[chassis]

Search didn't bring up an existing thread, so here it is.

What is everyone growing these days? Let's keep this to plants which were not in the past, or are not presently, controlled by various agencies.

I am in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 6.

I want to make an outdoor flower container for the front entry. Biggest challenge is deer. In other houses I have used geraniums, plus greenery. Last year the deer ate my geraniums and left the spiky green stuff alone. I sprayed the geraniums once last year with deer repellant and the stuff almost killed everything in the planter. I like begonias but it seems like deer eat those also.

Suggestions for a planter design with 3 varieties and colors?

Any vegetable gardeners? I'm sure there are. I have grown carrots, radishes, lettuce, peas, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers and schwarzwürzel in the past.

How about shrubs and trees? Azaleas, rhododendrons, hydrangeas and blossoming cherry trees have been great for me in previous homes.

[hubbahubba]

Good idea for a thread, thanks for posting.

We have three barrels in our backyard with plants in them. I just planted the flower bed last week, crammed it pretty full of assorted summer flowers. Also have a braided hibiscus and a plumeria. Both of those are starting to show some good new growth, and were planted in December.

I’ve grown my own vegetables when I lived in a previous home where I had a raised bed garden. I’ve considered just doing a small, rolling planter with some peppers and tomatoes, just haven’t gotten around to it. I enjoy gardening, good hobby!

[dreamingat30fps]

We love trying to grow stuff when we go to NC. Unfortunately since we typically don't get up there till early June it's kinda late to start planting stuff.

However I guess the previous owner had planted some asparagus and cherry tomatoes so we always have the asparagus already coming out when we get there and even the tomatoes seem to come back each year but they don't start going till much later. When it starts to get cold they are still giving tomatoes so I think the fact that so many die and fall right in that same spot is what keeps it coming back each year.

Last year I built a large raised garden bed and I plan to build 1 or 2 more because the current stuff just grows on the side of the patio and it's kind of a pain to manage it there.

For those with large raised beds... where do you get dirt for them? I can get bulk dirt where I get bulk mulch, but that stuff is not good for growing shit, I can't even get grass to grow when I've used it to fill holes and what not.

[chassis]

Call local garden centers (not big box store) and ask where quality topsoil can be sourced. Land developers in my area scrape topsoil off new tracts and sell it. It is being purchased by someone!

[chassis]

Fruit is fair game in this thread also!

I have grown raspberries and currants with good success in Zone 5 in the past. I know the SoCal crowd grows citrus at home! Strawberries, blackberries, grapes, apples and cherries are fairly common home crops in the US.

[Esteban]

Here's a similar thread (called Yard freaks) that was started 6 years ago but hasn't been active for 6 months, for anyone that wants to look through it.

[Lady Jane]

Originally Posted by chassis

Search didn't bring up an existing thread, so here it is.

What is everyone growing these days? Let's keep this to plants which were not in the past, or are not presently, controlled by various agencies.

If you've been following some of my posts from the past few years, you already know that I'm an avid gardener. I have many perennial beds around the house, many pots and a big veggie garden. I'm still enjoying some of last summer's harvest.

So far this year, nothing has really happened except cleaning the beds. I'm in a zone 5. The weather has not been cooperating, so everything is late according to my planner. But I do have plans.

You'll have to stay tuned over the coming months.

Just a small sample and aside for what you see, I'll have peppers, radishes, zucchinis, lettuce and cucumbers. For now.

[M-technik-3]

I had a flower garden that my gal had used the front and side of my house and planted numerous perennials that are gorgeous but we mistakenly put a raised bed of strawberry's and it has started to take over the garden. We spent Saturday of Easter weekend cutting out 25 butterfly bushes I planted one 4 years ago. About 10 hibiscus aka rose of Sharon. Those two were also taking over the space. It was planted so something was in bloom from spring to fall.

[Portimao Blue M440ix]

For containers sometimes Costco has nice planters and I just replant those into the container. I also like Gerbera's in containers as well as Dahlias. Hibiscus are also very nice the annual variety.

If you like sweet cherry tomatoes you can't go wrong with Sun Sugar, Sun Gold and Candyland.

[Portimao Blue M440ix]

Originally Posted by Lady Jane

If you've been following some of my posts from the past few years, you already know that I'm an avid gardener. I have many perennial beds around the house, many pots and a big veggie garden. I'm still enjoying some of last summer's harvest.

So far this year, nothing has really happened except cleaning the beds. I'm in a zone 5. The weather has not been cooperating, so everything is late according to my planner. But I do have plans.

You'll have to stay tuned over the coming months.

Just a small sample and aside for what you see, I'll have peppers, radishes, zucchinis, lettuce and cucumbers. For now.

Attachment 3718358

I'm a fellow zone 5 grower in the Toronto area.

[GarySL]

Mi Amor rhododendron, 'nuff said

[Vindicator3]

Had to give my tomato bed a couple of years off due to virus - planning on planting several this weekend for the first time since 2022 (which was an unsuccessful year hence the time off). Very excited! My wife handles all our annuals, perennials, and shrubs, but the tomatoes are mine. Hoping for a healthy and bountiful 2025 crop!

[Vindicator3]

Tomatoes are in the ground!

2 x Black Krim
1 each:
Pink Brandywine
Early Girl Plus
Better Boy Plus
Cherokee Purple
Cherokee Carbon
Whopper

The last two are varieties I've not planted before. Fingers crossed!

[RickFLM4]

We are in Zone 10b. While we don’t need to worry about frost, our planting options are limited by summer heat, humidity and pests. The Winter season is great for annuals, but most non-tropical / non-native plants can’t make it through Summer. So lots of green, grasses and limited choices for color. I used to handle all fertilizing, disease control and pest control myself but hired a company to try about 6 months ago.

We recently replaced 2 dying (maybe dead) gardenia and a sickly Italian Cypress in front of our dining room window with a new Italian Cypress, Plumbago and Lantana, to go along with existing Juniper. We have another Gardena that is sick, which I’d like to save. We’ll see what happens. The gardenia are / were at least a decade old.

We also have some African Iris that are ready to be split up and spread around.

[GarySL]

Not Mi Amor knockout, but 'sun spray' Rhododendron is quite a looker

[MoeTE87]

Looking for some help / suggestions.

We have new neighbors that just moved in next to us and are outside all the damn time with their 4 dogs. They are constantly looking over at our side and we want some privacy. Never had any issues before with any neighbors next door. We moved into our home Feb 2016 and had a really nice older couple living next door and they were hardly ever outside. Then they moved out of there around 2021ish to a condo (smart move as they were getting pretty old and the upkeep of the home they didn't want to do anymore) and a new couple with their two kids moved in from out of state and were doctors. They hardly were ever outside, mainly to cut their grass and every now and then to work in the flower beds. But stayed inside.

We got used to that as we love to be outside on our deck to listen to music and play outside with our 7.5 year old daughter.

So now, the new neighbors are always out there constantly. If the wife and I are outside for a few mins, the guy comes running out and wants to talk constantly. Every single time we are outside. It's almost like he is watching for us to be outside to chat. We haven't gone out much because of that. Also, their 4 dogs bark all the time too. Annoying as shit.

Wife and I want privacy and separation from them. We have 4 massive pots we are thinking about buying some tall shrubs to put in, but we are open to suggestions that can grow fast and get full fast.

Our garden is on the side of the house and I already have a way to put up privacy wood slats since I have 4 tall 4x4 posts that I installed a few years ago to help with some plants to grow up.

These pots would be an additional layer of privacy that would be in the garden, closest to the deck. My garden is pretty big. 16ft x 9ft.


Thank you!

[Joachim]

I feel you! Have some nosy neighbors here as well, and these days I am about to build a wall of pots and buckets in a strategical array, LOL!
My researches led me to a tall bucket with a yew tree and other ones with butterfly bushes [Buddleia]. My gardener advised me also to:

Bambooin a pot grows very quickly, which is why you don't need to wait long for your perfect privacy screen. Whether in summer or in winter - bamboo is green all year round, but should be watered in summer so as not to dry up. You can also cut your bamboo back from time to time - that gives it a nice shape and lets him grow up healthy.

Chinese silver grass is ideal for the large bucket. It's hardy and robust, only the young plants need special protection if the temperatures fall in winter. The roots of the plant grow quickly, and you can look forward to a fine visual protection - with particularly good care and with a little luck up to a height of 400 centimeters.

Why don't people understand that we're not going out into our garden for communication?

[MoeTE87]

Originally Posted by Joachim

I feel you! Have some nosy neighbors here as well, and these days I am about to build a wall of pots and buckets in a strategical array, LOL!
My researches led me to a tall bucket with a yew tree and other ones with butterfly bushes [Buddleia]. My gardener advised me also to:

Bambooin a pot grows very quickly, which is why you don't need to wait long for your perfect privacy screen. Whether in summer or in winter - bamboo is green all year round, but should be watered in summer so as not to dry up. You can also cut your bamboo back from time to time - that gives it a nice shape and lets him grow up healthy.

Chinese silver grass is ideal for the large bucket. It's hardy and robust, only the young plants need special protection if the temperatures fall in winter. The roots of the plant grow quickly, and you can look forward to a fine visual protection - with particularly good care and with a little luck up to a height of 400 centimeters.

Why don't people understand that we're not going out into our garden for communication?

Funny that you mention bamboo...we have a lot from the previous owners and the wife and I freakin hate it with a passion. Shittiest plant ever! Can't burn it. Hard to cut down. Spreads like freakin crazy. So, I will pass. lol.

I will take a look at the other suggestions. Thanks!