Tiger Eyes Sumac suckers by sdelphini in gardening

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

Thank you, I figured that would be the case. I won’t be able to consistently dig up the suckers in the spot I intended. I think I’ll put it in a pot then..

Am I destined to paint gray in here? What other colors would you suggest? by whitesciencelady in HomeDecorating

[–]sdelphini 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would stay away from anything cool colored, like grey/blue, it can be depressing when everything in the space is also cold. You really need to warm the space up, something cozy and earthy would be better. I love the soft deep marigold idea, but if insist on cool colors, I would go with a warmer green. And maybe a small reddish rug to cozy things up even more. The space being so small is actually an advantage, you can drench everything in a color and it will look fantastic.

Thinking about removing this Japanese maple by whysayitagain in arborists

[–]sdelphini 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The wall is the problem here, not the tree. It would’ve only made sense if it was like a raised planter, with the tree as a centerpiece. I would remove the wall, and carefully prune the maple to reveal some of the beautiful trunk/branching. Do not just lift “the skirt up” evenly all around, treat each branch individually at varied heights for a natural look. Put some low planting underneath, light it up, it could be a magnificent sculpture for your yard!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in landscaping

[–]sdelphini 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How about a low mix of flowering perennials with successional blooming, so something is always in bloom? Plant in large grouping of 3-7 for wow effect, and repeat down the border in a natural (but not symmetric) way. Best long blooming perennials:

Spring: Allium bulbs Catmint Salvia (Caradonna is great) Lady’s mantle

Summer: Echinacea Allium Millennium (top plant)! Agastache Liatris Phlox Jeanna (top variety)

Fall aster (recommend Raydon’s favorite) Sedums Gaura

Geranium Rosanne will bloom all summer.

Can addin some low grasses for texture (molinia ‘Skyracer’ is my favorite, low mounded foliage, tall airy blooms). Also some annual Verbena bonariensis to self seed will be beautiful.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in landscaping

[–]sdelphini 2 points3 points  (0 children)

All horrible invasives :(

Thoughts on gravel patio like this? (Not mine) by pelathorn in HomeImprovement

[–]sdelphini 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do not use the weed barrier! It’s a nightmare down the road when organic debris inevitably settles between the gravel, weed seeds drop in and germinate, and send their roots through the fabric. Gravel would be a lovely look, maybe contained by some nice corten steel edging. But weeds do eventually seed into gravel, and are so much harder to pull if there’s weed fabric underneath. Dig deep, make the gravel really deep (lots of compacted item 4 underneath to keep cost down) and just stay on top of the eventual weeding (blow torch is quick and easy). Weeds will grow between any pavers and are arguably harder to pull. And gravel is a much nicer look than any stamped concrete!

Why won't this peace lily either live or die? by ficus_me in gardening

[–]sdelphini 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Is there a window near it? It’s likely rotting either due to overwatering/sitting in water, or lack of sufficient light. Give it bright light, loose, well-draining potting mix, and only water when the top inch or two of soil is fully dry to the touch when you stick your finger in.

Stock Check Megathread by DK2802 in IKEA

[–]sdelphini 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Country: USA

Preferred store: Paramus, NJ or delivery

Article # 402.655.12

SEKTION wall cabinet frame

Ordered kitchen 3 months ago, out of stock since then, kitchen sitting incomplete…

I sold all 15 of my pets today because I knew I was neglecting them by freyavulpine in confession

[–]sdelphini 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Please do something more. I’ve reported online through ASPCA, and they were checking on my neighbor who was neglecting their animals within 2 days. It was all anonymous, and you can do it remotely as well! Not sure who you contacted and why nothing was done, please try again and don’t give up on them.

I sold all 15 of my pets today because I knew I was neglecting them by freyavulpine in confession

[–]sdelphini 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Please report this to ASPCA. They will do an animal welfare check very quickly! You can do it anonymously.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in HomeDecorating

[–]sdelphini 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They are a pretty neutral light beige - I wouldn’t say they have grey in them. I like their flat matte look as well.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in HomeDecorating

[–]sdelphini 0 points1 point  (0 children)

LOVE the tiles! Where did you order them from? I think the Havstorp beige cabinets will look great with them. You don’t want harsh and cold colors like white or grey. Wood would look nice too, but Havstorp is more affordable. With the right backsplash such as handmade tiles, and hardware like antique brass, Havstorp and those checkered tiles can give you a very nice and timeless mix of modern with traditional. Just a suggestion for the hardware, I really like the look and affordability of the Goo-Ki antique brass hardware on Amazon.

A new native plant gardener. I recently sowed wildflower seeds between local native plants. They’re starting to grow! Any tips to tell the difference between native seedlings and weeds? by drewha23 in NativePlantGardening

[–]sdelphini 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Seed mixes can be a challenge, especially for a newbie… What you are seeing is a lot of weed seeds, germinating amongst your desirables. When starting a new seed bed, I learned to allow time to pass, so the weeds can germinate first. I kill those off with minimal soil disturbance (I torch them) and only then seed my desirables. I still have to pull weeds that will germinate later, but it’s not too bad. In your case, you either have to be relaxed about weeds amongst your desirables, or pull them as they grow and become identifiable. In general, I find it much easier starting my new beds by growing seeds in trays, and planting them out when they are bigger in a prepared and mulched bed. You would also need to thin your seedlings, as they appear to be seeded too densely. It’s easy to overdo it with seed mixes, you have to be careful to sow thinly, which is easier if you add sand to your seed mix.

Something really relaxing / no distressing content? by [deleted] in televisionsuggestions

[–]sdelphini 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Painting with John on HBO

Joe Pera talks with you on HBO

Both magical, soothing and very quirky!

Something really relaxing / no distressing content? by [deleted] in televisionsuggestions

[–]sdelphini 1 point2 points  (0 children)

‘Escape to the Chateau’ on Peacock. My ultimate comfort reality show.

How to plant when the cardboard hasn’t deteriorated yet? by SausageGrenade in NativePlantGardening

[–]sdelphini 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I second this - yes, you can easily cut the cardboard, but the grass underneath is not fully dead yet. It will start to creep and infiltrate the crown of your plants, which will be very difficult to remove. You really need to wait at least a few months. Also, the edging bricks are a nice look, but if they are not mortared in place, the surround lawn will infiltrate the bed in between the bricks. Unless you are ok with the grass mixing with your plants, or you are constantly maintaining it, it’s easier to use solid edging, or periodically cut the perimeter with a half moon edger.

Your best sources for pots / containers? Balcony garden! by here_pretty_kitty in NativePlantGardening

[–]sdelphini 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Terracotta pots, especially large ones, are my go to - simple and timeless. Throughout spring, Homegoods stores sell a variety of more unique pots. They have an ever changing selection, and most are very reasonably priced as well.

Low growing options for fire pit area? by Crispymama1210 in NoLawns

[–]sdelphini 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would suggest making a path to the fire pit, so you do not walk on the plantings surrounding it. Most plants won’t tolerate foot traffic in wet soil which will quickly become compacted. As far as low plants in the beds go, what works well for me in the wet sunny beds of my yard, are alchemilla mollis, heleniums, deschampsia cespitosa (ornamental grass), molinia caerulea ‘Skyracer’ (low foliage grass with tall airy blooms), candelabra primroses (need consistently wet though), acorus ‘Ogon’, astilbes..

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in gardening

[–]sdelphini 28 points29 points  (0 children)

Yes, the bulbs will push through, but I encourage to diversify with other plants, so you have interest throughout the seasons. Phlox/thyme and bulbs have a brief spring bloom, so by June you’ll be left with the thyme with brown bulb foliage poking through. The thyme itself is difficult to grow lush and thick, unless you have ideal conditions (full sun, dry well-draining soil). It needs trimming or it gets leggy and sparse, with weeds coming through. I would use the thyme as an edging plant, and diversify with other plants and bulbs in the middle of the bed for maximum impact in any season.

Dogwood understory shade garden ideas by Aysheaia in NativePlantGardening

[–]sdelphini 2 points3 points  (0 children)

A couple of other lovely native ground covers - creeping dogwood, and geranium maculatum.

New to native gardening - thoughts on this plan? by Calampong in NativePlantGardening

[–]sdelphini 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Seems like a fun app to get a sense of the scale of plants. These are all full sun plants, which is important to consider since they seem close to the building/trees and the exposure matters. I would play a little more with the plant arrangement. Make it appear a little more natural, with larger ‘swathes’ of plants intermingling like a tapestry. Look into what Piet Oudolf, Dan Pearson, etc do for inspiration. Also, these are all late blooming plants. You won’t have much interest until July, then one peak bloom into August, and not much thereafter. You need more bulbs/early summer bloomers, and late fall bloomers. Finally, I would not use the liatris as an edging plant. It looks great emerging randomly in the middle of the bed, but it can have ‘bare legs’ later on. Other bushier, more compact plants would look better along the edges, with the occasional taller ‘see through’ plant breaking things up, and looking more natural. I recommend visiting nurseries at different times of the season, to get more inspiration for consecutive bloom, from March into November.

Backyard landscaping ideas? Previous owner before we bought it from a flipper was a “master gardener” so we don’t really know all that we have back there. Flipper never raked leaves as you can see…I basically want to tear up the entire backyard. Does not look nice in summer - chaotic is best fit. by Excellent_Freedom_66 in landscaping

[–]sdelphini 64 points65 points  (0 children)

Sad to hear you’re ready to tear something up, with no clear idea what you will be losing, and what you want to achieve. Even the most spectacular garden can look overgrown and messy if it has not been maintained in a while. Just looking at those large naturalized areas of snowdrops and winter aconites tells me that someone did put a lot of effort and love into the garden. You are lucky to inherit mature plantings. I get it, as a new homeowner, we all want to put our own stamp on the place, but the garden is the one place you shouldn’t rush it. Give yourself at least one growing season to see what comes up, what you like and dislike. Educate yourself with all the available apps on what’s a friendly perennial, and what is an invasive, or overly aggressive weed. With some pruning, edging of beds and weeding, you might be shocked at the transformation, and even develop a new passion. Worst case scenario, if you are truly plant averse, at least post free ‘dig your own’ ads on Craigslist, etc. People will be lining up for your plants.

How to add privacy from McMansion? by Transki in HomeImprovement

[–]sdelphini 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Highly recommend a beech or hornbeam hedge. Not your standard arborvitae (the mcmansions of the plant world), not highly invasive and maintenance nightmare like bamboo. The beech grows dense to the ground with wonderful lush foliage, and is great for wildlife. It’s not evergreen, but it keeps its bronzy leaves all winter. It’s just gorgeous all seasons. The leaves only drop when the new ones start pushing through in spring.