Time to get my garden on.

[Denninmi]

Friday night. Get your garden on!

I'll try to share pics later!

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. My garden is getting on big time! Some video clips I took today...

http://nctomatoman.weebly.com/1/post/2012/06/june-1a-good-time-for-some-video-garden-updates.html

[beac]

4. Purple French Filet Beans?

Be still my heart! Where did you find such a treasure?

Would love to hear more about your pruning philosophy/method for indeterminates in small pots. (Why yes, I AM already thinking about how I could squeeze in more toms next year! )

And what are you feeding those tomatoes??? They are HUGE already.

Out of curiosity, how much sun does your driveway garden get each day?

[NRaleighLiberal]

5. Ah - the variety Velour from Johnny's- really looking forward to them!

Indeterminates in small pots - I tried this last year and it worked great. I use 2 gallon pots, use 4 foot poles - prune away all suckers except 1 (so two main growing stems). Once the first two clusters on each set fruit, top the plants (typically at the top of the pole - 4 feet) - this allows you to get good tomatoes from two trusses on two stems - plenty to save seed from, taste test, evaluate.

I've only fed the tomatoes once with dilute Miracle Gro plant food (1 tbsp/gallon - the blue stuff) - our driveway gets 6 hours of direct sun minimum - and I think the black pots and having them sit on the concrete heats the root area well and supercharges the plants!

[beac]

8. "Velour"... it even SOUNDS like a luxurious bean.

Will be interested to hear how they taste. I'm doing bush beans this year instead of filet but I think I'm going to miss those slender beauties.

Thanks for the info on indeterminates. Have filed that away under "More Pots Next Year!".

I wondered about the black vs the white grow bags. All mine are in faux terracotta, so I guess mine are getting heated somewhere in between. Probably good b/c they get ALL DAY sun. And yes, I am already imagining what kind of crazy retractable tent/umbrella covering I can rig up when the scorching days of summer arrive.

[BlueToTheBone]

12. Sounds great, except I wouldn't

use Miracle Grow. Although it's got something in it that pushes the plant, it leaves soil compact and hardpanned. It drains into the water supply too. I would suggest organic on food especially. Bigger doesn't necessarily mean better in the food department.

[Denninmi]

2. Here are some pics.

Some from tonight, some were Monday night when it was hot.

I got three plants via FedEx today from Camellia Forest Nursery in North Carolina. I'm going to give these a whirl again -- two Ackerman hybrid camellias, and Winter Jasmine. I tried these previously and the didn't make it, but I'm going to try again in the greenhouse this time.

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I bought some stuff today at lunch:

Some perennials - ornamental grasses, an allium, a Vitex, and a Pomegranite (for pot culture)

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A hot pink Oleander. I used to have a red, a white, a pink, , but I got rid of them, they were mite prone. I vow to do better this time.

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Spigelia marilandica

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The piece de resistance -- Cornus x 'Venus' -- I couldn't resist this, they only had two of them and one was marked 'Sold' already, so it was "now or never":

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The size of the flowers is amazing -- 12 oz pop can for scale

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Forest Pansy Redbud -- badly in need of staking. I got this Oct. 2010 for $5 on clearance at Home Depot.

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Container plants along one driveway. Most of these were just cut back, repotted, etc. when put out about 2 weeks ago from the greenhouse, although I have a few to still repot like the Queen Palm at the front end. They look rough for a few weeks, but by July will be gorgeous.

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Impatiens bags on tree trunk.

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Bamboo coming up past its boundaries. I'm going to cut these off in a couple of weeks when hardened, so I can use the poles

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American Fringe Tree:

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[beac]

3. I am loving your "pot garden"-- where did you find white pots?

or did you paint them?

The impatiens bags on the tree is a genuis idea I may have to steal.

[Denninmi]

7. No, they're all plastic or foam, came that way.

Actually, it was the just the photo that made them look white, they are various shades of pale beige/tan. All from your usual suspects, places like Home Depot, Lowes. Nothing special.

[Tsiyu]

10. I'm in awe of those who can keep "contained" stuff alive

It has to go in the ground pretty quickly around here.

Hope all your new finds are settling in...


Loved the pics.

[NRaleighLiberal]

6. very nice - I LOVE spigelia (Indian Paintbrush) - we've lost ours through the years.

I collected Oleander seed pods from Ocracoke Island - they germinated well, I've got 4 plants growing. I also took some plant tips this past spring and rooted them in water, so hoping to add pink, deep red and white to the magenta ones we have growing.

Amazing that we can now grow Oleander in Raleigh - doesn't die back or just plain die in the winter! But the climate isn't changing of course....

[Tsiyu]

9. Mine (spigelia) are almost finished blooming

They call them "indian Pinks" here. They bloom at the same time as my Nana Tickseed and some purple sagey stuff. So it's a pretty little show in a shade part of the flowerbeds.

I accidentally scooped up this purple plant with the (collected in a friend's woods a few ears ago.) I still haven't identified it.

And I have a white and a pink oleander because it reminds me of Tybee (it lines the way) but I don't know if it will overwinter outside here - may try it.

[NRaleighLiberal]

11. Yes, Indian Pink....sorry - brain scramble! Just love them!

[BlueToTheBone]

13. Is your fringe tree in a pot too?

I have one planted (in the ground) in the far corner so it can grow to about 10 feet in height. And I'm planning on my vitex filling about a 10ft round shrub. Do you use extra large pots for your trees and bushes? I've got a lemon in a 30 gallon so I can bring it inside in winter.

[Denninmi]

14. No, the fringe tree is in-ground.

But, I must confess, I love potted trees and shrubs. I have some pretty big expanses of ugly concrete around the house. Years ago, someone thought it would help prevent basement leaks to concrete over areas about 8-10 feet out from the foundation on 2 sides of the house. Well, it doesn't help leaks, but it gave me a big area to put containers.

Most of them I pot up eventually go in the ground. I generally use about 20 gallon or large pots. I use a lot of those rope handled utility tubs just because they're inexpensive and I'm not rich.

[BlueToTheBone]

15. Have you tried grow bags?

They are just very heavy plastic that you can form into pots. They are for trees etc and come in some large sizes like 30 gallon for only a few dollars. You could double them and keep the plants in the bags for a few years. I think you can get them at Growers Supply which is a nursery supplier that sells eaches.