Name that tree

[Cereus-validus]

Yes you have said that.

However, Paulownia tomentosa is the weedy species running rampant over the countryside and that is where he saw it, not planted in someone's garden.

[Gardñ]

escapee in news: [e-mail]:

fwiw

[Gardñ]

[e-mail] (Bill Oliver) in news: [e-mail]:

[Cereus-validus]

Your link is too long, Farkleberrybush.

Why not make you point in words?

[Cereus-validus]

No Farkleberrybush.

We've already established that the plant is Paulownia tomentosa not some legume.

If you actually lived in the eastern US, you would see the plant in bloom along the roads.

BACEAE

[escapee]

[Cereus-validus]

There you go taunting those highly paid plant scientists working at the garden centers again. Its bad enough that they are forced to make fools of themselves on a daily basis catering to the great unwashed minions. Now you have to remind them of the limits of their wisdom too?

Its bad enough that they are forced to sell the crap plants to the public. You have to remind them that the crap is actually a threat to the environment too? Should they be held responsible for any damage these plants might do? Its not as though they humiliated Iraqi terrorist prisoners that killed innocent citizens and American soldiers. (We don't want terrorists to feel bad for committing unspeakable evil acts, do we?) What do you want from them a apology?

[escapee]

Yeah, fancy that, huh. We have a problem with hydrilla down here. If they think that's bad, wait till the loosetrife plants itself everywhere up and down the lower Colorado River. Eh. What garden center pays high? I want that job! ")

Now, as for Rumsfeld...he should be stripped naked and made to perform on dubya on Iraqi television. That would be some good watchin.

As for the prisoners being terrorists, well, I don't know who or what they are, but I thought Americans were operating under the Geneva Conventions and that soldiers who hold prisoners captive were properly trained. Guess not.

oh well

[gardengal]

It isn't the fault of the employee that these huge mega box stores are selling noxious weeds. These companies are trying to get the customer to spend all their money there by creating a one stop shopping experience. (That's why you will find air-conditioners next to out door furniture. < grin>) They have no experience with gardening or flowers--everything that is sold is a choice of someone at 'corporate', in some distant place, who has no idea of the local growing conditions or laws. (In Idaho it is illegal to import garlic and onions from out of state. You must buy from a local grower. This prevents white mold from spreading. But every year Wally-world brings it in extremely early, on big trucks,in the middle of the night.) I call the county extention agent or the State Agricultural board--they have the right to come in and demand paperwork and levy fines. They also enforce local noxious weed laws. Contact your county agent and explain the situation--in farm country enforcement of agricultural laws- like noxious weeds- is taken seriously. Disease like white mold can devastate entire crops. But please lay of the poor wage slave--it's hard work ( been there-done that) This is an example of just one more reason to patronise local merchants and garden shops--even if the prices are a little higher.

[escapee]

This is a two store, high end garden center. It's called Red Barn Nursery and Garden center. It's not a huge box store, doesn't have air conditioners next to plants and the person I spoke to is the horticultural manager who oversees purchases and sales of perennials. Clearly she was selling Lysimachia vulgaris and she denied it was "the same one" that's noxious. I indeed did contact the local environmental groups and hopefully they will address it immediately. I grow very tired of pompous nursery workers, managers and the like who look down their noses at customers because they point out something very obvious. She was very rude and contrite.

[Cereus-validus]

Its bad enough when the dolts don't know anything about the plants they sell but when they try to pass themselves off as experts at the same time, that's it.

Got into a disagreemant about some local celebrity that works at a local well-known nursery. Some one said that she has been a manager there for several years and really knew her stuff. I said she only knows what she reads on the plant tags and after all these years she should have retained at least some basic info about the stuff they sell.

[gardengal]

My apologies--It sounded like you had visited a big box. No, that's no way to treat a customer. I actually enjoy customers who have some knowledge of what they're doing--it makes them more interesting to talk to. I hope your environmental groups have some sucess.

[styxx374]

Yes, I made the mistake of planting purple loosestrife a couple of years ago. It's a serious workout trying to pull it out in the spring.....

[Bill Oliver]

Thanks, but this is being done on a *very* limited budget. This is one of those "the joy is in the building as much as in the product" kind of efforts. That's one of the reasons I'm breaking it into small chunks, so that each will be manageable in time and resources.

billo

[Bill Oliver]

Heh. I've already found that. I was talking to my neighbor recently, who told me that the previous owner had spent most of his time of ownership just trying to clear the land. The problem is magnified because either he or the first owner seems to have dumped all the old wood from the clearing right at the edge -- so I not only have to fight all the brush, but have what seems like hundreds of old dead trunks lying right out of sight on the other side of the visual barrier of the first layer of brush.

It's a problem. The one good thing is that the county dump here welcomes brush and old tree trunks, if they are sawed down small enough to fit in the back of a pickup. The county grinds it all and then gives away the result as free mulch. You can come on Saturday mornings; they have a frontloader that will fill a pickup with mulch for you. Thus, if I can cut things down to a reasonable size, I can at least get rid of it.

Right. I am concentrating on the basic hardscape -- paths, trellises, fences, retaining walls, etc. as well as the larger borders first, mostly because it will define the space and the border and focus plants take longest to mature.

That's what I'm hoping. It's also another one of the reasons I'm working with small spaces -- I hope that when people aren't in one of the spaces, being in a nearby one will not disrupt wildlife nearby.

Yes, I already made that mistake and learned from it. I started with a few beds right next to the house -- the space between the garage and front porch, etc. -- and planted some perennials and groundcover just to keep the grass and clover out. The clay was so hard I had to turn it with a pick before I could use a tiller on it. I didn't have any sand handy, and didn't have money to buy any that week, so I mixed it with topsoil and some mulch I had on hand. It has already settled and is hard as rock again (though the plants are doing fine). The next area I did later and I added sand to it; it is doing better.

Thanks!

billo

[Suja]

Get as much of that mulch as you can. It's great for your garden. The county gives away free mulch and free leaf mold (fall-early spring), and I've basically been using these for building my flower beds out of icky, clay soil. You won't believe the difference between the mulched areas and the unmulched areas after a couple of years.

I am going through my ForestFarm catalog, crosschecking the plants against my Sunset Gardening Guide, and making lists of plants that are wildlife friendly. It's a slow process, but I'm enjoying it, and learning a lot.

Keep topdressing the beds with compost, and use mulch for weed suppression. The quality of the soil will improve greatly over time. I've basically been building the flower beds by laying down layers of newspaper, putting down leaf mold on top of it, and leaving the whole thing alone for at least 6 months, generally a year. Between the freeze-thaw and all the earthworm activity, this stuff gets down fairly deep, and improves the soil. You can plant right into the top layer, and it saves an awful lot of work.

Suja

[Gardñ]

[e-mail] (gardengal) in news:954d2759.0405082147.32cf8d66 @posting.google.com:

but not in suburban areas. :-(

check regularly

if you like to feel slightly depressed :-)