Marti: would looking into the Sedum forum help?

Your welcome Marti. It is so good to see you gardening again.

Well, at least I'm trying. I need to replace my elderberry bushes. When I left for Calif in 2011, I dug them up and gave them to a DG friend. Now I'm back and replacing everything.

So much to look forward to.

Hi, Marti

I live west of Bowling Green, we have been in Somerset before fishing on the Cumberland Lake. It is a pretty area.

I have started tall sedums from the stems too. A friend is wanting some of my bicolored one that is a slow grower, so when they come back up I had rather do that than split the clump.

Elderberry bushes? Are they like blueberry bushes?

Elderberry bushes can get quite tall and out of control in the wild in Calif. Here because of going dormant in the winter I havn't seen really big bushes. But I want some and its getting to hard for me to climb around in the woods trying to find them and than pick them. I know were a big group of them are, but to get to them you have to climb thru wild roses, blackberry vines, with lots of thorns, and of course don't forget the ticks. Elderberry ripen in July and August. You can not eat elderberries off the bush, they must be cooked first. I love Elderberry Jam.

My grandmother used to pick them from the wild ones that grew in the ditch.She made pie about once a year. Very seedy but the jam was delicious when added to chrismas fruitcake

OK, I thought maybe a new hybrid was out. I have made the jam in the past too. Very unique. The wild ones in our woods seem to grow on a tall, slender trunk. When they are ripen it tends to lean over.

Yes the sprays of berries get heavy and lean over. Out in Bakersfield, CA I found some elderbery bushes that were a good 20 feet tall. Hard to get at the berries! But there were hundreds of bushes and I always got more than I could use. I would take them home and put them in the freezer for about 1 hr, than take them out and put the berry heads in a plastic bag and bang it and all the berries will fall off, than I put them in containers or freezer bags and frozen them for later use.

You put the whole clump in the freezer? I am not following you. If so that would be much easier that picking them off lol.

Finally posting my container photos here...my niece as a joke gave me these little "bathtub and sink" didn't know what to do with them so...

Yes, you put the entire clump in the freezer. That way they get hard and won't be damaged when you do the rest of the process of removing them from the stems.

Greg that is so cute, and just look at how fat and glossy the sedum beads are.

I find that once frozen, I can hold the clump in a large plastic bag and give it a little bang on the side and most of the berries just fall into the bag. Saves pulling each on off.

Back to containers. Found some information from the College Of Agriculture/Cooperative Extension Service of University of Kentucky about container, square foot and raised bed gardening. They have a great piece about using tire towers to grow root veggies. I'm going to go to the Extension Office tomore and see what else I can find to help me in my container gardening.

Do you have a link? My oldest girls both are grads from U of KY. Love to visit their arboretum.

bluegrassmom, I got the information off of some papers left at the Somerset library.
It says; UK Cooperative Extension Servide
University of Kentucky - Coolege of Agriculture
Gardening in Small Spaces by R.E. Durham and D.B. Hill
Extension Specialists
Department of Horticulture and Department of Forestry

It also says for more information on specific vegetable crops to consult
ID-128, Home Vegetabel Gardening in Kentucky
and ID-133 Vegetable Cultivars for Kentucky Gardens
That these forms are available from your local County Extension Office.

There was also a paper about Perennials for Sunny Locations and one about bulbs for spring, summer & fall.
I found all three reports very informative and am going to find the local extension office and see what else they have to help me. I am used to gardening in Calif.

Where do you live in KY? I am in Somerset.

I am west of Bowling Green about 30 miles. North of Nashville.

I have a friend that lives in Greensburg. Maybe the next time I head that way I'll let you know and we can meet up.