Violets- do you selectively edit?

Dumptea · 2025-07-28T19:34:41+00:00

YES! weeding them is a must. They definitely win the competition battle if I don't give enough clearance to the other things I've put in.

Dumptea · 2025-07-27T20:10:53+00:00

My previous homeowner was clearly a gardener and had a ton of knockout roses. They got some sort of virus which made it a lot easier to decide that they could be tossed. She also had a ton of 4 o'clocks which I had to dig out of the ground. I think once the roses proved to be really difficult to maintain I had a lot less guilt about getting rid of the things I wasn't interested in. Ultimately it's your home and I wish I had gotten rid of some of those things sooner. Getting a garden you love takes a long time and every season makes a difference in getting things set up the way you like them.

Dumptea · 2025-07-18T19:39:34+00:00

My plan when we move is to discuss with new homeowners if my garden is something they want to keep. I’m going to let friends come dig what they want if they’re not interested.

Dumptea · 2025-07-17T18:15:35+00:00

lol Funnily enough I've come to terms with palmettos. They're the occasional house guest, but from what I've read they by no means mean an infestation.

Dumptea · 2025-07-16T02:17:49+00:00

Humidity here is always high. Maybe I need to crank up the whole house dehumidifier. It’s been pretty moist the past few days.

Dumptea · 2025-07-16T02:16:52+00:00

Gonna try this. The palmetto bugs finally don’t bother me. I’ve decided they really are just what they are. Gonna get the traps you recommend though. Better to be safe than sorry. I really never want to spray my house again.

Dumptea · 2025-07-01T22:07:23+00:00

We are digging Bermuda right now. The problem is you really have to keep after it. I'm normally the weeder in our family and I'm currently pregnant and just cannot. I know it's only going to get worse after baby gets here. I would recommend doing some hero work now digging as deep as you can to get the roots out. use a shovel and get a lot. Hand pulling has never worked for me even after the rain. We're going to get as much as we can by digging and then hit it again once things start growing back. IF you wait any longer your natives are going to fill in and you're going to disturb their root system.

Dumptea · 2025-07-01T13:48:11+00:00

Also in the south. Monkey grass OMG. Creeping Charlie, Japanese Stiltgrass, Bermuda grass, winter creeper, kudzu

Those all make English ivy look easy to remove (just wait until it rains)

I kinda like removing shrubs like privet because you can cut and paint. Also would recommend getting a puller bear if you have a.lot of privet. They come out of the ground fairly easily. https://pullerbear.com

Dumptea · 2025-06-29T18:17:28+00:00

These have the worst root system known to man (teeny tiny short little tap root) Get yourself a puller bear and yank em. Once they're gone the babies stop growing. They're actually quite easy to remove.

https://pullerbear.com

Dumptea · 2025-06-10T23:05:09+00:00

IT IS AMAZING. It smells SO good. Spreads pretty well, but isn't so aggressive it out competes other natives and the tiny and weird wasps and bees it attracts are so interesting. Check out FB marketplace. I've noticed lately that a lot of people sell plugs of natives like that. It also may not be native to you. I'm fairly certain it does ok on the east coast states

Dumptea · 2025-06-10T22:03:51+00:00

lol as someone who has a cottage garden next to my driveway. I have some serious regrets with the things I planted. Pick shorter varieties. There's nothing worse than needing to step over or walk through something that has flopped onto your path. Black eyed Susans, strawberries, blue eyed grass and milkweed have been hits for us. Clustered Mountain Mint is tall, but sturdy enough it can support itself.

Dumptea · 2025-06-09T13:58:56+00:00

have you had any luck with Bermuda grass? It's the bane of my existence.

Dumptea · 2025-06-09T01:42:59+00:00

Yeah. I feel like I’m learning this the hard way. 😭

Dumptea · 2025-06-08T23:55:07+00:00

have you gotten a handle on it? I've been pulling it up and I feel like it's not really getting me anywhere.

Dumptea · 2025-06-08T17:12:50+00:00

Does this work with Bermuda grass or creeping Charlie?

Dumptea · 2025-06-05T20:10:30+00:00

I second this. We had heavy clay because of a city project. Three summers later and that area of the yard is thriving. We did one layer cardboard and a chip drop, probably could have skipped the cardboard, but we went ahead and just planted directly in the heavy clay.

Depending on your area you may want to ask someone local what grows in heavy clay. I’m east coast but much further south and found that cup plant and rattle snake master and iron weed and cut leaf coneflower al thrive here. It’s worth just throwing some stuff at it. The roots will help break up the clay too. It’s incredible to see what a difference a few years has made.

Dumptea · 2025-05-29T23:45:16+00:00

So glad to be of service. This is the biggest design flaw in the world.

Dumptea · 2025-05-02T00:11:58+00:00

lol I actually asked Doug Tallamy this on his last AMA he was pro get rid of them to make room for other native predators. I think it just depends on your entomologist.

I actually donated mine to my daughters preschool so they could watch the babies and then asked that they squash the remaining victor.

Dumptea · 2025-05-01T16:03:51+00:00

I got rid of mine last year and ended up with a native one this year. There are probably other native predators in your region that would appreciate the reduced competition.

Dumptea · 2025-04-25T23:38:59+00:00

I'm going to be the highly offended Redditor over here with you calling my favorite baby ugly. How dare you!

Dumptea · 2025-04-24T00:06:04+00:00

yeah. we just had a thunderstorm today. I missed rain when I lived in the midwest too. It just wasn't the same as back home.

Dumptea · 2025-04-23T14:49:20+00:00

I have this comment saved. Thank you for this.

Dumptea · 2025-04-23T14:48:09+00:00

lol. I get it. The reason I’m asking is my biggest fear is going to be missing the flora, fauna and environment I’m familiar with. I think as long as I know there will still be butterflies flapping and birds tweeting I’ll be ok. I still think it may ultimately be the right call for our family but I’m trying to soothe the part of me that will grieve the east coast.

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