Welcome to the Down to Earth Gardening and Design RU-vid channel! Our goal is to build a fun and loving community centered around the education and love for all things gardening!
Hi there! Thank you for your nice comment and feedback! We are always working on our audio and trying to improve it. It’s tough when you are recording outside! Happy Gardening! 🌸
I just planted lemongrass (proven winners lemony snicket) around our deck. It's a pretty grass, nice foliage and a great light lemon scent. As you brush by it, it releases more of the lemon scent. much more pleasant way to deter bugs!
I just moved into a new home in zone 7a. There are several hydrangeas in the existing landscape with great blue blooms. But there is one large hydrangea near the back deck with excellent foliage and no blooms. I’m hoping it’s a sun/shade issue. I plan on moving it to a better location in September rather than toss it. I’ll give it a chance despite this being the best year for hydrangeas in a long while.
Thank you for a great video. I just bought one tonight and I am so excited to find the perfect spot in my garden. Would you say it requires full sun? I am transitioning to a cottage garden and this will be perfect. Can it be divided or should I collect seeds to get more of this plant? Have a great day!
Hi there and thank you for your question! This perennial does best in full sun- a minimum of 6 hours per day. I purchased these as nursery plants. Although I have not tried propagating them (yet 😊), they can be propagated both by seed and dividing.
The tags may say zones 3-7 but I have been growing in zone 8b and my best luck seems to be with the blue ones with white eyes. I have some that have been in 22 inch containers for 8 years. I refresh the soil every other year and have permanent plant stakes. Other issues is slugs which I have to put slug bait down on a regular schedule throughout the growing season.
Thank you for sharing this new variety of delphiniums. I will look for them. I have the tall ones and they do require staking but they are oh so worth it. I also have found that they come back if I do not cut back anything and do clean up in the spring rather than fall. I will take a brown leaf off if it looks dead and messy but all in all I let my entire garden die down in winter for the pollinators. I also found that Guara comes back too and it used to die off and not return. I do not cut the dead foliage in fall until spring shoots start appearing. New subscriber, thank you for the video ~ happy gardening from Ontario Canada zone 6.
Thank you for watching and your comment! They are so worth it! I’ve always planted them as annuals, and I’m so happy to share a variety that has truly been perennial.
No disrespect but this video became a bit sexual at 06:40 with the flower location and the gestures. Anyway, I like using coffee grounds in the soil around the plants to get the more purple-bluish color for my flowers.
Do you have a video on winter care? I’m in 7b and keep mine in the ground and have heard to leave the foliage or it will affect next year’s blooms but after a while the greens get a bit worn but not sure of how much and when they can be cleaned up. Thanks
Hi There and thank you for your comment! I LOVE peonies and have more videos planned on this gorgeous flower! I will definitely put this on the list! Stay tuned 😊
I absolutely love planting the New England asters for my clients. I get the Purple Dome variety and it stays mounded and compact and looks almost like a mum! Great tips for maintaining the asters!
I noticed you didn’t talk about staking when you planted your dahlia tubers. Do you stake them after they start growing and what do you stake them with?
Amazing look in such a short time. 😍It is so helpful to study your plant placement in these types of beds. I am good with a long border, with tall in back, mid size in middle, small in front, but need practice with my rounded and oval areas to stagger heights so the views are pleasing from all sides of the non-linear beds. Thanks for the expert inspiration! Go Lisa Go! 🌷🌼🪴🤸♀💯Now, out to move some plants around to better positions. LOL
I have a 3 year old Kousa that is thriving and producing flowers but looks more like a bush than a tree. Should I take off the lower branches to expose the trunk?
Hi There! Great question!! Without seeing it and hearing your description- it sounds like you have a multi stem dogwood. They are wonderful, and the shape is much desired (speaking for myself…as I recently tried to find some for my yard! 😆) It really depends on your preference, but it may be a little work to “train” it at this point. Personally- I like to let plants do their thing…and the less work the better! 😊🌸
Great info, especially the tip of turning long shears upside down! I think that tip will much improve my topiary efforts! If I have already missed the "chop" window, as our heat climate in NoCalif makes us about 1-2 months ahead of you, should I still reduce my asters by 1/3-1/2 after my first flush of blooms? Or, wait to do the whole "chop" properly, with the correct timing next year? Thanks for all you post on your channel, I look forward to your content! Your gardens and projects are real life and attainable, rather than some channels that are out of scale with what I have and a real gardener's budget!!
Thank you so much! We so appreciate your feedback!! At this point in the year, it may be wise to just deadhead the spent blooms to encourage more flowers. This video is addressing how to control the height- and I would recommend waiting until next years “window”. It’s so wonderful to hear your feedback, keep us posted! 🌸
Oh no!! I always recommend 1/3 to 1/2 of the overall height. If the Rose hasn’t been pruned in a long time, then get it back to the desired height gradually (start with just 1/3 or less and keep on it each year). We also don’t prune them until they are at least a year or two old- just deadheading. Good luck and thank you for watching!
Lisa, do you have luck dividing echinacea ? I have some that are getting way taller and wider than their tags said they would be. (the high heat here in Chico CA 100+ must make them happy). For instance, I had to move all my 'Magnus' ,that I grew from seed, to the back of the borders, because they have reached 4 1/2 feet tall in their 3rd year!
Just discovered your channel and now I’m a subscriber. I planted a perennial two years ago, and it didn’t start growing well until now. I forgot what I planted so my Dad and friend had to tell me as they are experts at gardens and lawns. They said it’s a peony. 😊 I can’t wait until it blossoms!!
Hi there and thanks for watching! I purchased nursery plants and planted these quite a while ago. They have been very reliable perennials in our zone (6b) and put on a ton of growth every year!
Nice collection! I’m a big fan of Itohs. I just added a fern leaf peony to my collection this year…bit of an odd looking plant, but I had to get the whole range ha
Hi! Thank you for the information. I’m going to try castor oil first as I really don’t want to add poisons into the ecosystem (if a hawk/cat/owl/etc would eat a poisoned vole…😢). Can I ask what the purpose of the soap is? I would think it would break down the oil (since that’s what dish soap is supposed to do). But I also know once heard that dish soap is used for other gardening applications too. Again, thank you!!
Hi There and thank you for watching! The dish soap helps emulsify the oil and water, allowing the repellent to be spread evenly. Dish soap is also a eco-friendly way to remedy soft bodies insects. Happy gardening!!
