I couldn't find a thread in the archive pertaining to this, so I decided to start another one. I have a question for those of you who have a green thumb....


Is it possible to find certain wild flowers, uproot them and transplant them to the soil in my front yard? If so, what is the best way to go about doing this?  I saw these really pretty flowers alongside the road going to my parents house and I would love them in our front yard...but I just don't know if there is a safe way to do this.

I couldn't find a thread in the archive pertaining to this, so I decided to start another one. I have a question for those of you who have a green thumb....


Is it possible to find certain wild flowers, uproot them and transplant them to the soil in my front yard? If so, what is the best way to go about doing this?  I saw these really pretty flowers alongside the road going to my parents house and I would love them in our front yard...but I just don't know if there is a safe way to do this.




A lot of times those flowers might be on protected land.  So you might want to check into that first.  I know there's a stretch along GA 400 with some gorgeous purple wildflowers, but the land is protected, so you can't pull over and pick them.  I wish I had more of a green thumb, but I can kill plastic plants.  :(

I would try to find out the type of flower and ask at a garden center if they would grow well in your garden.

You could probably dig them up, root and all and transplant them. 

A lot of times those flowers might be on protected land.  So you might want to check into that first.  I know there's a stretch along GA 400 with some gorgeous purple wildflowers, but the land is protected, so you can't pull over and pick them.  I wish I had more of a green thumb, but I can kill plastic plants.   :(



these particular flowers are just along a back country road en route to my parent's house...so, I don't think anyone should mind if I took some...it's just that I don't have a green thumb either...and I am afraid that if I tried to do that..I would end up killing them. :-\\




I would try to find out the type of flower and ask at a garden center if they would grow well in your garden.

You could probably dig them up, root and all and transplant them. 



that's a good idea..maybe I will pick one and take it there and get their advice.

these particular flowers are just along a back country road en route to my parent's house...so, I don't think anyone should mind if I took some...it's just that I don't have a green thumb either...and I am afraid that if I tried to do that..I would end up killing them. :-\\




that's a good idea..maybe I will pick one and take it there and get their advice.
As long as it isn't private property or the state flower, it should be fine. Here in California, the Golden Poppy grows wild like that, but it's our state flower and is protected by law.  I don't have much experience but I think if you cultivate and nurture and care for the flowers you plant as best you can, that's all you can do. A friend gave Diane a rose plant last year for her birthday. I picked a spot, dug a hole, and did the best I could. Over the winter the leaves fell off and it looked like it had died. But as Bette Midler sang, "with the sun's love, in the spring, becomes the rose.  Spring came, the leaves returned and roses bloomed, I was totally amazed and Diane was pleased. Here's a pic of me and The Rose

I used to work at a garden/plant centre and gardening is a passion so I'm happy to have a go at answering anything I can !

Along with the advice the others have given, going to a garden centre with a bloom and seeing if they sell them there is a great idea. Firstly if they do it will probably be a variety bred to be more hardy and to grow in a domestic garden.
Secondly if it is a protected species you can often buy them at garden centres, these have been specially grown and not taken from the wild and often the money goes to support the preservation of the wild varieties.

If you are able to dig up some of the original in the wild, if it is considered a common weed. Bear in mind that you may have very different soil to where your Mom lives. For example if she has acidic soil and you have alkaline. A good way to tell is to have a look round where she lives and see what plants you see growing in peoples gardens. If you see similar plants around your area you should be ok.Finally take a trowel and dig round the plant carefully so you get as much of the root ball as possible without damaging it.If you are not going home for a few days pot it up in a flower pot and keep watering it well. You can then either transfer it into your own yard or keep it in the flowerpot until it esbablishes itself then transplant it.Don't do it in red hot weather and remember to water it every day for a couple of weeks.Quite often plants look like they are dying/dead but persevere.They tend to concentrate on establishing their roots first before sending up new shoots.It may be a good idea to gentle prune it back if it is a tall plant for just that reason.
Finally I would say bear in mind weeds grow much faster that garden plants, seed themselves like mad and can completely take over if you aren't careful !!   
I hope that helps.I know most of our beautiful garden plants in the U.K are 'weeds' in other countries.  :)

I have a bit of a garden, but think I am better at weird info than anything else.  If you want to help keep slugs off of your plants, and there are plenty around my tomatoes, put a little margarine tub in the ground and pour beer into it.  The slugs love it and climb in for last call.


A friend gave Diane a rose plant last year for her birthday. I picked a spot, dug a hole, and did the best I could. Over the winter the leaves fell off and it looked like it had died. But as Bette Midler sang, "with the sun's love, in the spring, becomes the rose.  Spring came, the leaves returned and roses bloomed, I was totally amazed and Diane was pleased.



Congrats on the rose.  I would like to have a couple of nice ones, but as I said, I am better at "do as I say" and have already killed two.  I am going to get one of those hardy climbing bush roses.  The remind me of my great aunts garden.  :)

I have a bit of a garden, but think I am better at weird info than anything else.  If you want to help keep slugs off of your plants, and there are plenty around my tomatoes, put a little margarine tub in the ground and pour beer into it.  The slugs love it and climb in for last call.

Congrats on the rose.  I would like to have a couple of nice ones, but as I said, I am better at "do as I say" and have already killed two.  I am going to get one of those hardy climbing bush roses.  The remind me of my great aunts garden.  :)
If you eat bananna's chop up the skins and put them around your rose bushes. They are rich in potassium and the roses love them !

If you eat bananna's chop up the skins and put them around your rose bushes. They are rich in potassium and the roses love them !


I've heard people say to put coffee grounds around roses.  Does that do anything?

I've heard people say to put coffee grounds around roses.  Does that do anything?
I've never heard of that so I couldn't honestly say, I guess if they have something in them like the potassium in bananas then that must be why.

I used to work at a garden/plant centre and gardening is a passion so I'm happy to have a go at answering anything I can !

Along with the advice the others have given, going to a garden centre with a bloom and seeing if they sell them there is a great idea. Firstly if they do it will probably be a variety bred to be more hardy and to grow in a domestic garden.
Secondly if it is a protected species you can often buy them at garden centres, these have been specially grown and not taken from the wild and often the money goes to support the preservation of the wild varieties.

If you are able to dig up some of the original in the wild, if it is considered a common weed. Bear in mind that you may have very different soil to where your Mom lives. For example if she has acidic soil and you have alkaline. A good way to tell is to have a look round where she lives and see what plants you see growing in peoples gardens. If you see similar plants around your area you should be ok.Finally take a trowel and dig round the plant carefully so you get as much of the root ball as possible without damaging it.If you are not going home for a few days pot it up in a flower pot and keep watering it well. You can then either transfer it into your own yard or keep it in the flowerpot until it esbablishes itself then transplant it.Don't do it in red hot weather and remember to water it every day for a couple of weeks.Quite often plants look like they are dying/dead but persevere.They tend to concentrate on establishing their roots first before sending up new shoots.It may be a good idea to gentle prune it back if it is a tall plant for just that reason.
Finally I would say bear in mind weeds grow much faster that garden plants, seed themselves like mad and can completely take over if you aren't careful !!   
I hope that helps.I know most of our beautiful garden plants in the U.K are 'weeds' in other countries.  :)



thank you for the advice Gis, it helped tremendously! ;)



I have a bit of a garden, but think I am better at weird info than anything else.  If you want to help keep slugs off of your plants, and there are plenty around my tomatoes, put a little margarine tub in the ground and pour beer into it.  The slugs love it and climb in for last call.





thanks for the tip, Danoota....I've never heard that before! ;)

As long as it isn't private property or the state flower, it should be fine. Here in California, the Golden Poppy grows wild like that, but it's our state flower and is protected by law.  I don't have much experience but I think if you cultivate and nurture and care for the flowers you plant as best you can, that's all you can do. A friend gave Diane a rose plant last year for her birthday. I picked a spot, dug a hole, and did the best I could. Over the winter the leaves fell off and it looked like it had died. But as Bette Midler sang, "with the sun's love, in the spring, becomes the rose.   Spring came, the leaves returned and roses bloomed, I was totally amazed and Diane was pleased. Here's a pic of me and The Rose






awww...how utterly lovely...and the rose isn't too bad either!!! ;)  joking Mike...it's a very pretty rose! :)

awww...how utterly lovely...and the rose isn't too bad either!!! ;)  joking Mike...it's a very pretty rose! :)
;D  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D  you got me LOL  thank you Erin, that was very sweet of you, even if joking .  The rose is prettier and smells so much nicer than I. 

I've heard people say to put coffee grounds around roses.  Does that do anything?



Yes, it adds nitrogen.  I remember my grandmother, who had a very nice garden, always threw her coffee grounds out onto the flower bed.  ;)

Coffee grounds may be good for some plants, so I would check because I read that it is good for camelias because coffee grounds add acidity, & but some plants don't require as much acidity. I saw that these indoor plants at work don't do well with coffee grounds, perhaps it's the outdoor one that do good with it. I'd research it before I add anything to my soil.

I've heard people say to put coffee grounds around roses.  Does that do anything?


'Dregs' from the teapot (indeed, spent teabags as well), does them no harm either...

Coffee grounds may be good for some plants, so I would check because I read that it is good for camelias because coffee grounds add acidity, & but some plants don't require as much acidity. I saw that these indoor plants at work don't do well with coffee grounds, perhaps it's the outdoor one that do good with it. I'd research it before I add anything to my soil.


When used indoors they grow mold.  Outdoors they are dispersed over a greater area, with better circulation,  and breakdown quicker.

When used indoors they grow mold.  Outdoors they are dispersed over a greater area, with better circulation,  and breakdown quicker.
ok, then that's why the planters at work smell because people pour their leftover coffee into them and it molds.

Having an orange thumb myself, I say hire a gardener.  ;D ;D


Actually, I have always wanted wildflowers. I bought a few packages of wildflower seeds and planted them and NOTHING came up. I did several times. Finally, I went to a wildflower seed place that isn't too far from here. I bought a BIG package of wildflower seeds (20 different flowers). I was going to hire someone to dig up the area I wanted to plant them but I couldn't find anyone. Carlos had already said that he wouldn't do it. But after calling around and not having people return my calls, he finally agreed to help me (knowing this was something that I wanted.). He rented a roto-tiller and dug up the area. I pulled a bunch of ferns that were growing in the area and then I planted the seeds. That first year we had just a few. Last year we had a bunch more-but this year, they are REALLY blooming (it could also have something to do with the all the rain we have been having). The mix is designed to have flowers bloom almost all throughout the summer. The Foxglove really came up this year and were absolutely beautiful. I should have taken a pic but they are on the way out now and then next batch are starting to bloom. So, I FINALLY have my wildflowers that wanted for so long.



Cat

Having an orange thumb myself, I say hire a gardener.  ;D ;D


Actually, I have always wanted wildflowers. I bought a few packages of wildflower seeds and planted them and NOTHING came up. I did several times. Finally, I went to a wildflower seed place that isn't too far from here. I bought a BIG package of wildflower seeds (20 different flowers). I was going to hire someone to dig up the area I wanted to plant them but I couldn't find anyone. Carlos had already said that he wouldn't do it. But after calling around and not having people return my calls, he finally agreed to help me (knowing this was something that I wanted.). He rented a roto-tiller and dug up the area. I pulled a bunch of ferns that were growing in the area and then I planted the seeds. That first year we had just a few. Last year we had a bunch more-but this year, they are REALLY blooming (it could also have something to do with the all the rain we have been having). The mix is designed to have flowers bloom almost all throughout the summer. The Foxglove really came up this year and were absolutely beautiful. I should have taken a pic but they are on the way out now and then next batch are starting to bloom. So, I FINALLY have my wildflowers that wanted for so long.



Cat

I used one of those seed shakers thingys with wildflower seeds, and mine are coming up really nice! I can't wait to see how they look when they start blooming.

I have a rabbit eating my morning glories. Everytime they start to vine a little bit more, the rabbits eat the vines.  >:( How can I stop them, short of doing what everyone keeps telling me to do. "Shoot 'em"!  :o  :D

ok, then that's why the planters at work smell because people pour their leftover coffee into them and it molds.


Yeah, it isn't something they should be doing, bad for the plants, bad for the people.  You can actually get an allergic reaction.  Turn the soil over and ask them to stop.

Having an orange thumb myself, I say hire a gardener.  ;D ;D


Actually, I have always wanted wildflowers. I bought a few packages of wildflower seeds and planted them and NOTHING came up. I did several times. Finally, I went to a wildflower seed place that isn't too far from here. I bought a BIG package of wildflower seeds (20 different flowers). I was going to hire someone to dig up the area I wanted to plant them but I couldn't find anyone. Carlos had already said that he wouldn't do it. But after calling around and not having people return my calls, he finally agreed to help me (knowing this was something that I wanted.). He rented a roto-tiller and dug up the area. I pulled a bunch of ferns that were growing in the area and then I planted the seeds. That first year we had just a few. Last year we had a bunch more-but this year, they are REALLY blooming (it could also have something to do with the all the rain we have been having). The mix is designed to have flowers bloom almost all throughout the summer. The Foxglove really came up this year and were absolutely beautiful. I should have taken a pic but they are on the way out now and then next batch are starting to bloom. So, I FINALLY have my wildflowers that wanted for so long.



Cat
Turning over the soil would have helped too. Did you know poppy seeds can lie dormant for 40 years then spring into life if you churn up the soil. You could find a lot of your original seeds are flowering too now due to the rotivate!

Turning over the soil would have helped too. Did you know poppy seeds can lie dormant for 40 years then spring into life if you churn up the soil. You could find a lot of your original seeds are flowering too now due to the rotivate!




That's if the birds didn't eat all the seeds first.  :-\\




Cat