Hmm, well I'm ramping up my composting efforts. Just scored two loads of free woodchips from the local tree service. Saw them working in someone's yard so I pulled over, talked to them and they were thrilled to dump their load nearby. Hopefully with more to come anytime they're in the area. I also have my eye on a huge, growing manure pile sitting near someone's horse barn that I'd love to take off their hands if they need it removed. Just gotta' work up the nerve to stop and talk to them.

Still scrounging any materials I can to build the greenhouse. Finally have enough old windows/doors/glass to construct all 4 sides and the end wall gables and now I'm working on scrounging for the roof. Also saw a great deal on Craigslist and I've agreed to purchase a load of used wire pallet rack decking that will make perfect greenhouse bench tops. Still in desperate need of treated lumber to frame the whole thing up though....lately that's a bit harder to come by for free or cheap. Basically in the winter I scrounge and in the Spring I plant.

I did just plant a flat of daylily seeds yesterday. My hybridizing efforts were less successful this past year because of lack of rain but I did get a few nice crosses to set. And in 2 or 3 years when they bloom I'll get to see whether they're beauties or beasts.

Tomorrow I work on fixing the leaks in all my soaker hoses (that is the leaks I didn't pay for lol). Also found a 75' heavy duty garden hose in the trash pile at the mill I work at. It's got a couple of breaks but two cheap $2 hose repair kits should fix it right up. Beats buying a new one for $20.

I can't wait for things to start greening up in the yard and today was so beautiful it made me want it even more.

Danielle

I love your enthusiasm, Herboil! I have a question about your adobe bricks... what kind of mold do you put them in while they harden? It sounds like something I might like to try. Lately, on the warm days, I have been gathering big stones to outline some of my flower beds, and large flat stones to make a curving path through my biggest flower bed. I used sand and little rocks to fill in between the big stones. It looks really good, if I say so myself!
Last weekend, we set up a wrought-iron arch at the entrance to our path through the "woodsy area" behind the house. So now, of course, I want some kind of vine to climb up the arch. It gets maybe 3-4 hours of morning sun and then filtered sun the rest of the day, so I need to research which vines might like those conditions.
I bought and planted a flat of pansies last weekend and may plant some more later. Like most gardeners, I have lots of future projects in the back of my mind, so my yard is always a work in progress. I love gardening...
Vicki

I also admire herboil's (I never know, is it herb oil or her boil, lol!!) enthusiasm. I have been less enthusiastic because of so much to do around here and really I'd like to be lazier for once! I got so many fingers and so many pots I'm running outta hands!!

At work we are getting ready for spring: ordering, planning, planting. It's hard for me to fit it all in because I am only part-time. Then at my other job I am working on getting all the seeds together and the pamphlets for classes. That can take a lot of work and organization.
Volunteering has been crazy busy as we are seeding like mad and so many new folks at the greenhouse means we have to teach as we go - and avoid any mistakes seeding (which is not easy, trust me). Then we are planting shrubs, cutting back and moving roses, pruning old plants/shrubs, organizing sheds, cleaning up last years potted plants and also planning for our new permanent nursery area.
At home I started SLOWLY cleaning up - it seems every warm day I have to cut stuff back I get sick! But I did begin seeding things out "spring sowing" as I am not really planting many perennials from seed this year.
On top of all that I am madly writing my garden articles for another website.

Next up is ordering some amendments, cleaning up the leaves I couldn't clean up in the fall, and getting a new compost heap going for the "larger" stuff".

GGG

Squirell, Vickie, and GGG

Thanks for the posts! I love your enthusiasm too!

Sounds good on the green house, you are right up my alley with the saving wheNver you can.

I work at a restaurant and I get TONS of apple and avocado seeds for free. Not to mention endless strawberry and blueberry plastic cartons, egg buckets and many grow containers from small plastic cups to large ones! My co-workers think I'm crazy, but I swear to you I've already saved over $50 in supplies, and when market comes and I start selling some plants it will be even more worth it!

I'll be interesting to hear about the hybrids... I personally love my day lillies, I have the standard yellow and some fire ones.

About the adobe bricks-- You can use any mold you like. I ended up using a round pot holder tray( a 6 spot tray that gallon sized pots came in) so I made them round( they look REALLY cool)
SOme people use shoeboxes- anything that is the shape and can hold up to wet mud... whatever you have.
What we are planning to do is just make some simple 2 by 4 molds from, leftover lumber... The mud bricks may not look good to everyone but they add a really cool feel to the landscape( and they are really labor intensive to make)

GGG- it's Herb Oil.... lol I never even though of her boil-p- AHHH!! And I'm a DUDE, still under 23 years of age!

I seriously feel you on the time thing.. I'm a full time student and work 30 hours so I use whatever free time I have to garden, and I am a prominent member of the farmers market here.. I don't make money, but I have fun and people love my plants.

I as well just ramped up my compost pile too, and made two HUGE lasagna beds where I hope to grow a row of corn or two on this year. My main concern is my lack of space.. I NEED LAND!
I'm saving up for some acres!
!

Sunshine to you all!(although it's a bit cloudy today)
I got off work early so I'm off to the garden :)

More updates whenever it happens.. IÂd like to hear what else us Georgians are up to!

Great post. I was thinking on Monday, "I need to post my accomplishments for the weekend." And here's the opportunity.

I FINALLY finished a 26x4 foot bed on the side of the house (3 years in the making). Layered the timber "frame", tilled the dirt and leaves and grass clippings that had been piled up. And even added some compost from my very own compost pile (first time actually using it). Covered it with some newspaper and then some pinestraw. Now, I just need to plant (already have the plants...they've been sitting for 1-2 years!!!!).

I tilled my raised veggie beds, adding some of that fabulous compost that I'm so proud of. And cleaned out the rest of the fenced in garden (removed the old dead stuff, raking out the leaves that blew in there last fall, etc.).

I planted some peas, lettuce, radishes and carrots in one of the beds. I started some seeds inside for spring veggies.

I started to sink some bricks for stepping stones in the garden, but didn't get too far with that. Ran out of time. Maybe this weekend.

The weather was perfect and I took full advantage of it! I don't even know how many calories I burned, but it sure beat the heck out of going to the gym. Bring on Spring! :-)
~Michelle

I love the farmers market too HERB OIL. I'm quite glad you aren't her boil. Yuck.
They moved our neighborhood Farmers Market to the parking lot where I work now. Most weeks I take my garden wagon full of seeds I have collected (nobody pays much attention to them, but I still think it is important to take them!), herbs I grew especially those you can't buy anywhere around here, heirloom tomatoes and peppers from the church greenhouse. I also do free demonstrations on garden related subjects or answer questions about rain barrels, organic gardening etc. It's fun and lots of people who live around here go. A few people sell plants, lots of great vegetables. I love that some of the vendors grow the veggies right in their back yard!!

GGG

Dear jmz and 3G, I love to hear you are staying active, that bed sounds like a titan in the works, and already you mention ready to plant compost soil... Be proud of your plants, and enjoy the slow process of maturity that we all seek yet come so quick to beckon. Even now I look at two years ago and see the efforts bloom, the first narcissus(daff) blossoms of the entire neighborhood. Every day I set the stones( like you mentioned, thanks for reminding me, I have some awesome shale from lake Lanier that I need to sink... plus I got mad ripped ligaments for easy installation!) for a new tomorrow. Like my dad says what we do today echoes for the future.
I wonder: what about eternity.
A curious boy named Narcissus supposedly named the most famous German and American flower, the Daffodil( this is getting off subject)_

GGG- I know someone who sounds just like you, and if you live in Atlanta, participate in gardening and markets, and speak of this spiritual connection as you do, I guarantee some of my friends or even may have met you.
Hopefully when time passes I will grow up a bit and come around to the full circle. I think you are really hot. Maybe married with kids, maybe in whatever situation you're in, the sun brings us all home and with love in gathering. Thank you 3G for your dedication!
\

Herb

HI ALL!!! Ole big mouth got to get in here too. Great posts. GGG is kinda special because she responded to my first post on GW. (also ESH)

It is suppose to get down to 26 degrees here tonight, so winter not over. Heck, it is still February. The one (freeze) that I worry about is the late one we usually get before Easter. Our apple tree is in full bloom right now.

This past week I got a nice 6' fig tree for my wife's Valentine and 4 blackberry bushes for ole Watash (ME). My wife is off work today and we plan on setting them out. Yesterday I worked getting things in place for today. Plan to set a couple of posts and attach a cattle panel to it for the blackberries to run on. We have wild blackberry bushes on the property, but they never grow where you want them to. I am putting the ones that I bought where I can control them by mowing or (God forbid) - spraying.

Herb 23... I was 23 once... I think... can't remember back that far... I am 63 now and sliding down the hill fast. My oldest step-son and step-daughter live in Atlanta and if I should ever get back up there I hope to visit GGG's stand and meet her and I promise to buy something (even if I don't need it)... I learned that from my wife :)

The rain last night missed up as did the rough weather which is good news. Mild temperature this morning at 50 degrees, so plan to get a lot done today outside. Cheers all and will check back in later.

Shot

I need to go to the market too. I live in North Atlanta so I participate in a market near Roswell and ALpharetta. What markets are still going on this year, and what part of ATL is it in? Hopefully i's not in south Atlanta cause that's a long way to drive that early in the morning!
GGG- what time is your market, evening or morn? WHat area is it in? I need to come buy some seed, but unlike SHot I actually need more!
Off to Botany class!

Hey Gang and especially hey Herb Oil. Thank-you for being 23 and calling me "hot", I know many of the gardening folks here personally and guarantee that gave them all a good laugh!! I am married, but I don't have kids and although I like old-fashioned and heirloom plants, I lead more of a modern alternative lifestyle. Botany rocks. When I was in University (many moons ago) they required me to take a science course of some kind to graduate. UGH! I'd been outta high school for so long I'd forgotten a lot of science, but they let me take botany - so of course I got an A+ because after two classes the prof. made me a class assistant.

I am in East Atlanta Village which is just off of I20 and Moreland Aves. Here's the Farmers Market website: http://www.farmeav.com/ but it is not updated. You can see one of my classes listed there from last year! My seeds are almost all flower seeds (some herbs). Since my veggie garden is so small I don't collect my own seeds. Maybe someday, but not right now. I'm too busy being a pig and eating them all. Plus if I save them all then I won't need to buy so many - and after all, a girl's gotta shop, right? Anyhow, the market Re-opens again the first Thursday in May and this year we are running into November. This is a cool neighborhood and there are quite a few gardeners and more people are starting to garden all the time. There are several cool in-town gardening neighborhoods. Grant Park has quite a few gardeners, Ormewood Park has a few and a community garden. We have a teensy community garden and are growing more gardeners, Oakhurst has an awesome community garden (that's where I teach adult garden classes) and loads of amazing gardeners. When I first moved to Atlanta, there was a sure lack of greening and vegetable growing. It has surely changed in 11 years!

Shot, it's the lucky lady who gets a Fig Tree for a valentine. One year I did get a sledge hammer. Boy, that sure was the best valentine I ever got, and it gets used all the time hammering up old concrete pieces for my garden edging!

GGG

Wow GGG!

That market looks really cool. I want to come. It's pretty similar to my market, but ours is a bit smaller and growing fast. We won best market for 2007 in some famous magazine or something... but I doubt it's true.
The website is www.alpharettafarmersmarket.com

I am so sad that the market does not open until MAY!
It's SOOO long...
I...
can't...
bear..
it :)

Wait, ok, I can bear it.
The good thing is, that it is giving us time to get ready and prep up.
It's def. not about the money for me but I break even for sure.
I love these markets so much, just for all the cool people and great connections there. I will have to make it out there for at least one of your markets. You have a cool group of vendors, and some of the people listed on the site also come to the alpharetta market.

Also, your market is on thursday from 4:30 to dark... THAT's AWESOME! My market is Saturday mornings from 8am-till noon.
Heck I may even find myself with a table over there sometime, since my classes end late april I will have the free time.

Yeah, you're hot, smile and love it! We are all sexy peoples. Some people don't know what good looks like, nothing to do with actuall looks!

A sledge hammer for valentines! LOL.....Talk about a good one.. that's got to be a good insider. I'll have to remember that.

More projects to come later... I might need to go sing to my pineapple tops.. looks like one of them might root, I will be thrilled! I picked up five of them from the restaurant... I'm gonna miss working there.

GGG - is your last name Ward? That is my last name.

Shot

(was visiting your farmers market website and saw the name connected with the class)

Hey Shot, yep. Last name is Ward.

Happy V. Day everyone.

I kicked but today fixing up my plant shed. It was absolutely in shambles after almost a year of home renos. They'd shove everything in there to keep it dry, and then had to dig half of it up when we figured out where the "river" of mystery was coming from that would cause our basement to flood.
The plant shed is pretty cool. An old GW friend made me a special potting bench which is VERY tall (since I am) and saves my back when I stand. It's just covered with aluminum roofing, and then between the supports we added shelves to put the plants on to finish growing out. I can store my supplies in it and also use it as a shed for my tools. It will be AWESOME when I can get some work done on the side of our house and plant a line of trees. Then it will be private and block out a lot of noise.
It's hard to prep for painting when you are doing it yourself now. I can't use any water except what is in the rain barrels, so I gotta use a scrub brush and a hand sprayer. Sure takes up a lotta time.

GGG

Is this beautiful weather or what!!!! Just taking a break from building some blue bird houses (5). Now I gotta go and replace some old ones, clean out some and find a place for what is left over, if any.
GGG - the potting bench sounds great. Nice to have a 'special place' like that. I always enjoy pictures.. (hint hint)
Shot

Here is something to tease you..
{{gwi:801325}}

Oh, yum! That is a great photo Shot! A very nice photo to get us in the mood for things to come.

My potting bench isn't fancy. It is just some pieces of re-claimed wood that an old friend from this forum who no longer posts made for me. He is such a nice man, and I didn't want anything fancy or I'd be afraid to make a mess of it! I need a nice, big old area to get busy. Another friend made the shed area for me which is like an open air greenhouse. If we needed it enclosed, we could really easily do so. It was built to be enclosed if needed in the "L" of our house and would not need any extra heating.

This is from 2004 when it was built and not yet used. How clean and need except for the deck which is covered with my winter sowing. Now I don't put winter sowing back there anymore, (and no veggie beds are back there anymore either) because we bought an ajoining property and my veggie beds and winter sowing sit in the front of that house.

And this area currently looks like a bomb went off in it anyway. I need to re-paint and re work the little shed area.

GGG

GGG - NEATO!!! I used the same philosophy when I built my tater bins. For the corners I just cut and screwed two pieces of boards together to attach the other rough cut boards. Maybe we got a little kin in us somewhere.... hee hee

Shot
Thanks for the photo

Yeah. That is pretty much the way my deck was built too. It looks better now at least - a friend came and put a skirting on it, and put some timbers in for the back of raised beds..
eventually.

Got more cleared out in the shed today. What a mess. Hopefully can paint next week.

GGG

I just moved into my first home late December 2007, so I've been all kinds of busy! The house is a 1923 bungalow in Lakewood that was vacant for 2 years before we bought it, so you can imagine how grown up the yard was!

We've cleared a lot of brush so we can fence in the back yard for our dogs to run around. They are really hating being on leashes!! We've also trimmed the box hedges along the front property line and got rid of some nasty poison ivy!

We've lucked out and found a ton of useful things burried around the yard too! I've used some red bricks from the yard to create a 3 layer high raised circular flower bed in the front yard. We also found some great landscaping stones in the yard that we are using to build raised beds on along one side of the house - this is where I'll be able to view my sunflower garden everyday when I leave and come home since the driveway is on that side!

We are going to have our "grassy" driveway paved soon and I'll created a raised bed around my mailbox then. I'm looking to also create about 2 or 3 more flower beds along with the vegetable garden as well.

This week will be focused on seed starting and transplanting. I'm starting over 300 plants from seeds this year! I bought or traded for most of them this year, but plan to collect my own for next year and will trade the rest for things I don't have. I also have a ton of daffodil and iris bulbs sprouting out of the ground that I need to transplant. It's like someone just took a big bag of each, threw then in the air and let them fall where they may! I like cottage gardening, but I don't want it in my grass!

I'm hoping to build a greenhouse in the fall so I will have a dedicated place to grow from seed. I don't think that the space above my washer and dryer and my dining room table are going to be big enough next year, but they will certainly do for now!

Isn't it so nice to enjoy gardening? You can't complain about having healthy food to eat and beautiful plants to look at. And the workout you get is a special perk!

Diana

Hi Diana! Congrats on your new home... it's new to you. Can imagine how it must have looked with 2 years of neglect. When you get it whipped into shape, be sure and share some pics with us. (we love pics :) )

While you are making room for seeding..... how about making enough room for Herboil's seed also :)

Shot

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