Saturday Gardening Thread: It's a New Gardening Year [KT]

Happy New Year, Gardeners and Garden Voyeurs! S.Lynn sent us the lovely winter scene above, plus this garden update:

Got our white Christmas two days late. Just dug up the rest of my carrots. They stayed nice in the ground. Gardening is full of experiments and that one worked out well.

I asked if the carrots were sweet.

They were very "carroty" if that's a word. Yes, sweet'ish..

Below the fold, more desert gardening, plants at Disneyland, jasmine and orchids.

Back to the Desert

You may recall that last week Wee Creek Farm Girl introduced us to an exotic new fruit she was growing, Finger Limes. This week, more general information and photos on desert gardening:

Wee Kreek Farm Girl reporting in from Arizona. I thought I would send some pictures for you since most of the garden folks are drowning in snow, while this is one of the best times of the year for my garden. Gardening in Arizona has its challenges but every year I figure out a little more and the garden gets better and better. One of the main challenges are the rabbits, birds and Javelina. We fixed the javelina problem by fencing in the whole yard but the rabbits and birds still cause grief and if you plant directly in the ground the tree roots from the water starved desert trees invade and suck all the moisture and nutrients from the bed.

Here's a fact sheet on the javelina. Not an animal I would want in my garden, for sure. Here's an impressive garden view:

The circular re-purposed fountain base is lined with concrete in the bottom to stop the tree root invasion, after years of struggling we bit the bullet this year, dug the whole thing out, poured 800 sq ft of concrete in the bottom and put the dirt and plants back in and they have never looked so amazing. One of the eggplants in that garden is 4 years old and maybe I got an eggplant or two a year, so far this year I have had 12 eggplants and am still getting flowers and it currently has 4 eggplants on it.

I will keep sending other things for you to look at in the coming months, to give you all hope that spring will come again.

We appreciate that. I asked what the sign said, and she sent a close-up.

My husband made that bit of whimsy for me. He also bought me a metal cut out sign for another bed that says "A dirty hoe is a happy hoe." That is how he has fun in the garden.

Plants in Disneyland

Don in Kansas visited Disneyland and took some impressive plant photos. Here are a couple of them:

I have no idea what this is. My first thought was some sort of hydrangea, but the flowers don't look right.

Any ideas what it is?

How many different species of bromeliad can you spot?.

Check out his other photos, too.

Jasmine

From the other side of the country:

It is the first week in January here in northern Alabama and the Jasmine has begun blooming. Mild winters are a blessing.
Interesting factoid: if you look closely you can see that the stems/branches on the Jasmine are square not round.
Le Garde Vieux

Most of us think of "jasmine" as a strongly-scented white flower, but the earliest ones may be yellow and scentless. Worth considering even if you live in a somewhat colder climate. Think this one could be Winter Jasmine or Primrose Jasmine?

Orchids

Don in Kansas had a new orchid bloom on Christmas, that he thought resembled a little octopus. Fascinating. You can see it in stereo at the link. This one has also been blooming for him. I think it's lovely, but I detect a hint of "clown". So much variety in orchids.

Gardens of The Horde

Let us know if anything is going on in your yard or garden. Send in photos if you have them.

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

ktinthegarden
at g mail dot com

Include your nic unless you want to remain a lurker.

Posted by: Open Blogger at 01:03 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Good afternoon Greenthumbs and Snowmen

Posted by: Skip at January 05, 2019 01:01 PM (/rm4P)

2 Hi, Skip.

Posted by: KTbarthedoor at January 05, 2019 01:04 PM (BVQ+1)

3 Kiss it. (motioning toward stamen)

Posted by: Bubbagonia at January 05, 2019 01:08 PM (RVcmP)

4 My crocus should start appearing in a few more weeks.

Posted by: Diogenes at January 05, 2019 01:08 PM (0tfLf)

5 Dutifully called the Corgis

Nothing much happening on my leaf problem, have to get the gas line on my tractor replaced before I can use it to chop up the leaves.

Posted by: Skip at January 05, 2019 01:08 PM (/rm4P)

6 How many different species of bromeliad can you spot?.

I am to busy looking for the Wood Elf in the picture.

Posted by: Skip at January 05, 2019 01:10 PM (/rm4P)

7 Didn't look in last few days but just last week cleaned out the pile of leaves in the flower beds and see my Daffodils peaking up. They got 3 months to go, hope they make it through winter.

Posted by: Skip at January 05, 2019 01:12 PM (/rm4P)

8 Eggplant are perennial? Huh. And that's jasmine? Thanks. Learned something.

Posted by: CCO at January 05, 2019 01:15 PM (JTa+B)

9 No winter in N. Indiana. 50 degrees and sunny today.

Posted by: Cicero Boom chicka boom Kaboom! Kid at January 05, 2019 01:16 PM (SCiS1)

10 those photo's of the fenced in plot remind me of the smallest state park in america - in fact, the smallest park in the world per guiness - the mill ends park in portland. it's all of 450 sq. in. in the median of a road. there's an interesting article at wikipedia.

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at January 05, 2019 01:24 PM (Pg+x7)

11 Lib from 2012: "What is it you right-wingers don't get about TWO. CONSENTING. ADULTS?!!!"

Con from 2019: "The notary, for one."

Posted by: Axeman at January 05, 2019 01:25 PM (YOhRS)

12 Because tradition:

Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.

Posted by: Insomniac at January 05, 2019 01:30 PM (NWiLs)

13 Skip at January 05, 2019 01:12 PM

Hope your daffodils make it, too.

Posted by: KTbarthedoor at January 05, 2019 01:31 PM (BVQ+1)

14 Hello, I've been binge watching Monty Don shows, and am ready to get planting, so I've been doing some ordering (roses, roses, roses) and investigating other flowering shrubs. I also plan on more vegetables this year.

Posted by: CN at January 05, 2019 01:32 PM (U7k5w)

15 "... for dust you are and to dust you will return."

that's why i don't dust. it might be someone i knew.

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at January 05, 2019 01:33 PM (Pg+x7)

16 Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.

Posted by: Insomniac at January 05, 2019 01:30 PM (NWiLs)
---
Just goes to show you, between-meal snacking is a bad habit to start.

Posted by: Axeman at January 05, 2019 01:34 PM (YOhRS)

17 (... stole that from the internet, maybe hereabouts.)

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at January 05, 2019 01:34 PM (Pg+x7)

18 I love the Fortress You-Gardena that We Kreek Farm Girl had to build to keep the native critters at bay.

The only things missing from her defensive perimeter are claymore mines and concertina wire.

Talk about wrassling civilization from the bosom of nature. Nicely done.

Posted by: Sharkman at January 05, 2019 01:34 PM (2eKoI)

19 CCO at January 05, 2019 01:15 PM

What is remarkable to me is that eggplants can make it through desert summers. One of our few veggies at the end of summer here in the Central Valley of California, too.

Posted by: KTbarthedoor at January 05, 2019 01:35 PM (BVQ+1)

20 Happy New Gardening Year!

I don't know if it will last long but we have fresh parsley coming up in the Earth Box. It's growing among the faded stuff. It makes for a bit of spring green color. Just a nice surprise.

Posted by: JTB at January 05, 2019 01:41 PM (bmdz3)

21 Cicero Boom chicka boom Kaboom! Kid at January 05, 2019 01:16 PM

Wow. Not too different from here. It's 54 degrees right now. We've had some freezing nights, though. Down to 27 or 28. Haven't heard if there was any damage to citrus in the foothills.

Posted by: KTbarthedoor at January 05, 2019 01:42 PM (BVQ+1)

22 My grandmother had a night blooming jasmine by the front porch. My mom took a cutting from it and planted it at our house, and she has planted a cutting at the houses she moved to after that. I love the scent.

Posted by: no good deed at January 05, 2019 01:43 PM (uTY3H)

23 Just goes to show you, between-meal snacking is a bad habit to start.
Posted by: Axeman at January 05, 2019 01:34 PM (YOhRS)

*snort*

Posted by: Insomniac at January 05, 2019 01:44 PM (NWiLs)

24 One of the many delights of the gardening thread are the photos. Thanks to KT and all who submit them. A weekly dose of beauty, the unusual and, like this week, some humor.

Posted by: JTB at January 05, 2019 01:45 PM (bmdz3)

25 already spring in Alabama .. Nice. And love the homesteads and gardens. That appears to be a chicken house in S Lynn's pic, and such a nicely constructed fence.

Arizona gets almost three times the sun we do, especially in winter. I'm planning a PV system, and can't help but notice the solar map showing their sun versus ours. But then we get the rain and humidity, so the plants appreciate those clouds.

One video I saw from Arizona, a guy was designing swales to capture some of the rains when they come, rather than the water just washing away. But it depends on the situation ... I've got a few "dry dams", to slow water down but also to capture the top soil that might otherwise go down the creek. Lots of fun possibilities.

https://youtu.be/QCj4cY3uM3Y?t=105

Posted by: illiniwek at January 05, 2019 01:47 PM (Cus5s)

26 CN at January 05, 2019 01:32 PM

I've never heard of Monty Don before. If he's worth binge watching, might have to learn more.

We will be looking forward to your garden reports.

Posted by: KTbarthedoor at January 05, 2019 01:47 PM (BVQ+1)

27 Oh yes! Got two more seed catalogs this week. They make a serious but pleasant dent in my general reading time.

Posted by: JTB at January 05, 2019 01:49 PM (bmdz3)

28 This early morning on the ONT it was raining yet again and so looked up rain totals last year. I was over 21 inches above normal around 67 total. That is why it was a poor growing season.

Posted by: Skip at January 05, 2019 01:49 PM (/rm4P)

29 And as to Javelina, the high school track is 3/4 of a mile away and don't think they can travel that far, kevlar or plain steel plate should do the trick if you live that close.

Posted by: Skip at January 05, 2019 01:54 PM (/rm4P)

30 Admittedly, we've had a rather mild winter so far but I continue to be amazed at how well the greens have done with minimal care. I should make the effort in future years to try to do more with extending the growing time both early and late. I have the basic information, just have to apply it.

Posted by: JTB at January 05, 2019 01:56 PM (bmdz3)

31 We just had a rare cold snap here of 5 days of 32 degrees or a little below. My poor 4 year old eggplant is looking a little worse for wear but I think it will survive. The tomatoes and peppers I think are goners but we shall see. Just when you are feeling good about your garden...

Posted by: wee kreek farm girl at January 05, 2019 02:07 PM (6OHU2)

32 Pink Ball Dumbeya Wallichii

Posted by: Burnt Toast at January 05, 2019 02:08 PM (1g7ch)

33 Heh, I'm posting from Disneyland right now. No plants in the Matterhorn line of note, I'm sorry to say. But I'll keep you posted.

Posted by: Rusty Nail at January 05, 2019 02:08 PM (dKBw9)

34 29 And as to Javelina, the high school track is 3/4 of a mile away and don't think they can travel that far, kevlar or plain steel plate should do the trick if you live that close.
Posted by: Skip at January 05, 2019 01:54 PM (/rm4P)

Good one. Took me a minute.

Posted by: m at January 05, 2019 02:08 PM (Kj9vA)

35 Wife has one.

Posted by: Burnt Toast at January 05, 2019 02:09 PM (1g7ch)

36 illiniwek at January 05, 2019 01:47 PM

Nice desert swale video.

Posted by: KTbarthedoor at January 05, 2019 02:19 PM (BVQ+1)

37 Skip at January 05, 2019 01:54 PM

Javelina. High school track. Heh.

Posted by: KTbarthedoor at January 05, 2019 02:20 PM (BVQ+1)

38 The yellow jasmine isn't a real jasmine; it was at one point classified as a Gelsemium (sp?), but the good lord only knows where they've got it now. It has naturalized in the South, and my memories my memories of it are strong and sweet, but I'm not sure if it's actually native.

No idea what it is, but he pink flowered plant isn't a hydrangea; the leaves are wrong. Flowers are meaningless as far as plant identification; the leaves (and stems, in some cases) tell the tale!

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at January 05, 2019 02:20 PM (vTz8N)

39 leaves (and stems, in some cases) tell the tale!

I bet they do...*cough420cough*

Posted by: Insomniac at January 05, 2019 02:22 PM (NWiLs)

40 32 Pink Ball Dumbeya Wallichii
Posted by: Burnt Toast at January 05, 2019 02:08 PM (1g7ch)

Dombeya wallichii (Malvaceae) pinkball, pink ball tree, tropical hydrangea

That's it! Here's a great video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJK15dBpn_k

Posted by: m at January 05, 2019 02:28 PM (Kj9vA)

41 The tropical hydrangea is a (Pink Ball Tree) Dombeya Wallichii.

Got one in bloom now.
More at linky,

http://floridagardener.com/pom/dombeya.htm

Posted by: Burnt Toast at January 05, 2019 02:29 PM (1g7ch)

42 32 Pink Ball Dumbeya Wallichii

I think that's it. Thanks.

Posted by: Don at January 05, 2019 02:29 PM (2odZQ)

43 (Hang in there on the Dombeya wallichii video; almost this exact same shot shows up about halfway.)

Posted by: m at January 05, 2019 02:30 PM (Kj9vA)

44 I am thinking of propagating the Pink Ball from cuttings (we pruned and put some stinks in water and they sprouted roots) and putting a hedge on one property line. They grow pretty dense and to 8 ft in just two or three years.

Posted by: Burnt Toast at January 05, 2019 02:32 PM (1g7ch)

45 44 I am thinking of propagating the Pink Ball from cuttings (we pruned and put some stinks in water and they sprouted roots) and putting a hedge on one property line. They grow pretty dense and to 8 ft in just two or three years.
Posted by: Burnt Toast at January 05, 2019 02:32 PM (1g7ch)

Don't they drop pink balls into the neighbor's yard?

Posted by: m at January 05, 2019 02:33 PM (Kj9vA)

46 Burnt Toast at January 05, 2019 02:08 PM

I think you're right. "Dombeya" was floating around in my head.

There is also a hybrid, Dombeya x cayeuxii, that has white at the base of pink petals, and another, bigger tree that has coral-red blossoms in clusters a foot across. These are more tender to frost that the one you named. Would need protection even at Disneyland.

Posted by: KTbarthedoor at January 05, 2019 02:37 PM (BVQ+1)

47 The flowers don't drop for quite a while after they have withered. I haven't really notice the residue vs. other yard debris.

Posted by: Burnt Toast at January 05, 2019 02:39 PM (1g7ch)

48 Tammy al-Thor at January 05, 2019 02:20 PM

There are also two Gelsemiums grown in the US, Swamp Gelsemium and Carolina Jessamine (I love the double one, 'Pride of Augusta'. Very poisonous.

They are different from the yellow true jasmines. Can you tell if this photo is of a Gelsemium or a Jasmine?

Where I live, Carolina Jessamine is evergreen. I've never seen Swamp Gelsimium.

Posted by: KTbarthedoor at January 05, 2019 02:48 PM (BVQ+1)

49 Had a rather large and healthy javelina in our backyard a few weeks ago.

Posted by: AzDesertRat at January 05, 2019 02:55 PM (/2TXu)

50 49: Did you get it harvested?

Posted by: PaleRider is simply irredeemable at January 05, 2019 02:58 PM (jUcoH)

51 26: He hosts Gardener's World via Amazon Prime, and did a great four part program about Italian gardens. Plenty of his content is attainable, too.

Posted by: CN at January 05, 2019 02:59 PM (U7k5w)

52 49: Did you get it for barbecue?

Posted by: CN at January 05, 2019 03:03 PM (U7k5w)

53 Pets thread is up.

Posted by: PaleRider is simply irredeemable at January 05, 2019 03:14 PM (jUcoH)

54 Noticed earlier today a few new green leaves on the lilac. Much too early for this area.

Posted by: Mrs. JTB at January 05, 2019 03:15 PM (bmdz3)

55 54: Saw some here in NJ too, it makes me very unhappy

Posted by: CN at January 05, 2019 03:17 PM (U7k5w)

56 Carolina Jessamine and Swamp Gelsemium are both native. Carolina Jessamine is very fragrant, but Swamp Gelsemium will grow in boggy soil.

Winter Jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum) is decidouos, from China, where it is called "the flower that welcomes spring". Flowers appear before the leaves. Not toxic like Carolina Jessamine.

Primrose Jasmine (Jasminum mesnyi) is also from China. It is not as hardy, blooms a little later and is evergreen. Recommended in Texas. Drought tolerant, attracts birds, deer resistant.

There are some other yellow true jasmines, too.

Posted by: KTbarthedoor at January 05, 2019 03:19 PM (BVQ+1)

57 Because tradition:

Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.
Posted by: Insomniac

Oh.

Ok.

I thought you were Backslidin'.

Posted by: JT at January 05, 2019 03:36 PM (SVIc4)

58 Thanks for the Gardening Thread, KT.

And Happy New Year !

Posted by: JT at January 05, 2019 04:07 PM (SVIc4)

59 Happy New Year to KT and all the gardeners. I'm banned on my home puter, will see after work if I got a new IP after unplugging.
Going to look thru my seeds and see what I want to start under the grow light.

Posted by: Farmer at January 05, 2019 04:41 PM (T5tjg)

60 Farmer unplug it overnight, worked for me after getting pixy banned for accidentally posting on a old thread.

Posted by: Skip at January 05, 2019 04:49 PM (/rm4P)

61 Wee Kreek Farm Girl checked in via email:

"just reading the comments which I always love. My husband pointed out it was 800 pounds of concrete not sq feet. I just remember it being hot and horrible work!"

Thanks again for the great photos and commentary.

Posted by: KTbarthedoor at January 05, 2019 06:57 PM (BVQ+1)

62 Thanks, Farmer.

Hope you can get unbanned.

Posted by: KTbarthedoor at January 05, 2019 06:58 PM (BVQ+1)

63 Javalinas can be semi-domesticated, although I am not sure why anyone would bother. Those used to humans will come running for a handful of alfalfa hay, and snuffle around your shins happily.

Posted by: Gordon at January 05, 2019 08:24 PM (rxlg/)

64 Exhaustion city here in Idaho's Treasure Valley. Got up at 5 AM, so we could drive over to Twin Falls to support our rifle team at the Idaho State Junior Olympics championship! One shooter took a medal, the other two made it into the air rifle final sudden-death competition (they took 8th and 6th places). But it's nearly 10 PM and my body's way into overtime now, so...

Anything to say?... The low for the week was 16 F, the high was 41 last Sunday.
Winter continues to be warmer than usual.
The Christmas tree went onto the future burn pile.
I'm still raking leaves and stuffing them in the trash.
I think my fall spinach and cilantro are still alive.
Now it is time for tea and sleep.

Posted by: Pat* at January 05, 2019 11:43 PM (2pX/F)

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