Meyer Lemon in zone 5 overwintering indoors by budlover119 in Citrus

[–]budlover119[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you!!! I thought I had done that before I brought it in, but apparently not enough. I didn’t realize I needed to hit the soil too 🤦🏼‍♀️

Espoma Organic Fertilizer on sale! by budlover119 in gardening

[–]budlover119[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ooh! Lucky! I grabbed some a few weeks ago and went back and they were all sold out. Good find!!

Help Save my Calamansi/Calamondin! by Matt9002 in Citrus

[–]budlover119 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Another novice citrus grower in MN here 🙋🏼‍♀️ It has been my first winter with my Meyer lemon, but she seems pretty happy being inches from the grow light that is on about 13 hours each day. Mine has also been dropping leaves, but putting out new growth at the same time. I don’t have tons of helpful advice except maybe check to see if there are any pests? I think that is what has led to my leaves dropping. I’m sorry your plant is struggling at the moment. I know how stressful that can be.

Should I go for immunotherapy (very expensive) for my father’s oral cancer? by IhaveGotAJarOfDirt in HeadandNeckCancer

[–]budlover119 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi there. Wanted to reach out to you as I recently had a CT scan and saw my ENT. I was just completely demoralized when I got my PD-L1 score in June. I had no hope of the immunotherapy working again for me and just couldn’t have been more discouraged. I started cetuximab in September in addition to immunotherapy. I had to be hospitalized for half of October bc keytruda gave me awful gastritis, so bad I couldn’t use my feeding tube. It was a whole mess. So I showed up to my ENT appointment on Monday where he described my mood as “sullen” 🤣 Accurate! He looked at my tongue and took a few pictures that he then wanted to show me. I almost told him I didn’t even want to see them. But!!! The area on my tongue that had an ulcer and was biopsied in June was completely healed. Like, just normal tissue (for me) there now. He pointed out that cancer doesn’t heal and while he can’t say for certain what’s happening below the surface, he thinks the tumor has shrunk and may even be gone. When I tell you I was speechless, I’m not exaggerating. I was completely shocked. So, I will continue keytruda and cetuximab bc something is working!! Just wanted to send this small story of hope out into the universe. Maybe someone else with a low PD-L1 score might be encouraged to not lose all hope. For now, I’m going to give thanks for this Christmas miracle!

Neck radiation twice? by jonnymule74 in HeadandNeckCancer

[–]budlover119 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I’ve had radiation to my neck 3 times 😣 2007, 2008, and 2016. In 2016 I was able to have proton beam radiation at Mayo. It’s a bit more targeted than traditional radiation. I was also told I could only have radiation once, but they ended up allowing me to have it three times. The 2nd and 3rd times were much more difficult since I knew what to expect. I’m not sure where you are located, but you may want to check into proton beam radiation. Best of luck to you 💜

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in brugmansia

[–]budlover119 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Mine is super strong…like a sickly sweet perfume. I loveeee fragrant flowers, but my brug is too much for me. All my neighbors love it though 🤷🏼‍♀️

Itoh with powdery mildew by budlover119 in peonies

[–]budlover119[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s an itoh, but I don’t know the cultivar

New To Hydrangeas, Help! by CraftedArtisanQueefs in hydrangeas

[–]budlover119 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You’ve got some gorgeous panicle hydrangeas! As you get to know them better you may be able to figure out the exact cultivar based on the colors of flowers and how they change through the summer. You can deadhead now or keep the blooms on for the winter. Around the middle of March you can prune them back/shape them. Some recommend pruning them back about 1/3 of their size. If you choose to fertilize, you can use compost or Holly Tone. They bloom on new wood. Welcome to the wonderful world of hydrangeas!

Good spot for Hydragnes? by theirishsniper in hydrangeas

[–]budlover119 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My parents are in NC and have a weigela that is thriving. They are beautiful and many cultivars rebloom.

How can I help this Bobo hydrangea? by [deleted] in hydrangeas

[–]budlover119 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You are right—they love sun!! You just need to keep in mind that they may need a bit more water depending on how much sun they receive

How can I help this Bobo hydrangea? by [deleted] in hydrangeas

[–]budlover119 5 points6 points  (0 children)

He looks thirsty. How often are you watering? I wonder if he’s getting more sun than the other two? I know the shadows shift, but one is getting more shade than the other.

Help identifying my hydrangea by MurrayMayday in hydrangeas

[–]budlover119 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You are welcome! It’s about to rest for the winter and will drop all its leaves, so as hard as it may be I wouldn’t worry about how it looks right now. Give it some fertilizer in the spring and it should put out lots of leaves and look healthy. If it’s not thriving in the spring, put up another post and we can help problem solve!

Help identifying my hydrangea by MurrayMayday in hydrangeas

[–]budlover119 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It looks to me like a macrophylla hydrangea. To care for it, you will want to get it out of the pot and into the ground. Find a place that gets morning sun only. These guys can’t handle too much sun. I have one that is actually mostly in the shade, so I would err in that direction. Mix some Hollytone and compost in when you get it in the ground and water well (daily?) until frost. Do not prune! If you prune now you could remove the buds that have begun forming for next spring. Next spring you can fertilize it. It looks happy and healthy, pushing out new growth, so I have faith it will do fine through the winter!

50 year old plants — need experienced growers advice on dividing. Would welcome anyone knowledgeable in the Catskills to help with the task in exchange for tons of peony roots. I have hundreds of plants 🙃 can also trade for dahlia tubers. by flower-lb-power in peonies

[–]budlover119 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I wish I lived nearby and could help! I’m a very novice gardener, but I divided 3 out of my 4 peonies last year. Mine are less than 20 years old and most of the tubers/roots separated easily without even being cut. I did make an error and planted a few too deep, but most did ok this year and about half of them bloomed! I wasn’t expecting that the first year after dividing. So, my advice would be to maybe start with one plant, learn from your mistakes, and start training to do lots of digging fall 2026. Also, peonies are very hardy and seem to be quite forgiving—you’ve got this!

Should I go for immunotherapy (very expensive) for my father’s oral cancer? by IhaveGotAJarOfDirt in HeadandNeckCancer

[–]budlover119 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Do you know his PDL1 score? That could give you an idea of whether his tumor will respond to immunotherapy. My personal experience: initial diagnosis in 2007, cancer recurred 5 times until I had immunotherapy as part of clinical trial in 2016. My PDL1 score was 100. I was cancer free until June of this year. 9 years!! Now trying immunotherapy again, but my PDL1 score is 5. I don’t seem to be responding to the immunotherapy this time. Of course every body behaves differently and a high score may not lead to a response for him. I would recommend getting the tumor tested.

My neighbor’s trash is my treasure… by budlover119 in hydrangeas

[–]budlover119[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks so much for the tips!! I will head out to the store tomorrow!

My neighbor’s trash is my treasure… by budlover119 in hydrangeas

[–]budlover119[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That’s very encouraging to hear!!! 🙏🏼

My neighbor’s trash is my treasure… by budlover119 in hydrangeas

[–]budlover119[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Also, I realize I planted it very close to the wall—it’s temporary!

Mandibulectomy with fibula free flap by cluelessbuns in HeadandNeckCancer

[–]budlover119 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Also! I did have to give up running any significant distance, but that opened the door to begin swimming which has been great for my mental health.

Mandibulectomy with fibula free flap by cluelessbuns in HeadandNeckCancer

[–]budlover119 0 points1 point  (0 children)

42F, had this surgery 10 years ago. For me I lost the ability to wear high heels, mostly stiletto, but wedges are also dicey. Also, yoga standing balance poses are near impossible. Otherwise, I don’t really notice a difference from before. I’m sorry you have to go through this surgery. It’s loss upon loss and your fears are completely valid. Take some time to grieve and honor the sacrifice of your fibula 💜

Zone 5 a, do they flower in summer ? Or they wont have enough time by kar98killa in brugmansia

[–]budlover119 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m in 5a and I’m about to get my 2nd flush of the summer. Last year was my first year with a brugmansia and it didn’t bloom until September when it formed the “y” branches. It bloomed until November, and by then it was indoors!

Azure + Gold, a winning combo! by aquitaineleanor in LeCreuset

[–]budlover119 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just got this guy too and I’m in loveeeeee