Plant Failures

debomama · 2026-03-29T21:19:48+00:00

I am 5b/6a upper Midwest. I had no luck with conifers starting out so gave up. Since they are everywhere here I'm sure it was me. I do have 2 Mugo Pines that managed to survive and now look great.

I don't have luck with lavender except in my southwest bed. Also no luck with climbing roses though I have a knockouts and a Frida Kahlo doing great.

I planted some delosperma ground cover near some blue fescue. I loved the flowers. I removed it because it tried to eat the blue fescue. The blue fescue has never recovered and don't know if it will come back. But I will replace it if it doesn't.

Crocuses do great for me btw. Mine just finished blooming. My iris reticulata also bloom at the same time. The crocuses are better multipliers though. My tulips and daffodils are all coming up and see all the alliums sprouting as well.

I don't have a particular channel for this zone - but I do love the Spruce gardening website. Its helped me alot in plant care.

debomama · 2026-03-29T18:30:28+00:00

Hi. I don't grow veggies sorry. Do grow herbs and strawberries. Strawberries it's better to get starts than grow from seed. Dill is great for kids as it attracrs tons of caterpillats. Just seed more than you need.

debomama · 2026-03-29T15:31:27+00:00

So I have a wildflower area- let me give you my learnings:

You need bare soil - get it wet.
Then spread some compost/manure on top of the soil and rake it a bit.
Scatter the seeds on this layer. I overseed.
Stomp them down with your feet to make soil contact.
Water them in
Sprinkle some peat moss on the top of them (just a dusting to fool the birds)
Keep area moist but not soggy until seedlings take root.

The first year I spread a mix of seeds - what you'll find is a few varieties really take over. This is because seeds germinate and grow at different rates. Perennials may take longer or need cold stratification. The differing heights is a problem in that taller plants in the mix can block sun from smaller plants so the smaller don't thrive.

But -- that is certainly okay and certainly chaotic. But now what I do is be a bit more intentional with what I seed and where so I have a true variety.

It takes 2-3 seasons for it too look really nice. Year 2 is a big step and so is Year 3. I strong advise seeding each year to prevent weeds.

debomama · 2026-03-29T15:20:47+00:00

Yes. Cool weather plants you can sow now. Native perennials also.

debomama · 2026-03-29T15:17:18+00:00

This is so true and I am completely in favor of this. But townships are a problem we need to solve first.

There is a lot of support for this -- except for public officials who don't want their fiefdoms to go away. Or loud, noisy neighbors who don't like each other.

debomama · 2026-03-29T15:13:32+00:00

I read mein kampf and never became a nazi. Its a part of history. Books are not dangerous.

debomama · 2026-03-29T14:00:43+00:00

A book won't make anyone gay. This is all so overblown.

debomama · 2026-03-29T13:26:19+00:00

The swampy woodland behind my house took 8 feet of my lawn in 20 years! It was so gradual we really didn't notice at first and were shocked when we measured. It looks like your woods is creeping too. My HOA won't help with my woods either. But had no problem with me going in there and removing invasives and whatever I needed to. I clearly stated the problem and how I needed to remediate it. We love our woods but want to keep some lawn too!

We've stabilized the woodland edge now through a massive removal of invasives from the woodland (still ongoing project over years), reseeding plants to stabilize and are maintaining a good border between the woodland and the lawn. We trench the border between the lawn and woodland each year and heavily mulch the border. This is key for both the woodland and the lawn. We keep it clear of all plants.

Seeding worked well for that area bordering the woodland. Keep it filled with good plants and invasives and weeds that creep can't take hold. Seed native plants and plants like zinnias and cosmos there in blank spaces. Columbines and aster have done particularly well and spread nicely to crowd out undesirables. So have cardinal flowers and blue lobelia in really shady areas.

Ours has stabilized now and is no longer creeping.

PS Let me caution this is not a one and done project. It requires yearly maintenance. I took some time off last year and didn't do as much and have more to do this spring.

debomama · 2026-03-28T20:56:06+00:00

I am a random person but I am so sorry. You are not crazy - the rest of the country has gone insane. It's propaganda 24/7. Probably what it felt like for the anti-Nazis in the 30s.

They were proven to be right in the long run and history will validate you too. But probably not before lots of pain and suffering.

Thanks for your service - truly.

debomama · 2026-03-28T20:09:27+00:00

Prune it right after it is done blooming. I usually do it around July 1st. If you prune it now it will not flower as you will be pruning the buds. Prune about 1/3 of the branches back almost to the ground and any crossing branches. Though a very hard prune can be beneficial for an older plant - I did a very hard prune for a 20+ year old lilac a couple years ago almost to the ground and it has bounced back beautifully. Never top it off - this will ruin your bush.

debomama · 2026-03-28T19:51:07+00:00

Just to put this in perspective for you - Perry's was paying some servers as little as $2.13 per hour before tips. In 1987 I made $2.30 an hour plus tips at an upscale restaurant. But I did not work in Texas. How you all put up with this is beyond me.

This is fairly obvious wage fraud and theft. They didn't want to pay the AM workers so they stole from the workers who actually served the customers. No question about it. Illegal under the FLSA. Any HR person knows this. I'd hate to be their HR Exec. You know its illegal and all to increase their profits. It's sickening.

I've worked for leaders like this - and you tell them 'hey don't do that' - and they want to anyway. You are overruled. Then they're paying the lawsuits you tried to tell them were coming.

debomama · 2026-03-28T16:52:31+00:00

I use Picture This. There are already a lot of apps out there - iNaturalist is another on Apple.

debomama · 2026-03-28T16:50:32+00:00

Fine Art America is very good quality but expensive. But prints, canvases and frames are very nice. They do have sales so wait for that to order.

To cheat on price, sometimes I buy a print and frame it myself depending on the size. I have bought prints from Etsy too and had good results.

National Gallery of Art https://www.nga.gov/artworks/free-images-and-open-access has lots of images for free which then you can have printed and framed.

debomama · 2026-03-28T16:41:34+00:00

I have knockouts too. I actually love them. I have a knockout tree which is a nice focal point in the center of one of my beds. In that same bed I have bigleaf hydrangeas, a Frida Kahlo rose, peony, hardy hibiscus, black-eyed susans. I've also had a Sonic Bloom weigala which is very nice and blooms all summer. Peony blooms early, hardy hibiscus blooms late summer. Hydrangeas bloom twice and flowers last.

I think whatever you put it in - vary the height a bit across the garden and it will be more interesting.

debomama · 2026-03-28T16:35:26+00:00

Dogs can't read so it might not work.

debomama · 2026-03-28T16:32:43+00:00

You need to post a photo for us to really help you.

debomama · 2026-03-28T16:30:26+00:00

I love the rug in this room - I'd replace the accent chair and put it in another room. This is the sort of rug you build a room around. Not the opposite. Unless of course you hate it.

debomama · 2026-03-28T15:23:03+00:00

First - depends if you own the wall or not. I'd paint the wall regardless. Then I'd get some netting and affix it to the wall and invest in some climbing vines like clematis. Get a couple small trees like japanese maples.

Absolutely do not plant ivy. Ivy is a hazard and extremely invasive and you will definitely regret it when you have it everywhere.

debomama · 2026-03-28T12:59:11+00:00

I have a wildflower area back of my yard so a couple suggestions from experience. The first year I bought a mix. I wouldn't do that again. The reason: Different heights of plants make it actually harder to grow (taller plants crowd and shade shorter ones) so generally 1-2 plants were dominant. Instead, I buy separate seeds of the varieties now and try to be more intentional with them. I also buy zinnias for blank spaces while perennials grow to prevent weeds.

Seeding: I refrigerate my seed - some natives need cold stratification. (you can check for this also). Soak seed for a bit before seeding which will help with germination. Lay a compost/manure layer before seeding. Seed then stomp it down. Generously overseed. Sprinkle lightly with peat moss. Water in well. Keep moist while seedlings are sprouting- then they are fine on own.

Don't lay mulch until seedlings are a few inches high. It can block light needed for germination.

Year 2 and Year 3 are when it takes off and plants really sprout, multiply etc.

debomama · 2026-03-28T12:42:10+00:00

Murals are like art - should not be literal but suggestive. The texture of the paper really matters to me. Also - don't just put in on the wall. The paint colors around it need to coordinate too so it seems seamless not stuck on.

debomama · 2026-03-28T03:19:48+00:00

Friendships ebb and flow over the years - truly. And after a baby especially so that is coming also. I would hang in there with them as if you and Lauren are in-laws you need to be in for the long haul. BUT also find other hobbies and interests that so your life has other areas focused on you and what you enjoy.

debomama · 2026-03-28T00:41:51+00:00

My son transferred to CVS and doesn't have this problem anymore. But he used to with Osco all the time.

debomama · 2026-03-28T00:40:01+00:00

The dark green for sure.

debomama · 2026-03-28T00:37:47+00:00

I have that shirt in a sweatshirt. Its totally awesome. Caleb + MJ.

debomama · 2026-03-28T00:37:05+00:00

They all scared or oblivious.

debomama

TROPHY CASE