[MoonStar]

A beautiful garden can disappear if it's not maintained. But a little tlc brings it back to life again.

So are any of you into gardening? I’ve been a fan for several years now, and have been adding different kinds of plants to my yard. Share your gardening tips, pics, disease-combating remedies, favorite plants, anything relevant to gardens.

[Ilikemyscarf]

tlc?
I was thinking of taking up some gardening projects.
I wanna plant some flowers (roses), where do I start?

[zzze]

assalamu alaykum

I want a vegatable patch. And a rose doorway

[MoonStar]

Originally Posted by Ilikemyscarf

tlc?
I was thinking of taking up some gardening projects.
I wanna plant some flowers (roses), where do I start?

short answer: follow the instructions on the tag, plant it, water as directed, remove any leaves that have black spots on them.

long answer: If you buy potted container roses that are already growing (as opposed to bareroot which have no leaves yet), it has a tag that gives you exact directions how to plant. You need to dig a hole slightly deeper than the size of the container (around a foot deep), and wider than the container (I never bothered with making it that wide).

Roses need to be planted at least 2-3 feet apart so the roots and branches can space out. You don't have to remove all the grass thats around, but it would be better, so you dont get weeds there, and so the water can get directly to the rose roots. Remove the grass and put lots of mulch around there after you plant the rose. The area where you plant should have good soil drainage (water doesn't get clogged there), if you're unsure about the drainage (you can test it by filling the empty hole with water, and see how long it takes for all the water to drain, I think if it drains in 30 minutes that means its ok), or just add some pebbles to the bottom of hole before putting the plant in. (about an 1-2 inches of pebbles should be good). Either way, before you plant the rose, add water to the hole and let it drain so there's plenty of moisture in there for the roots to absorb.

The tag on the rosebush will tell you how deep you need to plant the bud union- which is where it branches out from the base of the plant (the tag will have a pic) This is important b/c in cold areas, the bud union needs to be buried 2 inches below the soil to protect it from winter damage.

So just dig the hole in a location that gets lots of sun, place the rosebush in properly, fill soil around the edges, tamp down the soil well so there are no air pockets, at the surface add mulch, and some Rose Food fertilizer, water it well, and it should be good. The tag on the plant will basically tell you the rest. btw, what kind of rose is it? scented? climbing rose? b/c they get really tall.

[Timbit]

Scarfy: TLC = tender loving care.
MoonStar! I missed your domestic threads. Is the Art of Cooking back too?

[zzze]

asalamu alaykum

well, this is a type of gardening...grooming...

There are a number of erm..mouldy bowls and/mugs in my room. WIll I get conjunctavitus(sp?)

[MoonStar]

Originally Posted by Timbit

Scarfy: TLC = tender loving care.
MoonStar! I missed your domestic threads. Is the Art of Cooking back too?

of course, see the Food forum. I have a huge stack of recipes I want to try out.

and below are some flowers from my butterfly bush, they're lightly scented and do attract butterflies, my friend gave me the vase on my birthday.

[sheik_speare]

assalamu alaikum

a personal fav of mine are celosias. i plant em every june.

http://www.bbounous.com/pics/grd_flw_celosia02.jpg

[Ayooshi]

Asalamu Alaikum,

I want to grow my own herbs inshaAllah. They look so pretty in kitchens.

Fi AmanAllah

[MoonStar]

Originally Posted by Ayooshi

Asalamu Alaikum,

I want to grow my own herbs inshaAllah. They look so pretty in kitchens.

Fi AmanAllah

they're really useful too, you always have fragrant ones on hand and it's a lot cheaper to grow them than buy them. I grew thyme and basil for the first time this year, it grows rapidly and comes in handy for so many recipes, great flavors. and mint too.

[Ayooshi]

Originally Posted by MoonStar

they're really useful too, you always have fragrant ones on hand and it's a lot cheaper to grow them than buy them. I grew thyme and basil for the first time this year, it grows rapidly and comes in handy for so many recipes, great flavors. and mint too.

Thats another reason I want them, the same herbs you mentioned execept maybe some rosemary too. I want a pot I can adjust well against my kitchen window. Its really the only suitable place I have. till than, I've just been reading up on it.

It seems super easy to grow them from the books i've read.

Fi AmanAllah

[Pushpa]

Hydrangeas. I love them. And they look stunning arranged in square vases of water.

[raatkirani2005]

I'm trying to identify a shrub in my garden. It's about two feet high and has very fragrant leaves and in the spring has tiny pinkish-purplish flowers. What makes this plant special is that the leaves are edible and Persians and Arabs often throw the leaves into a pot of hot tea. It adds this amazing minty, flowery flavor to it, and for the life of me, I have no idea what this plant is. Anyone have any idea based on the fact that it's often mixed with tea?

[MoonStar]

Originally Posted by Bruinrab

Off topic but moonstar, did you resurrect your gardening thread? I've been trying to figure out how to help my parents turn their garden from an arid, dusty wasteland into a mediterranean paradise.

that's in Cali right? I'm not familiar with the gardening climate/soil quality there but having outdoor potted plants might be a better bet. My backyard soil kills anything you plant in it, so I grow everything in large pots instead. Did you have any specific plants in mind?

[Bruinrab]

Yup, SoCal. I've been trying to find information on "natural gardens", eg one that fit the local environment and don't need huge amounts of water. I think think they want a large patio and some grass, but beyond that they (ie my mom ) want to keep it low maintenance and kid friendly. I may have to hit the local libraries while I'm there.

Right now, it's literally just dust. No landscaping was included in the construction costs.