- Thread starter
- #11
patandchickens
Deeply Rooted
That's neat, I've heard of jacaranda but never seen it before. It looks very implausible, like it's a photoshop job -- LOL 
Pat
Pat
random pics of plants I like
- Thread starter patandchickens
- Start date
OaklandCityFarmer
Deeply Rooted
LOLpatandchickens said:That's neat, I've heard of jacaranda but never seen it before. It looks very implausible, like it's a photoshop job -- LOL
Pat
That's what I do on my *spare* time, photoshop trees with strange flowering combinations. Seriously I don't but that gives me ideas.
Tutter
Deeply Rooted
It is a beautiful, interesting tree!
Next thing I know, Oakland City Farmer, you'll be selling Jackalopes! Tsk!
Next thing I know, Oakland City Farmer, you'll be selling Jackalopes! Tsk!
simple life
Garden Ornament
Pat,
I found some larium at the feed store/nursery today and it says on the tag its a low growing groundcover. Is what you have a groundcover as well? If so how well does it spread and how much abuse can it take?
I want to get something that will spread pretty well but not be out of control and it will have to be walked on occasionally.
The other question is, I have had a groundcover that snuck over from a neighbor's yard many years ago. It is well behaved and I am happy with where it is.It hasn't spread anymore in years and I need to cover a nearby area so I have given up on this one moving on over.
I also have creeping thyme on the other side of this area.
If I plant larium there and it does spread near one of the other groundcovers how much trouble will that cause? Will it choke eachother out or live happily?
I am wondering if I can just plant them and let them go or do I have to keep them in line.
I found some larium at the feed store/nursery today and it says on the tag its a low growing groundcover. Is what you have a groundcover as well? If so how well does it spread and how much abuse can it take?
I want to get something that will spread pretty well but not be out of control and it will have to be walked on occasionally.
The other question is, I have had a groundcover that snuck over from a neighbor's yard many years ago. It is well behaved and I am happy with where it is.It hasn't spread anymore in years and I need to cover a nearby area so I have given up on this one moving on over.
I also have creeping thyme on the other side of this area.
If I plant larium there and it does spread near one of the other groundcovers how much trouble will that cause? Will it choke eachother out or live happily?
I am wondering if I can just plant them and let them go or do I have to keep them in line.
- Thread starter
- #15
patandchickens
Deeply Rooted
Yes, that's the stuff. Different cultivars have different degrees of vigor -- the stuff with just a white stripe down the very center of each leaf is quite rambunctious, as are all of the darker-pink cultivars I have, whereas White Nancy is slower growing and a little more delicate. How fast it spreads will depend a lot on your climate, soil, moisture, etc. I can tell you that, here, in pretty dry mostly-shade, if I plant it like 2' apart, it will be pretty well filled in the next year (the more vigorous ones anyhow). Plus it also self-seeds.simple life said:
It can get to looking sad and raggedy in August but if it bugs me too much I just trim off the snaggly upper reaches and new leaves will start to sprout from the lower parts of the stem and by Sept. or so it looks civilized again. If I watered more than once or twice in the summer I might not have that problem. Remember I do live where summer nights are reliably below 70 F, though.
Lamium will spread - and seed a bit - but is not deeprooted so if you remove it from a spot it will stay removed for a good while. You can't really walk 'on' it but you can weasel your foot 'into' an established stand without causing unduly permanent damage.
Depends totally on what other plants we're talking about, and what your garden conditions are. Like, just as an example (because in different gardens it'll be different), the lamium you see in those pictures is at a Mexican standoff with the lily-of-the-valley, but billows over top of the violets and kinda smothers them unless I whack it back every now and then. FWIW my experience is that groundcovers do not generally happily coexist; one usually wins. (Groundcovers can coexist with taller plants that poke thru them and can't be swamped, tho). Lamium is easy enough to keep within bounds, though; haven't grown creeping thyme myself so I can't comment on how easy it is to control.
Frankly, my observation is that most plants (not just groundcovers) either a) don't really like where you've planted them, so that they don't show themselves to the best and need coddling to stay alive, or b) LIKE where you've planted them and need periodic application of scissors/loppers/BigGrabbyFist to keep them in bounds. This is just sort of how mother nature is
If you like the neighbor's groundcover (what is it?) why not just transplant some deliberately to where you want it? Can't hurt to try.
Good luck,
Pat
simple life
Garden Ornament
Hi,
Thanks for the advice. The groundcover that snuck over from my neighbor is called myrtle (at least that is what he told me) I don't know it's formal name. It has dark, thick, shiny leaves and purple flowers.My husband stored our canoe over part of where that ground cover is and it hasn't recovered since we moved it. I am hoping that part fills in and have tried to transplant some over to that area where the bald spot is.I could try it in a different spot though and see if it takes. Since that ground cover behaves itself and the lamium does too I could probably keep them away from eachother easily enough.
The creeping thyme I will have to look into. I have some in other parts of the yard between stepping stones and so far it is growing crazy or anything but thats not to say it couldn't when it becomes more established.
I had ajuga for a while and I could not keep that under control. I still keep finding it way far from where it orginally was planted even though I have been ripping it up for years.
Thanks for the advice. The groundcover that snuck over from my neighbor is called myrtle (at least that is what he told me) I don't know it's formal name. It has dark, thick, shiny leaves and purple flowers.My husband stored our canoe over part of where that ground cover is and it hasn't recovered since we moved it. I am hoping that part fills in and have tried to transplant some over to that area where the bald spot is.I could try it in a different spot though and see if it takes. Since that ground cover behaves itself and the lamium does too I could probably keep them away from eachother easily enough.
The creeping thyme I will have to look into. I have some in other parts of the yard between stepping stones and so far it is growing crazy or anything but thats not to say it couldn't when it becomes more established.
I had ajuga for a while and I could not keep that under control. I still keep finding it way far from where it orginally was planted even though I have been ripping it up for years.
- Thread starter
- #17
patandchickens
Deeply Rooted
You might google "vinca", see if that's your myrtle?
Have fun,
Pat, who kinda enjoys watching (and meddling in) Groundcover Wars out in the garden
Have fun,
Pat, who kinda enjoys watching (and meddling in) Groundcover Wars out in the garden
DDRanch
Garden Ornament
Beautiful pics and property. You certainly have a talent for gardening. Love your chicken tractor. How many chickens do you have in that?
Anne
Anne
- Thread starter
- #19
patandchickens
Deeply Rooted
Why thank you <blush>
There are just 2 chickens in there right now (were 3 last year, but, 'female problems'). Some people would cram a couple more in but I think it's kind of snug just for 2-3 and can't imagine putting more in. The others are elsewhere, out back
More tractor details than anyone could possibly care about: http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-tractor
Pat
There are just 2 chickens in there right now (were 3 last year, but, 'female problems'). Some people would cram a couple more in but I think it's kind of snug just for 2-3 and can't imagine putting more in. The others are elsewhere, out back
More tractor details than anyone could possibly care about: http://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-tractor
Pat
DDRanch
Garden Ornament
Pat, it looks like a perfect size for 2 chickens. I would have a 100 if I could, but have the space for 18. Better happy chickens than overcrowded ones.
Anne
Anne
