What's going on in your garden (2018-2022)?

[JAS_OH1]

I am well familiar with that weather having been brought up in Scotland and unable to get to school or anywhere for weeks at a time due to snow. I've even been in the situation of supplies having to be airlifted in and dropped as close as possible on one infamous occasion.

I was looking at varieties and have no idea which one I should be looking for? I have no idea what the bay tree/bush my mother had was. I just know it was great in soups, stews, and seafood boil seasoning.

 

[JAS_OH1]

Its fine I think. I have three large pots of bay and one is in permanent shade. I don't really need three large pots of bay...

Scotland isn't much better, particularly the west coast. I never saw problems. It was just slow growing.
North west coast England similarly. I've been in both with temps down to -20°C. And the UK isn't exactly known for getting too much sun.


Australia isn't all sunshine and desert. If it was, I would never have come here even for a short period on secondment.

My tree here in Australia in the cold alpine region and it gets too much sun and the UV is notoriously high (15) for long periods of the day through winter. It hates that and you can clearly see it is stressed. Most of the garden benefits from shade cloth that we've erected. Everything in the veg plot needs it. Remove it and even in mid winter things will be wilting when it hasn't made it to 5°C outside so it is a particularly hardy tree.

The one on the veranda grows better than the one in the garden and that sees no direct sun at all year round. On the big one, the best leaves are deep inside on the side that doesn't get any sun.

Could you both please send me a pic of your bay trees and the varietial name?

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Could you both please send me a pic of your bay trees and the varietial name?

I can't help on the large establish tree because I've only just identified it as a bay tree and my neighbour thinks it is a different variety to hers but the one in the tub has this label, but it isn't a named variety by the looks of things.

As you can see, I don't exactly follow the instructions for the full sun part shade because in the veranda it gets full shade, no sun! My veranda faces east and gets no rising sun because of the huge pines at the front of the house blocking out the light (needed in summer months) . Experience has shown me it struggles more with heat than cold. This potted plant has been down at -10°C for several winters with daytime figures reaching zero. It also got no sunshine were we used to live (last place).

If you get a young plant it will adapt to your conditions better but will take several years to establish because they are very slow growing.

 

[JAS_OH1]

I can't help on the large establish tree because I've only just identified it as a bay tree and my neighbour thinks it is a different variety to hers but the one in the tub has this label, but it isn't a named variety by the looks of things.

View attachment 84713
As you can see, I don't exactly follow the instructions for the full sun part shade because in the veranda it gets full shade, no sun! My veranda faces east and gets no rising sun because of the huge pines at the front of the house blocking out the light (needed in summer months) . Experience has shown me it struggles more with heat than cold. This potted plant has been down at -10°C for several winters with daytime figures reaching zero. It also got no sunshine were we used to live (last place).

If you get a young plant it will adapt to your conditions better but will take several years to establish because they are very slow growing.

Yeah, I am likely going to have to order one, since it's doubtful our plant nurseries will have any.

My sister sent me a gardenia bush (my favorite flower) for Christmas and I failed miserably at keeping it alive. It didn't make an entire year. That's the reason I doubted being able to keep a bay tree alive, because in Florida our bay tree and gardenia bush were right next to each other.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Yeah, I am likely going to have to order one, since it's doubtful our plant nurseries will have any.

My sister sent me a gardenia bush (my favorite flower) for Christmas and I failed miserably at keeping it alive. It didn't make an entire year. That's the reason I doubted being able to keep a bay tree alive, because in Florida our bay tree and gardenia bush were right next to each other.

I've had to look up your hardiness zones and as far as I can tell, I'm probably in 7-8 and it has no issues with the cold. 7 with occasional 6 is probably what I used to live in in the UK. (So down to -15°C... i honestly don't know if the plants survived the -20°C temps for 2 weeks that it wad down at that.

 

[JAS_OH1]

I've had to look up your hardiness zones and as far as I can tell, I'm probably in 7-8 and it has no issues with the cold. 7 with occasional 6 is probably what I used to live in in the UK. (So down to -15°C... i honestly don't know if the plants survived the -20°C temps for 2 weeks that it wad down at that.

Yeah, I am up in NE Ohio close to NY and PA. Our zone is 5. Tasty is in 6. But I might try to put it in a pot and bring it in the winter, especially since it will likely arrive as a small plant.

 

[caseydog]

Mine have survived zero temperatures.

We get colder than that even here in North Texas. I can, however, move potted plants into the garage as needed. It never gets below freezing in there. But, that's a lot of effort, and you have to watch the forecast carefully, and remember to do it.

CD

 

[caseydog]

Yes. I suppose it is rather warmer here in South East England. We do get sub zero sometimes but not as low as Ohio I'm sure.

Your temperatures are moderated by the Gulf Stream Current -- for now.

CD

 

[caseydog]

The garden is starting to take shape..Usually I have to clean out the perimeter of the back yard first as it is full of perennials and by the time Fall rolls around it is full of a bunch of other stuff that we have no idea where it came from. I finished it yesterday. Now, to turn my attention to the vegetable patch..garlic is coming up well, and I'll begin to till again this week..Probably put in some stuff like spinach, potatoes, maybe something else..I have a bunch of stuff started in the basement under the grow lights..herbs, tomatoes, my marihoochie. Will start the cukes and zukes next week..most other stuff I start with seed in a couple of weeks. Our last frost can be as late as early June so there is still no hurry to get stuff going

My sister lives in a nice, gated community in Houston. Two young men bought the house across the street. They were very nice to everyone.

One day, my sister came home from work and the street was full of police cars and Black Suburbans (the Feds drive those).

Seems these enterprising young men had turned the entire house into a hydroponic farm inside, with a fine crop of marihoochie.

CD

 

[caseydog]

I've had to look up your hardiness zones and as far as I can tell, I'm probably in 7-8 and it has no issues with the cold. 7 with occasional 6 is probably what I used to live in in the UK. (So down to -15°C... i honestly don't know if the plants survived the -20°C temps for 2 weeks that it wad down at that.

I am in Zone 8. I used to be in Zone 7, but global warming shifted the lines North.

CD

 

[Rocklobster]

My sister lives in a nice, gated community in Houston. Two young men bought the house across the street. They were very nice to everyone.

One day, my sister came home from work and the street was full of police cars and Black Suburbans (the Feds drive those).

Seems these enterprising young men had turned the entire house into a hydroponic farm inside, with a fine crop of marihoochie.

CD

Thanks to our current Liberal government it is now legal here..a few years too late as I rarely partake any more..makes for good birthday and Christmas presents..

 

[Lullabelle]

We had a lot of rain today so the front lawn was too wet to mow however weeding was easy due the ground being soft.
Tomorrow evening we will see what the weather is doing/has been doing, then decide if the lawn gets done.

 

[JAS_OH1]

My husband finally put the cayenne pepper powder around the front deck of my son's wing of the house where "Stewie" the ground hog was living. Stewie emerged about 10 minutes later and I saw him cross the driveway towards our neighbor's house, looking quite disgruntled. Hopefully he won't come back.

 

[Lullabelle]

 

[JAS_OH1]

Here too. April showers came late this year!