Thank you all for the help and advice! I’m going to try hand removal for the flowers and see if I can keep it under control. I will consider a natural insecticide if they should find the vegetable patch.
If I can locate the leader and we can come to an agreement on where they can and can’t go...
Well, upon looking at the video, army worms, and cut worms online, I’m pretty sure it’s a variegated cutworm. They eat leaves and don’t cut at stems. The patterns look right and they do curl into a defensive “C” shape when touched and hide in dead leaves on the soil surface. Army worms are a...
Somethings been eating the heck out of the leaves of wild violets I potted - only 2/4 pots affected. I searched leaves, stems, and dug in the dirt a bit and can't find the culprit. I'm concerned because I have iris and shamrock bulbs coming up in the same pots. The violets all over the yard...
I was really excited to get the garden soil for my beds this Friday, because I want to evict this mini garden in my office and make it functional again. I haven’t been able to harden my veggies off yet, but thought I could have them ready to be transplanted by Sunday. Now that I’m looking at...
In the the busy shifting and planting and shuffling- these guys have no ID!
Possible ideas: ground cherries, tomatoes, Missouri yellow melon, pumpkins, gills golden pippin acorn squash...I guess that’s all I can think of. Any help appreciated. I’m leaving towards ground cherry or tomato- they...
White Bear library also has a seed library! I haven’t checked it out because you’re only supposed to donate seed you grew in the last year (probably to ensure its viable), but I will maybe this fall/winter when I have something to add to the collection.
I tried to work outside yesterday - 30 degrees. I lasted one hour, till the wind kicked up, then I retreated indoors and admitted defeat. I still moved some seedlings into larger containers and planted more seeds.
I actually gave myself permission to make the investment in starting a garden just for the exercise benefits. I’ve got a long history of losing and gaining weight. I don’t have too much trouble keeping my eating in check, but I don’t enjoy exercise at all and it’s so important to get some! Then...
My mulch will be all mixed. I’m not buying any, but I have a mix of dead grass and leaves that were all under snow all winter, and a ready source of more leaves in the park down the street. I’m already investing in raised beds and soil, so the mulch has got to be what is available for free.
I'm planing on the heavy-mulching/BTE method this year. We have field mice here, and I'm wondering if anyone has experienced mice in their hay/stray/alfalfa mulch or haybale gardens. Unfortunately I'm already having to put out a poison dispenser to deal with them. I hate to do it, but I don't...
Today was all garden prep. I started in on one of the two beds in the front yard since the snow was off of them. They’re covered in big 3” rock and I thought no problem to remove all the rocks and clean up the soil in a day. So wrong was I. After 5 hours on hand and knee I’d cleared less than a...
I met a grasshopper friend in the beds I was working today! He is unfortunately showing off a piece of garbage I also found. I’ve been digging cigarette butts, broken glass, and other trash out of the beds non-stop. Whoever lived here before must’ve been top tenants.
That’s the great thing about pots...the only soil is what you put there. Not so much amending as building anew.
Blueberries are the oddest thing...we had 2 huge trees growing up (over 7’) that were big producers. Come time to move houses my father lost a bumper off his truck trying to pull up...
I went fruit crazy and have ordered a plum tree, 3 blackberries, 3 blueberries, 3 currants, 2 gooseberry, and a cherry tree. All will be going into very large pots so I don’t have to dig them up when I move. I’m excited, but also a bit nervous. We’ll see how it goes!
Oh lord no HOAs or crazy city ordinances. I’m looking for property. Space for animals and a workshop and a garden and no neighbors I can see from my veranda, LOL
I’m very anti-lawn. I will not have one myself when I own a home, except perhaps a small patch directly in front. I don’t feel as strongly about it here in MN where it stays alive naturally. In Southern California the wasted water and added chemicals drove me bananas.