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The Queen's Royal Garden

Started by Queen Bonnie, May 16, 2008, 12:49:05 PM

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Element of Air

*pleased sigh* I just spent about an hour and thirty minutes in my front yard playing in the dirt. I made all of my wild out of control grassy like plants line up in a row and I removed all of the leaves that have accumulated in them this past fall. I also loosened all the soil and aerated it. It looks so much better now, it is a rich dark brown flower bed rather than a sickly gray. YAY for plants. Tomorrow if it is not raining i am going to get some flowers and such and plant them in the front flower bed.  ;D :D


Royal Duchess of Air, Music and Beauty in the court of Queen Bonnie.
FOKTOP
Royal Order of Landsharks, Guppy No. 25

Alphonse

#16
I did a good bit of raking this week, myself. Some leaves but mostly pine straw and cones. I still have enough of that to do, for another full days work.The soil is the key to good planting, you may consider adding some amendments to it before you plant it up.Let us know what kind of flowers that you end up choosing for your beds, if you like the way it turns out perhaps consider sharing a picture or two of it with us. Good luck on the weather cooperating with you plans!

Element of Air

Thank you! In me rotating the soil around I found that it already had some of those fertalizer white pellet things in it. So I know there is some food there. I need to study exactly how much sun hits that area and then find some good indigenous plants for zone 3 and pick some up. (I think I am zone 3). Anyone have any good recommendations. I love color. The bed is about 4 feet back to the foundation and 8 feet wide. (guesstimate)

The spot, if I am correct, it partial shady as it has some light tree coverage and is on the south side of my house. So not direct sunlight and not full shade either.

If and when I do get something started in the planter I will DEFINATELY take some pics. Oh I might just take some tomorrow when I get up to have a before and after picture. (should have done that before I did anything  :-\)
Royal Duchess of Air, Music and Beauty in the court of Queen Bonnie.
FOKTOP
Royal Order of Landsharks, Guppy No. 25

C Dragonworks

Gosh I need to do SOOOOO much weeding again. Currently my mom and I are landscaping the 18acres we live on. When she bought the land it had very little in the way of decorative plants. Only native pecans(some 200 yrs old) and many oaks. We have added fruit and flowering trees,roses,and many flowers in beds here and there and all up and down the long drive and front entry.

I am a crazy horticulturist with a love of propagating anything.  Mints are easy. They simply LOVE water... I have never killed a mint with too much water but with not enough they will wilt and die. They love to hang over into the pond and grow roots in the fish pond.
I have many types of mint and let it grow out into the grass to make mowing a special olfactory experience!  Currently have Australian Finger Lime cuttings rooting in my kitchen and weeping willow cuttings in the window. 4 raised beds of veggies and a normal garden area with 3 wide rows on which I have planted Austrian Finger Fruit, Stars and Moons Watermelons and Tigger Melons as well as beans.

My front yarden is full of 50+ roses,Crape myrtles in all colours, Ginkos, Artichokes, Pomegranites, blueberries, daylilies and iris as well as herbs and veggies and my water garden as well! I will try to get pictures soon. There is a downside to studying Ornamental Horticulture at College! They seem to follow me home from everywhere! Cat

Alphonse

#19
Hmm? seems this topic has fallen into disuse.I suppose that what with it being fall already most folks thoughts have turned to other pursuits besides tending their gardens.I have been so busy working in my grove at building my barn that I haven't had much time for posting lately.

It had always been an ambitious plan but has proven even more so being that I have been unable to round up any volunteer help and not been able to hire any either.Presently I am slogging through pouring concrete for the floor of my root cellar.I have managed to get two 8ft X 8ft sections poured.One more good weekend and I should be done with the last one,then I start laying the block.Roughly about 450 if I have figured it properly. The good thing about that part of it is I will be able to work on it most days during the week before going into work,so it should go faster then the floor did as that required most of a days work without any interuptions.

Barns are utilitarian by their very nature, they can serve many purposes. People generally seem to associate them most with the housing of farm animals.It is my aim to use mine more with an eye towards building up my garden,at least initially, maybe latter on it will serve as a home for some horses and hens,possibly even some goats.As soon as I get the roof up over it, I intend to use it to stock up the fencing I will need to put around my vegetable garden to keep the deer out.After that I intend to set up a saw mill inside it and turn some of the pine trees that have a nasty habit of falling over on to my cars and home into some useful lumber.I have built what I call a root cellar under it, but have no intention of raising any large root crops, rather it will likely be used more as a wine cellar.I have no shortage of wild fruits that grow on my land, persimmons, muscides and blackberry, I am planning an orchard too.It is my hope to use my barn as a sort of gardening Headquarters,that is why I thought it appropriate to mention it here.With any luck I will have it finished in time for spring planting next year,then the real magic begins. ;D




Queen Bonnie

 We have had NO rain for so long that my Royal garden is sere and dry. I will find out what the really tough roses really are. China roses are still Ok.
We might have rain tonight!
SHHHH! Don't scare it away!
My pond is looking good.  I have had to add water- and remove excess pond plants. The Royal fish are happy and- I have baby Royal fish.
Nice to hear what you are doing Alphonse! You have a lot going on! Huzzah to the wine cellar!
Wingardium Leviosa!
Tis not the length of the staff- but the magick there in!

DT_Masters

Living in an apartment, the availability of growing things intentionally is limited. Once, I had two phicus trees in my living room. I had a window planter that I planted some lettice seeds in. I perhaps tried to grow some other things.

The Egypkits made all of it a futile exercise. They would brush against the trees and break them apart and the lettice disappeared, probably due to them. Now all I have are grow lights, wonderful pots, planters, and underneath dishes ...... and lots of dirt!

I may try again someday, to reclaim my living room so there are plants and fish tanks are alive again (the Egypkits were responsible for the death of one tank, accidently of course).....but not right now.

Malkavian

#22
Quote from: DT_Masters on October 20, 2008, 02:58:00 AM
Living in an apartment, the availability of growing things intentionally is limited.

I found this out firsthand this growing season. My sweet peppers and basil (thai and "regular") did alright, but tomatoes on a balcony seem like an exercise in futility.  Also I had the pleasure of starting 3 fig cuttings from stock that's been in my family for 3 generations so far (me being the third)

Besides the figs my pride and joy right now is a Bhut Jolokia pepper plant growing in a window sill. The peppers it bears make dragon's breath seem refreshing :)

C Dragonworks

OH I have done a bit of work outside. I need to get a load of mulch in here. I hope this weekend is good so I can afford to do it and also have the fluid in my tranny changed out... I have a leaking seal on the rear of the trans.... UGH! I also have a front Ujoint I am having changed!!! So next week is busy!!!! But while out doing all this I will check the Houston Garden center for trees and such I NEED!!!  I plan to add a few more fruit trees to my orchard areas. I have 4-5 types of plums,4-5 peach and nectarine, figs(too many to count),blueberry,apricots(2), pomagranites, pears, citrus and some wine grapes. Not sure what else to add. Will see what they have!!! Oh yea I also have strawberry guavas.

My peppers are still loaded,red egg plant is producing now and greens of all kinds. Herbs too

Queen Bonnie

 Herbs here are good and Brugmansias are blooming a lot. Bougainvillia too. A few china roses are in bloom and a few cannas. The rest just goes crunch around here. We sure need RAIN!-but not on TRF weekends!
Wingardium Leviosa!
Tis not the length of the staff- but the magick there in!

DonaCatalina

My poor azaleas have decided that its spring again.
They are beautiful in bloom, but I worry about what will happen to them when the temps finally drop.
Aurum peccamenes multifariam texit
Marquesa de Trives
Portrait Goddess

Queen Bonnie

 There are types of Azaleas that bloom in the fall. They are fairly hardy!
My poor azaleas are lucky to be alive- with the drought. Thinking of my poor gardens- sere, dry, arid, Crispy, dead, etc. It has been a difficult year. I am finding out which are my toughest roses!
Wingardium Leviosa!
Tis not the length of the staff- but the magick there in!

Alphonse

#27
My yard and garden are covered in leaves, the price one pays when they live in a grove.Tremayne is fond of raking, I need to have her over to lend a hand in persuading them on to the burn pile. We lit a bonfire on All Hollows eve to keep the evil spirits at bay(which seemed to work in the main though Hoodlum kitty maybe possessed, it is hard to tell with him)  ;D anyhow the burn pile has already reached bonfire proportions yet again.I still have a good half dozen dead pines that need to be felled and placed there before they fall over. Looks like there will be fuel enough for bonfires regularly through the winter months. A wizard's work is never done...

DT_Masters

Quote from: Malkavian on November 04, 2008, 02:07:37 PM
Quote from: DT_Masters on October 20, 2008, 02:58:00 AM
Living in an apartment, the availability of growing things intentionally is limited.

I found this out firsthand this growing season. My sweet peppers and basil (thai and "regular") did alright, but tomatoes on a balcony seem like an exercise in futility......

I'm afraid it is even worse than that. My apartment doesn't have a balcony or a porch. I might get away with a hanging garden outside my doorway, but in addition to being open to any animal or person who wanted to go after it, it is also against my lease.

Sigh! So many side activities one wants to do, so little time. Well, regardless of space, my biggest problem is to find a way to keep it safe for the EgypKITS ....... and they do know how to climb, mind you.

Yennefer

Your Majesty,

I started a thread asking for advise on gardening in TX and folks had pointed me in your direction..

What climbing roses/vines would you recommend for a person ( me) that had never gardened before? Also, did you happen to try growing alpine strawberries? I am trying to find out if I can sucessfully grow them in Texas before I plant them-  I dont want to watch them die ..

Thank you in advance

Yenn
Yennefer von Vengerberg