Yes, it was FUN. Are you on facebook? I posted our pictures there.

Moni

Just one? OMG, what did you do with the day...just ONE? :) (it was too rainy here to plant..still too wet really today).

I'm in the same boat--not enough space. We have to get creative on finding places to plant, right?

I did plant 4 tomatoes from SF (to replace Dawn's tribute ones) and 4 extras of mine.

Which tomato did you plant yesterday, Jen?

Jen, you gave me something....maybe a coneflower. I think you said it makes a yellow flower. Am I remembering that correctly?

It's really wet here at our house too, Danny.

Rick is coming over this afternoon to help take down the tunnels. Actually the storm on Friday night took down one of them partially.

I'm at work but would like to still be in bed. Super sleepy this morning.

Have a good day and week, Friends.

Excellent quality bonding time yesterday! We had a little over an inch in the rain gauge yesterday morning, but it quit raining in time for me to dig up another comfrey. I hope it's dry enough today to mow the back yard, since right now it looks like an abandoned property. Garry got the side and front lawns mowed Friday. I think he's planning to escape today and go down to the marina to catch some crappies. It was a long day yesterday--and we were glad to relax when we got home. But it was so worth it, to see you all.

I'm going to run and check in at the school after mowing. This is all the plan, anyway. I have to go to eye doc tomorrow and get new glasses. Busy week coming up. AND I still have all these PLANTS on the deck plus the new ones. It did turn into a beautiful day yesterday, didn't it?

Yes, we were amazed at the enormous puddles everywhere driving in to the park site. plowed up red clay! By the way, do any of you know why they're (city? county? state?) clearing all that away? To make a wider highway?

Danny, by the time I got home from spring fling it was 4, then had ro unload the car, then I had 4 furballs who demanded attention. Then I had to stare at my garden, count containers, and figure out what exactly I could plant and where. I'm still not sure where everything is going to fit.

HJ, it's a cutleaf coneflower. I planted one 3 years ago. First 2 years it didn't do anything. Then last year it took off, got over 6ft, and was covered in small yellow blooms. Most days it was engulfed in butterflies.

I planted the one labeled "sungold or bendigo moon". I love sungolds and I wanted to try bendigo, so either way it's a win. I got a couple peppers (super shepherd & pickle) in this morning, then got some cleanup done before hopping on zoom church.

I sure would have loved to be at the spring fling, but the only thing I have that I would not been ashamed to bring would be sweet potato slips, I have the growing out my ears. I harvested 36 yesterday, which brings me up to over 75, with at least that many more to harvest.

I have wanted to got to each spring fling. I wanted especially to meet Dawn, I still think of her often. I keep telling my self that I must go before I get to old to travel. Madge and I both don't travel as well as we use to.

I am glad everyone had fun and safe travel.

It is too wet here to plant also.

That is an awesome plant and I must get one! Or 2. Love hearing about it, Jen. I was very happy to get the ones I got, all. Although it's true that seeing one another is the best part, thank you for the plants, all. Super excited about them--the cardinal vine, soapwort, feverfew, and all the rest.

Larry, no one would have even known! There was so much stuff that a bunch of us were begging people to take it. Moni finally gathered up all the iris and threw them in the back of our truck. Here they are, Rebecca. haha

I ordered the rudbeckia lanciniata from Etsy.

Nancy, if you want some let me know. I'll be going up to see my dad sometime around memorial day so we can go to the cemeteries, so maybe we could meet up? Wagoner isn't that far from Grove.

Rats. I just ordered one. But if you're ever in the neighborhood we can meet up!

Well, I'm back in Covid space, I got my 2nd shot this morning. Arms sore, I feel lethargic. I have too much to do to be lethargic.

Just take it easy for today, and tomorrow. I am wishing NO side effects for you.

Moni

My first shot was nothing, my second shot was no fun at all. I felt draggy for a couple of days.

Oh just enjoy your lethargicness--at least you have an excuse! Seriously, hope you feel better very soon.

You recuperated yet, Kim?

I'm still just enjoying Saturday. What a wonderful bunch of folks you all are.

I'm cautiously over the moon. Think that's a thing? We found a couple young men to do the yard! Garry noticed them at our neighbors' house and was wondering if they were relatives or hired garden help. So I walked over and met them--the garden help. Said hi to our new neighbors again while I was at it. Asked our neighbors where they found them--they laughed and said same way we did. So when the young men finished over there, they came over here and gave us a quote. We'll just have them mowing, occasional weed-eating, and occasional other things, like I want them to get all the hackberry and elm seedlings. What a load off my mind that is! YAY! The "owner" of the business is 25, married and father to a year-old babe. He was very polite, businesslike and keen to know more about gardening.

I took Mexican sunflowers, asters, milkweed to school today aiming to plant them, but when I got in, the winds were ferocious. No way could we put in the Mexican sunflowers. So I ended up leaving the trays there, and hopefully will get to put them in the ground on Thursday. How's planting going for the rest of you?

I got to see the kids--hadn't seen them in such a long time. It was so much fun! I got home and was going to sow some annuals, but time got away from me. I hope I can get some done before the rain hits tomorrow.

Nancy I did recover thank you.
It took most of the day yesterday.

Today I did full inventory of plants for sale and keeps. I had 349. So a good 300 for sale.
Not counting fling plants they all stay with me.
Planted some of the fling plants and everything got a fish emulsion boost. That takes forever because I use rain water. I love it because I get to inspect each plant as I water.
Then I potted up zinnias and ground cherries.
I sowed 5 more flat of seeds for the next sale
Fixed 78 baby Iris from sister for the sale.
Spent 2 hours using bad language while trying to design my own business cards on my phone. No wonder people get paid good money to do that. Plug y’all’s ears when I design my website lol.
Did not get car unloaded completely but it’s okay. I have tomorrow.

A friend had both shots and even after 2 weeks got Covid. That freaks me out. He was pretty sick.

I didn't have much time in the garden today, but got the cherry tomato bed ready to plant. Also watered the plants left in the greenhouse. Harvested asparagus. Looks like I have asparagus bugs again. Not too big of a deal though. Didn't have any last year.

Rick took down the tunnels yesterday. I did several little things around the garden too. Tomorrow I must focus on this house, though. So thankful to have a day off tomorrow.

I have 18 tomatoes in the ground. I got a care package potted up for one of my doctors. He lives about 2 miles from me, and I count him as a good friend. The doctor does not do much of the gardening, his wife does most of the stuff like that. The last time I was over at his house he told me that he was going to build a greenhouse.

I am not doing well at adjusting to not being to do the things that I use to be able to do. I have my helper down a lot, I really enjoy that, but it cost a lot of money to hire so many things done. It also cost a lot to buy the tools that I need to assist in doing my projects, but everyone says that "you cant take it with you, so enjoy the time you have here". I really cant say that that is not true.

Have a good day tomorrow, everyone, and good night.

Well, I laid down in the late afternoon (5ish) and woke up with mini-Covid, I have headache, sore arm, and now no smell/taste. Oh well, I don't really feel bad, I feel a bit less lethargic than I did earlier in the day, so maybe that shall pass by tomorrow. Or maybe i start coughing and all that too (hope not).

Yeah, it's so windy there are always pots laying on ground every time I go out. I keep forgetting to inspect a native clematis that I bought from Pine Ridge last Wednesday...I hid it out of sun and wind...and I can't remember to find it :) I'll probably go out now (with phone/flashlight) since I am remembering it now..and will forget by morning (lol).

Did you find it Danny, or more important, are you feeling "back to normal"?

Yep, I found it...it was really wanting a drink (was over 86 yesterday, lower humidity, bright sun, and harsh winds)...I had a few plants just crisp up abruptly, and the soil is certainly wet ;)

I'm feeling a bit better, headache carried over, and while arm got quite sore, and spread to left side a bit...it's better now. Sleep hasn't been easy to come by (but it never is for me). I think I'll live though :0

Hi! You all are being awfully quiet. How're you doing, how is gardening, how is rain? Planting, once again, is still on hold! AGGH. Maybe Friday. It's aggravating, kind of. I want plants off the deck! Our rain began late last night--and though it woke me several times, it never did turn into a downpour, which was terrific. As of now we have just slightly under 2". More to come this evening and tomorrow, from the looks of the weather forecast. We've had it very easy with this rain compared to so many others.

Glad you're better Danny--I expect you'll be better still tomorrow! Which native clematis did you get? I have three to tear out this year. The sweet autumn (which you warned me would be difficult), a cultivar called Diamontina, and jackmanii. Sigh. And Garry has been working on taking out six clumps of monkey grass. Next? The Rose of Sharon (it's huge) and the kerris Japonica.

Hi Jennifer--I was so sorry our visit was cut short the other day--it was so fun visiting with you. Onto Covid and stuff. There is a small percentage of breakthrough cases with the vaccinations, research has shown. But compared to a regular flu shot, it's much lower. We sure don't plan to conduct our lives in a pre-Covid way, even with the shots. We'll continue to pick up our groceries, not go to large social gatherings, especially indoors. We'll happily entertain company on the deck, a few friends at a time. You know, just common sense stuff. (You know what? Before Covid, every time flu season rolled around, we did the same thing.)

Even after 2" of rain, no problem getting out and doing walk-arounds in the yard, except the low spot in the back.

Take care, all!

Mine *might* be versicolor, but it might not be too (Maryann wasn't sure). In any case a pale viorna type. Should look something like this one:

No possibility of dry ground for a while.
Edit: Well, flooding here (though not *here*) with lower lying areas having water up to the car windows based on a photo I saw Wednesday in downtown Rogers. Rain continues to fall. I hope we could maybe have 3 or 4 days without precipitation after this. Rain is great, just not days and multiple inches of it.

Nancy, I’m here and lurking but super busy so this week it’s just enough time to read posts. I have training videos to watch - related to the promotion I received a few months ago - and I’ve been catching up on them while on the treadmill in the mornings. Plus, keeping my right eye on the tv in the corner to catch the weather forecast the last few days.

I think I whined to y’all about my post vaccine recovery, so I feel your pain, Danny. My husband got his second today and is literally feeling it. While doing PE tonight, he said his arm was already sore.

I got tomatoes in the ground after SF and harped on the kiddo until she finally planted her primrose and the borage starts I had for her. She is excited about gardening but not so much the work part, just the enjoying part. I should be a little more like her. I need to stop more often to enjoy the garden but I do enjoy the work part - as long as it’s garden work and not housework.

Jen - I thought for a minute you might have Helenium (sneeze weed) but after looking again, I think you’re right about it being cut leaf coneflower. Is it much of a spreader? I have tall coreopsis and it wants to take over the world. I would have brought some to SF but I want to be invited back next year, so I abstained. Anyhow. I’d like to repeat the height and color in another spot without the aggressive tendencies so I’m thinking your plant might be a contender in that regard.

I’ve been trying in vain to date to start Neptunia lutea - the briarless sensitive briar. FINGERS FIRMLY CROSSED - I think I have done it! If not, I’ve made more progress so far than I have to date. Last time I tried multiple techniquse - nicking, scratching, soaking, and combos. The scratched then soaked was clearly absorbing water, which a research paper said is thd trick. After about 12 hrs soaking, I moved it to a peat pot and it stopped. This time, I’ve continued soaking and a root is emerging. I’ll put it in some potting soil in the morning. I only have 4 seeds left so I’m hoping this works. The seeds aren’t cheap $6/pkg of 15 plus shipping!

Well, now I’ll have nothing to say in the morning on the treadmill. Guess that means you guys need to come in with lots of comments so I can have something to read while watching a work video and eyeballing the weather on TV. Have you noticed that I like to stay busy? ;)

Looks like the worst of the storm skipped us. No hail, just lots of rain. The backyard is a mudpit, which the dogs seem to love. Our 3 are vlack so most of the time dirt doesn't show, but my sister in law's dog (one we adopted from a former client) is gray & white so right now he's pink from all the clay. Garden is waterlogged but everything seems ok.

Hopefully everyone else came out relatively unscathed.

Lots of rain down here. Getting ready for big sale Saturday. This will kickstart my new business.
I am so scared and thrilled at the same time. Doing my i’s and crossing the y’all is tedious and no one who knows has time to help. So Google and I are figuring it out.
I made a tent of sorts to keep plants covered so they don’t drown. Glad I did because there was hail in the area last night.
I missed out. I was at church in the hallway waiting out a tornado warning.
Spring is in the air

We had lots of rain, wind was to be up to 70 mph, dont know how high it was but I have some stuff to pick up in the yard. I heard what sound like hail hitting the metal roof, but not many. The garden looks good, but I only have 18 tomatoes and 19 sweet potatoes planted at this time. I have maybe 200' of Irish potatoes in the wildlife garden, which seem to be recovering from being frozen.

Kim, I am happy for you and your business, I hope you both do well.

I am fighting a battle of burrs in the lawn. I tried tilling up a large spot and seeding clover. I am hoping the clover will get thick enough to kill the burrs. I have tried burning the burrs, but that is a slow hard goal.

I hope it's going well, Kim, and that you score big on Saturday! Good luck with your site.

Waiting to hear from Jennifer to see how things are. . . also HU and others in that neighborhood.

That's a lot of potatoes, Larry. I still have NO tomatoes or peppers in. I had put a couple tomatoes in at the school, but the freeze last week killed em dead.

I see lantanas are peeking out here; I'll be going to the school tomorrow and hope I see them there, too--but if I don't I'm not worried, because that big center bed over there is already filling up with plants I put in last year.

The native clematis are lovely. I could sure put them where the non-native ones are here. And now I'm seriously considering taking the Endless summer hydrangeas out, in the front yard, because it's prime real estate for natives--if I can think of a showcase one, I'll take out the hydrangeas.

I ran out this morning and pulled up a bunch of hackberry and elm seedlings while it was wet. Hardly a dent in the crop. I hate them.

I'm keeping a close eye on the oak leaf hydrangea. It might be too wet where it is. Immediately beyond, the slope drops more and it is WET. May have to move the oak leaf up to a higher place in the yard.

The rudbeckia lanciniata came today. I'm so glad Jennifer and you were talking about it, Jen. Did you have it in full sun? The best I can do for it is part sun. . . maybe 3 hours and additional dappled sun/shade.

I think I'll go plant some seedlings. Take care.

I am finding more damage than I expected from the storm last night. I found a bucket that had seeds in it, of course the seeds are wet, some I have already sown in the wildlife garden. I found about 3/4# of zinnia seeds in the yard, wet, I will at least try to save some of the seeds. Some of the seeds I have not found yet. I don't know what else may be damaged, I will go check my old house, barn, and out buildings tomorrow.

look at this beauty. No idea who have me this years ago. Prettiest peachy pink

Larry I am so sorry. I left seeds out one year. I tried dumping them and scattering and some actually came up and made a good stand.
I hope you can salvage some

Thanks, Kim, I think most of my zinnia seeds will be fine, I have a lot of seeds and plants to give away, anyway. My zinnia seeds are on my gro shelf drying now, very few got really wet. We mush have had some strong gust last night. Madge and I slept through it all.

I’m going to try to post some pictures. hopefully they aren’t lost.

The saga of the seeds that I’ve been struggling to start (sensitive briar) continues. It sprouted a root while in the water and yesterday, I moved it to potting soil. It’s sitting on my grow shelves, which are in my office. Subsequently, I’m checking on the damn thing every time I get up. Of course, watching it so closely means I can’t really tell if its making progress!

Heres what it looks like at the moment.

can you even spot it!?! 🤣

I also got away from SF with an unidentified plant. Does anyone recognize this?

Megan, in my opinion benign neglect is the best way to grow plants. I'm almost convinced that looking at them too much causes foliage burn. :)

Danny are you saying I have laser eyes! 🤣

Glassing looks

Glaring

Between my phone and houz it’s a challenge

Hee, I almost put up a new thread this morning before I realized it's NOT Sunday yet.

Well we got sunshine yesterday, and I touched up the front yard (ie mowed down the seeding clumps of fescue, while leaving most of the yard to let the spring beauties set seed before mowing them down later in May). It was interesting mowing around all my bamboo stakes (warning me not to step or mow on what was planted at their base). I was successful in not decimating anything.

On an unrelated note, Springdale/Rogers is the home base of Harps Grocery (which has some stores in eastern Oklahoma), JB Hunt Trucking, and Tyson Foods. Tyson had a Tyson Company Store (only one of it's kind at least that I know of) in town till April 2020, when it closed, the incentive being prices were about 1/2 of grocery store prices, plus bulk box puchases. Inquiries as to when it was reopening via FB were met with silence, and it's FB page was deleted in December. I figured that meant, gone for good and I stopped checking. Lo, Thursday my aunt called and said she had heard that they had reopened. I went prowling and found nothing, except on Google some people had left reviews for it in the last week. Ok, so I drove over (it's only 2-3 miles from my house) and found a flyer explaining new protocols (appt and limited # of ppl in store, as well as a drive-by ordering that was new). I made an appointment for Friday, my aunt struggled (not sure why) so I made one for her too. Then she was afraid (dunno reason) that they wouldn't let her in (I guess because I made her appt). She didn't understand it's not security, but just crowd control. Anyway, she wanted to go in with me, and since I was allowed a slot of two people (me + someone), I said sure. We got our shopping done, and it was SO nice to have the store to ourselves versus the old normal of completely packed (tiny place anyway) and can't move. Both our freezers are stocked (maybe glutted) with Tyson chicken and Jimmy Dean sausage products now.

I'm hopeful that I can plant a few more things today, because Monday rains return (again), though maybe less inches than the floods this week.

Congrats on not mowing anything desirable down... and so good, to have done shopping your way.

I drove to the Horn Canna Farm yesterday and bought two of Cleopatra, Australia and a red one with copper colored leaves that I planted the tag to deep and can't find. :)

All because I saw the following picture on FB.

with my loot:

Here's a new one for me. I had a jalapeno plant cut down by what I think is a cutworm. I found it Thursday morning. Left the plant laying there so the worm would feed on it and not go looking for another meal. But what's happened since is strange. Whatever cut it down is now pulling the plant down in the ground. I found a leaf yesterday halfway in the ground. I thought maybe the plant was putting off a new sprout. But not.

The red arrow is pointing to the stub of a stalk that remains. Just to illustrate the size of this plant, I bought the plant in the other pic at the same time, they were both same size.

Is this a cutworm doing this ?

I'm at a loss, Lynn. I've not yet experienced cutworm damage--but seems like it would make sense. Would squirrels do this, Rebecca? (Rebecca, you're the bratty squirrel expert, I believe.)

You'll have to be sure to take pictures of your cannas this summer as they bloom and grow, Moni. I have a bunch at the back of our yard that never bloom because they don't get enough sun. Well at least they provide a kind of point of interest in the far back.

Guess you're not going to starve any time in the very near future, Danny, as long as you have electricity. Speaking of that, do you all have generators in case of power outages? We don't. Up in Mpls, we really needed them and my son had half a dozen (for his rentals). I have tried to talk Garry into getting one, but we haven't needed one to this point.

I HAVE to share this photo of the shop bed with you. This is the best it has looked since 2018. It was overrun with Bermuda. Our new gardener and his partner were over this morning. I helped, since they were unsure about what were other weeds. I'm so excited--I'll get alfalfa hay and doubled mulched leaves down in the next 2 days. Awesome!

Nancy, the picture is very nice.

We tried to plant flowers today. We both said tonight, " why did we buy all those flowers". We have more to plant tomorrow.

I hope to take a few pictures tomorrow, its time for a new month picture of our late "Fur Baby". We really miss that little boy.

Lynn, gophers are the only thing I have had to pull a plant down into the ground. I was in the garden and watched it happen. I have two gopher traps that get used pretty often. I also watched a " wasp' looking critter take part of leaf into the ground in my garden one time, but have no idea what it was, and that one time was the only time I saw a flying insect take part of a plant into a hole.

Madge bought 36 sweet potatoes that we need to plant tomorrow, along with the many flowers that we did not get planted today. We keep saying that "we are not doing this next year". but we are REALLY, REALLY, running out of steam.

After I looked at it closer, it was not pulling the entire plant down, just leaves , or maybe even one leaf. But it devoured that pepper plant almost entirely in two days time. I dug up the old plant ball and found nothing.

I have another plant ready to go in the ground, but I'm afraid to plant in that same spot.

Where is Rebecca?

Lynn I had cucumbers and tomatoes cut off last year. This year I put toothpicks right next to them, 3 per plant, and so far, no damage.

Moni

Whatever it was, probably a cutworm, it sawed that plant off like a lumberjack.

I planted another one yesterday, wrapped the stalk in aluminum foil. Its still there this morning.