When you work your beds, put "Preen" it's a pre-emerge herbicide available at Wal Mart and offers about three months weed control. Also, putting mulch- at least two inches- helps a lot too. The Magnolia is probably THE slowest growing tree. If you're looking for good shade the live oak is hard to beat but my favorite ornamental is the Bradford Pear- it has a natural beautiful shape but also soft and will break in stong winds- not sure how open your area is. They do grow fast though and provide good shade but will drop all their leaves in the winter- who needs shade in the winter anyway? Here's a pic of some:
Yes, I'm looking out the back window at my neighbor's yard. He has six halves of Bradford pear trees. The other half of each tree lost over the years to wind. At least they look good from one angle.......and I like the blooms!
Vegetable gardening is a MAJOR, MAJOR undertaking. I thought I would be resourceful a few years ago and bought a nice rear tine tiller and planted a pretty large garden at my lake house. It was probably 70' X 125'. I grew corn, tomatoes, okra, pole beans, squash, greens, cucumber and a few other things. Let me tell you, I spent HOURS and HOURS tending to that thing when it all took off. I spent more time on the garden than having fun on the lake. When it all came in I had bushels and bushels of veggies. It was a ridiculous amount and picking Okra is not fun. That stuff will tear yur azz up if your not careful. I gave much of it away because I wasnt interested in spending more time caning the stuff. I really went overboard but I dont ever want to do that much manual labor as a hobby. I had a few fruit trees on the property to begin with and they are a bit easier to take care of. After that year of having a monster garden I plowed the entire thing in at the end of the season and planted more fruit trees in the space. Now I have apples and pears coming out my ying yang. :hihi:
Just got my 3 row garden finished this past weekend. Let's see, tomatoes (Better Boy), bell peppers (red, yellow, green, and purple), cucumbers, yellow squash, and green beans (Contender bush). My parents and grandparents have had gardens since I was a kid. It was like I had to have one. It gives the wife and I something to do together when I get home from work. It was also fun having my daughter help me sew the green bean seeds. The tips I have: 1 - you don't have to have your rows tall. All you're doing there is keeping mud at the bottom of the row and dry dirt and the top where the plant is. 2 - sunlight! all day long! 3 - water your garden every evening. Even if you think it may rain. 4 - insecticide before your plant blooms. Get rid of the caterpillars, spiders, ants, etc NOW before the blooms start. 5 - buy a vacuum sealer and freeze your yield. 6 - don't forget about your fall garden. mustard greens are YUMMY!!
Great tips however it is much better to water in the morning then at night because there is more oxygen in the morning, also evening watering promotes mold. This may be geographically challenged by zone temperaments.
Good point, CajunCali. The reason I water in the evening is because I hear it's not good to water in sunlight or when the plants or going to be in direct sunlight soon after watering because of the possibility of 'burning' the new growth. I also leave my home at 6am for work. And there is no way in Hell I'm going out at 5am to water my garden! Another tip: http://thegardenersrake.com/pepper-plants-tips-for-starting-and-planting-outdoors
With all the suggestions etc on here, I'm sure it will all lead to some ace gardeners guys. Me however...hell I had an air fern die on me. Afraid its hopeless:hihi:
I am not an 'ace gardener' by no means. All I know is you can't beat home-grown veggies (especially green beans)
We planted a few things this weekend. My last attempt at gardening was a few herbs and that never really took off. We planted rosemary, mint, a few azealas, a rose bush, marigolds, English daisies, some stuff I don't remember and $200 in mulch. Got a few tomato plants in the back too. My favorite find was a Cajun Hibiscus from Dupont Nursery.
I planted rosemary once, long ago........never planted a picnic table though <shudder> phlash and cajunlost, I'm disappointed in y'all that I had to submit the first "I planted..." perv remark. :wave:
