Green Thumbs ITP?

[MoelVermillion]

Hey there I did a search and couldn't find a thread for this so I thought I'd start one myself.

So it's spring in Australia which got me thinking, do we have any green thumbs (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/green_thumb) or garden lovers hiding in the forum somewhere? I thought maybe I could draw you out with an all purpose gardening thread. Talk about your favourite plant, post pictures of your garden, give/ask for gardening advice or talk about any other semi-garden related talk here.

So I don't have much stake in my family's garden but there is one plant that belongs to me and me alone. I bought this cactus in a pot when I was only five years old, it would have been no taller then ten centimeters at the time and it has grown significantly over the years. Over the last few days it has been developing flower buds and today they finally started blooming.

http://i860.photobucket.com/albums/ab170/tsythe4th/DSC01065.jpg

http://i860.photobucket.com/albums/ab170/tsythe4th/DSC01061.jpg

http://i860.photobucket.com/albums/ab170/tsythe4th/DSC01063.jpg

There's a few more buds on there that have yet to bloom which I am quite excited about. I realized upon looking at that photo that a weed is encroaching on the cactus' territory so I should probably get rid of that :smallredface:.

Anyway anyone else here want to post their gardening stuff?

[Savannah]

Your cactus is beautiful. I had no idea cacti had flowers like that!

My parents are both gardeners, but I'm not too into it. When I am interested in gardening, it's always either bonsai or insectivorous plants....

[Seffbasilisk]

I appreciate the cacti flower pictures greatly. Thankee kindly for including them.

I have a bit of a green thumb, but haven't had time to work in the garden in a while. Mostly my work on that, is tree-care, weeding, and the like nowadays.

Last time I truly went to work on a garden, I planted Zuccini and Eggplant.

Never. Again.

[wxdruid]

I'm interested in gardening. I have a container garden right now because my yard is too small for much else. I prefer to grow different varieties of herbs and catlover has a few cacti.

Picture from the beginning of spring http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i262/wxdruid/DSC06387.jpg

Picture taken today http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i262/wxdruid/DSC06860.jpg

catlover's cactus in bloom http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i262/wxdruid/DSC05998.jpg

[Trog]

*looks at troglodyte thumb*

Technically this thumb here is green but Trog kills plants, generally. Can't imagine how.

*puffs a cloud of Coffin Nail™ smoke at plants which hangs there like so much life-choking smog*

-----

*Removes Troglodyte head of his costume revealing a bald man with glasses and facial hair*

In fact, there was a recent death in the Trog household. There was these two bamboo plants I had been growing for some time in this one small container. It looked really nice the two plants growing together. :smallsmile:

Until... :smalleek:

Until the time when one of the bamboo plants out-competed the other for sunlight and, apparently, the water resources in the vase. Turning the shoot that was struggling into the sun might have helped but I admit I neglected to do that, not seeing the problem until it was too late. >>;

And now Lefty has killed off Righty in that ever-continuing struggle for plant dominance that plays out all over the world. You may love your plants... but your plants would kill each other at the slightest chance. :smallannoyed:

Oh well... at least I still have Lefty. :smallsigh:

[nihilism]

its fall here in edmonton every things dying or will shortly.

my mother loves gardening, i don't but i appreciate the results. my favorite this year were the jerusalem artichokes which grew very fast and have beautiful flowers.

there also edible if you can stand them.

[Kneenibble]

Your cactus is adorable, thetsyman. But excuse me if seeing a cactus growing outdoors in weird dun earth is incredibly alienating to me, used to short summers and black floodplain clay.

I'm desperately obsessed with plants... I don't have too many interesting or noteworthy specimens except two grapefruit trees I started from seeds about twelve years ago. I'm going to make one into a bonsai tree. I'll put pictures up later perhaps.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Ooh, awesome cactus.

I'm a plant lover and planter from a long line of farmers and gardeners. My Dad is a computer programmer and has always had a thing for african violets. Has managed to keep them alive and growing in his cubicle. He also planted a chestnut clipping in my grandparent's place when he was a kid... it's now an enormous tree that fills the yard with falling spiky death. My grandfather says if he'd know it'd become what is is now he'd have pulled it up 40 years ago.

I planted the orchard at my parent's place which after 6 years now is so full of apples and pears they can't eat them.

When I was in my apartment my landlady would bring me her dead plants to 'resurrect'. Amazing how much plants respond to being, y'know, WATERED :smallsigh:

Despite this, I'm still more of a fauna than flora type. Now my brother... he's obsessed with plants since he was little. He'd go up to Santa when he was 4 and ask for seeds. He runs a botanical garden and nursery now.

[Assassin89]

I have a money tree back home, that I kept at my college dorm for about two years. It was replanted this year into a larger pot, but I think it might take a few years before it becomes impossible to transport by hand.

[xPANCAKEx]

this year in my patch i grew:
sunflowers
blackbeans
runner beans
spinach
mixed lettuce
rocket
taragon
basil
marrows
sugar snap peas

all in a 10x11ft area

[MoelVermillion]

Your cactus is beautiful. I had no idea cacti had flowers like that!

My parents are both gardeners, but I'm not too into it. When I am interested in gardening, it's always either bonsai or insectivorous plants....

To be entirely honest I didn't know they flowered like that myself until I saw them growing there :smallredface:. When I initially bought the cactus as a kid I think the only thought that really went in to the decision was "spikes are cool" :smallsmile:.

Me and my brother used to try and keep Venus Fly Traps when we were younger but we could never keep them alive for very long :smallfrown:.



Last time I truly went to work on a garden, I planted Zuccini and Eggplant.

Never. Again.

I've never had the (dis?)pleasure of planting those plants, care to elaborate on what makes them horrible to work with?


I'm interested in gardening. I have a container garden right now because my yard is too small for much else. I prefer to grow different varieties of herbs and catlover has a few cacti.

Picture from the beginning of spring http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i262/wxdruid/DSC06387.jpg

Picture taken today http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i262/wxdruid/DSC06860.jpg

catlover's cactus in bloom http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i262/wxdruid/DSC05998.jpg

You have some nice plants growing there, I've found a herb garden to be one of the more useful investments you can make in gardening, it makes cooking interesting food much easier if you have a range of fresh herbs at your disposal.

I dig catlover's cactus too, as I have recently realized Cactus plants have some of the most beautiful flowers I've ever seen, this one is no exception.


In fact, there was a recent death in the Trog household. There was these two bamboo plants I had been growing for some time in this one small container. It looked really nice the two plants growing together. :smallsmile:

Until... :smalleek:

Until the time when one of the bamboo plants out-competed the other for sunlight and, apparently, the water resources in the vase. Turning the shoot that was struggling into the sun might have helped but I admit I neglected to do that, not seeing the problem until it was too late. >>;

And now Lefty has killed off Righty in that ever-continuing struggle for plant dominance that plays out all over the world. You may love your plants... but your plants would kill each other at the slightest chance. :smallannoyed:

Oh well... at least I still have Lefty. :smallsigh:

That sucks, plants always seem to die in the most annoying way that is currently available to them. To name a few of the irritating deaths our plants have suffered we've had a Great Dane knocking over a heap of pots in an attempt to chew on a wooden wind chime that was dangling near them (no, seriously :smallmad:) and having intoxicated people at parties fall on them.


its fall here in edmonton every things dying or will shortly.


Yeah we've just come out of winter here so everything is back into bloom which is nice, soon enough the wild flowers are going to bloom too which is always awesome.


I'm desperately obsessed with plants... I don't have too many interesting or noteworthy specimens except two grapefruit trees I started from seeds about twelve years ago. I'm going to make one into a bonsai tree. I'll put pictures up later perhaps.

As far as citrus trees go we have a mandarin tree and an orange tree in our yard, the fruit they produce is lovely the only problem is we live near the river so we get a lot of rats visiting our yard who seem to eat all the fruit on the trees :smallfrown:.

I don't really know much about the process of making a bonsai tree, is it hard to do? Either way I'd like to see the pictures if you do end up going ahead with it.


Despite this, I'm still more of a fauna than flora type. Now my brother... he's obsessed with plants since he was little. He'd go up to Santa when he was 4 and ask for seeds. He runs a botanical garden and nursery now.

Wow nice! Its good to hear that his love of plants managed to get him somewhere in life, too often it seems people have a passion that they just give up on so its refreshing to hear someone following theirs :smallsmile:.


this year in my patch i grew:
sunflowers
blackbeans
runner beans
spinach
mixed lettuce
rocket
taragon
basil
marrows
sugar snap peas

all in a 10x11ft area

That's impressive! The only things we managed to grow in our veggie patch this year was rocket, basil and spinach.

By the way has anyone ever encountered a plant they just can't grow? I have been trying for many years to get a successful watermelon plant going but it never goes anywhere, I guess the climate or soil must be wrong or something. Its a shame though because its my favourite fruit :smallfrown:.

We've also been gardening aquatic plants lately at our house due to the installation of a frog pond in our yard. Water born plants seem really easy to keep alive, it seems like as long as you keep the pond clean and full they'll continue to thrive.

[Savannah]

Me and my brother used to try and keep Venus Fly Traps when we were younger but we could never keep them alive for very long :smallfrown:.

That's been my experience, as well, but I've done some research, and I think I know what to do when I eventually do start growing them. (I want sundews, mostly. I'm okay with venus fly traps and pitcher plants, but sundews are way cooler.)


I've never had the (dis?)pleasure of planting those plants, care to elaborate on what makes them horrible to work with?

Zucchini, at least, are infamous for producing far more than you'd think a single plant could. The trick is to not plant too many plants, but even then you go through a period when you have more zucchini than you know what to do with.

[thubby]

im curious, what's the opposite of a green thumb?
whatever it is, i have. whatever i plant dies horribly :smallfrown:

[Marillion]

I used to help my mom with her garden when I lived with her. I called it Death Row when she wasn't listening :smalltongue:

[xPANCAKEx]

That's impressive! The only things we managed to grow in our veggie patch this year was rocket, basil and spinach.


beans should grow just fine in that soil? give them a try

half the fun of gardening is finding out what works. I tried courgettes for the first time this year and they went bezerk. They took up FAR more space than i ever imagined.

It started out being in a plot a foot away from the first row of spinach plants. By the time we'd eaten the spinach (6-7 weeks after planting from seed) the courgette plant leaves were already over shadowing them. With the right watering, and cropping off the male flower heads (which dont bare any produce) we must have got about 20lbs of courgettes off of 4 plants over the space of a month and half/2 month period. We're just about to crop the last 2 now



By the way has anyone ever encountered a plant they just can't grow? I have been trying for many years to get a successful watermelon plant going but it never goes anywhere, I guess the climate or soil must be wrong or something. Its a shame though because its my favourite fruit :smallfrown:.


cant grow carrots at all locally - east london clay soil just aint right for it. However, a neighbour took some ground soil and mixed it 65/35 with sand and they got 4lbs of carrots from 3 small tubs

the black beans i planted this year didnt produce as much as i expected - may need a different take on them if i ever try again

[Skeppio]

That cactus looks beautiful! I forgot cacti can flower like that. I used to have a little red ball-shaped one on a smooth green stalk (i forget it's name), but I accidentally knocked it off the shelf it was on and it's dirt spilled. It didn't live long after I refilled the pot and put it back in place. :smallfrown:

I'm...I'm not very good with plants. :smalltongue:

[wxdruid]

I really enjoy growing all sorts of herbs because they all smell so cool!

This year I let the basil seeds from last year (which interbred) grow how they wanted in two pots, didn't let them go to seed this year.

I also grew: Catnip, Catmint, Cat grass, Chamomile, Chives, Garlic Chives, Cilantro, Dill (several varieties), Green Fennel, Bronze Fennel, Horehound, Lavender (several varieties), Lemongrass, Mountain Mint, Parsley, Rosemary, Rue, Sage (several varieties, although Chia Sage turned out to grow as tall as catlover!), Tansy, Thyme (several varieties).

Dill is my favorite to grow because I love the smell.

[Trog]

I really enjoy growing all sorts of herbs because they all smell so cool!

This year I let the basil seeds from last year (which interbred) grow how they wanted in two pots, didn't let them go to seed this year.

I also grew: Catnip, Catmint, Cat grass, Chamomile, Chives, Garlic Chives, Cilantro, Dill (several varieties), Green Fennel, Bronze Fennel, Horehound, Lavender (several varieties), Lemongrass, Mountain Mint, Parsley, Rosemary, Rue, Sage (several varieties, although Chia Sage turned out to grow as tall as catlover!), Tansy, Thyme (several varieties).

Dill is my favorite to grow because I love the smell.
>>
<<

YOINK! *steals wxdruid's herb garden and runs!* :3

Wooo! Cookin' stuff and stuff to attract kittehs! It's Trog's! All Trog's! Wooooo°°°°

[Aystra]

My family used to grow strawberries, zucchini, green beans, strawberries, and squash. But we had trouble keeping up the garden so we switched to small pots of basil. It's especially good as fresh pesto for pasta. :smalltongue:

[golentan]

I very much love gardening, but... Well, I did a thread a while back on gremlin syndrome, and the same effect happens to living things close to me. Brown thumb is a better description. Radishes die. Flowers die. Lichen dies (yes, I tried to grow lichen. And failed). I can raise plants, to be sure, and have a fairly nice vegetable and fruit garden, but I have to automate the watering to minimize my time in close proximity.

Anyway, I've got two plum trees, a lemon tree, some tomatoes, carrots, and radishes, a little sage, and a lot of fresh parsley growing on the food side, and some just general nice looking plants on the decorative side. My favorite is the Ivy for appearance, but it's eating my shed. Literally, the whole thing is become structurally unsound, and renovations aren't helping. Still, the plums are nice because they're so delicious, and they always attract a local raccoon family that I can keep an eye on.

[wxdruid]

>>
<<

YOINK! *steals wxdruid's herb garden and runs!* :3

Wooo! Cookin' stuff and stuff to attract kittehs! It's Trog's! All Trog's! Wooooo°°°°Trog...

wxdruid and catlover steal our herbs back. :smallamused: :smallbiggrin: