OMG!! Token, the minute I saw the title I cracked up laughing. Thank you for the best laugh I've had in months!! Can you believe I was almost glad when it got to be November 1st because it was closer to the solstice?

Do you still want some hosta seeds? I harvested a boatload from my Sieboldiana elegans plants. It's one of the classiest of them all with solid blue-green leaves. I can send off a seed pack if you're still interested.

Thanks again for the HOOT!!!
Eileen

I'd love some Eileen. Thanks. Let me know if you need my address. I need some blue hostas for that side of the yard.

token, you rascal you ... where have you been? where are the photos of your gardens ... you know we love them ...

Can't wait. Snowflakes here today...

How many days is it until December 21st?

I've been ripping out the dead or done annuals, it's very satisfying ;-)

Welcome back.

T

30-2=28+21=49

Not counting today and the 21st makes it 47 days. Little over a month.

Wow. That helps. I've been so blue lately thinking about it getting cold and nasty out.
I could have cried this morning when I had to leave and there was frost on my windshield.

I can't wait until Spring. Can't complain though about fall, it's been a nice fall here in Minnesota (above normal temps for the most part)!! Mid 50's during the day in Nov is nice!!

I plan to prep about 4 dozen more milk jugs this week, to add to the couple hundred hanging, in bunches, from the garage rafters. Soil bags are stacked in the basement so not to be like frozen blocks when I'm ready to sow this winter.

Now to get my rear in gear and get some seed swapping/trading done.

Sandy

I've been busy at work and staying out of the garden for the most part. I've let it do what it wants this summer. I've removed some things and transplanted some others. We had so little rain, most of my 1000s of seedlings died. I couldn't water enough. The things that survived are the tough ones. They reseed on their own. They bloom according to their own schedule.

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If anyone needs pokeweed seeds, let me know.

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To whomever sent me the Confederate Rose seeds two years ago...Thank you. It starts out pure white, fades to pink, and falls off the plant a deep mauve. It's so much fun to watch.

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Reds and yellows dominate in the fall. The helianthus on the corner came from Carrie. I didn't cut them back like she told me to. I've moved them to the backyard already. I bet the roots I left will sprout again in the spring.

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I'm checking in more as it turns cooler. I have my 50 containers prepped and ready to go in the basement. In a few weeks, I'll start filling them with soil and making labels with the last miniblind strips I have. I've collected few seeds this year. I've scattered a lot of seeds around the gardens. Larkspur and nigella seedlings are already up. Poppies should be coming along soon. We're going to get some rain these next two days. Life is good in the garden.

That rose is stunning!!

In that first picture is that red blooming plant salvia??

I've been wanting to try some hosta from seed if you have any extra. ;-)

Is that bed along your driveway? Great eye candy!

What a gorgeous garden Tom!!! :) 4 months to go, it's spring. Trust me, it's really quick. I noticed lately that as we grow older, time becomes so quick. :(

For anyone who's interested, I harvested enough hosta 'Sieboldiana elegans' seeds for 25+ full, generous trades. Anyone who wants seeds, just email me with your mailing address.

backyardgrown - I sent you an email.

Eileen, I'm going to prepare the stamps today. I've been so busy with the car problem. :(

Confederate Rose is actually a semi-hardy hibiscus. In my zone, I'm lucky to get blooms before the frost kills it back. I've gotten three so far this year. The first was the prettiest of them all, as expected.

It is Salvia splendens. Those were self-sown from Yvonne's salvia last year. We had a bad summer and I didn't water much. They only got about 3' tall. I haven't collected any seeds. I think I'll let them sprinkle themselves about next year.

Yes Trudi, that's the driveway bed. It'll be nicer next year. I have swaths of coneflowers and rudbeckia combined with red salvias, yarrow, and sedums. I can't wait to see those sprouts in the rudbeckia pots next year. I'm hoping Goldstrum comes true, or close to it.

I don't blame you for letting them reseed at all. Salvia is one of those plants for me that is hard to remove the chaff. So if someone receives salvia seeds from me be prepared for the chaff, I think that is one of my worst, besides the chives.

Do you still want to try some of the blue bedder salvia, I have collected plenty of seeds from it. I have given out a lot of it already but I still have plenty of more to give. I do make up for the chaff though.

Your in about the same zone as me and mine comes back every year and it is an awesome cottage garden plant that blooms from spring I say to frost but we have had several frost and it is still blooming. Drought tolerant, even in my full sun with me not watering!!

If you want just send me an email and I will give you my address and I think a self addressed stamped envelope would be suffice. I kept you a pack to the side, for that just in case you still wanted some.

Carolyn, I already have Blue Bedder. It came back from both reseeding and the roots of the other plant I had. I cut it back this summer, it hasn't bloomed again, but it did put out a lot of growth. I scattered seeds of it around that area. I think I've seen a couple babies already. It's a beautiful plant. Thanks, but I'm good.

Good deal lucile!! I wanted to make sure.

How did your salvia blue queen turn out?? My sister ended up buying some of that and that is a pretty neat little plant. Totally different than the blue bedder or victoria but it is cute.

I am gearing up for wintersowing here; looking at my seed list to decide what should be planted when. I am also planning to make more garden space - most of this acre & a half is lawn - way too tiresome to mow! And I'd rather just turn it all into garden, anyway. Got to deal with moles & voles, though, lots of both - you can be sure I'll be planting castor bean & peppermint, and maybe the imperial frittelaria too - and I already have garlic in.

This post just brightened my dark gloomy day off. I woke up this morning to snow and now we have about 3 inches on the ground and it just keeps on coming. I had to make a trip to town which is only 7 miles away and there is snow flurries but its not sticking on the ground there. UGH! Why is it sticking here? Anyway, thansk Token for brightening my day.

Just thought folks would want an update now a couple days have passed.

Sorry you got snowed on Randi. I walked out and checked my alyssum and by golly it's still blooming despite the frosts & hard freeze we had. I've kept track and it bloomed June 14 to November 5--128 days--so far! Now that's what I call flower power!!!

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My blue queen salvia has turned out to be Rose Campion. I bought it from Park Seed.

What a bummer! Those aren't even close in similarity! Rose campion can also be a thug from what I've read on the GW forums. Are you going to rip it out? I've got it planted behind my garage where the soil isn't all that great and if it spreads, there's nowhere for it to go really. I'm hoping that helps keep it in check. All it did this year was put out pretty silver foliage--I expect to see blooms next year.

I'm leaving it. I sowed some white and pink this past winter. It pokes up nicely here and there in the beds. I do deadhead it to keep it from spreading too much.

Token, I purchased some shasta daisy white knight from parks, it ended up being alaska. I do not care for alaska.

Would you like me to check and see if my sisters is putting out any seeds that are ready to collect?? She just smiles at me when I go searching for seeds off her plants and follows me around getting bags for me. If you ask me I think she enjoys me doing that, but she would never admit it, lol.

If the rose campion gets away from me, the only direction it can go where it won't bump up against concrete or brick is down the hill on the other side of the split rail fence. If it gets to the bottom of the hill, Ray next door will keep it under control--he mows and unless I remind him multiple times about my flowerbeds, he mows whatever grows.

Oh, and BTW--ya'll are down to 129 days!

Token I was at my sisters this weekend, and I searched her salvia may queen high and low for seeds and I did not find one. If that little plant produces seed it should of had some. It seriously got me to wondering if it is sterile. If it is your not in any major loss cause that plant carries a stench to it, that simply stinks. Yuck!!

I know some salvia hybrids don't produce seeds. May Night doesn't. I've got some Mystic Spires that has never produced a seed either. I've searched high and low.

Token, I didn't even realize that was a hybrid, lol.

Well duhh Carolyn, that explains it!! LOL