Any Green Thumbs at SF?

protector2814 · 04-04-2009, 02:07 PM

Besides the usual Spring/Summer upkeep of the yard (mowing, pruning, weeding, etc...) I actually enjoy keeping a medium sized garden next to our car-port.
I grow tomatoes, cukes, carrots, some peppers and flowers. I grow tons of Lavender 'cause come July, the smell is fantastic as the breeze hits...perfect while kicking back with a gin and tonic.
Any fellow gardeners out there? If so, what are you gettiing ready to plant? Share any gardening tips.

joefixit2 · 04-05-2009, 07:21 AM

I hate my yard.

Jesse321 · 04-05-2009, 09:15 AM

I raise orchids and just recently replanted my back yard ... does that count?

protector2814 · 04-05-2009, 09:46 AM

Sure does. I couldn't grow an orchid to save my life...they're tough.

Babytoxie · 04-05-2009, 05:25 PM

You betcha. We've been in our house 4 years, and I spend every spare minute working in the yard. The folks who lived here before us put absolutely no effort into landscaping, so I decided to make up for it. Our lawn is St. Augustine, which I let grow fairly thick. Two 50-year old pecan trees are in the front, one in the back. We have a pink oleander, a Natchez mock orange, photinias, loropetalum, encore azaleas, lantana, Texas sage, liriope, rosemary, nandina, hosta, asparagus ferns, hydrangea, daffodils, a ton of day lilies, dwarf pomegranate bushes, lilac, lavender, turk's cap, butterfly bushes, Mexican heather, esparanza, dianthus, aster, coneflower, canna, hibiscus, honeysuckle, jasmine... whew! It doesn't look that impressive right now since they're still filling in, but I'm proud of it. I haven't tried fruit or vegetables yet, and I only use annuals in pots, not in the beds - can't stand the thought of all that digging to only get one year out of a plant.

lord odin · 04-05-2009, 05:30 PM

Opium Poppy

protector2814 · 04-05-2009, 05:54 PM

I'm with ya, BT (sounds like you all have a beautiful yard) on the annuals. Ain't no way I'm spending the time on my knees for a 4 week pay-off. Like you, I do plant a lot of them in containers. I love lots of flowers spilling out of beautiful pots. Fun, 'cause you can move them to wherever suits you when it suits you. I put more lavender in just yesterday. We also have 5 Crape Myrtles which I have to prune the hell out of in early March. Put my Toms in yesterday too, but I think I may be pushing my luck. I'm seeing mid-30's this week at dawn.

Lord Odin....why am I not surprised

...it's that Stewie icon.

Babytoxie · 04-05-2009, 08:28 PM

Crepe myrtles in my yard have been a spectacular disaster. They are all over my block and look beautiful, so I figured I'd add some to mine. Big mistake... after 3 years, they were infested w/ mealybugs, and nothing would fix the problem. I dug them up and tossed them, then had to totally rearrange the front garden which had been built around them.

What kills me is, one of our neighbors got tired of some young myrtles in his yard and actually mowed over them! They sprang back up and look better than ever.

**Vince-Vell** · 04-07-2009, 10:05 AM

I cant in my apt complex, but my pops always grows tomatoes every year. I grew up going into his garden picking a tomato and eating it like a apple. Then every summer we make tomato salads etc..

**wktf** · 04-07-2009, 10:18 AM

I'm not a gardener myself but my wife is a registered, card carrying Master Gardener. As a result, I'm out in the yard all the time but, basically, taking orders and doing what I'm told. I take no credit, other than the needed manual labor, for our landscaping and yard but have to say it's absolutely stunning.