Spring Fever

[queenbee]

Save Those Coffee Grounds.

I am already watering mine down and pouring them on my azaleas. Just realized that my Bleeding Hearts, Magnolia, Lily of the Valley, Marigolds and Strawberries and my indoor pineapple plant can benefit from coffee grounds too.

Acid loving plants;

A partial list of plants preferring acidic soil includes:

Amaryllis

Andromeda

Aster

Azalea

Bayberry

Bleedingheart

Blueberry

Camelia

Dogwood

Evergreen

Fern

Fir

Gardenia

Heath

Heather

Hemlock

Holly

Huckelberry

Hydrangea

Inkberry

Juniper

Leucothoe

Lily-of-the-Valley

Lupine

Magnolia

Marigold

Mountain-ash

Mountain-laurel

Oak

Pachysandra

Phlox

Pieris

Pine

Raspberry

Rhododendron

Spruce

Strawberry

Whitecedar

Woodsorel



By far the most popular acid-loving plants are azalea, holly, and rhododendrons. If planted and cared for properly, these plants will delight the gardener for years. Choose plants from your local garden center that appear robust, with good green color.

[maddy]

I'm going to try this coffee thing on those flowers that look like balls. We usually have purple come up. If I do it, what color will they be???

[nataliewood]

Maddy, you can only grow the avocados inside in a pot. We did this about 30 some years ago by putting a toothpick on each side of the pit about 1/2 way down. Balance it on a small clear glass and fill with water just below the toothpicks. Keep it in a sunny window and watch the roots go to town. After it's well rooted, then you can place in the soil. Your girls will love watching it grow and the plant will get as tall as you want it to.

[queenbee]

Hey Nat I used to do that with sweet potatoes.

When I was growing up, my mom had a vine that she trained to grow around a book shelf that divided the kitchen form the living room.

[queenbee]

HYDRANGEA'S

Flower color in H. macrophylla is dependent on cultivar and aluminum availability. Aluminum is necessary to produce the blue pigment for which bigleaf hydrangea is noted. Most garden soils have adequate aluminum, but the aluminum will not be available to the plant if the soil pH is high. For most bigleaf hydrangea cultivars, blue flowers will be produced in acidic soil (pH 5.5 and lower), whereas neutral to alkaline soils (pH 6.5 and higher) will usually produce pink flowers. Between pH 5.5 and pH 6.5, the flowers will be purple (see image at left) or a mixture of blue and pink flowers will be found on the same plant.

[queenbee]

HERE'S A GOOD PAGE FOR HYDRANGEA INFORMATION

www.usna.usda.gov/Gardens/faqs/hydrangeafaq2.html#How-change-flower-color

[queenbee]

SAVE ME THE FLOWER HEADS NEXT YEAR WHEN THEY DRY OUT.

[queenbee]

This should probably be under frugal, but I am posting it here.

Advertised on party line for a tiller and got a 5hp for $50.00.
My veggie garden will be big this year.

[braindead]

I have seeds for 4 o'clocks and for purple trumpets if anyone is interested.

[queenbee]

I AM I AM IAM

I love seed swaps.

I have some put up from last year and will have to dig through and see what they are.

[braindead]

You want both or one in particular? The trumpets like full sun and really don't do anything until late summer and are in full bloom then and fall.
The 4 o'clocks are varigated colors of pink, yellow, orange and don't have to have full sun but do need help standing up once fully grown and full of blooms and seeds.

[queenbee]

BOTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

silly braindead.

[maddy]

queenbee said:

HYDRANGEA'S

Flower color in H. macrophylla is dependent on cultivar and aluminum availability. Aluminum is necessary to produce the blue pigment for which bigleaf hydrangea is noted. Most garden soils have adequate aluminum, but the aluminum will not be available to the plant if the soil pH is high. For most bigleaf hydrangea cultivars, blue flowers will be produced in acidic soil (pH 5.5 and lower), whereas neutral to alkaline soils (pH 6.5 and higher) will usually produce pink flowers. Between pH 5.5 and pH 6.5, the flowers will be purple (see image at left) or a mixture of blue and pink flowers will be found on the same plant.

THIS is WHY I don't garden!! LOL

[braindead]

Okay Bee, I will put some aside for you right now while I am thinking about it.

[nataliewood]

Oh Maddy hydrangeas are a favorite of mine. You can get the aluminum sulfate and make them as blue as you want. I make mine range from light blue to an almost navy color.