I’ve started cleaning all my houseplants that lived outside this summer. I don’t want a bug invasion this winter so each leaf needs to be cleaned – I do have a commercial spray but mostly I wash with Dawn dishwashing liquid and warm water.
Does anyone know if this gardening “fact” is correct? You can’t grow hostas under maple trees. I have an entire corner of my yard planted to hostas that just barely stay alive – under a maple tree. In front of the piano room I planted miniature hostas along the rock foundation two years ago. Most have died – also under a maple tree.
So many readers mention the prices of thrift store items I bring home. The large pieces are cheap – but the small decorative pieces such as a little sign about being a princess originally from Walmart was priced at $3! It was all I could do to leave this wonderful cupboard there last week – full size lumber indicating its age. $30!!!
Just finished a Netflix series called The Accident – it was pretty good but the best part was the scenery as well as the homes in Mexico.
Reader photos
Marcia recently visited Scotland and Ireland and was lucky enough to view these antique quilts.
Diane in Colorado enjoys raw edge applique – I love this wall quilt – Kaffe fabrics in a color way I’d never think of. Diane – I wish I could take you to view my friend Barb’s raw edge quilts! I cannot comprehend how she manages it.
And here’s the limb that had everyone wondering if there was a little bear in my grove.
I have had hostas under our maple tree for many years. They do fine. I’ll send a picture, although they are not their best now as it is near the end of the growing season. It is still hot today in north central Indiana. It was to be 91 today. Only in the 70s for several days coming up. We did get 3/4 inch of rain last evening; it had not rained for some time. Radishes are doing well and spinach is coming up. I am ready to take out the tomatoes and pepper plants. Hope to get outdoor gardens cleared soon, before surgery to repair my broken foot bone. I’ll be out of commission for a while. Not looking forward to using a knee scooter. I enjoy your photos on the farm and those pictures from the readers.
Judy – I can’t understand why I can’t get hostas to grow here under my maple trees – you must have had a second planting of radishes and spinach?
I’ve planted 3 times since mid August now enjoying the first two plantings of radishes. No spinach appeared until the third planting. Maybe it was too hot. The last spinach that I planted last fall wintered over and I picked 4 times this spring before my husband decided it was time to til for this year’s crops. I don’t know how much longer we will plant the garden at its current size. The ground keeps getting farther away. 😊
At our previous home, we did not have good luck with hostas under our soft maple tree. We now have three large oaks in the back yard; the hostas under them do really well.
Love the hay bales! Thanks, Mary 🥰
Mary,
Hello! I’m back from 5 days away with my sisters and cousins. Catching up on the blog today. Wanted to say the post on 9-15 was so beautiful! All the fall decorations and beautiful quilts! And Patti in Florida, I’m very impressed with your fabric storage.
Last week I put out an old metal wheelbarrow in my front garden for decorations and filled it with real pumpkins of all sizes. Today, at two o’clock in the afternoon, I had a woodchuck standing up beside the wheelbarrow eating a hole in one of the pumpkins!!! And he had knocked one small pumpkin off my front porch and down my sidewalk and had eaten almost half of it! Not to mention he crushed one of my dahlia plants and was snacking on a mum too. Pretty bold for the day time I think.
Well, have to finish catching up on the posts tomorrow, too tired now! Take care.
Sunflower – hope you had a great trip! Just FYI – woodchucks are not nocturnal so they’re awake during the day but to come out in the open so boldly is surprising.
It would have been hard for me to pass up that antique cabinet for $30. I wouldn’t have the room for it but that never stopped me from a good bargain.The wood is just beautiful.
The weather has been unusually warm for this time of the year, here in northern Wisconsin. The leaves are changing colors but, seem washed out because we haven’t had much rain lately. Supposed to rain tomorrow. We usually get such brilliant colored leaves every year.
As usual, the quilts and fall decorations are so fun to see.
My favorite is that antique quilt with all the hand work! Wow! What a lot of work! I love all the fall colored quilts!!
Mary, why don’t you give away some of your plants so you don’t have to carry them in! ☺️. I know you won’t but it would make it easier..
It must be the week for procedures. I have my first cataract surgery tomorrow and the next one next week. I hope Rita and marline have a fast recovery!
Joy – I’ve tried to give some away – nobody wants them.
Mary, Your local thrift store might take donated plants. There are several in my area who are happy to accept plants. In fact, I just donated a Christmas cactus to a thrift store this week. I called ahead to see if they would take it because it was huge. When I dropped it off, they told me they already had it sold. Might be worth a try if you want to downsize your plants.
Connie – now that’s an idea I’ve never thought of.
Joy – did you want some plants?
Hi Mary, I have a maple tree in my back yard and have hostas and a white bleeding heart and a maiden hairs fern. Mine is a Japanese maple. But there are some spots nothing will grow-same issue roots are very shallow. I bought some huge black pots and have put hostas in some, Japanese painted ferns in another. I didn’t dig them in to the dirt in fact they are sitting on a brick to raise them up. I’ve had them for years. We had very cold temps without snow to protect and they did fine. I was worried about them freezing. So far so good. I also have hydrangeas in pots too in a spot that things won’t grow.
According to Google, maple trees roots grow near the surface and suck all the water, so the hostas won’t grow well. And the leaves are not good for mulch for a garden. I love the tall closet type container. I’m looking for something like that for my entryway.
So many areas to enjoy! The antique quilts, the reader quilts, hay bale whimsy, thrift store treasure (or temptations!) thank you all for sharing. Mary Goodwill on Gordon Drive in Sioux City had 2 platform rockers on Sunday. $20. Didn’t test them out. Too far?
Bonny – yes, too far ☹️
My neighbor has hostas around the base of all his sugar maple trees, so that he doesn’t have to worry about mowing close to the trunks. The hostas do well.
Vicki – someone said they’ll grow under sugar maples but not Norway maples.
I have over 50 hostas under my sugar maple. I’ve heard it’s hard to grow plants under Norway maples.
Fall decor has so many vibrant colors. I love to see fall decorations. Traveling many years ago through Ohio was what drew me to loving fall colors. The Amish white homesteads and farms with all their colorful mums, pumpkins and hay bales were one after another.
I’m breathing a sigh of relief today as I was summoned for federal jury duty. I was to report today and be on call for the remainder of the year till December 18. It’s a 3 month commitment. Thankfully I got excused.
Kathy – I’m so glad you got excused! Jury duty is no fun!
Interesting comments about Maples/hosta issue. I experienced trying to grow plants near a walnut tree and it does not work at all.
The antique quilts that I enjoyed viewing at the Scotland quilt museum were amazing plus learning the history of them. Yes their quilting was just like ours which I was not expecting.
SW Ohio needs rain. We had a few sprinkles last night but that was all. Crops are being harvested so it is very dusty.
Marcia – the quilts were spectacular – I’ll bet it was fun viewing them in person. Yes, extremely dusty here and will be worse once the corn harvest begins. Thanks for your pictures, Marcia!
Mary I love that you show us your thrift store wanderings. Did not know about planting things under Maple trees, I have some issues with Black walnut trees. Pretty hit and miss.
Marcia thanks for sharing you quilt pictures. Nice to see what quilts were like in other countries.
The wall quilt is fabulous,thanks for sharing.
Susan I love your quilt what size are your HST. It takes a lot of planning.
Thanks for all the fall decorations, lots of though and planning goes into ithe arrangements. Great pictures of the hay bale critters and pumpkin 🎃.
Had my knee replacement on Monday and all went well. Came home Tuesday afternoon. Pain level was pretty high after all the pain blockers went out. Did have a good night sleep though so maybe today will be better.
Rita – hang in there – it’s gets easier! My friend Marline had a knee done last week – I’m taking her some food today. Wish I could bring some to you!
Rita the Hst blocks finish at 2 7/8”. A weird size and I can’t remember what size squares I cut first. The quilt top is 88”x88”.
I have several hostas under a Japanese Maple and they are very happy. Maybe the Japanese maples don’t have such active root systems? I will keep an eye on them now though.
Just a simple limb! HaHa My eyes (mind) were playing tricks on me.
The round hay bales are hilarious. A lot of imagination there. All the quilts and decorations are wonderful!
I had the same problems with growing hostas user a maple tree. I was given some beautiful starters and they all died within a year. I even had some beautiful bushes there before the hostas and they didn’t last either. I never thought about it being a maple tree issue. I have hens and chicks there now and they are holding on but you can’t see them from the road.
Love the super old quilts from Ireland. My sister and I visited a fabric shop in Ireland. We were not impressed at all. It was like quilting was not a very big hobby. Knitting seemed to be the thing there.
I can’t stay asleep tonight! Will try again. That’s my biggest beef about getting older, sleep issues!!
Kathy from Wadsworth Ohio
hostas under maples have serious troubles as the maple tree roots aggressively invade the hosta’s growing space and will eventually choke them out. shallow rooted plants (ajuga, veronica, etc) do best. if you really want to grow something under your maple (or oak for that matter), i suggest digging a pot into the ground and growing in that. (the pot will need to be removed each year and emptied of all the maple roots that will grow into the bottom, but it sure does look pretty in the meantime) ps. sure do enjoy your daily posts!!
Kit – thanks for reading but your idea/solution is a lot of work! Maybe I don’t care?
love the hay bale decorations.wonderful. great price on that large cabinet. i noticed the desk next to it. would be a good writing desk with drawers for stationary and envelopes, etc. i realize that is not used as often as it used to be.
susan k, your red/cream quilt is fabulous. i love it. and then the orange half square triangles with black and the applique on the borders. just lovely. love diane’s kaffe wall quilt with the fall fabrics – just my style and lovely raw edge applique. i like that style applique also. thanks for sharing the quilts from scotland and ireland. i love the log cabin one – looks like maybe velvet, wool? love the colors.
had visit with eye doc. doing okay. explained why letters will go in and out – really weird – is because of the small hole in the macula. apparently the right eye will help or carry the weight.
i’m super tired – must be from being in the hospital with so little sleep. have no clue. but i’m ready for bed. i know i’ve missed something but hope you all will forgive it tonight. hope all sleep well. mary, in my opinion dawn will take care of anything you need it to take care of. bye. patti in florida