Gardening Projects that we want to start...

[Shellyann36]

We have a very long list of projects that we want to start around our home. All of these projects pertain to gardening but we will have to wait until we get our taxes back before we can manage a few of them.

1.) Honey bees. This is the most important project.
2.) Add berry vines and fruit trees.
3.) Aquaphonics. I want to grow tilapia and use the water for plants.
4.) Ducks and chickens (their waste produces great fertilizer).

Do any of you have any projects that are on the back burner but on your mind?

 

[claudine]

I really, really want to plant strawberries in my garden - the more, the better, since I find the fruits so delicious.
Unfortunately, there are so many mosquitoes there, that for now, I prefer to hide at home I focus on my miniature roses that I grow indoors.

 

[veg11]

I also want to grow strawberries! But it seems like it would take so long

 

[TheCrazyPlantLady]

I need to relocate some plants - some things have spread more than expected, some less, and others I just don't like where I put them. I don't want to wait for autumn, but right now it is way too hot.

But yeah, strawberries! And blueberries.

I tried growing alpine strawberries from seed this winter, but I killed every last seedling.

 

[Marie]

I'm thinking honey bees too: for honey and to help pollinate my fruit trees, as I've had a bit of trouble this year.

Strawberries are a great idea; if you want them quicker, buy plug-plants rather than seeds, or ask someone you know who grows them to save you a couple of runners. (I'm sure someone down the local allotment/community garden would be happy to help. These gardeners are a friendly bunch.

You'll have fruits within a season or two, and your own plants will begin to shoot runners until you'll end up with hundreds of strawberries and hardly any space for other things! They're very prolific if you give them half a chance, and don't take a lot of care once they're planted.

 

[Patsy]

I grow strawberries and highly recommend it. It doesn't take long to get started. I advise buying just one or two plants of several different varieties and keeping them separate so you can see which do best for you and which you like best. Then root runners of your favourites. You'll soon have a bed full of them.

I'd like to have a pond. There's not room for a proper one, so I'm considering something like a half barrel.

 

[ACSAPA]

In addition to wanting to move to a new apartment, I want to replant my container plants into bigger, more decorative containers. And I want to buy more herb plants and hang up some Japanese wind chimes. My patio chairs could also use some colorful cushions.

 

[Shellyann36]

I really, really want to plant strawberries in my garden - the more, the better, since I find the fruits so delicious.
Unfortunately, there are so many mosquitoes there, that for now, I prefer to hide at home I focus on my miniature roses that I grow indoors.

Strawberries sound like a winner to me. I would like to plant some as well. Mosquitoes are bad here too. They almost carry you away. We have had so much rain this year that they are double in number.

I also want to grow strawberries! But it seems like it would take so long

Strawberries seem to be the plant of choice this year. I love strawberries. We need to look into them too.

I need to relocate some plants - some things have spread more than expected, some less, and others I just don't like where I put them. I don't want to wait for autumn, but right now it is way too hot.

But yeah, strawberries! And blueberries.

I tried growing alpine strawberries from seed this winter, but I killed every last seedling.

We are having such a mild summer here in NC. We have had so much rain and flooding. Our garden was on the back burner this year. All we have are some tomato plants and a few other veggies that are in containers and really need to be put in the garden but it is soaked still. I really want more blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and grape vines this fall. I have never tired growing strawberries from seeds. What happened with yours? Do you know why they died? Good luck with getting your plants transferred. That is a job that I don't envy.

 

[Shellyann36]

I'm thinking honey bees too: for honey and to help pollinate my fruit trees, as I've had a bit of trouble this year.

Strawberries are a great idea; if you want them quicker, buy plug-plants rather than seeds, or ask someone you know who grows them to save you a couple of runners. (I'm sure someone down the local allotment/community garden would be happy to help. These gardeners are a friendly bunch.

You'll have fruits within a season or two, and your own plants will begin to shoot runners until you'll end up with hundreds of strawberries and hardly any space for other things! They're very prolific if you give them half a chance, and don't take a lot of care once they're planted.

Yes honey bees are up at the top of the list for us. I am saving up my amazon points to buy books pertaining to honey bees and keeping them. I hope that when tax time rolls around hubby will still be agreeable.

Do you have strawberries?

I grow strawberries and highly recommend it. It doesn't take long to get started. I advise buying just one or two plants of several different varieties and keeping them separate so you can see which do best for you and which you like best. Then root runners of your favourites. You'll soon have a bed full of them.

I'd like to have a pond. There's not room for a proper one, so I'm considering something like a half barrel.

I love small yard ponds. I bet yours will be wonderful.

In addition to wanting to move to a new apartment, I want to replant my container plants into bigger, more decorative containers. And I want to buy more herb plants and hang up some Japanese wind chimes. My patio chairs could also use some colorful cushions.

I gardened in container plants for years before we moved to a larger place. Some of my most productive gardens have been when I planted in containers. I think the key is keeping them well fed and moist. I have never seen Japanese wind chimes. I will have to do a search for them online. We need a totally new patio set.

 

[TheCrazyPlantLady]

Shellyann - I think I didn't have enough light for some of my seedlings - I had so many seedlings on the go I ran out of space. And they were sharing the cats' favorite window, so they got sat on a couple of times. I plan to build some proper shelving with grow lights for my seedlings this winter.

 

[Marie]

Hii Shellyann,

Yes, I do grow strawberries. What started off as a gift of 2 strawberry plants from my mother (She's not too good with gardening.., she bought the plants from some market, they were on the verge of death when she gave them to me to try to resurrect. She'd left them in the dark in the laundry-room with no water for about 2 months, and had gone on holiday!)

This was about 4-5 years ago, and since I planted them out into the ground, they've gone wild! I get a few runners each year and pot these on. I now have an entire patch dedicated to strawberries, and in the height of summer, I get a punnet of strawberries to eat every couple of days.
I recommend composting your strawberry plants after their third or fourth year, and continuing with the runners that have sprouted from them. After the fourth year of growth, the amount a plant produces drops off considerably, so rather than fight it, it's easier to just scrap them, and have fresh plants.


When we moved in, the garden seemed to have been completely taken over by alpine strawberries (wild). We had to cut lots back as there was literally no space to have a garden.. You just had to trample all over them just to get anywhere. We still have a space for them, just not as much, so we often get wild strawberries too - They're much smaller in size, but a lot sweeter!

 

[ChanellG]

We have a very long list of projects that we want to start...

3.) Aquaphonics. I want to grow tilapia and use the water for plants.

Do any of you have any projects that are on the back burner but on your mind?

Not sure where you live, but be very careful with those tilapia. If they get into your local waters they will wipe out all the other fish. You'd be better off with goldfish, koi, or even mosquito fish.

My "want to" list is so long, it will never all materialize. Like you, I'd love to have bees, but it just isn't practical where I live. In truth, I have more than enough to manage with what I already have going on.

 

[ChanellG]

Yes honey bees are up at the top of the list for us. I am saving up my amazon points to buy books pertaining to honey bees and keeping them. I hope that when tax time rolls around hubby will still be agreeable.

Why wait? There is plenty information available online about beekeeping to get you informed and ready to begin with your own hives. Are you a Pinterest user?

It only took me a few seconds to find these:

http://pakagri.blogspot.com/2010/01/beekeeping-tips-for-beginners.html

http://www.organic-gardening-and-homesteading.com/honey-bee-beekeeping.html


For those who want to help the bee/pollinator population without the work of raising honeybees:

http://www.parentmap.com/article/keeping-mason-bees-10-expert-tips-for-families

 

[Shellyann36]

Shellyann - I think I didn't have enough light for some of my seedlings - I had so many seedlings on the go I ran out of space. And they were sharing the cats' favorite window, so they got sat on a couple of times. I plan to build some proper shelving with grow lights for my seedlings this winter.

Running out of space is so easy to do. I hope you get everything arranged and it all works out for you this winter.

Hii Shellyann,

Yes, I do grow strawberries. What started off as a gift of 2 strawberry plants from my mother (She's not too good with gardening.., she bought the plants from some market, they were on the verge of death when she gave them to me to try to resurrect. She'd left them in the dark in the laundry-room with no water for about 2 months, and had gone on holiday!)

This was about 4-5 years ago, and since I planted them out into the ground, they've gone wild! I get a few runners each year and pot these on. I now have an entire patch dedicated to strawberries, and in the height of summer, I get a punnet of strawberries to eat every couple of days.
I recommend composting your strawberry plants after their third or fourth year, and continuing with the runners that have sprouted from them. After the fourth year of growth, the amount a plant produces drops off considerably, so rather than fight it, it's easier to just scrap them, and have fresh plants.


When we moved in, the garden seemed to have been completely taken over by alpine strawberries (wild). We had to cut lots back as there was literally no space to have a garden.. You just had to trample all over them just to get anywhere. We still have a space for them, just not as much, so we often get wild strawberries too - They're much smaller in size, but a lot sweeter!

Wow sounds like you have plenty of strawberry experience. I hope all here heeds your advice!

Not sure where you live, but be very careful with those tilapia. If they get into your local waters they will wipe out all the other fish. You'd be better off with goldfish, koi, or even mosquito fish.

My "want to" list is so long, it will never all materialize. Like you, I'd love to have bees, but it just isn't practical where I live. In truth, I have more than enough to manage with what I already have going on.

I am not sure that the tilapia will actually happen. I really have to convince hubby about this one. We would have them in a tank and no contact with the outside. Striclty for personal consumption. Thanks for giving me the heads up on them killing off the other fish.

Why wait? There is plenty information available online about beekeeping to get you informed and ready to begin with your own hives. Are you a Pinterest user?

It only took me a few seconds to find these:

http://pakagri.blogspot.com/2010/01/beekeeping-tips-for-beginners.html

http://www.organic-gardening-and-homesteading.com/honey-bee-beekeeping.html


For those who want to help the bee/pollinator population without the work of raising honeybees:

http://www.parentmap.com/article/keeping-mason-bees-10-expert-tips-for-families

I have several things downloaded already but there is one particular book I want on Amazon. Thanks for the links. I always love to add to my arsenal of information!

Even if you can't get bees I do hope that you get a few of the things that you want on your list.

 

[ChanellG]

Hii Shellyann,

Yes, I do grow strawberries. What started off as a gift of 2 strawberry plants from my mother (She's not too good with gardening.., she bought the plants from some market, they were on the verge of death when she gave them to me to try to resurrect. She'd left them in the dark in the laundry-room with no water for about 2 months, and had gone on holiday!)

Marie, care to join the strawberry discussion? https://www.gardening-forums.com/threads/first-strawberry-flowers.1124/page-2

My pretty plant is suddenly not doing so well. I think it's getting too much water. If your mom's plants survived that kind of neglect surely there is hope for mine?