It Must Just Be My Year...

17 years ago

This gardening year has been SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO crappy for me.

I'm at Gardens North's website now, looking for seeds...for PERENNIALS.

I have to be prepared if the summers are going to stay this cool. If an annual does nothing, I can always put down a few slabs of rock over them and say "Landscaping" (lol).

I am thankful I did so many poppies this year. They really have given the garden beds some color when nothing else would. And Calendula-- which I WSed and some from last year reseeded. Nasturtiums that reseeded really showed up for me when nothing else did in certain areas. Otherwise, my beds are a sorry sight. Even the Astilbe in my shade bed didn't bloom as nicely as they have in past years. Their spikes were shorter and puffier, and they went away really fast.

When the weather warmed up, what started performing? Weeds!!

And all the bugs were so happy for the warmer weather, they went after me with a vengeance the minute I tried to do a little weeding. I gave up. There's not enough flowers to make room for anyway.

Wah! Yes, I'm complaining...but more like biting the bullet and being thankful that the bees were happy with what was there. Even a couple butterflies, if no caterpillars. And for the first year, I had Asclepias Tuberosa and red swamp weed too :-)

I have also learned the benefits of growing more root veggies, and, when the weather looks like it's going to stay cool, get the broccoli and cauliflower seeded-- and anything else that likes this weather. I'm not much of a veggie gardener, but the veggie beds are outperforming the flower beds by miles.

So 2009-2010...Lord willing, it will be a gardening year that pleases me more than this one.

(Thanks for putting up with my crabbiness)

Linda

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

ontheteam
17 years ago
Wait..I did not write that? I could have... but you are ahead of me since I have not been cheerful enough to look forward to 2010 for myself yet...
littleonefb
17 years ago
Nope, we didn't write it onthetheam, Linda did, but she stole the words right off my computer and my fingers.

I'm just grateful that this isn't my first year attempt at gardening, or my first year WS. If it where, I'd have given up already for the rest of my life.

OMG, the garden beds look like I just planted seedlings and it's mid June. Oh yeah, I planted those seedlings and I forgot to weed first.

OMG, the bugs, the misquitos, and I'm just the biggest magnet to them too. Trust me, they find me from a mile away. 30 seconds outside and I'm being eaten alive.

First the cold, then the rain, and more rain, and more rain and then finally a bit of sun, then more rain, and more rain.

Finally the rain stops, sun out, and it's drop dead heat and humidity with thunderstorms pouring down 1-4 inches of rain at a time.

You know you are in trouble when the zinnias don't grow, are blooming tiny flowers on 2-3 inch stems and the flower is supposed to be 4 inches, the marigolds are even looking sick all summer.

Cosmos are finally beginning to perk up and show some blooms, but hello mother nature, it's Sept. 1 in a couple of hours. What's up with this weather and what did we do to deserve this horrible spring, summer and growing season?

OK, done with the rant.

thought about what do I want for flowers and all next year. Tried to figure out do I WS for deluges of water or drought? Some rain, some sun?

Forget it. Just sow what I like, hope for the best, cause no matter how you look at it, we can't control mother nature, she's the boss.

So it's back to the planning board for next year, collect what seeds I can, buy seeds if I need to, trade for seeds first.
WS, and go from there.

And, maybe, just maybe, "WSers, there is a kind mother nature and 2010 will be a good growing season.

Fran
Related Professionals
Rome Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Middletown Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Kankakee Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Yakima Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Queens Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Williamsburg Landscape Contractors · Charleston Landscape Contractors · Concord Landscape Contractors · Los Angeles Landscape Contractors · Quincy Cabinets & Cabinetry · Toms River Cabinets & Cabinetry · Galveston Cabinets & Cabinetry · Grand Junction Cabinets & Cabinetry · Coeur d'Alene Cabinets & Cabinetry · Cornwall Cabinets & Cabinetry
carrie630
17 years ago
Linda - - I hear ya, honey - I hear ya!

The mosquitos get me good - I can't even take garden walks in the morning or in the evening - I come in with hundreds of bites...

and the snakes, well stupid here gathers some pine needles in the woods to put in a large bucket and what peeks out? A baby copperhead! I mean, I could have been bitten...

Gardening!

We put ourselves through so much and yet - can we live without it? Nope..

Carrie ;o/
brandymulvaine
17 years ago
Can I join the pity party? This year was the worst! I'm with you Linda, what's going to grow in cold wetness...hmmm not my tomatoes, or my balsam, or my petunias, or my calendulas, or my nasties, the morning glories might be 3 ft tall...well you get the picture!!
This is what we need-

{{gwi:429010}}

I'm afraid I would probably LIVE in mine LOL!!!
-B
tiffy_z5_6_can
17 years ago
This was a year for me to look at the gardens from a distance. They actually looked spectacular in some spots if you stood a good 50 feet away since they Black Eyed Susans decided to flop over the rock wals and the Phlox Paniculatas decided to act like creeping Phlox as well. It was the winds and heavy rains which hit hard this year. Hurricane Bill one weekend and then Tropical Storm Dan the next. The 8 foot tall Joe Pye Weed never had a chance.

But, like I wrote, from a distance the colours are great!! Oh, and the deers just took bites here and there this year. They actually let my Phlox bloom and even some of the Hostas. :O)

Ah, what the heck! It wasn't that bad. Just wish I had been given more time to spend out there weeding and simply enjoy it.
drippy
17 years ago
My frustration was different - perfect growing conditions - lots of sun and enough rain - no ground to grow in! I made do with my container farm (PV gives us all inspiration there), but I am itching to get to a permanent place. And we are moving again - that's a story I'll post on the convo side in the future - so I am looking to a better 09/10 year as well.
carrie630
17 years ago
If ANYONE knows about container gardening - it's our sweet, pvick.... she's the expert

Carrie
floodthelast
17 years ago
Agreed, I have had a nice show from some of my annuals in pots. Although since this was my first year WSowing and I love everything I can't complain much. Well I can about the mildew. I second the good job my nasturtiums, calendulas and poppies have done. I'm crabby about the cukes, pumpkins, squash and beans. I guess I did pick a good year to start heuchera babies. :)