Almost choked on my smoothie when Aaron made that Thanos comment and then Lauras reaction. You two are like a comedy due sometimes. 😂 Absolutely made my day. ❤
I went to a presentation by a local worm farm. They said that worm castings are very good for deterring spider mites. You spread them under your boxwoods. They have a chemical called chitinase that repels them. The worm farmers had had particularly good luck with castings for spider mites!
Love Laura and Aaron! I agree with Aaron about the rusted arbor. It does not go with the style of the rest of your garden and property. Give it to your mother and enjoy it in your parents’ garden!😉
From my HVAC/electrician husband who gives people small heaters to use if their furnace is not repairable and a new not installed for a few days: Never turn a heater on HIGH. Set it at a lower temp and let it cycle on and off and it won't overheat as it would on High. And never use extension cords to run a heater. Love your Recap videos with both of you in them! You were my savior during the Covid shutdown and has now expanded my gardening efforts. I learn so much from your videos.
Special cat cushions or cuddle cups strategically placed in the greenhouse may keep Cheddar & Russel from bedding down on your plants. They're probably picking the warmest spots out of a draught & spots up higher, where they can see an ambush coming. It's easier to train cats by distracting with what they want rather than try to dissuade them from what you don't.
It is wonderful how you can see it from their point of view, and it changes everything. Loved how you understood the cat's behavior so intuitively, and thoughtfully. Thank you Michele🌷🌷🌷
I found having a round baby poof was perfect for my cat that if he slept in it he was in a deep curled up state. I also had a big flat pillow he would sleep on in warmer weather. The pillows would go outside when I was actively doing garden tasks and my orange Thomas would follow. No "special" pillow and Thomas would lay on my plants. It works.
Sorry Aaron, I’m with Laura on the arbor. It’s ok to have something in the garden that doesn’t “match”. I know Laura will find just the right spot and plants to make it perfect. If ever comes the day that you do part with it, give it to the parents so we can still see it in garden tours, I love that piece. And YES the rust is a lovely feature, I myself buy rusted pieces because of how much I love the look. 😊💜
In answer to Carol Keller's comment about Biotone - none of the nurseries in my area carry espoma products, except Home Depot, but only in the 8 lb bags, which can be expensive to purchase enough for my gardens. However, I've found that I can order it from Wallmart at competetive prices and shipping directly to my home is free.
This might be an unpopular comment but we love all the people that come in to your videos. The most fun videos to date have been with your mom, the ones where your friends helped at the college...Your sister and your brother tasting the nectarines... And the time when Ken made a feature (that was so creative). Have a great week ahead. Hope your spring is fantastic. I'm most excited about the orchard meadow. Even if it might take time to develop completely
Hi Laura and Aaron. Thanks for the great content you put out - yours is my ‘go to’ channel. The type of spring you are having, is like spring every year in England. It really does feel like summer will never come (and sometimes it doesn’t 😢).
I live near Laura and have the same feeling. Our problem is, we are forecasted to have a high of 44F(6C) tomorrow and next week, the forecast is for a high of 74F(33C). It can be cool, cool, cool and then, BAM! summer hits and fries everything. It can never be just a gradual warming up, so frustrating.
I was a little confused when you put your phlox seeds with the rest of them...in my experience, they need darkness to germinate. Last year I put some in my closet, and after a week, almost half were germinated, so for this year I'm going to use individual cells, that way I can pull them outside under the lights once they are out, and I can give the slow ones more time to wake up. If you still have phlox seeds, maybe you want to give it a try that way...(also caramel cherry phlox, from rare seeds, but I am zone 4a)....happy Sunday!
Thanks for your recaps and for helping others understand and learn from your show. It's fun to think of someone answering their friends that their garden pros are Laura and Aaron!
Hi Laura Your videos are so informative. I have learned so much watching your videos and really enjoy your weekly recaps when my weekly chores get in the way. Would you ever consider asking Paul and Bethany to sit in with you and Aaron?
Good morning, Laura and Aaron, from Windermere, Florida zone 9b 🇺🇸 Happy Palm Sunday 🌻🌞🌻 Very warm and sunny 🌞 here. Happy Gardening Everyone 👩🌾 ❤Peggy❤
Love the Rust Arbor. Even though one would say that it is falling apart I really don't think so. It is what gives it character. Also you would be surprised how it would fit into the gardens. With the structures that you are making and already have is Victorian. Even with the concrete structures that you think is the French vibe. They all are the Victorian decor. Anyways enjoy the rest of your day.
The giant arbor may find a home, if not then your mom may need it in her garden. It's probably built better than modern ones. A welding shop could repair it, be pricey, but still built better than modern ones.
The timing of your season is actually really helpful. It’s so much more similar to our Midwest zone five or six so I’m excited to see how you handle things like the tulips being green still when it’s time to plant annuals.
I wish we had stores that carried espomas full product line. Fleet Farm in my area is the only place I can find land and sea compost or espomas potting soil and seed starting mix. I'm currently waiting on a call back from them on incoming pallets. Ordering that online is so expensive. I can only find it for over 20 dollars per bag or the shipping is horrendous. Espoma, please be more widely available in the Midwest 🙏
My snake gourd bloomed either last night or this morning. They look so exquisite! The white frills look like the roots of a tree, or like some strange sea coral.
I agree 9:02 Hellebores can be very expensive. I also have a lot of tree roots and heavy clay soil, so planting large plants is an extra challenge. A few years ago, I found Pine Knot Farms in Clarksville, Virginia. They are about a 2 hour drive from me and only have 4-6 open house weekends each year, but they ship. The best thing is they have 6-packs of hellebores. The prices this spring for a 6-pack ranged from $15-$20. If you have patience, this is a great solution. The 12 I planted in September 2 years ago bloomed profusely this year. The other fun thing is I didn’t know exactly what I was getting, just what family they were in and if they were singles or doubles. For example, “Southern Belles Strain.”
I agree with Aaron about the rusted gate. Its seen better days. Besides ur kiddos could get cuts on it n nasty infections from the rust. Its not worth it
That’s so funny “cold long spring “. Spring just started 3/21/23. That’s only 12 days ago. We warmed up quite a bit in February then March got cold. I keep saying they were having an identity crisis this year. 😂😂😂 we are zone 6a.
I just watched a video after yours about the cherry caramel phlox and she froze them then germinated in a wet paper towel before planting. She made the comment about that color specifically.
You guys are so great to your sister to give her yard a garden answer/supply makeover. Is she the sister that watches your kiddos? You guys have such great family bonds it's inspiring for those of us who aren't so lucky. God bless!
Aaron. The big white arched gate, get over it, it's staying and will be placed somewhere on the property. You're wrong, it fits in perfectly with your landscape. What era do you think the Hartley belongs to? VICTORIAN! I have spoken, off my soapbox 🙂
We divide our hellebores and share with family and friends. They do great! The best time to do this is on a cool cloudy day after or during a nice rain, or wet the plants just prior to digging them to divide. I live in Zone 6a. Our springs are rainy, snowy and we cannot plant annuals safely untill May 11th to the 16th, Several times we had a hard frost in June.
According to our local garden center they don’t like to stock Bio-Tone because it has a shorter shelf life stability compared to the other Espoma products. They typically tell their customers to use Plant Tone for those who prefer the “tone” line of products.
Good morning Laura and Aaron. I had one of my best friends with me this weekend and what did we do...watched Garden Answer together every day such happiness! Hugs from N.C..❤️
We've been having the same issue with a cooler Spring here in SW Missouri. While one or two daffodils came out early, most are just now getting ready to bloom.
Good morning, love all your videos & hearing you & Aaron talking!! Could you use the grass frame for a small Ice rink for the kids...it would be so cute & easy to help them!!
I live in NJ, Espoma is in NJ & other than the little bags of holly tone, tomato gypsum it’s hard to find big bags of their products. And their compost is rarer then a hens tooth. And when you look on their website the garden centers listed only have the small bags of garden amendments. So when I see it, I buy it out.
We often have a hard time finding Bio-tone in our part of Virginia. The garden centers have all the other -tone types but Bio-tone is infrequently stocked.
I agree with Aaron on that arbor, the style just doesn’t work with what you have going on. Weird weather here in 7A too…60’s to 80* days & still some freezing overnight. Only brave enough to plant some pansies & violas so far!
Hi Laura and Aaron! I have to agree with Aaron on the arbor. While I really like it, it doesn't seem to be the right look for what is being done. I vote to give it to your Mom. Thanks for sharing!
I’m with Laura on the issue of that arbor/gate; I love the rusty look of it and with some work to make it structurally sound, it would look lovely in your current landscape instead of being left to rust on the ground! 😢 Maybe as an entrance to an enclosed children’s garden like you had last year? Would Samantha Grace enjoy something like that or is she still too young? How about Benjamin; is he still interested in gardening or does he just like digging and playing with his trucks now? You could do it yourself or get someone else to help with it. From what I heard Aaron say, I don’t believe he will be much help with that project no matter how much you love it. 😂
I’m with Aaron on the rusty arbor. It is a “look”in the right garden (maybe for a very old historic home and garden in Savannah or Charleston) but not yours. ☺️
Laura, I have a small 10x12 hoop house which I warm most of the time with a small heater. I have used it for about 10 years now. It will not hold it above freezing on nights where it drops into the low 20's or below. To supplement I use candles. I have 4 that are in candle stands. I drop candles in jars into them. And cover with inverted small clay pots. There is a little more involved to be sure they get air to burn etc. But suffice it to say the clay pots get warm and release a steady safe heat. On even colder nights, I have placed a large candle jar in the center of the space on a paver. I then stack clay pots inverted over it, lifted by a brick on either side for air flow. The pot sizes are a 12 to 14 inch, topped by a 10" wide pot, topped by a 6 " pot. It stacks to a little higher than my knee. And as they warm, itagain is like a gentle heater. A key to making all of the warm is to partially cover the pot drainage holes with clay, or shale Rock shards to trap the heat. The 4 candle stands and the one center stand have held it to about 10 degrees before. But once I have to deal with extended temps below 10 degrees, I have to add a camp stove that screws onto a tiny propane tank. I put it on pavers. Uncovered and turn it as low as it will burn and maintain a clean blue flame. This one will use up oxygen and would be unsafe to enter without adequate ventilation. There is lots more to say about these options of course, including it would not work around children or pets for obvious reasons. But te system works well for me. One person asked how to know the temps outside from inside. I have an inside outside remote thermostat which I am able to read from inside exactly the temps in the green house. It stays by my bed and if necessary, I set an alarm to wake me to read it at least once on extremely cold situations. I could tell you of a few harrowing 3 am nights of building more candle stands, and covering the greenhouse with blankets, when propane was not available...or spreading another layer of plastic over it...well enough of that. But for 99% of the time it's simple to light a few candles. Love starting my day with you guts. Have learned so much.
I have to buy most of my Espoma products on line. It’s more expensive to buy online but I think it is worth it and that includes the land and sea compost
FYI... if you have an Ace Hardware in town and they carry Espoma products, some of the stores will special order with free ship-to-store. Worth asking.
Thanks for talking about the DeWitt Pro. I take a lot of hate over it in gardening groups, but I have bindweed, creeping buttercup, blackberry and Japanese Knotweed to deal with. Without the DeWitt Pro, I couldn’t garden. I think people who are only familiar with big box store landscape fabric, don’t realize how different it is. It’s so sturdy, it allows water to penetrate and how long lasting it is. I feel like it’s a better alternative to weed killers, which for me, don’t work well. Bindweed is a beast. You might consider a video on it, and why the pro grade landscape fabrics are so different.
Our spring in central NC is opposite to yours. Everything is about three weeks early. We’ve had some short lived cold snaps and three days later we’re in the high 80s. The plants are so confused!
Someone probably mentioned this but Cherry Carmel Phlox requires darkness and cooler temperatures to germinate. I cover my tray with another tray and keep it in a cooler dark room. I started about 7 varieties of drummondii phlox including cherry Carmel and had great germination.
I had to stop the video at 25:55 to jump into the discussion about the arbor. I think it's beautiful. Yes, Aaron, it doesn't match the garden design overall, but it does bring in a sense of romantic whimsy. And besides, who said the garden has to be all "matchy-matchy"?
Use Spray and Forget! It’s amazing. Organic and gets rid of the ickiest stains over time. Reactivated every time it gets wet. I’ve used it on roofs, pavers, cement and siding.
I love watching you guys and have learned so much from you! If I won the gardeners supply $500 gift certificate I would buy the moon gate arbor, it would be so pretty with climbing roses and would make a nice entrance from my front yard to the back.
I chucked a bit when Aarron was talking about Tulips and Daffodils being done before annuals go out...that's the norm here in Zone 3b. We don't put annuals out til the first of June, often Daffodils and Tulips are blooming. I love that Arbor.. omg I would dir to get it....lol
I’m in NJ and retailers here don’t routinely stock Bio tone either. I’ve seen on a single shelf every other product in the Espoma line up but it. I typically ask the nursery manager to order me some. As for using any one on anything. The type specific ones DO though have additional constituents unique to the needs of that family ie they’re not all the same. So, I’m not sure I’d put Holly tone for instance on an alkaline loving plant.
Disinfecting pruners: I use Lysol disinfecting spray. (Learned this from Erin @TheImpatientGardener). I alternate between 2 pruners so one is disinfecting while I'm using the other. The spray is super easy to use on everything including pruning saws and loppers. It will cause some rusting on certain tools which means that I clean and oil them a couple times a season. I basic clean and sharpen my pruners weekly. (I garden 5 hours a day, 6 days a week so my tools get a real workout.)
I am with Aaron on the shabby chic arbor. Its a beautiful arbor in the right setting. It would make a great entrance to a cottage rose garden. But your garden look is leaning more to the black iron craftsman theme.
Good morning ☀️ (zone 7b here👋) thank you for the clarification pruning Hellebore. This was the first year I had pruned every leaf stem; in the past I had only cut out old, tired, and damaged leaves. Now, I know I can leave the good looking leaves. Yay. However, going forward, because I love how fresh and new the plants look, and how like a bouquet of flowers they present themselves, I think I will still cut back every 3rd year. Maybe, every 4th year because I can be lazy haha😉
I live in Denmark where it rains roughly 170 days a year with an annual precipitation of 30 inches. My bulbs always come back 🌷🙏💗 The few and far between very dry springtimes we sometimes have, the bulbs don't grow to be that tall. But they always pop up 🙌
Good Sunday morning. Love your content of videos. The good the bad or ugly! Lol. They never seem contrived or made up for content Just life as it is! Thank you.
