I thought it would be neat for anyone who gardens or enjoys gardening on here to discuss their trials and tribulations with weeds (as I've noticed from another thread.. lol), or landscaping, or just enjoying nature in general.

Here are a few suggestions on topics we could talk about:

1. Our own gardens or plants that we're taking care of
2. Discovery of new tips of how to take care of plants/rid of weeds/bug demoliton - lol  ;D etc.
3. Parks we've visited or Botanical gardens we've been to.

and anything else that seems to fit..
So, this was just a thought but maybe we can find out some nifty stuff about us in this tread..

Weeds! The bane of my life several years back!

When I moved into this property, the rear garden was roughly split into two - the part nearest the house was an average 'floral' part, while the other part was was used by the previous occupant as a 'veggie' patch...

The occupant was getting on in years, and over time the 'veggie' plot became somewhat neglected - when I eventually moved in, it was approaching jungle-like status!

I spent weeks on that bit of plot...pulling everything up, turning everything over, but I always had these triffid-like weeds growing when I had my back turned...

In the end, I got desperate and just dosed literally everything with the strongest weedkiller I could legally buy!

Moral of the story - you can go 'organic' up to a point (like I was trying to do), but there are times when science has to play a part!

Good idea, ultraviolet, although I doubt I have many good tips to share.  ;) I love gardening, flowers, that is, I'm not good with vegies. I have a tomato plant that's huge and it still only has 2 tiny little green tomatos on it, while everyone else is already eating theirs. I really like to plant perennials, that way you don;'t have to replant every year. When I plant annuals I only plant a few and mostly in pots to sit on the porch. I love hostas. They seem to thrive about anywhere and there are alot of different variations. I have one that has huge leaves on it. I put wave petunias in my window box and they do really good as long as you dead head them, (pull the dead blooms off). I'm sure this is pretty boring to anyone who isn't interested iln plants, so. . . . . ok!   :D

I don't grow toms, Rhonda - but I gather they (like roses) do like a dose of potash every now and then...

The tomato plant may need cutting back if it's getting too big - the trick is to 'restrict' the plant, so that all the 'growing' gets concentrated to the fruit...I do this with roses and strawberries - seems to work!

People keep telling me I need two plants, so they can. . . . um, whatever plants do!  :o  I've never heard of such a thing!  :D Have you? 

I'm just trying to picture a couple of plants in the flower 'bed' smoking post-coital cigarettes!

I'm no expert in this, but I suppose it must have some weight...

To be on the safe-side, buy three - at least something should happen then!

I'm just trying to picture a couple of plants in the flower 'bed' smoking post-coital cigarettes!

I'm no expert in this, but I suppose it must have some weight...

To be on the safe-side, buy three - at least something should happen then!

LOL! Yea, I only bought two because I'm not really good with veggies, then something ate one of them, so that left me with the lonely one  :( 

I'm just trying to picture a couple of plants in the flower 'bed' smoking post-coital cigarettes!


ROFL!  ;D

I lack a 'green thumb', so I leave the gardening to my father-in-law...

I've got a plum tree located 10 yards away from an apple tree...

If cross-pollination works, I can't wait to see what fruit I'm gonna end up with!

I lack a 'green thumb', so I leave the gardening to my father-in-law...


Oh, he does have his uses then...!!

Actually, my Ma's the same...on her odd visits, she'll always be making a fuss of 'what I haven't been doing' in the garden, and ends up doing it herself!

One day she might cotton on...!!

I've got a plum tree located 10 yards away from an apple tree...

If cross-pollination works, I can't wait to see what fruit I'm gonna end up with!

A plapple tree  :-\\

A plapple tree  :-\\


Or an applum tree... :D

Oh, he does have his uses then...!!

Yes, that's the one thing that he's pretty good at!

Actually, my Ma's the same...on her odd visits, she'll always be making a fuss of 'what I haven't been doing' in the garden, and ends up doing it herself!

One day she might cotton on...!!


When I was growing up, my mom always had tons of plants in our house...it looked like a jungle!

I'll have to ask my mom.  She plants tomatoes every year and could keep a small country fed with them ;D  Last year, I froze 3 gallons of them :o and we were still eating them (fresh) in November because I guess if you pick them when they're green and wrap them in newspaper and put them in a cool, dark place, they ripen SLLLOOOOWWWLLLYYY.  She just called me today to tell me to come get some because they've picked over 3 dozen in the past 2 days (off of 6 plants) :o

AFA Roses, if you sprinkle some used coffee grounds around them in the spring and once again when they begin to bloom, they love it.  I usually put some in the hole when I plant a new bush as well.  Many plants like coffee grounds and your local Starbucks gives away their used grounds for free ;)

I'm so jealous, everyone I know has tons of tomatoes  :(  Next year I'm gonna try again. I'll plant like 20 of them and see what happens. As for Roses, I can't get roses to do any good for me. So far we all know that I can't plant tomatoes or roses. I'll think of more later!   ;D

Wow, this is so cool to see everyone discussing all this stuff about plants. I am glad I was able to bring the topic up!!  :)

To extend on my own experience - I have recently taken gardening seriously in the past 2 years since my boyfriend introduced the wonder of plants and trees to me a few years ago. I have had some bonsai plants and a few have died and a few have still made it (somehow, lol).

Speaking of the tomato plants, my boyfriend didn't do a whole lot with his tomato plants this season except not water them a lot. People tend to overwater plants, and tomatoes are by far the least thirsty of them (they are practically weeds, if you think about it!). But, he grew some tasty tomatoes - one called Mr. Stripey was very flavorful and beefy and yes, it did have stripes!

People tend to overwater plants, and tomatoes are by far the least thirsty of them (they are practically weeds, if you think about it!). But, he grew some tasty tomatoes - one called Mr. Stripey was very flavorful and beefy and yes, it did have stripes!


A few years back we had a cherry tomato plant spring up in our backyard.  My guess is that some seeds had blown over from a neighbor's yard.  Anyway, this plant took off and became a huge bush.  I used to pick the little tomatoes (which weren't much larger than a pea) and feed them to my young daughter.  It was so cute because she'd eat these things like they were candy.  lol  :)

A few years back we had a cherry tomato plant spring up in our backyard.  My guess is that some seeds had blown over from a neighbor's yard.  Anyway, this plant took off and became a huge bush.  I used to pick the little tomatoes (which weren't much larger than a pea) and feed them to my young daughter.  It was so cute because she'd eat these things like they were candy.  lol  :)


Ohh, yeah, those can be so YUMMY. My boyfriend buys some at our farmer's market in Concord and some of those are called Sweet 1000's, I believe.

I am excited, we just moved into our own home, so next spring I have lots of plans to plant different kinds of flowers.  We are planning on landscaping our front yard (around the front of the house and steps), putting things in like rocks, flowers, stepping stones, etc....and in the backyard we are going to plant a little garden (snap beans, peppers, onions, zucchini, summer squash, etc).  So far, the flowers that I want to plant are: dragon lilies and lazy susans....they are both very unusual and beautiful. I have never planted anything really, and I don't have a "green thumb"...but I am going to give it a try!



Erin :)

Ok I can help you with the tomato plant questions. If they are grown in a pot or grow bag you need to water them LOTS ! When the first fruit sets you should feed them every week once a week with a liquid tomato feed (Roses love it too!).As they grow you need to pinch out the side shoots that come up between the leaves and the main stem.This concenntrates all the growth into the fruit.Also pinch out the top before the plant gets too huge.Once the fruit starts to swell you should cut off  the lower leaves again to encourage more growth effort into the fruit but also so the sun can get to the fruits.

I hope that helps  oh, and no you don't need a boy and a girl plant when it comes to tomatoes  ;)

I love gardening with a passion and have been gardening since I was about 5 years old, at work they call me Gis the gardener !

The house we are in now had a jungle for a back garden. It nearly killed me getting it into a manageble state as we live in an area with heavy clay soil.I have to say it is not exactly as I would wish it because we are renting the house so all my lovely and precious plants are in pots on the patio rather than in the flower beds, waiting for the day when we can afford our own place