Watcha doing today?

[Gemma]

i like the idea of arches, but would have to see a refresher pic of the yard/ garden. and what zone you're in for plant rec's.

I had to stay far away because it is a large area but here you can see the three gates where I would put the arches...keep in mind that in time the whole fence would be covered as well

[j.w]

Thanksgiving is all done with, even the leftover is all gone, time to decorate for Christmas! Tomorrow Hubby will start outside and I will put up the tree and start decorating inside.
Today hubby and I went out in search of ideas for what to gift the boys for Christmas ...we found nothing!
The things we think they would like would turn out to be an expensive waste of money , so no, we're not doing that

Hubby took me to a place I've never been before...a store with a nice garden to walk around, arches to walk through, statues and pretty things everywhere and so now my head is on Spring project already
I want to put arches on the outside of each raised garden beds gate (there are 3) and let climber cover the arches so that the gates are not so exposed...I'm thinking it would be nice to use climber roses, but I really don't want the work I remember was involved when I tried growing roses several years ago (black spot disease, pests etc) Hyacinth Bean is definitely an option.
So what do you guys think, would adding arches be a good or bad idea? And what plants would you suggest that bloom a lot and don't require much maintenance?

PS. I'm all caught up with my chores!

We still have Thanksgiving food left to eat. Figure a couple more days and then all there will be left is turkey and that will go into the soup my hubby will make. Days are starting to get colder and colder and soup will hit the spot! Might even get some snow soon, but I think they lie.

My tree never gets unput..............it sits in a room we don't use covered w/a sheet and plastic all decorated and ready to roll back each year. Yep talk about lazy, that's a perfect fixed up tree for me! Want to just give the kids some cash and call it good. Will get prezzies for the young g-daughter and call it good. I will cook the Christmas Eve din din for them all.

I bet the arches will look nice w/plants climbing and blooming all over them. Not sure on which plants would be less work tho. Seems like they would all need pruning.

Good you got all caught up, now if we could just get that kingy boy up and moving to do all of his stuff! The gators are starving and if he walks by he better watch it as I have heard rumors of who their next meal might be and it's not me or you

I guess we'll have to do gift cards but I'm not happy about that! My favorite thing about receiving gifts, it is to see how well the giver knows me, so money, gift cards etc although appreciated, are like saying "here, you shop for yourself cause I really don't know you
I know several people who never take down the Christmas lights too

I don't do gift cards. My kids can use the cash. Grand-daughter, youngest will get the fun stuff. I've never liked shopping for anything. Would rather cook them a good meal and enjoy the family getting together. They get us prezzies and they are pretty good about knowing what we like. We don't allow them to spend much as they are on a tight budget especially now w/the way things are in our world. We don't put Christmas lights up anymore so no work involved there either. I do put a few other decorations around the house and that's it. Hubby and I never do gifts between each other either. We just do whatever we want and buy what we need.
I do love the season tho and the snow and looking at other peoples nice indoor/outdoor decorations.
Like dressing up in winter and Christmas looking clothes, earrings etc. I am the walking Christmas tree, well not really that much but snowflake pants, gloves that sort of thing.
I rolled the tree out last night after hubby went to bed! The rest I will do as I feel the urge.
I do miss our cats that used to climb the tree and sit in the branches

Cat tree comet.gif

[brokensword]

Thanksgiving is all done with, even the leftover is all gone, time to decorate for Christmas! Tomorrow Hubby will start outside and I will put up the tree and start decorating inside.
Today hubby and I went out in search of ideas for what to gift the boys for Christmas ...we found nothing!
The things we think they would like would turn out to be an expensive waste of money , so no, we're not doing that

Good for you (both of yas!) Too many are into trinkets and things that just give temporary joy. Not that you can't have SOME of those...heh heh!

Hubby took me to a place I've never been before...a store with a nice garden to walk around, arches to walk through, statues and pretty things everywhere and so now my head is on Spring project already
I want to put arches on the outside of each raised garden beds gate (there are 3) and let climber cover the arches so that the gates are not so exposed...I'm thinking it would be nice to use climber roses, but I really don't want the work I remember was involved when I tried growing roses several years ago (black spot disease, pests etc) Hyacinth Bean is definitely an option.
So what do you guys think, would adding arches be a good or bad idea? And what plants would you suggest that bloom a lot and don't require much maintenance?

I'd put some clematis; lots of nice colors/varieties and easy, though they too can get a fungus that'll kill them, but seem a lot of vines have this issue if you go looking. The climbers aren't that much an issues (at least, mine aren't) though they go get their share of black spot and Jap beetles. Still, they're tough and of course, the flowers are good. Another idea is thumbergia (I think that's the correct name); tis a vine that grows fast and hard (but is an annual) and has Black-eyed Susan type flowers. Very nice. Had it a couple years in the pondhouse and once on a trellis outside. Heartily recommend it. There's also morning glories but you'll only see the flowers later in the summer and early morning, of course. The woodchuck loves it and I have to fence the vine off a bit to keep that varmint from destroying any future summer flowers. Had one this year that crept up the trellis and into a sassafras tree; got to over 20' tall! Lots of blooms, for sure. A problem with morning glories is you'll have lots of seedlings the next year to make a decision on! I usually let one stay and weed the rest. A nice thing here is some got near my climbing roses and when the roses were done blooming, the morning glories took over that job! Tis sorta why I let those wanderers stay put!

PS. I'm all caught up with my chores!

Hahahahahahahahahahahah! SERIOUSLY??? You think Lil Queenie actually has an END TO HER CHORE list fer us peons????? Be ye daft??? NEVER NEVER NEVER say 'I'm done with...' to her face! Fer sure, yer list doubles!!!

Sheesh! @j.w ; where'd ya find this naive lil waif anyway??? Gonna have to bring 'er up to speed on CAstle Annex decorum, methinks!!

[brokensword]

Good you got all caught up, now if we could just get that kingy boy up and moving to do all of his stuff! The gators are starving and if he walks by he better watch it as I have heard rumors of who their next meal might be and it's not me or you

is zat right?? Methinks some Godiva is gonna go swimmin' later today....

[brokensword]

I do miss our cats that used to climb the tree and sit in the branches

Cat tree comet.gif

there's an easy solution to this and i know you know it!

Animated+Cats+Gif+(163).gif (23.31 KiB) Viewed 264 times

[Gemma]

Thanksgiving is all done with, even the leftover is all gone, time to decorate for Christmas! Tomorrow Hubby will start outside and I will put up the tree and start decorating inside.
Today hubby and I went out in search of ideas for what to gift the boys for Christmas ...we found nothing!
The things we think they would like would turn out to be an expensive waste of money , so no, we're not doing that

Good for you (both of yas!) Too many are into trinkets and things that just give temporary joy. Not that you can't have SOME of those...heh heh!

Hubby took me to a place I've never been before...a store with a nice garden to walk around, arches to walk through, statues and pretty things everywhere and so now my head is on Spring project already
I want to put arches on the outside of each raised garden beds gate (there are 3) and let climber cover the arches so that the gates are not so exposed...I'm thinking it would be nice to use climber roses, but I really don't want the work I remember was involved when I tried growing roses several years ago (black spot disease, pests etc) Hyacinth Bean is definitely an option.
So what do you guys think, would adding arches be a good or bad idea? And what plants would you suggest that bloom a lot and don't require much maintenance?

I'd put some clematis; lots of nice colors/varieties and easy, though they too can get a fungus that'll kill them, but seem a lot of vines have this issue if you go looking. The climbers aren't that much an issues (at least, mine aren't) though they go get their share of black spot and Jap beetles. Still, they're tough and of course, the flowers are good. Another idea is thumbergia (I think that's the correct name); tis a vine that grows fast and hard (but is an annual) and has Black-eyed Susan type flowers. Very nice. Had it a couple years in the pondhouse and once on a trellis outside. Heartily recommend it. There's also morning glories but you'll only see the flowers later in the summer and early morning, of course. The woodchuck loves it and I have to fence the vine off a bit to keep that varmint from destroying any future summer flowers. Had one this year that crept up the trellis and into a sassafras tree; got to over 20' tall! Lots of blooms, for sure. A problem with morning glories is you'll have lots of seedlings the next year to make a decision on! I usually let one stay and weed the rest. A nice thing here is some got near my climbing roses and when the roses were done blooming, the morning glories took over that job! Tis sorta why I let those wanderers stay put!

PS. I'm all caught up with my chores!

Hahahahahahahahahahahah! SERIOUSLY??? You think Lil Queenie actually has an END TO HER CHORE list fer us peons????? Be ye daft??? NEVER NEVER NEVER say 'I'm done with...' to her face! Fer sure, yer list doubles!!!

Sheesh! @j.w ; where'd ya find this naive lil waif anyway??? Gonna have to bring 'er up to speed on CAstle Annex decorum, methinks!!

Love Clematis, I have a few different ones, but before settling on that I want to see if I can find a perennial, or even annual that blooms all season long.
I didn't know Morning Glory until one grew in the Greenhouse this year, but you warned me on the invasive behavior and so I made sure it stayed in there, plus they have gorgeous blooms but are not open when I would want to enjoy them the most, so not a good candidate.
I googled the Thumbergia and I like it a lot, I can definitely try that one, if it's not invasive.. need to do a bit more research
Thanks Broken, you're always so helpful! Tell mrs Broken we say hi

[j.w]

@brokensword finished thru 20 tonight. It's a puzzle but she finding the pieces as she goes! Hmmmmmmmmm, about Lewis and blank pages and, and, and...............

[brokensword]

@brokensword finished thru 20 tonight. It's a puzzle but she finding the pieces as she goes! Hmmmmmmmmm, about Lewis and blank pages and, and, and...............

tis a puzzle, fer sure...next chaps on their way...

Oh, taught the CAstle Annex cat a new trick; whatcha think????

Cat-twirly.gif (26.11 KiB) Viewed 246 times

heh heh

[j.w]

@brokensword finished thru 20 tonight. It's a puzzle but she finding the pieces as she goes! Hmmmmmmmmm, about Lewis and blank pages and, and, and...............

tis a puzzle, fer sure...next chaps on their way...

Oh, taught the CAstle Annex cat a new trick; whatcha think????


Cat-twirly.gif

heh heh

Thanks for the book chapters and poor kitty doing your dirty work for ya.
Maybe he will protect the Royal Grounds better than ye
I must admit he does have the moves tho

[SarahT]

i like the idea of arches, but would have to see a refresher pic of the yard/ garden. and what zone you're in for plant rec's.

I had to stay far away because it is a large area but here you can see the three gates where I would put the arches...keep in mind that in time the whole fence would be covered as well

what a nice open space with a deer proof (?) garden area. I like the other suggestions you have gotten, and think I'll add "trumpet honeysuckle" (this is NOT trumpet vine which takes over), and carolina jessamine. Both bloom with a nice fragrance, and like most vines, will need some trimming and pruning so they won't take over. They may not be hardy to zone 6, so might be an annual for you. I have found that Florida's county agents are really helpful with ideas, maybe yours would have some ideas suitable to the area? I look forward to seeing arches and vines and leaves on the trees.

[brokensword]

@brokensword finished thru 20 tonight. It's a puzzle but she finding the pieces as she goes! Hmmmmmmmmm, about Lewis and blank pages and, and, and...............

tis a puzzle, fer sure...next chaps on their way...

Oh, taught the CAstle Annex cat a new trick; whatcha think????


Cat-twirly.gif

heh heh

Thanks for the book chapters and poor kitty doing your dirty work for ya.
Maybe he will protect the Royal Grounds better than ye
I must admit he does have the moves tho

taught him everything I know...heh heh; better watchout--the minions be a multiplyin'!!

(insert medieval maniacal laugh)

[j.w]

@brokensword The minions may be growing in numbers but your days may also be numbered Kingy Boy!

Halloweenskelly5.gif