@lovemyhouse, Debra.... You can surround the emerging poison ivy with a can, plastic bottle, or any other kind of container and spray the brush killer into the container and still protect your treasured plants. I use a gentle spray and try to get full coverage. I also generally leave the container in place for a few hours, so that a prized plant doesn't get harmed if there is even a little bit of a breeze. So far, applying brush killer this way has not harmed near by plants. I am chasing poison oak and not poison ivy.
@pirl, Arlene ... thanks for telling me where to find those little flags. I can't find them in the hardware stores up here, but I'll go looking next time I am down the mountain for grocery shopping.
@CarolineScott, Caroline ... we always have a winter thaw at the end of January or early February. Most of the roses put out new growth, but I've learned to ignore it because winter is not over. Since I don't prune until later in the spring, there is no doubt that the new growth will be frozen. I don't have winter die back in this garden, so I don't do any winter protection and just prune as necessary when the forsythia blooms. As for other plants, I am still experimenting to find plants that will work up here. Of course, I am gardening in a warmer zone than you are, so my cold temps are not as severe.
@gemini_sage, Neal ... the most difficult part of gardening in my climate is the hot dry summer heat in the high 90s to low 100s for 3 to 4 months. Wonderful for drought tolerant plants. However, the winters are too wet for them. In a dry year we get 25 to 30 inches of rain and 40 to 50 inches in a wet year. Drought tolerant plants really don't like my winters. Also, many of them cannot tolerate snow cover for even a day, so I am out there shaking snow off of the plants when I really want to be inside next to the fire. The best thing about my garden is that I have perfect drainage. It can rain for days and there are no puddles.
Finding plants that can handle the dry summers and wet winters is a huge challenge for me.
Smiles,
Lyn
