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I'm way behind because it has been so cold and wet this spring, usually I like to dump all my pots and add in extra new soil, organic matter and fertilizer before refilling my pots, it also gives me a chance to do repairs and tweak my self watering planters. One of my problems is that I'd rather not keep crowding everything on my deck, I want to dedicate a patch of my yard as a sort of planter garden space - I'll lay down cardboard, place my pots and cover the ugly with cedar mulch. Unfortunately the best spot is right along the partial cedar hedge that separates me from my problem neighbours and I feel intimidated to actually begin the project, so I keep humming and hawing (some of my "pots" are 5 gallon pails, they definitely aren't pretty).
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The cactus are blooming, beautiful flowers. Then, some more bloom.
These are the ones I tried to give away.

All I did to "garden" was to move them out in the open for moving.
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Will you ship them to Canada Send? (lol)
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Where is c a n a d a ? Never heard of it, Lol.

Would love to send you some cactus CWillie. But I cannot get near without them biting me. Cannot repot them because of this, and hubs has refused.

There is a gallon ceramic pot, growing overboard in what should be a 24 inch planter. This is one of the bloomin ones! Maybe cactus like to suffer hardship.

Lol. They were removed from the side my neighbor is on-she gave permission to put them there. We are taking over her gardening in exchange for favors. But now, our gardening will suffer....hubs cannot do everything.
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A good tip for replanting little cactus is to wrap them in several layers of newspaper so you don't get pricked, maybe something like a sturdy tarp would work for larger cacti? I like to grow cacti and succulents as house plants because they don't mind at all when they are neglected, in fact it is what they prefer!
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Carpet is a great way to handle cactus without getting bit.
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The tomatoes and peppers are in finally, the cukes are sprouting. I'm scaling back this year - two beds of edibles, herbs scattered in beds and pots. One bed in easy flowers like zinnias and marigolds. And the last bed will be all sunflowers. Every year, I grow one new or fun item. This year, it's Glass Gem ornamental corn from seeds I gathered when I grew it a few years ago. The kernels on those ears were either colored like Crayolas, or like jelly beans. The lavender is getting ready to bloom. It really feels good to have the gardens under control.
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I used to use gardening as therapy, but now I live in the city, so that's over. It was nice when we had a family home at the shore because we could raise tomatoes and make our own tomato sauce.
Also, today, I am unable to take bright sunshine( it really hurts my eyes and dries my skin) even with sunglasses and sun block. Getting old is not for the faint of heart.
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I'm suffering from that common gardener's malady - I want more plants than my yard allows. I very much want an old fashioned deep purple lilac. And a bridal wreath spirea - I know they only look spectacular for a couple of weeks in June but I've always loved them anyway.
And then there are all the perennials I keep trying to cram in my borders: where can I fit some delphinium... lupine... ooo some campanula would be lovely... did you know there are purple day lilies?... I wonder where I could put some perennial alyssum... I definitely need more primroses ....
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Sheesh, CW, you mind that alyssum. Once you've got it in the garden you won't need to wonder where to put it. It'll decide all by itself.
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Good to know CM. The one time I planted it at my mom's it didn't take, I had no idea it was one of 'those' plants!
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I've been wanting a little veggie garden but never had the time to weed or the strength to rototill. This year, I went to Aldi's and purchased a raised garden, just a little 4x4, filled it with a few bags of topsoil, and bought plants at the farmer's market. I now have beans, zucchini, lettuce, tomatoes, mustard greens, dill, and cucumbers planted. Hoping to have some good salads this summer! I live within bicycling distance of several farm stands, so can fill in the blanks with other veggies. Mom loves fresh tomatoes, so it will be nice to be able to take her some.
(P.S. - the mustard greens were a mistake - thought I was getting leaf lettuce. What do you do with mustard greens?)
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I have uploaded my lupin specially for you :) It's called "the Governor" and this is its third year. It is spectacularly popular with aphids - "what sort of aphids?" asked my neighbour. "Big fat ones" I replied, being an expert in these matters - but also with bees, as you can just about see.

It was actually the bee whose image I was trying to capture. I am in two minds about whether to look it up because I am half afraid it will turn out to be called an orange-bottomed black bee, and I could kind of figure that out for myself.
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Anyone need goat head seed pods? Still no sod. This was a wet week, too wet for landscaper I am sure.😢
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Cwillie is left minding the Asylum?
Glad wants us to plant goat heads?

My job is done here.
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Well, at least you don't have to mow the grass gladimhere!
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Funny, CW, I went to order mower last week since I have to keep native grass area cut too. And at least landscaper came to level the property as I would not have even been able to mow as uneven as it was. LS had started to till it up last fall, then gas line to house took so long. Got nowhere last year.

Still snow in May, my avatar, we might finally be done.🌻🌺🍅🌲🌼🌸🐦
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Have any of you ever tried to grow espaliered fruit trees?
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Cw- have not grown, but now that I know what that is, I want to try.
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Love espaliered trees. I grew an espaliered jade plant once on a narrow kitchen window sill. It started by chance then I encouraged it,
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I should have written "espaliered" as it wasn't against a wall but against a window, and all I did was prune to encourage the growth in certain directions. But I think it is the same principle.
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Golden my mom had a similar jade plant that lived on the wide window sill in her living room, when it got quite large I "rescued" it and moved it to a large jardiniere. I still have it, it is now at least 20 years old and thanks to annual pruning no longer espaliered looking!
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Sounds lovely, cw. Unfortunately mine did not survive the move up here. I would love to try again once I have moved south. I especially like the pink variegated ones or a rich deep green.
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My cherimoya tree is having a lot of flowers which need to be hand pollinated or else fruits won't set. I did that last year and got about a dozen fruits. I am doing the same this year and my husband suggests if I make the buzzing sound when I do it, I might have more success. ;D
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Hey!
I yelled, HEY!
Asked hubs to stop that gardener.

The gardeners truck filled with tools drove by again. I jumped up from the chair I was sitting in, icing my lower back from the pain of pulling a 1 ft. x 1 ft. square area of weeds.
I yelled, HEY! HEY!

Hubs starts mumbling how the gardener won't stop, how the gardener won't understand, how I would need to tell him how much I am willing to pay, how I should speak more simply, how he would not understand if I asked for "an estimate".

Gardener starts tomorrow, $20 bucks per month to pull weeds!


A neighbor, who had called the gardener the day before, (reason he was i n the neighborhood) walks over to talk to him.

Yay!
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Hey Send! Send! Hey........................!

Good for you! :)
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PB-Never heard of cherimoya until now. Can you tell me what flavor it might be similar to. Thank you.

Great Job Send, Way to hustle.
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smeshque - cherimoya is a tropical fruit. I can't think of a typical American fruit that is similar. The outside skin is thick, green and soft when ripen. The flesh is white with many black seeds the size of sunflower seeds. The flesh is soft yet has a bit of a chew to it, and is very fragrant somewhat like a pear, and very sweet.

My younger daughter loves this fruit and it is very expensive at the market ($6-$8 a pound), so I decided to buy a tree. Actually, I bought 3 trees, not at the same time though. The first one cost me $60 but died after a few months, the second one $50 also died, the last one $25 actually lives and give fruits. Woohoo!!!
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Thanks Gershun, Thanks Smeshque for the Hey kudos.

Polarbear,
Fruit sounds good! You must really love your daughter to buy that many trees
to get the fruit!
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The gardener in the pick up truck was a no show.
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