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The One Ring Forums: Off Topic: The Pollantir:
So, who has a garden?
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Poll: So, who has a garden?
I don't garden.
I do garden, but it's in pots.
I have a vegetable garden in the ground or raised beds.
I have a flower garden in the ground or raised beds.
I have fruit trees.
View Results (68 votes)
 

Cirashala
Valinor


Jun 28 2014, 4:15am

Post #1 of 89 (1709 views)
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So, who has a garden? Can't Post

I've noticed several comments regarding gardens of various types on here of late (Summertime northern hemisphere Smile) so I was curious:

Do you garden, and if so what type of garden do you have? And what are you growing in your garden?

I'm doing my first vegetable garden this year Heart When we bought our house, there was already a strawberry patch in place, as well as tons of thick shrubs (we're slowly whittling away at the stupid shrubs- they hold nothing but spiders and take too much work and give nothing in return), a diseased apple tree that we cut down, and a rhubarb that's been crushed (got stepped on, and had a bunch of holes in the leaves) and a couple of raspberries that got choked out by a snowball bush (also currently in the process of being removed).

Now, I have a spot cleared for my vegetables, which are growing well- only lost about 10% of what I planted in the ground (my seedlings in the greenhouse died unfortunately, as did my cantaloupe- apparently it's too cold here for those). My tomatoes are doing well- growing both cherry and heirloom, my bell peppers and squash and carrots are doing nicely, lost a couple cucumbers but have some coming up, lost half my peas but the rest are coming up, all my basil is coming up, most of my corn is (I think I only lost about two- hard to tell at this point because the weeds around it look exactly like corn stalks so I'm not pulling them til I can tell them apart). I still can't tell what the green onions are- there are some grass like spots coming up that I've left alone, but not sure if they're grass or onions yet.

Strawberries have been getting harvested about every other day, and going nuts (they are right in the sprinkler system around the perimeter of our yard) and so far have about four quarts hulled strawberries in the freezer with tons more on the plants waiting to ripen Smile

Planted a self pollinating grafted apple tree, and self pollinating cherry and plum are awaiting planting as soon as we can get the designated areas cleared of shrubs- hopefully on Sunday when my husband's off next (they really need to go in or we'll lose them, otherwise we'd wait til the sickies are all done). Also need to get my pumpkins planted and the rest of my herbs in pots- cutting it close but hopefully not too late.

Whatever we don't yield this year we will head up to the farmer's markets and you pick farms Smile I will be super busy canning this fall! SlyAnd next year we hope to have most of our lawn covered in raised planters (stupid sprinkler system Crazy) so we can grow more than the little bit we have. Apparently what I thought was a good sized garden space (about the only part of the yard we knew the sprinkler system wasn't at) was MUCH smaller than I thought!

So what about the other green thumbs on here? What lovely hobbity goodness are you growing this year? Cool


Escapist
Gondor


Jun 28 2014, 4:38am

Post #2 of 89 (1481 views)
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My garden is in pots. [In reply to] Can't Post

Last year I had a "cat garden" with Catnip, Cat Grass, and flowers it would be ok for a cat to eat. I tried out a blueberry bush, too. The catnip took off like crazy but the cat grass didn't do as well. The blueberries were fine but didn't give any berries (I hadn't pruned them - now I know). The cat seemed to like it which was important because he was moving from a situation where he played in the backyard all year to one where he had to stay on the deck at all times.

This year I have an herb garden: basil, chamomile, and sage. The blueberry from last year was left out in the winter and is slowly coming back - this time I pruned it. The herbs were started from seeds and all of them are surviving (only the chamomile and basil are really thriving - and not quite "gangbusters"). My condo deck doesn't get a lot of full sun, I think that is just a limiting factor that will be impossible to avoid. I am still happy with it.

I did get some birds to come, too. I got some orioles for sure and I'm still learning what else. I am hoping oranges will attract pollinating insects, Orioles, and other birds that like to eat insects - I do have to cycle the orange slices out every other day or so, though. I think they may have even tasted some of the peanut butter / cornmeal concoction I whipped up while still in denial about just buying some birdseed for them (got a bird feeder for free from someone).


Cirashala
Valinor


Jun 28 2014, 4:54am

Post #3 of 89 (1489 views)
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Neat :) [In reply to] Can't Post

Blueberries like at least a decent amount of sun, from what I recall my mother in law saying- she's had blueberries for years. Also, do you only have one? You may not have enough to cross pollinate each other. I would get a second one (see if you can figure out what species your current one is, and what can cross pollinate them) and get something to encourage bees to come pollinate it. Maybe it will work out better this year Smile I'm not 100% sure that cross pollination is the problem with the bushes, but I do know that fruit trees need cross pollinators or they won't bear fruit (hence why I got self pollinators- it's four varieties that will pollinate each other grafted onto one tree). It's worth a try, at any rate Smile


Elizabeth
Half-elven


Jun 28 2014, 4:56am

Post #4 of 89 (1486 views)
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Sorry, apartment dweller here. [In reply to] Can't Post

And my apartment looks out on the Pacific Ocean, which is beautiful, but which means there is perpetually salty winds that do devastating things to most plants that I'd otherwise love to grow!

When I lived in California I grew flowers and herbs.


Cirashala
Valinor


Jun 28 2014, 5:06am

Post #5 of 89 (1488 views)
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too bad [In reply to] Can't Post

but at least you still have a great view Smile

How are you feeling? Getting better at all?


Elizabeth
Half-elven


Jun 28 2014, 6:48am

Post #6 of 89 (1468 views)
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Much better! [In reply to] Can't Post

I can do most things, but both feet still have wounds that are healing slowly, so I can't walk as much as I'd like. Thank you for asking!


Elarie
Grey Havens

Jun 28 2014, 12:19pm

Post #7 of 89 (1459 views)
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Well, I added a touch of Tolkien to my flowerbeds this spring [In reply to] Can't Post

I have mostly perennials in my two flowerbeds, and since I was buying some more roses this spring anyway, I put seven little mini roses around my birdbath - Magic Dragon, Gemstone, Smoke Rings, Fireworks, Sorcerer, Twilight Dream and Sweet Fairy. Smile However, much to my great disappointment, I couldn't find a source here in the U.S. anywhere for Dwarf King or Elfinglo. Frown Bummer.

I did find a David Austin rose at our local nursery called Sceptered Isle, so of course had to get that one, and I found a little plant called "Blue Hobbit" at another local nursery, so had to get that one, too. Also put in a few Tolkien appropriate coleus plants (annuals in this climate) - Black Dragon, Sorcerer, Skyfire and Wizard Mix (and another one called Gypsy Dancer, but relating that to the Gypsy Vanner horses in DOS is a bit of a stretch, even for me). And I've had that indestructible Dragon's Blood sedum in my back flowerbed for years, so that fits in nicely, but I couldn't resist adding another sedum a few weeks ago called "Love's Triangle" - with the Hobbit movies on my mind, the name was just too funny to pass up.

My other flowers are fairly standard stuff for this area - irises, cone flowers, coreopsis, hostas, assorted lilies, daffodils, and so on. The only food producing plants that I have this year are several raspberry bushes that are producing like crazy right now, so at least I'm enjoying fresh raspberries every day while they last!


Escapist
Gondor


Jun 28 2014, 12:37pm

Post #8 of 89 (1439 views)
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I almost did that last year. [In reply to] Can't Post

I think it is worth a try, you are right - especially since potted plants tend to go on clearance sale around this time!

I also picked up a little mini-rose ... forgot about that guy ... what is going on subconsciously there? Wink
Maybe I should get another one of those, too.

I try to move around the blueberries and sage over the hours of the day to get them in the sun as much as possible, but it's not like some exposures that get a natural sunblast in the morning. The sun comes out in the evening on my deck, which I think also is less than ideal for some plants. Other plants love it like Catnip and Basil!


Magpie
Immortal


Jun 28 2014, 2:18pm

Post #9 of 89 (1459 views)
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we call it our yard, not our garden [In reply to] Can't Post

I don't know why, I've never thought of our plantings as a garden or gardens. We have beds of plantings in the yard.

In the back yard, the borders of the yard is pretty much all beds. In the front yard, we have a row of plantings in the front of the house and a new bed on the side.

I'd say a good amount of our plants are hostas and ferns. We don't get a lot of sun in any one spot and hostas provide a lot of drama in low light. And we make it a point to find as many different fern varieties to plant as possible (with the exception of ostrich ferns. Avoid these like the plague.) We also have a lot of myrtle/periwinkle/vinca vines. Other plants include jack-in-the-pulpit, astilbe, meadow rue, iris, day lilies (the old fashioned kind and Stella D'Oro. And I have a fairy rose on the side (new last year). We fill in spots with impatiens.

I voted 'yes' on vegetables but I really don't think we have a vegetable garden. We have tomatoes in a pot in the sunniest spot we can find. Last year we planted some peppers and basil near the new rose because there was a lot of bare space around it.

We wish we could grow vegetables and we used to. But the neighbors planted a tree that put a kibash on that.

Our 'gardens' don't take much maintenance. We do some minimal weeding and occasional dividing and moving. We buy a few annuals and one or two new perennials in the spring and that's about it. The intent is to allow a wild natural look to things. As dernwyn put it in the past when I described it: a dishevelled dryad loveliness.

Since we have so much shade and flowers don't do well, we add a lot of 'found' garden art objects.

You can see some photos here and here.


Annael
Immortal


Jun 28 2014, 3:04pm

Post #10 of 89 (1447 views)
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I make a garden everywhere I live [In reply to] Can't Post

I like thinking there's a trail of nice gardens behind me.

Right now where I live there are many rabbits and deer. I haven't gotten around to constructing a critter-proof fence so I have lots and lots of flowering plants that deer won't (usually) eat. Like herbs. I've discovered ornamental oregano which makes a lovely border and a nice contrast to lavender. And the finches love the seeds.

I have a lot of found art objects in the garden too, like the headboard from a brass bed, a sturgeon fork (5-tined trident), a brass dancing lady my folks gave me, various handmade stepping stones, and stone or metal rabbits (I am a Rabbit in Chinese astrology, and they are supposed to catch good luck). Also my koru bowl made out of white New Zealand granite which I ordered special from NZ many years ago.


(This post was edited by Annael on Jun 28 2014, 3:09pm)


Ethel Duath
Half-elven


Jun 28 2014, 4:58pm

Post #11 of 89 (1436 views)
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Wow! You are really going into it big time! [In reply to] Can't Post

I wish I could do strawberries, but they always get a fungus and die.

Blechh! Spiders! But as my mom always said, they eat the "bad" bugs--or do they!Shocked

You know, although it's too late this year, you might be able to start the cantaloupe by seed outside. I did that with pumpkins here, but unfortunately the yard next door which was completely overgrown turned out to be harboring bugs that ate the stems. the second year. Melons and gourds and pumpkins grow really fast once they get going, so it might be worth a try next year.Smile

Di your seedlings gte sort of tall and spindly with the stem thinning out before they died? I gave up on seedlings of my own when that kept happening. Apparently it had something to do with root rot.

I've got a nice cherry tree, but it's not producing much fruit anymore, so I got a new one 2 years ago which is starting to produce a it. And I' get tons of blackberries and raspberries. Such fun!

I'm hoping my potatoes do well--tha'ts sort of funny with you eing in Idaho, and I'm growing them in NY. I may be doing something against the fabric of the universe . . .Laugh


BlackFox
Half-elven


Jun 28 2014, 5:22pm

Post #12 of 89 (1440 views)
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My family does [In reply to] Can't Post

We have a small greenhouse (where we grow cucumbers, tomatoes, and paprika), a vegetable garden (with carrots, beetroots, onions, garlic, peas, and beans), a tiny herb garden, some fruit trees (apples, cherries, and plums), a small strawberry patch and a big flower garden. That's about two acres in total. Plus beehives. My contribution is microscopic compared to that of my mom, our "chief" gardener, but we all share in on the joy it brings us.


Alassëa Eruvande
Valinor


Jun 28 2014, 6:01pm

Post #13 of 89 (1446 views)
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I do! I do! [In reply to] Can't Post

I actually planted a vegetable garden this year after two years of being lazy. And, well, the drought.

We get to start in mid-February in Central Texas, so most of my stuff is starting to wind down. I just pulled the last of my onions yesterday morning. The potato plants are thinking about giving up the ghost, so we'll have potatoes pretty soon. With my luck, they'll be ready when we are gone on vacation. The carrots were pulled last weekend, with a few stragglers left behind to see what they would do. Here is The Little Goblin and our cat Daisy (an expert photo-bomber) after TLG awarded prizes to the best carrots. In his hand is a carrot that looked like a little man with two legs and he's trying to get it to stand.

We also had a rogue giant sunflower come up from a seed that was planted two years ago. It is taller than me reaching up to try to touch the flower. I'm 5' 7 1/2". I can reach the flower only because it is bending over due to its heaviness. If nothing else is successful, the Little Eruvandes will have an abundance of sunflower seeds just from that one flower. We planted some others as well, which are shaping up to be every bit as big.

Also visible in the first picture are the potato plants in the lighter yellowish green. Just directly above them in the picture in a darker green, the small plants are the "mystery" chili peppers that Mr. Eruvande bought. He tends to be an impulse vegetable buyer and got those without proper labels so I don't know what kind of chili they are. Which makes it hard to know what to do with them, as I don't eat peppers and I am very unmotivated to do anything with them. Especially when I don't know what they are. Crazy A little further back to the right, in that picture are the tomato plants. They made a lot of tomatoes, and now we are just waiting for them to turn red. Directly behind the sunflower and to the left of the tomatoes, are watermelon vines and zucchini. We have two little watermelons about the size of piglets. I just trimmed the vines way back as they were taking over the garden in an alarming way. Also, I'm hoping that will encourage bigger watermelons to develop. The zucchini have been teasing us with one zucchini here and there, but I just checked this morning and there are finally a lot of miniture fruits on them. They are still blooming like crazy. Again, they will probably be producing really well when we go on vacation.

In the flower beds, I plant mostly perennials. I've got heirloom roses: Grandma's Yellow, The Fairy, Belinda's Dream, and Therese Bugnet. I also have a Walmart rose that my father in law bought me for my birthday, bless his heart. Never buy Walmart roses. This thing was in a two gallon pot and had a lot of stems and a couple of blooms. When I went to plant it, there were absolutely no roots. I don't know how it was alive. I guess constant watering in the store and super fertilized soil in the pot sustained it. Well, it tried several times to die, but nothing gets me going like trying to rescue a rose. Some people are like that about stray animals. For me, it's a rose bush. I am happy to say that that scroungy thing lived to see another season. It is about three years old now and blooms like Grandma's Yellow, but I think it is a hybrid tea. Which is all the more surprising that it lived. Maybe I'll name it "The Rose Who Lived".

My other yellow rose success story involves the ones that were stuck into a flower arrangement from my mother's funeral. There were three little pitiful sticks in a pot, made to look like one full rose. Well, I didn't have much hope for them, and stuck them in the ground where they would get morning sun, and told myself if they lived, great, if not, that's okay, too. Well, two of them lived. Again, these had no roots and way too many stems and blooms. I don't know why they lived, because I didn't do anything special to them, other than watering and a handful of organic fertilizer if I thought about it. That was 3 years ago. This year they bloomed the best I've ever seen them do. And I thought they were miniature roses, but they are sending up stems that are 3 feet long. But they are right on schedule according to the saying, "First they sleep, then they creep, then they leap."

Other stuff in the flower beds are all native Texans or well-adapted foreigners. Things like salvias, Mexican petunia, Russian sage, Mexican oregano, blue pincushion flowers, Rose Creek abelia, cast iron plant, lorapetalum, and creeping thyme and rosemary bushes. You can't beat rosemary in the landscape. It loves heat and drought and the deer won't eat it. Then, you can pinch off a bit for cooking. Same with the thyme. Great ground cover to soften a stone walkway. I also have Stella d'Oro day lilies and some other kind whose name escapes me. There are some blackfoot daisies that I dug up out of the pasture. It's funny to me that you can buy these in nurseries, but they also grow wild. I have one crape myrtle that I've ignored that is doing well in spite of me. I made the mistake of planting it just beyond the reach of the water hose, but it is also in the "leap" stage now. And same goes for a desert willow. I thought it was dead but it has tripled in height this spring.

What a difference a little rain makes. We have had some decent rainfall this year and a mild start to summer. We aren't anywhere near where we should be in terms of lake levels, but seeing green grass growing sure does the mind good. Smile


(This post was edited by Alassëa Eruvande on Jun 28 2014, 6:05pm)


Cirashala
Valinor


Jun 28 2014, 6:43pm

Post #14 of 89 (1422 views)
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you are very welcome :) [In reply to] Can't Post

Glad to hear you're improving, even if slowly Smile


Cirashala
Valinor


Jun 28 2014, 6:44pm

Post #15 of 89 (1421 views)
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are there really roses named like that? [In reply to] Can't Post

Yum, raspberries Smile

It's interesting that there are so many plants that are inspired by Tolkien Smile


Cirashala
Valinor


Jun 28 2014, 6:46pm

Post #16 of 89 (1426 views)
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good luck! [In reply to] Can't Post

Maybe cross pollination would work. I know there are also some sunlight lamps that might work too Smile


Cirashala
Valinor


Jun 28 2014, 6:50pm

Post #17 of 89 (1421 views)
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you have a beautiful yard [In reply to] Can't Post

Smile

What did the neighbor's tree have to do with the veggie garden? Too much shade?

It really is a lovely yard though Smile


Cirashala
Valinor


Jun 28 2014, 6:53pm

Post #18 of 89 (1422 views)
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the wildlife sounds wonderful :) [In reply to] Can't Post

Is ornamental oregano edible too? Or is it just for show?

I enjoy handmade things too- we have a handprint stepping stone kit that, once we're all better, we plan on making for the grandparents with our family's handprints on them Smile


Cirashala
Valinor


Jun 28 2014, 7:18pm

Post #19 of 89 (1417 views)
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cantaloupe [In reply to] Can't Post

I put one seedling in the ground, and planted the rest of the rows with seeds straight into the ground, and none came up Frown

I will put pumpkin and watermelon seeds in the ground tomorrow (or my husband will- he's off and it depends on how I'm feeling). What do I have to lose? Two packets of seeds that only cost me forty cents?

I don't recall, to be honest. I don't think I watered them enough Unsure

I'm in northern Idaho halfway up the panhandle and only two hours from Canada- potatoes don't grow that well up here, unfortunately. I debated trying, but I found out that if you don't pick them at exactly the right moment they will go bad (or not be done enough). All the potato farms are in southern Idaho, just north of Utah, where it's less mountains and forests and more scrub and highland desert.

When I have a lot more land to dedicate to garden (an acre at least of just garden, rather than my current quarter acre that includes the house and shed and front yard) I will try potatoes and see what happens, as I will have the room to spare. But with my limited space now, I would rather grow things that I know or have a good guess will be successful, as I don't have any ground to waste, if that makes sense.

Good luck to you and your potatoes! Smile


sauget.diblosio
Tol Eressea


Jun 28 2014, 7:21pm

Post #20 of 89 (1427 views)
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When staying with a friend's aunt in England, [In reply to] Can't Post

i commented on her lovely back yard, which she took much offense to. That was her garden. A yard, i was told, is where you park trucks (lorries?) or stack piles of wood or scrap metal. She then said that England and America are separated by a common language. She was a lot of fun.


(This post was edited by sauget.diblosio on Jun 28 2014, 7:21pm)


Cirashala
Valinor


Jun 28 2014, 7:30pm

Post #21 of 89 (1401 views)
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cool! [In reply to] Can't Post

If I ever find out whether or not I'm allergic to bees (never been stung as of yet) and I'm not, I would love to keep bees! I use honey a LOT, and for the time being I buy it at a local honey shop that has hives around the area (the huckleberry honey from the huckleberry flowers before they turn to berries is SOOOO good Sly). It would be nice to have it at home.

I love how gardening can be a shared family activity Smile It's fun, it's educational, and one truly grasps the simplicity of reaping what you sow. There's something quite satisfying about having a fruit or vegetable on the table and knowing that YOU planted and nurtured it all summer, rather than buying it at the store Smile

It's the mark of a tradesman, I think, and the pride that comes with that completed project is something that could never happen when one just buys something at the store :) Which is why I love gardening so much Heart


Cirashala
Valinor


Jun 28 2014, 7:35pm

Post #22 of 89 (1412 views)
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Oh pretty! [In reply to] Can't Post

I will have to remember that rosemary tip, as we plan on buying property outside of town (where the deer roam) after my husband graduates in three years. I wonder if planting it as a border around the garden (along with a deer fence) will keep the pretty critters out of my garden Smile


DaughterofLaketown
Gondor


Jun 28 2014, 7:53pm

Post #23 of 89 (1410 views)
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We don't garden [In reply to] Can't Post

But my grandmother does and my mom would like to.


Magpie
Immortal


Jun 28 2014, 9:06pm

Post #24 of 89 (1407 views)
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yes, too much shade [In reply to] Can't Post

They planted a maple that was a fast growing tree and has become huge. It grew over the one spot we had enough sun for veggies.


Magpie
Immortal


Jun 28 2014, 9:08pm

Post #25 of 89 (1395 views)
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I think we retain that use in the words/phrases: [In reply to] Can't Post

lumber yard, rail yard, and brickyard.

I just was reading that my Welsh grandfather worked with ox and horses in a brickyard.

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