HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Color Combinations and P
Date: 19 Jan 93  18:55:02 EST

>From: yeutter@herky.cs.uiowa.edu (Marguerite Yeutter)
>Newsgroups: rec.gardens

>I am going for a white and pastel pink, soft yellow, and light

What fun to think about now. Here in Mich. the snow is a couple
feet deep in places. I have different color scemes in different
parts of the garden. Since the backbone of my garden is
perennials, it doesn't change each year. My new favorite color
sceme is pale yellow and shell pink. Also butter yellow and deep
blue. Most of my garden is pastels because they are my favorite,
but I found I missed the vivid colors so I brought them back in
one section. Also I try to have hot colors on my deck so I get a
big ZING when I go out.

From seed:
     White alyssum is easy and fast. Perennial yellow alyssum is
     cute too, especially "mountain of gold" which stays short .

     Ageratum is easy and sometimes reseeds. Last year I grew
     the tall kind for cutting.

     Nigella is so easy that it now carpets sections of the
     garden. I grow a mix but like the dark blue too.

     Verbena is easy if you're careful not to overwater when you
     start inside. Prepare your pot or whatever the day before
     and water it. Let it drain overnight and then plant seeds.
     They burst if too much water is applied.  Cover till they
     sprout then start watering.

     Zinnias are beautiful, and full of pigment. I dont have any
     trouble but I guess in sections of the country they get
     mildew. Germinate fast.



>What color combinations do you guys like in your yards

I plant pastel blooming bushes by my house because my house is
pale grey. Clethra a. rosea, deutzia, Miss kim dwarf lilac and
asst.heathers. I use carpets of small spring blooming bulbs and
I dont mind if some are bright yellow- I need that color in
spring.

>And do a lot of you grow from seed, or cruise the nurseries
>and KMart trusting them to have what you want?

Cruising the nurseries is a favorite spring rite but they dont
usually have the less common so you pore over lots of  plant
catalogs- a mid-winter rite - or you can start from seed. Many wonderful
varieties but more work.

 >Just wondering about what other gardeners do....

 * XXYW 1.12 * Humans aren't the only species, they just act like it.

Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: kjp@well.sf.ca.us (Karen Paulsell)
Subject: Re: Where will citrus prosper?
Organization: Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 19:11:03 GMT

As earlier responders said: you've got to look at the minimum temps in the
winter, to find out if the plants will survive. Weren't the citrus of
Louis the XIVth grown in pots that spent the winter under glass? Big, huge,
wooden crates, yes, but portable.

If you want to go to some trouble, and have a chill-free place to put them,
though, you could probably manage some dwarf trees.

You might want to contact:

Indoor Citrus & Rare Fruit Society
176 Cornado Avenue
Los Altos, CA 94022

Dues are $15, you get 4 newsletters a year. (This info from 'Gardening by
Mail')
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: clarke@acheron.UUCP (Ed Clarke/10240000)
Subject: lilac (Syringa) pruning
Keywords: lilac, pruning
Reply-To: clarke@acheron.UUCP
Organization: Ciliophora Associates
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 13:23:20 GMT

I have a couple of lilacs that have been neglected since they were put in
(perhaps 20-30 years or more).  These are BIG suckers with lichens growing
on 'em, tall leggy, leaves only on the top.  Clearly, they need to be
pruned (dead branch came off last night and stripped some bark off too).

From "All About Pruning" (Ortho):

	When to prune:  Dormant season or after flowering
	How to prune: Rejuvenate neglected plants by cutting back one third
		each year for three years or cut completely to the ground.
		Remove faded flower heads to increase flowering.

Ok, is "Dormant season" now (winter)?  How do you prune main truncs?  It
is clearly different from just hacking off a branch since there's no
branch collar.  Can I really just slice it off at ground level or just
above?  What to do with the stub?

I LIKE lilacs, and I LIKE old things, I'd rather not kill these and replace
them.

Ed Clarke
clarke@acheron.uucp
clarke@watson.ibm.com
From: karenp@sybase.com (Karen Paulsell)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Systems for keeping seedlings warm?
Date: 20 Jan 93 03:27:28 GMT
Organization: Sybase, Inc.

You may want to try a heating cable. It's a loop of wire with a
thermostat, and a cord to plug into the outlet. I got a tray, like
those long, flimsy trays that hold 8 six-packs from nurseries, but with
no holes, and buried the heating cable in a bed of sand, and then put
the six-packs on top of that. I got a clear-plastic cover, too.

The soil heating cables come in various lengths, the package tells you
how many square feet it's supposed to handle. The size to cover the
nursery-tray cost ~ $10, I think.

Oh, look, here's some in the Henry Field's 1993 Spring Catalog, 
page 36, says it keeps the soil at 74 degrees. Prices:

3 sq ft: $10.49, $9.95 each for 2 or more, 6 sq ft, 13.89,
9 sq ft, 14.89, 12 sq ft, 16.89.

You probably want the 3 sq. ft version for a nursery tray, or a
portable set-up.  They're easier to flatten out in the tray if you
let 'em warm up a little first!

Henry Field;s, 415 North Burnett, Shenandoah, IA 51602
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: breland@cobweb.mcc.com (Mark A. Breland)
Subject: Re: If you could only plant one thing
Reply-To: breland@cobweb.mcc.com
Organization: MCC
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 18:39:39 GMT

In article 1jmob5INN27u@CS.UTK.EDU, langston@langston.cs.utk.edu (Mike Langston) writes:
>a contributor asks an easy question:
>>If you happened to live in a virtual-zone 4 place, with cruddy soil
>>(but willing to amend it to some degree) with sunny and shady parts,
>>what would you grow?
  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
>mark breland incorrectly responds:
>> Why...peppers of course!  ;)

The question sounded to me like an inquiry of personal preference, not
like a test with a right or wrong answer...I'm curious as to what other
folks feel they absolutely can't live without, so how about it?

---
Mark A. Breland - Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation (MCC)
Ada Fault Tolerance                               | voice:    (512) 338-3509
3500 West Balcones Center Drive                   | FAX:      (512) 338-3900
Austin, Texas 78759-6509   USA                    | internet: breland@mcc.com
From: louiset@informix.com (Louise Twiggs)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Ficus Question
Date: 22 Jan 93 17:10:39 GMT
Organization: Informix Software, Inc.

In article <1993Jan20.204813.6803@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu> mhatz@nyx.cs.du.edu (Raven) writes:
>Howdy,
>
>I have about a 5' tall ficus that used to sit in our front room and received
>very little direct sun but quite a bit indirect.  We remodelled in the
>kitchen and moved it in by our deck doors.  It is now on the east side
>of the house instead of the west and gets a good couple hours of direct
>sun.  It looks very droopy and not happy with life at all.
>
>How much water should I give and how often per week and what about
>fertilizing it?  Again how much and how often??
>
>Thanks!
>
>Mike



there have been lots of similar posts to this one in the past, and I
think (I hope the rest of you will agree) that ficus are not fussy
about light, temperature or water or regular feeding - when they are
stable (ie. once they have acclimatised themselves in a certain position.)
They are however fussy about being moved to a different location with
different atmospheric/light/temperature conditions to the one they
had been used to.  In other words ficus seem to go into shock quite
easily when moved, the classic symptom being sudden leaf drop.

I have found that providing the new environment is not too radically
different from the old one, they recover after a month or so and start
growing new leaves again.  As far as watering/feeding is concerned, I
would maintain the same regime as previously, and perhaps give it a 
good feed to encourage new growth when it looks like the leaf drop has
stopped and new ones are starting to grow.


So don't panic!  it'll probably revive itself.

Louise
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: psmith@alfred.carleton.ca (Peter Smith)
Subject: Re: Wall o' Water, again
Organization: Carleton University
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 18:34:29 GMT

In <16B5E8597.TROUTMAN@vmd.cso.uiuc.edu> TROUTMAN@vmd.cso.uiuc.edu writes:

>I know we discussed this a few weeks ago, but I've been in and out
>of touch with the group, so forgive me if this was answered.  If I
>go with the Wall o' Water for my tomatoes and/or peppers, how much
>earlier can I expect to put the plants out?  I believe that our last
>freeze date in my area is April 25.  Does using something like this
>to heat the ground mean I could push this date back to the 18th or
>even 15th?  (That is, if the weather cooperates with the averages :-) ).
> 
>Leslie Troutman
>Music User-Services Coordinator
>University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
>EMAIL: TROUTMAN@VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU
>VOICE: 217-244-4071

I issued the original question a few weeks ago.  From the responses I
got and the catalogue descriptions, you should be able to transplant
to the wall -o-water weeks before you would normally set stuff in the
garden.  Apparently it is good to (don't quote me) -8 degrees or some
such incredible extreme.  But I assume that is just for a brief freeze
up.

It seems to me that the key is to set the 'wall' out long before the
transplant in order to warm the ground.  Then you can set out the
transplant into it without much worry.

In other words, if your last frost date is April 25th, I would expect
that you could put the wall out in late march, and transplant in early
April.

I should also mention that people had mixed results when they emailed
me.  However, it seems the key is to transplant earlier; just using
the wall, but transplanting at the same time doesn't sound like it is
advantageous.

Again, I have not used it yet.  The above comments are derived from
the experiences of others.

bye 
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: gwv@eastrg2.cray.com (George Vandenberghe)
Subject: Re: Seed germination for tropical plants
Keywords: 
Organization: Cray Research, Inc.
Distribution: na
Date: 25 Jan 93 14:45:49 CST

In article <1993Jan25.123921.1@cudnvr.denver.colorado.edu>, smallory@cudnvr.denver.colorado.edu writes:
|> In article <1993Jan25.141952.1094@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>, abl9y@faraday.clas.Virginia.EDU (Andrew B. Lederman) writes:
|> > I recently acquired some tropical seeds (dwarf banana, bird of paradise,
|> > passion flower) and need some advice on how to get them started.  The problem 
|> > is that they require germination tempereatures between 80 - 90 degrees.
|> > 
|> > How can I provide adequate temperatures and humidity etc. in my cold apartment?
|> > I figure I could make some sort of mini greenhouse with an aquarium, but I don't
|> > know the best way to keep the temperature up.
|> 
|> For supplying heat, the cheapest way to go may be to go to a Salvation Army or
|> Value Village, or other place that sells used items very cheaply, and buy a
|> used waterbed heater with its thermostat. Check in the store to make certain
|> that it actually warm up when plugged in, however. This is can be set under a
|> used shower curtain with soil on top of it to make a germinating/rooting bed
|> for a very low price.
|>   This doesn't provide humidity, however, and I would be interested in learning
|> of an inexpesive way to maintain it.
|> 
|> Sean Mallory            (smallory@cudnvr.denver.colorado.edu)
|> University of Colorado, Denver


I like the waterbed heater idea.  For humidity, the aquarium idea
or putting the seed flats in little plastic tents should be
fine.  The tents must be ventilated otherwise humidity
may get too high and also direct sun may cook the plants.
If you can reduce evaporation from the soil, this alone
will increase its temperature.
    I haven't measured for sure but suspect that 
a seed flat in  a plastic tent under a
flourescent plant light 8" above the flat,
should get 5-10 degrees warmer than the
room's temperature when the light is
on.

    As I've often said, I also germinate warmth loving
seeds on top of the refrigerator where compressor
heat raises the temperature.
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: kathleen@casbs.Stanford.EDU (Kathleen Much)
Subject: Re: Edible Flowers
Organization: Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 01:02:35 GMT

In article <C18At2.41K@news.cso.uiuc.edu> l.j.z. <ljz57640@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu> writes:
>
>>Daylilies are edible.  The flower buds are sometimes used in Chinese food.

Both buds and flowers are edible, but the buds are best.  Lightly
saute them. 

>I hear Nasturtium is really good too.  Both the flowers and the leaves
>are edible.

Both are spicy and pretty, but use the young tender leaves.  Big older
ones are tough.
	Violets, pinks, and rose petals make attractive additions to
salads.  Try thyme blossoms on hot buttered new potatoes sometime,
with just a dash of salt and cracked pepper.  Yum!  Some people eat
marigolds, but not I.
-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Kathleen Much, Editor		|E-mail: kathleen@casbs.stanford.EDU
CASBS, 202 Junipero Serra Blvd.	|Phone: (415) 321-2052
Stanford, CA  94305		|Fax: (415) 321-1192
From: Rodger_Madison@rand.ORG (Rodger Madison)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Seeds of Change
Date: 21 Jan 93 15:09:22 GMT
Organization: The RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California

Yesterday I received a seed catalog titled "Seeds of Change".  They sell heirloom
and other seeds and in several philisophical articals in the catalog emphasize
the wisdom of genetic diversity in the seed business.  Does anybody know anything
about this outfit?  The address on the catalog is in Sante Fe. 
 
     Rodger
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: psmith@alfred.carleton.ca (Peter Smith)
Subject: Sweet Cherry Trees
Organization: Carleton University
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 18:22:24 GMT

I don't know what the typical height/age for these trees is at time of
purchase, but could someone please identify that info along with an
estimate of how long it takes from time of transplanting to first
yield.
(and what is yield?)

Do sour cherries differ much?

bye and thanks in advance
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: Bob Klebba <nicmad!klebba%astroatc.uucp@spool.cs.wisc.edu>
Subject: Re: raised beds and maple roots
Organization: Nicolet Instrument Corporation
X-Useragent: Nuntius v1.1
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 20:22:35 GMT

In article <1993Jan22.145910.7389@icd.ab.com> Patty Kowalski,
kowalski@ganymede writes:
>Two ideas:  (1)try to dig out the roots (with rototillers? 
>saws?) so as to clear things out.  Will this hurt the
>trees and wont the roots just come right back?  (2) Make
>raised beds to plant in.  Will it be "bad" for the house, 
>drainage-wise,  to have a raised bed up against the house 
>(we have no basement or crawl space)?  Will the roots grow
>up into my raised bed, creating the same problem again?

I used to have my compost piles under to a large silver maple.  I found
that in a year's time, the maple grew roots up 6" into the compost.  I
also double dug parts of my beds under the silver maple and found that
after 2 years, the tree had totally invaded those double-dug areas - to
the exclusion of the surounding unprepared areas.  
Gardens under maples have to be able to tolerate deep shade and dry and
infertile soil.

The first thing I did when I moved into my new house 2 years ago was to
cut down all the silver maples on the property!  I've found that it does
not make a good firewood.

Bob Klebba
Madison, Wisconsin, USDA zone 4
Inet: nicmad!klebba%astroatc.uucp@spool.cs.wisc.edu
"Feed the soil, not the plant"
From: palepink@lily.arts.com (Suzii Abe)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: winter garden questions
Date: 22 Jan 93 04:30:19 GMT
Article-I.D.: lily.91gRXB4w165w

duanej@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (Duane Jacobson) writes:
> I'm in the process of planning a winter garden.  

> Pyracantha

Future generations will curse you.  If you don't plan to move soon,
you'll likely curse yourself.

Pyracantha, like tams, is popular among people who are looking for
something they won't ever touch again.  And, like tams, it has its
place.  In the compost.  Make that somebody else's compost.  Somebody
who has an industrial-strength turning system and plenty of time to
wait for the stuff to become non-lethal.

Everyone around here has been talking about callicarpa--I suspect
it's going to be *the* shrub in the Pacific Northwest for a while.
Does anyone know about its habits?  The descriptions have me almost
convinced to spend whatever the ridiculous rate is to try one.  

--Suzii.
palepink@lily.arts.com
From: ct076@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Michael T. Loos)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: Edible Flowers
Date: 22 Jan 1993 21:14:42 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
NNTP-Posting-Host: slc4.ins.cwru.edu


This is a list of edible flowers.  If you need more information

Flowerrs In The Kitchen - S. Belsinger
ISBN-0-934026-63-7

will supply a good quantity of recipies.
(The book is aboout $15.00  (U.S.))

Anise Hyssop.......Agastache foeniclum
Apple..............Malus sp.
Basil..............Ocimum basilicum    (you can eat the flowers too!)
Bergamot...........Monarda didyma
Borage.............Borago officinalis
Burnet.............Poterium sanguisorba
Calendula..........Calundula officinalis
Chervil............Anthriscus cerefolium
Chive..............Allium schoenoprasum
Chrysanthemum......C.x morifolium and coronarium
Coriander..........Coriandrum sativum
Daisy,(English)....Bellis perennis
Daisy,(oxeye)......Chrysanthemum leucanthemum
Dandilion..........Teraxicum officinale
Daylily............Hemerocallis fulva
Dill...............Anethum graveolens
Elderberry.........Sambucus caerula,S.canadensis
Fennel.............Foeniculum vulgare
Gladiolus..........Gladiolus sp.
Grape Hyacinth.....Muscari atlanticum,M.botryoides
Hollyhock..........Alcea rosea
Honeysuckle........Lonicera sp.
Lavender...........Lavendula angustifolia
Lemon..............Citrus limon
Lemon balm.........Melissa officinalis
Lilac..............Syringa vulgaris
Lovage.............Levisticum officinale
Marigold...........Tagetes erecta,T.tenufolia
Marjoram...........Origanum marjorana
Oregano............Origanum sp.
Mint...............Mentha sp.
Mustard............Brassica sp.
Nasturtium.........Tropaeolum majus
Orange.............Citru sinensus
Pea,garden.........Pisum sativum
Pink...............Dianthus sp.
Plum...............Prunus sp.
Red clover.........Trifolium pratense
Rocket.............Eruca vesicaria
Rose...............Rosa sp.
Rosemary...........Rosmarinus officinalis
Sage...............Salvia officinalis,S.elegans
Savory.............Satureja hortensis, S. montana
ScarletRunnerBean..Phaseolus coccineus
Scented geranium...Pelargonium sp.
Squash.............Cucurbita sp.
Sweet woodruff.....Galium odoratum
Thyme..............Thymus sp.
Violet.............Viola odorata, V.x wittrockiana, V. tricolor
Yucca..............Yucca filamentosa

I've eaten quite a few of these, but give no guarantee as to personal
opinion!!  (I think some of these are a bit off the wall-  personally.)

Good luck
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: cheryl@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (cheryl.rothlisberger)
Subject: re: American high bush cranberry
Keywords: Vibernum
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 18:38:19 GMT

Hello! I'm just catching up on past postings and the line regarding the Americanhigh bush cranberry has really caught my interest.  This may be the shrub 
we've been looking for.  Our house is on a corner lot in Central NJ, and we'd 
like to plant a natural privacy screen along the street-side. This is the North-side of the house and it is shaded (some fully, some partally) by an Oak canapy.
Because of the oaks, the soil is naturally acidic, although we lime the lawn to
help sweeten it.  We'd like to plant an attractive border, and the high bush 
cranberry sounds great. Would the plant thrive in the conditions I've described?
If not, what do you suggest?  We were originally thinking of Rhododendrons.

Thanks for your advice,
Cheryl
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
From: Bob Klebba <nicmad!klebba%astroatc.uucp@spool.cs.wisc.edu>
Subject: Manure in the orchard
Organization: Nicolet Instrument Corporation
X-Useragent: Nuntius v1.1
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 04:24:11 GMT

I have access to quite a bit of horse manure.  Oak shavings are used as
the bedding at this stable, so the mixture is quite dry.  It is difficult
to compost on its own, so I'm looking at ways to add it to my garden
directly.  Can I put it  in the Apple/Plum orchard as top dressing?  If
so, to what depth?  I was thinking the manure would help to keep the
weeds down and would eventually get worked into the soil.  

I am only worried that the fresh manure might injure the fruit trees'
roots or upset some hitherto unknown chemical balance.  I know that
clematis, peonies and other lime lovers don't tolerate top dressings of
manure.

Bob Klebba
Madison, Wisconsin, USDA zone 4
Inet: nicmad!klebba%astroatc.uucp@spool.cs.wisc.edu
"Feed the soil, not the plant"
From: ceci@lysator.liu.se (Cecilia Henningsson)
Newsgroups: rec.gardens
Subject: Re: If you could only plant one thing this spring...
Date: 21 Jan 93 19:02:01 GMT
Organization: Lysator ACS at Linkoping University

brighid@bass.lkw.com (Brighid) writes:
>If you happened to live in a virtual-zone 4 place, with cruddy soil
>(but willing to amend it to some degree) with sunny and shady parts,
>what would you grow?

I have no idea whatsoever what zone 4 is, but if I could only grow one
thing I'd grow Godetia annua azaleiflora. I'ts in annual in my
climate, and it grows like a weed producing wonderful flowers in white
and pink shades. It can take some frost, and when the flowers are
gone, the seedheads are still interesting. Height is about 40 cm.

--Ceci
--
=====ceci@lysator.liu.se===========================================
"...men jag tycker {nd} att Emacs {r ett hyfsat OS." Lars Willfoer
 (...still, I think Emacs is a fairly good operating system.)
===================================================================
Xref: sparky rec.gardens:9193 bionet.plants:859
From: smallory@cudnvr.denver.colorado.edu
Newsgroups: rec.gardens,bionet.plants
Subject: Re: Seed germination for tropical plants
Date: 25 Jan 93 12:32:21 GMT
Followup-To: rec.gardens
Distribution: na

In article <1993Jan25.141952.1094@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>, abl9y@faraday.clas.Virginia.EDU (Andrew B. Lederman) writes:
> I recently acquired some tropical seeds (dwarf banana, bird of paradise,
> passion flower) and need some advice on how to get them started.  The problem 
> is that they require germination tempereatures between 80 - 90 degrees.
> 
> How can I provide adequate temperatures and humidity etc. in my cold apartment?
> I figure I could make some sort of mini greenhouse with an aquarium, but I don't
> know the best way to keep the temperature up.

For supplying heat, the cheapest way to go may be to go to a Salvation Army or
Value Village, or other place that sells used items very cheaply, and buy a
used waterbed heater with its thermostat. Check in the store to make certain
that it actually warm up when plugged in, however. This is can be set under a
used shower curtain with soil on top of it to make a germinating/rooting bed
for a very low price.
  This doesn't provide humidity, however, and I would be interested in learning
of an inexpesive way to maintain it.

Sean Mallory            (smallory@cudnvr.denver.colorado.edu)
University of Colorado, Denver
Newsgroups: rec.gardens