A Visit to Cistus Nursery
I rarely go to nurseries anymore since I work part-time at one and another reason being that I don't have much room for additional plants. When a garden fanatic runs out of room, the brain goes into overdrive, dreaming up ingenious ways to incorporate more plants. And another thing happens - a burning desire to obtain rare and unique plants. I've been moving plants around, a tricky process that has a domino effect. A plant is unhappy - it is getting too much shade or perhaps too much sun. There is a plant that did not get as large as you thought it would or it is just a slow grower and now it is hopelessly hidden behind a taller plant. Sometimes a plant is just a dud for reasons unknown (Rhododendron 'Golden Gate' anyone?). I find the plant in question a better home, but it means that another plant will have to be moved. And the merry-go-round continues to turn... However, for those plants that are to be discarded, a space opens up for a new one! I decided to move a Mou...
Good luck with the lawn, Phillip. At first I wondered why you weren't putting in St Augustine sod, which is what we see in Austin. Then I realized that Florence is zone 7, so the SA would be barely survive and be brown for too much of the year.
ReplyDeleteI hope the tall fescue works out for you - you've sure done your best. Our nurseries are also filled with things that will not grow here!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
That's quite a project, Phillip, but I'm sure you're up to the task. Sounds like you've done all the requisite research even if you were thrown for a loop when it came to choosing the grass. So many choices, and as you say, it doesn't help when Home Depot stocks items totally unsuitable for your area! They do that here too.
ReplyDeleteI've only ever sown patches in my lawn but you're right that the main ingredient when all is said and done is water, water, water! Good luck with it and be sure to keep us updated.
Phillip, where do you find the will-power and energy to do a major project like this in this awful heat? Y'all must have something extra special in your drinking water over in Alabama that we are lacking here! I have had to put my to-do list on hold until cool fall weather arrives, which might be January the way these crazy weather patterns are going. Best regards, Jon on 10-9-07
ReplyDeletePhillip, sounds like you will have fabulous green grass in no time. I have several projects to do but the day light is too short by the time I get home to get much done and the weekends are full of other things to do.
ReplyDeleteAs far as Home Depot and Lowes goes there are somethings I don't buy there because they don't have a clue. Any plants besides annuals I read the label closely because a perennial to them might be zone 7 to 10 and they are selling it in zone 5 or they don't put a zone on the tag at all just call it perennial. One good thing about Lowes and I don't know what Home Depot policy is but Lowes gives 1 year guarantee and they do honor that.
Good luck with the grass, Cliff
I used Lowe's grass seed to fill in patches in my lawn too--back when I still had some lawn. It came up well and looked much better than the grass from the sod. It took a couple weeks in my climate. First a few blades, then more, then it was a massive flush of green.
ReplyDelete