gardene meme

My Mom is at it again. Here's another meme this one related to gardening. If you garden, or even if you don't, and want to play consider yourself tagged.

Down In The Dirt

1) Ignoring that mythical holy grail of a soil high in organic, moist yet well-drained - would you choose clay or sand? sand
2) What's worse - too much rain or a drought? drough
3) Do you garden bare handed or do you wear garden gloves? gloves - I kept getting nail infections and finally gave in to gloves
4) Are your garden beds foursquare and formal or casually informal? strongly informal (and heavily weedy but don't look too close)
5) Their edges, do these beds have a spaded edge or do you use some form of edging? spaded edges or rocks depends on the bed
6) And the plants in those garden beds, are they informally mingled and weaving together or carefully arranged in a formal, thought-out design? see number 4 above

Coping with Pests (Know Your Enemies!)

(and understanding that there will be differences of opinion in town or out in the country:)
7) What's worse - deer, woodchucks, rabbits, or squirrels? deer
8) Do you drown Japanese beetle with kerosene / gasoline or dish detergent? dish detergent and hot water

Plants, the Heart of the Garden

Bulbs
9) Do you prefer the early blooming species tulips or extravagant opera diva parrot tulips? Don't have any, see number 7 above
10) What's your preference - Oriental or Asiatic lilies? don't kow the difference

Perennials

11) Daylilies - Do you prefer the true species and older cultivars or contemporary spider, double, highly developed varieties? I like them all but don't get to see many, see number 7 above
12) Yes or no - Is it possible to have too many hosta? no -- if the deer don't eat them all
13) What's more attractive - cool silver foliage or subtle glaucous blue leaves? any foliage is good foliage in my book

Annuals

14) Yes or no - are all those temperennials - bananas, cannas, and such - worth the yearly merry-go-round of dig in fall, store in winter, cosset in spring, and enjoy in summer? No
15) For yellow and orange daisies (not that there isn't a huge assortment from which to choose) - do you prefer pot marigolds, Calendula or French and African marigolds, Tagetes? I like them all
16) Hollyhocks: single or powderpuff double? single
17) For autumn interest - asters or chrysanthemums? asters

Shrubs
18) Shrub roses or hybrid teas? shrubs
19) Hydrangeas: lace-cap or mophead? mophead

And now a truly zen, yin / yang kind of question -

20) Do you prefer a slow stroll around the garden at dusk or do you saunter at dawn with the rising sun? dusk, definitely