Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Perennial Plant Society and New Friends


Last night my friend Geri and I were treated to a REALLY awesome speaker's program on gardening with deer. I posted a little about Carolyn Hoyne earlier when I let you all know about ths month's program, so now is the follow-up. Not only is she a good gardener, but artist and speaker! She made the program fun for all and I could tell the crowd was impressed. I know I was!

I know SO many of you are living with deer in your garden, as does Carolyn-but she actually loves the deer. I found that quite odd coming from a gardener and landscape designer who gives this same talk professionally.

Carolyn has training in landscaping, and instead of trying to shoo the deer, she tries to garden with them. She looked around the forest and realized there was greenery in the forest where the deer lived, so why wouldn't there be greenery in your garden where the deer only visit occasionally?

Carolyn was most gracious in letting me snap a photograph of her and her husband for use on here. I really appreciated it! Carolyn tells me she is not a computer person-her husband is the big computer person. He told me that even though he is on the computer all the time he has NEVER read a blog, doesn't visit them, not interested. He said they can be too addicting. Here is the good part, I think both him and Carolyn will have to visit here to see this post and he even admitted as much! Who knows, he might even become a daily reader?!

Here is a list of Carolyn's deer resistant plants:

Deer Resistant Perennials
Achilea, aconitum, alchemilla, allium, anemone, anthemis, arisaema, artemisia, asarum, aristolochia, asclepias, astilbe, baptisia, belamcanda, bergenia, calamintha, caltha palustris, caryopteris, centaurea, convallaria, delphinium, dianthus, dicentra, digitalis, echinacea, echinops, epimedium, eupatorium, euphorbia, ferns, galium, gaillardia, gaura, ornamental grasses, helleborus, herbs-fuzzy, scented or pungent, hesperis, iris, lamiastrum, lamium, liatris, lychnis, mertensia, monarda, nepeta, paeonia, perovskia, physostegia, polygonum (Persicaria), pulmonaria, rheum, salvia, solidago, stachys, tanecetum, teucrium, thymus, verbascum, vinca, yucca

Deer Resistant Annuals
Begonia, dusty miller, datura, lantana, portulaca, purslane, salvia, verbena

Deer Resistant Shrubs
Berberis (Barberry), Buxus (Boxus), Hypericum (St. John's Wort), Kolkwitzia (Beautybush), Picea (Spruce), Potentilla, Spirea, Viburnum

Carolyn's Homemade Deer Deterrent
5 eggs (out of shell), 6 oz (3/4 c) hot sauce, 1 tsp liquid soap, some water.

Whirl in blender. Put in gallon container. Fill up with water. Shake. Let sit 5 days or more. Spray on plants.

Lola, a faithful commenter and reader, also sent me a deer deterrent recipe:

Fishy Homemade Deer Deterrent

3 tbls kelp, 1 c fish emulsion, 3 tbls liquid hand soap, 3 gal water.

Mix kelp, fish emulsion and soap in sprayer. Fill the (3 gal) sprayer to fill line with water. This smelly mixture will have to be reapplied every 7-10 days to ornamentals.

Hope these tricks and tips help you readers who have a deer or even a bunny problem. I am blessed here that I have neither, as are the deer because I would not be so nice as Carolyn. Thanks for a really good program Carolyn and PPS!

Another really wonderful part of the evening was meeting Gail, of http://clayandlimestone.blogspot.com/. Geri and I were running a bit late as the location was changed from its usual location. Though not far, in the dark in Bell Meade for some out of towners was DIFFICULT for us! So was getting home-too busy looking at the beautiful skyline of Nashville-sorry Geri!

Anyhow, Gail found me right away and we had a good time talking. I wished we could've talked much longer. I have blogged about the garden blogs before, but I really don't much about them and the blog community since this blog is published through an FTP on the Leaf's website. The fact this blog is published through an FTP on a local community website makes this blog, by its very nature a bit different. People visiting here will generally hear of it by word of mouth or by visiting the Leaf's homepage for information about the Clarksville area. Visiting most other garden blogs will start with a search for 'garden blogs', then you will select the one you are interested in based on your location, style of gardening, type of soil or whatever suits you! Once you visit one blog, you will usually find commenters there that you may want to visit as well. This is an easy process. There are literally thousands of GARDEN blogs all over the world and we all have the capability to talk to one another. (Can you say addicting?!) Of course you can't visit every single one nor comment on every single one, but it sure is nice to get other perspectives and ideas. I read about half a dozen each day, including the Tennessee garden bloggers, one in Indiana and a few others located around the country. Gail is very knowledgeable (YES! Lots of knowledge and ideas!) and it was good to get feedback from her and get her perspective on blogs in PERSON! Before too long we Tennessee garden bloggers will be quite a clan with folks like Dave at:http://thehomegarden.blogspot.com/, Craig at: http://harvistry.blogspot.com/ and Frances at: http://www.fairegarden.blogspot.com/ and others.

Gail was a very good sport in letting me take her picture with my friend Geri. That is her to the right of Geri. Geri was an even bigger sport because she does not like her picture taken. You all have heard me talk about her many times before because we garden well together and have become really good friends throughout the past few years. You will hear about her again. I have also featured pictures of her garden on here-so not only are you seeing my garden, you are also seeing hers-and she doesn't even need a blog-seems a little unfair I am doing all the work! Now you have a face to go with the name. These two ladies are good gardeners and it was an awesome night for not only the program but for old friends and new friends too!

P.S. Geri DOES read this blog (though not each day-shame on you!), but I doubt she will ever comment as she is SO not a fan of computers. But I expect we will all get to know Gail and Dave even better as time goes on, because they comment frequently. Both Gail and I are looking forward to meeting Dave next month if the situation dictates.

in the garden....

9 comments:

  1. Thanks for the plug!

    So far I have only had a deer or two in the 20 years we have lived here but each day more land in the ridges around our neighborhood are unfortunately clear cut for housing developments. Sigh.

    I'm going to go early to the PPS next time so I can socialize a little with the members, other wise we are sitting in the dark listening to a power point presentation;) Usually good presentations I am told.

    See you,
    Gail

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  2. Thanks, a very good blog. I like the pics. Now I have a face to go with names. Bet you all had a blast.

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  3. hi gail, it was great to meet with you too. we usually get there early as well. lots of plants and people. see ya there!

    hey lola-how are you in sunny florida? the eclipse is supposed to be going on tomorrow night as well. it was so awesome. i actually have pictures from one we saw a few years ago. i may post them. they are actually good pictures. but look tomorrow!

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  4. oh dear, my news channel is saying no more lunar eclipse. i may post a photo or two. it is cool. but it won't hurt to look tomorrow lola. if you see it make sure to let the grandkids, great grandkids and kids know so they can see it.

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  5. The eclipse was really neat. We watched it through the pine trees from the sunroom windows. A beautiful picture of it was on the front page of our paper this morning.

    Thanks for the list of deer resistance plants. I will copy them and keep them handy for new additions to the yard...

    We got the tree trunk down and the shed addition framed before we ran out of sunlight yesterday. Hopefully we can get some more work on it today before the rains start to fall. Calling for rain the next three days…

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  6. skeeter, oh dear-rain will definitely slow down building the shed addition. good luck today!

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  7. I'm with Lola that it is good to see a face to go with a name that has become a part of my daily life!
    Tina the next time you girls get together you should have the waitress take a pic of all you girls.

    I am also like Geri in that I don't often comment on blogs (other than yours) but I do read the blogs each day of Dave, Gail, Craig and Frances.

    Geri if you read this I was hoping to meet you last summer as I have heard so much about you but it just did'nt work out so maybe next time.

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  8. mom, i don't like my picture taken. but we'll see. never thought about it. the one time i was on here other than my "mug", it was a far away picture so that was good and okay. geri will probably tease me since i got her picture and she was so good about it. it is very hard to get her picture. her daughter is claire, who was on here at the garden club party in december.you'll definitely meet geri next time. it was so hot and time was limited last summer, but soon. she is way nicer than me and soooo laid back. we two make a perfect compliment and seem to always be on the same sheet of music. right down to volunteering this year at the lawn and garden show. we had done it two years in a row. when i called her i said i didn't want to do it this year. you was surprised and said, we are so alike. she didn't want to either! the bonus was getting in free, but the drawback was time. it takes long enough driving down there as it is. we just want to shop. last year there were tornado warnings and some school closed. concerned us because of our kids. but all was ok. enough for now. garden club tonight. busy week for me.

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  9. saw geri at garden club last night. will put out a post later today about garden club. but she DID read the post and your comments mom. she even forwarded it to her twin sister in colorado. she is like i said, why comment when we talk or see each other so much? but even if we didn't, she would not comment. computers are SO not her so i am glad she at least looked!

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