Hi – thought I'd pop in to say hello.

I most likely won't be joining this swap, but I'm just going through my seeds now to better organize and clean them out (been tossing seed for flowers <2018 onto the beds, some may start with winter rains if we get them). Because of how severe the drought is this year I didn't plant my 6 veggie beds and have the seed I'd ordered for this year – so I'm set in that regard.

Does anyone know if Geoseed is doing a fall sale this year? I know with the Covid survivalist push all the seed companies were swamped last year but had hoped to see sales appear. Called their number but the message is OLD (if you placed an order before Dec 31st.. , current orders taking up to 6 weeks, please don't leave a message if it's not an emergency.." .They're short staffed. So, it sounds like they wouldn't want to push for more sales. I won't place an order if there's not a sale. Don't really need anything, was just letting myself get carried away with lists.

It's been a horrid year for gardening with the two heat domes (I don't like cactus, not really a fan of succulents, and we're talking 112° for days on end), drought, fires / smoke from fires that sits for days and finally new regulations. There is a concept of not having anything burnable – no plants, mulch, rubber mulch, wood furniture – nada within 5 feet of the home or it's porches. Just cement, rock or bare earth at the foundation. All foundation plantings have to go. Embers fly on the wind, hit a house, slide down and catch fire on whatever is there. Even well watered plants and succulents dry out as a fire approaches. It's law in the Tahoe area and most likely will be law for all of us in forested areas by January. So, I'd been digging out my foundation plantings – with the hope to gift to our Master Gardener plant sales but the heat hit and they looked like hell, so most have become compost. The sad thing for me is the foundation plantings on the front were the only beds that got afternoon shade (no trees within 30 ft of house – big sunny fire cleared spot) so they were the only beds where many of the plants could flourish. And, every plant there was one I'd grown on from seed. Plus, my covered porches are where the best plants are – looking at having no plants on the porches is such a contrary concept. Let alone I have no good spot for plants I've enjoyed for so long. Many "full sun" plants here just wilt and turn brown. They appreciated that afternoon shade. I mentioned before Stokes US stopped selling to the public and has gone large commercial orders only. I think Geo was the only one who carried a few of the things I'd liked from Stokes. But with all the re-arranging and movement I should probably wait until next year before placing any large orders.

For the front foundation I'll move to rock with a birdbath, maybe a sun dial. Planning that. Looking at my pretty metal plant stands on the porches and still trying to visualize what I might do with those. I have a few ideas (maybe fairy houses from empty clay pots with gnomes and such for one) but nothing set yet. Since I'd rescued a whole litter of kittens years back and not adopted them out – I have too many cats to have indoor plants and I like my swirly metal plant stands and don't want to give them away.

Despite all that, I am starting cuttings from a few things that have survived this horrid year and the gopher and vole attacks as I figure I should plant more of those.

A few that have survived since the 2019 swap - the Penstemon (probably grandiflorus, Large-flowered Beardtongue ) lavender from @MrsBinWY, the lovely Antirrhinum majus Antiquity Lemon (and I have a few seed to do again this year) from @poisondartfrog, the Geranium pratense Hardy Geranium from @NatureCrone (although sadly I'll be donating that as it'll never take the sunny areas here), the Hibiscus moscheutos Blue River II from @luvsgrtdanes (also slated to make someone at a plant sale happy since it must come off the porch), the Tanacetum parthenium Flore Pleno Feverfew from @janinilulu (that I just sprinkle seeds on the beds and rip out when they get rangy and dry looking, they look so good in spring and just pop up from the seed) and the Coreopsis Baby Sun and Sun Kiss plus a few columbines from @ishareflowers. Many of you had also sent Poppies, Schizanthus and Violas all of which have been coming up each spring - so Thank You!

Sounds like you had a rough year Maggie! Sad you won't be joining us. Glad you're still in the game, though. It's amazing how uplifting a new bit of green in the long, dark days of winter is to me.

Thanks Michelle! I haven't completely decided. May do like I did a few years ago and just send this and the natives swap things I have folks want but not collect any back (then again, if I look, I might not be able to contain myself). I did start adding to my database - keep an Excel for myself as I don't like this site's one as a tracker. Up to about 90 now - once I get all my tomatoes in I'll probably hit the 100 number requirement. Given the signup number, I'm surprised how many are reaching that 100 number without adding traded seed (a rule I support as I think some packages go round and round for years). I've whittled down from 6 file boxes plus additional bags and jars to 3 file boxes this year and I think I have just a dozen bags and boxes to clean (plus a bunch of yogurt containers). My goal is to get down to just 2 file boxes, one veggies, one flowers. Seeing what I have, well, I didn't realize there were that many over the top collectors of their own seed here beyond the few of us who chat and post pics on the nftsrs. Always thought my seed collecting was over the top, knew a few here massively passed me on that but given my push to get to 100, there are more 'over the top' folks here than I'd thought!

Not sure if I'd shared but that Blue Knoll daisy from you had also come up for me. Cute one.

Hi Maggie ~ I am practically your neighbor, here in El Dorado County. I am thinking of joining this swap, but haven't got there yet.

We were evacuated for 3 weeks from the Caldor fire. I lost both the Bluestone and Annie's Annuals order that I had potted up as it was too hot to plant out by the time they arrived. My irises that were in pots did fine, but those lovely choice perennials are gone!

No more ordering plants in spring, just fall! So I have a lot more new seeds coming. They always give you more than you need...so maybe I will be joining. I got out my huge seed box and have to write down what I have to share, and that is going to take quite a while.

I have had some setbacks for about a year and a half with breaking an ankle (yes, in the garden!), and then a hip replacement. I have recovered sufficiently to be working in the garden and there is a lot to be done. I am a bit slower these days and it really aggravates me. The gardens are a mess and there is a lot to be done. With the fire, leaves started falling earlier and loads of pine needles...and a gazillion pine tree seeds!

Some of my 20 year old raised beds are falling apart, so today I began digging one out. It is the worst one, and my husband already picked up the lumber for it. There were a lot of tree roots in there as I dug, even with weedblock and hardware cloth. At least the gophers can't get through there. I hope to get that finished by tomorrow.

So I have to work outside as long as the yellowjackets aren't chasing me or it is too hot. Then I can come in and start to organize my seeds. (A gardener's work is never done!)

What kinds of plants do you grow there?

Faerygardener said:Not sure if I'd shared but that Blue Knoll daisy from you had also come up for me. Cute one.

Maggie ~ Oh! I have been wanting 'Blue Knoll' for the longest time. It always seemed to be out of stock when I went to order it.

You are not joining the swap this year? Actually, I am "almost" there. I have to start writing down my seeds...it's been a long time since I have joined a swap. I think the last one was "The Piggy Swap"

Hi @evelyninthegarden,
I hope you do decide to join us. The swaps here are the next best thing to the Piggy Swap, and the host has a MUCH easier job than Ella did.

We dib instead of oink, but the principle is about the same. There are still threads to chat on before, during, and after the swap.
There are wonderful packing lists to keep us organized, and we don't have to acknowledge oinks. The system automatically knows when we are out of a particular offering. Turn around is quick!
I believe Dave, the genius behind it all, has thought of everything.

Good to hear from you! Patricia/patrob

Patricia ~ Thank you for your encouraging words. It will take me a while to go through my seeds and see if they are fit to swap. Some of them are a little bit older, but I have purchased some new ones last night online. I just don't think I have 100 new packets to share. I certainly have more than 100 packs of seeds, though!

@evelyninthegarden - Yikes! 3 weeks is a long time to be evacuated. This year they staged in front of my house for getting an earth mover off the truck to go up the hill (maybe four blocks, the road gets narrower after me) for an early season fire we didn't have to evacuate for (they got it in a day) and I spent 2 nights away due to the Airola fire in August.I was on the line between mandatory and warning. For that the sheriffs had come out after dark banging on the doors with the flashing lights TWICE to let folks know we were in warning. I was glad I'd left before they got there as I"d have thought a fire was on their heels. Quite a few neighbors took RVs to just go spend the night somewhere - left me thinking a small RV would be a good thing to own! For the 2015 Butte fire I was away for almost a week but did come back during the day to water as it was only mandatory evac for a day. Once out I thought why go back before its more controlled? My pots aren't on drip as too many critters chew through them here. I'd as asked at a local farm how he handles it and he installs new ribbon drip every season.

A lot of folks hadn't caught the stricter fire regulations. Back in April, a news channel had shared this - that the regulations basically changed without what appeared to be notice. https://www.10news.com/news/lo... After that (my guess was threatened lawsuits but I don't know) it changed to have public comment until end of June. That's passed and it now is on the CA statewide code site https://leginfo.legislature.ca... You'll see 1 A - at all times ..an ember-resistant zone..within 5 feet of the structure Around E you can see for existing structures it will be enforced by Jan 2023. Most interpret this to mean if your place burns and an insurance adjuster sees remains that suggest planting - they wouldn't have to pay out as you didn't obey the law. It hasn't been highly publicized around here. An adjacent county supervisor was going nuts about the changes to roads - basically if your place burns and the road isn't X wide and less than X slope with curves of X angle - no on can rebuild on those lots.



This is now just a long swath of dirt with a few variegated liriope and catmint left to dig up (and the bulbs to rescue). Same with this one - just dirt and a few stragglers left. Lost these columbines but I have others as I'd been starting columbines every season to replace the ones gophers end up killing.

@evelyninthegarden Your question "What kind of plants are you growing?" Well, I skipped the veggie beds due to the drought but put one pepper, one Bride eggplant and a few tomatoes in pots. Tomatoes never do well for me in pots - in the beds yes, but pots no and this year is no different. As you know, the gophers don't have to eat plants to kill them - sometimes they just go around the roots making them dry out. I have hardware cloth under the veggie beds (that I've been thinking may need to be replaced but haven't had the strength or desire to dig them out) but I don't on the perimeter flower beds. This is a 5 acre or more lot area, but I've deer fenced an area around the house with a wood fence at the road (which was dirt until last year so always a dust storm with any traffic, the fence helped). The dwarf Pomegranate and White Profusion butterfly bush survive the gophers. I've been cutting back 3 Honeycomb Butterfly bushes to just toss as they're in a windier sunny spot and never look good. Spring is easy, summer not so much. The Phygelius (Cape Fuschia) bloom through summer and have been surviving the gophers even they've been digging around them so, I'm starting more of those. Potted Rudbeckia look good until about the end of July, but say now with cutting back I can get them blooming again. They look ratty Jul through Sept. The ones in the ground last through spring then tend to become gopher fodder or look ratty (we're on wells so I'm stingy with the watering). The Gaura Whirling Butterflies always looks good - if I bought seed I'd be getting Sparkle White. It's supposed to be more compact. The true dwarfs only come in pink and I don't want that. In the above post, the Moss Verbena / Hardy Verbena, Verbena tenuisecta Desert Jewels from seed bloomed all year - spring to hard frost. I like the bit deeper purple of Imagination verbena but it is not as hardy and where it'd come back, it struggled for awhile. In spring the Penstemons look great - native eatonni Firecracker and Rocky Mountain. They're cut back to just basal bits now.

I had been growing a lot of new F1 dwarfs (like 4 to 6 inch real shorties) to not have fuel like a larger plant. They were at the foundation planting with some shade - will try out the full sun perimeter beds but not sure how they'll do. The way things are going I'm wondering if it will just be daffodils in spring and nothing else (had a friend in Santa Cruz mountains and that was her garden - daffodils and nada).

Maggie ~ Your garden is lovely. I was wondering why our homeowners insurance company made us dig out all of our plants around the house. I didn't know that it was now a state law! Or is it local to our rural counties?

I was considering planting bulbs in front of the house, since they disappear after they bloom...but not fast enough! The yellowing foliage is not all that attractive right in front of the house....hmmmm, I just don't know. It looks so bare now.

Maybe I will just plant them elsewhere so they won't stick out like a "sore thumb" right in front of the house. Since I have been recovering, I hadn't kept up the gardens or landscape for about a year and a half, and now it really looks awful. I have been focusing on the "fenced garden area", where the deer, turkeys and jackrabbits cannot get in. I have weeded most of the beds, and I am going to re-do 2 of them. Have you ever grown Zauschnaria? I want to plant it along with baptisia, agastache, caryopteris, salvia, yarrow and other drought-tolerant plants in the re-newed beds. The sedum does great with little water and really looks so fresh. The ornamental oregano doesn't really look so great, so I'm taking it out.

I also have areas of drought-tolerant landscaping that have been neglected. The rosemary still looks pretty good, but Santolina has to be dead-headed and I now have 2 years of dead flowers on them! (Yuck!) Some other plants need attention as well. Euphorbia is another plant that hangs on to dead flowers from last year...(hanging my head in shame...) Well, it really wasn't my fault that I slipped and fell and broke my ankle...

There is a lot for me to do, and the weather will be cooling off soon, so I can work outside for a longer time. I just can't bear the intense heat we have been having...and the yellowjackets! They are awful this year. One trap is almost all the way full, and the other is half full. I'm going to put in some fresh bait tomorrow. (DH is emptying them out right now...ugh!)

Tomorrow is another day!

Evelyn

I'd thought the law was just for those of us in high severity fire areas https://osfm.fire.ca.gov/divis... but that doesn't appear how it's written. There is wording letting local departments make specifications and also wording that it won't be enforced until the Legislature funds it (which may or may not happen). It also mentions insurance companies can ask for more clearing than the law specifies. We'd asked out local fire chief for further info before the June comment period but he couldn't elaborate then.

I do love Annie's Annuals but you know her nursery is RIGHT on the bay - so humidity for her plants year round. I don't consider Baptisia or Caryopteris drought tolerant at all (had Caryopteris in the bay area, nice plant). Baptisia is native to the southeast U.S. - you know, wet country, rains a lot in summer. There is a Water Use of Plants database (WUCOLS) to check on if you're interested. UC had internet attacks and their servers were down a bit over the last few days if it doesn't open. Haven't grown Zauschnaria but we have it at the Calaveras Master Gardener Demo Garden and it is a nice one. Pretty much always have it for sale there. Love Yarrow but can't grow it as the gophers / voles also absolutely love it - that carrot type root really does it for them. Knew someone who touched their eye when working with Euphorbia and almost went blind - so I'm afraid to grow it even though it works around here (beware the sap). I do love the nana (short) Santolina - there's that nice grey one.



Salvias work very well and don't seem to get eaten. Lost my Salvia strata (above) in the whole digging out the front bit but I'll start more seed. I also have Victoria, a coccinea that YEARS back when I bought it the original Seeds of Change called it Texas Hummingbird Sage - but there's no such cultivar. It's exactly like Forest Fire always having that dark calyx and I have a young Regla. I've grown them all from seed. I'm starting more of my Teucrium hyrcanum Purple Tails - it survives in the 'bed with many gophers' - they eat around it but don't kill it.




Teucrium Purple Tails


Salvia Texas Hummmingbird Sage

I also lost my Cerastium Silver Carpet (snow-in-summer) and really like it. Doesn't bloom from seed until its second year and it's one of the ones I got from Stokes who no longer does US home garden sales. it's on my wishlist for seed to get / replace.



Believe it or not something here has always killed any rosemary I plant - I'm probably the only person in the Sierra foothills who gardens and doesn't have it. I also lose Lavender if you can believe it.

Maggie ~ Thanks for the "heads up" regarding baptisia. I guess that will save me some money as I was thinking of getting the plants ("Proven Winners"). I see I still have a lot to learn at my old age. I am tired of plants not looking their best under my care. I will be making extra efforts to get the remaining plants "tidied up".

What I do have that are successful are rosemary, broom, creeping germander, santolina, lavender and yes, euphorbia. I do not recall the species or cultivar's name, but they are small and variegated. (A few of them croaked when they weren't watered at all.) I am careful with those and always use gloves when handling them. When I clean up those, I put the leaves in a bag, like I do with the hellebores, along with thorny branches, instead of collecting for the burn pile for late fall.

The creeping junipers have been very slow to establish. The lambs ears seem to like more water and have also been slow to establish, but have never died. The cistus is extremely successful, but only in the fenced garden area. The deer have decimated any attempts at those and buddleias in the landscape areas.

So I guess I will stick with salvias, agastaches and zauschnerias for additions to the drought tolerant scene. However, I don't know if they will survive outside of the fenced garden area.

What have you been successful with, that the deer leave alone, besides the ones you mentioned?

The only thing I plant outside of the deer fenced area is daffodils. Tried crocus one year but they didn't come back, just got the first year bloom. Lambs ear for me looked ratty more than it looked good so I tore mine all out. I do let some things stay that look bad for a bit but they have to make up for it when they look good. A neighbor has a cistus border right at the road the deer seem to leave alone.

I thought today that I would not be able to participate, and how could I tell anyone? The internet was down all day today and most of yesterday as well. I am imagining that Verizon's cell towers are being repaired after the Caldor fire. Whew! It's a bit slow now, but it is working for now. If you don't hear from me, I have lost connectivity again.

I have begun to sort my seeds as well as new ones will be arriving this week and next. I will carry on!

Again, I have been offline for 2 days. I don't know what's happening with Verizon.???
I'll call them tomorrow on my land line.

I'll try to start listing my seed offers, IF I'm still online.

I haven't collected any of these, but I am enamored of the I. purpurea choices I grew this year. Planting where I kept a couple of chickens for a while seems to have benefited them. I guess I'm advertising for Ronnie, lol. The first one is hers.
They were too tall to photograph, almost, with huge leaves on Jamie Lynn, which I've had for years and years.

So pretty Alana!

Alana, they send the soul soaring up with them

poisondartfrog said:

Alana ~ Absolutely gorgeous!!!

Hi, everyone. Like most gardeners, I'm in the teardown process. I've seeded a lot of cool season vegetables, which I will plant as soon as I've made space for them. Still hack gardening here in central Florida - I am theoretically working toward edible landscaping, but rather than looking like Rosalind Creasy's beautifully planned acreage, my yard, which is larger than the average urban Florida lot, much more resembles a weedy jungle. I have problems removing things that aren't 100% dead. My tulsi, basil, and coleus (which I only ever planted once) all attract lots of honeybees, so I tend not to pull them - and they reseed everywhere! I really have to get tough.

But it's fun, and soul-satisfying, even if it's not every going to win my neighborhood Yard of the Month.