I receieved a wonderful box & nice card from my pal this morning.

She sent me pretty stained glass wind chimes. They will make beautiful music when the wind comes sweeping down the plains. And it does often, just like in the song. LOL

The cutest little welcome sign for birds & angels. I have just the place for it on my patio.

A pretty birthday photo album. It has the neatest embellishment on it.

Purple gladiolus bulbs. I can't wait to see them bloom later.

A clematis vine that is a beautiful shade of lavender. I'm going to plant it near my purple clematis & they should look stunning togeher.

Secret Pal,
Thank you so much for your generous gifts. You make each month special.

Just bumping this back to the first page!

Hi Cassie, Just wanted to let you know went shopping today! Love it! lol Package is all ready ready to go, will be going out to the post office in the morning.. ;-)
Have a Super Night All!!!
Debi

Hi Everyone! Just thought I'd pop in and say Hi, and see what everybody was up to today? Sun is shining, up here in Northern Michigan right now..but snow is coming, for the next few days in a row..So, winters not done with us yet..But, Spring will be here before ya know it! :-)
Hope everybody has a Super Day!
Debi

Hello Debi and all. The weather here is unseasonably cold but we had a little break yesterday. I got 3 new Rose Tree's at Walmart and 2 made there way into the ground. I am so desperate for the last frost date to come so I can finish planting atleast what I currently have. LOL Because we know I will be buying more. Totally addicted to gardening. Hope everyone is having a good day!

Well I hate to say this when everyone is posting about how cold it is where they are, but we are having beautiful weather here. It was in the high 60s. My husband started a project I asked him to do, he is digging out the area by the side of the house so we can put in a retaining wall and gravel path. I think it will look so nice when we get done. I got to spend the day filling my wheelbarrow with dirt and moving it to another spot, which should evolve into a little knoll for another garden. I think I am going to be very very sore tomorrow but it sure is grand getting to work on gardening projects again.

In the midst of this howling, nasty snowstorm, my mail lady delivered a package from my Secret Pal. (and a seed order too!) This is was SP sent me this month. Hummingbird Wind chimes, DH & I get a kick out of watching this fiesty little birds all summer and so this is a good momento, treats for Snickers, she is drooling over the one that is left (guess I'll have to hide it or she'll drive me crazy all evening), TWO pairs of decorative edge scrapbooking scissors-yes TWO, that's a difinite YIPPEE !!. A nice nice nice bottle of vanilla scented blody lotion. Vanilla is DH favorite flavor LOL . A slimline datebook which will fit nicely in my purse. Two storage containers to help me keep little necessities organized AND one of them was filled with tasty candies. Thank you Thank you !! SP also sent me a neat looking card with an interesting flower on the front-is it a Sib Iris? Creamy white with a dark burgundy throat.
Yes, I did receive your package last month, but wasn't sure if it was from this swap or the Valentine swap. I'm so sorry for the mix-up. The chocolates almost lived until dinnertime., the Angel pen lives in the checkbook because it writes so smoothly. My Grands are loving up the Teddy Bear-lots of hugs and kisses on it. The Cardnial windchimes are 'hanging around' in my workshop until Spring. Again, I'm sorry for the mix-up, it is lots of fun receiving such thoughtful gifts.

Okay, the Dog won. Snickers has now eaten all her treats.

I mailed my pal a box today.

I'm sure enjoying this warmer weather we have been having. I was able to get out today & plant some of my winter sown flowers. I do a lot of container gardening so I bought more pots & soil for that yesterday. Now I just need to find spots for them. Maybe I should have done that first? LOL

Mailed my SP a box today....we have had nothing but storms all day so I hope anyone in there path stays safe.

abitodd

I still have to say this is a WONDERFUL group!!!!

Cassie

Hi Everybody! Well it's still snowin & blowin up here..looks like it will be all week.. So, I guess I'll do a little more winter sowing..lol Have to keep my hands in the dirt & my eyes on "Spring"! lol Hope you all have a "Super" night!
Debi

Wow this is a slow group so far...come on people post...I hate to have to go to the bottom looking for something..lol

abitodd

I have the BESTEST SECRET PAL EVER. Or so my 3 year old thinks I don't think I would disagree. I got an Easter package today. First I was sent a Brugmansia that will never hurt my feelings the more the merrier. A wind catcher that is a butterfly. I cute Angel that hangs on the front door. I love Angels had to take one down to put her up. A bunch of candy. I really love the rabbit I ate all the chocolate ones with almonds my favorite. It is such a joy to get your package today. My husband was sick last week then my 3 1/2 year old got a stomach virus then my almost 2 year old got it. Thought everyone was better and woke up this morning to the little one puking again. I am getting a little worn out. What a wonderful pick me up. I am very impressed with the Cards you send that say Secret Pal love them. I hope you have a great day.

I sent out my pals package today.

Eliz33
Sorry to hear that the kids are sick. I know that a parent feels a hundred times worse if their children are sick then if the parent is sick themselves. We all finally got well at my house, although my kids did have the stomach virus for awhile also. Sounds like you got a very nice package.
I have mailed my package out for March also.

Dsterik, you are quite the poet (LOL) How is your winter sowing coming along? I was so excited when I checked mine because I actually have some little green sprouts coming up. I didn't start nearly as much as I meant to, But I am sure that when it comes to transplanting time, it will seem like plenty.

Abitod, why don't you get a subject going for us to talk about? Then it won't be so slow in this thread.

hmmm...Ok lets see...What is everyones most wanted plant for this spring? Good enough topic Rainbow? Mine will have to be anything Variegated or really dark near black...nothing really specific...although I want Banana Ae Ae really really really bad...

abitodd

Eliz,
I hope your family is well soon. That virus going around is awful stuff.

Rainbow,
I was new to WS this year & I definitely went over board. After I plant in my yard, I'm going to be planting in MIL's yard & my DD's yard. Whether they want me to or not. LOL

abitodd,
I haven't really thought about my most wanted plant yet. I'm still working on getting my most wanted seeds.
If I had to pick one plant right now it would be Razzmatazz Echinacea.

I received a nice surprise from my Secret Pal.
There were some Easter Chocolates...ummm tasty. My whole family thanks you! I also received some much needed wooden plant markers. Can't wait to get out there and mark things.
And some seeds. My favorite of the bunch were Caper seeds. I've been thinking about growing those. They look so neat. I keep looking at the package! Maybe this weekend I'll start some in my new greenhouse. Then I'll mark them with my new plant markers! What a plan. My SP also sent a great assortment of other seeds...Agastache(think I spelled it right) and several others (My memory is failing me right now SP, I should have wrote it down!) that I can't wait to plant. My SP has sent me so many neat seeds, I think I'm going to put a special bed in my garden just for them.
Except the veggies....they'll go with the other veggies!

Thanks again SP, my yard is going to be beautiful this year thanks to your generosity.
Becky

Oh Oh Oh ... (I am so excited) LOL ...I received an awesome package from my SP today :)... I received a nice card,a Coffee sign for my Parisian kitchen ..(Matches perfect and I have just the place to hang it ... also tucked inside the box were 5 ceramic plaques each with a hook and they had a design on it such as Latte, Espresso ..ect ..They are so cool ... (I know exactly where these are going to) Thank you so much SP for thinking of me and sending me a wonderful package ...You sure made my day :)

Thanks again Pal ..You are the best !!!!

Marilyn

Hi Everybody! Thought I'd stop in and say "HI" ;-) and catch up on what's going on..

Rainbow..I can't wait till I see green! lol But, were still covered in snow and snowing now.. 3-6 inches tonight they say.. But, it can't last forever..Right? Or i'm moving in with you! LOL

Ummm I think the seeds I would want most are: Any type of Palm or Cane..

Well ..Hope everybody has a Super Night!
Debi

Becky, I am jealous. I want a greenhouse. One of these days I am going to get one. Then I can start a whole garden of seeds too

Debi, I feel sympathy for you. I don't know if I could make it thru more cold. It is so pretty here and so wonderful. It is supposed to be in the high 70s here but I am thinking it might even be 80. Tomorrow though, a drop to the 50s but still not bad for March. I can remember plenty of snow storms at this time in past years.

Abitod,
You picked a really good question. I have had to think about this one alot. Last year, I almost bought a weeping cherry tree on sale, but I talked myself out of it. Now I wish that I had got it. So maybe that would be my most wanted plant (Maybe) I also want to plant an evergreen wall of plants of some kind so that I can block out the dust off our dirt road, and also block a few unsightly neighbors. So I can't say exactly what plants but I do want evergreens. They have to take long hot dry summers and winters that go back and forth from freezing to balmy.
Anyone got any suggestions?

But I guess those aren't really plants. Debbie, I ordered Razzamatazz last fall from wayside garden but they haven't sent it yet. I am really looking forward to seeing how it will do here. I have seeds for forget me nots and nicotiana that I am hoping will do good here. And I would like to try some bloodroot in my white woodsy garden. See,
it is impossible to narrow it down to one plant. Still, a very good question!

I received my package today. A great set of hand tools [way better than a swiss army knife], some fertilizer and a nice birthday card. Thanks secret pal.

Abitodd,
I finally started from seed, many of the things I've wanted for years. Of all the spectacular things available, I'd probably just pick a really dependable reblooming Iris.

Toddy

Hi Everybody! What's everybody up to today? I'm repotting some more of my baby seedlings into bigger pots..3 & 4 inch pots ( these are the seeds I started indoors) We still have freezing temps. here, but the sun is shining.. ;-) Just no warmth to go with it..But, I know I'll get to go outside soon! :-) Have a "Super Day" Everybody!
Debi

Wow gals THANK YOU for the nice thoughts about my sick children. One of them still is not up to par. Killing me because he wants to be on top of me at all times.

If I had to pick just one plant I wanted hummm it would have to be the Ginger called Elizabeth. I am having tons of fun with lots of other stuff. Everything I want just seems to appear. I am very blessed.

Rainbow,
Thanks for the heads up about Wayside not sending out your Razzmatazz yet. I just got a new catalog from them yesterday & was going to order Razzmatazz online. I think I will wait & call in my order, to make sure they have it ready to be shipped now.

I WS three different Nicotianas & they are all sprouting beautifully. I can't wait to see them blooming.

Today I got a package from my pal. I was really surprised since she already sent me a wonderful box earlier this month.

She sent a nice birthday card & a cute cake card decorated with stickers that I can use. Plus some floral stickers.

A beautiful tea set with the prettiest pink roses on the cups. Even the tea packages have the same beautiful roses on them.

Several more packages of herbal teas which I love & drink daily since I'm not a coffee drinker.

A set of green tea therapy lotion, bath gel & body spray. They smell wonderful.

Thank you pal! You got my birthday off to a great start. Your's was the first gift I received today.

To answer some of your questions:
My first year WS has been a success! I'm so excited over all the green sprouts I have coming up. Now I just have to get busy & start planting them out. I did learn one important thing, I need to use a lighter hand when sowing seeds. This was not only my first year to WS, it was my first year to sow seeds. Here's an of example of my heavy sowing:

{{gwi:1254817}}

To say I went overboard is an understatement! Both in the amount of containers I sowed & the amont of seeds per container. LOL

I don't have any special projects planned, yet. My daughter & her husband bought their first home right before Christmas. So I'm going to be helping her decorate & plant her first flower garden. I love starting with a clean slate both inside & outside. Especially since it is with someone else's money. Although I'm sure some of mine will be added to the mix. LOL

Thanks again for your generous gifts. As I said earlier, you make every month special for me.

Mailed out my pal's package today! Hope everyone is doing good!

Wow, we have a new intro into the gardening web. It looks really neat.

Debbie, your seedlings are impressive. My are just little dots of green. How did yours get so big so soon? Did you start them in styofoam cups? That is a good idea. I have been using milk jugs.

Happy Birthday to you!

Also if you can wait, I ordered Razzamatazz at the end of the season on sale for a lot less. Of course, I haven't received it yet either. Let me know how your nicotiana do. I have seeds for 2 different kinds but the one I really want to try out is alata. I read an article by Mrs Greenthumbs about it and have wanted some every since.

Eliz33 I hope your kids have recovered. My grown kids are getting sick now. It seems like it has been a rough spring for health concerns. I would also like to try some ginger. The creeping, glossy leafed kind but I don't think my soil is acidy enough for it.

Rainbow,
I used styrofaom cups for all my WSng. I didn't learn about WS until late fall & it was too late to save up containers. Since I live alone, it would take me all year to drink enough milk to save enough jugs. LOL

I like the styrofaom for a couple of other reason:
I can write the names of the seeds on there with a pen & even if it washes off, the indented name remains.
I do a lot of container gardening & I can use the cups in big pots so I use less soil. Plus they are easier for me to move around. Before I always bought styrofoam peanuts for that. This year I will use my cups, torn into smaller pieces.
The cups are cheap, I got 81 for $1 at Dollar General.
Once the seedlings got tall enough to touch the plastic bags they were in, I stuck straws in each cup to keep the plastic off of them. Also pretty cheap at Dollar General.

Not sure how they got so big. Maybe the styrofoam kept them warmer? Many of my seedlings were ready to plant a couple of weeks ago but I wasn't able to do it until now.

Thanks for the birthday wishes! It was a wonderful day.

Ohhh Debbie your plants are "Beautiful"...I can't wait till Spring. I like how you did that too with the cups..Did you put each cup in a seperate plastic baggie then? Did you do these indoors or out in the snow? They look awesome! Hope everybody has a "Super night!
And Happy Birthday!
Debi ;-)

Debi,
Thanks for the birthday wishes.

I put 14 cups in a plastic bin & then put that into a clear bag. Others I put in nursery trays & placed those in bags. I sowed them outdoors, most of them in Jan. & some every week since I saw my first sprouts..

Debbie... those are some beautiful plants. Doesn't it just make you feel wonderful to grow things. I started cannas in November only to find out that I had started them too sooon!!!! So most died. Next year I will know!!! I am SO READY for spring. I am already getting spring fever. Someone sent me a bird feeder from one of the swaps and I loved it so that I now have 2 and am looking for a 3rd. My daughter and I LOVE watching the birds... if we could just keep the pesky little squirrel out of them!!! It is going to be warm here today. I am eagerly awaiting the spring bulbs I have ordered from Park Seed and Burpee!!! YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! Hope everyone has a good day. I'm happy to see the first posting from Toddybare...

Please Post if you haven't received your package yet for this month. I haven't been able to keep up with this a much this month since we have had so many sicknesses and now 3 deaths in our family. It's been a tough 3 months. Hope to do better next month.

Hi everybody! Hope everybody is doing great today! We are suppose to get up to 10 more inches of snow Sat. & Sun.
;-( And Sunday is suppose to be the first day of Spring! Hmmm..wonder if the weather know this? lol... Cassie, I haven't heard from my Secret Pal yet..But, theres still almost two weeks in this month. ;-) Hope everybody has a "Super" night!
Debi

Cassie,
Sorry to hear about your cannas not all making it. If you plant one it will multiply fast! I dug up about 50 last year & gave to friends because they were taking over one bed.

My sister lives in W.V. & she comes here every spring to get a taste of warmer weather a little sooner than she gets it there. It usually feels like summer when she gets here.

Hello everyone
I received a nice package from my secret pal. It was full of plastic eggs which were full of candy. My favorite were the tiny litle jelly beans. YUM YUM. There were also many many peat pellets in a couple of trays which are especially nice because I fell sadly behind in my winter sowing and still have many many seeds to start. THANK YOU secret pal. What a nice way to start spring. You are the best!

I received a bright and happy Easter box/basket from my secret pal! Different colored gummy bunnies, a carrot filled with egg-shaped bubble gum, a bunch of tiny tulips that turned out to be lollipops, and an adorable, handpainted lady bunny with a lace collar and apron, made of stacking boxes. Plus an Easter secret pal card with yellow flowers on it (my favorite color). Even if spring is dragging its feet, SP, your delightful box brought it to me inside! Thankyou :-)

I got a wonderful box from my secret pal. She sent me a card with Bells of Ireland seeds, a gnome (which is sitting by my computer watching me), a journal with a ladybug, flower and ducks on it, a cute wooden and metal picture frame and sugarfree Nips (candy). Everything is great!

Thanks to my secret pal!

Susan

Secret Pal
I was taking all the candy out of my package and found a little bag with great smelling hand lotions that I had overlooked. Thanks bunches.

Hi, Cassie--

I've recently sent a couple of private messages to you thru this website, but I've not received a response. I'm afraid it's because I've been using a borrowed computer since mine crashed last month and you're just not getting the messages somehow. I'm going to send you a message via regular e-mail. If you don't receive it today or tomorrow, would you be so kind as to post and let me know?

This whole computer situation is DRIVING ME CRAZY!!!!!!

Best to all,
Cheryl

Just wanted to stop in and say "Hi Everybody"! Sounds like everybody is getting wonderful packages this month from their Secret Pals..I can"t wait to get mine, will let you all know when it comes. The Sun is shining today! Yeah! We still have about 2 foot of snow, I can't wait till Spring! You all have a "Super" Day today..
Debi ;-)

i sent out to my secret pal today sorry its late

Hi, y'all--

Received a package from my Secret Pal!!! I have the best pal EVER!!

In the box were:

A cute little yellow and pink hand-painted planter bucket...the colors perfectly compliment the purple shamrock I put in it.

A bag of easter colored Hershey's miniatures (I should REALLY seek help for my chocolate addiction!!!).

A card of Easter stickers (which my 8 year-old DGD promptly made off with!--oh, well *grin*).

A package of white plastic plant markers (SO much better than the popsicle sticks I usually use).

A packet of dark lavender Dianthus seeds (going in dirt this afternoon, tee-hee).

A tin of Nivea hand cream (which will TOTALLY get used up...in addition to constantly digging in the dirt *g*, I also raise poultry, which means I wash my hands A LOT and all that washing often leaves my hands so dry that they crack...thanks for the relief, dear pal).

Some decorative seed packets and home-canning jar labels (so pretty I hate to use them!).

I'm not sure what the next item is, but it looks like a decorative Mason jar ring. It has a foam pad that goes underneath the ring. One side of the pad is adhesive, so I suppose you would stick a pretty picture to the pad and then use the whole assembly to store dry goods? If I'm right, I've never seen one before and it's really cool.

Finally, my pal included a personalized Easter card.

I also received a personalized St. Patrick's Day card with the prettiest decorative cut-out edging on the inside. I really wish I knew how to do that (hint-hint).

SP, your parcels are always filled with very thoughtful things. You're the greatest! Thanks again!

Best to all,
Cheryl

Ooooh..I'm so excited! I got my package from my Secret Pal today! Everything is soooo awesome! I got, the most "Beautiful" hand painted pot,that she did herself! I wish you all could see how "Beautiful" it is! I got a "Wonderful" Leather Bookmark, with the 23rd Psalm, on it for my Bible! I got, a "Beautiful" pair of gardening gloves, which I love! I got, Two "Beautiful" plant stakes, one has a dove on it and says, Fly Away Home..and the other one, is a mauve colored garden gloves with roses in it, that says, Lets Garden.. And I got, a envelope with 8 different types of Basil Seeds, I love Basil! I did'nt know it came in that many different kinds, that's awesome! And I got, Two "Beautiful" beaded braclets, one says "Peace" and one says "Joy"..I love them, they fit perfect! And I got, a Beautiful Card! I just "Love" everything! I have the "BEST" Secret Pal, in the world!!
Secret Pal, you asked me some questions in my card, so I'll answer here..Yes, I am quit small, I'm 5 foot,size 10 and the bracelets fit perfectly, I have them on now..They are "Beautiful"..Yes, I have Grandbabies.. 8 of them..lol
Here they are:

Desiree' 18
Benjamin 17 ( These two I don't get to see they live in Flordia )

Brianna 14
Jordan 11

Caleb 3

Katelyn Marie 6
Jacob Hunter 4
Cameron 1

The last 6 Grandbabies I see alot of, I do daycare for the
4 youngest ones..But, they all live within a few miles of me..The Lord has really Blessed me! Thank You, again for the wonderful package! You really made my day! God Bless..
Debi

I received my Secret Pal gift yesterday but am just finding time to say "THANKS". I got an adorable bunny rabbit that looks real and I put it in my flower bed by my drive way. It's so cute and looks real. I also got some Jelly Belly jelly beans- that taste like the real fruit and some all time favorites - Reeses peanut butter eggs. My hubby and I have just about finished them up. I also got some day lily bulbs which I planted yeaterday afternoon just in time to get a good drink from mother nature. And last but not least, a cute card from my Secret Pal. Many thanks, you brigntened my day again.

My secret pal sent me a nice Easter card & note. She is always so thoughtful.

I haven't got all my seedlings planted yet. However I plan to do that this week as the weather is supposed to be really nice.

Thank you secret pal. :)