Help me LJ gardeners!

[rivka]

I know that many people on my friends list are accomplished gardeners. I humbly ask that you please not laugh at either the size of my project or the depth of my ignorance. I'm looking for some extremely basic gardening advice.



As you may recall from our pre-move pictures, we have a small but lovely courtyard in front of our house. The previous tenants were devoted gardeners, but they moved out several months before we moved in and in the meantime the courtyard kind of went every-which-way. The things growing there are a mix of pre-existing plantings that either didn't die over the winter or are perennial, and weeds. We've pulled the obvious weeds, and probably pulled up some perennials as well. (I think I recognized some mums.)

But, for example, there was an unidentified plant that we didn't pull up, and it put up these utterly gorgeous flowers, in pink and in white:



I'm afraid there's going to be other stuff like that, that we just don't recognize. (We still don't recognize the flowers. What are they? Are they perennial?)

The former gardeners planted a lot of herbs. There is, for example, the rosemary-and-sage forest. I have included Alex in this picture for scale; she is just over three feet tall and so is the rosemary.



What do we do with this thicket? We love rosemary and sage, but they appear to be quite willing to take over the entire universe. My impulse is to cut them way, way back, but leave the underground parts as they are. Is this correct? Or should we be removing some whole plants? If I cut them back, will they die?

I think we may have two different kinds of sage. One is broad-leaved and the leaves look a greener than the sagebrush I'm used to seeing out west. The other is narrow-leaved and has the grey-green color I think of as characteristic of sage. They both smell more or less like sage. We've been eating them both, so they'd better both be edible. Could they both be sage?





Our neighbor says this next plant is thyme. It doesn't look like the thyme we get from the grocery store - it's much tinier, and the leaves look kind of hairy. Is this thyme? Can we eat it? (We'll keep it around regardless, because I think it's pretty.)



There are two beds that we'd like to do some planting in. One of them is a square bed, about 4 feet by 4 feet. There used to be a big planter in the center medallion, and when the planter was stolen the dirt from it was dumped into this bed. So it's a mix of potting soil and regular dirt. There appears to be some plastic sheeting buried about 4-6 inches down. This bed gets very little direct sunlight - maybe an hour or so, in the late afternoon. It doesn't seem right to call it totally shaded either, though - there aren't trees above it or anything. The surrounding houses prevent it from getting much direct sunlight, but there's a fair amount of indirect/reflected sunlight. (Does that even matter or make sense?)



The second bed is a raised bed right along the front of the house. It's L-shaped, 16 inches deep. The long part of the L is 8 feet long, and the short part is 4 feet long. This looks like plain old regular dirt. This bed gets quite a bit of sunlight in the middle of the day. It had a bunch of vines growing in it, deep green leaves with pale green edges and the occasional blue star-shaped flower. People seem to use this vine a lot in our neighborhood for low-maintenance cover. I pulled them up. They're pretty, but I want to plant vegetables or something here.



Here are my questions about actually planting things:

1. Do I need to do anything to prepare the soil for planting? We've pulled the weeds and broken up the soil with a little hand cultivator. Do we need to enrich it in any way? I remember my mom used to occasionally buy a bag of humus for her garden.

2. Do I need to worry about lead in the soil if I want to grow food and eat it? If so, what should I do?

3. What should I plant in the big plot that gets very little direct sunlight? My neighbor tells me that vegetables need several hours of sunlight a day, so they wouldn't seem to be good candidates. What would grow well in the twilight zone between sunlight and deep shade?

4. In the sunny plot, I know I want to plant parsley and tomatoes. I was thinking of sugar snap peas (a favorite vegetable at our house), but this site suggests that they need a cooler climate. What do you recommend? What's easy to grow? We like zucchini but I know that zucchini plants can take over the world. Sweet bell peppers? We love those. Are they hard to grow? Spinach? Carrots?

5. I was planning to buy seedlings rather than seeds. Y/N?

6. Should I put flowers in the sunny plot too?

7. Are they going to have a good selection of plants at someplace like Home Depot, or do I need to go to an upscale nursery?

8. Is there anything else that I'm so ignorant about that I don't even know I should ask?

Climate factors: I'm a little shocked to discover that because Baltimore is an "urban heat island" we are actually considered to be in Zone 8, which I think is the horticultural term for "you were supposed to get your garden in a while ago, babe." (I grew up in Zone 5, and my mother always put her garden in on Memorial Day weekend. I know it's warmer here, but that's still the timeframe that's fixed in my mind.)

Our summers are extremely hot and humid, and with sunlight reflecting off all the brick and asphalt plants can get pretty dry. We don't tend to get water shortages, though, so we'll be able to water our plants as needed. Still, obviously, as much as possible I'd like to grow climate-appropriate plants.

Comments

[journeywoman.livejournal.com]

That is woolly thyme, and is usable the same way you would use English thyme (what you're used to seeing in the grocery store). Woolly thyme grows low to the ground, so it's often used between stepping stones--makes a nice smell when you step on it.

The low growing viney thing with star-shaped flowers was probably Vinca minor (one common name is periwinkle). It's on the verge of being considered an invasive plant around here, but I really like it because it's so pretty.

I don't know what the pretty thing with pink flowers is, but my guess is that it's a perennial rather than a self-seeding annual, at this time of year.

I would plant shade plants in the bed that doesn't get direct light. Hostas, bleeding hearts, etc. are nice, but not evergreen (die down to the ground in the winter). Vinca minor will do well, if you've got any left to transplant there.

Spinach is a cool-weather plant, like peas. So spinach will bolt (go to seed) sooner rather than later.

Here is a U of MN Extension page on lead in home gardens:

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG2543.html

Whiny child, gotta go.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

That Extension page is very helpful. It looks like plants don't take up much lead, but that the dirt itself can be quite dangerous. So we should get it tested regardless, because even if we don't plant food and eat it, Alex plays in that dirt all the time.

I'll need to find out how long it takes to get soil testing results back. Unless it's very quick, we might want to plant vegetables in pots, in potting soil, and just have flowers in the beds this season.

Yes, it's definitely Vinca. Thanks.

[casperflea.livejournal.com]

Cut back the rosemary at will; it will continue to thrive. I think those are both sages; if they are spreading too much you can pull out the ones that are invading their neighbors. That is indeed thyme, and fully edible.

Lead: definitely possible. I'm sure you can test the soil. Don't plan to eat vegetables from lead-contaminated soil. If the soil is contam., you can remove it and replace with clean topsoil.

I'd amend the soils where you want to plant vegetables with composted cow manure (available at Home Despot and it doesn't smell). Most veg like rich soil. If it is hot and prone to dryness, choose things like tomatoes, eggplant, peppers that are more at home in warm climates. Buy seedlings, not seeds. They will be available at Home Despot but you will probably find more interesting (though possibly less hardy) varieties at your farmer's market or specialty nursery. Things it is probably already too late for include peas (you can do them next spring - plant them March 1 or so, from seed), spinach, many lettuces although you can grow mesclun mix through the summer, broccoli, beets, carrots. We are in zone 7 and these are already widely available at the farmer's market.

For the part-shade bed, there are lot of choices, both perennial and annual. At Home Despot the little tags will generally say "part shade;" you can hardy go wrong with (annual) impatiens for cheapness and wide availability if you just want color and low maintenance. A specialty nursery would probably have someone who could advise you, if you think of making a hobby of it.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Most of what you show in pictures doesn't grow here, and I don't know much about what to do with it. I don't recognize the pink flowers.

The vine you pulled up was probably vinca (just becoming hardy here).

I'd be most concerned about what kinds of heavy metals and crap are in your soil, lead being the big worry, from paint and from auto exhaust. Around here, our land grant university extension service does soil testing for homeowners. In your area, it might be the same, or it might be the county extension, if they have that.

I think you should plan to grow peas in the autumn.

What's the point of doing this? Teach Alex about growing things? About growing food? Time together as a family? Putter around outside? The more you can figure out exactly why you want to take up gardening, the better you can optimize the fun of doing it.

Your neighbor says "several hours of sun" but "full sun" is 6 hours or more of direct sun a day. You say "quite a bit" of sun, but it sounds like you don't know yet how much sun that big plot is going to get. If you're not going to get 6 hours of sun, your vegetables won't do as well, but you can experiment and see.

You have a long long season, and you have time to plant seeds if you want to. You can plant various seeds with different times-to-ready and extend your season, or make up for lost time.

To the limit of your resources, shop at your locally owned garden store, not the big box, but the best seed selection is in internet shopping.

Gardening is all about experimentation and seeing what works in your garden. These are things your friendslist can't tell you (unless they live there too, I suppose.) My advice is to plant lots of easy to grow stuff so you have a splashy successful year, while you watch your light, learn more about your local resources, plant some experimental stuff to see what happens, and figure out how much of a gardener you want to be, given that you work full time and have a pre-schooler.

K. [oh, and don't plant carrots on top of that plastic weed barrier]

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

On second look, I am sure the pink flowers are clematis. The leaves give it away. Whomever said you need a trellis for it is correct. It wants to climb.

K. [finds it hard to imagine clematis blooming in April; what an exotic place you live in]

[aquaeri.livejournal.com]

Yep, I was going to say clematis. And in such a gorgeous pink shade. Treasure it.

I was going to say you'll want to avoid root vegetables with such shallow soil. Also they are more fussy about soil quality in my experience.

[ranunculus.livejournal.com]

Cut the rosemary back. You can shape it any way you would like, some people actually do topiary with it. That bush looks like one of the upright varieties, and it it is anything like mine you will need to keep cutting it back... The big stems will have leaves and tiny branches coming off the stem way back toward the plant. Unless you want to remove a branch entirely clip it back at least 6 inches beyond where you would like the edge of the bush to be. It will fill in that space, and when it reaches your desired limit you can pinch or trim to keep it there. My rosemary hosts snails who cling to it's branches and attack the plants around it. If there are suspicious bare areas around the plant, check it's branches carefully for the culprits. I think it is a fine trap for snails, gets them congregated in one place where you can find them!

Cutting the sage back a bit won't hurt it either.

Don't plant veggies in the shade. The only possible candidate is a cherry tomato who can, and will grow into sunlight if that is an option. By the way, at least in California, cherry tomatoes (sweet 100's) are the hardiest, easiest to grow and most prolific tomato available. Not sure about on your coast.
Other shade annuals are Coleus, fiberous begonia and impatients for color, ferns for greenery.

Peas are definitely a cool weather crop. Plant as soon as the ground thaws, or as a winter crop.

[ranunculus.livejournal.com]

Some things have to be planted by seed, such as radishes (great for kids because they come up fast) and carrots. Other plants are just as easy to grow from seed as a little start, like cucumbers or squash. Tomatoes, peppers and the like are probably easier to do from already started plants. They take a long time to come to fruit, and the extra lead time given you by the nursery that raised them is handy.
Check the tags and reference materials for the size of vegetables. It is always hard to imagine how big many of them get. Plot full size plants out in your bed to make sure you have room. Remember to grow tall things where they won't shade the rest of the bed.

Most of all, have fun, and know that no two gardens are alike. What works in your little micro-climate won't work for your neighbor, so go forth and figure out what will work for you!

[browse.livejournal.com]

Forget the plants; check out that picture of Alex in front of the rosemary! That's the first time I've really seen Michael's eyes in her. :-)

[spiritdancer]

The unidentified flower in the first picture - is it on a vine of some sort? If so, it looks like a clematis, and you can get some sort of trellis or pole to encourage it to grow up (instead of all over the ground). It's a perennial, and can be cut back in the fall/over the winter, IIRC.

I envy your rosemary - in my area, I'll never be able to grow it as anything other than an annual (zone 5 here, officially, bordering on zone 4, with winters that can go to zone 3 or 2 - I'm planning perennials for zone 3 or 4, and we'll see how they do)

[rivka.livejournal.com]

I am very excited about the prospect of having a beautiful trellis covered with clematis, assuming that is clematis. Will it bloom all summer? Because if so, OMG!

[spiritdancer]

I think it may depend on the variety - might be worth a trip to a local nursery to see if you can figure out the variety :-)

[jonquil.livejournal.com]

Why on earth would I laugh when I get to pimp? *eg*

1. If you're going to have to do it by hand rather than with a tiller, I would improve the soil around each hole for now. If you rented a tiller, I'd say, yes, till in good soil. If you have bare beds, definitely sprinkle compost (if you can find it at the garden store) over the top.

2. Yes, unfortunately. Use your health contacts to find out how to get the soil tested.

3. Ha-ha! I just got back from a garden center where I asked just that question! Ferns are lovely and soothing to look at. Fuchsia (probably in a pot in Baltimore so that you can give it winter protection) will thrive and blossom. Hosta will give you a rhythm against the ferns. And there's always impatiens, which I find boring but many don't.

4. In the South, peas are sown in the early fall and late winter. (this is two separate crops, one in cooling weather, one in warming weather.) In summer, they'll sulk. Ditto spinach. Beans are dead easy to grow and fun for a kid because you put them on stick teepees. Peppers should thrive in your climate. Carrots take IMHO a long time to be useful after you plant them. Radishes will make your daughter happy because she can plant them herself and see quick progress.

5. YESYESYES. Starting plants indoors is annoying: they can die from too much water, too little water, too little sun, unexpected mold -- buy seedlings. Except for the beans and carrots, if you want them. Both are dead easy to plant in the ground.

6. Yup. And a mix of flowers and edibles can be beautiful and satisfying. Marigolds are dead easy and repel some sorts of bug.

7. Home Depot will have a stereotypical mix of plants; if you don't choose carefully, your garden will wind up generic. However, for a first year, they're cheap and useful to experiment with. Dedicated nurseries are more fun for me, but then I'm big into gardens; if they're a nuisance, wait a year.

8. I bet you have Japanese beetles. :-( If so, prepare to do battle. Ask your nursery what they recommend.

Climate: It ALWAYS takes me too long to adapt to climate after a move. I have tried to grow peaches in New Hampshire, apricots in Massachusetts, and lilacs in North Carolina. Don't be me. Ask at the garden center. My nursery has just warned me that morning glory, a favorite of my youth, is invasive as crabgrass here and overwinters. "Plant it someplace you don't much care about."

Now, on to the pictures. Is Unidentified Flower on a vine? If so, it's clematis, and a very pretty one. Give it a trellis; it'll put on more of a show this summer and next year.

In my opinion, NOBODY needs that much sage unless she's making sausage. Cut the puppy back.

You can cut rosemary back, and probably should. Don't go too far into the woody part this year.

The top one is definitely sage, but the one below it sure looks like lavender to me. (Which is edible). Don't cut the tips, let it flower, and put up pictures.

Yup, that's thyme, but it's creeping thyme, which isn't the best for culinary purposes. Go to your garden store and buy "English thyme", "French thyme", or "Garden thyme", which will be upright and tastier. Leave the creeping thyme alone because it's way pretty.

The word for your center bed is "partial shade". Look for nursery plants (I'd go with annuals) labeled "partial shade" or "sun to partial shade".

The star shaped blue flowers in the side bed were vinca, which is pretty but v. invasive. Don't be surprised if you see it again this year.

Best love.

[telerib.livejournal.com]

Beans are dead easy to grow and fun for a kid because you put them on stick teepees. Peppers should thrive in your climate.

I have very fond memories of helping pick green beans growing on teepees taller than I was. It was like being in the jungle.

First the root goes down and then the plant comes up

[jonquil.livejournal.com]

If you do plant beans, there is something you absolutely must do.

Take one bean seed. Dampen a paper towel. Place the bean against the glass. Roll the towel around the inside of the glass, trapping the bean against it.

Wait. Watch the root appear and grow down, then the shoot appear, with its leaves already there, then grow up.

This is absolutely magic. I still remember it from my childhood.

The child will become sentimentally attached to the plant. Put it somewhere in the middle of other bean plants, because it will probably die when transplanted.

[acceberskoorb.livejournal.com]

Just to provide some balance: I am nigh positive that the pink thing is a flower. Not much help is I.

However, I hear tell that there are several master gardeners at church, all of whom would have a very good working knowledge of local issues. Valeri M. and Bill I. come to mind, though I know there are others. If you drop Mickie or Catherine a nice email, I'm sure they could recommend some kind, knowledgeable folks.

Don't tell me if I'm wrong about that pink thing. I'd just feel bad.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

I am nigh positive that the pink thing is a flower.

Huh. Probably not chlamydia (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22chlamydia+is+not+a+flower%22), then.

Good suggestion about church. You immediately made me think of Linnea, who has a small urban garden and already wanted to come over and see our new house. Maybe I will bribe her with dinner.

[aloha-moira.livejournal.com]

I'm useless as a gardener, but that looks like the thyme we have around here. :)

[marykaykare.livejournal.com]

It's possible to kill rosemary -- I've done it -- but it's *very* hardy, esp. out of doors. It likes sun and thrives in poor soil and you can cut it back quite a lot. It's a tasty weed really. If you grill, use the pruned rosemary branches in the grill to impart a different flavor to your smoke.

That pink think looks a lot like some of the rhododendrons we get around here but they're in bloom currently so I have them on my mind.

MKK

[rivka.livejournal.com]

If you grill, use the pruned rosemary branches in the grill to impart a different flavor to your smoke.

OMG that sounds like a good idea. Thanks!

[kazoogrrl.livejournal.com]

You can also use the studier branches as kabob sticks!

[kate_nepveu]

Yes--I've had shrimp this way (I think you soak the branches first in water, to reduce burning).

[kazoogrrl.livejournal.com]

Just a few thoughts:

* I like to go to Mill Valley Garden Center at 28th and Sisson, they would be a good place to ask about native plants. I was there last week and they told me most of the native ones they get are perennials and they won't be available until closer to summer, mid-May maybe. They should be getting in their herbs and vegetables right about now, and they have seeds. I also like Valley View up Cockeysville or Watson's in Lutherville (both on York Road).

* In the sunny bed, maybe put in some sunflowers along the back side. They make ones that are shorter so they don't loom so much. I plant a few packs of seeds straight in the ground.

* I like cherry or grape tomatoes because they seem (to me) ripen faster. Cucumbers might be nice, basil to go with the tomatoes. Maybe instead of spinach you could do lettuces, which can be picked as baby greens.

* I'd explore this page for native plant info:
http://www.mdflora.org/index.html

* Maybe make or install a rain barrel if you're worried about water this summer.

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

Local links (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/22/AR2008042202472.html?tid=informbox) to brochures or workshops about rain barrels.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the recommendations!

What keeps a rain barrel from becoming a happy breeding ground for mosquitoes?

[casperflea.livejournal.com]

An item called a "mosquito dunk" which is non-toxic to other things.

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

The rain barrels made in the workshops I noted are designed to keep mosquitoes out.

[kazoogrrl.livejournal.com]

Native plant sale tomorrow (27th):
http://www.herringrun.org/VolunteerSection

And others:
http://www.mdflora.org/events/plantsales.html

[vom-marlowe.livejournal.com]

1. Depends on what you're growing. I always add compost, peat, and vermiculite, but I am a very small space, very intensive gardener. Peat, compost, and vermiculite will all make the soil easier to work, which is a big advantage to me, as I am not as abled as I used to be. I also use organic fertilizer. Seaweed extract is wonderful for plants and very human safe.

2. Maybe. If the dirt is next to the house and the house is very old, sometimes paint will flake down into it. One thing you can do is plant edible in containers or raised beds instead, using soil that you know is safe. I am a big fan of container gardening and I have a great favorite book: The Bountiful Container Garden by McGee and Stuckey. It has ZOMG the coolest small garden ideas EVER. Like, theme gardens--if you like to cook Eastern foods, a selection of herbs and spices for that, or if you like Mediterranean, or purple flowers, or well! It's awesome and quite cheap. It's designed for people who haven't really gardened seriously before. I cannot say enough good things about this book. As an extra added bonus, all the plants in the book are edible and non-poisonous, including the flowers. (I have pets and small children in my neighborhood that I wouldn't trust to not eat something.)

3. Violets and pansies do okay in the shade. Asian greens are pretty unkillable, wonderful when picked fresh and baby sized, and are actually really pretty to boot. You might also look into Bright Lights Chard, if you like chard, because it is really neat--it's a mix of different colored chard stems. You've got deep, rich dark leaves, and sunny rainbow stems in yellow and pink and purple and lime green.

4. Oh my goodness, you've got lots of great options. The best varieties for your area may vary somewhat. Do you know about extension offices? They are AWESOMESAUCE. Here's a link to the Maryland extension office publications, they should tell you somewhere in there what varieties do well in your area, when to plant them, and so on: http://www.hgic.umd.edu/content/onlinepublications.cfm#Vegetable%20and%20Herb%20Gardening
But! Some sorts of things do well pretty much everywhere. I have very small garden space, so I grow a couple of small bush varieties. Namely, Eight Ball or another similar kind.
http://www.burpee.com/product/id/104921.do
Spinach is pretty easy to grow, but I think the Asian greens are similarly tasty but hardier and sail through summer. Seeds of Change has a dazzling selection: http://www.seedsofchange.com/
For tomatoes, I would pick a classic. Most hardware stores or Home Depot's will have Brandywine--it's the most famous of the Heirloom tomatoes, and is wonderfully flavorful, but I like it because it will not die no matter how hard the summer gets. (It took an ice storm to kill my last one, it shouldered on through frosts and drought, and who knows what all.)

5. Yes. Except for beans or carrots or zukes.

6. Yes!!! I recommend marigolds. They are excellent pest deterrents. You can plant a ring of marigolds around each of your fruited plants, like tomatoes or peppers.

7. Yes, very likely. If it turns out they don't, you could try a nursery. I personally prefer to buy them at our farmer's market, but I also have 38 tomato seedlings that I grew myself, sitting in my home office so, you know, you may not want to listen to me.

8. Probably water. Think about how to get deep water to your tomatoes. They don't handle going without when the weather gets hot. I use SoilMoist. It's a polymer that absorbs lots of water then slowly releases it. Very helpful for brutally hot midwestern climes, but it's also just nice insurance if you're not sure whether you know all the ins and outs of watering yet. It can be purchased in big jars (overkill for your situation, I expect) or small pouches. A good nursery will have it, or you can buy it from someplace like Burpee. If you plan to water with a hose, look into one that will let you give the plants a good soaking, because deep soaking tends to be better than on the top watering.

Also, as an added aside, I would make sure to sure to add some calcium (bonemeal, or a crushed calcium pill) to the space under your tomatoes, to prevent blossom end rot.

[jinian.livejournal.com]

Wow, you appear to have all the answers. I will add: definitely clematis, and a nice one! and: Soil test kits for lead and other hazards are often sold at hardware stores fairly cheaply.

I know nothing...

[dragon3.livejournal.com]

but I do have connections. If you were here I would know exactly where to send you -- Made in the Shade Perennials Inc., where Laura is holding an Open House today. I'm sure there's a similar operation somewhere near you. It will be a small, probably family business where they actually grow perennials, and there will be somebody there with lots of horticultural knowledge and an eagerness to share it, as well as long experience with local conditions. Take along your garden pictures and a sketch of the layout with notes about light.

The best way to identify the right places is probably word of mouth. Ask around with local people. The best advice about particular plants probably comes from the people who grew what you are buying.

[nex0s.livejournal.com]

I don't have much to add except that lead doesn't get taken up into fruiting veg, but DOES get taken up into leafy veg (like lettuce). Get your soil tested. Some testing places (like the one in CT) will also tell you how to amend your specific soil for what you want to grow (vegetables, flowers, etc.)

Tomatoes, peppers, carrots, radish, lettuce are SO easy. Consider planting some lettuce seeds every two or three weeks in your semishade planter - then you can just keep cutting and have "gourmet mesclun greens". ;) Lettuce, carrots, radish, spinich, and other greens are great from seed. Try the others as seedlings.

Good luck :)

N.

[nolly.livejournal.com]

I'm also a newbie gardener, and I'm going to buck the trend a bit on #7. Your Home Depot may vary, but I've been consistently underwhelmed by the service and knowledge at may area Home Depots. When I needed to add plants to some pots in order to avoid a fine from my HOA, I went to a local garden center, where they were incredibly helpful. I wouldn't characterize it as "upscale"; one of the first questions the woman helping me asked was "How much do you want to spend?", and she kept it low for me. Also, they have a lifetime guarantee on their plants, so if I kill one, I can bring it back and get a new one. That's a regional chain, so you won't have them, but you may have a similar one in your area.

[(Anonymous)]

WRT your "sage" - they're both edible, but the one that is grey-green and has thinner leaves is actually lavender. The larger, greener sage is culinary sage. Lavender is edible, no harm done, but they do give different flavors.

xoxo
Nara

[(Anonymous)]

Also, the pink looks a great deal like a Clematis vine. If the flowers are 3-5" in diameter, I'd guess Clematis (and you can train it to climb the wall - pretty!). If the flowers are 2-3" in diameter and at the top of long, feathery, stalks, I'd guess Cosmos, but I'm leaning toward Clematis because of the pointed tips of the petals and the sepal growth patterns.

[(Anonymous)]

Aaaaaand listen to me try to sound like I know what I'm talking about and end up with FAIL.

sepal = stigma/pistil

I still think it's clematis, though.
http://donahuesgreenhouse.com/flower/PINKCHAM.html

[ailbhe]

I think your project and knowledge are totally not-sneezable. In fact, I think I may now be too embarrassed to post proudly about what we did in our garden this weekend. Ha.

(Clematis is so pretty! If it's not allowed to TAKE OVER THE WORLD, which is what it does here.)