South Texas gardeners?

I live in San Antonio. Throughout the summer, most of my yard is in heavy, heavy shade. I love color but I'm tired of impatiens, begonias, caladiums, and coleus, and I don't have much luck with hostas. I'd also like to put in some perennials but don't have a lot to spend. Any suggestions? Or am I just out of luck? Thanks for any help.

South Texas gardeners?
Go to Rainbow Gardens on Bandera road (I think there is also one on 90 but I'm not sure) and ask them what to plant. they know everything about planting in the area and they have never recommended a plant that didn't work in my yard (I live out past Helotes).
Reply:Go to a couple of really good nurseries, look around, ask questions, and get ideas. You don't have to buy anything. I am certain you will end up with a new perspective and some grand ideas. :)

What's you're favorite "lyric to live by"?

A few nominees:





"One in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places, if you look at it right"


- Grateful Dead, Scarlet Begonias





"And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make"


- Beatles, The End





"They've got to catch me if they want me to hang"


- AC/DC Back in Black (ok this is a bad one if you actually live by it, but it's fun)





"I have no fear of falling, but I hate hitting the ground"


- Badlees, Fear of Falling

What's you're favorite "lyric to live by"?
My favourites are Robbie Williams, "No Regrets":


"I didn't lose my mind - it was mine to give away" and


"Often I sit down and think of you for a while, then it passes me by and I think of someone else instead".





Madness "It must be love", which always makes me happy:


"As soon as I wake up, every night, every day, I know that it's you I need to take the blues away."





Also Enya "Only Time", for more reflective moments:


"Who can say if your love grows as your heart chose? Only time. And who can say where the road goes where the day flows? Only time."
Reply:Orgasmatron by Motorhead
Reply:"I woke up this mornin an I got myself a beer"


----Thorogood
Reply:"Bad to the bone"





George Thorogood
Reply:So don't pin your hopes


Or pin your dreams


To misanthropes or guys like me


The truth is overrated


I suppose


It a wonderful lie


and I still get by on those


It a wonderful lie


and I still get by...
Reply:Que Sera Sera by Doris Day
Reply:I wanna rock and roll all night.....and party every day. lol
Reply:"Jane be Jane, your better off that way, not when your trying imitating something you think you saw"





my name is Jane btw
Reply:" i guess every form of refuge has its price..." Eagles, Lyin' Eyes





" Like the time i ran away, turned around and you were standing close to me..." Yes, Awaken
Reply:off the top of my head, because they are my favorite band and its early:





"If you try the best you can, the best you can is good enough"





-Radiohead, Optimistic
Reply:Live


Love


Burn


Die
Reply:"DONT KNOW WHAT YA GOT TILL ITS GONE!"





something everyone should realize!
Reply:I promised you Dad not to do the things you done, I walked away from trouble when I could. Now please dont think Im weak I didnt turn the other cheek, Papa I sure hope you understand, sometimes you have to fight when you re a man...





Coward of The County-Kenny Rogers
Reply:Wake up everybody


No more sleepin' in bed


No more backward thinkin'


Time for thinking ahead


The world has changed so very much


From what it used to be


There is so much hatred, war and poverty!





Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes
Reply:"Never have I seen your God, so why should I believe in faith?"- Timebomb by Godsmack
Reply:"I know we've come a long way.


We're changin' day to day,


But tell me, where do the children play?"





"Lord my body has been a good friend


But I won't need it when I reach the end"





Cat Stevens
Reply:"I will stand outside, wait for you to come find me


I will keep on my light by my bed till you get home


And I won't sleep tonight, till you get home"


-October Fall, Second Chances





"so like some hybrid mother/lover she’d soothe and heal his wounds


and kiss them dying ears so softly that the reaper stops to swoon."


-Say Anything, Yellow Cat (Slash) Red Cat
Reply:"No day but today" -No day but today-RENT


I try to live each day to the fullest if I'm not in school
Reply:now that it's over and i see, love doesn't hurt you, the people that you love do.


NEVER AGAIN by


LIQUID REALITY
Reply:"I stood on a ridge and shunned religion, thinking the world was mine. I made my break and a big mistake, stealin' when I should have been buying." - "Stealin'" by Uriah Heep.





"Were you born to resist or be abused?" - "Best of You" by the Foo Fighters.





"So don't yield to the fortunes you sometimes see as fate - yu may have a new perspective on a different day. And if you don't give up, don't give in, you may just be okay." - "the Living Years" by Mike and the Mechanics





"Been down a long time - been down a few times...we're never going back again" - "Never Going Back Again" by Fleetwood Mac.





I have a few more, but I have to go to work! May post again later tonight.
Reply:"Have you ever been alone at night


Thought you heard footsteps behind


And turned around and no one's there?"...


Iron Maiden - Fear of the Dark
Reply:I also like The Beatles The End:


And in the end, the love you take , is equal to the love you make.
Reply:"On the last day of your life


Don't forget to die"





"Advice for the Graduate" - The Silver Jews
Reply:"The Black Rider", by Tom Waits... Check it out on the net, you´ll love it! (well I might just add another one "Dirty deeds" by ACDC naow that you mentioned it)
Reply:"theres nowhere you can be that isnt where youre meant to be" All you need is love by the beatles
Reply:"I have no fear of falling, but I hate hitting the ground"


- Badlees, Fear of Falling





this totally represents me


oh,and another one:


'Come carpe diem baby'


Metallica-Carpe diem baby
Reply:"Take the past, burn it up and let it go. Carry on, I'm stronger than you'll ever know." Papa Roach, "...To Be Loved"
Reply:Time (Mason, Waters, Wright, Gilmour {PINK FLOYD}) 7:06








Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day


You fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way.


Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town


Waiting for someone or something to show you the way.





Tired of lying in the sunshine staying home to watch the rain.


You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today.


And then one day you find ten years have got behind you.


No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun.





So you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it's sinking


Racing around to come up behind you again.


The sun is the same in a relative way but you're older,


Shorter of breath and one day closer to death.





Every year is getting shorter never seem to find the time.


Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines


Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way


The time is gone, the song is over,


Thought I'd something more to say.
Reply:"Standin' on the corner, suitcase in my hand. Jack's in his corset, Janie's in a vest,me honey I'm in a rocknroll band."-Sweet Jane-Velvet Underground
Reply:"Don't follow leaders, watch the parking meters" - Bob Dylan





Hey, if you can't live by that; what can you live by?
Reply:" I Wanna Rock and Roll All Night ....and Party Everyday!"

How does your garden grow?

just asking,our lad said his greenhouse produce is rubbish.his only success are the begonias,superb show he says,have you had a good season?were in north yorkshire,hows your season gone good or bad?? ps where are you...

How does your garden grow?
live in south yorkshire best season ever.water chestnuts the size of footballs.had to borrow next doors stepladders to harvest the rice and water cress.
Reply:MARY, MARY.....





Quite.... Contrary.... HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN... GROW...?








... With Silver Bells..... and ... Cocker Shells...... AND ... ONE.... BIG.... EGGPLANT!





Thanks, RR
Reply:my garden grows too bloody fast.


only today me and our lass got sunburned cutting t privets and t grass, so as we could get t cuttings in t green wheelie bin ready for t bin men int morning
Reply:tomatoes the size of marbles....need I say more :(
Reply:Deepest darkest Herefordshire.





My vegetable garden was washed away in the recent flooding. The water came over the top of my wellies.





Things could have been worse though, the water was only ankle deep in the house.
Reply:Live in the Midwest U.S. things are growing well this year, but due to a lack of rain, have to water everyday with the heat wave. Thanks for asking!!
Reply:water.
Reply:I live in an apartment in Japan. My garden doesn't exist.
Reply:I don't grow my own flower but my dad does and has won loads of awards for best local garden in our area his plants are find and the greenhouse tomatoes are just starting to ripen they taste great better than any you can buy
Reply:Haven't you had flooding up there though?
Reply:My roses are doing great this year. My bleeding heart has gone dormant, though it had a good run. It's also been a good year for my hydrangea, hostas and lilies. I even had a sunflower that unexpectedly survived the winter. I just planted some coleus and dusty miller as filler. We've had so much rain lately - really could have used it in April. But oh the roses are just doing wonderful this year and are so beautiful! I live in southern Minnesota, US.
Reply:North Carolina, i grew two rows of carrots and got two weeds....take a guess what that means
Reply:Not too good at the moment, everything shriveled up with the blistering heat here (sorry uk answers, I know you haven't seen too much of the sun) but we've had some rain too so things might perk up now---- Costa Blanca, Spain
Reply:As a keen 'experimental gardener' I have been very disappointed this year. Because of the constant wind, rain and cold temperatures my garden is not at it's best this year. Last year, with the warm temperatures my garden was full of flowers and my tomato plants didn't stop producing fruit. This year the tomato plants have all turned black and there's not as much fruit on them as last year- I have read this year has been worst for 'blight' for tomatos and potatoes.


This year is the 1st year I have tried to grow my own veg. The peas, carrots and french beans all did well, as did lettuce and radish. Unfortunately my runner beans were eaten by slugs and snails before they really got going. For Bournemouth, Dorset (south coast of England) this year the weather has really taken it's toll on my garden.....maybe I'll have better luck next year! As I said - I am an experimental gardener!

fruit baskets

So, I was visiting my Uncle Burt at the hospital the other night and realizing I'd forgotten the flowers, I...

...plucked some begonias from the hospital's entrance. "You shouldn't do that," growled the groundskeeper. I apologized then vaporized him. This caused the rest of the staff to run screaming out of the building, save for some young, impressionable candy-striper who had some kind of odd Dalek fetish. She suggested we retreat to the janitor's closet to "play Doctor".





"The Doc-TOUR is the ENEMY of the DAL-EKS" I reminded her.





"I love it when you talk like that, you big metal brute", she cooed.





2.5 rapturous minutes later, we were soaking in the afterglow, when she offered a post-coitus smoke. I declined. Instead, we found a big sheet of bubble wrap and a box of expired lightbulbs, which we went about popping and smashing.





THAT's when the custodian (who'd been sitting next to us this whole time, on his lunch break) told us we were in a veteran's hospital, and many were suffering relapses due to our antics.





That's when I remembered Uncle Burt!!





Has anyone seen him lately?

So, I was visiting my Uncle Burt at the hospital the other night and realizing I'd forgotten the flowers, I...
... look closer at that janitor.. look in his eyes!! HE IS YOUR UNCLE BURT!!!
Reply:i would check yourself out for tracking devices....and watch out for a tardis if i was you...and your uncle was never registered at that hospital....
Reply:They discharged him 3 weeks ago. Where have you been?
Reply:Nope haven't seen Uncle Burt lately,


But good luck with the chick! lol!





Funny story by the way. . . .
Reply:Uncle Burt got anxious and went for a beer.
Reply:Yup, he went out for a latte.
Reply:yep he came to my house yesterday smoking a joint so i rented him a room that ok ??
Reply:I had Uncle Burt stuffed and mounted. He looks great next to the elk and pronghorn antelope heads above the fireplace.
Reply:uncle burt is running away with his big tummy and trying to get a lil air in a wide alley...
Reply:Uncle Burt was discharged later that day, You took to long.
Reply:Yes. He took the opportunity to sneak out of the hospital and is now at the house of his old girl friend. You will know who that is of course. Go find him and help him get some vapour going
Reply:he ran away because u didnt send him flowers or visit him....u were playing with a nurse.

How do I keep bunny rabbits and squirrels out of my flower garden? They are digging holes and eating flowers.?

I have gerber daisies, caladium's, petunia's, geraniums,rose bushes and begonias.

How do I keep bunny rabbits and squirrels out of my flower garden? They are digging holes and eating flowers.?
Put up a fence around them. You can also make little "cages" out of chicken wire and put your bulbs into them before you plant them. The flowers grow right through them, but the animals can't eat them.


There is some kind of animal repellent you can sprinkle around the garden, but you would have to keep sprinkling it after it rains. I think you can stuff like that at any well-stocked nursery. Then there are things like motion-activated sprinklers you could set up too. Or put up a fake owl around your garden somewhere and the rodents should be scared off by it, you would have to move it from time to time so they don't realize that it's fake. You can find stuff like this at stores or on amazon.com
Reply:Put blood meal (found at nursery or home improvement store), it's not as gross as it sounds, it is just powder. Put a good amout round the base of the plants, but do not mix it in. For some reason the animals don't like it. You might have to replace it every so often if you notice them coming back.
Reply:Plant marigold's aroung them--like a little tiny orange wall. Bunnies don't like them.

I have a pigeon nesting in my hanging planter?

Someone help, how do i safely remove my begonias from my hanging planter where a pigeon has made her nest and begun to lay eggs?

I have a pigeon nesting in my hanging planter?
Keep the flowers in the planter so there is protection from the weather when the birds hacth. The flowers wont hurt the pigeon
Reply:take the bird out...

House plants in apartment . Has my Green Thumb turned black w/age?

I have a pretty good sized apt. and love plants, used to have tons of them for years. Now I am having lots of failures. The only exposures available to me are North %26amp; West. I know that's part of my problem, easy plants like philodendrens, etc. do fairly well in North exposure, but I have two kitties who do a job on them, as they come and go in the front windows. I have 13 foot ceilings, can't think of an attractive way to use a full-spectrum light. West exposure is kitchen and bedroom with another tall apartment building next door, two large windows in kitchen, one in bedroom, but another tall apt. building right next door. Can anyone advise on plants like strawberry begonias and Wax plants (Hoyas) and the like? I believe hanging plants would be best, but have plaster walls and although I'm pretty good with a drill, I'm also short and can't see climbing that high. Thanks to any houseplant lovers!!

House plants in apartment . Has my Green Thumb turned black w/age?
try using a lamp or overhead lights. its a good way to get filtered light. this way you can put them any where you want.didn't get just what you were asking but I hope I've helped.
Reply:I have the best luck with succulents. They don't require too much of anything. I water them once a week and if I don't, they're still okay.
Reply:I like the succulents idea. "Japanese Jade" plants do well just about anywhere (not really "Japanese", buy the way - they're from South Africa).





But, I wonder if perhaps your plants are getting a fungus of some kind, either airborn or from white flies or aphids. Have you checked for that? Soil fungus can live in pots so changing potting soil alone may not solve a fungus or mold problem. Take a sample of soil or a wilted plant to your county agriculture office. They can usually tell right away and advise you.

ginkgo