Good idea for weekly journal, Glenda --

Yesterday I turned the compost; planted 6 Madame Butterfly cannas in a temporary container; planted 8 hosta in a temporary container; bought 3 more hosta (Guacamole); cut a tomato top off; put up shelves in the greenhouse; and planted four more lettuce plants in a container by the compost bin.

Today it's supposed to rain and perhaps I can get the house swept and dusted, because that is always on the back burner when it's warm enough to be outside --

Sunny

Sunny, my thought is that my house will still be here, after I'm gone, still needing cleaned, so why bother today?
I wanted to get the mowing started, but it looks like rain any min. so--I think I'll play in my garden starts.
I need to up-pot my broccoli, cauliflower, and kohlrabi. It should go in the garden, but untill I defeat the 12 big dogs there, I'm waiting to put them out.
The tomatoes need to go up a size too, as does all the herbs.
I always put my H.B. feeders out on April 1, thats the earliest I've ever had them, but I figure I'll have to wait about 2 more weeks. Did you know the Whipporwills come back about the same time as our tiny friends?
My son and dil say they're moving away, hope their little birds find other feeders too.
Apple trees getting ready to bloom, and cherries. Pears, Peaches, Plums are all thru blooming.
Isnt it strange, what we are soo tired of in the fall, is something we look forward to in the spring, whether its gardens, or humming birds. Guess thats why we have winter..

"Sunny, my thought is that my house will still be here, after I'm gone, still needing cleaned, so why bother today?"

Ceresone, my dear Mother used to say something like that to me -- "The cemetery is full of good housekeepers who never smelled a violet." And yes, you are right, it will still be here when there's time to do it.

Thank you for the reminder- -

Sunny

And, thanks for sharing that, Sunny-thats a good reply for those around me, that think working outside is a burden, and that a clean house is all important.
I always figure it needs to be clean enough to be healthy, and dirty enough to be happy.

And that's why I'm going to go outside right now and leave my dishes 'til later. : ) I'm going to enjoy this nice day before the darn cold front gets here.

I couldn't get Gardenweb to work yesterday. Did anyone else have trouble?

I finally got some potatoes planted. I used 12 concrete blocks to make a bed for my Yukon Golds. I was going to make a taller bin with hardware cloth (wire) for my red potatoes but it's taking more compost than I realized so I've put that idea on hold. If I go buy more, then I will have spent so much that I might as well buy my potatoes in bags at the grocery store. Maybe straw would be cheaper.

I brought my seedlings in last night, some broccoli starts that I hadn't planted yet, my blueberries that I put in containers this spring, a container that has a butterfly bush in it and my potted salvia that may already be dead, and also covered a few things. Hope this is our last cold snap.

Glenda - Did you ever find calendula seeds? I had some last summer but didn't save any seeds. It was my first year to plant it.

I have been having trouble every day with the internet. I may call Total Wireless and see what they say.

I think I will also disable the router and see if that helps.

I have now checked all stores but Lowes that are close by and still no calendula. I may yet do another order this year....once I set my mind on something, I hate to give up.
I checked Park Seed and the deciding factor may be they have the Corkscrew vine seed that was at Close gardens last year! $6.00 for the seeds, but still cheaper than a plant and I should be able to save seeds.

You have a good point about the cost of gardening, Christie. I am always careful not to buy all the things recommended to keep costs down. Why not just plant the potatoes in the ground? Or around the base of your compost pile? Then keep working on the beds and next year, you will be ready.

I brought everything I could in. Last night wasn't quite as cold here as predicted, just around freezing. I hope the same will be true for tonight.

I planted some gaillardia Burgundy yesterday. I was delighted to see some acquilegia has sprouted. It is supposed to be 'Chrysantha'. I sure hope so because so far, my old plant has not returned.

At last, the grape hyacinths appeared. I guess they just weren't ready. Did yours show up, christie?

My last planted Buttercrunch lettuce seed finally sprouted and one or two of the last planted tomatoes. The plants under the lights are looking good.

Now, please, some warmer weather!

I bought two pineapple sage plants at Southerlands, also more giant miscanthus and bunny tail grass. I could just dig up some of my miscanthus and start a new piece. I tried that before it was hard to dig up a mass of roots, so I took the easy way. Yesterday all I did was cover things and the wind was blowing my cover off as fast as I was putting it on. I used limbs that I had in a pile to hold it down. I used the cut off tops off my ornamental grass that I had in a pile. What a mess to clean up after this weather passes.

I have one clump of grape hyacinths that's about a foot across that returned but couldn't find a couple smaller clumps that I had. I might try collecting some seed from mine this year.

Helen - I've seen bunny tail grass at Close Gardens. Cute stuff.

I vowed not to order any more things...........but lost my Garden Marker and Parks had them so:

Ordered a packet of the Corkscrew Vine, calendula and a gourd.
Of course, I may not get them until July!

Just checked an most of the peppers and tomatoes are up now.

Plans for today are to inventory seeds and see if I have missed planting anything and then to toss all old seeds.

Gldno, you do know seeds will keep viable in the freezer for years?
Only 30 here, hoping fruit trees are O K--winds still blowing

I know, christie, but I have looked at the darned things so long, I am tired of it. Also, they haven't always been in the freezer or refrigerator.

My mother always said to keep the kitchen and bathrooms sanitary so I try to do that, but other than that I hate housecleaning. My motto is DUST PROTECTS FURNITURE.

I upplanted tomatoes, broccoli, basil, lettuce, last Friday. Still have them on the glassed porch. Went to Tulsa Monday overnight, so DH plugged the heater back in and covered the cabbage and sspeas in the garden as it was forecast to be 22 here but it didn't get that cold. I am holding tomatoes for another week on the porch and taking them out days to harden off.

I had a busy day yesterday.

I worked morning and afternoon, with a rest after lunch, cleaning off the Cellar Beds and cutting back the grasses, topping other perennials and, of course, pulling weeds. I still haven't finished that project. It is a good-sized couple of beds.

I also trimmed most of the yard with my trusty Stihl trimmer.

Christie, I was wrong about the B&B, I think it is a Blue Bedder salvia instead. I dug down a bit and haven't found anything yet and can't even tell where I put the divisions that bloomed late last summer. I hope it is just too early.

I finally sprayed the apple trees. They are just showing some color on the buds.

I may try to plant out some lettuce seedlings; they are much too crowded in their flat.

Then around 5 PM, dh came and found me to go help with a heifer that was trying to calve. We had to pull it.

I was ready for a hot shower when that was all over!

I hope to finish the beds today before the storm moves in.

Life is never dull on the farm.

It's only 30 here this morning! I didn't know it was supposed to get down below freezing. I wonder if it was even colder early this morning. : (
I checked my Black and Blue yesterday and there's still nothing coming up. There's one little sprout coming up from a species salvia guaranitica that's by our retaining wall. Hope the frost didn't get it last night.
I found a little bit of growth coming from verbena bonariensis. I should have lots of those this year if they reseed as heavily as last year.
I wasn't outside very long yesterday. The wind was cold. So glad today is going to be nicer.

I think that is the low, Christie.

Frost is very widespread. I had a couple of flats on the back patio, so I just set them inside last night.

I am ready for some nicer weather!

My forecast shows another cool night Monday night Tuesday morning. I am done covering up unless they forecast a hard freeze. Christie I was looking through a magazine and saw Moon and Stars melons described as an heirloom. Do you start yours early indoors and do you save your own seeds or order new each year? The article said they have a better flavor; is that true? They start theirs indoors a month before putting out and don't put them in the garden until night temps are in the 60's. I am not sure where the garden was maybe up north.

Happy Easter everyone! Looks like the kids may be hunting eggs indoors today. We have a very rainy forecast.

Yesterday sure was nice. I got quite a bit done outside but could use a few more days like that to get caught up.

I've never started watermelon inside Helen. They may need to do that up north to have a long enough growing season but it seems we have plenty of time here. I do soak my seeds for a day or so first before I plant them. I collected seed from my first Moon and Stars melon last year. I was growing other melons too. I don't know if they would cross. The ones I grew last year were from seeds I saved myself also and they all LOOKED like Moon and Stars melons. The year before, the seeds were from a trade. There are different strains of M&S and I don't know which one I have.

My little sassafras tree is going to bloom this year for the first time. I keep thinking every year that my Washington Hawthorn might bloom but nothing so far. I planted it a looong time ago. I have lots of buds on my Shasta viburnums and on my blackhaws. I'm looking forward to seeing those bloom. I think they're finally getting big enough to be showy.

We have lots of bees around our yard this year. We haven't mowed yet (Our mower is not cooperating) and they're enjoying all the weeds. I think they're going to the purple deadnettle the most. We have a lot of henbit in our yard also and I get those two confused. Both have purple flowers. My Mohawk viburnum has been buzzing too.

It was so sunny and warm yesterday that I did a lot of yard clean-up. I cut back 1/3 of the privet and euonymous canes and pulled a lot of henbit and some other light and fluffy weed. Potted three guacamole hostas, put my seedling sweet peas into larger quarters under lights, planted my chilled spinach seeds. There's still so much to do around here that I just don't know where to start! Still haven't pulled the mulches away from perinneals but haven't added any. I see two nice spears in the Jersey Knight asparagus bed. I keep forgetting to check the peach tree to see if new fruit was damaged, but I will. This rain is good for everything and I'll take every drop I can get.
My order from Park's came Friday and pretty soon I have to deal with more hosta and cannas. I hope it warms up soon so I can plant them out. Has anyone heard of a Prairie Blue Eyes Lavender, 28 inches? It has roots that look like a hosta, was shipped bareroot and was a bonus plant for my order. I can't even find that plant in their catalog or any other, so I have no idea if it's really a lavender. If it turns out great, I'll share.
Happy Easter, everyone.
Sunny

I am glad we are getting a slow rain, but it is a dreary cool Easter. Sunny, the only Prairie Blue Eyes I know of is a lavender daylily. It better get warm at night soon because my room under lights is inadequate. I have been gradually repotting the biggest tomato and other plants from little cups to bigger containers. My impatients are too crowded and need to be separated and put in pots. Even so I bought two four packs of raspberry swirl impatients because it was such a pretty color. I should do something different this year but impatients under my walnut tree bloom all summer. I don't think anything else except sun coleus has such a long season of color.

Helen, my space under lights is getting very crowded as well. I only have room for one 48" shop light. This week I'm going to plant my tomato seeds, so the parsleys, etc. will have to move to the GH.

You are right -- the Prairie Blue Eyes is a daylilly, and I'm pleased to have a lavender one. The part of the label where "daylilly" should have been was torn off. I lost a big lavender plant this year so I'll guess I'll start again. The fragrance from them is heavenly.
Sunny

Sunny, I have Prairie Blue Eyes. It is a very pretty daylily.

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Company all left today at noon so I am in recovery mode!

Been a cold and dreary Easter weekend. I am looking forward to the warmup Thursday.

My gaillardia burgundy is up.

Glenda -- That daylily is soooo beautiful. I'm so glad you sent this photo. This daylily is definitely worth keeping and putting in a special place. I love it witih the matching small blooms. Very good photography. Thank you.
Sunny

It is mondarda 'Marshall's Delight'. I hope the daylily does well for you. It is not what I would call a vigorous plant, doesn't seem to multiply a lot.

Hi everyone! I feel like I'm stuck in a holding pattern, with the weather here... LOL! It's too wet to do anything to the ground, it's too cold to be bringing my plants out... gosh durn APRIL! So, I took pictures.

Here's my LONE Iris! Iris? Is that what this is?

HERE'S a good pic! They finally came and took the big pile of branches and trees that were in front of our house since the ice storm! Neat rig they had too!

And, you're gonna laugh at this, I think. Here's my lazy girl's potato patch! I had to have my oldest dig the spot, and he didn't dig a very large one. So everything's kinda CROWDED... but growing like crazy!

NOW, are these daylillies? They do produce an orange flower, that looks like one to me... but then again, I'm a novice at spotting plants. If so, I've got a ton of 'em!

Hope all is well and ya'll are having some fun!

Beth

Beth, I sure wish my potatoes were up that well!! Yes, that is an iris and it's very nice. You cut the stalk off when it is finished blooming and it can be cut up more to go in your compost. The leaves get cut back to a "fan" (about 5 inches from ground) in August. Did you know a bouquet of them smells good?

I think the strappy foilage is tigerlily. I love tigerlilies, but they will take over the world if you don't divide them.

Good job -- Sunny

Thank you Sunny! On the potatoes... I'm blown away by them too. That little area of ground is where all the water runs off to when it rains, it's very black and rich. I DO have a few other potatoes planted in a different area, and they're not doing HALF as good as those! Super fun with taters this year!
OH, and the Iris... I WISH more than one would come up... but am proud of the one I have! Will do as you said in the fall. And TIGER LILY'S! NEAT! I had pretty stuff going in my yard and didn't really know it! LOL!

Beth

Beth, I am leaning toward the strappy foliage being daylilies.
My tiger lilies aren't nearly that crowded and have shorter leaves. They could be any color, but the old timey one on lots of homeplaces are orange. Be sure to post a picture when they bloom.

That is a beautiful iris.

My potatoes are even out of the ground yet!

On my strappy foliage... what do I need to do to divide them? I'm thinking that I'm gonna replant a few in the awful cactus bed... just to see what they do.

Beth

You can't kill them, but if you plant them too deep they don't bloom.

Here is a link that might be useful: day lily forum FAQ

Thank you Helen! :)