Barb, All your flowers are beautiful. Thanks for sharing them. I agree with cheryl on that walnut tree, too. Did you know they produce a chemical called juglone, which inhibits or kills all other plants around it. It is will stay in the soil for many years keeping anything in that area from growing. it is in the leaves the roots and the hulls from the walnuts and the walnuts shells, too. So don't put any of the bonsai trimmings in the compost or let the leaves pile up as mulch anywhere. I have a neighbor who does tree trimming and he brings me wood chips on occasion and he always makes sure and assures me there are no black walnut trimmings in there. Where did you get that contorted locust? I have never heard of one. cool! I have always wanted a harry lauders? walking stick, but have never spent the money on one and now I use all my flower beds for more important things such as vegetables....for my markets. The other day I planted 16 pepper plants in the front one. I haven't gotten to the corner one behind the greenhouse. It will get a few cherry tomatoes and maybe an egg plant or two. Nothing as beautiful or exotic as your flowers.
carolyn keiper, Thank you, I have not ever heard of this poison. I will keep that in mind and be very careful with my little Black Walnut Tree. If they have so much poison in the leaves, branches, shells of nuts, how can we eat the nuts? My Contorted Locust was a gift from my hubby. I think it was a more expensive plant. It actually replaced a dead Contorted Hazelnut that I was very sad over. Now we have about 6 or 8 Contorted Hazelnut Trees that are growing very nicely. I wait and buy them on sale when I can but I am done buying them now. I do keep all these trees clipped to stay the height of just over my head. I do spend an awful lot of cash on my little gardens but I do try to get things on sale or very small most of the time. Barb in Pa.
Barb... I tried eating one of the Black Walnuts (very hard to crack the shell) and it was VERY bitter. I spit it right out and never tried again.
I don't know that the nut meats contain any poison that would hurt us as we eat them all the time. I do like black walnuts, but they are very expensive to buy them shelled and shelling them is very hard, so I only have a few here and there. The juglone is a chemical that eliminates the competition for nutrients in the surrounding area, but it is present for years even after the tree is no longer there.
Glad when Dh takes our black walnut tree out. Got hit by lightning I know lady who uses the bark chips-where she didn't want anything to grow in a path.The meat of the black walnuts very $$$ at local farmer's market. If dried and cleaned right are good.But Take a lot time.
Oh, oh, oh, lovely blooms! I especially enjoyd the Willow and the Wisteria. Adorable! That peony of yours is a beauty! Is it the "Bowl of Beauty" I wonder, or one that looks like it? I tried that once but it didn't like it here. The poppy and roses are a real treat, and that orchid looks exciting too. Which one is it, do you know?
Hey everyone...Thanks for all the nice comments. Oh boy have we been busy these days...Hubby retired 2 years ago and we just can't get enough done in a day...LOL sort of fun...
