grizmom3

Happy fall back and I like you nude pumpkin.

What a clever and great idea!!!

I Would very much enjoy a journey beyond the arch.

I So enjoy folks with a playful sense of humor. Thanks for sharing!!!

Hey there muisje. Thank you for your kind response. I have been doing organic prevention/gardening since the early '80's and have found these solutions as effective as commercial pesticides and much easier on the cash output as well as safe for the environment. I was looking at the waterworks displays and they are most impressive. My waterworks consists of a small galvanized bucket with a tiny hole in the bottom. It drips slowly into what used to be a mold for making stained-glass stepping stones. My little bird friends love it and there are no cords or pumps. Good luck with discouraging the Rose Leaf Hoppers. They can do a lot of damage in a short amount of time if you have very many. Best way to tell is to brush your hand across the top of your roses and if a cloud arises better get on it quick.

The best to you and your roses.

Way to go D.C. Smithsonian!! Eat your heart out white house Cherry Blossoms.

I suppose you already know this plant is poisonous to grazing animal. Animals are not dumb. It was used by the Native Americans and early settlers for skin ailments. Good detective work annn!! Also attracts butterflies and is a member of the Aster family.

Definitely Four o'clocks (Mirabilis jalapa). Also called Beauty of the Night and Marvel of Peru. If they open later in the day-usually around 4 p.m. thus their name was derived. This is the 1st I have seen these all one color. Interesting. They are native to Tropical America-esp. Central America and Peru. TMI I suppose.

Ah yes, Filipendula (Queen of the Prairie). I have had one in my "Square Inch" patio for 5 years now. A very obedient plant and the cream-colored,fluffy blooms are awesome. When the blooms start to fad trim them off and the foliage stays nice for along time. Find a place to put it!!! You will be glad if you do.

Sweet Goldenrod (Solidaga, odora). The fresh or dried leaves can be steeped to make a delicate, anise-flavored tea. You can let it bloom if you like, but do not let it go to seed as it self-sows readily. This plant is actually sold in nurseries as a perennial. The tea is useful in kidney-related problems.

Rose Leaf Hopper!!! Stink Bugs are brownish and shield-shaped.
Organic solution: Pyrethrum (Pyrenone or Pyronyl) if you can find it. I dissolve garlic capsules in warm water and once dissolved put into spray bottle and fill with water. Spray daily if needed. So far I have had no insect problems. These little devils can destroy roses quickly. I use this on roses.
Best of luck.

Love this plant!! Nice combination. Good eye for color. :)

The Salmonberry-Family:Rosacea; Genus: Rubus. If your shrub blooms pink is is spectabilis. I know this to be a shrub growing in the Pacific NW in moist areas. Since I do not know your specific location I cannot tell you what species of birds may be attracted. I am an avid bird watcher and have traveled most of the country (mostly the Western States and Canada) viewing these wonderful flying marvels. I do know for most birds the seeds are the attraction and I am sure you know the berries are yummy. Also, some species of birds attracted can be quite raucous and for some people an annoyance.

I know I commented previously on your birdhouses. If I came off as being rude it sure was not meant that way. We are all different and this is what makes the world interesting.

The best to you

Yes it adds a "pop" of color. Too gaudy for my tastes. Too much of a naturalist, I suppose. Guess positive comments are preferred and maybe even required, but this project does not impress this gardener. Sorry. Too each his/her own.

Definitely Japanese Anenome. Hard to get established in some areas, but performs beautifully if it likes it's home.

This one has me stumped. I know I have seen it before and it will nag at me until I can remember. Let you know if I do. Let me know if it blooms.

Totally agree

Creeping Charlie!! Yikes, hard to eradicate. This plant is highly invasive as you already know. The only thing positive about this plant are the purple blooms in the Spring. It is not even edible like some of the other weeds...Lambs Quarter, Garden Sorrel,Chickweed, dandelions and many others are good as cooked greens or in salads...Creeping Charlie is an annoying nuisance. Good luck on your mission of destruction!

grizmom3

Butterflies are attracted to this plant as well as hummingbirds. Agree with katie74.

grizmom3

Helianthus (thin leaved sunflower). If you like this plant try to find some Heliopsis (false sunflowers). Very hardy as well and do not need staking. The doubles are great...if you can find them. Also a perennial.

grizmom3

Yes, it certainly looks more like a honeysuckle than a Viburnum. The family of Viburnums is an extremely large one. This has nothing to do with your post or honeysuckle. The subject of Viburnums brought to mind one of my favorites called
"Marie Double File". The blooms are similar to those of the Dogwood which can be difficult to grow in some areas as it needs protection. Waaaay off subject.

As glennt comments, trumpet shaped blooms, it is a Honeysuckle which can come in several colors with the old fashioned yellow being the most fragrant.

grizmom3

At first glance the vision that entered my mind was a painting by Richard Sloan (died 2007) "Something Old, Something Blue" with Blue-Crowned Motmots amidst Mayan Ruins. I tried to find the painting on a website so you could see the wonderful work of art...much like your alluring creation. Thought about scanning the print I have to my page, but did not want to risk copyright infringements. Rather getting off the subject. In short, your landscape reminds me of the Mayan Ruins in some ways. Very cleverly designed. If you google images of Mayan ruins you will see why this image came to mind. Being an artist as well as an avid gardener I really enjoyed viewing your photos. In my opinion, highly imaginative and original.

grizmom3

Once again, Thank you Paul. Sure appreciate your knowledge of roses and your willingness to share.

Thanks, grizmom3

Awesome!! I have been gardening for many years. might I ask, "what is hypertufa? New one to me.

grizmom3

I would like to know your opinion on Hybrid Teas. I live in southern IN and find them to be a pain...for various reasons.

grizmom3

This question has nothing to do with summer care. I would like to know you opinion of the Hybrid Teas. I live in southern IN and find they are a disappointment as winter care is a pain and I have learned they often revert back to the original graft. Still I have customers who insist on having them. Any comments?

Thanks,

grizmom3

Thank you for your reply. I would NEVER use the colored mulches!! I call them red and black death mulches. Being an artist I know about the hazards of red and black dyes...they are toxic. Hard woods are my choice and thank you for the validation on my choice. I do, however have customers who insist on Cypress. I use it reluctantly.

Kudos to your wife and the horses!! Love them and one of my favorite subjects to paint.

Thanks again, Paul.

grizmom3

Nice combination!! Congrats to you!

grizmom3

I have always grown Nicotiana because the hummingbirds love the trumpet-shaped blooms. I have grown Castor Beans in the past, but have never seen one with purple leaves. How large do they grow? The ones I grew reached up to 10' or more and were huge. I no longer have room to grow them and sure do miss 'em. Great photo and thanks for sharing.

grizmom3

Hey Paul, loved the horses. Used to be a wrangler in Wyoming and grew up on a farm in southern IN with horses and all kinds of other farm animals. Surely do miss that compost. My kids were in 4H and we raised rabbits and I used their dropping in my compost pile. Best garden I ever grew.

My question is: What is your opinion of Cypress mulch and what about the new colored mulches? I have customers who want the colored mulch and I refuse to use the stuff. Do you have any knowledge on these types of mulches? Normally I go with the hardwood mulches, but I also use Cypress.

Any advice would be appreciated. You have been a great help. WOW! What a find! You certainly know roses and it is generous of you to share your knowledge.

Back again Paul. Really appreciate your wisdom of roses as I have several people I do landscaping for and your info has helped me to reassure them that their roses are fine. Thank you so very much!

Definitely not a spider plant. I agree with glennt.

A good way to know is whether these blooms open late evening or stay open all the time. Jasmine opens at late evening and at night. From the photo it looks like day and there appear to be only 4 petals. Jasmine has 4-6 petals. To be honest, it may not be either. Maybe the time of day it opens will be helpful.

I agree with Botanical Janical. I have lots of Nicotiana. The Hummingbirds love this plant. Since it is of the tobacco family wash hands before working with tomato plants or you could end up with tobacco mosaic.

When I posted my last comment on the mystery plant it was still nagging at me. Digitalis does not grow well here in central IN. I remembered photos I had taken years ago in MI and went through my old albums of flower photos. Alas, to those of you who identified the plant as Acanthus mollis...congrats!! Foxglove grows in clusters hanging downwards whereas Bear's Breeches does not. However, both are poisonous as I mentioned in my previous post. Now I can think about something else!!! YEAH!

I would lean towards Digitalis because of color and because it is growing as one plant. but without view of foliage it is hard to make an accurate identification. Photos can fool the eye sometimes. Yes, it is poisonous. Acanthus generally grows more in bunches. Both plants are poisonous. Acanthus-seeds are poisonous as are other parts of plant. Prickly so use care when handling. Invasive. Blooms mid-summer. Also found in Europe and Africa and probably other countries.

Yes it is Red Trillium. Interesting fact. It smells like something dead and attracts flies which help in pollination.

Very nice I used to live in Wyoming above 8000 thousand feet. Lots of beautiful wildflowers. No gardens. No bugs either!!

Appears to be a Mock Orange. Beware! Aphids love this shrub.
To keep it under control prune after it blooms. Hard to dig out if you are wanting to get rid of it...eps. if it has some age to it.

katie74 is correct. The variegated variety does not get as tall, but is invasive. Comfrey is a member of the Borage and Forget-Me-Not family. Comfrey is known to cause liver cancer and is also poisonous to cattle and horses. I do not know about home pets.

oldfarmlady is absolute correct!!!! Get rid of...quick! advice from another "old farm lady".

Osh-Gosh-By-Gosh, Absolutely stunning. Thanks for sharing.

Excellent video,Paul. I have worked for many years with roses for other people. Personally, I am partial to perennials and have designed many beds which included roses. There is a shopping center near to where I live and there is a long island full of Knock-Out Roses. They need to be pruned so they will continue blooming. Not likely to happen and it is all I can do to not take my pruners and do my thing. Most likely I would be arrested for vandalism. I have an elderly lady who lives next door and her rose bush was nearly dead. I asked her if I could work with it. It has been blooming beautifully all season. Not being a bragger, but there was another elderly lady with a Clematis (Nelly Mosier)that was on it's last leg. It also bloomed beautifully this Spring. She knocked at my door and was upset because it had quit blooming and was going to pull it out. I assured her it would bloom again later and sure enough buds are setting. I so love green and growing things!!! My apologies for the lengthiness. I get excited about plants.

Absolutely correct as gpratt comments and also katie74. I just joined and I am impressed with what I see. Also, I grew up eating Pokeweed. Way back then it was dipped in egg then dipped in flour and fried in lard! I can feel my arteries seizing. Sure was good though.

Good info becca062. I know longer have them as I have had to relocate and do not have the room. Lots of other goodies blooming in my 5 yr. old garden. My favorite perennial is my Filipendula (Queen of the Prairie). A nice and obedient plant.
Are you familiar with this plant?

katie74 is correct. If you need any more info I recommend googling it(if you have not already done so). If I can be of any further help feel free to contact me.

Definitely a Trumpet Vine(Campsis radicans)and forget trying any herbicides unless it is a total vegetation killer which I do not advise as it seeps through the soil and will kill any other plant life close to it. The only way that I have found to eradicate this invasive vine is by digging out all of the roots. Yes the hummingbirds love the flowers and if you have been cutting it back it will not bloom. I recommend cutting it to the ground and start digging. This vine appears to be growing on a privacy fence. It can become heavy enough to pull the fence over. Good Luck!!! Hope this helps.

Being an avid gardener as well as an artist...a profusion of kudos to you for the highly creative garden gate. If you ever lose any tools you will know where to look. Would especially like to see beyond the gate...in reality. Thank you for sharing. Put a smile on my face!!!