(tried to look up the older gardening thread but not accessible)

started a new one.

I can't wait for the warmer weather so I can get out in the gardens and start working. I have many plans for this years gardens, but it will all depend upon how much money I have come spring.

One thing I have to do this year is replace the fence and gate on the one side of my house. I'm thinking about putting up an 8 foot arbor (trellis) that will span the side yard allowing a wisteria to grow over it and drape down. On the back side of it, I will need to put in a new fence/gate to keep the dogs in the back yard, but I am thinking that under it, I will build benches with maybe some flower planters.

I want to do something similar. I've got a butterfly garden on the east side of my house. I've been thinking about putting up some sort of arbor/trellis for some trumpet vines to kind of hide our out door oil tank.( ya know.... hide it yet leave it accessable.) I'm worried about the weight of the plants on the arbor/trellis. I think I may do concrete footings to add extra support. How far deep should I put the footings in?! (Definitly would want it below the frost line!)

I've been looking through the new Michigan Bulb Co. catalog.....made a nice "wish list"!!

My understanding is you want to go 4 feet down for the posts. I would definitely use cement to help stabilize them.

I just printed out some plans from bhg.com for a butterfly garden. The plants it recomments are:

Butterfly Weed, Yellow Yarrow, Purple dome aster, red star aster, purple butterfly bush, purple coneflower, phlox, gayfeather, russian sage, bee balm, Oregano, black eyed susans, coreopsis, stonecrop, iris, goldenrod, blue pincushion flower, blue fescue, sweet alyssum, parsley, and zinnia. I'm tempted to eventually make my entire back yard nothing but perennial gardens with no lawn other than paths that wander through the gardens.

I've always wanted to do that, TRD...Sigh...some day.

First step for me might happen this year. I want to replace the picket fencing that surrounds part of my back yard with stockade fencing and then plant slow growing pines, rhododondrons and other flowering shrubs all the way around the perimeter.

I hope you'll post a picture.

I have some AWESOME CAD programs for landscaping, so I'm all set with my designs/ plant placement, as well as what plants to use. (I'm a LD as well as a Master Gardener.) I know there are some fairly good programs you can find at any major book store as well as Wally World. Sierra and Broderbund have two that were suggested when I was in college working on my degree.


Michigan Bulb Co. has some great "garden packages". Nice variety of specific plants for specific designs or locations. ie; "Shade Garden", "Butterfly Garden", They normally send you 3 of each plant in a theme ( sometimes more dependig on the "garden") and send you an actual blue print for placement planting. I THINK they have a special running till the 15th of Feb, where if you spend a certain amount of money on plants they will send you $20 worth of plants free. (Something tells me the shipping is NOT free!) You should check that out HP! Especially if you want something nice and are on a budget.

I have to have my whole back yard dug up..for some reason I can't get the grass to grow,there was grass when we bought the house 6 years ago BUT now,I get nothing,PLUS Einstein has chewed or dug up all the plants/bushes I planted last year,grrrrr..so now I will start over..again.

I'm very familiar with Michigan Bulb as well as many other bulb and seed companies...my problem has more to do with space and time. I just don't have the space in my current location. It's an apartment, and while it's part of a house (inlaw type apartment) the landlords prefer I not tear up their yard. I take advantage of the fact that my mother is aging and go help her when I need a dirt fix!:)

How aggrivating!

Did you have a grub problem last year?! I know we had a massive japanese beetle problem down here last summer/fall. The skunks were in grub heaven and we had lots of holes in our lawn from them digging.

[quote=HeavenlyPlaces

I'm very familiar with Michigan Bulb as well as many other bulb and seed companies...my problem has more to do with space and time. I just don't have the space in my current location. It's an apartment, and while it's part of a house (inlaw type apartment) the landlords prefer I not tear up their yard. I take advantage of the fact that my mother is aging and go help her when I need a dirt fix!:) [/quote]

Good that you can go some place to get a "dirt fix!" ( Love that! )


Do you do "container gardening?!

Last summer was so dry I had to water almost daily to keep the grass from drying up and blowing away. My soil is very sandy and no matter how much watering I do, it is dry in no time at all.

Nope, no grubs or Japanese beetles...or at least not so we noticed. The infestation here has been minimal the past few years. And believe me...I'm NOT complaining!


I also have some serious time constraints now, so for the time being I'm content being my mother's "yard boy" from time to time. It works well for both of us. I do the heavy work...she picks out the pretty stuff...and...well, she shares!

BTW...I recommend checking out Garden's Alive (I think they're online now, as well as via regular mail catalog) for their organic grub killer...it's kind of cool, and one of those bio-organics. Anyway, check them out before spring because I think you need to apply this stuff before the grass really starts to take off.

At the end of the season I bought a small tiller...can't wait to play in the dirt!

I believe it started with the dogs romping in the yard,the kids and their four wheelers..LOL

try some pelletized lime and try to stay off from it for a day or so- hard to do with pets and children...the lime will drive grubs out and "sweeten" the soil. (Raise the PH)

kids, dogs and a lawn. yep...know how that is!

I'd get the soil tested BEFORE putting anything down. It MAY not be a pH problem. It also MAY not be a soil nutrition problem. You MAY need to add a 10-10-10 ( N,P,K) fertilizer to your lawn. OR it could just be that you need to put down grass that performs better in those high traffic areas.( Scott's packages grass seed for high traffic areas, as does a few other companies.) If you get the soil tested FIRST, you won't have to worry about wasting money on something that your soil may or may not need.

You can get soil testing kits anyplace that has a garden center. The Seneca CCE should have some available. You may even want to give their MAster Garden Hotline a call. (I THINK that still only runs on Wed.)

Thanks for this info..I will try this first.