You've found the famous Dave's Garden website! Join this friendly global community that shares tips and ideas for home and gardens, along with seeds and plants!
Check out the DG homepage for a brief overview of what you'll find in this gardening mega-site.
Login
If you don't have an account yet, visit the registration page to sign up.
Dear IslanJim,
I'm glad I didn't get rid of the "weeds" growing in my front yard in Phoenix, AZ. I now have loads of beautiful blue flowers (look exactly like your bluebells) all over the place!! I'm not a gardner, although after buying my house, I tried planting shrubs, cactus, etc. which cost me hundreds of dollars and don't look nearly as healthy as these new wild flowers - it's amazing...free, beautiful, sturdy, and no maintenance!!! I have other beautiful weeds that are starting to sprout up with other colors, some yellow, purple, etc. have no idea what they are, but intend to keep watch over them!!
Thanks for your picture - now I know at least one of the names of the plants in my yard!
One question: I'm very confused about why people would want to get rid of healthy green things growing in a yard. I'm sure I sound naive when I ask this, but: Are there certain "weeds" that ought to be "eliminated" and if so, which ones, and why?
Well, now some weeds exist just to make life miserable. there's puncture vine, russian thistle, horned grass, sand burs, Cat's claw - well, wait, Cat's claw could be convinced to form a 'fence' to stop trespassers, or even deer(?).
Every year more of my blessed wildflowers show up in my yard and so of course does a whole field full of yellow wild mustard, which then turns into a massive fire hazard almost overnight.
This year amongst my yellow desert bee balm a few Rocky Mtn purple ones showed up and I was thrilled. Each year when the yellow guys set seed and start drying up I yank em and bang their seed here and there where I hope they'll show up next spring.
I've photoed the phacelia in DV, the Mohave, and to my wonder - in the empty lots of Palm Springs just this year.
Keep on lettin nature plant 'em, give her a hand now and then, not too much - these guys don't seem to like 'improved' soil. LOL That's from experience.
Island Jim of Venice FL: I live in Ocala FL. I was wonderin' what your thoughts were on tryin to grow these Phacelia campanularia (Califernya Bluebells) here in North Central Florida??? Have you tried growing them in Venice? Venice is in the Tampa Bay area I believe...
