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GardenArtist, Will be looking up the movie Chinatown concerning competing water interests in the West. At least I may be able to see the trailer and mark it for my husband to search.
It was my father who taught us to grow avocado seeds, but you know, in all those years I never once saw a tree! Hmmmmn.
Do you wear the ghillie suit for Oct. 31st?

SharynMarie, Congrats on your success with your Iris! Are the bulbs the same ones you bought so many earlier? Planting them in waves of iris now?

Cwillie, Thanks for the reminders about annuals and perennials, as I was wondering which dead things outside I should cut back, then maybe it would grow again. Today is gardening day, but I don't have the heart to ask hubs to work hard on his day off, so I am not going to mention anything about the garden to him.
The yard still looks okay as I was outside in the sun looking around for awhile-until my rose bush bit me and I came inside.

BTW, The bouganvillias spent the summer safely protected under the carport this year, just at the edge with a little sun. As a result, the leaves are a gentler green, looking fresh and new, still with a very few flowers. Maybe I should get it some sun to strengthen it for winter. That requires the two of us to consult and move the planter. O the time, the pain....

Happy Fall gardening everyone!
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We did get rain today, it was a very fine rain (the drops were very small) which is a good soaking rain with no overflowing.
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Yes, I agree with you....I am also afraid to water because we have a crazy neighbor across the street.....she has big problems with getting along with her neighbors and she made a big scene with one neighbor who was out washing their car. We can wash our cars as long as we use a spray nozzle and are not letting water run all over the driveway into the gutter. She has a mental issue possible Rx addictions and or alcohol. She will turn music up at 2am and be out dancing in her front yard, LOL!!! At least when I was drinking, I kept to myself....Water restrictions are a big joke. New Melones Dam is so incredibly large, there is no way to fill it to capacity in several normal years, yet here in central Cali, they base the drought on how full that dam gets. Yes, I understand getting nervous about watering.....SoCal has always had "water" issues but were at one time getting water from the Colorado River, that has been reduced. Here where I live, we have so much agriculture that I wonder how much waste is given to them, yet I see much acreage that is fallow because the government won't allow them to have water.

California has too too much politics at play and YES, I am against the tunnels because I am a nature freak who wants the beauty of nature and wildlife preserved.

My daughter in Idaho can water twice a day if they want and they live in the upper desert in the Southeastern part of Idaho. She keeps her house cold as that is how she and her hubs like it (too cold for me at night), their bill does not reach $100 a month.

The water restrictions is all a political grab game for money and votes.
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Sharyn, The water retrictions are killing us here, with the turn you in attitudes. I get nervous just watering when it is ALLOWED!
My point was, prioritize to save the historical gardens in lieu of lush new plantings along the roadsides elsewhere. The Huntington Gardens can even teach us how-they have cactus gardens, and xeriscaping rock gardens.

Makes me doubt the reports of water shortages-the wealthy greens vs. the residents and farmers should allow their's to die? Grow food!
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Send, I misread your post about historical gardens. I get caught up in this water restrictions we have here.

We are expected to get rain tomorrow....most likely on and off showers, however, they are expecting snow at the 7-8,000 ft level so that is a good start for mid October.

I love coleus plants, their color is so vibrant. I can grow them outside here in the shade, they are much more vibrant outside in the shade than as a house plant.
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cwillie I don't do anything with my annuals till the first frost kills them but we haven't had that yet so mine are still in full bloom if a little jaded.
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Forgot to address the first paragraph of your last post. Typically annuals are cleared out here fairly quickly once Fall arrives, but perhaps the occasional summer type day has encouraged people to leave them in longer. Unless they're being overwintered inside, I like to see them in the garden for as long as possible.

There are even some day lilies still blooming at our local hospital, lots or roses and wax begonias as well.

One of the other local hospitals has an extraordinary display of massive container pots about 3' high and wide, filled with coleus so thick and huge they drape over the sides of the pots.

I would have guessed chemical fertilizer was used, but this hospital is a pioneer in natural medicine and gardening. It has a greenhouse in which food is organically grown for use in the hospital and the excess sold weekly on Market Day open to the public.

I would LOVE to see other hospitals follow their lead and grow their own fresh, organic produce!

I'm guessing they have a massive compost pile - I've never seen coleus grow so large.
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CW, do you have a screened in heated porch, or an adjacent garage with enough heat on the house side of the garage and sufficient light through the windows to put the pineapple plant there?

As I recall you're in a colder area than I am, yet you've managed to keep this pineapple plant for 3 years. That's encouraging! I'm going to try it next year.
but you've given me some encouragement. I'm surprised it's done so well in a nontropical climate.

Mom used to start plants from avocado seeds, sweet potatoes, and more. I think she even started some orange plants. I think one year we planted saved pumpkin seeds, after cleaning and oven roasting others for nibbling.

She had a 3 tier plant stand with undershelf fluorescent lights which she used to start her tomatoes, peppers, impatiens and other plants. Then she'd over winter begonias and aloes. Along with her collection of violets, there was always something growing or blooming in our house.

Your post reminded me of how much she loved gardening and how much of an influence she was on my life.
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I've noticed a lot of people here have cleaned up their gardens for the winter. It seems a shame to cut back my annuals that are in full bloom, but I have gone along my perennial bed and cut back everything that is past it's prime. I will probably regret waiting when I'm out there tidying up in the cold weather, but everything will look so barren when it is all gone :(
I have been trying to find a place for all my houseplants that were vacationing on my deck this summer but my pineapple plant is still outside. I started it for fun a couple of years ago but it is now almost 3' across... where to put it?
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Ladybug, thanks for the info on the elephant ears. I like the fact that buying one set of these fascinating but expensive bulbs will yield more and more over the years.

Have you seen the variety of Jack in the Pulpits available? They're just beautiful, but just too expensive.


Send, I think there's just too much white on the page to avoid eye strain, although that might be why the response box is set in a background of very, very light color. Depending on the position of lighting in the room where the computer is, there can also be glare. But I've never had this problem on other sites with more space to reply or less focused concentration necessary in a little reply box.

You raise an interesting question re snow shoveling. I learned long ago from reading Jack London's books on Arctic wilderness that sunglasses should be worn when shoveling snow, or engaging in winter activities in snow covered areas. Snow blindness can and does in fact occur in those areas where white becomes the monotonal color.

Maybe that's the solution - wear sunglass when posting here?

And yes, I'll drag out the ghillie suit again; can't resist the temptation to frighten the code enforcement stormtroopers into thinking there's been an invasion of giant rodents. They'll rush out with their rulers to measure the lawns and shrubbery - you know, in their infinite wisdom shrubbery is definitely a cause of rat infestations. No one seems to wonder why the rats are moving out from Detroit. Maybe they're coming with the escapees.

Think about it - when someone moves, their house doors and the doors of the moving vans are left open during the packing and unloading process. Any undesirable 4 legged beast could easily get into either the van or the house. That's a very unsettling thought.


How sad it is that Huntington Gardens plants are dying, but as you write, water is being squandered on what I consider frivolous uses. I'm reminded of the movie Chinatown and the shenanigans that go on behind the scenes as competing interests in the West manipulated for water control.


SharynMarie, sounds like your water enforcement people are just as bad if not worse than the code enforcement people here. Do they send warnings to people with large lawns as well? Are golf courses allowed to maintain immaculately manicured and watered grounds?

Great news about your irises! Isn't that exciting? I think the regular growth and change in plants as they mature is one of the fascinating aspects of gardening. It's nourishing to the soul to see that progression and constancy.

When I plant, I can't help checking daily to see if the babies have sprouted. And it's so exciting when fruiting plants are in flower, then little fruits start to form.
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Good night, don't let the bed bugs bite, LOL!!!
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Goodnight everyone!
Goodnight Sharyn.
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Stats Floral Supply in Pasadena, I was there. Someone was filming across the
street at the historic Green Hotel.
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Send my Cali neighbor, I am in agreement with you. So much water used by the cities and businesses just irks me while us citizens are limited and fined. Here in my city, the city will send employees out in the morning hours and if you are seen using water to wash off your driveway or walkway, they take your address and send you a warning.

In the positive, my irises are coming along great!!! The 6 I planted about 6 weeks ago are at least a foot tall now, and the one iris I planted almost 2 weeks ago is about 4-6 inches tall. Our winters are very mild, with temps right now averaging between 75-82 during the day.It will get colder, but no snow here...just fog and rain when this crazy drought stuff or global warming ...whatever the combination is.decides to settle down to normal.
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Going outside to water on Tuesday-allowed today and Friday. It is already dark.
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Today, driving by The Huntington Library and Gardens, was going to eat a quick lunch in the parking lot. The place is closed on Tuesdays! It took hours extra to get home because I don't like stopped traffic on freeways. Stop the freeway, I want to get off!
Well, I noticed many dead looking plants, trees. Some looked like they died of the Oak disease. Sure hope they put some of their money resources into caring for the actual gardens. Years of historical plants, flowers and trees should not, imo, be sacrificed in the drought for this reason: 1) If it's true, during the abundant rains, the powers are sending water to the ocean! 2) Homes still being planned, approved, and built have lush green landscaping along the streets and paseos, being watered to keep them green. Commercial uses of water don't seem to be limited-I see zero zeriscaping tried there. Why should the museum-like gardens suffer instead?
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Garden Artist, Now that I am posting and running, driving and what not, the white background requires sun glasses to avoid an instant eye strain. Do you think your white background is whiter than on other threads? There is a lot of wide open spaces in this garden thread though. At least the banner has not dropped down to hide my typing.
We are going to need the white to set the stage for all the snow shoveling stories
you northeners with 4 seasons tell us-looking forward to that. Are you going to wear your ghillie suit this year?
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Veronica, I love wild turkey, if it's fixed correctly you never want to eat regular turkey again. Like geese too and also ducks. Garden artist, I dig my elephant ears up every fall and store them in the basement. They multiply on there own, you just break the new one off in the spring. Our squirrels have been almost manic, have never seen as many as this year and they are running across streets like crazy. Doesn't bode well for winter. I see alot of shoveling in my future!
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Mmm Venison now that is a fine meat. I used to roast it snd serve with mint sauce. Plenty for hubby and me because the kids all gave a sniff " Mum is that deer meat?" Did not appreciate having to skin and butcher it myself. Rabbits, pigeons and pheasants were also on the menu.
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LOL Hunter neighbour never shared his turkeys Veronica, but I did get a fair bit of venison from him. He also promised some moose but never delivered on that, guess I'll never get to sample that either.
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cwhilly have you ever eaten wild turkey? I hear they are as tough as boot leather and those in the know just boil the breast for many hours just to choke the meat down.
Capt I bet you know the answer to that one.
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Mmmm, wild turkey and canada goose for thanksgiving dinner ;)
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Tracy, up here they managed to dodge the bad frosts this spring, so the cherries, apples, peaches and grapes had a good year. So many cherries they didn't even harvest some as there was a glut. Looks like the deer herd is healthy and wild turkeys everywhere.
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CWillie, the geese were headed in a southerly direction so I assumed they were on their way south, albeit somewhat early. But I've noticed the squirrels are quite busy as well. If I remember correctly, the Farmers Almanac has advised that squirrel activity in the Fall can be a sign of a severe winter.

But the geese could also just be moving to another area before migrating. I find it somewhat comforting when I hear their honking - another year has gone by; it's time for the annual fall activities of human and wildfowl alike as we each prepare for winter in our own ways.

BTW, has anyone ever seen the movie Fly Away Home, about a young girl who with her father fly ultralight aircraft to lead a flock of orphaned geese south for the winter? Doing a bit of research, I found this was based on the work of Bill Lishman, who has researched and led teams of wildfowl on migrations. There's even an organization devoted to this.

Apparently some wildfowl don't know how to migrate after the elders in the flock die off (hard to imagine they all die off and there's no learning curve at all for the younger ones) and those who haven't migrated require guidance in learning how to do it. Enter humans and ultralights guiding migrating fowl South.

Windy, I'm guessing you're a bit ahead of us in the fall color transition. I didn't know you had butterfly bushes; it must be exciting to see the monarchs clustering on them before heading south.

I assume the turkeys are wild? I've seen a few occasionally down here, usually together, feeding in an area close to one of the local state parks. It's always exciting to see them....suddenly an area well populated seems more rural, and there's a sense of being out in mid Michigan someplace. I feel the same excitement at seeing deer, egrets and herons in this area.
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Hey kids.......Its been a long time since I checked out this thread. What a nice respite from the MOMMY DEAREST stories.

Up here in northern Mi it's cooling off, the leaves are beginning to turn, the leaf peepers are coming up from Detroit and doing the winery and cider tours, my butterfly bushes have had tons of migrating monarchs but they're gone now, along with the hummingbirds, the young turkey flocks are hanging out under the bird feeders getting ready for another long winter, and the apple crop is great this year. Also getting tomatoes, onions, potatoes and a variety of squash at the farm stands. I've changed all the fluids in the tractors and we're ready for winter.
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Are the Canada geese actually heading south? I've heard flocks flying over for several weeks now, but I think they are just hanging around foraging in the fields and spending the nights on the lake and little ponds.
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Send, I've tried adjusting the brightness of my screen. I think the issue is so much white space. The other forums I visit have less white space, few if any ads, and a lot of photos (especially the gardening and backpacking forums). The blend of nature and text provides a very soothing site for these old eyes.

I think though that it's the glare of the white space that's bothering my eyes.

Ladybug, I love elephant ears; I'd plant a whole border of them if they weren't so expensive. Do you save your tubers from one year to the next? Can they be divided? There's a giant Thailand version that's mammoth. Someday I'll buy some tubers for it. It'd would make a great neighbor barrier.

Glad, the oaks in our area produce a variety of burnished rust leaves as they turn, and hold their leaves not only longer than other deciduous trees but sometimes over the winter. I like oak leaves for garden mulch, but I also just love the subtle range of colors when they're in their fall wardrobe.

The acorns will of course bring squirrels to the area. Too bad they can't be trained to plant where we want things planted!

Some of the trees in my area are already perhaps 75% arrayed in their range of fall colors. The combinations of red, burgundy and golden seem to the vanguards of the color change.

Saw a "v" of Canadian Geese heading south the other day. I thought they waited a bit longer, but perhaps that group wants to arrive at their destination earlier than others and stake out the best grounds.
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Send, good news on visiting Yosemite. There are web installed in some areas, including of Half Dome. I'll PM you the link and you can climb at your leisure from the comfort of your own home.

Glad, I'd like to persuade the squirrels to do the ground cover planting for me. They certainly feel free to romp around, dig up holes and move the bulbs!

GuestShop, I do like yuccas and other fleshy plants. You've given me an idea; I might start with one xeriscaped bed, and go from there. I'll have to check on the agave though; I'm not sure they'd survive our winters here.

And I LOVE the flowering grasses! I saw some beautiful ones today; they were about 10 feet tall. I knew ornamental grasses could grow to about 6' tall but wasn't aware they could grow to about 10 feet. They'd made nice neighbor screens.

I like your idea of a naturally developed area, compliments of other plants in the area. Unfortunately, the trees of neighbors are planting my garden with their offspring which are commonly known as "junk trees." I wish the one Japanese Maple and another neighbor's Rose of Sharon would volunteer to send babies to my yard.
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My kindle is indoors, although later, when it warms up, I may take it outside and sit in the sun, expecting 77°.
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Inside was cold, outside was warming up....
Moved a planter pot then a 3rd, sat down to pull it being very careful.....
Help, I'm in my garden-and I can't get up.!
Nobody was home.

Time to wear my leggings so my hips, knees, ankles don't freeze up.
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