Carol,

Nope. My order didn't come today. Maybe Monday it will come.

Dawn

I was surprised to see mine today because I suspect they are having trouble with their computer. Several days past before I got an acknowledgement, and then I got two along with 2 more messages where I had signed up. I checked the numbers quickly to make sure it was a duplicate email and not a duplicate order. Sunny Goliath was back-ordered.

My order was hung up in the system just like yours, and it took them so long to acknowledge receiving it that I was starting to wonder if the order hadn't gone through. So, I'm sure the order is on the way.

Today I was looking at the calendar and thinking to myself that if I started seeds on December 15th, I'd have tomato plants ready to go into the ground on February 15th. Yes, of course that's way too early, and I'm not going to start seeds on the 15th, but if you're gonna dream....dream big.

I hate winter.

Dawn

Well, that is after Valentines Day!

I have a friend that loves Christmas and her husband (now deceased) would always tell her she had to wait until after Halloween to start decorating. Every year I remind her that it is almost time to start and we have a good laugh.

Soonergrandmom,
I'm glad you mentioned the DVDs. As you saw, I posted very early on the list, and I never heard back from her. Your note here is an indication that GW mail is doing its dissappearing act. Thanks for the heads up, on both counts. I have followed up and hope to hear soon.

Dawn,
"I hate winter". Me too. I try not to think about it because we're just getting started. Brr.

Seedmama

Carol, did you order seeds of other tomatoes, too, or just the Goliath series? I am still thinking about Bush Goliath as a possibility.

I need to get outside and scatter a few seeds, too, like my Cleomes, which always do better from a fall/winter sowing, 4 o'clocks, milkweed seeds, and a couple others. I may also do the Cosmos seed because it always seems like they come up better from self-sown seed that's been exposed to winter chill.

I hate winter, too, but there are little things I can do to help while it away until spring.

Susan

Brrr is right, Seedmama! We're the lucky ones too, because we still have an occasional warm day here and there in winter. I couldn't handle months of relentlessly cold weather without an occasional pretty day.

Our last stubborn oak trees which had green leaves as recently as early last week have finally begun to lose the leaves, which are turning a reddish-brown or a golden-brown and falling almost the same day they change color. These trees are somewhat protected as they are in lower-lying areas and are in the woods so have protection from taller trees nearby. I understand how they "feel", though, because I don't want to concede that winter weather has arrived either.

Susan, I scatter-sow some seeds in Dec. or Jan. too, but I have to be careful about it. A lot of them, like the poppies, need to be surface sown, and we have so many hungry wild birds here that they come along and eat the surface sown seeds as soon as I put them out. (I cannot surface sow poppies on top of snow in the traditional way for just that reason.) It can be very frustrating. I try to "trick" the birds by putting wild bird seed in little piles alongside the driveway first. They come to eat it and stuff themselves. Then, after they leave here feeling all fat and happy, I sneak back outside and sow the seeds.

If it wasn't for the plants in containers in the garage, I'd lose my mind in winter. You can't fuss over them too much because they don't need much fussing, but just looking at them makes me happy. One of Chris' high school friends stopped by to say hi yesterday and when she saw the potted tomato plants and pepper plants with ripening fruit on them, she said "That is crazy!" I hope she was referring to it in a good way like "it is crazy good to have fresh tomatoes and peppers in December" and hope she didn't mean "You are one crazy woman"!

Dawn

I went out today and still have some green plants standing in the garden, and it's been cold long enough that I don't understand it. A couple of them are quite tropical. One is Asclepias physocarpa, aka Oscar milkweed, aka Family Jewels (don't ask; don't tell), and the other is my African/Indian Giant Milkweed, Calotropis gigantia. Go figure. My perennial Salvia 'Hot Lips' (red flower with a white lip) and salvia 'Cherry Queen' and my Flame Acanthus (Anisicanthus quadrifolia var. wrightii) are still green, too. I imagine the tops will die back by the end of the month, though. I am just so surprised about the two tropicals. Oh, my perennial phlox and the Dianthus are still green, too. Not surprised at the Dianthus, but the perennial phlox is a bit unusual. Boy, if you ever want a phlox that's about 2' in height, with purplish flowers that blooms constantly, this is the one. I can't find it anywhere else but Bustani's. It is still blooming!

I've been over on the Container Gardening forum today trying to get my ducks lined up as to my container soil for winter sowing and trying to find out if I can re-use the 5:1:1 soil in containers. Guess not, but I will give the beds a boost with it. I need to find out now where I can find Gran-I-Grit, or a reasonable substitute therefor.

Lots to think about right now, and lots to get ready. It's a shorter time to start winter sowing than we think.

Susan

Susan, Farmer's Grain (in downtown Edmond) carries Gran-I-Grit as well Bethany Country Store in ...wait for it... Bethany! :-)

Eckroat Seed carries turface if you start leaning toward Al's Gritty Mix for some of your container plants. Need the pine bark fines?... TLC carries some labeled as 'soil conditioner'.

Hope that helps!
Lynn

Susan, I believe you have your very own shopping assistant on call. LOL You also asked about tomato seed and the answer is, one pack of Eva Purple Ball off of the sale list, and the Goliath collection.

I have a huge assortment of tomato seed left from last year, and a promise from a sweet Santa in Kansas for a few more. My problem will be in deciding what to grow. I wish I could grow them all. Unless they are in containers, I am limited to only the fenced area because of all of the dogs that run loose here. I normally plant containers and keep them in the yard that is not fenced, but it gets both tiring and expensive to fill containers.

I have a little more space available than I had last year, and the wire for a few more tomato cages. I have not been a big planner in the past, but I am trying to 'turn over a new leaf' and have a real plan. Hold that thought....LOL

In my climate, a cage is a necessity for most years because of heavy rainfall. I don't think sprawling would be possible here. Between soil splash, pill bugs, slugs, and birds and squirrels, I don't think I would get many tomatoes. I am planting several determinate types this year so that will help a little with the cage and space issue.

In addition, I now have a truck so I can get compost by the truckload. My husband is retiring in a few days so he will be home also.......and I'll let you know how that works. [grin]

Susan,

I suspect anything still green at our house will no longer be green after the low temps early this a.m. and tomorrow a.m. The Malva sylvestris 'Zebrina' and some dianthus in the Peter Rabbit Garden are all I have left that's green (except for all the cool-season weeds that sprouted in Oct. and Nov.) in terms of flowers, but some herbs (rosemary, lavender, sage, lemon balm, chives, overwintering onions and mint) remain green.

The last of the Texs Hummingbird Salvia froze back last week, as did the last of the 4 o'clocks and the ornmental sweet potato vines around the lily pond. The bees will miss the salvia plants, but at least they'll still have the Laura Bush petunias that are underplanted in the large molasses tubs that have the brugmansias in them. The brugs are cycling in and out of bloom as they always do at this time of year with a few new blooms likely to open up today.

The water lilies still have green foliage, which is not unusual. They usually stay green until at least late December. Some years I have had tropicals in pots survive into January before I had to move them inside or let them die.

There's not much green left in our county now after repeated hard frosts and I miss the green. The tawny color of pasture grasses has its own sort of beauty, I guess, but I'd rather have green. The native possumhaw hollies seem to be putting on a huge show with their berries right now, so that adds a little color to what is an otherwise fairly dull landscape.

Normally our wildflower bloom season starts in January here, so I know a few "new" blooms are only about 5 or 6 weeks away so that is something to look forward to. I did notice yesterday that the foliage of larkspur and pink evening primrose is up and already an inch or two tall.

I have a poinsettia, an amaryllis and a Christmas cactus in the house so at least there's something to look at.

December is the worst month as all the plants outside tend to be mostly frosted/brown by then.....and nightfall comes so early! Soon, though, the solstice will pass and the days will start getting longer and we'll all start watching for even the tiniest signs of spring.

Dawn

Oh, I know Dawn. I wait with bated breath for December 21st because I know then that longer days are on the way!

Carol, when you tell me to "hold that thought" I laugh! There are very few thoughts I hold for very long anymore. In fact, my thoughts most days are very fleeting.......

I guess the truck is working out very well for you, huh? Now you can honestly say you're a truck farmer! LOL!

Oh, I know full well that these tropicals will not last long, but I am wondering if the roots might survive since they've taken quite a bit of cold already, and they're planted next to the big old pine tree which protects them some. One can always hope.

My hellebores will start coming up in January, and the Arums, too. Not too many wildflowers here in the Urbane Jungle, though.
Lynn, thanks for the info. I get my pine bark fines at American Plant Products. Yes, they're wholesale, but they will sell small amounts for cheap. I get my 3 cf bags for about $3-4. They also sell the larger size perlite, peat moss, whatever I need, except for Gran-I-Grit. Bethany is not too far, so I'll plan a trip there to get it, and thanks so much for the info!

Susan

Just got back from our trip yesterday evening to a very cold Oklahoma night. My Oscar MW seems to have frozen overnight. Last year my plant made it until the temps got down into the 20s. I set up the greenhouse before I left, so I have quite a few small Oscars overwintering. I also collected about a hundred seed pods which are beginning to pop open and explode!

Everything here is pretty much gone dormant. However, the plants in the greenhouse seemed to have made it. I'm not sure Son watered anything while I was gone, so I spent an hour this morning watering all the potted plants in the greenhouse and on the patio.

I got a TT catalog in the mail while I was gone. Haven't had time to go through it. I need to think about what I'll grow to sell at market. The tomato, pepper, and squash plants sold big last year, as well as the herbs I started early. So, I'll soon be getting them going.

I didn't see very many BFs in Asia this time. The kids have moved to a new house, so we put in a flower garden while I was there. I saw Candlestick Cassia in bloom both in Laos and Thailand. It really gets big and beautiful. I also found a seed pod on a Giant MW for the kids to start, as well as seeds of Pride of Barbados, both red and yellow. Didn't bring any back as it's illegal. Good thing as the guy at the declarations counter asked if we brought back any seeds! Never been asked that before. It's so hard not to want to bring seeds of beautiful plants home!!

Grandsons were lots of fun. We went to the beach in Southern Phuket and I got to snorkel with Silas. We found lots of crabs and shells. The fish around the coral were absolutely beautiful! I found several shells opened up like butterflies. I brought some of these home. I love snorkeling, as I feel so free in the water. However, next day, my back was really spasming. I definitely don't like being old.

Now, I'd like to know if anyone knows a source for seeds for the yummy veggies grown in Asia. I'd definitely be a vegetarian if I lived there all the time.

Sandy

Carol,

My TT order arrived today but I haven't had a chance to open it. We spent all day getting ready for the Christmas parade, being in the Christmas parade, winning the big (and I do mean BIG) trophy for having the best-decorated vehicle, and then hurriedly stripping everything off the firetruck so it would be ready to roll on the next fire call. And, in the middle of that, we did have an actual fire to go to this afternoon. I'm exhausted, so think I'll just open my seed order from TT tomorrow when I don't feel so brain-dead and bone-tired.

Sandy,

It sounds like you went on an amazing trip!

I assume you've seen all the answers on your thread about asian vegetable sources, and I have one more to add.
Botanical Interests offers maybe two dozen different Asian varieties (see link below) and also sells a collection of Asian varieties too. I've grown seeds from Botanical Interests many times and always have been pleased with their quality.

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: Asian Seed Varieties at Botanical Interests

Congratulations on the win. That helps you know that all that work was worthwhile. Good job. Marietta has had a rough year, so it is good they are having some fun. Thanks for all you do to make the world a better place.

I heard the fire trucks tonight, and they kept getting closer and closer. By the time I got outside to look they were in our neighborhood and I could see heavy smoke billowing out of a chimney. Just as the truck pulled up I heard someone yell, "Do you have a blanket", so I assume it was just the chimney. Later I saw the fireman on the roof by the chimney. Our street loops around and our backyards meet with no alleys in between. This house is next door to one of the houses that shares our property line, so it was very close. A lot of the houses are close here, and to make it worse, we have cedar trees all around. Ours have been cut down, but several yards still have them.

Carol,

Thanks. You know, this community really needed something happy and fun to rally around after last month's tragic accident that involved so many children, and last night definitely was it.

During the tree-lighting event on the courthouse lawn after the parade, we even had a brief announcement by a local grandmother that her young grandson (a Love County resident), who is in an OKC hospital battling a very aggressive form of leukemia, is responding well to treatment. She really just wanted to thank everyone for their prayers and support and to ask for continued prayers. That was nice, positive news that everyone appreciated hearing.

I had talked until I was blue in the face trying to convince our firefighters that the true reason for participating in the parade was to bring joy to everyone who attended, but they are a bit competitive and really wanted that trophy and they worked hard to win it. On the way home last night, they already were talking about what they'll do next year to top it. I think a "monster" has been born. A Thackerville firefighter urged us to do it all again on Dec. 18th for the Thackerville parade, but I don't know if the firefighters will want to.....by then, school is out and people are scattering far and wide to "go home" for Christmas.

I'm glad the fire in your neighborhood was easily extinguished. It is shockingly easy for fire to travel from one home to another, particularly in windy conditions, and if those cedar trees catch and burn, they are hard to put out. We average about one chimney fire a year, and usually it is in a very old farmhouse but every now and then it is in a fairly new home. In a fairly new home, if the home was properly built to code, you normally can stop the fire. In old farmhouses that were built decades ago and which haven't been updated to comply with current fire codes, the outcome generally is not good.

We have cut down all the cedars on our property that are within 200 or 300' of the house, but I still have to go into the woods in winter and cut down a lot of new ones that have sprouted since the previous winter. Our neighbors have some cedar trees that are fairly close to our house, but we can't do much about that. Cedar trees do complicate firefighting a great deal.

My TT order was just like yours...I received everything I ordered except for Sunny Goliath, which is back ordered.

I really feel ready to start seeds now, but suppose I'll wait until the proper time to do it. And, even though I have the urge to plant, I have a gazillion holiday things to do so I wouldn't have time to start seeds now even if the timing was right.

Dawn