Here are two photos from Beth B: two toned iris for Lil ( how's that for service?) and a gorgeous rose for all to enjoy.
Great photos Beth!

LOL Pooch! I love that picture! My DD use to dress the cats up in her doll cloths.. We all loved it..but I don't think they did! Kitty Butts use to disappear for a day after having to wear a dress! LOl Guess he preferred just the hats! lol

I have to send a very special Thank You to my Secret Pal! She sent me a wonderful note as usual written on a very beutiful notecard. I'm saving this one to do something with.. I just love the card.. but it gets better! Inside the box was a wonderful Hardy Water Lily-NYmphaea Marliacea Albida(don't as me how to say it!), that her daughter picked out for me. The Rhimzone is huge and has quite a bit of growth! Tell your DD she picked good! Thank you so much!! If I make it home before the sun goes down, I'll get it right in the pond! Will put it in a special spot. Now to chat with my SP a sec. Yes! Do a pond! I have some books I can send you.. to help get you started. Lil T is an expert ponder.. I have learned everything from her... and I'm sure she'll be happy to share her knowledge. You will never regret it.. even when you think you do(lol been there!). Not much for pond plants around here either.. We have a "pond store" but it really isn't.. he's really a fish store with minimal ponding items. I'm actually thinking of doing a pond buisness here at the shop.. I have enough land out back for several ponds... but that's next year.. I have enough on my plate right now.
Thank you again!! :)

Daisy, I would love to trade you for some of your yellow Iris! Let me peek at your list later today and I will email you. Thank you!

Well I have to decide if I go to urgent care and get my shoulder x-rayed or if I do something I don't have to use my left arm too much! lol I think I dislocated it... and am hoping I can get it to pop back in myself.. I don't have time for Urgent Care. Warning.. never run out of the woods looking behind you.. there may be an old barbed wire fence hiding 1/2 fallen down!

Hope everyone has a great day! Thanks again SP!! I'm sure my fish thank you too!

Tally Ho!

~Dusty~

Poochella,
The photo is in front of our fireplace which is stone or made to look like stone (don't know that it truly is but is a nice texture anyway).
Theresa

Yikes Dusty!!!!

Xrays are a good thing. Don't let it go too long. Hope that barbed wire didn't barb you, then we gotta talk about tetanus shots too.

Just wanted to let you gals know that I have finally made reservations for my summer trip to Kodiak. I will be there from June 20 to Aug 28th. I have been so excited by all the stuff going on in my garden I kept putting it off BUT, I did say I would work so other people could get vacatiion and of course I want to go fishing and visit and eat eggrolls and salmon and halibut and ponsit and all the other good stuff... so i finally called for reservations.
For my sending pal,this will be a good time to send a card and a nice thinking of you note like you do anyway. Save the packages for fall when it cooled off and life is not so crazy.
For my recieving pal.... I do have a pretty nice garden in Kodiak... and if I'm lucky enough to sell the place while I'm there.... I will be sending you some goodies.
How about "Chocolate lillies" Wonder if they will grow where you live? HA HA. They look good but locals call them "stink lillies" for good reason( I like them. I just don't stick my nose too close).
That gives me about a month to get ready. I just had a truckload of mulch delivered and a palate of rocks. Got somebody to cut the grass and someone to babysit the house plants. The rest will be on their own.
Poochella, the pictures are NOT showing on my computer. Are other people getting them OK? My computer must be photographikly challenged. It shows two little boxes with red X's.Grrr. Thanks for trying. You are a sweetie.

Hello. I'm really enjoying all the pictures.
Beth, your photos Pooch posted loads fine for me. Looks great. I hope you'll post some pictures of your garden in Kodiak. I'd like to see what grows on the frozen tundra... lol.

I'm still waiting for more flowers to open. It's been HOT HOT HOT here, so I think they are in temporary shock at the moment. My dahlias are coming up. Sedums that Pooch and Dusty sent me are going nuts as with all the other succulents.

Thanks, Paul

Beth, I'm sure we're all wishing you a happy, safe trip and wishing we could go with you! I'd love to see it. I was just at the doctor's office looking at an Alaska magazine and dreaming. There was one picture of Moose or Elk or something that had antlers so tall they looked like they were holding arms straight up with fists on the ends. lol Very strange looking. My son would die to hunt there. I saw your pictures just fine. They're beautiful! Try right clicking on the red x and then on show image and see if you can get the pictures to come up. Sometimes that works for me.

Dusty, go get checked out to be sure you haven't broken or torn something please. We don't want you to be hurt for longer than necessary.

Paul, we've missed you too. Where have you been? When gardening time gets here people seem to have too much other fun stuff to do than sit in front of the puter.

I've been off all week and finally went to the doc today. I kept thinking it would go away and was allergies but turns out to be bronchitis.

Annie, I'm glad you like my cattle gates. ;-) They belong to a neighbor who left there here for about 10 years so i finally decided to use them. I thought they would be sturdy enough to put my wisteria on. I also have 2 climbing blaze roses and an old rose that will hopefully be growing up it sometime this year. They're still young yet. I have two wagon wheels welded together somewhere on this property if I can find them. I think my DH put them out in the woods somewhere years ago and I am going to look for them. I think they would look neat for my new clematis to climb.

I love the doggie in the sweater. I made Andy a couple from the legs cut out of Jerry's old grey sweatshirt this past winter. He loved them! lol I would say "come here and put your sweatie on and he would come and stand there so nicely then when it was on he'd run to the door to go outside.

Nancy

Well, Jerry's sweatshirt didn't actually have "legs" it was really his pants! lol

Nancy

Beth, I never understand the mystery of the little red X, but I don't like it at all! I see the photos as well as I did this a.m. in email. It must be a computer setting although I do know, that if you rearrange your photos in Photobucket it will break the links to your posted photos and the dread red x appears where a photo previously showed up.

I'm sorry I don't know how to tell you or anyone else how to fix the red X, maybe Visine can get it out? Or right click on photo and choose "show picture" as Jacey's Nancy pointed out?

Off to cut flowers and make a poster yet tonight: I'm volunteering a raffle of my delivered bouquets every week for three months to our wonderful Hospice volunteers at work for their annual thank-you dinner tomorrow night. Too bad all I have blooming are a few iris, catmint, two anemone and some rhodies but I will try to make something appealing out of it all! Wish me luck- it's slim pickings so far this Spring.

okay well I posted earlier and my post has seemed to magically disappear!!! I received my sp box and it was lovely I got a little picture frame,some sunflower seeds 2 live plants and yes SP they were alive and I know you were worried but they were fine they are in the garden as we speak!!!
Everyones pictures are so lovely I was going to post my Iris only because these particular plants were here when we moved in 3 years ago and this is the first year I have actually gotten them to bloom I am so excited isn't it wonderful to be part of the easily amused club??lol I always tell my DH hey look at my flowers and he says yea great ya know but then in about 3 days he pulls into the driveway and says the garden looks good!! Sorry Paul but men are slow you happen to be the exception here!! Well everyone Happy Planting it is finally becoming season!!!
Thanks again Secret pal for the lovely surprise!!!
Marie

Marie,
Your DH sounds like my DW... lol. She's ho hum about my gardening (and my painting, music... just about anything I do... what's up with that :-Anyways, wanted to share a passiflora flower with eveyone. This one is marked as "Lavendar Lady" but sure doesn't look like one. I hate it when that happens...lol.

{{gwi:1275353}}

Dusty, don't be a duh-sty... get that shoulder checked out, okay!?!? Better safe than sorry.

Pooch/Annie, I actually had you down for seeds before you even asked because you liked blue flowers too : ) So hopefully I'll have lots o' seeds. Thanks for your compliments about Max. I think he's a pretty handsome guy myself. I love his nice brown coloring, it is so warm and just invites my hugs. I like Golden's too and thought about getting one, but really didn't want all that hair around. Max' is short but he sheds way more than I thought he would.

By the way, Annie, changing the subject a bit, have you ever thought about writing? I think you'd be great. You seem to thoroughly observe things and then comment so expressively and with such sincere compliments that I think you touch us all... as well as give us lots of laughs with your cute tongue-n-cheek statements. ;~D Quite the character you are, with a great vocab and a lil mischievousness too (huh?). lol

Nancy, love your back porch area.
Sandlapper, BethB, Paul, Teresa, Daisy, you all gave us some nice pics, thanx!
Beth, what kind of rose is that, very pretty?
Paul, I think we used to have passion flower that grew so much it choked other things out of the bed, but they are unique/interesting looking.

Hey, is Euphoria526 still around in our circle? If so...
Haaaappppyyyy Birthday to you, Happy (17th I think) Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to Euphoria526, Happy Birthday to you!!! & Many More, Cha Cha Cha : ) ;~) 8-D

Hey hey Marie! I'm with you in the "Easily Amused" club. Never realised it but I must be a charter member.
Paul, Kodiak is NOT the tundra. That would be Bethel and they import soil there but do have some interesting and productive little gardens. While there I saved up the floor sweepings and but them in a cup with a sprig of impatiens. Thought I really had something.
Kodiak has beautiful gardens and an active garden club. Plants either love it there or the hate it and just wont grow at all. I did a lot of experimenting and learning there.
Paul the passiflora is beautiful. My son in law grows several but I don't recognise that one. i'll show him the picture.
ilsonshine, the rose is Joseph's Coat but it had not really gotten into it's colors yet in that photo. It is an oldie but goodie.
Pooch, doing the boquets sounds so gracious and I bet they are much appreciated. Somehow, a vaseful of anything fresh from the garden is cheery and refreshing.
Beth

Happy Birthday, Euphoria 526. I hope it's a wonderful day! Your birthday is also my wedding anniversary, so we know that the 26th of May is special.
Beth B - what a beautiful clump of iris! I usually only get a bloom or two out of my clump per year so mine are very stingy. I love the flowers though so I wouldn't think of taking them out for something that blooms more.
Dusty, we sure hope your shoulder is okay. Let us know. Nancy, get well from that bronchitis. It sure can make you feel bad. Beth, have a great trip and yes - share some pictures of the Alaska gardens with us. ...and to everyone who has been posting thoughts and pictures - I really enjoy them so keep them coming!
We have two daughters and they both have big events ahead -first a graduation and then the other daughter's wedding in less than a month, so busy days here. Sure am proud of both of them though!

Sandlapper Rose

Wow I have had problems getting to Gardenweb for more than a week now!! I just emailed some photos to Poochella so she can post them for me. I was starting to feel a bit left out as I wasn't able to post photos!!!It is always nice to put a face with the name!!! I want to let my pal know I haven't forgotten you....late yes but not forgotten.Health problems with myself, boyfriend, dog and my mom! Yikes oh well it all hit at once and now it can be calm for awhile!!
I wanted to say thanks to you all for sharing photos and your posts. I so enjoy this group.
We have had lots of rain but it just stopped..who knows for how long???!!!LOL So I am going to get out to the veg. garden and get some things planted!! Just can't wait to play in the dirt!!
I hope everyone has a fun filled and safe holiday weekend!!
YaYa I am so sorry that I am late...I promise I will do better. How is your hubby feeling? I hope all is well in your world.
Sandlapper Rose Wow it sounds like your daughters will be keeping you busy for a while!! Best wishes during this special time!
Dusty we would all like an update!!! Please don't let it go!! Get in checked so you can be well for years to come!! Your going to need your health for your new adventure!! Can't wait to see pictures of that one!! Now that I am feeling better I will review my plant list and see what I can offer you for the trade of the book!! Are you going to do herbs at all? PLMK
Paul I am ok with your son's pet!! I lost my nephew to MD. He loved snakes and we would go on snake hunts together. I was going through a tough time and I was walking in the gardens and a snake came up to me I knew it was Richie saying everything will be ok. I now even hold it!! Some people think I am a bit crazy but to this day when things are not going well I can take my walk and there it is and when life is good I can't find it anywhere!! It had babies this year which is special to me!! It is not a harmful snake!!
Beth sounds like you are in for a fun summer!! I lived in Seattle for a few years and never ventured further north!! Boy do I wish I had taken the time to do that!! Do you need help this summer?? Someday I hope to return to Seattle and visit several areas I missed.
Pooch Thanks for helping me out!! I enjoy your posts and pictures!!
Thanks to all for sharing with me!! Take Care

Hello,
Jan, thanks for sharing that wonderful story about your nephew. I like snakes, perhaps because I was born in the Year of the Snake. I found my son's snake out in the field. Being a geologist, I'm outside in the field a lot... I usually run into rattlesnakes, but on rare occasion, I see snakes that I can pick up and handle. The California King is a beautiful snake, so I decided to keep him for my boy.
Beth, you'll definitely have to post pictures of Kodiak. Curious to see these gardens. BTW, I was told that the passion flower is a carulea (sp?). I wonder if I actually have a lavendar lady laying around somewhere.
Dusty, I have not forgotten about you and cards. I'm working on a few more, so I'll send you a fresh batch when I get them together. I'll send it priority with delivery confirm this time so we can track it and make sure it doesn't disappear again.

Happy birthday to our May people. Have a wonderful holiday weekend everyone.

TO EVERYONE (where applicable)
Wishes for good health
Birthday wishes
Sun and/or rain wishes
Happy wishes
Wishes full of wishes are sent to everyone

GW has been a mess lately, hard to get on at times.
we had absolutely no rain in april and now that the end of may is here, it doesn't want to stop. not that i am complaining, but i no longer work out in the rain having had pneumonia too many times. i would like a little warmth for some stuff to perk up and bloom, but it sure makes weeding so much easier.

one nice thing, i am watching a rabbit build a nest. i have a feeling it is pregnant and going to have those babies soon, or maybe it's just making a new home. in any event, it is out there side by side with me and i am taking watch on what it is eating. now if only that nasty squirrel would cooperate. i also have an overabundance of many varieties of birds (which bothers the hell out of my neighbor grouch). still waiting on some hummingbirds, but i'll be patient, the season is just starting.

i am loving all the flower postings. i need to remember film. paul, your "pasiflora" is gorgeous. reminds me of a pic i took in italy at one of the villas we rented. i loved all the blooms there. i'm posting it.

i can't take credit for the sunflowers either, that was italy too. it amazed me that at night, in the pitch black, with as many planted in a field, they glowed.

{{gwi:1275354}}

{{gwi:1275355}}

Earthly, I LOVE those pics! And Italy - I'm envious, I'd love to go there.

Wish we'd get some more rain here, it's been dry. We're forecasted for intermittent showers over the next few days, so maybe some will hit my gardens. At least we're dropping from temps in the 90's to the 80's.

Happy Birthday to all the other May birthday folks I've missed!

Earthly, keep an eye on that bunny; it's very likely that she'll have babies soon. I know two families here who are caring for baby bunnies as something happened to the mothers. (if you find a nest "abandoned" check the site below, but be careful as the mothers are only in the nest to nurse about 5 min or so a day!) One mom and twin 12 y.o. DDs are taking care of 9 babies from just 2 days old! They were so small, sort of made us think of mice but cuter and bouncier.lol The other family is taking care of 3. They'll be releasing them soon, though, as they read that the babies only stay in the nests about 3 weeks. On a different note regarding wildlife, after my 5y.o DSs T-ball practice tonight, I saw 7 deer and one was the white albino one that his school named "Snowball."

{{gwi:1275356}}
not actually one of the babies I've seen but it's about the same size

Here is a link that might be useful: If you find orphaned bunnies

First and foremost- Happy Birthday Euphoria! And my wishes for many more years of gardening splendor. You've got such a good start on a great passion, I hope you continue til you're hobbling about with your cane eyeing the fruit trees! You go girl!

Second, my apologies to Plantlady Jan. I had a really, really long day at work today and came in from post-work chores only as darkness fell because I missed one of the most beautiful days outside today- hot, but beautiful.

Here are her photos: Introducing Plantlady Jan and Clyde!
Jan on left, friend on right. Nice to see you Jan- you and your friend look like sisters.
{{gwi:1275358}}

Furry Son Clyde (I labelled this one ClydeWoof.jpg LOL look at his lips! It's a classic dog face ready to bark!)Clyde loves that ball doesn't he?

Jan and Pooch.... Great pictures!! I just adore Clyde. He makes me homesick for Fairbanks. I enjoy the dog races so much. Did not think about places in the "lower 48" where there was sledding too. Lucky You, Jan
By the way, the rt click on red X and hit display picture worked. Yippee! Another handy trick. Tha photos add so much to this thread. Good work ladies and Paul.

Drum roll please! The woodchuck is gone!!!!!!!! My neighbor is my hero. He caught the 'chuck in the 'have a heart' in one try. Then Chuckie took a 25 mile trip to a new country home. We're hoping there are no baby Chuckies under either shed. I can actually hear all the new little plant buds sighing a breath of relief.
Here's the one corner of my garden that has any color at all.

Jan, Love your Husky! He looks ready to howl at you.. lets run Mommie!

Beth, There are quite a few dog races here in the NE. We have several here in NY every year.. tons of fun!
Hope everyone has a great Memorial Weekend!!

~Dusty~

A big thanks to Annie for posting my pictures for me!! Your a sweetheart!

Lilylouise Great news with the woodchuck! Hopefully he will be happy in his new home!! You never know he may wonder back!! Hope not for your sake!

Beth I know what you mean about the sled races!! I too love them!! Clyde is retired now as he is 13 1/2 years old. I have a place about 20 mins. away where sled races take place and also people can try it out. I feel so blessed to have Clyde. He has brought so much happiness to my life.

Paul We have no rattlesnakes where I live and would like to keep it that way!! LOL

Off to get some more planting done!!! I planted flowers to use for cutting yesterday!! Tons of zinnas cosmos baby breath glads forgetmenots and of course lemon basil to be used as filler!! Just love the smell!! I also planted some more mints of different smells to use as filler. I have so much to plant yet so off I go to play in the dirt!!

Hi Y'all,

Things have been busy around here with work and all. My hubby is doing really great with his treatments. This time around they were watching him, so he wasn't really that sick to begin with, unlike the first time when they first caught the lymphoma and he had about no blood at all in him! That time was much more scary, with transfusions, and much worry about getting a cold. His treatments are 3 weeks apart, so for about a week he is tired and lays on the couch and plays video games, and the other 2 weeks he is pretty much back to normal, doing tia chi and mowing the lawn.....and now the part to make you all jeleous, he cooks and cleans and grocery shops! Right now the tables are turned, I work full time, and he recently quit his job to start his own real estate investment business, which is kind of on hold, or actually just going much slower than we thought, so he is doing the wife type things. I am SO SPOILED!!!!! Today he made bacon and eggs, with strawberries and watermelon for breakfast, and we sat outside on the patio, surrounded by my garden, and had a nice breakfast.....at 10:30 am (more jeleousy, since I work from home I usually sleep in and clock in around 10 or 11, but work in the evenings and weekends also to get my time in, but I am NOT a morning person.) We have had lots of company from out of town this week, friends from New york yesterday, and from new mexico and chicago on Sunday. It was a coincidence they all came in the same week.

May is flying by, and I think I'll start the June thread pretty soon. I am so glad that everyone really talks to each other on the threads, and I am really glad that it looks like we can continue our ring into next year because it is such a great success.

Well time to "clock in" for the day. I have a pile of work to do, which is a good thing.

YaYa

I never heard from my Secret Pal this month, but I just wanted to say.....Secret Pal, please get in touch with me and let me know you're OK. No need to send anything more than a note, I just want to make sure all is well with you. :-)

OK now I'm really psyched. I was finally able to amend the soil in one of my crowded beds without getting down on my hands and knees. It has been a real problem since I had a hip replacement 3 years ago. the first year I just ignored the 'funny feeling' when I was down on my butt weeding or whatever. I figured it was normal to feel that rolling in the operative hip.-------Well let me tell you I finally got a clue when I used one of those kneelers the second year and the whole joint dislocated------ouch!
So now all gardening is done from the 'bend over' position.
It kind of doesn't feel like gardening without getting down there and running my hands throught the soil. I guess I'm a tactile gardener. I'm not so concerned about how things turn out but how it is to do the work. Hmmmm. Weird, I know.
But today i used a wheel barrow to hold the compost and mulch and was able to get through 2/3 of the bed. It looks fantastic. Late Spring has finally arrived in Rochester.

Lil, Ouch is right on the rolling hip replacement!
I love your combo photo of pinks and blues! Today was one of my favorite garden chores: hauling beautiful crumbling black compost to tuck in almost all the plants in the upper perennial bed and all dahlias that have managed to come up. They look happy and the perennials looks great against the black backdrop, although that always bakes in the sun and turns brown again. I bet I have picked another 100 lbs of rocks out of the garden- an endless task. If my knees ever give out, I'm going to have to get one of those elongated pincers the therapists give to patients so I can rock pick upright!

Like your photo above. Is the pink bloomer a bleeding heart? It's cute! I love mulching- good for the plants, bad for knees though. Which reminds me the advil and glucosamine are calling....

Yaya, I hope your husband continues to do well with his treatments- such a grueling emotional and physical drain, but it sounds like he's doing well. Chins up!

Whew... I have had the dickens of a time trying to log on this month... My little world just kept turning and turning and would finally time out.. Must be the phone lines...
I have loved looking at the pictures:people,pets and plants.. Put food in there and its all my favorite things...
We've had the Hottest and driest May that I can ever remember.. It finally rained an inch last night..Hopefully my yard will perk back up..
To my Pal:
Thank you so much for the package.. Will get the bulbs out today.. The lady bug plant stake is beautiful.. I just love the mosaic look it has... Hope everything works out for you and you stay with the group.. YOur packages have been my highlight for the last few months.. I still haven't guessed who you are.. Ok I guess I am slow, not a very good detective..Take care.. Wishing you the best..
RondaM

PlantladyJan, I think you and your friend look more like sisters too. ;-) I love the pic of your furry son where he is incognito! Too cute. Your front garden looks fantastic!

YaYa, I'm happy to know that your DH is doing better than before and hopefully before long it will all be over with and he'll be back to himself.

Ilsonshine, I raised a baby rabbit one time. My DH ruined the next and killed the rest of them with the disk on the tractor unfortunately. I had the most fun with my little bunny I named "Redneck" because he had a ring around his neck that was redder than the rest of him. I let him go when he got big enough to fend for himself.

Earthly, I love the sunflowers! It reminds me of a farmer who grew fields of them by my home when I was a child. We had so many adventures in those fields. We'd chop out a "hut" and make "rooms". lol I guess he wouldn't have had very nice things to say about us, huh?

Lilylouise, I love your pink and purple. What a bright, cherry spot!

I have daylilies blooming! Yay! One of them is a monster and it's the first time it's bloomed as I got it last year. Stylish and Bold and it sure lives up to it's name!

I dug yet another bed yesterday for some cannas and elephant ears. Now I just need to get the tiller out and add some goodies to the dirt and I'll be ready to play. I also redid a bed in the front and hopefully it will live up to my expectations. ;-) Does anyone know of a long blooming short white flower I can use in front of blackeyed susans and behind variegated lirope? It only had to be tall enough for the blooms to show. I found an awesome landscape that I want to do and have all the rest of the plants needed but I think the white ones are begonias and haven't seen any white ones for sale around here and I'm not sure how they would hold up in the heat anyway.

My son and his family were here for 4 days and we really enjoyed the visit. My GD plays softball so they aren't able to come as much in the summer as in the winter. It was nice to spend time with her.

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

Nancy

Just thought I'd share a little of my DH's humor with ya'll.
I've been doing a lot of trades this past couple of weeks so Saturday he brought in two packages and handed one of them to me and this was attached.

{{gwi:1275370}}

Of course it was taped to the outside by him. lol

Nancy

Nancy, funny comic strip! On those short, long-blooming white flowers, you might want to check out Blackfoot Daisy. They grow really well here in northeast TX, heat and drought tolerant once they are established, and they bloom their little heads off all summer! They sort of mound and drape, so probably not more than 6-8 inches high.

Hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend. We finally got rain here, which was very much needed. I went to east Texas for a crawfish boil on a lake, with lots of frosty beverages and some interesting guys. I might like this being single again. :)

Alicia

Nancy: I love that strip. Too funny. In part, because most of my lettuce is under protective wire cones. Except for one. Wouldn't you know it, the darned rabbit munched the unprotected one down to the ground! They don't seem to enjoy spinach or pacchoi as that's unprotected and doesn't have a bite in it.

-Stephanie

What a busy Month it has been for me. I sell from my gardens while my bearded irises are blooming and it has just ended but soon the japanese iris and daylilies will be blooming and here I go again. I love it though. I love to be outside. I also sell on e-bay so when I have spare time I'm on e-bay.

Love all the pictures of everyone and their flowers and yard. Keep posting those pictures. It's as good as my Birds and Blooms books. Thinking about birds, I went to hang out my clothes a few weeks ago and a little bird had built a nest in my clothes pin bag (I hang it out on the porch under the eve). The eggs were already laid so I could not bear to disturb it. Lucky I had spare clothes pins in the laundry room.

Poochella - Good news, all my dahlias are coming up. Can't wait to see all those blooms. Just when all the other flower blooms are gone DAHLIA BLOOMS. I hope to enter some of them in our County Fair. Will let you know which one takes the blue ribbon.

Happy Belated Birthday wishes to everyone in May. Hope I can keep up in June.

Shirley

Thanks ABC for the tip on the white flowers. I'll look for those. My DH and son love crawfish but I've never developed a taste for them. We have several cookings of them each season though at the house. It's always fun and we cook all the veggies in the water with the spices and I love them.

Stephanie, I know what you mean about the darn rabbits. They're cute but I really get tired of fighting them for my lilies. That seems to be what they like the best. Fortunately right now there is plenty of grass and they seem happy with that. It's really dry and dying though so I don't know how much longer.

Shirley, I didn't know you sold plants or that you were an e-bayer. I just won some stuttgart cannas on ebay 2 large bulbs for 9.99. I think that's a good deal.

Pooch, I have 7 dahlias up so far and they're coming up at a rate of about 1 a day and didn't get home in time to look today so there may be 8! ;-)

Everybody have a safe night and great day tomorrow.

Nancy

Dear Pal, Yes, the package from you came today! It was packed full with things I just LOVE!!! Freaky that you sent cannas. I have a special canna garden, and I don't think I have told anyone about it. I just started it this year. My uncle has passed on to me a farming wagon running gear that was my great-grandfather's. I feel very fortunate to have inherited it since he could have given it to any of the other cousins. Anyway, I have this running gear positioned over my canna garden and now your cannas will be added to it. Wonderful, wonderful!!! And of course, you know I love lilies. I am just thrilled with what you sent. I will be planting these right outside along the front porch. The others I have been planting other places in the yard or down our long driveway, but I want these to be right where I can watch them grow and appreciate their beauty. They will be a reminder of you and your constant thoughtfulness and generosity. The garden stakes are great, too. I will put them to use right away. Dearest Pal, you continue to make me feel so special. I want you to know how thankful I am to you for all the thought that you put into each box. You are the best! Mellen

Shirley, What is your user name on Ebay? I'd love to check out some of your stuff. I was also wondering, when you sell plant on ebay, do you have to have a nursery license or certificate of some sort. I was thinking of doing that eventually with some of my pond plants. Any advice would be great!

Everyone's pictures look great. That comic strip is too cute too. That's something my husband would do. lol

I still haven't heard from my secret pal this month. I hope everything is ok. Just drop me a note and let me know you are alright.

Have a good night everyone! Teresa

Where is everybody? Out in the yard???
Shirley, yes, do tell us your ebay ID. I buy plants there every once in a while. It would be nice to buy from a friend.
I plan to mail early this month so be watching.Heads up and legs shaved and all that stuff. It will be easier on plants to go before it gets hot and any I send away I won't need to worry about while I'm gone. The yard is comming along nicely but looks like I will have things left to finish up in the fall.
I'm thinking about doing a big bulk order on fall bulbs. Has anyone tried that before? Any suggestions?
Have a beautiful day, Beth

Just doing a fast check in. A bit bummed to see at least 2 of us(not me) have not heard a thing from their secret pals this month. Yaya, if you need me to help get these gals a box, let me know. I'm swamped but I have time for that. Still nursing my shoulder.. I can lift my arm almost 1/2 way up now.. so it's healing slowly.
Ripped out the junk landscape over the weekend and started with the new.. looking better everyday! And no! I am not finished painting! lol I can't! I have 1 room that needs a 2nd coat and that's it! I'm going to beg someone to come help.. or just hire a painter. I can't do it.
Hope everyone had a great Memorial weekend. If anyone is getting too much rain, please send it my way!

Tally Ho!

~Dusty~

Oh Beth,
Yes I order in bulk every year from several places.. but I like these guys the best!

~Dusty~

Here is a link that might be useful: Van Engelen

Beth-Teresa-Nancy--My ebay name is zickgrafworker.

Teresa-No you don't have to have a license or any kind of certificate. Just take pictures of your plants with your digital camera and post them on ebay with name,colors and description. I need to put some pond plants on ebay also. My blue pickerel and parrots feather is over taking the pond. Lots of it has to go. Last year I dropped some daylilies around the edge of the pond so I could plant later and forgot about them. During the Winter I remembered them and thought oh well too late now. The pond was froze solid. Guess what? Those dayliles are fixing to bloom. They survived in the cold water all Winter. I knew daylilies were hardy but gosh never knew they could live in a pond.

Shirley

Out in the yard is exactly where I've been! Had tons to get in the ground and still have tons left. Plus I'm putting together my June box so I'm having fun trying to decide what to put in there. On top of all that, there's work, work, work. Yippee.

Hope everyone is well and everyone is getting to enjoy the nice weather of Spring. Unfortunately the unbearably hot days of Summer aren't too far off.

Beth - I'll recommend Van Engelen also. I compared them to John Scheepers (same parent company I think) and Van Engelen had virtually the same stuff, only larger quantities and cheaper prices. I did order a lot of tulip bulbs from VE and they all arrived looking great and did very well.

Thanks Secret Pal, I received your package this afternoon! I certainly understand about "stuff" that gets one mind off the little things going on the side! However, I hope it was good stuff and not bad stressfull stuff.

Firstly, I loved the card... I'm a big fan of Monet and the other Impressionists. A few years ago I got to visit Paris and visit the Orsey Museum which houses many paintings by the impressionists. I haven't guessed who you are yet, but now I'm able to narrow it down. This time the postmark was legible, so I at least know what state the package was sent from =)

Thanks for the glad corms. This spring I got some itty bitty glad cormlets that I'm going to try and grow into flowering size ones. It's quite cool I'll actually be able to have flowering glads this year instead of just dreaming about when my cormlets are grown up!

I've got the perfect place for the glads and the mums you sent. I will actually have to hang my hanging basket though. I'd been keeping a hanging basket on the ground in a bed to cover up a big bare spot.

Oh... I hope YaYa forwarded the letter I wrote for you. Until I figure out who you are, I'm hoping she'll be willing to be the intermediary!

Thanks and Take Care!
-Stephanie

I keep looking for the "June" heading but I guess we are not there yet. LOL Actually, if it was still May it would make me feel much better about my schedule. Does everyone else feel behind, too?
We have had lots of rain this week. We needed it, but I am getting to the point where I wish I could share.
I had an idea - I see that many in the group have plants to trade. Maybe we could make plans for a fall trade between some of us in this group. I think we missed spring; and at least here in SC, it gets pretty hot to be shipping plants by June.
Well, have a good weekend. Happy Gardening!
Sandlapper Rose

Ok, so I am behind in reading emails and posting, so Past vast you have two outdated emails from me, he he.

OK, so now is the time for our July Thread, Late as it is. See you there,

YaYa

Dusty and Daisy,thanks for the lead on VanEngelen. They have a nice site and LOTS of stuff that I want. Maybe that is because I want LOTS of stuff. LOL Regardless, I spent hours studying their offerings and will probably be marking all over the paper catalog when I get it.
Sandlapper, It's rainy here today too. They said it was comming up the coast. Thanks for sharing. At least my roof is not leaking this time and that feels much better.
A fall swap for this circle sounds like fun. You are a bit far to attend the one sponsored by the Mid Atlantic forum of Garden Web but if it is anything like the spring swap...it is a real treat. I'm already planning for that one.
Hope everyone has a pleasant weekend. I think I'm scheduled to haul and stack firewood.

since there's still room on this one, i thought i would add my two cents.

has anyone tried colorblends for bulbs...all i can say is OH MY GOD they are gorgeous, high grade quality, wholesale prices and they are so customer service oriented. you'd think i owned the place. (I wish) then i would never want for a bulb!

their number is 1-888-847-8637. you just have to salivate when you go through the catalogue.

a swap sounds good...unless it means in person, then logistically it wouldn't work for all of us; but we could put things in our posts.

i'm forgetting everything else i had to say, i'll save it after i read again!

rain is here, i've got barrels and buckets and pots and plans collecting the rain water everywhere outside as if there was a leak in the roof - i am so hose challenged it's pathetic.

Hi all! Just a quick note, Life has gotten really crazy here lately, but in a good way. :) I'll explain it all more in a couple days. I'm completely exhausted, but I just wanted to post that I received my box today from my secret pal. I will post later everything I got. It's been a long couple of days and I can barely keep my eyes open. I just wanted to make sure my pal knew it arrived safely and thank you so much. I'll be back soon to fill you all in. Teresa

Oh, yes, Earthly, when I mentioned swapping plants in the fall, I definitely meant through the mail. It would be fun to get together but we are spread out all over the country!