I moved into a new house this past winter and was told I had grapevines (I believe concord?). I can see them coming in but any tips for how to best care for the vines to yield the most grapes? So far, I've done nothing but watch.
posted by katie521
on Jun 16, 2013 -
4 answers
I work in a garden that is a Beaux Arts designed garden that mimics a Persian/Mughal walled garden. I'm interested in finding out what the Beaux Arts guys knew about these gardens and the ideas/symbolism/history that they were thinking about when they were designing them.
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posted by sciencegeek
on Jun 7, 2013 -
6 answers
This evening I'll be installing a new drip irrigation system for our garden. I've got vegetables down low, plus some planted on top of an 8-foot retaining wall, and I'm wondering if the system will work.
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posted by sleevener
on Jun 5, 2013 -
6 answers
I inherited an existing plot in a community garden a few weeks ago, and there was a medium sized
plant that seemed pretty established, so I left it alone. It is now an extremely large plant. The vines have fine spiky hairs, and the leaves are about 5 inches long, with 3 or 5 lobes and serrated edges. Does anyone recognize it?
posted by helicomatic
on Jun 2, 2013 -
6 answers
I have long lusted after a Channel Island Bush Poppy (dendromecon harfordii) but can never find the plant at any of our local native plant nurseries here in Los Angeles. I ordered seeds and have found conflicting information about how to start it from seed.
I received a packet of seeds and a pink slip of paper that contained the same chemicals released in brush fire conditions. The instructions said to soak the paper with the seeds for 24 hours and then sow. No more information than that.
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posted by dottiechang
on May 20, 2013 -
6 answers
I am thinking of purchasing a bee house for orchard mason bees. What recommendations do you have? What do I need to know?
posted by Bunny Ultramod
on May 17, 2013 -
4 answers
I'd like to start composting... I think. I am lazy and I am worried about vermin. What style of composter do I need? Any special tips for buying/getting started with a system?
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posted by nkknkk
on May 6, 2013 -
15 answers
What's a good bush to plant next to the front door? This is in coastal Massachusetts.
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posted by Miko
on Apr 28, 2013 -
17 answers
I'm looking to outfit an apartment window garden with some kick-ass pots of various sizes and shapes. Where's the best online retailer of not-plastic, not-boring brown, pots and gardening containers? Bonus if they sell supplies like potting soil and live plants and seeds.
posted by The Whelk
on Apr 26, 2013 -
6 answers
I bought a bat house and I am planning to put it up in my Manhattan garden. But now I'm hearing that there aren't any bats in NYC because of a disease? and that it's a stupid idea anyway because where would the bats be coming from?
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posted by DMelanogaster
on Apr 22, 2013 -
16 answers
In The Fruit Hunters by Adam Gollner, he mentions "Bologna's Garden of Lost Fruit" as a fruit-focused tourist destination (p. 35). Googling for this name only brings up a Google Books snippet of the book, and trying to translate it to Italian doesn't seem to give anything useful either. What is this place called in Italian, and where can I find it?
posted by Yiggs
on Mar 30, 2013 -
4 answers
With the last frost date in sight, I'm planning to pick up a couple of these
Earthbox clones for my deck, and I'm looking for any and all tips to improve the likelihood of success.
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posted by ndg
on Mar 28, 2013 -
6 answers
I'd like to turn a piece of my apartment into a garden. Like, an herb garden. Probably. Help.
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posted by phunniemee
on Mar 19, 2013 -
20 answers
This past week I was at a job interview and was asked what my favorite book on gardening was and I had trouble answering. I eventually said Dirr, but felt that my answer was kind of boring; this led to the realization that I should probably do some reading. Please help me find some good books about plants.
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posted by sciencegeek
on Mar 12, 2013 -
13 answers
I have frogs in my UK (Southampton) Pond! A friend took a picture and they look like
this. I think they look like pool frogs, not common frogs, which I would love to get confirmed. So, questions. Is the Pool Frog hypothesis feasible? Will the huge quantity of weeds on top of the pond harm them at all? They can't seem to easily leave the pond (there is a rocky overhang which they can't navigate), is there a way to help them, or is it even a problem at all? Finally, is there anything I can do to make their stay in my garden safer for them? I'd rather avoid disturbing them too much, but I would like to encourage future frogs.
posted by ElliotH
on Mar 9, 2013 -
4 answers
Looking around at houses for sale in a high-traffic area (NYC suburbs). I-95 runs through all of the towns. What's the minimum distance I'd want the property to be from 95, in order to grow an edible vegetable garden (in raised beds)?
posted by xo
on Feb 26, 2013 -
8 answers
I'm going to help my brother install a raised bed and some fruit trees/bushes in a couple of weeks. We're probably going to be putting in some raspberries/blackberries, blueberries, and maybe a few fruit trees. I do not want to purchase diseased/generic junk at a big box. Is there a decent garden center in the West Newton area? Bonus points for tipping me off to somebody who can deliver a yard or three of garden soil/compost. Many thanks!
posted by Camofrog
on Feb 14, 2013 -
3 answers
I'm looking for suggestions for a flowering groundcover for my garage-side garden to fill in the spaces between the dwarf reblooming lilacs and Widow's Tears already growing there. The current groundcover is Snow in Summer which has pretty flowers and foliage, but is oh-my-god too invasive and fast growing. I feel like I'm constantly ripping chunks of it out so it doesn't climb up the lilacs or spill over onto the lawn. I'd like to put in something that is either white or some shade of purple, doesn't require much maintenance, but is far better behaved than the Snow in Summer. We live in USDA zone 5 and the garden in question gets afternoon sun. (I know nothing about the Ph or the type of soil; I'm hoping that it will be apparent to the cognoscenti from my location and the other plants that are thriving in the same garden.)
posted by DrGail
on Feb 13, 2013 -
7 answers
My new house has some nice flowerbeds that are covered in decorative white stones. They have been a bit neglected, and a lot of dry fallen leaves have accumulated in the flowerbeds and mixed with the stones. I tried gently raking the leaves out, but I couldn't get all of them. I can't seem to rake them out without removing the stones too. I think it looks messy like this. What's an easy way to remove the leaves?
posted by (F)utility
on Feb 7, 2013 -
12 answers
I have a 3-year old, ~28 cubic ft. compost pile in my backyard that is contained in an uncovered chicken-wire cylinder. I do not touch it aside from adding compostable material to it, but I haven't added anything for several months. What I can see on the top of the pile is not broken down. I don't know anything about using compost in gardens other than what I've Googled, and it all seems to be tailored for people who put way more effort into their compost than I do. What do I need to do to get it ready to put into my raised-bed vegetable garden this spring, and how, specifically, do I actually use it in my garden? Should I mix it in with a particular kind of soil, or should I put a layer of compost and a layer of something else? I have a shovel and some other very basic gardening supplies, but I don't have a pitchfork, and I cannot afford additional equipment like a tumbler. I've seen
this previous question.
posted by quiet coyote
on Feb 7, 2013 -
8 answers
Inspired by onions sprouting in my cupboard, I'd love to plant some veggies inside. I have and area about 4'x2' to plant, in front of a south facing window that gets plenty of sun. But my house isn't very warm. Suggestions?
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posted by Grandysaur
on Jan 27, 2013 -
8 answers
Oh no! My winter squash, cucumbers, and peas are failing. Can anybody tell me why and what, if anything, I can do about it? Pictures inside.
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posted by Scientist
on Jan 9, 2013 -
15 answers
What sort of success rate would one have growing gourds by just leaving gourds outside to do what they will?
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posted by ian1977
on Oct 7, 2012 -
9 answers
Is it really so difficult to dig a large pond?
I received a quote for the construction of a rather large pond, (80 x 45). And, the quote seems high.
Tell me Me-Fites about your experiences constructing large ponds.
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posted by bricksNmortar
on Sep 24, 2012 -
15 answers
What herbs can I grow to make my own tasty, medicinal, and/or magical teas? I'd love to hear your tea recipes, too.
posted by swift
on Aug 27, 2012 -
11 answers
Is coarse sand a cheap alternative to perlite, coconut coir or vermiculite when you want to use it in container garden?
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posted by boby
on Aug 7, 2012 -
8 answers
What has happened to my tomatoes? And can I save the rest of the poor things? First time gardener inquiring within.
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posted by kbanas
on Aug 6, 2012 -
16 answers
You live in the Seattle area and can recommend an awesome landscape architect or other landscaping professional who can transform a small, city front yard into something that looks awesome and requires not much maintenance.
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posted by MoonOrb
on Aug 3, 2012 -
4 answers
Why can't I hire a landscaper? I know how to find one. I know how to show what I want done and how to ask for bids. Why can't I get one of them to accept the job?
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posted by caryatid
on Jul 31, 2012 -
20 answers
Hey
Dr. Hodgins: my garden soil is pretty like a rainbow! How do I find out what's making it that way, and whether it's safe to grow veggies in?
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posted by GardenGal
on Jul 19, 2012 -
6 answers
1) Big, round, colorful vegetables are starting to grow in my wife's garden.
2) She'll be gone for the next two weekends.
3) I've got a bag of 1000 googly eyes.
Question: How can I make this prank work without ruining her harvest?
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posted by bondcliff
on Jul 9, 2012 -
96 answers
I have $150 to spend on my patio/deck garden in Seattle. What should I plant and how should I do it?
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posted by lunasol
on Jun 18, 2012 -
9 answers
Gardening Filter : My tomato plants are flowering but not yielding any fruit! Am I doing something wrong? Or is it just not time yet? I have other friends who are already getting tomatoes this year. Is there anything I can do to help them out? This and other gardening queries.
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posted by Quincy
on Jun 6, 2012 -
17 answers
What can I plant that's edible and low-maintenance in Seattle next week?
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posted by bq
on Jun 4, 2012 -
16 answers
A question about the lifting capacity of sponges, gravity, pvc tubing and whether my lawn can be irrigated.
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posted by otto42
on May 23, 2012 -
9 answers
