Re: strange gardening year

Re > that's BAD when you kill off mint.

I've been watching a battle between English Ivy and Chocolate Mint for
several years now.  The Ivy has won.

Kitty


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Pamela J. Evans" <gardenqueen@gbronline.com>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Sunday, September 28, 2003 10:41 AM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] strange gardening year


> Been an odd year here too y'all. We're usually starting to get some rain
> by now. Ha. Just got a 130 dollar water bill for September. Never had
> one that high this time of year. Except for that reprieve on Labor Day,
> we've had nothing measurable since Spring. Good news is got all my
> salvias planted and the lavenders and alliums will be here this week.
> None of this stuff needs much water.
>
> Been so dry here even some of the mint and lemon balms are dying. Not
> that's BAD when you kill off mint. Oh well. Hopefully the fall rains
> aren't too far off. If it does this next year, give my regards to St
> Louis!
>
>
> Pam
>
> ---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
> From: Aplfgcnys@aol.com
> Reply-To: gardenchat@hort.net
> Date:  Sun, 28 Sep 2003 10:47:03 EDT
>
> >Donna, it's been a very strange year here, too.  I, too, feel as if I am
> >still waiting for summer to start - and others I talk to have said the
same thing.
> >
> >  We had one very hot day - 90+ degrees - in April, of all times,
followed by
> >several frosts.  That was the hottest day of the so-called summer.  I
think
> >it may have hit 90 one day in early August.  The rest of the season it
has been
> >in the low 80s or just the 70s.  That is not usual weather for this
area -
> >can't remember another such cool summer.  The worst part was that most of
the
> >time was very cloudy, overcast and humid but not much rain fell.  I know
that
> >others in the area had lots of rain, but we seem to be in a dry pocket of
some
> >sort - our pond is down about a foot.
> >  As for the growing part - my early garden was great.  Daffodils were
better
> >than in many years - the planned succession of bloom really worked so
that I
> >had daffs for nearly two months.  Some years they all bloom in one or two
> >weeks.  The early perennials were good too, but I've never had a worse
year with
> >seed-starting.  Many of the seeds I planted just never came up, and slugs
took
> >out a lot more.  (Even if we didn't get rain, it was so humid that we had
an
> >awful slug year.) For instance I had to plant beans about three times
before I
> >ever got a good row, and I planted six packets of sunflower seeds and
only
> >have three pitiful plants.  Sunflowers were planted in pots in my
container
> >garden, in the vegetable garden, and finally I tried starting them
indoors.  Even
> >those didn't come up.  Can't understand it.  I usually have great
sunflowers.
> >  By midsummer I had given up and bought annuals.  Most of these were
> >promptly eaten by deer, which have been much more numerous than usual.  I
found a
> >handsome four-point buck breakfasting on my phlox just as they were
looking good.
> > Later they demolished the plantings on my front stoop - impatiens,
miniature
> >roses, zonal geraniums, and a couple of large hibiscus plants.  About the
> >only thing that survived the various onslaughts and looked great were the
turk's
> >cap lilies growing in a large container.  They were pretty spectacular
for a
> >few weeks, but of course didn't last after they bloomed.
> >  The vegetable garden was also a disaster.  Onions, which I usually do
well
> >with, didn't mature - just browned off at less than an inch in diameter.
> >Others in the area have had the same experience.  I think it was lack of
sunlight
> >- onions are day-length sensitive, I know.  After numerous plantings I
finally
> >have had beans, but not a really good crop.  Early peas didn't do
anything.
> >Many of the squash I planted never came up - after numerous plantings I
have
> >had a few squash, but not nearly the abundance I usually have.  I could
go on
> >and on with the litany of what didn't live up to expectations this year.
True,
> >I was unable to work in the garden as much as I would have liked early in
the
> >season, but I can't imagine how that would have caused the failures I
have
> >had.
> >  As for weeds - I can't really say they are worse than usual.  Just the
> >slugs and the deer and the lack of sunshine.
> >
> >  Signs of fall.  We are seeing patches of color in the maples, and the
> >dogwoods are beginning to turn.  Goldenrod is full and fall asters are
starting.  I
> >noticed yesterday that my Colchicums are blooming (I only have a few.)
We've
> >had nights down into the low 50s but this week it has only been the high
60s
> >at night - pretty warm - even though it didn't get out of the 70s during
the
> >day.  Today it is raining - a good, steady rain.  We haven't had a rain
like
> >this before this summer.
> >
> >  All in all, a pretty disappointing year - maybe next year will be
better.
> >Of course at my age, who knows what next year will bring.
> >Auralie - NY Z5
> >
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> >
> >
>
> --
> Pam Evans
> Kemp TX/zone 8A
>
>
>
> --
>
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