i haz a yard

[keryx]

O friendslist, do you contain any gardeners?

Specifically gardeners who might have ideas about things this slacker could plant this fall in Virginia, things that ideally would stick around through spring? Strangely the internet does not seem readily able to answer this question unless I want to read all about gardening.

I want to plant some decorative grass and something floral.

Comments

[cyprinella]

My mums and pansies all made it through last winter in containers so you could plant some of those and possibly have color for a long time. Long term stuff: Bulbs are good for right now! Tulips, crocus, etc. Also, if there's any shrubs or trees you're thinking about, the garden sites all say this is a a good time of year to put them in. I'm not sure about grasses because most of them are huge and seedy right now. Those will be better for spring, I think.

[keryx.livejournal.com]

I like lavendar! I hadn't thought about that.

[moongirli.livejournal.com]

I don't garden, but my boy is grounds crew, and a good friend of mine has an amazing flower garden she put together in her backyard (after 4+ yrs of work).

I know for sure that hastas (hostas?) require very little light and water, but that they are not flowers, just greenish bushy things.

[cyprinella]

Hostas do flower, generally late summerish, with sort of a spike of purple flowers. But yeah, they're mostly used for their folliage and shade growing properties.

[keryx.livejournal.com]

It seems unlikely that my citified plants would be munched by deer.

[cyprinella]

Slugs in my yard. They looked like swiss cheese before I dug them out.

[turbogrrl.livejournal.com]

Important to remember that hostas *really* can't deal with direct sun. They are definite shade-dwellers.

Irises will grow well in sun, and don't need much work beyond planting them properly. Lilies bloom early and then have tall grass-like foliage the rest of the year. Roses are a pain in the &^&%$!!. The best thing to do is determine if your soil is more sand or more clay (high drainage/low drainage), and then just wander out to the local garden center and say "hi! I have a yard with (sandy/clayey) soil, and with predominantly (shade/sun), and I'd like to plant things. Got any recommendations?" If you're lucky, you'll get a really enthusiastic plant person, and you can have fun fondling green things.

[cyprinella]

I've found roses to be pretty easy - except for black spot which I figure is just a factor of the humidity up here - but then again, my main rose is one that survived at least two years of being cut back down to the ground because my bf didn't know what it was and no idea how long it had been there before that. My other rose is from Freecycle and has survived being moved twice in the last two years so it's a tough bush.

[keryx.livejournal.com]

I think this area is more rose-friendly than many. I remember my parents' roses going crazy in Norfolk when I was a kid, and one of those bushes is still huge with no effort whatsoever after being transplanted to Maryland.

My dad talked about giving me a cutting from that, and one from a decades-old rose of sharon from his grandmother's yard.

[quietdeath.livejournal.com]

Great time of year to put bushes in the ground. The other best time is early spring. I would suggest a small to medium sized tree or two for that back yard. Plus you really can get a good compost pile going. My mums also made it back this year (they are also in pots) and I got one so far to root in water. I can take some clippings for you to root and grow yourself. I also have many shooters in the yard by the bushes that I can pull up for you. Privet hedge and a hibiscus I believe. Another thing you can do is early next spring start growing from seed anything that you want and then do a seedling/small plant exchange with friends. Those are fun and will add lots to your garden without breaking your bank. Oh and I have LOTS of common lilys. You know the ones that look like grass till all of a sudden you have a shoot and orange lilys popping up everywhere? You are welcome to some of those (and by some I really mean a dozen or so). Let me know if you are interested in anything. Oh and Luguvalium has plenty of pine needles for covering beds and compost. And we have truck which travels. Oh and herbs are weeds. Just about anyone can grow them. If you start them now I would do pots but then you could easily move them next spring to being ground plants.

VERY EXCITED FOR YOU AND YOUR GARDEN!

[keryx.livejournal.com]

Lilies! Yes, please!

I still have a box filled with boxes to get to you kids, too. Perhaps we can trade boxes for gardening stuff.

[queerbychoice.livejournal.com]

Native plants will be easiest to grow, best for the environment, and best for attracting butterflies. The Virginia Department of Conservation & Recreation provides lists of native plants for the Richmond region and lists of invasive plants to avoid. The U.S. Department of Transportation's list of native plants for roadside use in Virginia may also be helpful.

[arovd.livejournal.com]

you can have any of our 5-7 year old tree-lings that you care to come dig up! T can't stand to cut them down, and i can't stand anymore $&#*&# trees in the yard.

[keryx.livejournal.com]

I will take that under advisement once I have a large shovel and stuff. :)