Mystery garden - Page 2

Pico and ME · 03-12-2009, 07:02 PM

I was thinking #6 looks like a weigela (the lower plant).

ETA: Oops, picture #6 post #11...

Pie · 03-12-2009, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jinx

I'm just guessing...
Post #6 looks like a Clematis, #7 looks like Honeysuckle, #9 looks like Forsythia, #14 has a big Hydrangea - my favorite.

Yeah, there are great big hydrangeas in three or four places. Should I cut them back?
Re: #9: I think it's a little too small to be forsythia, and doesn't forsythia usually bloom before it puts out leaves?
I had to go look up Clematis -- it looks like it will have beautiful flowers! I can't wait to see what comes up next.

Aliantha · 03-12-2009, 07:14 PM

You could put in a really nice water feature in the area where the moss is growing. Something that splashes a bit so the moss grows extra thick. We don't get much moss growing in my part of the world. Mostly fungus. lol Nowhere near as romantic.

jinx · 03-12-2009, 07:16 PM

Don't cut the hydrangea back, it won't bloom again for several years of you do.
There are quite a few kinds of clematis... some grow slowly and some will takeover quickly. I used to cut mine down to the ground every year and it would still get out of hand. If that's what you've go there I would at least cut it back off it's neighbors... although it doesn't look like it got too big last year.

zippyt · 03-12-2009, 07:21 PM

call your county government , see if they have an Agriculture extintion office ,
or ask a reputable garden center mngr who is the master gardner for the area ,
or do a Google search fpr the master gardner for the area , they should have Lots of advice

or just get your self one of these http://www.amazon.com/Red-Dragon-VT2...6903536&sr=8-1

Hell get one any way , they are usefull and fun !!!

Pie · 03-12-2009, 07:23 PM

Thanks, Jinx. I've been reading up on hydrangeas since I posted last. They seem to be 'mopheads', in which case I should definitely not cut them down, just prune off the dead heads themselves very close to the flower. Does that make sense?

I will pull the clematis off its victim. We'll see how fast it grows this year!

Pie · 03-12-2009, 07:33 PM

No water features -- too many mosquitoes. Too much work to upkeep!
I'm going for something like this.

I have a friend in the area who's a master gardener. I will be asking her to come over sometime in the next month or so -- but I didn't want to wait that long before I started work. I need to get moving on cleaning up all the fallen leaves and branches from the winter.

She's also much more interested in vegetables than ornamentals. Right now, I'm only planning to plant a few herbs.

Razzmatazz13 · 03-12-2009, 09:32 PM

If you wanted a more "uniform" moss growth, or just wanted to encourage it's spread you could try the moss recipe on the bald spots:

Mix up a batch of 12 oz. beer, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and a couple of clumps of moss. Paint this mixture thickly on any damp shady surface you'd like to be moss covered and the moss will slowly grow and spread.

Pie · 03-13-2009, 08:10 AM

I'd heard of something similar, putting the moss in an old blender (to help break open the spore casings) with buttermilk, since moss prefers an acidic environment.

dar512 · 03-13-2009, 09:14 AM

Hydrangeas attract ants, so it's best if you don't have any right next to the house. Mrs. Dar and neighbor gardening lady cut back our hydrangea every year and every year we get blooms. I don't know why. I do as little gardening as possible.

LabRat · 03-13-2009, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pie

I can't wait to see what comes up next.

We moved in to our house in early spring, before anything had started to sprout/come up. I loved the little surpises I found around our yard every time I went out. On the other hand, I am STILL trying to get rid of some of the stuff, like a damn rose bush, that won't stop coming back after 6 years!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pie

Yeah, there are great big hydrangeas in three or four places. Should I cut them back?

I walk by a church every day on my way to work that has 4-6 huge gorgeous hydrangeas between the building and the sidewalk. Every fall for the last 8 years, they have cut them down to within inches of the ground, and every spring, they come back as beautiful as ever. I don't know how long they were there before I started working here though...so maybe you can only cut mature ones back like this?

Take your pictures to a local greenhouse/nursery, along with a sample of each if you are really feeling spunky. They will be able to identify everything, no problem.

Have fun!!!

Pie · 03-13-2009, 09:34 AM

Apparently, there are more than one type of hydrangea. Some only bloom on the old wood (therefore, you don't prune), and others will happily bloom on new growth. I was looking at this site for identification help.

Queen of the Ryche · 03-13-2009, 12:10 PM

Not from your part of the country so things may vary but, #8 looks a lot like a bay laurel type of bush - not very exciting. I forget what the healthy one in #9 is called, but it should be smothered in tiny pink or white flowers in early spring. Bees love it. Water should help the purple guy. #10 looks like some vinca creeping in there. Don't know about MD, but in the south it's a curse and takes over everything, so you might want to abate it now. On the right in #11 looks like a relative of a marguerite daisy - should have tiny yellow daisy like flowers on it soon.

Hydrangeas are my favorite too. Grew like mad in Cali, but not so much here in CO.

Enjoy your surprises!!!

Pie · 03-13-2009, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Queen of the Ryche

#10 looks like some vinca creeping in there. Don't know about MD, but in the south it's a curse and takes over everything, so you might want to abate it now.

How strange! Many people plant vinca on purpose as a ground cover back in NJ -- never heard of it getting out of control. I like its dark green leaves and purple flowers better than pachysandra, anyways. Now the ivy, on the other hand, was a vicious predator. It tried to eat our heat exchanger and damn near won.

Thanks for all the idents. I will try and water "poor purple guy" and see if he gets better!

LabRat · 03-13-2009, 01:18 PM

Ahhhh. According to your linkie Pie, the plants I pass by are Annabelle (snowball) hydrangeas. They start green, turn white, and return to green.

::ticks "learn something new today" off her to-do list::

03-12-2009, 07:02 PM	#16
Pico and ME Are you knock-kneed? Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Middle Hoosierland Posts: 3,549	I was thinking #6 looks like a weigela (the lower plant). ETA: Oops, picture #6 post #11... Last edited by Pico and ME; 03-12-2009 at 07:28 PM.

03-12-2009, 07:14 PM	#18
Aliantha trying hard to be a better person Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 16,493	You could put in a really nice water feature in the area where the moss is growing. Something that splashes a bit so the moss grows extra thick. We don't get much moss growing in my part of the world. Mostly fungus. lol Nowhere near as romantic. __________________ Kind words are the music of the world. F. W. Faber

03-12-2009, 07:16 PM	#19
jinx Come on, cat. Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: general vicinity of Philadelphia area Posts: 7,013	Don't cut the hydrangea back, it won't bloom again for several years of you do. There are quite a few kinds of clematis... some grow slowly and some will takeover quickly. I used to cut mine down to the ground every year and it would still get out of hand. If that's what you've go there I would at least cut it back off it's neighbors... although it doesn't look like it got too big last year. __________________ Crying won't help you, praying won't do you no good.

03-12-2009, 07:21 PM	#20
zippyt LONG LIVE KING ZIPPY! per Feetz Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Arkansas Posts: 7,661	call your county government , see if they have an Agriculture extintion office , or ask a reputable garden center mngr who is the master gardner for the area , or do a Google search fpr the master gardner for the area , they should have Lots of advice or just get your self one of these http://www.amazon.com/Red-Dragon-VT2...6903536&sr=8-1 Hell get one any way , they are usefull and fun !!! __________________ "Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get. " Brother Dave Gardner

03-12-2009, 07:23 PM	#21
Pie Gone and done Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 4,808	Thanks, Jinx. I've been reading up on hydrangeas since I posted last. They seem to be 'mopheads', in which case I should definitely not cut them down, just prune off the dead heads themselves very close to the flower. Does that make sense? I will pull the clematis off its victim. We'll see how fast it grows this year! __________________ per·son \ˈpər-sən\ (noun) - an ephemeral collection of small, irrational decisions The fun thing about evolution (and science in general) is that it happens whether you believe in it or not.

03-12-2009, 07:33 PM	#22
Pie Gone and done Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 4,808	No water features -- too many mosquitoes. Too much work to upkeep! I'm going for something like this. I have a friend in the area who's a master gardener. I will be asking her to come over sometime in the next month or so -- but I didn't want to wait that long before I started work. I need to get moving on cleaning up all the fallen leaves and branches from the winter. She's also much more interested in vegetables than ornamentals. Right now, I'm only planning to plant a few herbs. __________________ per·son \ˈpər-sən\ (noun) - an ephemeral collection of small, irrational decisions The fun thing about evolution (and science in general) is that it happens whether you believe in it or not.

03-12-2009, 09:32 PM	#23
Razzmatazz13 Vicariously, I live... Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: USA Posts: 1,221	If you wanted a more "uniform" moss growth, or just wanted to encourage it's spread you could try the moss recipe on the bald spots: Mix up a batch of 12 oz. beer, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and a couple of clumps of moss. Paint this mixture thickly on any damp shady surface you'd like to be moss covered and the moss will slowly grow and spread. __________________ I have some people I need to have smoted. ~ SteveDallas

03-13-2009, 08:10 AM	#24
Pie Gone and done Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 4,808	I'd heard of something similar, putting the moss in an old blender (to help break open the spore casings) with buttermilk, since moss prefers an acidic environment. __________________ per·son \ˈpər-sən\ (noun) - an ephemeral collection of small, irrational decisions The fun thing about evolution (and science in general) is that it happens whether you believe in it or not.

03-13-2009, 09:14 AM	#25
dar512 dar512 is now Pete Zicato Join Date: May 2003 Location: Chicago suburb Posts: 4,968	Hydrangeas attract ants, so it's best if you don't have any right next to the house. Mrs. Dar and neighbor gardening lady cut back our hydrangea every year and every year we get blooms. I don't know why. I do as little gardening as possible. __________________ "Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain." -- Friedrich Schiller

03-13-2009, 09:34 AM	#27
Pie Gone and done Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 4,808	Apparently, there are more than one type of hydrangea. Some only bloom on the old wood (therefore, you don't prune), and others will happily bloom on new growth. I was looking at this site for identification help. __________________ per·son \ˈpər-sən\ (noun) - an ephemeral collection of small, irrational decisions The fun thing about evolution (and science in general) is that it happens whether you believe in it or not.

03-13-2009, 12:10 PM	#28
Queen of the Ryche is fleeing the scene Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Beautiful CO Posts: 1,510	Not from your part of the country so things may vary but, #8 looks a lot like a bay laurel type of bush - not very exciting. I forget what the healthy one in #9 is called, but it should be smothered in tiny pink or white flowers in early spring. Bees love it. Water should help the purple guy. #10 looks like some vinca creeping in there. Don't know about MD, but in the south it's a curse and takes over everything, so you might want to abate it now. On the right in #11 looks like a relative of a marguerite daisy - should have tiny yellow daisy like flowers on it soon. Hydrangeas are my favorite too. Grew like mad in Cali, but not so much here in CO. Enjoy your surprises!!! __________________ Once, in an interview, Chuck Norris admitted that he was not the most awesome thing ever. He declined to elaborate; but I believe we all know that he was referring to the existence of chocolate covered bacon. I'd rather be judged by twelve than carried by six. Last edited by Queen of the Ryche; 03-13-2009 at 12:11 PM. Reason: typo

03-13-2009, 01:18 PM	#30
LabRat twatfaced two legged bumhole Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 3,143	Ahhhh. According to your linkie Pie, the plants I pass by are Annabelle (snowball) hydrangeas. They start green, turn white, and return to green. ::ticks "learn something new today" off her to-do list:: __________________ Strength does not come from how much weight you can lift, or how many miles you can run. It comes from knowing that you set a goal, and rose to the challenge. Strength comes from within.

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