2025 Garden Thread

[begreen]

I didn't know about the catkins. Is that a redbud in the foreground?

 

[DuaeGuttae]

I'll have to try to remember to get a picture of the catkins when they appear. They are quite large and prolific.

Yes, it is the edge of one of many redbuds that surround my mom's house. I was just telling my sister-in-law recently that my childhood picture of spring in this area is pink redbuds and white dogwoods. Cherries and Bradford pears have become more popular in developments, but the redbud/dogwood combination is still in a lot of older areas and woodlands. I've just been reading about eating redbud blossoms. I may have to try some in a salad soon as my mom's volunteer lettuce in her garden needs some harvesting.

 

[begreen]

Gorgeous tree. I didn't realize they get that big. We have a 7 yr old redbud that's only about 6 ft tall.

 

[30WCF]

I don’t know where I’m gonna plant them. I don’t really want the spikes in my feet.

 

[DuaeGuttae]

Gorgeous tree. I didn't realize they get that big. We have a 7 yr old redbud that's only about 6 ft tall.

I wonder if you have a different species, Western Redbud instead of Eastern Redbud. These trees are probably at least fifty years old, if not older. They are beautiful.



The garden was looking happy today after a good soaking rain overnight and this morning. I was definitely happy about that.

 

[DuaeGuttae]

I don’t know where I’m gonna plant them. I don’t really want the spikes in my feet.

The spikes can definitely be a problem. I remember that from running around in bare feet as a child.

Nowadays my mom tends to rake up all the spiky husks and haul them to a spot in the woods for disposal. I don't know if she did that when I was a child or not. She probably did but missed some at times. I definitely remember the pain of stepping on them when they were lurking in long grass.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

When I lived in Houston I cut down all the sweetgums in my yard. I got some from the neighbors trees, but lots less than if they grew in my yard! They look great in fall though. I’ve seen a few that people planted up here. I’m told they don’t produce the burrs. Maybe that’s due to the cold, or they’re a burr less cultivar. I’m not going to find out!


Redbud is an understory tree. They don’t grow big. Maybe you saw crepe Myrtle?

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Then again, redbud isn’t native to us, it just might not do well here.

 

[DuaeGuttae]

Redbud is an understory tree. They don’t grow big. Maybe you saw crepe Myrtle?

Then again, redbud isn’t native to us, it just might not do well here.

Given enough time, they grow to a decent size, bigger than a shrub or small tree, but not truly large. They won't ever be huge likes tulip poplar, pines, or oaks, all of which we have in the surrounding area.

Crape Myrtle is a popular ornamental around here. In this area I haven't seen them get as large as the redbuds, though I was surprised in Texas by the size of some of them. My mom has several crape myrtles in her yard. At this time of year, they're not even leafed out yet, much less blooming. That will happen later in the summer. Redbuds are some of the earliest bloomers around here. In the picture, the crape myrtle is in the middle between the dogwoods and in front of the redbuds in the distance.



I hadn't realized that redbud wasn't native to New York. I had just assumed that it grew up north as well because of the scientific name, cercis canadensis. It does appear to be more limited to the Mid-Altantic and South with a weird disjunctive group over in Mexico. Interesting stuff.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I see a few here and there.

The main understories in my area are hop hornbeam and striped maple. Some dogwoods.

 

[EbS-P]

First round of tomatoes.

 

[begreen]

The spikes can definitely be a problem. I remember that from running around in bare feet as a child.

Nowadays my mom tends to rake up all the spiky husks and haul them to a spot in the woods for disposal. I don't know if she did that when I was a child or not. She probably did but missed some at times. I definitely remember the pain of stepping on them when they were lurking in long grass.

For us, it was stepping on a forgotten Lego brick in bare feet.

 

[EbS-P]

My 30 bags of tomatoes! From grow lights to shade cloth for a few days, then I’ll take it off till late may!

 

[djlew]

Starting to get the garden planned out and ready here in zone 7. This guy here is always popping up early. I think it's catnip. Lemon tree inside is doing really well too. Maters and peppers to follow!

 

[begreen]

Yes, that's catnip. Our cat loves to sleep on top of the catnip plants.

 

[djlew]

Yes, that's catnip. Our cat loves to sleep on top of the catnip plants.

That's really funny! I also saw some interesting medicinal uses for it too. Teas and what not. Might be worth a try. Always thought it was a cool plant!

 

[begreen]

That's really funny! I also saw some interesting medicinal uses for it too. Teas and what not. Might be worth a try. Always thought it was a cool plant!

That is how we first met our cat. He belonged to a neighbor, but really prefered to hang out in our garden in the catnip. One day there were 3 stoned cats hanging around in the nip. He eventually adopted us when his previous owner moved.

 

[djlew]

Starting to warm up consistently here. Got a heritage raspberry and patriot blueberry planted to add a little character in front of the backyard shed. Pollinators are loving the blueberry already. I got two 80"x40"x19" raised beds to fill up. Thinking of loading the bottom with cardboard, some old wood I left out and is rotting, and brush topped off with some soil from the local recycling center and some amendments.

Going to attempt to do some companion planting this year. Marigolds and basil with the maters and I also want to find some good companions for the mini orchard we are growing. 2 peach trees and 2 apples. They are bare root but are starting to show some life.

Things are starting to come together! This is the wife and I's biggest venture into gardening. We only did one raised bed last year and had a lot of success so we are expanding our operation. I heard a quote I liked... "Plant 200 things, and even if only 50 grow you will still be known as the guy who grew 50 things."

 

[walhondingnashua]

Built an arbor to try my hand and growing gourds this year. The wife really likes decorative pumpkins and gourds so will see how it goes. Not very hard from what I understand so using up some space.

 

[djlew]

Got the garden planted! Maters, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini and eggplant. Got a pic of the fruit trees as well. I was processing a lot of wood and really didn't want to waste the wood shavings so I added some as a mulch to the fruit trees. I actually heard mixed opinions about that. On one hand, obvious moisture retention and on the other hand, as it decomposes it might take some nitrogen from the soil stunting growth. The trees are fertilized with Dr. Earth so I'm not sure that's much of a concern but wanted to see if anyone else did something similar. Next time I might just throw it into the compost but it does look nice to me.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

If it’s mulch it’ll only pull nitrogen from the top. The roots of your trees are much deeper! You won’t see any issues!

 

[djlew]

If it’s mulch it’ll only pull nitrogen from the top. The roots of your trees are much deeper! You won’t see any issues!

Thank you! That's sort of what I figured but it's nice to have some reassurance. Love to get every last bit of use and no waste.

 

[burning VC]

in the nwNC foothills....

asparagus up, pole green beans up,
green zucchini up, yellow straight neck up,
Marglobe Rutgers and new this year Early Girl tomatoes are up..
mixed onion set in, coming up

Jack pumpkin, Sugar Baby watermelons, Honey Rock cantalopes....white cucumbers down, waiting
green okra, down...

to go
butternut squash, yellow flesh watermelons, more okra, more squash, Mammoth Sunflowers...

 

[djlew]

in the nwNC foothills....

asparagus up, pole green beans up,
green zucchini up, yellow straight neck up,
Marglobe Rutgers and new this year Early Girl tomatoes are up..
mixed onion set in, coming up

Jack pumpkin, Sugar Baby watermelons, Honey Rock cantalopes....white cucumbers down, waiting
green okra, down...

to go
butternut squash, yellow flesh watermelons, more okra, more squash, Mammoth Sunflowers...

I'm growing early girl tomatoes this year too. Never had them before. Are they a usual for you?

 

[DuaeGuttae]

I'm hoping that tonight will be the last night for bringing tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants in from the cold. They've been spending nights outside, but tonight's forecast is lower, and I don't want to chance it. I'll measure soil temperatures next week to see how close I am to getting them in the ground. Some of the transplants are ready and waiting, but I want the soil to be warm.

My husband got a cedar pole cut down and in the ground for me yesterday, so now our garden gate is swinging on fencing staple hinges. We still haven't completed the fence in that one area, but my rolls of wire and tomato cages have been blocking it off well enough. I do hope to have the fence completed this week before transplanting tomatoes.

I've grown Early Girl in the past. It's a good solid tomato.

I just seeded melons, squash, and cucumbers inside, and the squash and cucumbers are popping up. The melons are being a little slower.