I burned leaves in the neighbors ditch. Hubby said he was going to ask a dumb question and he did. Why would you burn the neighbors leaves? With rain in the forecast I decided it needed to be cleaned out. There are 3 of us on the street and the clog was causing erosion in the street/gravel rd. so cleaned the culvert and burnt all the leaves I could. The rest are along the edge of the road to dry. It was nice to just get outside. Hope we make it through the week without down pours like last weekend.

I was thinking some people could be having trouble getting the March Journal thread to load too. I wonder how many still have dial-up. In a long thread like that, I think it's better to post thumbnails instead of full size photos otherwise it may time-out before it completely loads.

Ladycraft - you're kind to help out your neighbors. I don't get enough leaves in my yard. You could bring me a pile. lol Someday I'll be wishing I had someone to rake mine for me though.

Sunny - Amazing that you're already working out in the yard after your knee replacement earlier this month. It's wonderful that they can do that. Staying mobile can much such a difference in a person's life.

Jessaka - Glad to hear you're feeling better. That wears on a person to be sick so long. We've been passing the flu around our house. So far, everyone has gotten it except me. The doctor said something is going around that turns into pneumonia quickly but that it's not swine flu, so be careful everyone. Spring is here but keep using the germ-x.

I planted some broccoli starts yesterday that I got at Lowe's and planted a few of my Kohlrabi seedlings. I had a few raspberries coming up in my little raised bed where I planted them though. I potted those up. The broccoli and kohlrabi better grow fast. I'm sure the raspberries will win that battle eventually. I should've put my raised be further away.

Ceresone - I want to see your painted fence when it's done too. What a creative idea!

Why do I get so many wild onions. I never let them go to seed. grrrr

I played in the water this morning and got really cold. It is washing away some of the mulch/compost I got from the Joplin City compost pile which I just unloaded yesterday. I love to burn brush piles and play in water. There will be nothing burning today. I am still damp. I got a new deciduous azalea Mt. St. Helens at Lowes just $7 for a one gallon. I hope it is a good one; I love the other ones I have. The evergreen ones are too hard for me to grow.

I thought I posted earlier..........another senior moment!

DH likes working out in bad weather too Helen. Not me.

I wish I could grow azaleas but have tried many times and failed. Maybe I need more acid soil?

I was very cold here this morning with lots of frost. The water on the birdbath was frozen over. Sun is out now and melted everything. It didn't seem to hurt the daffodils.

If I get the energy I may plant peppers and tomatoes today or I may wait until it is warmer next week. I have to run back and forth to the barn for potting soil and pots.

Glenda I can't grow the azaleas everyone in town grows. Mine are the deciduous ones. I do try to keep them watered in summer because I would hate to lose them, but they get the barn drips off the roof. If there is a sprinkle they get watered, so it is not so hard to keep them watered. They are fragrant and that is what I am after. I have been working on it for years and still haven't succeeded. I want something fragrant in my yard at all times. Bloom periods are limited so I need a series of plants. Hyacinths are doing their job now.

Yesterday was a nice, mild day. I planted two flats of tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. They are now under the lights.

DH picked up the debris from the cleanup the other day.

I hope to work outside a good part of the day.

I still have beds to clean off, divide nepeta and a blue aster to remove from the garden.

The apricot tree is about half in full bloom....I will probably loose most of them again. I think I will order one from Stark that is later blooming.

The blackberries have green leaves just beginning.

The plum trees have tons of buds, no color showing yet.

The half peach tree is beginning to show pink tips.

No color on the pear buds yet or the apples.

Still haven't uncovered the strawberries.

Clems are up about 12 inches.

Peonies red tips are up 2 inches or so.

Roses are beginning to leaf out.

Spring has sprung!

ladycraft, you burned leaves, and i collected leaves. i went around and gathered up all the neighbor's bags of leaves and put them in my yard.

i am over my illness. thanks. but i feel so out of shape from sitting around all winter doing nothing and not being able to use my legs to exercise because of inflammation on the knees. and now my hands are giving out on me, and i have to go to the doctor to see why. i need them to work.

i bought some tomato plants, jalapeno, and bell pepper at lowe's but am waiting until april 15th since that is our last frost or freeze date as said by the ag dept. here. so i leave them in pots until then. also got some provence lavender to plant later.

been pulling weeds as well, but not much as i also have to get the house cleaned since family is coming. so i did a project that i should have done this winter: made curtains for the back bedroom and then took some sheets that had crochet work on them and made pillow cases out of them. and been spring cleaning still.

Jessaka, I saved all of mineand some of the neighbors adjoining. They are either mulch or compost. These were wet and I had no energy to do anything with them except get rid of them. Some are still along the street to burn.

I think we can say that spring is here. So much to do now and need to make a list so it isn't so overwhelming. We got 30 bags of mulch from Lowe's last weekend for $.99 2 cf. Want to get landscape timbers next and work on some flower beds. Course that means a saw to cut them with a drill bit for the holes and nails or rebar. I'm going to try the sg. ft gardening. Sounds like it should work pretty good. I have a bunch of seeds planted and some of them are sprouting now.