Anyone in here with a green thumb?

[JBougie]

I need help planning a flower bed .... I bought two Blue Girl rose bushes today, but I just dont know what else to get. What flowers are hard to kill, and good for people who seem to have no luck at all when it comes to flowers/plants?

Any tips for roses? I excited for all my landscaping plans to come to life, but I have no idea how to start them lol

[cali yaris]

Roses. Feed them. They like a lot of water. Before spring, you cut them down to three main stalks. Feels horrible, but they love it and come back better every year. Do NOT cover the "bowl" at the bottom of the plant. I have 9 and some are 40 years old, inherited from the last owner.

Other plants. Look up your zone with the Western Garden Book or something similar for your region (WORTH IT to buy), or online. Knowing your Zone is magic! and you can get lists of plants to look at for your climate.

Have fun, and understand that some things are going to die -- so do your homework to maximize your chances, just learn and keep planting.

[WeeYari]

Cannot over emphasize bed soil prep. Dig deep in the beds to break up existing soil, and turn in plenty of good compost, triple-mix and shredded newspaper.

You could go check out your local garden centers. Many will offer free landscape consultations and plans, provided you buy your nursery stock from them. Plants may be more expensive, but you may save yourself a lot of trial and error grief.

And lastly, MULCH!!!

[JBougie]

I have *tons* of mulch (got it for free - I love hookups...lol), but I am not understanding the shredded newspaper? Like real Sunday papers?

Thanks Garm :) Rose tips are definitely appreciated .... I have heard from so many people that they're really easy to grow, and don't require a ton of work - but they just look so delicate I don't really believe it hahahh

Our "zone" is March from what all the back of the plants say, but I am going to go by Books A Million this afternoon and pick up a book or two .... just to make sure :)

[cali yaris]

A good organic soil amendment is all I've ever used to break up and prepare our crappy clay "soil" here. Never tried newspaper. I'm assuming you'd run it through an office shredder first?

"Zones" have a number:1-24 for example. Your zone will lead to a list of plants that do well where you are.

[JBougie]

We have a lot of red clay soil here, luckily the existing 'flower bed' (aka place that collected leaves and random things, along with old mulch and potting soil so it's like a compost at this point) is clay free. Win!

I'm in zone 7 so the roses will go well here from what I read, I am looking at what my other options are - and if I want to go with annuals or perennials. I keep eye-balling some bulbs that are talking dirty to me - but I don't know if I want to try those and roses all in the same year. I did get the rose bushes in the ground tonight and I put up my solar lights. Next week I am ordering our new front door and will grab flowers at that time while I'm at Home Depot since I'll be there putting the door on order.

The back yard is next ...... next year :D

[YAR1S]

You could trip out your neighbours and plant Castor Bean Plants....

They are super easy to grow... grow very fast... dont require much water... and look like giant Marijuana plants hahahaha.



I also like Cold Hardy Palms....


You should go to your local Farmers Market, they will have all the cool plants that are appropriate for TN.

[CTScott]

I have a bunch of perennial beds. Bee Balm, Cone Flowers, Asters, Bleeding Heart and Russian Iris have all proved indestructible for me. Perennials that I planted when we bought the house 15 years ago come back every year with minimal care. Bee Balm is a Hummingbird favorite as well.

[TLyttle]

Being naturally lazy, I go for perennials, preferably ones that look after themselves. It is a good idea to double-dig the bed, ie, dig it up, take out that soil, and dig it up again, then replace the other layer, not likely to ever dig again, particularly with all that compost. Just keep adding more compost every year, manure preferably. I do envy your Zone 7!

I buy a few seed packets every year, and pitch them everywhere, stuff like poppies, bachelor buttons, marigolds; many of these re-seed themselves, and make it look like you really work hard at it. Buy a new rose every year, and you're done.

[JBougie]

I LOVE bleeding hearts, so I am thrilled that you said they were in the "pretty much care for themselves" group :)

I like your gardening style TLyttle!!! :)

[CTScott]

The other garden option that is very enjoyable is water gardening. I have two ponds - One with Koi and the the other with just plants. The plant pond acts as a natural filter for the Koi pond, so it is maintenance free.

Koi Ponds.jpg

[JBougie]

That's more effort than I want to put in .... they're beautiful, but with horses, dogs, and flowers - I think I will have my hands full :)

I so would love one though, but there isn't much yard space for stuff like that. Well, maybe next summer when I do the backyard; I could actually fit one in the back yard and extend the fence and just take a little room out of the front pasture. Yeahhh. I think you just gave me a really good idea :)

[marcus]

id consider perrenial plants live alot longer even on 4 seasonal locations

[cali yaris]

Scott, when the times comes I'll pick your brain about those ponds. I want koi someday.

[Shroomster]

I wish our key west lime, persian lime and loquat trees would bear fruit :(......

Persian lime is bearing but they all are falling off....

[J_Lynn]

Originally Posted by cali yaris

Scott, when the times comes I'll pick your brain about those ponds. I want koi someday.

I second that .... I am just wondering with 2 dachshunds how long they'd last, if they see something moving and it looks like it's "below" the ground, they go nuts. lol

[CTScott]

Originally Posted by J_Lynn

I second that .... I am just wondering with 2 dachshunds how long they'd last, if they see something moving and it looks like it's "below" the ground, they go nuts. lol

Dogs are typically fine around ponds. We never had an issue with our pug and my neighbor's crazy dogs, that like to come over and bark at our chickens, only use my ponds as their giant water bowl.

[J_Lynn]

That wouldn't be bad then. What do they do in winter when it gets to freezing temps?