I know, I overlapped the week,lol--sorry bout that, seems i'm always trying to keep up-now i'm getting ahead!

The flowers are brilliant here following recent rain. Ecinachea, black eyed susan, orange, red, and yellow day lilies, asiatic lilies, shastas. Open today for first day, monarda, platycodon, scabiosa. Also, balsam, cosmos, nasturtiums, zinnias, petunias, sedums, gypsophilia, stoksia aster. I appreciate reading the journals of the farmers. There are small farms and ranches all around us here and we appreciate seeing the animals and chickens. We do as little work as possible, but we do a lot of weeding and thinning out in the gardens. I grow a few tomatos. We are continually removing seedling trees. Our region covers several hundred square miles so it is interesting to read about other areas in the region. EP

Today was a good one for me, got lots done outside. First I had mowed yesterday evening and so I trimmed today. As a result, my arms hurt like the dickens now! I also was able to till some of the garden and flower beds. I thought they would be too wet, but weren't. I went ahead and dumped lots of last years (got wet the other day) seeds of zinnias, cleome, globe amaranth, purple millet, and some purple nicotiana. Be interesting to see if anything germinates.

I planted another 4 rows of sweet corn in a new patch of tilled ground and tilled out the pumpkin patch.

I have now found the dreaded Japanese Beetles!!!! drat. They totally ate off some rose blooms.......always something.

DH is back at brushhogging (very slowly to me) but so be it.

It got pretty hot here today, 84° so I was inside by 11:30 am.

GD

We've had an idyllic week here. Everything is brilliant. EP

EP, it must be the same here, because if anythings happened, i've been too busy to notice.
i have my chickens as varmint proof as can be now. took everyone's suggestions, i've put 1/2"x 1" welded wire around and over the top, i'm still not sure a snake couldnt get thru--but a racoon cant-less he opens the gate. i even bought 4 guineas to put with them, cause that was recommended!
and-thats a whole new story--i put a 3 day old guinea with my baby bantams(still in the house)he was lonely, and calling his lil guinea call, and chicks were standing all around him, trying to see in his mouth, to see why he sounded so funny!!now, he's their adopted one!
i have hundreds of rose queen salvia seeds, as well as the deep blue ones, and flowers are blooming and going to seed everywhere.i have snapdragons, cornflowers,petunias, you name it, i started it this year, echinecia--the new colored one, but i think someone told me they were only reproduced by tissue culture?. but--the point of this rambling, i should have lots of seeds to share.
well, best get to cleaning house, its suffered while working on chicken pens.
watered this morning, think we might have gotten half inch in ALL the recent rains together.
everyone be careful-

We got a little shower of about 1/8 inches this morning after the weatherman told us very little possibility of anything!

For the first time in weeks, I did absolutely nothing to the yard or garden. I decided to brush hog the east field. DH got the little 5-footer going and joined me and we finished it together. It looks a little rough because we mowed tall so the calves would have some grazing left. At least, we spread some seed and got rid of the stems.

I made two batches of apricot jam this morning (from my apricots I almost missed). It turned out well.

Ceresone, glad you got the chicken house finished. I still can't decide where to put mine. I think they should be close to the garden so I can let them run in it at the end of the season. If that is the case, then I will have to room off part of a building for them. It is the coolest building on the farm. The previous owners used to raise eggs for Estes Hatchery and the building was built for that. The insulation in the roof is bales of straw! It is held in place with chicken wire nailed to the rafters. I just know it is filled with black snakes, so something will have to be put over it; some kind of sheathing material.

Tomorrow I will finish my trim work and maybe eliminate the broccoli and lettuce from the garden. I now have Japanese Beetles in my few roses, so I plant to spray them with Sevin in the morning. I did broadcast my old flower seeds and then got the little shower on them this morning so if they are going to germinate that should do it.

Don't have anything new blooming except maybe a few daylilies and a white lily that I think if lilium longiflorum. It looks like the traditional Easter Lily, but is very hardy.

I do have a new two-tone pink semi-double hollyhock in bloom. I should have tons of hh seeds if anyone want some.
Also have in bloom a double feverfew from an Ozark Forum member and I think it is my favorite plant. I don't know why I never grew it before.

EP, your post just relaxed me! You have a way with words.

GD

I smile when I read about the chickens. You both sound just like my mom who was a 'real' gardner, farm wife, and canner and treasured every flower. EP

I did nothing in the yard/garden yesterday either except walk around and record what daylilies had opened. Will probably need to water some flower pots and the tomatoes today.

DH sisters came by yesterday going to the nursing home to see their mom. Joyce always cuts DH hair-- so he got trimmed. We went to Mtn. Grove to KFC and then to Wal-Mart and bought DH a new fan. He thinks he needs a fan on at times even with AC on. Got one of those tower fans that are new to me this year--neat looking--better looking than the other kind and this goes in my living room.

Rested in the afternoon and then went to the track to walk and then washed the van. Tonight (Friday) is the big Relay for Life event here in Houston. We will go over about 6:30 to eat and pick up my tee shirt. The festivities start at 7 with the Survivor Lap first after the opening prayer, anthem, etc. Should be nice weather for it.

DH has gone to check the cows--having several baby calves--most of them solid black. Going to go check on what is blooming new this morning---the highlight of my day.

Susy

I made up today for doing not much yesterday. Went out early and pulled out the radishes, lettuce and broccoli, then weeded a flower bed that was more weeds than flowers.

After DH got home from exercise, we visited with a neighbor who dropped by and had coffee with us. Then light lunch and back on the tractors and mowed for 4 hours. Doggone, if I didn't see a new crop of thistles in a field we had already clipped twice! You can't kill the darn things, they either bloom at 6 feet or 14 inches, but by golly they are going to bloom!

I sprayed for the dreaded beetles today as well as the daylilies for aphids which I had pretty badly in early spring. I just used Sevin, and a systemic, and malathion.
I had all these on hand.

Still have to do some trimming. I have been trying to eradicate some oregano, and it is back in fine form. Hate to use Round-up so near the garden, but may have to.

I see some of my new daylilies from Possum Ridge are going to bloom this year. I didn't think they would since they are so small. Be fun to see them.

Susy, I must have missed about you being a "survivor". Thank God for that. Good luck with the walk tonight.

GD

My vinca have filled in nicely and almost look like a flower mass instead of individual plants.
I have three tomatoes that are almost red enough to eat. A new variety I tried this year called Big Mama, a jumbo roma.
My son got a small mess of beans out of his square foot garden. he was thrilled.
My broc was almost perfect for harvest but some nasty small green catepillar wiped them out. Every one of them. Clipped the tops of and left stubs. Bummer.
We had to go to Tulsa for the weekend and while we were gone the deer mowed through our black berries. I'll still be able to get some but they're the hard to get ones down in the middle. Right in with the pricklies. It's so dry, they won't last long this year. They're drying up fast.
My purple hull peas look pathetic. I'm thinking of pulling them up and replanting them in another spot. There should be plenty of time to still make a good crop.
We need rain badly, but fortunately we have a well and I don't have to worry about running up a water bill. thank goodness!