All Purpose (from all over the world) Gardening Thread:

[RJDiogenes]

Millipedes, centipedes, pedes, kilopedes, megapedes....

[huggle]

some crazy biologist once counted them and found out that millipedes have 680 legs at maximum.
I find them pretty awesome creatures. In order to not trip they've developed a wave-like way of walking. Reminds me a little of scales training on the piano
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Sf-Z2t ... e=youtu.be

[RJDiogenes]

That was cool. Tripping would be catastrophic for a critter like that.

[ghost07]

Well, my garden is destroyed...the powers that be at our apartment complex decided to spray the entire lawn with pesticide without warning us, the tenants, and yesterday I had about a zillion of those red beetles swarmed over my garden. They ate everything. No flowers for me this year. Some even got into my hair and came inside with me. I hate bugs. I think I got all those that came indoors. I hope I did.

[RJDiogenes]

That's awful. You should all get together and make them replace everything you lost.

[huggle]

Aww, how sad! Rick is right - they should have forseen the possibility that the insects try to flee from the lawn and move on to the untreated flowers.

Don't give up hope yet. Most plants are hardier than one thinks and the worse the circumstances are, the more stubbornly some plants fight back. They might still recover from the attack and grow new blossoms. Just think of my peonies: 7 years they refused to flower and this year when I had already given up hope they suddenly had 4 beautiful pink blossoms.

What sorts of flowers do you grow in your garden? And did you grow them from seeds or did you buy young plants?
If you grow them from seeds, maybe we could send you flower seeds from all our countries. This way you'd have an international garden =) We'd just have to seal the seeds up in plastic foil before mailing them because the US allow only the import of sterilized or vacuum packed plants and their parts.
Considering the nuissance the Asian Ladybird has become along the East Coast this precaution comes perhaps a trifle late.

[curiousa2z]

Ghost, how is your garden faring this year?

[ghost07]

it's not...there's nothing in it yet. Since I only want one tomato plant, I have to wait til my Aide's plants get bigger; then she'll give me one...I wanted some flowers, but she hasn't gone to get me any yet. She keeps saying the nursery is too far away and we're still getting frost at night...probably have to wait til June to put anything in...that is, if someone doesn't notice and snatch my garden space.

[RJDiogenes]

Can they do that? Isn't it reserved for you?

[ghost07]

not this year...someone complained and we were told use it fast or lose it quick.

there are some weeds growing...maybe they'll think those are flowers (they DO look like flowers) and people will leave it alone. I can only hope.

[RJDiogenes]

Put something temporary in there until you get your tomato plant.

[huggle]

How about making your own tomato plant? Just take a seed or two out of a tomato and plant it. My mom uses yoghurt beakers as pots and sows her tomatos indoors in February. By mid-May, after the frosty week, she puts them out.
I grow mine in clear plastic bottles: I cut the upper half off, fill the bottom half with soil, sow 3 or 4 tomatos into it, water moderately and then put the upper half of the bottle back with some sello tape. It's like a tiny greenhouse =)
And while you have no flowers in your garden space yet, how about sowing radishes in the meantime? They take oly 3-4 weeks from sowing to harvesting.
I'd send you seeds, but that's forbidden by US customs laws
Perhaps you could order some seeds online?

btw, there's a nice sort called "Tiny Tim" - it has tomatos the size of large hazelnuts and can be kept on a window sill as a potted plant as it grows only slightly larger than 1 foot. I used to have a few of these in my office. They even survived through the winter.

[ghost07]

As I've said before, that would not work here...first off, I have NO windowsills, second, no sun on this side of the building; third, I've tried to put an ever-blooming strawberry plant out in the window in the lounge only to have them move it far enough away from the sunlight for the plant to rot...people here do not respect anything that doesn't belong to them...either they take it or they make sure they've destroyed it so no one else can have it.

[huggle]

I see what you mean, but couldn't you still order seeds online and sow some fast germinating flowers or radishes or the like directly into your garden patch? I understand that the rules say it doesn't really matter what you grow there, as long as you grow something. And these fast-growing plants can be harvested when you get your tomato plants.

[curiousa2z]

Oh, Ghostie, I am so sorry to hear this. Why can't people just let you have your little bit of happiness? I will send good vibes that no one takes your garden space away. How frustrating for you! *hugs*