Author |
Message |
Heyltslori
Member
09-15-2001
| Sunday, April 18, 2004 - 2:48 pm
That looks great Spy! You did a nice job. I LOVE lilacs...I wish I had that outta control bush in my yard! lol
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Lucy
Member
10-08-2002
| Sunday, April 18, 2004 - 2:51 pm
Spy, I found some info on pruning lilac bushes. Your yard and porch look beautiful, btw!! "The best time -- and only correct time, really -- to prune lilacs is just after blooming. All shrubs fall into one of two categories; some, like many of the hydrangeas, bloom exclusively on new wood and can be pruned to the ground each fall if required. Others, such as lilacs, bloom only on old wood from the previous season. Thus, if you prune at any time other than immediately after flowering, you will cut off next year's blooms. For lilacs, the recommended method is generally to remove one third of the old wood each year immediately after flowering and shape the shrub over a number of seasons. Of course, you can prune in the fall if absolutely required. Keep in mind, though, that you are cutting off all of next spring's luscious blossoms in the process."
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Scootersmom
Member
08-10-2002
| Sunday, April 18, 2004 - 2:54 pm
Oh me too Lori! I had a huge lilac bush outside my bedroom window when I was a kid. I just love the smell! Good job Spy! I haven't decided yet what to plant this year since we will have to start from scratch, basically. I love the japonica that Yankee posted, but it looks like it wouldn't survive where we live. So, off to the nursery next weekend! 
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Rosie
Member
11-12-2003
| Sunday, April 18, 2004 - 2:58 pm
LK - congrats on your blooms. I am becoming a firm believer of "benign neglect" to obtain blooms. lol. Good job Spy - your hard work has paid off. Lucy - you rock.
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Babyruth
Member
07-19-2001
| Sunday, April 18, 2004 - 3:01 pm
Woo! I agree with Lori. Lilacs are my very favorite. No such thing as "out of control" as far as I'm concerned! Your petunias look great! Don't forget some Miracle Gro in their water every so often, as the mulch will suck some of the area nutrients away.
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Jagger
Member
08-07-2002
| Monday, April 19, 2004 - 4:46 am
I too love lilac bushes, I have about 20 of these acting as a border between my yard and an empty field. Mine are just now starting to get their leafs, so it will be awhile before they start to bloom. I have not done any trimming on mine in 10 years, but this year they are going to get a very major trim job. There are a lot of dead branches on them and I will also be removing a bunch of them to allow for other stuff. So if there is anyone in Minnesota who wants some lilac bushes let me know.
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Rupertbear
Member
09-19-2003
| Monday, April 19, 2004 - 6:33 am
How about a picture of the bushes in bloom, when it happens Jagger? Appears that we all love lilacs The Japonicas are amazing & I love bleeding hearts, too Juju. My fav. srping flowers are primroses and lily-of-the-valley.
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Wink
Member
10-06-2000
| Monday, April 19, 2004 - 7:24 am
Spy I love your plantings in the tree stumps. That's a favourite thing of mine to do too. Your lilac looks very healthy and how lucky you are to have it close by a sitting area where you can enjoy it's fragrance.
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Jagger
Member
08-07-2002
| Monday, April 19, 2004 - 9:52 am
I'd be happy to post some pictures of the lilacs when they bloom, in about a month or so. I am not expecting much out of them this year because I have not been giving them any TLC over the past few years. I love the way they make the whole neighborhood smell. Across the street from me use to be all Lilac bushes, there were at least 1000 bushes, well the state decided to widen the highway and took all of them out, now I get to look out my front window and see a big wooden fence. I am getting very anxious to get out and start working in the garden, so far all I have gotten to do is pull weeds and some raking.
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Tashakinz
Member
11-13-2002
| Monday, April 19, 2004 - 10:21 am
fyi on trimming lilac bushes - I speak from personal experience that you should expect it to really take off after you trim it back. Hubby cut ours back by about 50 percent two years ago and it's now taller and wider than when he started.
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Rupertbear
Member
09-19-2003
| Monday, April 19, 2004 - 11:13 am
Jagger, why don't you plant what you take out in front of the fence?
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Jagger
Member
08-07-2002
| Monday, April 19, 2004 - 12:52 pm
Rupert it isn't my property, it is state land, I think they would get a little upset with me if I did. I did ask them about re-planting what they took out and they said it was to much maintaince having to trim and other upkeep, they would rather just let the weeds go and once a month run a lawn mower over it.
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Monday, April 19, 2004 - 7:04 pm
Wink, here's a couple close-ups of the waterfall and one of the little plants Bigdog put in there.

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Wargod
Member
07-16-2001
| Monday, April 19, 2004 - 7:08 pm
Juju that is beautiful! Can you send Bigdog over here?
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Rupertbear
Member
09-19-2003
| Monday, April 19, 2004 - 7:10 pm
Hmmm, that really is too bad, Jagger.It would have been much more pleasant to look at the lilacs, instead of crappy old weeds! 
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Wink
Member
10-06-2000
| Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 7:15 am
Very cute Juju. I love all the colour variations in those waterfall rocks. Are they rocks he just collected on his daily walks or were they available en masse from a landscape place?
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 8:09 am
Wink, most of the rocks were already in the waterfall when we bought the house. He only had to add a few of the rounded ones. They are river rocks, which are common in the rivers up here. You can go out and collect them, which may or may not be illegal, or buy them at landscape places. We have collected a few, the ones he made the side planter from, and a few fill-ins in the actual waterfall. The flat slate pieces to make the cascade platforms, he bought at a landscape place.
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Wink
Member
10-06-2000
| Thursday, April 22, 2004 - 7:29 am
I've been looking longingly at the gardens waiting to see what survived the winter. I went thru some of last years pictures to help me remember what I should be looking for. Here are a couple of some of last year's gardens.

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Wink
Member
10-06-2000
| Thursday, April 22, 2004 - 7:31 am
Hmmm. Okay I'll try this again in separate posts.

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Wink
Member
10-06-2000
| Thursday, April 22, 2004 - 7:32 am

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Wink
Member
10-06-2000
| Thursday, April 22, 2004 - 7:33 am

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Wink
Member
10-06-2000
| Thursday, April 22, 2004 - 7:33 am

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Fruitbat
Member
08-07-2000
| Thursday, April 22, 2004 - 8:10 am
Your yard is beautiful Wink!
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Spygirl
Member
04-23-2001
| Thursday, April 22, 2004 - 8:32 am
Holy cow, Wink - your yard is stunning!!
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Thursday, April 22, 2004 - 8:58 am
Very beautiful, Wink. Morning glory or clematis? The clematis are blooming here already, and we saw our first wisteria the other day. Okay, so I think you have solved Tess's dilemma. She will just have to do her daily update in 20 segments.
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