Backyard soil rejuvenation project

Ranunculus explosion


Stock looking pretty


Mini roses blooming again after 3 years

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Found the chiveā€¦ There are actually 2 and 2 coming up. So small it was hard to find them. 2 Crasapedias sprouting as well. Also, the shasta daisy seed I direct sowed popped up. By next year, it should be a pretty little bush. Why do perennials grow so darn slow? Maybe because they last forever? Got the liquid fish drench done today. Ew, that stuff stinks, but the plants love it. In 2 weeks, I switch back to the Cal-Mag drenches for a month. Keeping on schedule per the soil test. Got a few more pinwheel zinnias and I see the tall cutting zinnias starting flowers. The stock plants are a trip, they started flowering so small and they just keep growing and flowering up the stems like buds lol

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Really donā€™t know how in the hell I am getting so lucky with all the mixed seeds I germed. I seem to be getting all of the colors. So far the stock, cosmos, dwarf phlox. Pretty cool. The vincas and snapdragons should start flowering soon I would think. They both were started in the greenhouse, but they seem to be growing so slowly. In my shade planter, Iā€™m already getting a flower from my chinese ground orchids. So crazy as they barely sprouted 2 thin leaves from the bulbs I planted maybe last month. Out of those 2 skinny little leaves a long flower has popped up literally overnight. Excited to see what these are gonna look like. Couple more days and Iā€™ll give you all a peek. Found 2 lilies in the front sprouted. These bulbs looked suspect when I planted them and I really never thought they would come up. Not to mention there is quite a bit of shade in that spot. The double tiger lilies and another yellow asiatic lily are already forming flowers. I donā€™t think my Stargazers are gonna happen though. No sign of them, could have been eaten by grub worms or stolen by squirrels. Every day itā€™s something new and I love it! Not sure about the bat flower, one of the fingers looks like it died. Itā€™s possible I planted it upside down. It was impossible to tell.

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Chinese ground orchid. Now I see where the name came from. The flower sprouts straight from the ground


Brodaia Rudy

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Holy crap! I just pruned these tomatoes back 2 days ago. They are almost 4 ft tall.

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Went to the 99 cent store today and stocked up on plastic planters and some made from bamboo! All kinds of sizes too, all with drainage holes. They arenā€™t even the really thin cheapy greenhouse kind. Got a couple plant stands as well. Really loaded up for like 20 bucks. Score! Ran into an old friend there too. Funny, she was my boyfriendā€™s first love back in the day. I met them both at the same time. Almost 30 years ago now. She was my roommate about 25 years ago too. Life is funny like that and she lives like 3 blocks from me.

More shade plants arrived so I did a bit of planting. Ghost fern, white filagree hosta and 3 double flowered hellebores. I also ordered 2 more bleeding hearts one white and one pink. Instead of the pink, I ended up with a bag of geraniums. lol Not a big fan. Sent an email, Iā€™m sure they will send my plant. I suppose I could throw the geraniums into one of the million new pots I bought today, what the hell.

I uppotted one of my psychedelic spring violas that was flowering and put it on my neighbors porch. I have 3 more that I havenā€™t done anything with yet. Combined all 3 of my petunias into one big container and after all my drama over the creeping thyme, I decided not to put it in the ground. I couldnā€™t bring myself to kill it as it smells really good, so I stuck 3 of them in a long pot and stuck it by the mj beds. Donā€™t know if it deters bugs or not, but itā€™s actually a pretty spiller plant so what the hell. I still have 4 left in starters, no idea what Iā€™ll do with them. Maybe plant with the oregano I have in to germ in a pot. I also planted my crasapedia into the veggie patch. I have a few more germing now that I will plant somewhere too. I see 2 of those sprouts popped up and one carnation sprout. No sign of the impatiens, lobelia or lavender yet. I do have 5 or 6 tiny chive sprouts now, but no sign of the spearmint that I planted at the same time.

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Sounds like things are just humminā€™ alongā€¦ Looks good, love the colours and the different variety you haveā€¦

Good luck with the thyme, Iā€™m getting ready to fight it off soon. I can say it is not a deterrent to Rose Chafers as those bastards keep coming backā€¦ It does smell nice thoughā€¦

Peace
DaFozz

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Thanks! I really love flowers so, I really tried to get a big variety and quite a few that I just donā€™t see around here. Southern Cali is like succulent nation. While I like them and they are drought tolerant, Iā€™m just bored with them as thatā€™s all I see. My potted plant collection is getting quite large now as well. They are strewn all over the backyard. Mostly, I just canā€™t stop starting seeds. lol I see a flower that I like and I need it (like a hole in the head). Itā€™s really fun watching the bare root shade plants come in especially as I barely got them. They seem to be doing better than any of the bare roots I planted in the sun. So many disappeared, died or just didnā€™t come up.

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Completely forgot to mention that the wisteria didnā€™t like the liquid fish drench, but it was cool with the other fish foliar, one that has a few other things in it. For a vine that is considered a weed in many places, it is the most finicky sucker ever. From what I have experienced if you want to grow one, find the crappiest soil you can and plant it there and never fertilize it. lol
This effin plant! My mom had accidentally ordered 2 about 3 years ago now and gave me one. So far this year is the biggest itā€™s gotten. The prior 2 years, it has gotten a handful of leaves then they would die if I used any nutrients. It got torn practically in half as a stick the first year when I planted it by Jezebel and has spent 90% of itā€™s life as a twig. Iā€™ll grab a pic of it soon to show you guys.

Oh yeah, Iā€™m pretty sure the gardenia bush is dead. Never could figure it out. Oh well, I tried.

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Had a thought this morning about the bareroot plants I planted in the fall. Since this was before I had the soil test and amended everything, maybe the soil didnā€™t have enough juju to get them going. I had added bone meal to the planting holes of the bulbs so they made it, but the perennials didnā€™t. None of them.

Also, @MomOnTheRun I believe that transplant formula really does work, as I made sure to use it on all the recent shade plantings and they have all come up so far.

btwā€¦ the new ghost fern I got yesterday is so bitchen. Canā€™t wait for it to get big. Funny, Iā€™m not usually a big fan of foliage only plants, but that white is gonna shine in the shade.

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oh it works just not sure if its better than other formulationsā€¦I do like that there are minerals in it that help feed the microbes so they may populate faster though havenā€™t really paid attention. I am glad its working for you

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Staked up the tomatoes yet again today. Bugs have made it to the back shade plantersā€¦ Iā€™ll start eradication tmw. The new blue zebra primrose is already flowering which is funny as the plant hasnā€™t even recovered from shipping and transplanting. I barely put it in. The leaves havenā€™t even perked up yet. Pretty sure itā€™s that transplant formula. It kinda rocks.

Dug bermuda grass out of one of the planters today. Making my roundsā€¦ Wisteria trellis had come loose, Dad came over and secured that also drilled out holes in a few pots I had, like to keep those ready to go since I canā€™t stop growing shit and Iā€™m running out of ground space. lol Iā€™ve decided that I am extremely fond of the dwarf phlox that is flowering in every color now. Hit up the hydro store for some soil for the autos and got some kelp and a box of seabird guano. Iā€™m gonna experiment with the guano on the roses and flower beds.

EDIT- actually strike that, gonna experiment with the guano on the container flowersā€¦ planters should be good since amendment.

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Found my main allergy culprit in the garden. Absolutely certain now, itā€™s the kellogs brand organic soil. All of it, the garden soil, potting mix and raised bed mix. Whatever tree bark they use absolutely kills me. I scratch holes in my arms after transplanting container plants and anytime I dig in anywhere with some of the soil. Wasnā€™t certain at first. Got some prescription cream from my doc awhile back when I was digging up all the planters and it hadnā€™t happened again until the last 2 times I was planting flowers in pots. The fancy soil I use for the mj autos doesnā€™t bother me though. At least now I know, long sleeves when transplanting. Also, killed a black widow yesterday and saw a baby today, must be that time. Mental note to be diligent in wearing my gloves. Those suckers hurt.

Also turns out that Iā€™m gonna be stuck with 3 geraniums that I got by mistake, since I canā€™t just kill them. Good news is they are a great bug deterrent! Yay! At least they are useful.

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You may want to do some research on the ingredients; I pretty much wonā€™t use storebought soil for food/mmj because most of it has ā€œbadā€ things.

If you see ā€œmunicipal wasteā€ that can be sewage sludge (yes) and or green-waste garbage (chock full of plastic bags & batteries & anything else from the dump).

On a sam-e-lar subjectā€¦ howā€™s your compost rotisserie cookinā€™?

I too got the itchy skin from quite a few storebought soils.

:evergreen_tree:

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I only use the cheaper soil on my potted flowers. Buy some pricey super soil for container mj

My compost is cooking. I need to be more diligent about adding water and turning it though as itā€™s taking awhile.

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So my container strawberries have their first flower. The alpine container kind. Found a volunteer Marigold in my cutting garden. Itā€™s a yellow one. :slight_smile: Stuck the free geraniums in pots. About 4 more days and Iā€™ll need to up pot all of my fem and reg seedlings too.

Not much to say today, death of a close friend. Been on life support since Thursday, just finished harvesting his organs and at 11:59 pm he was officially dead. My boyfriends best friend since they were children and one of my oldest friends, since 5th grade. Almost 40 years. Just :broken_heart: Thatā€™s all there is to say about that.

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Condolences, bro. Flower gardening is good medicine for that kind of thing. RIP Meeshā€™s buddy.

peace

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Hugs and sorry @Meesh

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My condolences Meesh. Always hurts to lose someone close. 40 years makes it all the harder.

Hang in there.

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Sorry to hear of your loss of a great friend sending hugs from Colorado!

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