Talk to me about building a perennial garden from the ground up. I'm a fairly new gardener, and have recently bought a number of plants online. This worked well, because we have a small but complicated garden layout (in terms of sun/shade/water) and I can figure out specifics without getting overwhelmed. I also enjoy being present in a nursery to see the plants in person, but the good places are a fairly long drive away and weekend crowds can drive me insane.
Given a list of desired plants, how do you go about buying them? What is the most cost effective way of doing this?
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posted by barnone
on May 22, 2012 -
18 answers
If I like this, what else might I like? I recently discovered Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaur, and am particularly enamored of
this track, titled "Garden."
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posted by Gilbert
on May 12, 2012 -
6 answers
I'm trying to get my five year old step son interested in gardening. We made a special flower bed for him and I to grow plants in together and he is really excited to grow "rainbow blossoms" in it. Help me make this as rewarding for him as possible!
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posted by gwenlister
on May 9, 2012 -
38 answers
Neighbors (?) deliberately cutting down our young plants. They have been nasty to us before. Considering a "nanny cam" to train on the not-cheap plants ... would like a) advice on nanny cams to suit our purposes; b) any other avenues to consider?
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posted by Sockish American
on May 1, 2012 -
20 answers
I'm looking for a place to buy flagstone or slate for my garden in North Brooklyn or Queens.
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posted by catrae
on Apr 21, 2012 -
1 answer
For the first time in my life I have a garden! What books should I read to take me from gardening ignorance to green-fingered? Both the garden and I are in the UK.
posted by xchmp
on Mar 27, 2012 -
10 answers
What varieties of vegetables should I plant in my tiny front yard garden in DC? I have a bunch of seed catalogues, but the 10+ pages of tomato varieties are overwhelming! What are your favorite varieties of tomato, cucumber, beans, etc. to grow?
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posted by foodmapper
on Mar 1, 2012 -
34 answers
An older couple asked me to care for their condo & exotic house plants for three months while they're traveling. Two of the plants are struggling, and I don't know what to do! More info inside.
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posted by eenagy
on Feb 23, 2012 -
22 answers
The community garden where I volunteer is planning their first ever seed swap and I’m the one organizing it. Help!
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posted by bCat
on Feb 14, 2012 -
1 answer
Garden filter: Favorite fruits and veggies to grow in zone 5 (Denver) and best vertical trellising options you've come across.
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posted by no bueno
on Jan 25, 2012 -
6 answers
Day of the Dead---In desperate need for front landscaping makeover but want to DIY. Where do I start?
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posted by stormpooper
on Jan 17, 2012 -
6 answers
Do I persevere with unexpected baby rose bushes growing out of sand which used to be the base of neglected turf? Rose experts, please advise me.
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posted by malibustacey9999
on Jan 7, 2012 -
8 answers
I am a new homeowner and need to know how to store bags of fertilizer so they don't stink up my yard.
I know that this may seem like a silly question, but please bear with me. I am a first time home owner and for the first time in my life I have to figure these things out. My home has a big garden and lawn. I am in southern California so it is used weekly by my gardener at this time.
I have hired to previous owner's gardener since he is so familiar with the care of the many different plants in the yard. The previous owner kindly left me with big bags of fertilizer which the gardener has started to use. They are propped up against the back of the garage and after a couple of rainstorms, it has gotten REALLY STINKY. Like, I was wondering if previous owner was hiding a body in the yard before I realized it was the fertilizer! Ha!
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posted by dottiechang
on Nov 5, 2011 -
7 answers
We have a new house and huge yard. We're eager to fill it with plantlife. In fact, we're a little too eager and found some good prices, so we already bought over 200 seedlings, half of which are kale and chard.
We live in Davis, CA, in the CA central valley near Sacramento, in the west region that is known for particularly clay-y soil.
Our main source of garden information is from: http://daviswiki.org/gardening
***
See inside for 9 questions we have as last-minute uneducated gardeners....
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posted by oneous
on Oct 16, 2011 -
9 answers
What are some good plants to place in our wedding garden? We've recently joined a community garden a few miles away and are hoping to use the plot to grow our own flowers / ornamental for our beach wedding this upcoming Memorial Day.
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posted by RolandOfEld
on Oct 13, 2011 -
8 answers
Some more gardening questions! I know they'll sound kind of dumb, but we are total ignoramuses and could use the advice.
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posted by foxy_hedgehog
on Oct 4, 2011 -
9 answers
Are we killing our neighbor's tree with our hot water heater? If so, what can we do about it?
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posted by anonymous
on Sep 20, 2011 -
14 answers
Seeking help from MeFi gardeners! We're about to move into a place that we're really excited about, and our landlady- who lives next door- wants us to have a plan for the garden. I think I may have done some weeding a couple of decades ago, but am otherwise clueless as to how to proceed. Soil-based special snowflake questions inside.
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posted by foxy_hedgehog
on Sep 19, 2011 -
20 answers
Please give me ideas for projects and time wasting fun to keep the three year old and myself entertained out of doors at home this summer.
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posted by Catch
on Sep 6, 2011 -
16 answers
I found an ant queen under a pile of compost in the garden. I've taken her, some of her colony, and a few larve/eggs and I put them in a mason jar. They've lived on my desk for about a week. The larve are all gone now, I suspect they've matured. And I just found where they hid the queen and it looks like she's starting to lay again. Now what?
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posted by Toekneesan
on Aug 15, 2011 -
12 answers
Can you tell me what this large glass jar found in my rented house's garden might be used for?
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posted by dougmoon
on Aug 12, 2011 -
19 answers
The HOA has decided to power wash and paint the building where I live. This will take two weeks to complete. I have an elaborate and much loved container garden that will be destroyed if left on the patio during this time.
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posted by ainsley
on Aug 4, 2011 -
6 answers
What's the best/least expensive way to run a garden hose from my cellar thru a brick wall to the front of my house?
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posted by boby
on Jul 18, 2011 -
13 answers
Last year, tiny (moth?) larvae ate all my giant sunflowers. What can I do to prevent this from happening again this year?
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posted by Bardolph
on Jul 13, 2011 -
3 answers
Aside from uniformity, is there any difference between using a power core aerator and a manual one?
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posted by crunchland
on Jul 12, 2011 -
10 answers
I traveled on the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey recently. The exit toll booth had only "EZ Pass Only" and "Exact Change" lanes open when I exited. The "Cash/Receipt" lane was closed off with traffic cones.
I did not have EZ Pass and only had paper bills, not coins, in the car. All of the booths were unattended.
I saw no choice but to run through the "Exact Change" booth without paying the toll.
Now what?
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posted by de void
on Jun 27, 2011 -
11 answers
Perhaps this is the Holy Grail of pest control but: does anyone have first-hand experience of plants that really, truly repel mosquitoes?
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posted by sideofwry
on Jun 26, 2011 -
6 answers
I've never had a garden before. I recently bought a house in Canberra with a small established garden, mainly native Australian plants. It has a drip watering system. There isn't a lot of room, but there are a few things I have always wanted to grow, and I've got no idea whether it is possible to fit them in somehow, or where I should put them. I know I can't do anything until just before spring, but I want to start planning now.
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posted by lollusc
on Jun 13, 2011 -
9 answers
