RE: [gardeners] Applesauce/basil

Rosemary Carlson (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Sun, 5 Aug 2001 17:44:15 -0400 

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Hi Elizabeth! Glad to hear you're doing well. I thought the soil in
Lexington was bad. Jeez! The soil on top of this mountain in eastern KY is
solid clay. Amend it? You can't hardly amend it - it's like concrete! The
only real "bed" I have is along the entire front of my house where I use
alot of shade perennials mixed among rhodies and azaleas. What I've done is
put as much pine bark mulch as soil (or more) in the bed and in every hole I
dig. I also use a landscaping mix - it's called Barky Beaver and you can
only get it at Hillenmeyer's but it is WORTH it......if you can mix it with
the clay. I've successfully gotten the shade perennials to grow but I killed
an oakleaf hydrangea :( because I didn't amend the soil enough :(.  I've
also gotten a witch hazel, 2 pussywillows, all kinds of hydrangea (except
the oakleaf and that was my fault!), mountain laurel, redbud, etc. to grow.
I also have a Henryii clematis that is actually GROWING! Planted it this
spring -- thinking it would NOT make it due to the soil AND lack of sun but
it's doing well so far and has even had a couple of blooms. That's a
clematis you might try in your soil. Hydrangeas, BTW, LOVE the clay as they
can sit in water for as long as they like. :)

Deer are a huge problem here - actually, they aren't a problem as I feel
like this is their land that they are allowing me to live on! :) But, they
do play havoc with plants. I feed the deer at a feeding station some
distance from my house. That cuts down on damage somewhat. But, if I forget
to feed them one day.....well, I think they punish me by munching on my
plants. They DON'T like hydrangea or rhodies FWIW.

Thanks for the advice about pruning the wisteria. I hear they sometimes take
YEARS to bloom. This is the first year for mine and the vine has grown to
the roof!! Right up the downspout! I hope it will bloom in the spring but
realize it may be too soon.

Keep in touch!

Rosemary, zone 6a, on top of a mountain in Eastern KY........where it is not
NEARLY as hot as it used to feel in Lexington!
Freelance writer and columnist
www.patagon.com
www.bankrate.com

  -----Original Message-----
  From: owner-gardeners@globalgarden.com
[mailto:owner-gardeners@globalgarden.com]On Behalf Of Elizabeth
  Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2001 7:59 PM
  To: gardeners@globalgarden.com
  Subject: Re: [gardeners] Applesauce/basil


  Rosemary,

  Hi!  Re:  the best time to prune wisteria--we did it right after it
flowered so we wouldn't accidently cut off the next year's blooms.

  How are you coping with your lovely Eastern KY clay?  Are you amending
your planting beds, amending planting holes, using raised beds?

  We used to have wonderful soil in Georgetown.  We're finally building our
new house on 10 acres of some of the worst soil in the area.  We've planted
a lot of trees directly in the "soil" (does it even deserve that term?) and
just added a little pink bark mulch in the hole for aeration.  I'm thinking
raised beds will be the way to go for my perennials and annuals.

  Have you found any plants that do particularly well for you in your
location, now that you've been there for a while?

  Great to hear from you!

  Elizabeth
  tiarella@bellsouth.net
  Zone 6, KY


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Hi=20 Elizabeth! Glad to hear you're doing well. I thought the soil in = Lexington was=20 bad. Jeez! The soil on top of this mountain in eastern KY is solid clay. = Amend=20 it? You can't hardly amend it - it's like concrete! The only real "bed" = I have=20 is along the entire front of my house where I use alot of shade = perennials mixed=20 among rhodies and azaleas. What I've done is put as much pine bark mulch = as soil=20 (or more) in the bed and in every hole I dig. I also use a landscaping = mix -=20 it's called Barky Beaver and you can only get it at Hillenmeyer's but it = is=20 WORTH it......if you can mix it with the clay. I've successfully gotten = the=20 shade perennials to grow but I killed an oakleaf hydrangea :( because I = didn't=20 amend the soil enough :(. I've also gotten a witch hazel, 2 = pussywillows, all=20 kinds of hydrangea (except the oakleaf and that was my fault!), mountain = laurel,=20 redbud, etc. to grow. I also have a Henryii clematis that is actually = GROWING!=20 Planted it this spring -- thinking it would NOT make it due to the soil = AND lack=20 of sun but it's doing well so far and has even had a couple of blooms. = That's a=20 clematis you might try in your soil. Hydrangeas, = BTW, LOVE the=20 clay as they can sit in water for as long as they like. = :)
 
Deer=20 are a huge problem here - actually, they aren't a problem as I feel like = this is=20 their land that they are allowing me to live on! :) But, they do play = havoc with=20 plants. I feed the deer at a feeding station some distance from my = house. That=20 cuts down on damage somewhat. But, if I forget to feed them one = day.....well, I=20 think they punish me by munching on my plants. They DON'T like hydrangea = or=20 rhodies FWIW.
 
Thanks=20 for the advice about pruning the wisteria. I hear they sometimes take = YEARS to=20 bloom. This is the first year for mine and the vine has grown to the = roof!!=20 Right up the downspout! I hope it will bloom in the spring but realize = it may be=20 too soon.
 
Keep=20 in touch!
 
Rosemary, zone 6a, on top of a mountain in = Eastern=20 KY........where it is not NEARLY as hot as it used to feel in Lexington! =
Freelance writer and = columnist
www.patagon.com
www.bankrate.com
=
 
-----Original Message-----
From:=20 owner-gardeners@globalgarden.com=20 [mailto:owner-gardeners@globalgarden.com]On Behalf Of=20 Elizabeth
Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2001 7:59 = PM
To:=20 gardeners@globalgarden.com
Subject: Re: [gardeners]=20 Applesauce/basil

Rosemary,
 
Hi!  Re:  the best time to = prune=20 wisteria--we did it right after it flowered so we wouldn't accidently = cut off=20 the next year's blooms.
 
How are you coping with your lovely = Eastern KY=20 clay?  Are you amending your planting beds, amending planting = holes,=20 using raised beds? 
 
We used to have wonderful soil in=20 Georgetown.  We're finally building our new house on 10 acres of = some of=20 the worst soil in the area.  We've planted a lot of trees = directly in the=20 "soil" (does it even deserve that term?) and just added a little pink = bark=20 mulch in the hole for aeration.  I'm thinking raised beds will be = the way=20 to go for my perennials and annuals.
 
Have you found any plants that do = particularly=20 well for you in your location, now that you've been there for a=20 while?
 
Great to hear from you!
 
Elizabeth
tiarella@bellsouth.net<= /DIV>
Zone 6, KY
 
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