I check in occasionally on days like today (yes, it's raining).

Me too! A good for surveying what's popping up and them coming back in when it starts raining again to post on the GW. How are your gardens coming along?

I've finished cleaning up a lot of things, like re-edging some areas, putting in a new retaining wall around the shed, and mulching. Daffodils are done, tulips just about finished, and bearded iris starting to bloom.

Actually got outside yesterday during a lull in the rain, and did some trench edging with the ground wet. Was very easy.

How about everyone else?

Here is a link that might be useful: April Photos 2006

I'm here too.

The garden is about the same as above, but with plenty left to do. The veggies are looking better and better thanks to the rain. Once it's a little drier, I'll start on the flowers by putting in all the little annual seedlings that are sitting outside (usually) waiting for May.

We've decided to surrender to a maple tree and plant ground cover instead of wasting more money on grass seed, and to put in a new path under that tree so the mail carrier doesn't track mud on the porch when it's wet.

As I say - Plenty to do!

I'm here!

Yes, the board is slower traffic-wise than a lot of the gardenweb forums BUT I have to say that the advice is top-notch! ;)

Loved all the rain this weekend. It will help wonderfully with all the plants everybody has out. I'm going to wait for a couple of days before I put out some of my annuals started from seed. I'm not sure if the snapdragons are going to make it. We'll have to see!

Does anybody know of cheap seeds for sale in the CR area? I wanted to pick up some zinnia & cosmos seeds as well as maybe a couple other fast growning annual varities - willing to take suggestions!

I check on the board about once a week and glad to hear what others are doing. For cheap seeds I sometimes go to Wal-Mart. Some cosmos are easier to raise and longer lasting than others. I like the Cosmic series as they grow great until frost.
I raise a lot of flowers in the basement under lights. Then they go in and out on the deck weather permitting. It does get old dragging them in and out but I can raise annuals I can't find and perennials like lupines and columbines in volumn. I planted out the perennials as they can take these cool nights and rains. Next big thing is to get all the annuals planted and mulched. When the heat of summer comes I like to be almost done except maintainance. Also have been potting up plants in my garden shed, with the usual dragging in and out to harden off. Did pick up some annuals and ect. at a little greenhouse in downtown New Hartford that sells 6 packs for $1.07 and other things quite reasonable. I hope I'm not breaking any rules by saying this. We've had over 2" of this lovely rain. Did most of Iowa get rain?

Check Aldi's for inexpensive seed - sometimes 10 packs for $1. I've had good luck with it for annuals.

Cricket

Hey, i'm here, the traffic isn't that slow, but i guess i don't have much experience on forums. Looks like you've got lots of replys though!!
My garden is starting to come up and my hyacinths are done blooming but my daffodils are still blooming. I have some irises blooming and phlox (garden and creeping) and jacob's ladder blooming too. Nothing too exciting.

I check the forum pretty much every day but I don't post that often as I don't always have anything profound to say. I'd say every forum goes dormant at times. Nothing's been going on on the shade forum for so long I'm wondering if it is ever coming back. Maybe I've been lurking around the design forum too much and I'm getting nervous about posting anything. They are a prickly lot. (Ironbelly, if you check this out it sounds like they're missing you over there).

I like this forum a lot. We're nice friendly Iowans. But as an honorary Norwegian/Lutheran (nobody get offended here--think Lake Woebegone/Garrison Keillor)I'd say maybe we're a little shy, don't want to show off or anything like that.

I've got next to nothing done in the garden right now. Been working too many hours lately. Didn't get any early garden in at all. Bummer! My daffodils are also done. The bluebells are nice and the lilacs are just starting to bloom. Now if it would let up raining just a little maybe I could sit out on the patio and enjoy them. Otherwise I'm cutting a bunch and bringing them to work.

Look forward to talking to you many more times in the future.

Maria

Well I did a lot of yard work today but no planting. Mostly cosmetic stuff like moving landscaping bricks, laying stones, cleaning out the pond/fountain, raking twigs into a burn pile, watering and weeding the lawn, and some stuff like that. I want to do more planting but have a LOT of other stuff to get done first and lots of weeding to do before I want to try to plant much else. I have some morning glory and moonstone seeds planted along my privacy fence and no sign of growth on those yet or the bulbs I planted (can't remember what they were!) but the only thing blooming are things that were blooming when they were planted... and the tulips and other plants that were planted years ago.

I just feel like I can't plant much else until I get some weeding and cleaning up done. I also have a flower bed to build but I need my husband to get his truck cover and some bikes out of the way for me!

Gotta work tomorrow and then I have three days off to make some serious dents in the work around here!

Rain Rain Go Away, let the gardeners come out to play.I am so ready to plant , I have a stash of plants outside my door ready to go in.

Sad to say, the rain doesn't stop me much! I still find things to do outside in the rain. :P Thankfully the rain has let up a bit so it gives me more variety of things to do. I finished resetting the flower beds and bricks along my sidewalk, completely dug up about 2' x 2' square in the sidewalk corner, removed all the rocks and grass, and relaid everything again. Then I went to Home Depot and low and behold, THEY HAVE PLANTS?!?! I never even thought about it. (Home Depot hasn't been here very long, maybe a year.) I was in awe at the amount of beautiful plants, trees, flowers, bushes, and the amazing selection of tools, mulches, soils, etc. Wow. I ended up buying two lilac bushes, a Weed Hound (YAY) and some other goodies. Mostly just scoped things out. Prices were fairly resonable. Might go back!

Lowes also has a ravishing selection of plants, better than Earl May, i might add. I got a Black Locust "Purple Rose" there for 25.00 and it is like 10ft tall. We also got a yellow buckeye 15 ft tall for 50 dollar, very healthy. We got some red azaleas for 25 bucks each that are like 2 ft tall, flowering like crazy now. Would anyone tell me if azaleas need any type of special protection in the winter? i heard they get wind burn easily. are the leaves supposed to be evergreen?