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Post by freecharlie on Apr 23, 2017 14:12:38 GMT
I'd like to do a good garden and flowers, but I am not the best at keeping plants alive, so I am looking for some simple first time plants. We are concentrating on putting the new lawn in (spreading and tilling compost today) and aren't focusing on the extras, but I want a little something so that we have an idea for future years before we put in the sprinkler.
What do you have in your raised beds?
What kind of plants for a noeth facing lot?
Any beautiful patios that people are willing to share?
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Post by cindyupnorth on Apr 23, 2017 16:00:51 GMT
Raised beds I do annuals. so waterfall petunias, marigolds, geraniums, are all super easy. You just have to remember to deadhead and keep watered. I do perennials in my other reg gardens.
We do all our veggies in raised beds. Potatoes and onions take sets you can buy at your local co-op or other garden stores. I tend to buy starter plants from garden centers, as I am in northern MN, and it helps with our growing season. So I buy cukes, tomato, pepper, pumpkin plants. Seeds we do carrot, peas, green beans
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Post by triplejscrapper on Apr 23, 2017 22:30:31 GMT
I'm no good at keeping INDOOR plants alive and I think the ONLY reason I do better on the outdoor plants is because Mother Nature helps me out plus everything in my beds outside are the "plant it and forget it" type of plants. I love any type of flowering bulb. I wish you were close to me because I am working at thinning out the flower beds in the front of my deceased mom's house. They are WAY overgrown to the point that some of them have stopped flowering. There are 2 different types of bearded Iris, tons and tons of Lady Slippers and tulips. All of them purple. Mama had a "Prince" theme going on in her yard. Everything in the beds is purple and the all her flowering trees were purple too!! I've given the culls to everyone I know (and some to a local city board that posted on CL) and still have more to give away!!!
Basil is extremely easy to grow!! I think most herbs are really just be forewarned about mint....I would definitely grow it in a pot and not directly in the ground. It spreads like crazy and will take over before you know it.
Good luck and happy gardening!!!
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Post by femalebusiness on Apr 23, 2017 23:00:01 GMT
Partial shade or north I like calla lilies, impatients, ferns, begonias, violas, hydrangeas, hostas or small palms.
Sunny places I like larger palms, canas, roses, daisy, hibiscus, daylily, zennias and dahlias.
I love in So Cal so we can grow almost anything that doesn't need a hard freeze to bloom and I love tropical plants.
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GiantsFan
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Jun 27, 2014 14:44:56 GMT
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Post by GiantsFan on Apr 23, 2017 23:29:02 GMT
The only vegetable that I grow and prefer hands-down to store bought is actually a fruit! Tomatoes! And they are pretty easy to grow and they don't need a lot of care. However they do need lots of sun, so I don't know if north facing will work. I have always planted them south-west facing.
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Post by freecharlie on Apr 24, 2017 1:14:35 GMT
The only vegetable that I grow and prefer hands-down to store bought is actually a fruit! Tomatoes! And they are pretty easy to grow and they don't need a lot of care. However they do need lots of sun, so I don't know if north facing will work. I have always planted them south-west facing. the garden itself will be in the back in the sun. The front is north facing so any decorative plants would be shade plants |
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Post by Darcy Collins on Apr 24, 2017 14:02:30 GMT
You're in Colorado right? I highly recommend the information from Colorado State on plantings. extension.colostate.edu/garden/Colorado is actually pretty challenging as many of the plants and shrubs which SHOULD grow well based solely on zone, cannot handle the lack of humidity and the winds. When we lived there we had good luck with: iris, roses, peonies, lavender, lilacs. We also had party of our yard with very little irrigation where we used drought tolerant plants like catmint, russian sage, penstemon. This is a great resource for plants that will do will in a more xeric environment: www.highcountrygardens.com My best advice is to find a really good garden center with knowledgeable people in your area - what did well in Boulder might do horrific in your area. And my other advice is to really embrace the plants that actually do well. I fought with the climate for a couple years trying to baby some azaleas and particular favorite hydrangeas and finally realized it was futile (especially the azaleas) they just didn't do well. There are a few hydrangeas that can handle the dry conditions - but many will just keel over on particularly hot, windy days. |
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Post by papercrafteradvocate on Apr 24, 2017 19:20:53 GMT
Raised beds also need to be watered more often, it's like a big pot/container and since its typically new soil, it drains water or dries up faster.
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