The Silver Screen Oasis

I used to grow marigolds when i was a little girl...those and wax begonias seemed to be the only flowers I couldn't kill.

The bonus of marigolds is if you grow them organically the blooms are supposedly good in salads.

I have been wondering if mint and chives would be good to put there since they seem to thrive (and sometimes take over) no matter what the conditions of the soil.

We've never had trouble with chives taking over. Ours stay very contained. Mint on the other hand...it suffocated our tarragon (actually, a good thing), then we had to dig for years to get rid of the mint. Is it shade or sun? That determines the plants. As for soil & high water table, try top soil mixed with sand (helps with drainage), and hardwood mulch on top (conserves the moisture & helps keeps buggies' access down). May not immediately help with the bugs, but the soil & plants will enjoy it.

Amazing what survives the drought here (I water about once a week, and then only portions of the garden). While most things are burning to a crisp, the hibiscus, tomatoes, swiss chard (picking has started in earnest this week) and green beans have never seemed happier. The ferns -- well, I tell Mrs. ChiO that they are ancient forms and that they will return next year.

Thank you for the suggestions, I love begonias of all kinds and have had nasturtiums in salads but never marigolds! I have lived places where mint took over the herb patch. I think I might try some more basil and chives. I love tarragon, but haven't had much luck growing it in the ground.

The area is mostly shady, and in front of it are some thriving hostas, which don't seem to mind the lack of water this year, which I planted two years ago after adding a nice, thick layer of sand, topsoil, compost and peat-moss, but the wasteland behind them is still moist, despite the lack of rain and is choked with tall weeds.

I am tempted to plant bamboo in their containers back there to prevent overrunning native plants, I will probably try some if I can find any affordable ones in my area.

If bamboo is as I imagine it is (at least as it is farther south in the DC area), then invest in a nice machete as well.

Our hostas in shade are doing well. Where it's part shade, burning up. Another ancient form (sez I).

Okay, I'll rethink the bamboo. Maybe Arbor Vitae is the way to go. That stuff grows anywhere around here.

Moira,

Trust me on this one, only grow mint in a contained pot. Otherwise, you will be pulling mint out everything for years to come. MrCutter planted some mint years ago and we were still pulling it out up until we moved.

I would bet the mint is still there even if we aren't!

Lynn, did you see my question a few posts back about the Turtle procreation?

Knitty,

They have very long gestation periods and only lay eggs once a year (usually at this time of year). The eggs are in good shape and haven't started collapsing in on themselves so, so far, so good.

Time will tell.

And there may be another clutch, but MrC hasn't had time to find them. Maybe this weekend.

Moira,I suggest marigolds (for the bugs) and Mexican petunias for aesthetics. I don't know what you call them where you come from, but they grow to about 5' high, and have little purple flowers all up and down the stalks. They thrive and "they abide," just like Lillian Gish would want them to.

Great turtle news, Lynn!

thanks! Hope you have lots of babies to chase.

Moira, maybe an Aruncus dioicus aka Goatsbeard. We had great success with ours in shade (may be a bit slow to grow if you have heavy shade). Spectacular as a specimen, but can be planted in a grouping if there is sufficient space -- at maturity, ours was about 4 feet wide and 4-5 feet tall.

Here is a photo of Mexican Petunias in my backyard with my trusty canine protector, Tody.

ChiO,
Goatbeard is a plant I've seen and liked, since it looks quite a bit like Astilbe. I will see if I can find it in my local nurseries.

Sadly, Christy, the lovely looking Mexican Petunia is regarded as an invasive species here in upstate NY and people have been asked to avoid planting it here since it forces native plants out (you should see how Purple Loose Strife has pushed out the native Cattails from every wet land). I think I will look around for Masterwort, a lovely purple flower with attractive leaves that is a shade plant that can grow up to 3 feet tall and 12-24 inches wide in this zone. It looks as though it might respond to the moist soil in the area near the fence. It is said to be hardy and the height of the plant would be desirable in that spot. I'll be visiting the Cornell Plantations in Ithaca soon where they have this plant and more. This is a civic garden where the renowned Cornell Ag school shows how plants can be used in a variety of settings.


I hope you'll keep posting about your own experiences as gardeners and ideas for different plants.

How beautiful, Moira!

I now know that "down here" we call it "Mexican Petunias", and "up there" you call it "Purple Loose Strife," which is the correct gardening moniker. Such regionalisms abound! It does need to be cut back from time to time, but it hasn't proven to be as much of a nuisance as say, kudzu, or hydrilla. We also have a new plant species threatening our Wetlands now, but I can't recall the name.

It has been invading the protected Big Thicket area about a two hour's drive from here.