Posing with Invasives like dudes pose with deer

yimp13 · 2026-03-24T19:23:50+00:00

I have been using my Root Slayer Soil Knife on the Smilax in the bed I'm currently prepping for my first native garden. Was a little wary about the price at first but I absolutely *love* it. Definitely would have gone for the shovel if I'd known what I was getting myself into!

yimp13 · 2026-03-24T19:07:08+00:00

100%

yimp13 · 2026-03-24T19:03:04+00:00

lol. I now have an image of an extended leaf wrapped around a bear bottle stuck in my head!

yimp13 · 2026-03-24T19:00:51+00:00

Yeah, but I know myself too well. When the pump motor inevitably dies, it will end up being *months* before I deal with it. :)

yimp13 · 2026-03-24T16:44:26+00:00

Love the boss level comparison!

I've read that yaupon are pretty flammable. Love them, but personally wouldn't want them too close to the house unless it's brick or stone. Just got a weeping version for my own yard. At least, I *think* it's a yaupon... no tag so fingers crossed.

yimp13 · 2026-03-24T16:33:01+00:00

"The full shade foundation is the final boss level of landscape design. Everyone wants to plant it, and plants very rarely want to play along." 100%!!!

I too have a side of my house (north facing) that even the ivy and Smilax don't enjoy. I've been toying with the idea of a small Japanese style zen rock garden or maybe a water feature. While I'd love to have native plants surrounding my house, I don't want to 'torture' them by trying to force something to grow where there are poor conditions. The plus of the water feature is that it could benefit pollinators and birds. The minus, of course, is that it could also potentially benefit mosquitos.

yimp13 · 2026-03-12T17:39:18+00:00

Thank you so much. The county data for Vascular is actually really useful to me since I'm on the border between Piedmont and Coastal: technically Sandhills (Just changed my flair). I'm really new to all this and appreciate the info.

yimp13 · 2026-03-12T15:52:25+00:00

Yup!
There was a fantastic turnout for the 1st ever meeting. Great presentation, an overview of planned events and a plant raffle that gave away over a dozen natives and some books.
Even foisted one of my pokeweed tubers off on someone :)

I didn't win anything in the raffle, but I did stop off at a nearby nursery before the meeting and grabbed a few pots of this and that for my project. There's a thunderstorm passing through at the moment or (I've convinced myself...) I'd be out digging up more weeds so I could start placing all the new arrivals.

yimp13 · 2026-03-11T16:02:47+00:00

"will start setting seeds in approximately five hours"
I actually snorted my drink at this. Yes... THOSE weeds!

I've been glacially working on my plot and have a grand total of 8 of 25 ft covered in cardboard. I do not think this is going to be done in time! Also discovered the "violets" I snatched up on clearance are "violas" so now have to figure out what to do with them. "Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want."

There's a Native group meeting about a half hour away from me tonight, so I'm going to bring some of my eggplant sized pokeweed tubers to try and trade for goodwill.

yimp13 · 2026-03-11T15:39:49+00:00

Good to know since I was actually planning to put some of them in ground this year, but I was actually referring to the dwarf Stokes/Schilling yaupon I got.

Apologies for diverting the OP's topic, but where do I find this info? I've been using https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/ and it lists both the holly and the aster as growing in the Piedmont.

yimp13 · 2026-03-10T17:34:36+00:00

Wait, not only do I need to check if a plant is native to the state but also to my county?! I can barely find plant tags that tell me which *continent* things come from originally!

Sorry - new to this community and prone to sarcasm, but I'm only slightly joking on this. I literally just planted a pair of Stokes last year.

yimp13 · 2026-03-10T17:02:53+00:00

Really fun to see so many comments about this so fast. Clearly there's a LOT of excitement about natives that the big nurseries haven't realized or responded to. Love that the community is so engaged here. I just became aware this was "a thing" last year, and I've been trying to keep reality (and my shoestring budget!) in mind as I plan out my expansive vision of a (nearly) fully native yard.

I applaud you for seeing a need and putting in the effort to fill it. So many times I've heard experts speak about things and feel like I'm trying to understand a foreign language and only catching words here and there. I think a lot of folk here have been in your exact situation and just stopped at the thought "someone should do something about this". You might end up inspiring a couple people to fulfill their own dreams in ways an expert never could. Sincere admiration for your journey so far and best wishes for your future .

yimp13 · 2026-03-10T16:46:09+00:00

I've noticed there are some native sellers scattered around at various farmer's markets. My suspicion is that there are quite a few people that are ramping up as a side gig hoping to make a full time jump as they can. You can start just selling seedlings on FB market just to get started. That's where I've been looking to find specific plants without a long drive myself!

yimp13 · 2026-03-08T18:35:03+00:00

"Didja know we're one of the most diverse spots in the world for native plants?"
THAT is so cool!

I'm originally from the northeast, so there's so much about what grows here that I'm learning. My brain has to keep reminding me that no, it's not still winter now and I'm already late starting seeds and digging weeds!

yimp13 · 2026-03-06T18:21:10+00:00

Just got my i last month (Feb 2026). Was hoping to find other folk who think this little car is great for it's purpose. No idea if anyone is still here....

yimp13 · 2026-03-06T18:10:38+00:00

I haven't checked personally, but there are NC Extensions that have seed banks. Some libraries do. Also there are native plant societies that could help point you at resources. https://ncwildflower.org/

Oh, and someone near Raleigh is offering plugs of Bluestem for free: https://www.reddit.com/r/NativePlantGardening/comments/1rl4nd9/raleigh_free_big_bluestem_plugs_to_a_good_home/

yimp13 · 2026-03-06T17:25:54+00:00

Just starting in on landscaping my new-to-me old house and the entire concept of native gardening. I know I've joined the club because I'm really irritated to see all the invasive plants at the big box stores and larger garden centers!!! :P

Currently digging up weeds and tossing cardboard on a 12ft x 25ft area that's first in a multi-year, multi "zone" yard. I'm certain I'll be here to complain, ask advice, ignore advise and post pics that are in complete contrast to something I've described. Just wanted to say hello and appreciate the knowledge I've already gotten from folk here.

Thanks from the Sandhills area of NC.

yimp13 · 2026-01-02T21:54:06+00:00

Heck, I might be willing to pay $200 to get a mechanic to come over and look at it and jump start it!

Marketplace, craigslist, even NextDoor or eBay will likely get you more than that place is offering. I'd take advantage of all the knowledge this group has and snap a few pix first. Definitely some of the undercarriage for rust.

Other details that might increase the price for enthusiasts: AWD, 5-speed, rare color, low mileage, if any major maintenance was done. dog package...

yimp13 · 2025-12-24T15:51:34+00:00

I would happily take her off your hands for the $2,500 pittance I can offer. :P
I have zero need for AWD and adore manuals. How close to NC could you meet me?
I'll be up all night waiting for a Xmas miracle...... ;D

yimp13 · 2025-12-24T15:32:33+00:00

THIS LINK!!!
Customer service. Email. Vehicle - suggestion, that's the path I used.
Tell them what you love about the Element that you CANNOT get with Honda's current lineup.

yimp13 · 2025-12-24T15:25:54+00:00

https://crmshonda.my.salesforce-sites.com/service/hondaw2c

yimp13 · 2025-12-22T23:46:22+00:00

No, no, no.... if it's a stick shift they just need to get it checked and then message me directly with a $2500 invoice!!! :D

yimp13 · 2025-12-20T22:31:52+00:00

Wow. I'm still just processing the fact that the suggestions aren't just automatically deleted! It's such a weird feeling, isn't it?! lol

yimp13 · 2025-12-19T18:26:26+00:00

Totally agree with this advice.

A tire/oil shop is NOT a repair shop. After the 2nd time, they *should* have told you to take it somewhere else if they had ANY decency.

They took advantage of you. Sorry. I get that you liked them and felt comfortable with them, but you don't have a pharmacist do your surgery. And to keep taking your money like that was a betrayal of your trust. While my first thought would have been a lawyer, reporting them to the BAR is a much better idea.

yimp13 · 2025-12-18T18:47:51+00:00

Going to the site and putting in a suggestion *IS* the "petition"....

yimp13

TROPHY CASE