lol! The same thing happened when we went to Tucson in July. I swear everything knew we were gone and took advantage of it cuz my pateo looked like a jungle. I did a lot of juggling that week! Now, everything is huge! Especially the sage/salvias! Feeds lots of babies and brings lots of seedz too!
Frugal...what's that in a gardn?????????

glo

We all say we'll do better next year, and we mean it.

When I think about the changes in my own methods over the years, I wonder how I got by. Some of the old 2X4x8 still hold a cardinal climber trellis, but they are far too small. I upgraded with my lima beans from 4x4x8' thru 10' and finally 12' and the wire is now rated to a thousand pounds. When I see those little tomato cages they sell I have to laugh - my 5 foot concrete wire cages are about half as tall as they should be. And in the flower gardens in many places where I used to use string I now use wire, and next year it will be oak stakes. It is an arms race out there, and the game being played is called catch up.

But would we want it any other way? Maybe a little. The longer I garden the more I care about the little things. Where once I just wanted things to grow well, now I want to anticipate their behavior and have them look settled in their places. It's not an easy task, especially if you're trying for gardens that look good and flower in all seasons. But it is fun to try, and there are rewards. I can't wait to get home from the office and settle down by the salvias, worts and all.

Can relate totally Penny. It was so hot here the last of July and August I did little if no work outside. Paying for it now everything has gone crazy. I also feel that next year I will cut back on my planting.

The only vine that has taken over here is the cypress vine. That's because I planted seeds twice. Didn't think the first batch was going to germinate so I planted more. Now I have to cut them back every 2 or 3 days so they won't completely cover a feeder. It has totally covered a shepherds staff..you can't see it at all. It looks like a big green thumb with tentacles reaching out to get you. But the hummers love it so it's all good. Linda

Same has happened to me with my TV, a grape cine and my cardinal climber. I like the look and will probably never get the grape vine and TV apart.

Well I am glad to know that I am in good company LOL! I did forget to mention my cypress vine until Linda mentioned hers. I had 3 seeds to germinate so I planted them in the container with my coral honeysuckle againsst the Garage. Well I have to tell you that those 3 seedlings have taken off also they have intertwined with the honeysuckle which really does look pretty but it escaped cultivation in a sense. It out grew the honeysuckle and the 7 ft trellis and latched onto the siding on the front of the garage and is now growing up to the peek of the garage by way of intertwining itself in out and around the vinyl siding.

Penny

From my own experience...never ever plant cypress vine near a flag pole ;))))

Earline, after the vine died in the winter, how did you get it off the flag pole?

Michelle, do you mean trumpet vine? You may never see your grape vine again!!!

BTW, those of you who have hy- (you know the rest) bean vines...do the pods smell like rotting fruit? Mine do. I learned I have to wait till the pod part shrivels to harvest the beans. In the meantime, when I walk past, it smells just like rotting pears or apples.

Linda

Well I have the H-bean vine but to tell the truth, I have never smelled the pods. I will have to go out there today and see if I can reach one and smell it.

Penny

Linda
We had to wait until the vine was good and dry then we used the cord on the pully to coax the vine to break apart, kind of like yank up..yank down...
We have since gotten a telescoping flag pole, no cord to mess with or replace when frayed ;))

Linda,

Yep my Grape Vine started intertwining with my Trumpet Vine about two years ago after my husband got the bright idea to put in a carport. It had to grow towards the TV for the sun. So far, they are doing well together and the Grape Vine is holding it's own. :)

I don't ever get grapes off of it, I let the birds have them and if my TV took over that would be fine with me since that's what the Hummers are after anyway :)

Right now I like the way it looks and I keep having to trip the GV so it doesn't twine around my container plants.

My H-vine was on two 7 foot poles in two pots, and fell over when the huricane passed through - it is now resting happily on a bush in the side yard, and every day I go out and pick off the pods - never noticed a smell - cardinal vine sprouted in July, and is now crawling all over the screen porch, I am not about to support it now - it is also into the B&B and Mexican Bush sage - Pineapple sage is blooming way in the back where they can't reach it - they are absolutely ignoring the mannettia - not the candy corn type, which is six inches from the feeder - mostly chasing each other - Mexican Bush Sage is blooming - I am worn out from worrying about all these plants all summer, and the suckers can do what they will - there is plenty to eat out there! I am going to give money to the Humane Society for the hurricane -

Cheers, Ellery

Well I did go out and check my Hy-Bean vine today for any unusual smells. I pulled one small semi dry pod off and broke it open. There was a faint aroma of pear nectar but it didn't smell like it was rotten. Perhaps different elements in soil cause them to smell differently.

Penny

Penny My garden is the same way I bought three cypress vine plants in 2001 or 2002 and haven't bought any since they have taken over everywhere strangling two very precious salvias and spotted beebalm and wild bergamot my canada lily is a great support for another one and it's also strangling a salvia microphylla and a cross vine. My largest trumpet vine took over the hybred chinese american one and a cross vine so much so they hardly grow and never bloom. My arbor was knocked over a while ago but I raised it back up I think I will have to buy another larger one to support the trumpet vine. In my main flower bed The obedient flower has taken over the salvia ugliosa My cardinal flowers sprout up everywhere but I don't care because the hummers love it I think I lost my monkey flower to it. On the other end the agastache scrophulariifolia purple giant hyssop has taken over everything I planted a perennial sunflower two years ago at the back of my yard by itself in a wild section Well it must have reseeded or seeds were dropped by the goldfinches or last years groundhog because two appeared right smack in the middle of flower garden infront of salvia azurea at least it supports that salvia since it's between 8 and 10 feet tall! I am going to try to get rid of it! Last year I pulled my rose mallow (hibiscus mochuetos) because it was being attacked by japanese beetles and hibiscus sawfly. It tried to come back this year but that giant purple hyssopp agastache scrophulariifolia took it over. I guess you could call the garden survival of the fittest no most aggressive! Sarah

Sarah
I can relate completely. yesterday afternoon I did see one of my babies going over to the salvia bed where everything is growing over everything else. In the corner I have one of my B&B's which has been overcome by coccineas, an agastache Sonoran Sunset and an Azurea. If it wasn't for the intense color of the B&B flwrs you would never kno it was in that mess. Well as I looked down that little baby had found the blooms of the B&B in the thicket and was totally engrossed. She didn't even see me watching from above.

Penny

Between the hummer "wars" and the plant "battles" can we really call a garden a QUIET place? Linda

Linda, That is a good point.

Penny