What's happening in my garden? It's raining again. : (

I've done a little weeding. My yard is getting some patches of purple too and we need to mow but haven't yet.

I cleaned out my box of seeds. I had a lot of old ones that I dumped into a quart bag, gobs of zinnias and cosmos and many other things. I sprayed a large area of grass in the back corner of my yard with Round-Up and I'm going to try sowing the seed over the dead grass. It's going to be my what-the-heck garden. I just didn't want to throw all my old seeds away. I can always weed-eat it if it's a disaster I guess.

That's about all the gardening I've done this year except for planting some salvia seeds. I have a bunch of babies that are about 1/4 inch tall now.

One of the best things about April is walking around the yard and finding plants emerging after winter especially if it was something that was experimental. I planted a Cape Fuschia last summer that said zone 8 on the tag and when I was walking around the yard this afternoon I noticed there are several sprouts coming up from the base. Yay! The one I bought is called 'Devil's Tears'. It's not extremely showy since the blooms are sort of dull red but I think the hummingbirds will like it so I'm glad it came back.

I also found three of my Stokes Asters coming back. They were some that I bought on clearance, then I decided to divide them before I planted them and the poor things kept getting smaller and smaller and were looking near death by the end of our hot summer last year so I wasn't very confident that they would return. Glad they lived through the abuse. Can't wait for them to bloom.

Here is a link that might be useful: phygelius rectus 'Devil's Tears'

Isn't it great to find a plant that will do that. I have had a salvia 'black and blue' for about 3 years now. I haven't cleaned out the bed it is in so I don't know if it made it back this year; sure hope so.

I finally got the tomato seeds planted and on a warm place for bottom heat to hurry them along.

My Black and Blue still looks like a dead stick so I hope it's just too early on that one.

A whole lotta nothing is happening in my veggie garden...every time I think about it, it starts raining! I am working on constructing raised beds...I know you're supposed to do that in fall or winter, but with moving into the new house I couldn't get to it and never got materials, and had just decided to do the regular old garden. BUT, I recently came into a windfall of free rough cut cedar lumber! So, I am frantically building in hopes they will be ready to fill once it dries out. IF it dries out...

I did get a few starts from hubby's grandmother...several nice lilac bush starts that are taking off like wildfire, plus a yellow rose of texas bush and a hydrangea. She also gave me a GOB of irises. I was also given a plum tree by an aunt, and it's now putting out leaves. Gooseberries, blackberries, and blueberries are all looking excellent, desipte the constant deluge.

There is hope! I have to say I'm relieved to see that everyone's not totally far ahead of me. :)

I cleaned another three beds yesterday afternoon and found the B&B salvia buried beneath the leaves. I just left the leaves because of frosts. I also found lots of V. Bonsariensis up about 1 inch, infact, pulled up several accicentally. I will relocate those to another spot. Got some iris cleaned off and found no rot! I was sure they would be goners. I see the clematis are up about a foot now...please don't freeze them like last year..........Lilies are up, roses leafed out, most perennials are up and some self-seeded hardy annuals. If we can just make it the next few days without a hard freeze, keep your fingers crossed.

Last year I thought the Star magnolia was dead after getting frozen so late, but I think I see some signs of green right at the base. I was just getting ready to pull it up.

I lost Belinda's Dream rose over winter, but have a cutting that I did a year ago still alive.

I got brave and ordered 4 dwarf fruit trees from Adams County Nursery. I got Grimes Golden, Liberty, Yellow Transparent and Albemarle Pippin. Now I have to find some high ground for them.

I have a bushel of irises greening up in the barn from last fall when I had to dig up some standing in water....need to get those in quickly. Have no idea what they are at this point.

Looks like we will have a great weekend so enjoy!

Gld - Did your Black and Blue already have some new growth coming out? I couldn't find any on mine. I planted four small B&B last year in different spots in my yard and hoping at least one of them will come back. I also had an Argentine Skies which is the same species with lighter blue flowers and the plain ol' species guaranitica. I don't think we ever got below zero over the winter but it sure has been rainy this spring. If they just didn't rot from all the rain, they should return.

Last summer was my first year for verbena bonariensis but I haven't checked for seedlings yet. Hope I find some.
I found a bunch of some kind of seedlings coming up where I planted a butterfly mat last year. I don't know what they are but the leaves are grayish. I will have to post a photo later and see if anyone recognizes them.
I grew delosperma 'Stardust' from seed last year and found three that made it though the winter in the ground and a couple that I left in pots on my patio are still alive. I thought with all this rain they might rot but not yet.

The Family Flowers stands aren't open here yet but I noticed Nixa Hardware has a bunch of perennials out already. Some were only $2.50. I had never stopped there before and was surprised that they had so many plants.

Outdoor Girl - How lucky you are to get all those plants from family. Those are the ones that are special too when they are handed down like that. My mother gave me a start of a "Yellow rose of Texas" bush that belonged to my dad's mother. The real name for mine is Double Japanese Kerria. Is that the same one?

hey christie,
I looked on the net, and the Yellow Rose bush is indeed the Double Japanese Kerria. Is there any trick to them? Everything I transplanted or took starts from is doing well, EXCEPT those...I think the remaining one is now just a dead stick. I can always get more, but I hate to keep repeating the process.

I love keeping "family plants" going! I planted some blackberries and gooseberries originally from grandpa's bushes (which originally came from the old family farm)...my mom started her bushes from his, my cousin started his bushes from hers, and I in turn have started my bushes from my cousin's!

Hey all. Was this past weekend wonderful or what? I couldn't bring myself to work in the house. so.. you know what I will be doing this afternoon.
Anyway I finally got some plants in and others started and checked on all else.
Canterbury bells, Blue fax, Snapdragon,Dahlia, gerber daisy,Baby's breath, foxglove, Shasta daisy,Vinica, impatiense and a few others.
My Hosta are coming up through the mulch so pulled back the mulch right around the base of them so wont rot w/all the rain. my other bulbs must have bit the dust, no signs. my elephant ears are getting an eye as well. my onions look good too.
Every one have a great day.
Bonnie

I think my Kerria sulked for awhile after I transplanted it too but it's very tough once it's established. You may still get some new growth from the roots even if the top looks dead so keep watching. I don't know any special tricks really but if you have to try again, you could dig down and cut a little chunk loose from the parent but leave it in place for awhile before actually digging it up, maybe two or three weeks(?) so it will get used to being on its own gradually. Or were you trying to root cuttings of the branches?
Bonnie - Sounds like you accomplished a lot over the weekend. You're going to have lots of flowers. Today is going to be nice too. You will have to wait and clean your house tomorrow when it rains. : )

Hi all. It has been awhile since I have been here.
Haven't had a too good winter, but the lovely weather of the past few days has restored my soul...:-)

Instead of typing a commentary on my spring, I will give you the link to my latest thread. Feel free to post on it.

Marian

Here is a link that might be useful: link

christie - I think you may be right...the Kerria MAY have a little life in it, so I'll leave it alone and see if it perks up.

Sounds like everyone is taking advantage of this great weather!

Wow what a beautiful day! Hope everyone got to go outside for at least a little while.

I spent some time in town today shopping but got to play in the yard when I got home. I was looking for bonariensis seedlings and found growth coming from two of last years plants so I guess they're going to be perennial for me this year. Gld - Did yours do that? What a nice surprise.
My salvia guaraniticas are still not coming up but it's been pretty cool lately except for today. I still have a little hope left but it's dwindling.
I stopped by the farmer's market at Battlefield Mall in Springfield for a little while but they were all packing up their plants for the day. Guess I need to go back next week.

I have a container on my front porch that I bought some plants for. Wal-Mart had a variety of purple leafed sweet potato vine that I'd never seen before so I got some of those and some dusty miller to go around it. I stuck a spike plant in the middle also. I may have crowded too much in there. I like containers with plant combinations but it's hard to find different plants that all like the same amount of sun and water on my hot west-facing porch. The sweet potato vine wasn't marked but looks like Sweet Caroline Bewitched Purple below. I thought it was a pretty neat find for Wal-Mart.

What's everybody else been doing?

Here is a link that might be useful:

I have been slowly trying to get "early" garden planted. Yesterday, I did another row of potatoes, a few beets and more sugar snap peas. I tilled one row then decided it was a bit too wet so stopped. I did some work on one flower bed and hope to finish cleanup today. I have never seen so many Elm seedlings! How I hate those trees!

Yes, Christie, my Bonariensis seems to be coming out from the base of last year's stalks. I have tons of poppy seedlings everywhere. I hope the double pinks from last year are amongst them Lauren's Grape ones. The hostas are finally coming through the mulch and I have buds on some of the clematis. I think I have lost one totally.

The variegated Soloman's Seal I bought last year at Master Gardener's sale that the dog dug up a few times.....survived. I am sure glad I stuck it back in the ground. It didn't show any signs of growth last year but I noticed some stalks coming up by the (also) dug up Lenten Rose and couldn't figure what it was until the variegation showed up. I will need to move it later.

I checked the apricots and it looks like I will have a crop. I am so excited.....keeping my fingers crossed that we will not have another severe freeze. I noticed some asparagus popping up too.

Got the roses I ordered from Chamblees and, as usual, they are wonderful plants....even have blooms on them and they smell is heavenly.

Hi everyone! I'm back Just like a bad penny. LOL!!!
Has been a rough month but things are great now.
Had kidney stones,been in hospital, had surgery,recouped, could'nt get online again,have decided to get online through Morning Star satillite as soon as i figure out how to pay for it. May get rid of landline and get cellphone.

It is pure delight to get out and look at my flowers. Iris is starting to bloom. Going to have a bumper crop of blooms this year. Peonys are budding,even a few late spring flowers are blooming. one Bleeding Heart is blooming.Daylilly plants are so pretty and green.Hostas,astilbe,ferns,lambs ears,rose bushes,mints,catnip and other plants are looking good

All my veggies from seeds died while i was gone. so have bought tomato and pepper plants from local nursery. Found a Rutgers tomato. My grandmother grew it many years ago,also Jupiter sweet peppers. They're supposed to have some Straight Eight cukes this week. All go into containers.
Strawberries doing good still. We lucked out and did'nt have any frost,Hope everyone got passed by.
Have a great day everyone,
vickie