[Just Dahlia]

Even though my season isn't finished yet, I'm already preparing for next and I have tons of ideas and questions.

I planted some blueberry bushes a couple weeks ago and now I'm looking for a good spot to put my Blackberry (hopefully thornless) vines.

I'm going to transplant my strawberries this weekend, so I can actually get enough to make jam next year.

Anybody else doing anything? It's going to be a long winter, start planning now.:)

[twinkiedooter]

Oh, I've planted some Dutch Iris bulbs this week as I love Iris blooming in my yard. I also planted some young Blackeye Susan plants so that I'll have big, bushy plants next spring all around my house.

Oh, just a note on your blueberry bushes. I have a friend here in Ohio that has about 2 acres of his yard devoted to blueberry bushes. He used to add about 10 bushes a year until he can't add any more to his lot. He's been doing that for 20 years now. He does not spray them at all. The berries are out of this world delicious! He also takes special netting and nets his plants so the birds don't eat all his fruit. He must do this as the birds know where all the blueberries are and have cleaned his trees of all the fruit until he started netting them. He sometimes sells his blueberries at the office where he works and can't pick enough to keep up with the demand as his coworkers clean him out. His wife does freeze quite a lot of berries for eating in the winter.

[artlady]

I'm getting a snuggle so me and the man can keep warm because I live in the snowiest city in the U.S.
I live in Syracuse New York.
Get the snowfall totals on this link,its funny :)

Syracuse, New York - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
If you do read this I am in Eastwood ,the village within the city.

[Just Dahlia]

OK, so the blueberries are planted and the Blackberries are planted. The strawberries have been replanted with a couple new ones (for variety) and I'm trying Romaine lettuce, just a few to start.

I'm also in the process of trying to clean up for the up and coming winter. I took some pictures so there will be a 'before' shot, but I don't have the energy to post them tonight, maybe Tuesday.

Our weather has dropped 20 degrees since yeaterday and I love it!:D Sunday it was 100 and today about 80. Right now only 77! All the windows are open and the fans are bringing in glorious fresh air.:)

[Just Dahlia]

What:eek: Do you just have buckets every where:confused:
I'm so sorry about the demise, that soil looked very sad:(

I think I'm going to attach a couple pictures that you can delete after you see them, since they really have nothing to do with UDTs, but I wanted to share.:)


Some of my fish, which are a pain in my butt.


The shed when DH was out of town. When he came back, he did the roof.


My crazy bees, I have bee proof feeders now and the humminbirds think that all I live for is to give them more nector. The birds and I need to sit down and have a talk.


I am standing where most of the tomatoes are planted and where my hammock is. Haven't had much time for the hammock this year.. YET:D

[twinkiedooter]

Loved your picture of your Koi fish. Wow are they ever big!

Loved your bee picture as well. It's nice to see you feeding them as well.

Your backyard looks so inviting. And same for your pool!

[Just Dahlia]

Thanks, I had posted those in the UDT thread for KUXJ to see, I had been telling him about things and never got around to posting pics.:rolleyes:

He moved them here, since they really didn't belong there, soon I will post the ones I had talked about before.

[KUXJ]

Hi! Just Dahlia :)

What are you doing to prepare for next season?

My response will naturally depend on my local climate, and the conditions I am used to.
For some of our fellow gardeners/members this can be a daunting task as
they may have recently moved to different Hardiness Zones (HZ).

As one can see by the image, courtesy of Arborday.org.
Not only does location have a bearing on what you can do, and when, but
the natural ecology of Earth does as well. wikipedia



Borrowed from wise geek: Can You Use USDA Zones Around the World?

However, because the USDA zones look at average minimum temperatures, they often miss summer temperatures, which are key. Regions with the same average minimum temperature might have summer temperatures which vary, so plants which thrive in, say, Michigan, won't grow in England. Furthermore, USDA zones don't consider other important issues like annual rainfall, wind, soil conditions, and so forth, making them more of a rough guide than a hard and fast set of rules.

You also have to realize that you can not put blind faith in these maps.
There are at least four other variables you can observe to help in your plants growth. Alternative U.S. Hardiness Zone Maps

For other parts of the world... World Hardiness Zone Finder on Earth Clinic Planet.

My conundrum revolves 'round the fact that I have recently retired (last Nov.), and can devote my full energies to re-establishing a full time garden.
I have to be careful though, that I don't go off in a direction that won't yield good results, analogous to "slow and steady wins the race", but I imagine that we all face that at some/certain points in our lives.

So my present course is to maintain the "status quo", and prepare next years garden accordingly, and this involves steps to take in a logical manner.

Some links to help in accomplishing that task:
Gardeners Diary & Monthly Gardening Planner - InsideOut Gardening
Let your computer help your garden grow - Microsoft Home Magazine
Creative Landscapes - Garden Planner. Month by Month guide for your landscape.

For those that have a more desert clime:
Monthly Desert Garden Calendar - Phoenix Garden Tips

Care to design your own? Shareware:
User feedback on Garden Planner

Free download, but has $10 price? :confused:
Garden Planner - FreeFunFiles.com - A free download site
Screenshot for 'bove:
Garden Planner ScreenShot - FreeFunFiles.com - A free download site

Well that's it for now, I got a little more technical than I wanted to. Next time I'll talk on what I've actually been up to.

by the way... In researching, I found JD's thread #25 on one of the Google searches I made... Way to go JD!! :cool:


k

[Just Dahlia]

Why #25 :confused: What was so special about that? Must have been a couple perfect 'key' words.:rolleyes:

I'll take my prize and just get on with my bad self:D

[KUXJ]

Jd seen this on homemade Ketchup thought you'd like to see: Making Your Own Ketchup, the New Old-fashioned Way! recipe's at the bottom

[Just Dahlia]

Jd seen this on homemade Ketchup thought you'd like to see: Making Your Own Ketchup, the New Old-fashioned Way! recipe's at the bottom

I'll maybe try that next year, I love Heinz and I can't imagine the reaction I'll get with home made ketchup. DH is still asking me about all the jars of chicken and beef stock.

I have a couple (a lot) of pictures, hopefully I'll get them in order from 'before' to 'after'
This is before of my lemon grass and area.
The second is after
The third is before (different angle)
The 4th is after

There doesn't look like that much of a difference, but believe me I was cutting and trimming for quite a while.:eek:

[Just Dahlia]

But wait, there's more:eek:

This is before of the side crap I had to pull out, and re-do the sprinklers because the banana trees were blocking the water flow


After

This is my new 20 gallon, half buried compost bin that KUXJ and tick helped me decide on. Bought 20 worms at Wal-Mart and threw them in, don't see them any more.:eek: Might have to get more.:(

This is my pineapple top that I planted and it looks like it's doing pretty good.:)

[KUXJ]

Jd,

Just love what you've done to the place. You certainly have an eye for presentation.

Even though I see different uses for our property, I just hope I can come up to the caliber of gardening you display in yours.

In your second pix, are those two turquoise colored trees, palms? I can't tell from where I'm sitting...

And those banana trees :cool:

Looks like you found the perfect place for the compost bin, if you didn't drill holes for ventilation those worms are in there.

You definitely earned the "garden of the month" award. ;)

Steve

[Just Dahlia]

Jd,


In your second pix, are those two turquoise colored trees, palms?

Steve

Those are some palms that light up, I'll have to take a picture at night someday to show you. The whole back yard lights up:D

[KUXJ]

Another novel approach.
When I have Christmas lights up, I'll leave 'em up all year round, then on special occasions light 'em up to accent the mood.

They'll help when eddie comes to roost. :p :D :p

[Just Dahlia]

Monster storm today and this afternoon going into the night, my nice clean yard is now a big mess. :(
Lost a couple 100 lb pots with large trees and one might have cracked the concrete steps going down to the pool. One of my fake lighted palm trees is snapped in half and my white fence to keep the dogs away from the pool is down. My Dahlia is lying on the ground next to my wisteria tree and my pond is overflowing downhill towards the pool. Hopefully the fish are holding on to something.:eek:
I'll post the icky pics a little later.

The hammock is still hanging so Eddie is OK!:D

[KUXJ]

JD, are you, and the family (dogs too), the house, all right?
I hope so!

But, That does it!! :mad:

Even though I'd be chompin' at the bit to give a compliment... Hold me back eddie!!!!!

From now on to the end of time, I will not, EVER AGAIN, praise anyone on how nice their flowers, veggies, garden or lawn look.

My Mom warned me once, when I said something nice 'bout her 6year old Cybidium...

Oh No, she said, you never praise another person's, "growing things" ,cause they'll end up dying.
I felt so bad a month later, I went, and got her a new one.

I feel just awful :(

[Just Dahlia]

We new the storm was coming, so it wasn't your praising and nothing died (that I know of) just broke a lot of things.

We are all OK and at the end I got a beautiful apology rainbow!:) It was a double, but the second part was faint. I'll post that pic too.





Looks root bound to me, maybe it was meant to be

[Just Dahlia]

If you look close you can see the second rainbow:)

[firmbeliever]

Couldn't rate you JDahlia,
But wow!!
Love your grounds.


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