Gardening Questions & Answers

[LimitedRecourse]

Or suck them up in the leaf blower/chopper.....

[LimitedRecourse]

Has the recent moisture (can't really call it rain) helped anyone's yard/garden? I'm still getting tomatoes/green & yellow peppers/cucumbers.

[mikeydokey]

I'm picking all my tomatoes green before the squirrells and chipmunks get them and having tons of peppers and okra coming out.

[LimitedRecourse]

I've still got tomatoes and green/yellow peppers going pretty good.

My lawn is toast, however.

[Warkitty]

My yard is woefully neglected. I may need some folks to help save it come spring. Something about me not being here to water everything or weed anything means the house now looks like a rental.

[mikeydokey]

Wait until we get some good rainy days coming then throw the winterizer too it. May be next Spring before we get some good rainy days though, you may be able to winterize it and weed and feed it all at the same time.

[Warkitty]

I'm thinking I should concentrate on getting a few flowering shrubs established and leave the other flower beds empty for a while. It kills me to come home and see them dead.

[LimitedRecourse]

Shrubs can be harder to establish during drought conditions than anuuals/perrenials. It usually takes 2-3 YEARS before they become fairly drought-resistant, and even then may require some additional watering during dry times. Go with mums.....they're perennial and will grow in almost any condtion. Another easy-grower is "black-eyed susies"....the technical name escapes me right now. I have a group in the planter on my front porch that are going gangbuster.

[LimitedRecourse]

I have cut what will probably be the last of my perennial herbs tonight (the annuals died from drought long ago). I have been disappointed by the performance, but I did get some useable Sage, Rosemary, Spearmint & Peppermint. Did anyone else have luck with their herbs this year?

[Justin Thyme]

My Rosemary shrub just keeps going and going and going. Spearmint did good but not like it has in years past. I don't use sage much in cooking so I didn't plant any. I lost my sweet basil early on.

[victoriasuzette]

limitedrecourse said:

A new and revolting development in my garden.....the squirrels have decided that they now LOVE green tomatoes. Now, if they had been fried, I would blame it on geography, as I've never know squirrels to like tomatoes, let alone green ones. But this is the first year (in almost 20) that I've grown tomatoes here that I've had to fight the squirrels for them.

Anyone else having squirrel troubles in their tomato gardens?

Uh, no ... but I used to have a cat that LOVED tomatoes ... and corn on the cob ... and turnips. She would take one bite out of each, while they were still on the plant. LOL (well, except for the corn ... for that, she would wait until it was cooked).

[victoriasuzette]

I've now brought my potted tropical plants indoors for the next few months ... planted mums in the planters by the front steps, and planted a few bushes I'd rooted ... we'll see how it all goes, eh?

[Warkitty]

Yeah, before leaving the house yesterday I brought in the potted plants. Not sure what I'll have in Atlanta, plant-wise. I've not much space for plants to grow, but I do like having them.

[Fun Grrl From Mt Pilot]

When I was in Orlando recently my mother and I visited the World of Orchids and I came home with a new grenn baby for my house, it is a black Bat plant, they come in white as well but I preferred the more sinister look of the Black one..Now I just have to keep my black thumbed housemate away from it!

White Bat plant flower


Black bat plant flower


Zone 10

Bat Plant or Devil Flower, Tacca chantrieri, is native to Southeast Asia. The purple-black flower looks somewhat like a flying bat, a sinister face or a mean cat with lots of whiskers



In South Florida outdoors, Bat Plant usually blooms in late summer and early fall

Bat Plant is bat-like in color, shape and quite a complex plant with interesting side bracts of dark shiny green and white leaves. After flowering, berries are produced

Tacca chantrieri is grown in shade with filtered light and perfect wind protection. Use a rich organic soil mix with good drainage. Bat Plant could be a houseplant with high humidity

A close relative from South China is Tacca plantaginea called "Cat's Whiskers" and is a tropical perennial herb. It sports large leaves and also has long tread-like filaments as its whiskers. The foliage is a much lighter green and the flowers are white rather than purple-black

[LimitedRecourse]

That's a pretty neat looking plant!

I had some Drogonis vulgaris or Dragon's Tongue in one of my flower beds this year. They're SUPPOSED to be perennial....we'll see this Spring.

[victoriasuzette]

Those are fascinating plants, 'Fun Grrl!'

[ScarlettP]

Cool Flower! I'd love to have one... but I don't do well with houseplants.

[LimitedRecourse]

"I don't do well with houseplants."

Try a Cactus.....you can forget to water them for MONTHS and they'll be fine. Many will give you delightful flowers as well.

[cdojanet]

limitedrecourse said:

I have cut what will probably be the last of my perennial herbs tonight (the annuals died from drought long ago). I have been disappointed by the performance, but I did get some useable Sage, Rosemary, Spearmint & Peppermint. Did anyone else have luck with their herbs this year?

The only things that did any good for me were mint (good grief!) and sage. How do you store your sage?

[LimitedRecourse]

I cut the plants to workable lengths, and rinse them in cold water. I then use a rubberband (because it will keep tightening as the plants dry and they won't fall out of the bunches) to tie the thick ends together in small bunches and hang the bunches over a string in one corner of my kitchen where the herbs dry out (and make the house smell delicious). I then "rake" the leaves from the stems and store the dried herbs in airtight containers. The small ziploc resealable bowls are perfect (they're about 3" squares). I also will give away fresh herbs after "harvest" if my co-workers/friends/relatives are lucky.

[LimitedRecourse]

If the question was more "What do you do with your plants over winter?" the answer is: Leave them in place and cover with mulch. I will allow some of the stems to remain above the mulch, in the event that mild days allow for a little growth (and some fresh herbs in the winter). The few stems that might freeze/die will not hurt the total plant.

[cdojanet]

Thanks. Your first response was the one I was looking for.

I'd like to get rid of all the mint. I just took a shopping bag full to a local restaurant - as well as MANY bags to people in my office. Right now there are just a few left, but I know it'll be back soon.

[victoriasuzette]

limitedrecourse said:

"I don't do well with houseplants."

Try a Cactus.....you can forget to water them for MONTHS and they'll be fine. Many will give you delightful flowers as well.

I have found that, as long as they are in a good place (much light, but not direct sun in the afternoon) and I remember to water them at least once per week, my umbrella tree & peace lily thrive!

[LimitedRecourse]

If you have a ton of mint, go to the Chattanooga Market and set up a booth. People are PAYING $4.00 for a tiny bag of it. Weed is cheaper than the prices they're asking.

[cdojanet]

Wow! I've been begging people to take it. Right now it's a little lax since I gave so much away and pulled the rest and put it in the garbage! It's already sprouting up again, so I'll have plenty in a few months.

[LimitedRecourse]

Every little piece of root that breaks off in the ground will sprout like seeds in the mint family. Containing MUST happen BEFORE they are planted, or......they are not contained. SOMETIMES, industrial strength weed killers will take mint out, but it also takes EVERYTHING out, and the ground is unusable for at least 3 months. To stop the spread, take old cookie sheets and drive them into the ground at least 1 foot from the newest plants (or any other solid metal/plastic sheet) to create a barrier for further growth, as the runners are sub-terranean. If it helps, mint makes GREAT tea or is wonderful in many teas/drinks. It can also be used (sparingly) as a spice in pork & venison recipes.

[Justin Thyme]

I have mostly lost my sense of smell. It's actually a blessing the majority of the time but its a curse when around food being prepared. The one thing I love, though is to mow down a big patch of mint. The fragrance released is strong enough for me to smell and I'll just stop the mower and smell the air until the smell is gone. Basil and sage are a little more aromatic but offer less of an opportunity to mow down. I truly love herb gardens because of this.

[LimitedRecourse]

Rosemary is one of the most aromatic herbs....you should plant some. It is VERY easy to grow and is a perennial. You can even keep it indoors on a south facing windowsill.

[Justin Thyme]

I have a huge rosemary bush planted right outside my kitchen door. Since it's a bush and not a spreading plant I've never had the opportunity to mow it down. I have thought about cutting it down and running it through my chipper/shredder but decided that trimming it and crushing the leaves and stems with my rolling pin works just as well in releasing the scent. I then have the crushed plant to add to bottles of olive oil.

[LimitedRecourse]

And you COULD even use it on some grilled chicken, potatoes or other veggies....