6 - e's

I think I have all my plants dug and ready to go.

Annie, we used to have 6 local swaps a year.

2 in Dallas area

2 in Fort Worth

2 in Euless

The wonderful lady that ran the Dallas ones just isn't in good enough health any more. She also used to have a Brugmansia cutting at her house every fall. I lost all my brugmansia's in our February 2021 Snowmageddon and don't plan to replace any of my tropicals that have to be brought inside for winter.

The lady that runs the Fort Worth one posted and no one showed interest this year. It has gotten less and less interest over the years. With our last 2 colder than normal winters, I just don't have as much to share.

One of my new last year "must have" iris bloomed this morning. I think we've lost about half the iris the past two winters.

Plum Pretty Whiskers

Annie, Yes i really do love Florda! its where i grew up and home to me! Every thing is going good! Hope you are doing great! I have missed my garden friends.

Susan, I hope your husband heals quickly. i just saw your post.

Ruth, I would water maybe once a week and let them have good drainage. I was thinking maybe one plant for hair . I think the spider plant might be great for hair and the tricolor plant will just root in water! Hope you enjoy!

Ruth, how about a "C"???

Ruth, how was the plant sale??

3 - C's

It was a beautiful day and the plant swap was fun. It was a 2 hour event at one of the member's houses. Her property is beautiful.

I was a little upset at the beginning. A lot of people there when we got there and they were just taking things and not bringing anything. It is supposed to be a SWAP.

Today I realized it was probably because of her facebook post. She had posted that she had trays and trays and trays of various tomatoes to give away.

All the stuff I took went fast except for some agave pups and black nursery pots. And they were all gone by the time we left.

There was a variety of things there. Some of the stuff I remember. Cannas, iris, tomatoes (lots), peppers, pumpkins, cucumber, aloe, datura, various trees, snapdragons, obedient plants, hyacinth bean vines, orange daylilies, morning glories. I'm sure I forgot a bunch of things.

I did get a few things. Nothing I was hoping for, but still good stuff.

Arrowhead vine

Jerusalem Artichokes

Yellow Flowering Texas Yucca (Hesperaloe)

Tradescantia zebrina (Purple Wandering Jew) have to start calling it something else now as this is not politically correct

Daughter got some tomatoes, pepper and datura. And a couple of kinds of pumpkin seeds.

Today's iris bloom

Coral Cove

This is a bearded iris from Nancy. And this green guy was in the driveway. I finally have irises this year and it's so exciting.

Ruth I don't know about these swaps around town. I would love to have gone but I would also be a taker not a swapper. I didn't start anything yet.

Susan so sorry to hear about your husband's sudden illness, it must have been so scary but very very happy he's coming home and all is well!

Someone please remind me if I'm hosting next month... I don't remember.

Urooj, there used to be a Spring and Fall swap in the Hickory Creek area. They always posted on the Texas gardening forum on Houzz/gardenweb site. I don't believe there has been one in years.

There is normally a Spring and Fall Fort Worth swap posted on the same forum.

The Euless swaps are posted on the Euless City pages and Euless Garden Club facebook page.

Gardners love to share so it's okay most of the time to come even if you don't have anything to swap. But yesterday was different. We got there at one when it was supposed to start. We were going to pull up and unload and then park across the street at a church like we normally do.

The street was already lined with cars and people were filling bags and boxes.

I took a variety of things but only 2 or 3 of each. I sat them behind my table and people still came over saying what have you got, what have you got. I at least wanted our hostess to see if she wanted anything before it was all gone.

How are you doing with your jug face?

I believe you host June.

Update on this month's swap

Hair sent

Ruth.................Urooj - sent and received

Shirley.............Susan - sent and received

Urooj...............Annie - sent

Susan..............Amy - sent and received

Annie..............Shirley - sent and received

Amy.................Ruth - sent and received

Jug Face planter picture posted

Ruth ..........Jug face picture posted

Shirley.............

Urooj...............

Susan..............

Annie..............Jug face picture posted

Amy.................Jug face picture posted

Please correct me if I'm wrong

Urooj, I host FOTESS MAY!

Annie your seeds have shipped!

The iris for today -

Thanks for telling me I'm hosting June. That gives me time for some ideas...

Will try to work on my jug ...

Good Morning on this nice wet morning. We had storms during the night but nothing too bad. Got some much needed rain. This should make some of my plants pop out.

Beautiful Iris's Urooj.

The month is almost over

Still need pictures of 3 Jug Face planters

You don't have to finish the planter to take your picture now. Just paint the face.

Have 2 more questions for 5 points each

Guess as many times a day you'd like

Annie............. 19 points

Susan............18 points

Ruth, how about an "F"??

Sorry, no F

Love the Iris Urooj. I can’t wait for mine to bloom soon. Hopefully by the 3rd week or 4th week of May. They are one of my favorites.

My husband is recovering and taking it easy for a few days. He has to get a couple of more stents soon within 2 to 3 weeks. He is on a very restricted diet also and I have been making a lot of meals from whole food ingredients. It takes forever but it is real food. I will consider it a labor of love and I am following the same guidelines for simplicity sake and also because it can’t hurt to eat healthier.

Ruth, how about the letter U?

2 - U's

Restricted diets can be hard, but our health is worth it.

I love iris but don't feel that I am good with them. I'm not sure why we lose so many of ours and others may or may not bloom every year. We've probably bought at least 30 in the past few years and I counted 13 today.

Ruth, I think iris must like a certain kind of weather or soil. I had almost zero luck with them in SC and here in NC (at least in my neighborhood) they are growing like crazy and every yard seems to have some in bloom. Mine that have bloomed so far are white.

I'm excited to be going to my first NC plant swap on Saturday. Really great to meet some NC garden people! I plan to join the Cary Garden Club if they'll have me and I will check on the Master Gardener program here. I'm a SC Master Gardener but I don't know if you can transfer from state to state. I would not be willing to go through all the training again.

Susan, prayers that your husband has a successful surgery. Yum - real food! I'm being too lazy to cook much these days but really need to get back to doing that.

Jeanne, your iris are beautiful. I'm sure the garden club will be happy to have you.

I checked into the Master Gardening program once and it wasn't something I was willing to do.

I need to buy potting soil to plant a few things today. The price of potting soil has gotten way too expensive. The nursery I go to was out of Mayer last week and said maybe it would come in this week. It's still reasonable. Around $11.00 a bag.

My daughter paid $40.00 for a bag to plant her tomatoes and peppers. Not sure what brand. Fertilome I think.

Ruth, how a bout a "B"???

Updated to include 1....B

This Saturday is (was) our Euless Garden Club Spring Plant Swap.

For 5 points each what are 3 of the plants I plan to take to the swap.

# 9 phone app identification was a little off. First word by phone app, I added the last two words.

# 10 & 11 names are listed as identified on my phone app.

Guess one letter per day for all three

Guess names of plants as many times per day as you want.

includes letters a, t, m, s, l, p, e, c, u, b, d, r, h

9. Hedychium Peach Ginger

10. Artemesia ludoviciana

11. _ ust _ c _ a / Bra_de _ eea _ a

I love to see all of your irises. My grandmother did NOT like iris which conditioned all of us and now we kind of laugh about it. My iris are just green blades right now 3" to 12" high. I have tomatoes in my dining room window and each day I'm setting them out to harden them off. So much wind here in Nebraska. We are a prairie state and wind is nothing new...but the strength and so many days of it is tiring. Heidi

Ruth, how about a "D"??

2...D's

I think I missed a letter and had one in the wrong place.

Annie, I don't know how you keep up with this type game. It's not easy.

Heidi, I've always loved iris but nobody in my family ever had any that I remember when I was growing up. The only thing I don't like is their short bloom season.

Ruth...not easy...I really have to concentrate/focus. I play WORDLE almost every day. WORDLE is good practice!! Good for the brain! I am not close on either one of these.....but I am not giving up.

tick-tock.................tick-tock.....................tick-tock

This month is almost over

Come on ladies.

Need your Jug Face pictures posted

Ruth how about the letter "R"??

I am striking out on everything I try on the plants #9 and #11.

Two.....R's

Sorry Ruth, forgot to ask for an H today. These are some difficult names here, I am having trouble with them.

I am painting another jug. I messed up twice. I am on it

three.....h's

Susan, I messed up one jug when i tried to use my paint kit. The paint seemed to stay tacky and not dry. When I got a few permanent markers it went fast.

Guessing # 9

Hedychium Peach Ginger

Susan, your turn....give # 11 a go!!

going back outside to PONDER # 11

Annie, correct on #9

Ok I will take a guess for the last one Ruth. Is it Justicia brandegeana?

So sorry I'm late as usual..

Pictures are so cute. Can't wait to see them later with the plants inside!

I can't wait to check out Susan and Urooj plant jugs. Shirley....nice colors!!

Urooj, I think my seeds are due here today or tomorrow.....will post after I receive and then plant the seeds in my "Daisy Jane" jug.

I wonder if Ruth's computer is down.......I hope you are OK Ruth.

I am hosting FOTESS for the month of May. I will be out of town for several days so it will be so....so....so...simple. I will post the MAY FOTESS swap over the weekend or Monday!

Sorry, computer is fine. Just haven't had time to get on since yesterday.

Susan, correct on Justicia brandegeeana (Mexican red shrimp plant).

If I count correctly Annie and Susan are 1 point apart so I will send prizes to both.

Great job guessing.

Shirley, I love your jug face planter. Did you use some kind of paint or markers? All the colors are awesome.

Jeanne, I agree. Excited to see them later with the plants inside!

Annie............. 24 points

Susan.............23 points

Ruth ..........Jug face picture posted

Shirley.............Jug face picture posted

Urooj...............

Susan..............

Annie..............Jug face picture posted

Amy.................Jug face picture posted

Thank you all for participating

Just a reminder to take pictures of your finished Jug Face planter, with hair for

FOTESS September 2022: Jug Face planter.....Part Two

I'm sorry guys. Every time I think to do it I forget and get mixed up with something else. Once I make it I will post it here.

Here is the current iris that came up...

Urooj, I see that you signed up for MAY FOTESS. It is April 30....you need to post your jug art for April here. We have to watch this signing up for swaps. When someone has not completed a previous months swap, they can NOT sign up for the next month. If someone has not completed the previous months swap on FOTESS or OBF....and I am hosting, I will not let them play until they complete there "obligation" for the previous month. We need to shake, rattle and roll here....

Urooj,, I received my "hair" yesterday....just opened the package from Baker Creek!! Thanks so much for the three packets of seeds........Dar Cucumber, Sweet Pea Blue Streamers and Lime Basil. I will plants my "hair" today. Hopefully Daisy Jane's hair will grow and be oh so beautiful and lush!!

Hope everyone is well and having a good month.

Been very hot and dry here.

Annie, your 1st place prize should have arrived by now.

Susan, sorry I haven't mailed your 2nd place prize yet. Wanted to send you a plant but our temps have been record breaking recently, so not a good time to mail plants in Texas.

We are leaving in the wee hours of the morning and will be gone the rest of the month. I will send something when we get home.

Ruth, I just returned home from my MN trip. Yes, my Clematis plant from Bluestone arrived this past Monday. I have somebody who comes in to water etc, when I am gone, so I had tipped her off that something was coming from Bluestone. She opened and watered after it arrived. It was supposed to come the previous Friday but did not. My buddy said it was in very bad shape on arrival. She followed the the after arrival directions. There is some new growth starting so I think she will be fine.

I am so excited about Clematis nubia.....5 inch velvet red flowers.

Thanks so much Ruth for this very cool plant!!

Enjoy your trip.....be safe!!

Hey guys. Finally painted my jug face today. Was so excited that I didn't wait for it to dry before adding my hair. (Oops)

It's supposed to be a butterfly (face and body)

Added soil, seeds and water and hung it on a hook on the patio! Thanks again Ruth.

Ruth my jugs hair is growing and I love it. Can't wait until Sept.