Gardeners of AW, unite

Fenika said:

Question: What are good, preferably native (For PA, USA) flowers or bushes that are shade and part shade tolerant (need something for both) AND attract butterflies, bees, hummers, etc.

I have enough room that I could do a three season patch, so the more the merrier.

I have another corner that gets midday and afternoon sun for a bit, so some part shade bushes and trees and stuff there would be good. There's already a mulberry for the birds there, and my neighbor wants to give me another paw paw or two...

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Try Clethra alnifolia, aka Summersweet. It's a shrub that blooms in summer with sweet smelling spikes of pinkish white flowers, and the foliage turns golden in the fall. There's a red stemmed variety called 'Sherry Sue'. These shrubs will grow in sun or shade, though flowering is lessened in more shade. There are small and dwarf varieties if you prefer smaller plants. They prefer moisture but I bet once they mature they'll handle a drier site. Just keep them well watered until established.

With broccoli, much depends on the variety. But the major ones tend to produce a single large head, and multiple smaller ones after the first has been harvested. And, like most cabbage family vegetables, they do best in cool weather.

Here's a useful hint, though: Even after harvesting the heads, you can use the stems in a couple of different ways. Sliced thinly (1/4-1/2 inch) they go really well in stir-fry dishes. And they can also be shredded for cole slaw, excellent texture.

There are also "sprouting broccoli" varieties, which don't produce a single large head, but multiple smaller ones. They tend to take a little longer growing season, though, in my experience.

And the sprouts of broccoli are excellent as well, much like those of any cabbage family plant (radishes, bok choi varieties, mustards, turnips, all very tasty).

caw

caw

Fenika said:

I saw Bee balm needs moist, so I don't think that will work where I had in mind. I have an area downhill of the house I could put some even though it's not one of the more visible spots.

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My bee balm is actually on the middle of a hillside, which is pretty much never a moist location. It does as well as the coneflowers, daisies, and stokes' aster around it. I do water that area in the driest days of summer though.

Broccoli, I am guessing here, but I bet if it was hotter it would flower sooner, so maybe a greenhouse tent over it? Seems a shame to pull it up when it will produce another crop though.

my apricot and peaches are in bloom but we are expecting snow, hail, t-storms and temps in the 20^s. hard to be enthusiastic about spring. --s6

sunandshadow said:

Broccoli, I am guessing here, but I bet if it was hotter it would flower sooner, so maybe a greenhouse tent over it?

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No. Broccoli does not like excessive heat. That causes it to bolt to flower quickly, but not with good-sized flowerheads. Most cabbage family plants do best in cool weather.

caw

Chipping out this morning. Everything is coated in ice so we have a late start at school. I'm spending my morning reading a book on plans for flower gardens. Saturday the landscape people are coming to roto till my big garden. Spring has to be coming, right? --s6

I've got my tomatoes started, along with some broccoli, lettuce, and herbs. Will start the peppers next.

As soon as the yard dries out enough we will start digging up the garden. I keep getting the "look" from my fiance and my boys but I promise this will be the one and only time this happens (unless we move) lol

What tomato varieties do you plant?
We're mostly growing Siletz ("a guaranteed producer under adverse conditions", which describes our Yukon greenhouse very nicely...), they're super hardy and produce a huge number of tasty fruit per plant.

Fenika said:

More thanks for the plant suggestions. Keep them coming as I have plentry of spots to fill.

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Keep in mind that insects like plants that humans tend to class as weeds. Don't throw out your dandilions or stinging nettles too soon if you have them, and if you don't consider reintroducing them in an unimportant area.

Bushrat said:

What tomato varieties do you plant?
We're mostly growing Siletz ("a guaranteed producer under adverse conditions", which describes our Yukon greenhouse very nicely...), they're super hardy and produce a huge number of tasty fruit per plant.

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I have 3 varieties. Brandywine (heritage), Beefsteak (hybrid) and a grape tomato.

I personally don't care for tomatoes, however I love things made with tomatoes. The Beefsteaks will be for eating, along with the grape tomatoes. The Brandywine gives salsa a great taste.

I'm growing more snow today.

caw

Blacbird, do you start any plants indoors?

I harvested our garlic yesterday. I set it in the laundry room to cure. It turns out freshly dug garlic REEKS! So I moved it all out to the workshop. Hubby is currently not speaking to me.... but the garlic looks great.
Our broccoli has a ton of seed pods on it. I will be a couple more weeks before I can get the seeds, but there will be plenty to go around. If anyone in the US is interested in growing heirloom broccoli (I forget what the variety is) I can pop an envelope of seeds in the mail you, just pm me. Sorry everybody else, but I don't think the cost will allow me to send out further.

Hello!

I'm kind of new to this section of the forum.

So the husband and are wanting to grow stuff. We're wanting to do potted veggies because we don't have anywhere else to plant them. We just went out and bought cheery tomatoes (small plant), bell peppers (seeds) and sugar snap peas (seeds). This is the first time we're doing this on our own (aka, without parents telling us what to do).

Also, I got some pretty pansies for the little patch of earth we do have by our front door.

I'm pretty excited.

Kricket said:

Hello!

I'm kind of new to this section of the forum.

So the husband and are wanting to grow stuff. We're wanting to do potted veggies because we don't have anywhere else to plant them. We just went out and bought cheery tomatoes (small plant), bell peppers (seeds) and sugar snap peas (seeds). This is the first time we're doing this on our own (aka, without parents telling us what to do).

Also, I got some pretty pansies for the little patch of earth we do have by our front door.

I'm pretty excited.

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That's awesome! I've recently started working on ways to use container gardening as a way to get kids involved. All you need are some old paint cans, any old dirt, and 2 cents worth of bean seeds. The kids plant them, and as they watch them grow the are learning (but don't know it!) about the basics of gardening and agriculture with no investment. As they get older, then can move on to more complicated things like sack gardens.

But of course, it's worthwhile on its own even without kids involved.

Oh, and red okra? RED OKRA? Has anyone heard of such a thing?

I got some seeds from a charity in the US, and the okra pods (about three or four days old) are brick red! I've only ever seen them green before.

Chris P said:

That's awesome! I've recently started working on ways to use container gardening as a way to get kids involved. All you need are some old paint cans, any old dirt, and 2 cents worth of bean seeds. The kids plant them, and as they watch them grow the are learning (but don't know it!) about the basics of gardening and agriculture with no investment. As they get older, then can move on to more complicated things like sack gardens.

But of course, it's worthwhile on its own even without kids involved.

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The great thing, we do have kids. Toddler's going to have a blast with the dirt.

Fenika said:

We must have photos of your journey! I think the peas need really deep pots. Peppers need space as well. I got away with 14" pots that were much deeper than actual pots. Bonus- they were Walmart clearance trash cans and they havent shown any wear or sun damage after two seasons.



You'll have moar fun

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Ooo, yes, I'll take pictures. Once Mr. K finishes building his grill I can get shots of the whole patio area.

We also have two hanging arm thingys left by the previous tenants and we're debating what to put on those. I want something that will attract hummers and butterflies.

Kricket said:

Hello!

I'm kind of new to this section of the forum.

So the husband and are wanting to grow stuff. We're wanting to do potted veggies because we don't have anywhere else to plant them. We just went out and bought cheery tomatoes (small plant), bell peppers (seeds) and sugar snap peas (seeds). This is the first time we're doing this on our own (aka, without parents telling us what to do).

Also, I got some pretty pansies for the little patch of earth we do have by our front door.

I'm pretty excited.

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By all means, enjoy. Tomatoes should do well in a pot, provided they have sufficient nutrients (Jobe's Tomato Spikes are a good, simple means). Peppers are a bit more difficult, requiring warm weather, sufficient water, and lots of sun, but well worth it if you can make them work. Snap peas are wonderful, but you may not get sufficient quantity from potted plants (depends on how many pots). They also require support. In contrast to tomatoes and peppers, peas like cooler weather. But they are fast growers, and you should be able to stagger plantings to extend the fruiting season.

You might also try herbs. Cilantro, chervil, dill, in particular, are pretty easy and well worth it.

caw

15 more $%^&*(# centimeters of snow we're supposed to get this weekend.

There are NO words. This shit started at Halloween this year, and we have gotten barely a break for MONTHS.

I'm jonesing so bad to get digging.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGH!

Kricket, that sounds good I always grow some veggies in containers inside the house to stretch the growing season by a few months. Apart from tomatoes (the bush varieties also do well in containers), I've grown acorn squash and zucchini, Swiss chard, lettuce, spinch and radishes inside. Sugar snap peas sould also work, we have them in a raised bed outside with only a few inches of soil (rock underneath).

No major new snowfall here, but cold temperatures. But the first western bluebirds showed up today, and our tomato seedlings have their second set of leaves out and are looking good