Author
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Topic: Could I get some advice from the green thumbs out there?
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Isis Knowflake Posts: 945 From: CA Registered: Jan 2004
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posted April 16, 2004 03:34 PM
I'm going to be moving in the next few weeks, and being that I've always been an apt. dweller (since I moved out of folks place years ago) w/ little knowledge of landscaping/outdoor plants, I was wondering if one of our resident green thumbs can help me out please? I need to plant trees that will grow very quickly and serve as sound barriers. Their roots need to go deep, and they need to grow as tall as fast as is possible. Can anyone make some suggestions? Thank you very much PS: The climate is mild moist winters, hot dry summers. I'm not sure of my "zone", but I'm in Northern California if that helps. ------------------ “The good things which belong to prosperity are to be wished, but the good things that belong to adversity are to be admired.” Seneca IP: Logged |
gloomy sag Knowflake Posts: 355 From: USA Registered: Nov 2003
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posted April 16, 2004 04:01 PM
I thought of bamboo right away, but I'm no expert. Here is a neat site http://www.growinglifestyle.com/h245/garden/shrub/
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Nephthys Moderator Posts: 1469 From: California Registered: Oct 2001
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posted April 16, 2004 11:27 PM
Isis,Where are you guys moving to? IP: Logged |
Randall Webmaster Posts: 19073 From: Columbus, GA USA Registered: Nov 2000
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posted April 17, 2004 09:13 AM
You're buying or renting a house?------------------ "Never mentally imagine for another that which you would not want to experience for yourself, since the mental image you send out inevitably comes back to you." Rebecca Clark IP: Logged |
Isis Knowflake Posts: 945 From: CA Registered: Jan 2004
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posted April 17, 2004 12:21 PM
Nephthys: Tracy Randall: Buying ------------------ “The good things which belong to prosperity are to be wished, but the good things that belong to adversity are to be admired.” Seneca IP: Logged |
juniperb Knowflake Posts: 5417 From: www.Heaven.Home Registered: Mar 2002
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posted April 17, 2004 01:00 PM
If you consider bamboo, make sure you check the species as some is very invasive and difficult to cull.------------------ If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans. ~James Herriot IP: Logged |
Nephthys Moderator Posts: 1469 From: California Registered: Oct 2001
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posted April 18, 2004 06:14 PM
Isis, Sounds like you're not too happy about that? That's where my car is from. I bought it in 2000 and it came from Tracy. I had to pay $50 to have someone deliver it to my front door! (the car wasn't $50, just the delivery charge). IP: Logged |
Isis Knowflake Posts: 945 From: CA Registered: Jan 2004
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posted April 19, 2004 01:49 PM
Nah, I'm not terribly excited about the location, but I was adamant about having property, and unless we want to buy a condo, with our price range we were pretty much relegated to out that direction. But it's a start, and a heck of a lot better than paying rent. C'est la vie...
------------------ “The good things which belong to prosperity are to be wished, but the good things that belong to adversity are to be admired.” Seneca IP: Logged |
skywych Knowflake Posts: 64 From: The beautiful farm land of N. MO Registered: Apr 2004
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posted April 25, 2004 04:17 PM
N. Cal has a climate close to the midwest. I would plant hybrid willows or poplars. They will grow an average of 3-6 feet a year and are easy to care for. They do better with neglect than over care. They make a nice privacy fence and the critters like nesting in them, so you would get a fab show of birds.If you wanted something showier with flowers, I'd use red buds, they have a purple flower in the spring. Beautiful. Or a dogwood, but they need a little shade when they are young. Flowering plums of any kind would be good. They come in colors from pale pink to deep cherry red, plus they get a fruit on them that attracts wildlife. If this is a home you plan on staying in for several years, I would truley suggest you plan a small orchard of dwarf fruit trees. You get pretty flowers, they feed you, they make a nice privacy fence and what falls on the ground will feed the four legged types. best of luck on your move, skywych ------------------ Empower me to be a BOLD person, rather than a timid soul just waiting. IP: Logged |
skywych Knowflake Posts: 64 From: The beautiful farm land of N. MO Registered: Apr 2004
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posted April 25, 2004 04:22 PM
Owps,Forgot to add, bamboo is very invasive. Which means that it will take over your yard within a couple of years, if you want bamboo plant it in a concrete tub in the ground. Trying to clean out bamboo is very difficult, and it will cut you if you accidentally fall on a stump of one. skywych, an actual certificate carrying master gardner IP: Logged |
gloomy sag Knowflake Posts: 355 From: USA Registered: Nov 2003
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posted April 25, 2004 05:24 PM
Hi Skywatch, nice to see you around! Thank you so much for the 411 on the bamboo which I have been planning to plant myself.IP: Logged |
skywych Knowflake Posts: 64 From: The beautiful farm land of N. MO Registered: Apr 2004
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posted April 25, 2004 07:20 PM
Hi and thank you.By the way I love the name gloomy sag. There are times I could be the wailing wuwu. Bamboo is a beautiful plant and it is so exotic looking. I wish I could plant some outside here where I live. But it would freeze it's little roots off in the winter. What color bamboo were you going to plant? I say some with stripes of a golden brown and dark green that was wonderful. I think it was brought in from Thailand or somewhere like that. It cost a fortune for a start, but once started you'd have a forest. All things green are my passion. I've worked in greenhouses, floral shops, do herbs and am just planting some gourds to make more birdhouses for next summer. I do hope that I did deter you from planting bamboo. Just use some type of barrier for it. It does add a lot of value to a home. green, green, green, skywych IP: Logged |
skywych Knowflake Posts: 64 From: The beautiful farm land of N. MO Registered: Apr 2004
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posted April 25, 2004 07:24 PM
Oh good grief,Is Merc in retro? I meant didn't stop you from plant. I am so sorry about that. I thought I typed it correctly, then read and dang, did it wrong. Sorry IP: Logged |
Eleanore Knowflake Posts: 555 From: North Carolina Registered: Aug 2003
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posted April 25, 2004 08:14 PM
Wow, skywych, that is some really good advice! Might I ask for your opinion on native vs. foreign species of plants?Oh, btw, there is a little "edit" icon at the top of each post that you can click on to edit your post ... you can only edit your own posts, of course, and I think the moderators can also edit something. I hope I don't sound rude pointing it out, but I find it a handy little tool for when I notice I make a mistake like the one you just noticed on your post (it happens more often than I'd like to me, so maybe that's why I love that little option so much ). ------------------ "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." - Ghandi IP: Logged |
gloomy sag Knowflake Posts: 355 From: USA Registered: Nov 2003
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posted April 25, 2004 09:04 PM
well, skywatch, I was just thinking of planting bamboo in the yard because I've had some of that spring shaped one and it grew beautifully. But I haven't decided yet (Libra moon here also )IP: Logged |
Isis Knowflake Posts: 945 From: CA Registered: Jan 2004
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posted April 28, 2004 02:34 PM
I was thinking of planting bamboo, I love its look, thanks for the heads up, I've heard it's invasive, but didn't realize it's like a weed. As for fruit trees, we'll hopefully be moving out of there w/in 3-5 years at the latest, so while I can't wait to live somewhere w/ fruit trees (I'm going w/ Plum, Lemon and possibly Orange), I'll wait till we get somewhere we're likely to stay. Thanks for the suggestions on trees, my plan for them is for more of a sound barrier than a privacy fence...this house backs onto a highway I'm hoping home values hold and the interest rates don't go up too fast... For the most part I'm going w/ tall &/or thick foliage for sound barriers, and flowering bushes, lots of gardenia, we're going to train a passionfruit vine up a patio trellis thingy (don't know the name, it's basically four posts w/ a trellis on top), roses, also I LOVE tropical foliage, esp. ferns. Thanks for all the suggestions ------------------ “The good things which belong to prosperity are to be wished, but the good things that belong to adversity are to be admired.” Seneca IP: Logged |
skywych Knowflake Posts: 64 From: The beautiful farm land of N. MO Registered: Apr 2004
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posted April 28, 2004 07:06 PM
I usually will choose a native plant over an exotic. I'm one of those really lazy gardeners. God/dess love us. I like exotics in the house but for outside, I'd go native. As for adding value to a home, you would be surprised how much a full grown oak or ginko tree would bring to a property. There are plenty of native US trees that can't be grown any where else. A tulip tree is one of them, or it was 20 years ago. The college I trained at had foreign students and they would amaze at how beautiful of a tree it is. And it wasn't available in their countries. A Mimosa tree aka silk tree is a very exotic looking tree. It has pink, fuzzy flowers on it and a very delicate looking trunk. Similar to bamboo, but not invasive. And to buy one that is only 2 or 3 foot high is about $20.00 now. A full grown one or several as a grove, would not only be beautiful, smell good, but add mucho dollars in value. For fast foliage and flowers you could consider nanking cherry bushes. Seven to eight foot tall when mature, cherries that are edible and fast growing as a hedge. I love bamboo, especially made into fountains, but it's cold here in MO. Oh well, I'll buy it by the foot and make my own fountains. Best of luck, skywych IP: Logged |
Randall Webmaster Posts: 19073 From: Columbus, GA USA Registered: Nov 2000
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posted August 02, 2004 08:27 PM
*bump*------------------ "Never mentally imagine for another that which you would not want to experience for yourself, since the mental image you send out inevitably comes back to you." Rebecca Clark IP: Logged |
juniperb Knowflake Posts: 5417 From: www.Heaven.Home Registered: Mar 2002
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posted August 02, 2004 11:58 PM
I sure wish skywych would fly in soon ------------------ If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans. ~James Herriot IP: Logged |
Randall Webmaster Posts: 19073 From: Columbus, GA USA Registered: Nov 2000
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posted August 03, 2004 01:14 PM
She's around in the other Forums. ------------------ "Never mentally imagine for another that which you would not want to experience for yourself, since the mental image you send out inevitably comes back to you." Rebecca Clark IP: Logged |
Isis Knowflake Posts: 945 From: CA Registered: Jan 2004
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posted August 11, 2004 02:44 AM
Well, hubby and I spent the last two weeks gardening, and I've discovered that while I love gardening, I do not like digging holes for trees nor rototilling... We planted several robonia locust (sp?) trees and a chinese tallow, both of which will apparently do well in the summer heat and year-around wind. We also planted several blue dawn morning glories, and omg they are so beautiful...I was going to go w/ passionfruit vines from cuttings from my mom's vines, but realized how long that was going to take. But then I came across the morning glories while they were in full bloom at the local nursery...and I fell in love I also grabbed a couple of my favorite roses, sterling silver, planted a luna hibiscus, bouganveilla (sp?), jasmine, gardenia, day lillies lovingly transplanted from my mom's yard (yellow and pink), mexican sage (that's what my mom said it is anyway, has nice tiny purple flowers) also transplated, english lavender (I think that's what it is, may be another kind of lavender), society garlic (with beautiful little star shaped purple flowers) and silver dragon something or other (with these teensy little silver/white flowers, so delicate) - I ended up grabbing stuff kind of on intuition and apparently didn't do so badly according to the local nursery owner and my mom, the ultimate green thumb. Maybe I've inherited it from her, I sure hope so, she's like you Juni, lots of land, planted beautifully. I've do think I've been watching too much HGTV lately though A friend of mine joked that I needed to have kids, with the way I was treating my garden. Maybe she's onto something I used to be the kind of girl that couldn't keep a pothos alive - and I've discovered now that life has calmed down a bit and I finally have a yard, that I have a natural affinity for it, or at the very least, I just like it a whole heck of a lot One question though - does anyone have any insight into the complete and total annihilation, with prejudice, of crabgrass? It's been the bane of my existence the past several weeks. It was brought to my attn that everything in the back yard that LOOKS like grass is actually crab grass - it had engulfed a rose bush which was totally stunted compared to the unengulfed bush next to it. I tore up my hands weeding it, and the rose has just taken off - happy little rose bush Anywho, are we going to have to just remove the top layer in the back yard and re-sod it? Hubby is trying to 'starve' out the crabgrass by seeding it with other grasses, but from what I've heard it just doesn't work that way. Any insight from our resident garden gurus? IP: Logged |
Randall Webmaster Posts: 19073 From: Columbus, GA USA Registered: Nov 2000
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posted August 16, 2004 04:13 PM
------------------ "Never mentally imagine for another that which you would not want to experience for yourself, since the mental image you send out inevitably comes back to you." Rebecca Clark IP: Logged |
LibraSparkle Moderator Posts: 2525 From: Vancouver USA Registered: May 2004
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posted August 18, 2004 03:21 PM
From what I know about crabgrass, it's best to kill it off when the temp. outside is not too hot.I found this on the net: Crabgrass generally appears in lawns in late May, so earlier in the spring is the time for applying herbicides. You'll want to use pre-emergent herbicides, specifically. May 1 is a good time for application of a pre-emergent herbicide to combat crabgrass. Hope that helps BTW, I second the notion for bamboo trees. Bamboo grows almost anywhere, grows quickly, and gets really tall. I know a couple people up here (in Washington) who use bamboo around their backyard fences to add to their privacy. IP: Logged |
Randall Webmaster Posts: 19073 From: Columbus, GA USA Registered: Nov 2000
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posted August 19, 2004 09:01 AM
Good advice.------------------ "Never mentally imagine for another that which you would not want to experience for yourself, since the mental image you send out inevitably comes back to you." Rebecca Clark IP: Logged |
Isis Knowflake Posts: 945 From: CA Registered: Jan 2004
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posted August 19, 2004 12:15 PM
Thanks! I think I'll let hubby play with it in his stubborn Taurus way until next spring, when it will become evident that trying to starve it out won't work. Then we'll get a sod cutter, pull it all out and lay new non-crabgrass infested sod. One problem is that both neighbors on either side have it, and it creeps under the fence into our yard, which I suppose means vigilance in spraying it with weed killer to keep it from coming over. We also put down planter beds along the fence, laid down weed barrier and dumped bark nuggets, so hopefully that will help too. Thanks again LS! ------------------ “The good things which belong to prosperity are to be wished, but the good things that belong to adversity are to be admired.” Seneca IP: Logged |