Saturday Gardening and Puttering Thread, July 10

40 Miles North sent in the lovely lily above. I don't know that it would be very happy here in the Central Valley of California right now. Forecast is for 111 degrees today, 113 tomorrow. So, I appreciate the delicate beauty above.

Have you had weather challenges in the yard or garden, or in your outdoor travels?

I have been thinking about gardens in the dark again. It's so hot during the day.
Pre-dawn would be an ideal time to visit our yard. Birds would be twittering . . Have you ever planned an area in your garden to look good after dark? With lights, white flowers, structures?

More lilies:

Gardens in the Dark: Hardscaping and Lighting

Time for some putterers to get to work on some garden vistas for after dark. Below are some ideas from Brookgreen Gardens to get you started. But first, a couple of daytime photos from their blog, where there is an entry on Red, White and Blue in the Gardens, Too.

I like this native red hibiscus, Hibiscus coccineus.

From their Summer Lights exhibits. Maybe you could scale down an idea or two at home:

Edible Gardening

We are getting lots of descriptions in the comments, but not many photos. Mrs. Leggy's sunflowers are growing FAST, though.

Hello KT and happy Independence Day! Here are my formerly seedlings sunflowers. I am growing three types this year. Some will get about six feet tall and the rest anywhere from 8-10 feet tall. The picture of the one with the bloom is one of the shorter ones. Most of the plants are developing flowers and should be blooming pretty soon. It's amazing how such tiny plants can grow so magnificently with so little work, aside from water and sun. I will continue to send pictures as they bloom.
Thanks as always for the gardening thread. It is a happy place for me!
Mrs. Leggy

Gardens of The Horde

From Dr. Varno:

- Black Racer (I think)
- Chaste Tree (Vitex agnus-castus), aka Monk's Pepper

Chaste Trees grow around here, too. That's a real close-up of the blossoms.

- Giant Resin Bee
"University of Georgia entomologists want Georgians to help them document the presence of the sculptured resin bee -- also known as the giant resin bee -- an invasive bee that could threaten the native carpenter bee population. The sculptured resin bee is native to Japan and China and was first found in the U.S. in North Carolina in 1994. While they are not aggressive to people, these bees have the potential to create problems for native carpenter bees by taking over their nests, where they then lay their own eggs."

Another interesting bee! Watch out for this one! Don't know that we need another Carpenter Bee. Especially an invasive one.

Great Wildflowers

More spectacular wildflowers from Paul in Oklahoma, from Big Bend National Park:

Anybody know what this is?

If you would like to send information and/or photos for the Saturday Gardening Thread, the address is:

ktinthegarden
at that g mail dot com place

Include the nic by which you wish to be known when you comment at AoSHQ,
unless you want to remain a lurker.

Posted by: K.T. at 01:17 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 1

Posted by: callsign claymore at July 10, 2021 12:23 PM (YKaem)

2 That bee looks more stingy than the carpenter bee.

It must die.

Posted by: Bitter Clinger at July 10, 2021 12:26 PM (5We2S)

3 are those bluebonnets, in Oklahoma? I recall Texas Highways used to have masses of them, with some red ones as well.

Posted by: illiniwek at July 10, 2021 12:28 PM (Cus5s)

4 Good afternoon Greenthumbs
Picked all of 1 mostly red tomato but lots of green showing. Cucumbers are just starting and been getting a yellow squash almost daily.

Posted by: Skip at July 10, 2021 12:29 PM (Cxk7w)

5 illiniwek at July 10, 2021 12:28 PM

Paul is from Oklahoma. The flowers are in Texas. Though they may also grow in Oklahoma.

Posted by: KT at July 10, 2021 12:29 PM (BVQ+1)

6 Texas bluebonnet season seemed earlier and shorter this year, at least in Cen-Tex. It was been a wet year here so far so everything is still very lush and green and it's almost mid-July.

Posted by: lin-duh at July 10, 2021 12:35 PM (UUBmN)

7 Water garden sound like Kill Bill. Or bluetooth speakers and listen to goth country at night.

Posted by: Humphreyrobot at July 10, 2021 12:38 PM (QDMIh)

8 Just the other night I was thinking I need to string lights on my deck, which is where my container garden lives.

Posted by: kallisto at July 10, 2021 12:41 PM (DJFLF)

9 hiya

Posted by: JT at July 10, 2021 12:43 PM (arJlL)

10 Hiya, JT!

Posted by: KT at July 10, 2021 12:43 PM (BVQ+1)

11 Hiya KT !

Posted by: JT at July 10, 2021 12:45 PM (arJlL)

12 Hiya Mrs. Leggy !

Posted by: JT at July 10, 2021 12:45 PM (arJlL)

13 It's a Black Racer starting it's shed( check the white eye ).

Posted by: Tony Litwin at July 10, 2021 12:52 PM (oxYDO)

14 Tony Litwin at July 10, 2021 12:52 PM

Good observation!

Posted by: KT at July 10, 2021 12:53 PM (BVQ+1)

15 I have sworn vengeance against the wascally wabbits, who have eaten my poor green bean plants down to the nub. I even used Liquid Fence. The bunnies even gnawed on the low-hanging grape leaves nearby. Please send coyotes, small mesh wire fencing, or hasenpfeffer recipes.

In further grumpy garden news, due to the PNW hot spell my spinach went from cute little starts to bolting in less than three days. I got one salad. One. *sniffle*

Posted by: Sabrina Chase at July 10, 2021 12:54 PM (BSV0x)

16 Love the photo with the multiple lilies. The white one would look better at night that the others, though.

Posted by: KT at July 10, 2021 12:54 PM (BVQ+1)

17 I have 2 giant yew bushes in front of my house with about 3 feet of grass in front of them to the sidewalk. I'd like to get rid of the grass and plant something that flowers. Faces south in zone 5, any ideas?

Posted by: dartist at July 10, 2021 12:55 PM (+ya+t)

18 That native red hibiscus (Texas mallow) has been used in breeding some spectacular flowers. No need to try to keep a tropical hibiscus alive out of its range when there are hardier alternatives.

Posted by: KT at July 10, 2021 12:56 PM (BVQ+1)

19 From Boise area: Oppressive heat - high 90's, low 100's predicted for another week at least...

Garden failures: Soybeans never sprouted. Peas, zero harvest - poor germination, then heat wave hit while we were on vacation. Carrots, partial failure, same reason - I'm harvesting a few but others are flowering. Strawberries, partial failure, same reason. Cucumbers, OK so far; ditto green beans. Asparagus, confusing - no spring crop, but I tried to plant its seeds last fall and many came up - will the sprouts make it through winter? Red raspberry spring crop may burn out.

Successes: All tomatoes look healthy and are setting fruit. Cantaloupe plants doing well, many flowers. Zucchini starting to produce. Yellow straightneck squash already producing more than we can eat... Herbs staying healthy, had to be trimmed back today. Lavender producing, though harvest will be smaller than some years. New apple trees putting on fruit (need thinning). Corn doing well.

Other work: Finally completed compost turning (5 bins!). Next week we can start mixing current grass clippings, plus clippings saved in separate cage while I was catching up. Husband trimmed barberry bushes, sprayed weeds.

Posted by: Pat* at July 10, 2021 12:58 PM (2pX/F)

20 dartist at July 10, 2021 12:55 PM

Want something low-growing? More than one kind of plant?

Posted by: KT at July 10, 2021 12:58 PM (BVQ+1)

21 Want something low-growing? More than one kind of plant?
-------------
Yes, thanks!

Posted by: dartist at July 10, 2021 01:00 PM (+ya+t)

22 Pat* at July 10, 2021 12:58 PM

Sorry about your heat wave. I'm surprised your carrots bolted.

How old are your asparagus plants?

Posted by: KT at July 10, 2021 01:02 PM (BVQ+1)

23 does anyone have suggestions about growing lilacs? I've been at my location 7 years and have had to take down two trees in that time due to them dying. One was a flowering cherry that is known to expire after about 20 years.
anyway, thinking of planting a big old lilac bush where the cherry used to be
I'll be signing off the 'net soon, but will check back later to see if anyone left advice
thanks!

Posted by: kallisto at July 10, 2021 01:02 PM (DJFLF)

24 dartist at July 10, 2021 01:00 PM

We'll think about it during the week.

Posted by: KT at July 10, 2021 01:02 PM (BVQ+1)

25 kallisto at July 10, 2021 01:02 PM

What zone/heat zone are you in? Lilics need some winter chill. Most of them, anyway.

Posted by: KT at July 10, 2021 01:04 PM (BVQ+1)

26 We'll think about it during the week.
----------------
Thanks a lot KT. I know a bit about tomatoes but not a single thing about flowering plants. Much appreciated!

Posted by: dartist at July 10, 2021 01:09 PM (+ya+t)

27 KT,
Thanks for the lily photos. They are one of Mrs. JTB's favorites. This is one of those times I wish I had some artistic talent. A scene which included lilies would lend itself to the subtle blended shading of watercolors or pastels.

Posted by: JTB at July 10, 2021 01:09 PM (7EjX1)

28 Thank you, K. T., for another lovely gardening thread. I especially enjoyed the dusk/nighttime pictures of gardens. They are inspirational.

Posted by: Appycay at July 10, 2021 01:10 PM (zGcp1)

29 Kallisto is in se Pa

Posted by: Skip at July 10, 2021 01:12 PM (Cxk7w)

30 I like the idea of a night time garden using lights, but in a minimal fashion. Unfortunately, our only decorative plants are a row of rose of Sharon that we planted 35 years ago. The mostly white blossoms are gorgeous during the day but, of course, they close up at night. Still, winding strings of those small, white Christmas lights around them would be attractive.

Posted by: JTB at July 10, 2021 01:16 PM (7EjX1)

31 I have sworn vengeance against the wascally wabbits, who have eaten my poor green bean plants down to the nub.

The last time I planted green beans, goldfinches ate the blooms. I had never seen a goldfinch here before and have not seen one since. Must have just flown in for a treat.

Posted by: huerfano at July 10, 2021 01:18 PM (DzhEB)

32 Just got done transplanting 15 hostas from backyard to front with my son and daughter. I did not go for the obvious dad joke of hasta la vista, baby, but I should have.

Posted by: Duke Lowell at July 10, 2021 01:20 PM (kTF2Z)

33 We are getting a few larger tomatoes (not sure if they are Better Boys or a beefsteak type) starting to 'pinken' up. The cherry toms are just starting to get past the flowering stage. Usually they do better by now but we hear from others in the area that this hasn't been a good year for tomatoes so far. Nobody seems to know why.

Posted by: JTB at July 10, 2021 01:23 PM (7EjX1)

34 JTB at July 10, 2021 01:16 PM

There is a seedless white Rose of Sharon, 'Diana', that stays open later into the evening than most varieties.

Posted by: KT at July 10, 2021 01:27 PM (BVQ+1)

35 We are getting a few larger tomatoes (not sure if they are Better Boys or a beefsteak type) starting to 'pinken' up. The cherry toms are just starting to get past the flowering stage. Usually they do better by now but we hear from others in the area that this hasn't been a good year for tomatoes so far. Nobody seems to know why.
Posted by: JTB

The "big guy" is taking 10% of the ripeness.

Posted by: JT at July 10, 2021 01:33 PM (arJlL)

36 32 Just got done transplanting 15 hostas from backyard to front with my son and daughter. I did not go for the obvious dad joke of hasta la vista, baby, but I should have.
Posted by: Duke Lowell at July 10, 2021 01:20 PM (kTF2Z)

did you divide them ?

woulda been a good time to

Posted by: REDACTED at July 10, 2021 01:37 PM (Rs1Q4)

37 Been wondering if lack of bees is hurting my pollination, for all the years a farm not 1/2 mile away I assume was keeping bees as can see the hive boxes, but if their taking a hit might be a issue. Can't say see many here anymore. Some butterflies mostly and know some do the same work.

Posted by: Skip at July 10, 2021 01:38 PM (Cxk7w)

38 did you divide them ?

woulda been a good time to
Posted by: REDACTED at July 10, 2021 01:37 PM (Rs1Q4)

------------

I didn't. I'm getting the house ready for the market and I had some gaps in the landscaping.

Posted by: Duke Lowell at July 10, 2021 01:41 PM (kTF2Z)

39 Skip -

Are you getting the red and black spiders ?

Posted by: JT at July 10, 2021 01:43 PM (arJlL)

40 I didn't. I'm getting the house ready for the market and I had some gaps in the landscaping.
Posted by: Duke Lowell at July 10, 2021 01:41 PM (kTF2Z)

good luck to you !!

Posted by: REDACTED at July 10, 2021 01:46 PM (Rs1Q4)

41 I've been up to my eyeballs with summer (yellow) squash and Zucchinis. We picked some green beans the other day and they were very tender. My wife dug up one of her potato plants about a week ago and we were surprised at the number of 'taters it produced. She's going to make Jalapeno poppers tomorrow with our peppers. Tomatoes seem to be struggling a bit. They're on the vines but still very green and the skins are tough. Cucumbers are late (our fault) but should be out by early August if not sooner. The surviving green pepper is a sorry specimen. Don't know what happened to it.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at July 10, 2021 01:48 PM (BFigT)

42 31 I have sworn vengeance against the wascally wabbits, who have eaten my poor green bean plants down to the nub.
------------
Same here. The beans have leaves again after 2 weeks, but I dont have much hope for them anymore.

Posted by: BunkerintheBurbs (qIQLc) at July 10, 2021 01:51 PM (qIQLc)

43 good luck to you !!
Posted by: REDACTED at July 10, 2021 01:46 PM (Rs1Q4)

------------

Thanks! Can't wait to get out of illinoisistan.

Posted by: Duke Lowell at July 10, 2021 01:51 PM (kTF2Z)

44 good luck to you !!
Posted by: REDACTED at July 10, 2021 01:46 PM (Rs1Q4)

------------

Thanks! Can't wait to get out of illinoisistan.
Posted by: Duke Lowell

In that case DOUBLE good luck !

Posted by: JT at July 10, 2021 01:53 PM (arJlL)

45 Thanks! Can't wait to get out of illinoisistan.
Posted by: Duke Lowell at July 10, 2021 01:51 PM (kTF2Z)

move to Mill River MA

the redneck part of the toalitarian state

Posted by: REDACTED at July 10, 2021 01:58 PM (Rs1Q4)

46 Some white-flowered plants release lovely fragrances after dark. Sorry that I can't name any off the top of my head right now. I've tried to grow moonflower because I've heard it is lovely after dark, but have never been successful.

Posted by: Emmie (Hrwnm) at July 10, 2021 01:58 PM (Hrwnm)

47 I grow moonflowers along my driveway, along with red and blue climbers, for red, white and blue.

Posted by: JT at July 10, 2021 02:00 PM (arJlL)

48 We visited our new home last weekend and got to see fireflies! According to the encyclopedia, fireflies live all over the US, but I've never seen them here in Colorado.

Posted by: Emmie (Hrwnm) at July 10, 2021 02:01 PM (Hrwnm)

49 Isn't Honeysuckle one of the flowering plants you can smell at night? I get whiffs of it here in Kentucky at this time of the year. It grows in the tree lines and down near the creek here on the property. White trumpet shaped flowers. There's also an orange/red variety of flowering vine, but I don't know if it's Honeysuckle.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at July 10, 2021 02:01 PM (BFigT)

50 I've tried to grow moonflower because I've heard it is lovely after dark, but have never been successful.
Posted by: Emmie

Ya gotta water them at least once a day.

Posted by: JT at July 10, 2021 02:01 PM (arJlL)

51 47 I grow moonflowers along my driveway, along with red and blue climbers, for red, white and blue.
Posted by: JT at July 10, 2021 02:00 PM (arJlL)[/o]

Sounds pretty! Do they smell nice?

Posted by: Emmie (Hrwnm) at July 10, 2021 02:02 PM (Hrwnm)

52 As a smoker, my sense of smell is limited.

Posted by: JT at July 10, 2021 02:03 PM (arJlL)

53 Five big dark-orange tomatoes, ripening in my kitchen. Decided to do it that way instead of vine ripening, so the squirrels and birds won't be as tempted, and to free up the plants a bit. Have six big black bell peppers on one plant. Not sure when to pick them.

Hadrian, if you are here, thanks for mentioning the 4-inch chain saw. I got one, and will be able to handle growth myself instead of hiring. I hope.

Posted by: skywch at July 10, 2021 02:03 PM (Y/Ps0)

54 Thanks for the Gardening Thread KT.

We've had a spate of nightly visitor/s in the last week.
Knocked over the garbage containers and spread everything all over of course. Tipped over the bird seed bin and scattered the seed. I was able to sweep that up and spread it for the birds.
So, I moved everything that could attract the javelina behind a metal fence and made sure the garbage had nothing of interest in the containers.
9pm last night, over the garbage containers went, nothing to see so they just plowed up the soil around the Tea Rose.
I stood behind the fence; but, couldn't get a good picture.

It's a tad warm here with T-storms blowing through last night, downed power lines and took out the power for 4 hours. There was quite a light show; but, no rain.
I think I'll hold off on a 'night garden' for a bit...

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at July 10, 2021 02:04 PM (VPc9s)

55 Of course I posted after the Pet Thread started!
NOOD!

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at July 10, 2021 02:05 PM (VPc9s)

56 Of course I posted after the Pet Thread started!
NOOD!
Posted by: AZ deplorable moron

People come back to the thread and read.

I do !

Posted by: JT at July 10, 2021 02:08 PM (arJlL)

57 For those of you with wabbit problems, I now this sounds disgusting, but have you tried coyote urine as a repellent? We had critter problems at our old place and the animal trapper recommended it. We bought it in granular form from a rancher supply place and it helped a lot. The granules do not smell like you'd think they would, little odor at all. I recommended it to a coworker who had a rabbit problem and I think it worked for her, too.

Amazon carries it in liquid (ewww) and granular form. Home Depot and Lowe's also have it, but look like only liquid.

Posted by: Art Rondelet of Malmsey at July 10, 2021 02:10 PM (fTtFy)

58 I read it late as well.

Posted by: NaCly Dog (u82oZ) at July 10, 2021 02:14 PM (u82oZ)

59 Thanks for letting me know!

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at July 10, 2021 02:19 PM (VPc9s)

60 I do have a quite a number of rabbits and I'll be ordering the granules!

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at July 10, 2021 02:19 PM (VPc9s)

61 JT on deck no, seen a few of those wolf spiders

Posted by: Skip at July 10, 2021 02:44 PM (Cxk7w)

62 Of course, there are lots of ways when it comes to losing some pounds. But if you like something healthy, vegetables and fruits will be the best option.

Posted by: rania ragab at July 10, 2021 03:06 PM (SEfii)

63 However, there's some evidence to recommend that it can make a significant difference.

First of all, Water can help with weight loss in a number of ways, like making you feel more complete and stimulating your metabolic process.

Posted by: rania ragab at July 10, 2021 03:12 PM (SEfii)

64 Losing weight will help people of all ages including teenagers, boost health and, confidence.

It's important for teenagers to lose weight the healthy way by making diet and way of life changes that nourish growing bodies and can be followed long term.

Posted by: rania ragab at July 10, 2021 03:16 PM (SEfii)

65 Very cool

Posted by: rania ragab at July 10, 2021 03:17 PM (SEfii)

66 KT, our original 20 'Jersey Giant' asparagus were planted in March 2016, so they're 5 years old. A few replacements were planted in later years. Now we have only 4 or 5 plants left, and none of them produced enough that we felt it would be safe to take some without hurting the plant's chances of surviving.

Posted by: Pat* at July 10, 2021 03:18 PM (2pX/F)

67 Pat* at July 10, 2021 03:18 PM

Seems strange that your asparagus would be having a hard time, given your loving care.

Posted by: KT at July 10, 2021 03:40 PM (BVQ+1)

68 JT at July 10, 2021 02:00 PM

The moon flowers with red and white climbers sound great!

Posted by: KT at July 10, 2021 03:48 PM (BVQ+1)

69 Martini Farmer at July 10, 2021 01:48 PM

The yellow squash, taters and green beans sound wonderful. Good luck with the other veggies. Don't let the zucchinis overwhelm you.

Posted by: KT at July 10, 2021 03:50 PM (BVQ+1)

70 Skip at July 10, 2021 01:38 PM

Do you still see honeybees?

Posted by: KT at July 10, 2021 03:51 PM (BVQ+1)

71 KT can't say seen 1 this year

Posted by: Skip at July 10, 2021 03:58 PM (Cxk7w)

72 Martini Farmer at July 10, 2021 02:01 PM

Honeysuckle can be red and yellow and there are several fragrant ones. There are many fragrant trumpet-shaped white flowers. Moonflower is probably the biggest one we usually see. There is also Datura and its relatives, Fragrant Snowbell (tree), Chilean Jasmine and others. Night-blooming jasmine (Cestrum) doesn't have real showy flowers, but their fragrance is very potent at night. Sometimes too potent.

Posted by: KT at July 10, 2021 04:06 PM (BVQ+1)

73 Thanks! Can't wait to get out of illinoisistan.
Posted by: Duke Lowell at July 10, 2021 01:51

I'd forgotten you were here in the "Land of Lincoln". What a mockery of that the Dems and Chicago have made of that. Where are you headed, if I may ask?

To stay on topic, some old seed I planted finally came up a few weeks ago. I think they are small pumpkins and cucumbers.

It will be interesting to see if the season allows them to produce anything. I'll tell the results in the fall. Meanwhile I'm trying to encourage them along w/ some light foliar fertilizer applied to add to the time released stuff in the soil.

Posted by: Farmer at July 10, 2021 06:39 PM (55Qr6)

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