tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116278351699614429.post7403897865024451658..comments2023-08-21T01:41:13.490-07:00Comments on Three Dogs in a Garden: A Plant wants What a Plant wants!Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00116583212813729057noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116278351699614429.post-22190972107642067882014-02-13T05:39:27.016-08:002014-02-13T05:39:27.016-08:00That's absolutely true Helene. Certain bugs do...That's absolutely true Helene. Certain bugs do have favourite snacks.I have a Silver lace vine that Japanese Beetles, which are relatively new and invasive pests, seem to have singled out as a preferred food. I have begun to prune the vine aggressively just to deter them. Japanese Beetles also really love my John Cabot rose (Canadian Explorer series of rose). It is heartbreaking to see them clustered on the beautiful pink flowers.Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00116583212813729057noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116278351699614429.post-72251323062814080962014-02-12T15:45:30.734-08:002014-02-12T15:45:30.734-08:00Hmm, get the right plant and you get the right kin...Hmm, get the right plant and you get the right kind of pest! <br />The only plant in my garden to attract yellow aphids is my Dregea sinensis, as it is a milk sap plant and yellow aphids feed on mils sap. But last autumn I bought two oleanders so now I got more food for yellow aphids to munch I guess…! We’ll see this summer :-)<br />HELENEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16112289914239038835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116278351699614429.post-61509980178496373572014-02-12T15:36:39.275-08:002014-02-12T15:36:39.275-08:00Thanks for the recommendation Sarah! I am definite...Thanks for the recommendation Sarah! I am definitely going to look for Permatill.Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00116583212813729057noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116278351699614429.post-68231294759679650382014-02-12T15:32:22.191-08:002014-02-12T15:32:22.191-08:00Barbara, I plan to make an allee for my thyme path...Barbara, I plan to make an allee for my thyme path just as your friend has done for the lavender. I have removed the soil and am going to replace it with a mix of top soil, sand and fine gravel. Fingers crossed, I hope it works.Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00116583212813729057noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116278351699614429.post-41201991609412429152014-02-12T15:29:43.200-08:002014-02-12T15:29:43.200-08:00I get these ugly red aphids every summer on my fal...I get these ugly red aphids every summer on my false sunflowers, Heliopsis helianthoides Helene. They don't seem to bother the other plants at all, but just love these perennial yellow daisies.Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00116583212813729057noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116278351699614429.post-58268094563936597072014-02-12T15:24:16.714-08:002014-02-12T15:24:16.714-08:00They want what they want, and when they are happy ...They want what they want, and when they are happy do they ever thrive....We are gardeners, and will always be placing our hearts before our minds when it comes to plants.<br /><br />JenRURAL https://www.blogger.com/profile/11871803235521431504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116278351699614429.post-3853363001974114082014-02-11T13:44:52.088-08:002014-02-11T13:44:52.088-08:00Hi Jennifer
This is great advice. Gardeners tend t...Hi Jennifer<br />This is great advice. Gardeners tend to fuss and overdo the fertilizer and watering or the opposite: they neglect plants. They need to understand each individual plants' needs for success. Best of luck with the Russian Sage, Lavender and Thyme.Astridhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17208261869410640449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116278351699614429.post-87908929788538254642014-02-11T05:40:55.898-08:002014-02-11T05:40:55.898-08:00You are absolutely spot on with this post! Along w...You are absolutely spot on with this post! Along with the conditions you mention for lavender and Russian sage, are lots of sun and not too wet. Alas, I have struggled with both these plants as well. Although, I do have some lavender (perhaps)..won't know till the snow is gone. Happy gardening!Gardeningbrenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10709940044197929905noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116278351699614429.post-64736893780438381932014-02-10T17:08:22.040-08:002014-02-10T17:08:22.040-08:00Red aphids! I haven’t seen that before. I have gre...Red aphids! I haven’t seen that before. I have green, black and yellow aphids in my garden but obviously haven’t got the right dinner for the red ones – what do they like to munch?<br /><br />I have the same problem with lavender, my garden is perfect for acid loving plants that want a soil a bit on the heavy side. My rhododendrons, camellias and clematis are loving it and my roses are doing well. The lavender is sulking. Got a new one two years ago and it is growing in a container where I can control the soil better. Now it is sulking because there is no room in the container. Ahhh…HELENEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16112289914239038835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116278351699614429.post-44076544066818189792014-02-10T09:02:41.053-08:002014-02-10T09:02:41.053-08:00Hi Jennifer - the Perovskia is one of those plants...Hi Jennifer - the Perovskia is one of those plants that should never, ever be moved. Plant it in its perfect rotten soil place and it will be happy for years - move it once and you'll never get it back into any sort of shape. Some of the best lavender I ever saw was grown by a woman at our hort club who did it from seed and made herself two lovely little allee(s). No doubt this will be the year, you'll nail it - this has to be as close to a Siberian winter as I ever care to get to ever again! p.s. Remarkable photos and stories in the river valley - doing the right thing is rarely easy and often not appreciated. B.Barbarapchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09990013417063903768noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116278351699614429.post-54886762414261903712014-02-10T07:58:13.565-08:002014-02-10T07:58:13.565-08:00I love lavender too, and after reading a post on J...I love lavender too, and after reading a post on Judith's (Lavender Cottage) about how she grows her lavender border, I was intrigued and determined to do it right. When she said that lavender is native to the Mediterranean with hot, sandy, dry locations, I tried hard to find the right spot. I'm not sure it worked ... will find out this summer. But I know only too well how disappointing it is to have plants that suffer despite our best intentions. Good luck with your new strategy! Wendy xSeptember Violetshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10931133319044031928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116278351699614429.post-13326636379807901762014-02-10T06:04:02.442-08:002014-02-10T06:04:02.442-08:00Great advice, Jennifer! I have some Russian sage ...Great advice, Jennifer! I have some Russian sage that is doing well, but I'm sure I was just lucky. It's in the first garden bed I planted, and I had to remove layers of crushed rock before I could add soil. The sage is on the back edge, where I probably didn't get as much of the rock removed--as I said, pure luck. Lavender, though, is something I've struggled to grow. I saw beautiful masses of it in a garden I toured this summer--the garden was in an old industrial lot, and the gardener said there was lots of sand and gravel where the lavender was planted. And here I thought everything needed rich soil!Rosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01384059342847120951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116278351699614429.post-31802824019506023442014-02-09T16:02:26.232-08:002014-02-09T16:02:26.232-08:00I have learned this lesson as well. That is part ...I have learned this lesson as well. That is part of my observations. Either move the plants or change the soil. Mine is amended clay and is more neutral or alkaline. I have been a failure with Russian sage. Love the idea of the thyme.Donnahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13420133886162844400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116278351699614429.post-64607314693220775632014-02-09T13:39:35.332-08:002014-02-09T13:39:35.332-08:00I certainly don't pay enough attention to plan...I certainly don't pay enough attention to plant requirements but I can grow lavender successfully as our soil is very free-draining but I don't do as well with russian sage as you say - mine are pathetic specimens. I love the thought of a thyme walk - a similar thing to a chamomile lawn I suppose.elaine https://www.blogger.com/profile/17075935631756457901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116278351699614429.post-36512028672964825652014-02-09T11:40:15.183-08:002014-02-09T11:40:15.183-08:00Now I'm worried about the Russian Sage I have ...Now I'm worried about the Russian Sage I have planned for my garden. In my clay soil, it's hard to get well-drained. Lavender doesn't do well here, either, and I killed all the thyme I planted. Beginning to see a trend here!HolleyGardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116278351699614429.post-47124828781600522722014-02-08T22:17:17.124-08:002014-02-08T22:17:17.124-08:00It's a beautiful colored plan Jennifer. Your p...It's a beautiful colored plan Jennifer. Your post and especially your header makes me long more to springtime.<br />Have a wonderful day.Marijkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12848940570958437408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116278351699614429.post-91950298470966520902014-02-08T17:25:00.538-08:002014-02-08T17:25:00.538-08:00Russian sage and I have a complicated relationship...Russian sage and I have a complicated relationship. For some reason if I prune it back before spring, it resents it terribly, so I let it go until it buds out. I haven't found the ideal spot for mine either, but there is one growing in a parking lot in the big city that is huge and thriving, with gravel as a mulch. Every time I buy groceries I admire that specimen. With our cold weather this winter, I'm hoping some of our insect infestations will be a little less. <br /><br />Love the photos, just what I need on this cold day!Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18368318730124533690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116278351699614429.post-58383661228330502292014-02-08T12:43:04.160-08:002014-02-08T12:43:04.160-08:00I don't grow the sage but I have a clump of En...I don't grow the sage but I have a clump of English lavender that has survived for almost 10 years. The soil is mostly clay but very dry in the summer and still it thrives. I throw some mulch down once in a while too, but that is all.Those red aphids look scary - hope you don't get them often.Pattyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13191861892726873074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116278351699614429.post-22120963716115296692014-02-08T12:35:26.917-08:002014-02-08T12:35:26.917-08:00It always comes down to the soil or the lighting. ...It always comes down to the soil or the lighting. I've killed or tortured lots of plants because I had them both wrong. I'm growing lavender from seed right now and will plant most of it in pots to give it the drainage it wants. My Russian sage isn't very happy, either. In addition to loose soil, it doesn't like to be crowded by taller plants that might interfere with its sunshine. It needs short friends and elbow room. :)Casa Mariposahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16647089868277238456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116278351699614429.post-40455875153947467252014-02-08T06:13:07.894-08:002014-02-08T06:13:07.894-08:00Hi Jennifer. I have just one word for you: Permati...Hi Jennifer. I have just one word for you: Permatill. I am assuming you get it in Canada. It's a fabulous soil amendment made of gravel and in the Raleigh area, where the soil is heavy clay, it's a life-saver. The Raulston Arboretum mixes it into all its soil beds to improve drainage. It's not cheap, but it's worth every penny.Sarah/ Galloping Horse Gardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01863804034201109102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116278351699614429.post-67945812717133997732014-02-08T05:54:16.766-08:002014-02-08T05:54:16.766-08:00My lavender (which isn't supposed to survive i...My lavender (which isn't supposed to survive in this zone) grows like a hot damn. It's planted in gravel. There isn't much "soil" at all, just hot, dry gravel. And it thrives. Go figure. I planted all sorts of thyme varieties in the same spot and they love it too. I pay no attention to them, I don't even cover the thyme with snow to get it through the winter (some of it is under the eaves of the house) and it survives. Thanks for the lovely photos, pinning your lavender!!ANNEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09669855421350031273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116278351699614429.post-60605942852624393272014-02-08T04:40:48.154-08:002014-02-08T04:40:48.154-08:00A great lesson. I have to remember this post. Than...A great lesson. I have to remember this post. Thanks for sharing. Beautiful lavender, we can't find it here.Endah Murniyatihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16175364514530314348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116278351699614429.post-5990228496746728592014-02-07T21:04:46.298-08:002014-02-07T21:04:46.298-08:00Oh those lavender shots are so pretty. - I love se...Oh those lavender shots are so pretty. - I love seeing gardens filled with gorgeous flowers. Can't wait for spring to see flowers blooming again.Idahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14587867197850064349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116278351699614429.post-89087801559513360932014-02-07T21:02:12.629-08:002014-02-07T21:02:12.629-08:00Yikes! Those aphids look like an army on the march...Yikes! Those aphids look like an army on the march! I have tried to grow both Russian sage and lavender. In my clay soil. It was a disaster. So I improved the soil to what they should have loved, but they could not survive my humid wet climate, even with the best of gritty, free draining soil. As you say, a plant wants what it wants! Your garden, by the way, is gorgeous!debsgardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15656883577922890561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7116278351699614429.post-61198755877798739502014-02-07T20:40:53.929-08:002014-02-07T20:40:53.929-08:00Such a wonderful post and so very true as I begin ...Such a wonderful post and so very true as I begin counting every plant that I have lost for various reasons. I must say that I have been a chicken when it comes to growing lavender for the sheer fact that my soil is a bit heavy in places and I fear that I will kill it if I don't have the perfect spot and conditions for it! HA...just like you said...we are like parents to our plants! Good luck with shifting things around a bit...I have no doubt that you will get it right!!! Nicole xoMy Garden Diarieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17295676587780780313noreply@blogger.com