and kitchen. Might even try tomatoes, which I have never had any luck with! Spinach, radishes, hmmm wonder what else...

Butterfly garden? Hummingbirds? Grands would love that and would have to come more often to see how their garden grows. Quick I need ideas. 😁
(1)
Report

There are many sites if you google. Drainage holes are necessary, broken clay pots or gravel for more drainage and the mesh before putting in soil. Actually what I saw was attractively displayed. You have many options Glad, lucky you to have this available!!
(1)
Report

Start a Discussion
Subscribe to
Our Newsletter