Hi LilyFinch - I too miss the way this forum used to be....I have become too addicted oFacebook for my own good - time to back away from that. I am dreaming of growing poppies this summer!! some of you may remember the lovely poppies I grew couple of years ago. It was so dry last spring and summer, and I was on my own so did not water as much as I needed to - this really affected my germination rate. This summer coming - I can't wait to have them again. I am about to go and search out le Jardin de Metis (I think that's the right name) and order some of their blue poppies too - this has been a dream.

And soon it will be time to start some tomatoes and peppers on my window ledge!!! Yea!! Another project that I've waited to do for a few years really came to 'fruition' this winter. My Meyer Lemon that I bought last spring had 9 lemons on it!! Seven remained, and I have picked 3 so far - Christmas Caesars!! They were incredibly thin-skinned, juicy, and slightly sweet. So pleased!!

Happy New Year to all!! I hope that we hear from people!!

Nancy.

Hi Lilyfinch and Midnightsmum! :) While I rarely commented on this forum, I always made sure to drop by to read and really enjoyed it. I have really missed it. I don't have Facebook.

I participated in a seed exchange in the fall and have been anxiously waiting to begin winter sowing, which I finally started yesterday. :) My gardens have undergone some major changes in the last couple of years and even though some are back in shape others are still a complete mess so have been thinking about whether I want to make any major changes or additions or if I just want to get them back to the way they were......Time marches on and major changes usually means major aches and pains! :)

Lilyfinch I made a couple of glass birdbaths from plates and vases that I picked up at yardsales. I got the idea on the garden junk? forum.

I have been hoping to find an old ladder to use as a structure for vines in the garden

midnightsmum, congratulations on your Meyer lemon success! Are they fairly easy?

Happy new year!

Lois

I don't post very often any more as our gardens are pretty much set. I don't forsee making any large changes. The only flowers I purchased the last few years were perennials for my pots. The same with posting pictures. Everyone has pretty much seen my gardens and I don't want to bore you. I do still pop in often to see what is new but the traffic on this forum has decreased so much. It is sad as I remember how busy it used to be.

Greylady - The lemon tree has been remarkably easy thus far. I bought a one gallon bush in March and managed to get it home without frostbite - no mean feat. I put it on a sunny windowsill till it was nice enough here, then put it on our back deck, in a larger pot. It got good light and was front and centre to get lots of water over our dry summer. It bloomed profusely, to my delight, and the bees as well. The Bumbles loved it. And the scent - oh my. The same scent as orange blossoms. It kept all it's leaves till just recently, when it did drop a few, which might be due to the dry air. I have the little humidifier going in the room now. I hope it does well again this year, that it was not a fluke.

Nancy.

Thanks for the info, Nancy. I think I will be keeping my eye out for either a plant or seeds and give it a try. Although it may take a few years for it to reach the flowering and fruiting stage. My neighbour used to have a very old mock orange that smelled heavenly.... I looked forward to it flowering every year, but it finally gave up and I really missed it when it was gone.

mary_lu_gw, seeing your garden pictures would be such a nice change and 'pick me up' from the blustery weather....It would be a great reminder of what is to come. :) I know I would like to see them

loisthegardener, it isn't really tall but rose campion can really take the heat and the silvery foliage looks nice in the garden. Comes in white too.

Lucky you! :). A few years ago one of my granddaughters helped me raise monarch cats. We brought in the leaves with the eggs on them and put them in cages and just kept bringing in milkweed leaves and kept the container clean. I think we raised around ten of them. It was fun to watch the process and watch them fly off. We did sadly lose one, but it was educational and a good experience for a ten year old.

The pralines look yummy! Any other pics of the kitties so we can see both their faces? :)

Lios - I meant to say, your fence is starting to look almost as good as those pralines. I second the rose campion. I have grown it with foxglove, and it also looks good with obedient plant, which is kinda spiky, and also attracts sphinx moths and hummers!!

Nancy.

I've been hibernating in the house, in front of the fireplace doing jigsaw puzzles or tucked under a blanket in front of the TV vegetating. After having several VERY mild winters this year we're having a stinker of a winter and these old bones aren't liking it very much. Even with a heater going in the greenhouse I'm having trouble keeping the temps above freezing, never had to deal with this in many a year :(.

I'm having to make some changes in my garden, make less work for myself, the years are creeping up on me, darn it. Still, I will be out there playing in the dirt come spring LOL. The last few years I've done more on the vegetable side of growing than flowers but still love my perennials and the few tubs and baskets I do up.

Just had another checkup and so far so good I'm 3 years cancer free, which is amazing as I almost bit the bullet in 2013. Fingers crossed I still have a few gardening years left in me.

Another great grand arrived on the scene early Saturday morning, that makes #7 for us. #2 son has two granddaughters and now a grandson, he's really popping buttons, also he's getting married in June, we are ecstatic with the gal that has stolen his heart this time round, We think he finally has found his soulmate which makes this mom very happy.

I haven't been on this forum very often lately as it has been so slow, I think that happened when the changeover happen and a lot left and went to face book. Hopefully things will pick up in the spring.

Annette

Lois, I had the strawberry foxglove bloom and then it stopped. I moved 2 into a shadier spot last fall. We shall see. I sow larkspurs in fall. Delphiniums won't grow here (I tried my first year; got tiny plants and blooms). I second or third the rose campions, could send anyone seeds when they are ready. I never even planted them, they just showed up. I sowed some wallflowers in a medium pot last fall and am looking forward to their scent and color. If only I can save them from the critters when I plant them out.

I've been trying to play my piano, get back into drawing, and getting out to clean up the garden and work on compost, when weather permits. Try to walk the dog daily, unless we have ice, like last week. Watching too much TV, and Netflix, while crocheting towels and cloths.

Annette - I shall have to look you up on FB!! :) We have been watching the horrendous winter the Island has been having. Here in the East, Old Man Winter is up to his usual tricks - nothing too extreme yet. Good to 'see' you!!

Hi greylady, here is another pic of Odin amd Thor. They are good cats and totally won over my formerly dog-only husbands heart. :-)

andrea, i cant get larkspur to grow here to save my life. I tried for 3 years and only once did it even germinate and then it grew 2 inches and died. I suspect the soil is too sandy. Cornflower on the other hand does well and gives me that true blue that i crave.

Here is another garden picture .. this is our mailbox with lavender and autumn sage.

Bleh, houzz is distorting my photos, sorry about that!

Nancy, you won't find me on FB , just here on GW. I visit and participate on a couple of other forums also one in the UK but not FB. So far I've stayed clear of FB, DH is not a big fan.

Annette

Oh darn - that means I've sent a friend request to a stranger - lol.

Congratulations, Annette, on both of your good news comments. Great results with your lemon tree, Nancy.

I have missed our little group and also am posting less though still post regularly on the perennials forum. I am enjoying the photos and comments here. Mary Lu, I came to this forum late and have only seen a few photos of your lovely garden, roses and peonies, right? Would love to see them again.

Love the cats. I am a cat person though haven't owned any for many years.

lilyfinch, I have an old wheelbarrow to give away. Sorry you do not live close.

No winter sowing or starting vegetable seedlings for me this winter. We, with the help of a handyman, are removing wall paper, painting and fixing odds and ends as we get the house ready for market this spring. Also sorting belongings for recycling, give away and throw away as plan to move into a much smaller place.

I'm executor of my mother's estate. She passed in October so I've been busy these last four months running here and there, clearing out her house, getting the contents ready for auction, filing paper work, etc. Things are finally slowing down, and the house looks to be sold the first part of February.

Hello all, I'm an avid cottage gardener, live in Vancouver and lurk occasionally.

I hope to participate this year.

I 'm of the same mind as Lilyfinch and treasure my own old wheelbarrow

that I inherited from my lovely elderly neighbor who built it himself about 90 years ago.

I've spent the last week building a little flagstone area under an old pear tree. I've had a lovely time out in the brick and stone yard, choosing specific flagstones.

I think I'll plant Kenilworth ivy in the cracks as I've noticed it survived the -10 degrees blast we had. Valli P.

In the Winter I do pretty much the same as in the Summer. But wearing more layers.

Vallitoo, this forum needs a fresh shot of "avid cottage gardening"! Welcome and I LOVE the wheelbarrow. I see you like to dress a table in the garden like me. Good luck on your new project and don't forget to post pics.

schoolhouse, my condolences for your loss, and all that hard work and grief, you will need a rest. Hopefully the weather will cooperate so that your garden does not need much watering or weeding any time soon.

I have to dig out and eliminate more echinacea an rudbeckia and ivy before they take over the world.

I haven't posted on this forum for a while but I always read through. Mostly during the winter I over plan for spring planting and wind up tired before I've begun. Discovered growing sweet peas last year, and I couldn't have been more delighted. I'll be planting plenty more this year, you can be sure. I have a similar wheelbarrow to the one vallitoo posted above - I'm going to plant it up this spring too. Love that look. Vallitoo -I looked through your snapshots - lovely! Where are you located? I'll be posting more often here since there seems to be more activity.

Thanks kindly for the "Barrow compliments". Vancouver, B.C. has a wonderful environment for gardens, so we have no excuse not to do well.

I was thinking that they are the perfect portable little garden beds, that can be moved around. I was thinking, that since there are a few of us, we should have a barrow thread, not a challenge, but a little project where we can compare progress. we could paint them if necessary, to blend into our cottage gardens. Some of them are a bit ugly as they are, but rusty ones would be a treasure.

Skibby, I was so sentimental about my old neighbour's handiwork that I went to a metalworks shop and had a liner made to fit, to stop the wood rotting so much. I, also love sweet peas (and poppies). Valli P.

School, my condolences as well, so sorry for your loss, hugs.

Annette

Hello all, a bit quiet again. :) I am back after being knocked off my feet by a nasty cold that hit me the middle of January. Still have a bit of a tickle occasionally but relieved to be feeling human again.

Annette, I had been thinking of you while listening to the reports of the weather you have been having. It sounds like you have found a good way to deal with it. :) I hope you can keep your greenhouse warm enough. Congratulations on your great 3 year checkup! That is wonderful news. I had my second 3 month checkup at the end of January and the doctor was pleased and said I could now 'graduate' to having a six month checkup and only have to go to the lab for blood work every three months instead of every month.

Congratulations also on your new grandbaby and your son's upcoming wedding. Lots of good news at your house!

Andreap, I tried foxgloves years ago with very little success. I think it was you Annette who sent me seeds? Anyway, they gave up after a year or two and I didn't try them again until one lonely little one showed up in the garden and put on a nice little show last year despite being surrounded by weeds. It looks like it seeded so I am hoping that it will establish itself this time.

Loisthegardener, thank you for the picture of your kitties. They are beautiful. I have a big grumpy orange boy named Buddy.

Mnwsgal, I hope you are doing well with your moving preparations. It is a big job to deal with.

Schoolhouse, my condolences to you on the loss of your mom. I lost my mom in 1988 (October) and my mother-in-law in 2010 and had to do what you are doing both times. It is very stressful and I hope you are doing well.

Vallitoo, beautiful wheelbarrow planting! Love the look of the brick!

Floral, no frozen ground or snow to deal with?

Skibby, I have tried and failed with annual sweet peas but the everlasting sweet peas would have taken over the yard years ago if I don't keep them under control.

Well I am wintersowing and thinking about spring. I will actually be able to get out there and do some gardening this year....Last year was a bust! :)

Another update:

This year I am giving in a little and inviting a landscaper to help me out with things that I used to do myself. I just don't seem to have the time these days to get out there and spend hours on a project.

In the meantime, the maple trees are blooming now with their tiny red flowers, the hellebores are starting to bloom, and some of the wintersown seeds are sprouting.

I need to stir my stumps and order some interesting-looking plants from Santa Rosa Gardens (coriopsis Poleris, which looks like white cosmos), and Annies Annuals (not sure what to get yet, but they have a lot of drought resistant flowers I never heard of before).

by the way, lilyfinch, your zinnias patch picture in another thread was my inspiration to plant zinnias again this year. I have a small patch now but it will grow as I can save more seeds year after year. I don't notice many birds or butterflies on them, but they give me something for cheery bouquets when I feel I need a pick-me-up. Zinnias take me back to childhood, when I planted and tended zinnias while my gardening Dad took care of his Victory garden.

In a few weeks, I'll start some tomato seedlings, and then in March, put them out under plastic to get established.

Perfect timing.

This year I'm going to focus on growing larkspur in among delphiniums.

I ordered four different kinds from California and they arrived on a warm sunny day, so I planted quite a lot of seeds, knowing that they like to be frozen, and also knowing that we were going to have unusual snow. That night, we got piles of snow and now those little seeds have no excuse not to pop up and flourish.

I seem to like unsophisticated plants and the foundation of the spring display consists of semi-wild plants that have been donated by birds. Lots of pink campion, celandine , with its lovely fresh yellows and pretty leaves and also fumaria cascading here and there. Surprisingly, the little columbines are all sprouting, so I hope they don't mind the snow.

Vallitoo, although it's a bit of a spreader I love Kenilworth Ivy too, everyone that knows me knows I'm drawn to rambunctious plants, like a moth is to a flame LOL. I have it covering an old stump and in several other places in the garden, it's other relative C. hepaticifolia leaves are not as delicate. I think I still have a bit of it in a container somewhere. Baby Tears, is another that does well in between flagstones in shadier places here, even in a winter with freezing temps it comes back for me, I have both the green and golden leafed varieties.

Annette

Kenilworth Ivy is a favorite of mine as well. I moved it to a drier area and thought I had lost it in my gardens but was happy to see it reappear the next spring in the original area. It has spread moderately but has been easy to pull out.

I just made my 2017 garden to do list the other day. Among the tasks are to rake out/cleanup the beds from winter debris, prune the shrubs and trees surrounding the patio to allow for more sunlight to penetrate, prune all the Knockout roses way back to encourage shrubbier growth, move the 3 Earthboxes to a sunnier location for better production next year, mulch any barren areas, etc. I may also plan some moving around of plants this year to better accommodate their sunlight preferences, and I will be keeping a lookout for more garden decorations like old galvanized things, stumps, etc. We are preparing for 5-8" of snow overnight tonight, but this weekend it should be melted and 53 degrees F, so I plan to do as much pruning as my back can handle on Saturday. Need to replace a bunch of garden fencing that I use to keep our 3 dogs out of the garden, too. I wish that stuff would go on sale ever! May add more Oriental and Asiatic lilies this year, even if they only put on a good show this summer. I found it really enjoyable to sit and think about the chores to do and the plans being made to further enhance the garden this spring. While I don't really have any new beds planned, there's plenty I can do to make the existing ones even better, so I will concentrate on that as my goal for 2017.

Threedogs - are your lilies bothered by red lily beetles? I'm in central Vermont and they got so bad here that I pulled all my lilies out. Even when the plants survived, they sure didn't thrive. I couldn't keep up with the hand picking and these beetles' life cycle is such that it became hopeless. I sure do miss them. (lilies, not the beetles)

Skibby, no they have not made it to my yard yet, although it's just a waiting game probably.

I had the little red buggers in my old garden - very tough to get rid of....I was fine in my new one here for a while. I would soak any new bulbs in a dilute bleach solution overnight before I planted them. I carelessly invited a thug into my garden, though, when I decided to plant the Easter Lily I got from Walmart. :( And now, I have them in spades. I have heard that research has found that parasitic wasps are successful combatting them - now to source those!!

I love this time of year - dreaming of what I will sow in annuals this spring. The story going around here is an old one - they are worried again about the hallucinogenic effects of morning glory seeds. They were worried about that 40 some years ago - lol. Just in case I grabbed some Heavenly Blues as soon as I saw them. I am now trying to source some frilly annual poppies. Last year was so dry, and I was missing a helper in the garden, and most of my seeding failed. So, the gardeners cry - wait till this year!!

Cheers, Nancy.

Hi everyone!! Have you ever started a thread and forgotten about it ?!!' lol I am so sorry i missed out on all this delightful chit chat for so long!!

Please excuse me for not being able to reply to everyone but I love all the photos !! Just what we need to see . I did find a rusty wheel barrow for only 15$ at the flea market! I painted the bucket part light yellow and my dh hates it :( but o think it'll be beautiful with petunia when it's time !!

Midnightd mom ., I had no idea people did things with those seeds until I went to order them in bulk on Amazon and the reviews enlightened me . I can't get over what risks people will go through for a so called good time ! Unreal .

Lilyfinch - let's see that wheelbarrow!