Well, today I ventured out to one of the local garden shops. I have been going there for years. However, I always went a lot sooner: a week or so before Mother’s day, so today was late., very late. Weeks past Mother’s day. Even past Memorial Day and sadly the stock was very depleted. As soon as the Governor allowed people to go out, they must have swarmed the shop like locust!!
Usually, the ceiling on the shop is loaded with huge hanging baskets, extra-large, large, and medium sizes. I need an extra-large for my front garden urn- sorry not a one to be had.!!! I did manage to get three large baskets for the front porch and the back deck; that will have to do for now.
If you look at the top plant, you will see a cascading purple petunia. I hoped it would fit in the urn but it is too small. Perhaps I can rig up something to bolster it up. I will try to fix that tomorrow. The other plants- petunias will go in the front porch back corner to hid the drain spout and the other for the back garden.
This garden year has been very unusual for me. I am hiring a landscaper to help clean up the garden and to lay down a few cubic feet of mulch. There is no mulch left from two years ago and the plants look a bit neglected.
I am going to have in put in another pink hydrangea and a bunch of cornflowers. Fro some reason, I lost one hydrangea- I like to group in sets of three; and all the corn flowers died. I really should look up the echinechia and see if chipmunks or rabbits eat them. I love having daisies and cornflowers to put in bouquets. The birds love the seeds in the Fall.
Just looked up cornflowers- apparently, rabbits do eat them and aphids love them I will have to add herbs to that part of the garden now.
I did manage to find the last three lavender plants and I had three rosemary plants. I plan to use these herbs for garden pest management. I read a few articles on using herbs to see HERE and HERE. I really wanted Marigolds for the roses to control aphid but they had none. I don’t particularly like marigold but neither do aphid solo. I’ll try a couple of geraniums, aphid don ‘t like the smell of the leaves.
I still need a few items but will try a few other garden centers in a week or two. Hopefully, they will have time to stock up, or someone will have that gorgeous extra-large basket I want SMILE
Well my friend, I hope you can garner some help from what I leaned about gardens and planting for pests. I’ll keep you informed on my progress over the next few weeks.
I didn’t tell you, but my back patio is absolutely ruined and the gardener will have to reset it again. I do hope this gentleman can help me. The last man redid it three times without success, I’ll share that fiasco with you at another time.
Till then,take good care and stay well and happy. I hope gardening brings you some joy, as it does for me.
Dara
