Not here we are being soaked … last year my mason bees emerged too early because of a 3 day heat fest at the end of Marchand nothing really blooming for them in this urban garden setting. This year everything has soggy bottoms
2023 Garden Thread
- Thread starter mcswny
- Start date
Looking like a warm and dry forecast for later this year, and possible moderate/strong El Nino conditions for the winter.
The good ole coin flip predictor i will stick with our local 10 day forecast. The local forecasters and meteorologists have learned a thing or two after uears of being brow beaten by complainers… and then of course there is that incredible improvement in the science part…
I've been getting into planting more natives in my garden in the past couple of years and I was wondering if anyone had any ideas of really aggressive native plants that thrive in the places that weeds typically do and will outcompete or stand their ground well against typical garden weeds? I'm looking for a way to cut down on the time I spend weeding all the little corner areas and spots where I haven't planted anything while also feeling good about what's growing in those spots.
Thimbleberry.
We replanted our entire front yard with natives, replacing the grass and everything, and the thimbleberry is the most prolific, shades out everything, and is the least problematic and easiest to maintain (you can trim it with a weedwhacker and it doesn’t mind). Also, it’s very tasty.
If you let it, it will take over everything, but it’s not hard to control.
Ferns
Dogwoods
Salal
Vine maple
Other facsimiles that are native to similar habitats
Weeds vs mulch is usually a draw but it helps you get stuff under control
There is no no-maintenance landscapes that I know of
Even hardscapes need attention around here
Good luck
brownheron
corvus ossifragus
Here's a good link to get you started: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/techniques/pacific-nw-native-plants-plant-community
Also look at Bunchberry as a groundcover, it's a creeping native dogwood.
If you're in Western Washington, Woodbrook is a good nursery for these things and a jillion more. They are also very helpful if you just tell them what you need. https://woodbrooknativeplantnursery.com/
I forgot about that Bunchberry
Beautiful plant and not too difficult
Also red osier and yellow osier dogwoods are nice
Beautiful plant and not too difficult
Also red osier and yellow osier dogwoods are nice
Well it just finished snowing at my place in Arlington
I’m starting to feel like a weather savant
Really
I’m starting to feel like a weather savant
Really
Same plants just “sizing” them into larger containers:
Hey Jake, do you still have a yard to mow? Or is it all just plants? I have been challenging my "green" friends to year out the land and make gardens or just go native "plants, trees, herbs, moss".
If you had a couple pictures I would share with these friends.
Here are some of the photos. It's pretty dynamic because when we aren’t actively growing something to eat, or flowers for a friend's wedding (last year) or something, we plant cover crops and other things to help build the soil (they get composted in) and also keep our yard from looking like a fallow field. It's had the unexpected benefit of creating a mini-ecosystem in our yard where small wasps keep caterpillars and other pests in check, the spiders and birds keep the wasps in check, etc. And, we don't water.
We have no grass in the front. It’s not a huge area, maybe 16’x30’. We covered the grass with two layers of cardboard, then covered that with several yards of wood chips (free because it saves tree services from having to pay to dispose of it), then did some beds and some small hugelkulture (buried wood pieces that make a mound that self-fertilizes, stays warm, and gives more surface area).
All herbs and edibles in the front yard, though in the pictures above there are a lot of flowers that were planted for a friend's wedding, mostly natives and none of the plants requiring watering. Raintree Nursery is our preferred place to get plants. Gooseberry, evergreen huckleberry, red huckleberry, echinacea, Oregon grape, thimbleberry, beans, blueberries, peas, grape hyacinth (fun way to make color-changing lemonade), filbert, kale, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes (which have volunteered like nuts and keep coming back no matter what we do) etc. At one point we were self-sufficient for vegetables, but we'd have to plant our whole back yard to support the ravenous munchkins we are raising.
We left the 1/4 acre backyard grassy with some rhubarb, potatoes, raspberries, kiwi berries, salmon berry, grapes, hops (delicious shoots, and 20lbs of cones to trade or turn into beer/year) and fruit trees because we have two young kids who need a yard. Had chickens, ducks, and honey bees, but they all died (neighbor feeds raccoons and sprays her plants) and we didn't replace. Only critters we keep now are about 10 kajillion mason bees. We do mow it, with an electric mower (we are off the grid with solar panels) but are in the process of replacing it with a wildflower/meadow mix that can be mowed.
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We have a flight of stairs going from the street to our front yard. Over winter we had a couple prolonged hard freezes and the concrete stairs pretty much exploded with about half of them experiencing damage. I spent the day today learning a new skill of cement patching. While not perfect, they look alright to my eyes and are certainly much safer than before. While I would have liked to use the wonderful spring weather for something fun, I'm satisfied I got it done today.
Good day to plant, even though next week is a bad week for growth...
F*ck it, lettuce went in, sweet peas went in, last of the perennials get divided this weekend...going tk move a few things around and add a few new items...
Can't wait forever, so whatever can survive 38⁰ nights is going in. Soil temps are 50⁰ ... at least today.
F*ck it, lettuce went in, sweet peas went in, last of the perennials get divided this weekend...going tk move a few things around and add a few new items...
Can't wait forever, so whatever can survive 38⁰ nights is going in. Soil temps are 50⁰ ... at least today.
Tough callGood day to plant, even though next week is a bad week for growth...
F*ck it, lettuce went in, sweet peas went in, last of the perennials get divided this weekend...going tk move a few things around and add a few new items...
Can't wait forever, so whatever can survive 38⁰ nights is going in. Soil temps are 50⁰ ... at least today.
Well I made it...
Probably catch holy hell for raiding the seed house and filling up some beds, but so be it.
The starts are ready, and I am not potting up, or letting them get rootbound, so I planted.
My spinach, onions, shallots, cabbage and peas are all doing fine, on the slow side but lately perking up with the longer days.
If I all of a sudden stop posting, you'll know what happened...look for me under the hugelkultur.
I understandWell I made it...
Probably catch holy hell for raiding the seed house and filling up some beds, but so be it.
The starts are ready, and I am not potting up, or letting them get rootbound, so I planted.
My spinach, onions, shallots, cabbage and peas are all doing fine, on the slow side but lately perking up with the longer days.
If I all of a sudden stop posting, you'll know what happened...look for me under the hugelkultur.
TicTokCroc
Sunkist and Sudafed
I have had artichoke starts outside for a month and they are doing good. Been buried a few times in snow, I think we underestimate what plants can handle. But either way I'm ready for a 10 degree temp swing up.
