'gardeners' in our area are weird because... was Re: decent climate
- To: perennials@mallorn.com
- Subject: 'gardeners' in our area are weird because... was Re: decent climate
- From: M* T* <m*@ecsu.campus.mci.net>
- Date: Sat, 30 May 1998 00:34:20 -0400
>>
>> July and August are for the pond, the pool, and the beach! I can always
>>garden the other ten months. :-)
>>
>> Ahhh, a WARM zone 8 and sunshine! Y'all come!
>>
>>Matt Trahan <matttrahan@ecsu.campus.mci.net>
>>USDA zone 8, AHS heat zone 7, Sunset zone 31, northeastern N.C.
>>
>>---------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Now that Matt's rubbing our noses in it, I should add that he lives
>perilously near the Great Dismal Swamp. Margaret
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok, I confess, but "January with mosquito's" has a lot less zing to it than
"January with a tan"!
A rest from winter sprouting weeds wouldn't be bad either.
We also have to BUY any rocks we want, and we have an abundance of copper
heads and moccasins (so I'm told).
And July and August are either spent in the water or the air conditioning
because it's 90+ outside.
Feel better now? <VBG>
For those of you fortunate enough to have gardened in several different
climates or parts of the world, have you ever noticed some extremely
bizarre local planting habits?
Not the necessary compromises to local conditions, but stuff that "just
doesn't make sense".
My own favorite is the "annual mums" fettish we have locally. Cushion mums
sell here in the early fall, in full bloom, for about $3.99 for a single
well rounded six inch pot.
They are planted in the fall, replacing the summer anuals.
They are left there to flower for 3-4 weeks, then removed, almost always
thrown away(!), and then the area is replanted with pansies for the winter.
Among the many reasons this drives me up the wall;
1. I usually do a flat of annuals every year. If I'm going to spend $3.99
(times 10) for 3 weeks worth of color, I would rather buy a dozen red
longstems and enjoy them for 2 weeks!
2. Who wants to plant something for three weeks, then go out, toss them,
and plant something else again in the same spot?
3. At the time they are usually planted, the summer annuals have at least
3-5 more weeks worth of bloom.
4. THEY ARE PERENNIALS!
5. They are damn brittle perennials! I'm sick of planting them for other
people, and accidentally breaking off a third of them in a pie shaped
wedge. Kinda hard to hide that kind of accident.
6. They are dessicated perenials. They generally come with 6 inch rootballs
(with soil that's great for greenhouse conditions, but lousy for garden
conditions) and a 10 inch bushy top!
I'm usually afraid to open up the root ball, because I have a habit of
opening up the top in the process.
"How come they look wilted every day?"
"Hmmm, Ma'am, have you ever considered watering your top heavy, anal
retentive, brittle, 'annuals', in full scorching sun, every day?!"
7. Carefree mums are one of the heritage plants I remember most from my
Mom's garden.
Treating them this trashy drives me nuts!
Matt Trahan <matttrahan@ecsu.campus.mci.net>
USDA zone 8, AHS heat zone 7, Sunset zone 31, northeastern N.C.
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