I like your videos, Kim.

Even the famous YouTubers…often my favorites of theirs are when they were just starting out and had less fancy equipment and skills.

But my FB vid yesterday was lame. i might have figured out the issue with that camera, tho. The baby is sleeping and I am

looking at the manual. I am 99% sure it is user error. lol

Lynn, sorry about your plants. Maybe 4 years ago, I had started some of Dawns fav tomatoes early on SuperBowl Sunday, like she always did. I put that batch in earlier and then we has a freeze a few days after. They were covered with buckets but still

got frozen. However, the ones that Rick put in the SG did not. They were covered with buckets and he put a sheet of plastic over the buckets. The double protection worked. At least that time it did.

Thank you Jennifer.

H/J .... depends upon how cold it gets. I've used the buckets for about 15 years now. They've always worked in the past. But it depends upon how far the temps get below freezing. Below 30 it starts getting iffy. And I don't recall that ever happening.

This time was one plant out of 24. Almost inexplicable how that happened. That particular bucket is going to be retired. The wet muddy soil may've also been a factor. It may have been colder than dry soil.

I have row cover for only a couple of rows, but that also presents problems.

First, the cold temps always come with strong north winds. Trying to tie down row cover in 30 mph winds is a task. It has to be sealed all around the bottom to keep the wind from working under it. And then hoping it makes it through the night without the wind taking it to the next county by morning.

There's an issue with timing. If I cover the plants too early the day before ( like I did one year and lost all my plants ) the sun can come out and the plants get roasted from heat. Its a last minute job the evening before.

Also have trouble if rain comes with the front, like this past weekend. I barely had enough paver stones to put midrow to access the plants, but that would not work for row cover. I need loose dirt to throw around the bottom edges of the cover. Shoveling mud is just a no go for me.

My experience is to wait till the last week of March to go in the ground. And only then if the 10 day forecast shows no arctic front. Planting before that could very well get an artic front that takes temps down in the high 20's.

And I over plant enough to entirely replace everything that's in the ground if that freak arctic front comes along.

I have been trying to sort through my mess of plants. I seems as though I have 214 tomatoes 151 peppers, more than the 100 sweet potatoes that I wanted to plant, and much more of the purple sweet potatoes, and more flowers than I wanted to count. Any way you slice it, many of the plant have to go outside.

I am hoping that Madge will get better, and we can find someone to bring us to Fling, cause I need to fling some plants off on someone.

I am going to go. I look forward to this every year and I don’t want to miss it. I don’t like the idea of driving six hours for a three hour visit. It seems exhausting to me just thinking about it.

I fixed the first of the asparagus tonight. It's so good and fresh. It feels good to eat fresh vegetable again.

But the asparagus beetles are already on it. Probably because I didn't clean it up until a month ago. Normally, I'll clean those beds up in November.

I've got a basket of lettuce, kale, and spinach for lunch tomorrow. It's the first of the salad ingredients this year. Super excited about this too.

I'm looking at a crazy busy rest of the work week. And I'm not looking forward to it. Although, I'll try to push myself to get the rest of the tomatoes planted on Thursday. It's my normal late day, but tomorrow (and next Wednesday night) is a really late night. I'll be home after dark so can't do anything in the garden.

I might just weed where I plant the tomatoes and then take care of the rest of the weeds later. It's always such a juggle of my responsibilities at this time of year especially. Seems like I just run, run, run to get work, home, personal, and garden responsibilities done.

I'll admit there are times that I think I could just buy food at the farmers market and move to a neat, tidy house and property in a neighborhood. It's a fleeting thought, but I do have them from time to time. It's just a lot to care for out here. I love it, but need to be home more to really do it well OR have more help.

But, it does help that I'm downsizing the amounts of things that I'm planting. I'm not growing dozens and dozens of plants. I think I"ll get it figured out....what works for me. What I can handle. That sort of thing.

Not trying to be a downer, but I'm just especially tired tonight. And still need to wash that lettuce and friends..

Glad you're coming, Kim. Can you stay with Moni? Or do you need to get back that night?

It is too bad that we've moved the SF closer to the northern people the past two years but they're unable to come. And that puts the more southern people driving a greater distance.

I am going to burneyville to my sil. She’s having surgery Wednesday so I’ll go cook for them on Sunday

That's a kind to do, Kim. I'm glad you get to do that for her.

Also, I don't mind driving a greater distance. I didn't want to come across that way in my last post. It was fun to go to Webbers Falls last year despite the crazy rain. And it will be fun to see Regina's place this year.

I'm more sad than anything that Nancy and Amy and others can't come.

I do get how driving can be exhausting, Kim. That may be one reason I'm so tired on Tuesdays. And that drive to and from Edmond isn't easy driving. It's tense and bumper to bumper. (Also the baby is very active now and I spend most of the time following him around. He's into everything. A very curious little guy. He does love being outside and will sit still and look at a stick or piece of bark for a long time. He feels it and turns it over and observes from all sides and angles. So....when we're outside there's less action because he can sit and observe items. And we go for a walk in the afternoon, but their neighborhood is hilly, so it's quite the workout.) Anyway....yes, drives are exhausting or can be.

Larry, that's a lot of plants. If you do end up coming to SF, I'm not going to bring any of my sweet potatoes.

I just realized that school is out April 18, so I'm going to take that entire day off work. Hoping to get some real work done outside that day, although the forecast is showing rain. Ah well, I can get things done inside. There's plenty to do all around.

That's about all I have. Nothing new to add about the garden. I have to pick up a co-worker from the airport in a bit and some refreshments for the event tonight, so need to get on work now.

Hope everyone has a nice day. Hope your ankle is feeling okay, Amy.

Jennifer, I used to love driving always looked forward to a road trip. But the last year or so I wish I had a chauffeur. I still enjoy going places but the actual driving wears me out and driving three hours up and 3 1/half hours back in the same day is a lot for me. I will probably leave early and stop halfway for breakfast because it just kind of breaks it up so I gotta look at my route and see where there is a great place to stop. My garden is looking so good and I dread the day I have to cover everything with insect netting. I know it’s coming Because the grasshoppers are coming at some point. Maybe we’ll get a big rain and drown them all as soon as they emerge. I planted dill everywhere and did not mark down where so that will be interesting. I just read the other day and I don’t know why I didn’t already know this but deal takes 15 to 20 days to germinate. That is a long time. Also Jennifer, I would not want to drive in that traffic traffic absolutely annoys me. When I came back from San Antonio I took an extra hour to get home so I could avoid Austin.

I'm surviving, Jennifer. Went to orthopedic doc yesterday. He says no surgery, 8 weeks in a walking boot. I'm not hurting as much and moving better, but the boot is still heavy! I have edema in my other foot and couldn't get my shoe on yesterday. I read every day, just in a with drawn kind of mood. I think you get that.

Just watching a child is a great responsibility and puts us in high alert status. I would be looking for another route to Edmond, something less stressful. I know all the ways to get out of Owasso WITHOUT going on hwy 169. Took a car on a test drive once and chose my way to work. The salesman was like I didn't even know this was here! My mom used to meet me at the halfway point when she kept the kids in Bartlesville.

That's all I got. I'm sitting in a chair playing solitaire and watching TV.

X O X O

It's so weird, houzz takes the last letter off my hugs and kisses every time.

Jennifer, I have sweet potatoes that I can bring, the problem I am having, is finding a way to go. Madge told me at lunch that she did not think that she nor Lisa, her daughter would be able to go, but for me to go anyway. I don't like leaving Madge, even though she says she will be okay.

We have 3 Dr. appointments next week, it seems as tho we have at least one appointment a week. This getting old stinks, I'm just going to quit doing it one of these days.

I moved my plants outside today. I dragged the plants out to the garden to water them, then dragged them to the shade. ( Thank God for the RTV ). It is easier to drag the plants to the water hose, than it is to drag the water hose to the plants..

Jennifer, you can see that I am behind on garden clean-up also. You can see that my garlic is in sad shape, the weeds are taller than the garlic in some places.

I will continue to plan like I am going to be able to come to SF. I will have plants ready, it will be easier to give the plants away, than to come up with plants at the last moment. I have 3 trays of flowers on the porch, and I still have plants in the house. The house is my ER for weak and unhappy plants.

Well I have rested for a while, and checked on Madge. You can see that my lawn needs mowing also, so I had better get after the lawn.

How come it's so wonderfully green there, Larry! What a pretty picture.

Amy, I am so mad you're having such awful mobility problems! You are no fun at all! I so wanted you to meet us for lunch in Coweta. Can tell that's not gonna happen!

And don't start, Jennifer, with the SF temptations. . . it'd take me about 1 day of thinking to change my mind about wedding attendance. I don't think I have enough nerve to ask Garry, though.

Our yard helpers are here today, cleaning out our drainage ditch in front, which was full of leaves, and runs the full length of the house and beyond, so about 150 feet, I guess. Ugh, what a job. Bless their hearts. And all of this last year's leaves ended up there, seems like. And the next project for them is to dig up unwanted tree saplings in the yard--about 3 doz,I think. And most are invasive privet. Another job that kicks my butt. Weeds are bad enough, but those saplings!

Ugh, Kim, grasshoppers! Fingers crossed they won't show up in large numbers. Last year they didn't, and that was after 2 years of them wiping absolutely everything out. But for the past two years, had a wondrous convention of blister beetles. Thankfully, they congregated on the large clematis virginiana here at the corner of our deck. . . and while I was sad about THAT, at least it served as a "trap crop," since they didn't appear anywhere else in the yard. And I did NOT kill them, because I read that one of their favorite foods as larvae are grasshopper eggs! LOL . If it's not one thing, it's another, eh? Things are pretty bad when your pest of choice is blister beetles, not grasshoppers!

I don't know what it is, just a difference in learning styles, I suppose, but I don't care for watching videos, so avoid them almost always. Love reading instead. Garry's a slow reader and much prefers videos, so he spends his time on the computer daily on those, and I'm in the other room reading, instead. But my darling DIL and granddaughter kept on about wishing they could see me paint, so I've made 3 videos for them, and they're loving it. I'm a fool, and look it, but they know me, so it's okay. So having confessed this, I have question for you, Jennifer and Kim. What's the best way to do videos? I have a tripod that I put the Iphone on and did that, and it worked okay. But how to upload them and to what program?? They take forever. I tried saving them to Dropbox, and it worked, but I'm wondering if there's some magic trick I don't know. ?

I keep going out every day to see if seedlings are emerging and I got nothing much yet. Sigh. Okay, kids are done with the ditch so I'll sign off.

Nancy, it is starting to green up here. I have mowed the lawn two times this year, but I still need to do a lot of work on it. I also need to dig out our front ditch, when we get a hard fast rain the ditch can't handle it, and the water runs across my lawn and garden.

I have a weed that I dont know what it is. I did not mow them, it seems as tho the bees like them. Most of the lawn is mowed now, I still need to do some touch-up work, but getting low on fuel in the mower, so I quit mowing. Can anyone tell me what kind of flower that bee is sitting on?

Looks like false garlic, Larry--a very good "weed" to have! Wish I had some here! A keeper.

I thought false garlic also, but it does not smell or taste like garlic, it does not appear to have much of a smell or taste to it. I saved them for the bees, and I have plenty to share if it is something anyone would want.

Amy, I'm glad you're not in as much pain. I do understand about feeling withdrawn.

I can't figure out another route to Edmond without adding an hour or so to my drive time. It would mean going far around and then back in. Even Sooner Road can be crazy. Honestly, (I know this means nothing to you because you're not familiar with the area) it took me 45 minutes to get from Indian Hills to 240 the other day. It should take about 8 minutes. I take I35 to 235 and then to Broadway. BUT, taking I35 all the way is just as bad. As is I44. It's just a mess. I know they feel like a turnpike will help, but I'm not sure about that.

Part of it is the time I day I go. I can't really go much earlier just because I have animal chores and it's hard to do those in the dark.

It's just what it is.

Larry, is it Star of Bethlehem? A lot of people hate them, but they quickly fade out once it heats up. I have them all over my property right now too.

They sorta go hand and hand with the purple hyacinths that are all around right now too. It often gets confused with wild garlic, but don't eat it. It's poisonous.

Nancy, I used to read all the time. I love to read and it's my goal every winter to read more, but I fail. Part of it is my busyness. By the time I sit down, I'm really tired and fall asleep easily even if the book is excellent. A video keeps me awake and entertained some. But, I fall asleep on videos too. Also, a TV show/video/etc. is something Tom and I can watch together for an hour or so in the evening. Someday when I'm not so busy I'll be a reader again.

Jennifer, I think the flower must be a Star of Bethlehem, I have never paid much attention to then. I have a lot of wild onions, and just figured that these were wild garlic, but the picture looks more like Star of Bethlehem. I have spray mixed up, and keep it on the RTV to spray things I don't want, but I have to have a reason for not wanting something. My lawn mower make short of anything out in the lawn, so I wont lose any sleep over that flower, or weed. I also have a lot of Butter Cups that I wish I did not have, but I put up with them also.

Nancy you could do a private YouTube channel that only your chosen people can access. I know a lot of families do that so that they can share amongst many different people. You can upload to YouTube directly from your phone. I use a free program called CapCut to edit my videos and then I export it back to my phone and then send it to YouTube. I know lots of people that don’t prefer YouTube to watch videos to learn things And I never thought I would either, but I do not have television and so it has become a form of mindless entertainment for me. In the garden world I got a bunch more pots mulched with the hydra fiber. That stuff is working great.

I'm a utube junkie, I can't stand or walk muck, so head for my recliner, grab my laptop, which is beside my recliner, and install my headphones, and enjoy whatever I can find to watch, maybe even take a nap while utub is singing in y ear. I have to rest often.

Madge and I went to town to buy a few supplies, so I had to suggest that we go for breakfast also, also pick up a few gardening supplies that I don't need. Now I need to rest a while, and then go visit my uncle before I finish mowing the lawn.

I need to up-pot some plants also. I am still looking for a sucker to take me to SF, I expect to have some plants that are looking for a home.

I did find several very neat gardening series on Max. They are definitely out of my league as they are 60+ year-old gardens surrounding mansions and castles. But I really enjoy watching those.

Red solo cup .............. lets have a party ! RIP Toby Keith

This is my cutworm protection this year. I hope it works. It should work. It was a bit of extra work.

The Solo cups should work, Lynn. I have never had a lot of cut worm damage, but they can sure be a pain. One thing that I have used the Solo cups for is to give extra soil depth for my plants. I would place potting soil about 3/4- to i" deep in a tray, make slits along the bottom edge of the Solo cup to permit the roots to grow from the cup out in to thw potting soil. I could hold my plants longer by doing that. I had rather not have to hold plants that long, but sometime you don't have a lot of choice. By the way, your tomato plant looks very happy.

Anyone have any German Giant Plants or seeds for sale? Thanks!

I just gave away the remainder of my tomato plants to a neighbor. About 20 or so. If I lose plants now there's no replacements.

Good idea, Lynn. That was crazy how many cutworms you had last year. I guess IF you have to, you could always buy plants. They're not quite the same, tho. The care we put into the ones we start from seed is a lot. I almost feel like I have a relationship with them.

Stacey, I don't have any German Giants--seeds or plants.

Larry, I like to keep videos on when I work around the house, but they're the scenic ones. I'm really not sure what you call them. They are peaceful and relaxing. Dead of the Night has some good ones for sleep time. I also like one called the Abandoned Greenhouse. I like it, because at the beginning it's daytime and then it gets darker. Also the scene changes every few minutes. And it has a black cat....

And I want this structure on my property. LOL

I'll try to link it here.

I won't be home from work for a couple more hours. I've convinced Tom to grill, so maybe I can spend more time outdoors and get the rest of the tomatoes in this evening....just ignoring the weeds.

I do feel behind this year.

The Cleveland County Master Gardeners plant sale is this Saturday. My friend is part of that and I was going to go just because there are a few things on their list that I would like to have. Then decided this morning that I would NOT go and spend the time in the garden. Really, I need to get the plants that I have put in the garden before bringing in anymore. But, she messaged me this morning with the time she'll be working and the price list and all. Maybe I'll go as soon as it opens and get right home.

I need to get up and do something, but I am tired. I took Madge to town this morning. We went for breakfast, she thinks that she needs to be doing something, I think she need to rest. When we got home and got groceries put away, she wanted me to go start her lawn mower. Madge thinks that I don't know how to mow around her flowers, and that I have too much that I need to do anyway. I tell her that I can spray around her flowers, the fence row and around the house and shed faster than she can mow.

Anyway, her small Honda mower would not start, I did not want her mowing anyway, and told her that it need to go to the shop for repair. For the first time in my life I have taken a mower in for a tune up. I could have done the work, but I wanted the mower gone. I told Madge that she would get out there and fall on the mower, breaking it, I would come out and try to lift her up to go to the hospital, hurt my back, then we would both be in the hospital, have a broken mower to have repaired, just because she wont let me spray around her dang flowers.

After taking the mower to the shop, I stopped to visit with my uncle, whom is in bad shape, his wife is in the nursing home. Uncle is the type of man that has worked all of his life, and now nor even able to care for himself, and is so unhappy that he cant be out doing something. I guess that I can see too much of me in him, but I am not sure I can make it as long as he has. Anyway, I need to get out and do something, or maybe tie Madge up so she will rest. Anything will beat me sitting here doing nothing.

Well, I have another 60 sweet potato cuttings/slips setting on the light shelf. Right now it is warm enough to set them in the garden, but the weather is normally a little unstable this time of the year, so I will wait.

And, Madge wanted to ask why her Dogwood trees have not bloomed. I told her and her son when they were planting them that the area would likely be too protected, I know they like shelter, but??? When they planted them, they put two trees in the same hole, about 3 years ago.

It's done. The kitchen garden tomatoes are planted. It's not the way I normally do plantings, but it is what it is. There's still a lot of weeds around the tomatoes, but I'll get to them when can. The tomatoes that I planted on Monday have some stress on their foliage--either from wind or sun. But, they're making new foliage and blossoms too.

The Vego beds and Greenstalk were dry, so I watered those and everything still in the hoop house. Also brought the peppers out to live in the hoop house now. They were really dry too. I forgot to water them yesterday and Tuesday.

My lightshelf is now empty.

I probably don't need to say it, but I've done a ton of internet research on cutworms.

But from all I've seen, no one has addressed what happened to me last year. And that's mature, two foot tall tomato plants getting attacked. Everything I've seen addresses seedlings.

They say the cutworm prefers a tender plant and once a plant grows so far, its not desirable. Well, I guess there's always exceptions to the rule.

The stalks on my plants were close to 2" in diameter. The cutworm could not cut the stalk completely, they just ate on the stalk so deeply, that it cut off all the water and nutrient flow up the plant. And the plant died.

And Grok AI confirms what I suspected about frost damage. I've never had a problem covering with 5 gallon buckets. But I also don't ever recall the soil being wet. So I asked Grok and here's what AI says ..............

The combination of a previous night at 33°F, all-day rain, and wet soil likely played a big role in the frost damage to your tomato plants, even with the five-gallon bucket covers. Here’s why:

• Wet soil impact: Wet soil conducts heat away from plants faster than dry soil. On the night of 29°F, the soggy ground would’ve acted like a heat sink, pulling warmth from the plants’ roots and lowering their overall temperature. This makes it harder for tomatoes to withstand even a brief dip below freezing.

• Chilled plants: The prior night at 33°F, while not freezing, would’ve stressed the plants, especially since tomatoes prefer temps above 50°F. This stress can reduce their resilience to subsequent cold. The all-day rain likely kept the plants cold and damp, further weakening them before the 29°F night hit.

• Reduced bucket effectiveness: Wet conditions can compromise the buckets’ ability to insulate. If the buckets were sitting on wet soil, cold air could’ve seeped through gaps at the base. Water on or inside the buckets (from rain) might’ve also cooled the air around the plants, as wet surfaces lose heat faster.

• Frost formation: Even at 29°F for just an hour, high humidity from the rainy day could’ve encouraged frost to form on exposed leaves or where leaves touched the cold bucket interior. Tomatoes are super sensitive, and even light frost can damage their cell walls.

What likely happened: The plants were already chilled and stressed from the 33°F night and rainy day. Wet soil amplified heat loss on the 29°F night, and the buckets didn’t provide enough insulation to counter the cold, damp microclimate. Damage probably occurred where leaves were coldest—either exposed to air leaks or in contact with the bucket.

I will have Porter tomatoes that I have grown out since 2015. These are very hearty plants and I will have them at the spring fling if anybody wants one let me know.

Here is something that I hate worse than Johnson grass, or, Bermuda grass.

Spraying this stuff has been the only way I have been able to kill it, and, unless I mix some with round up, or 24d it is still hard to kill. I call it Honey Locus, it may have other names, but it should caller Tractor Tire Killer. and even the babies have teeth.

After I spray these thorn trees, I wait a couple of years then push brush around them and burn them, trying to keep the thorns out of my tires.

Kim, what was the name of the tomato that you gave my last year. That tomato grew and produced like crazy, then died almost over night. I did not save seeds because I have other small tomatoes that seem more hardy..

Here is a tree I played around when I was a kid, 70+ year ago.

There was a plum thicket about where I am standing, we would pick plums for mom to make jelly.

Larry, I think that was the giant crimson. Mine didn’t do anything until after the heat. And then it kind of went crazy. I have one of those if you want me to bring it. I also have some either snow White or Porter but they didn’t get marked properly so I’m not really sure but I’m hoping hoping hoping they are snow White because that is a very prolific, sweet tomato. I love that tree Larry. When my dad and I went to Wisconsin about 25 years ago, he stood by a tree that his mother had planted and it was humongous. I wish I would have a picture of him when he was little standing by it.

If I remember right, it wasn’t the tomatoes that were giant. It was the plant.

Kim, yes it was the Giant Crimson, it grew and produced like crazy, then, all of a sudden it had a heart attack.

Kim, I have a lot of memories of growing up on this place. I have never lived more than 25 miles away. I am afraid the kids wont have the love for it as I do. But my grand daughters told their mother that they would like to move back here some day, and, that they felt closer to this place than they did of the one where they grew up. I think part of it is because I have told them so much history about this area, and they were so close to my mother. The sad part is, that it takes so much work keeping the place up, work of which I am no longer able to do.

I was driving around over the place today checking on things, and looking for morels.

Here is one of the places I looked, but not close. I have heard that you could often find morels in areas where May Apples grow. This is one of the two places where I find May Apples, but I done ever remember finding any.

I spent a lot of money having dozer work done on this creek, where I could drive across it in my pickup. But we have had so many heavy rains I cant maintain the banks. This is one of only 2 places I can cross in my RTV, If you note the tracks in the mud, you can see that the deer have no trouble at all crossing. This is a different creek than where the May Apples are. I live in a valley, and I have to deal with ditches and creeks.

This is my wildlife garden, things sure grow up fast when you are no longer able to care for the land. I had this cleared, and I contoured the land for drainage to make an area where I though that maybe one of the grand kids may want to build. I left about 4 or 5 acres of thicket for the wildlife along the top of the picture. If you note pine trees in the top of the picture, Is where I planted 700 pine seedling when I was about 14 years old. Of course those seedling were harvested long ago. If you note the trees to the left is where there use to be an old road bed. I smoothed that in with the tractor, and had about 70 yards of top soil hauled in. All of this can easily be converted into a lawn, if ever the need arises.

In the top left, out of view is the starting of a small pond. One of my grand daughters would talk about wanting some fainting goats when she was young. I told her " well those goats are going to need water". The pond cant be taken any farther without a lot of work, and that grand daughter is a Civil Engineer in Austin Tx. now, if she ever moves back, I will be long gone. But, anyway I still have my memories.

Larry, did you find any morels today? Our neighbor went looking to the east of our neighborhood. All he found were ticks.

Your property is beautiful .

I did nothing in the garden other than water the hoop house. It's been a long day and a long work week.

I am hoping to get a few hours in the garden tomorrow.

Jennifer, I did not find any morels. I had not been out on the place in so long, I spent mor time looking for things that need to be done. There are enough projects to keep a large crew busy for a long time. Did you ever notice that so many thing that you think have to be done, and if you dropped dead, no one would even notice if the projects were done or not? Why do we bust a gut doing things that no one but us cares about? For me, I guess that it is that I enjoy doing them anyway.

Thanks for the compliment on the place, it could be a pretty place, but it is a never ending battle, and I need an army to help me.

I Have 18 tomatoes, 7 peppers, and a bunch of flowers that need up-potted, but I think I will just get a few cookies and milk, then go to bed.

Welp, the Cleveland Co MG plant sale didn't start until 10 and I was there a little before 9. I messaged my friend and told her I made a mistake on the time but that I would not be coming back. Precious time.

She was going to set back a couple of plants for me, but the ones that I wanted didn't make it to the sale even tho they were on the grow list. All good.

I was able to work outside for 3 hours and it was so nice. I only have one raised bed left to clean out. And a few little bits here and there.

Had a bit of issue with my sourdough but I'm baking it now even so.

I just haven't completely figured it out yet, although it has come out tasty each time.

I think I'll try to do a few more things outside when the bread is done...and then we're going to Edmond as soon as Tom gets home from work.

We're going to plant Mason's little garden bed. I found a couple of raised beds about a year and a half ago for $5 each at a Walmart. They were getting rid of all their garden stuff. Too bad I hadn't arrived 15 minutes earlier. I could have gotten more. ANYWAY, we finally put the beds together. I'm going to keep one and probably put basil in it. They're pretty small, but Mason should be able to put a lunchbox pepper, a micro tomato and a couple of herbs or so.

I sorta feel like sitting for awhile but probably shouldn't waste the day. I'm watching Portlandia as the bread bakes and it always makes me miss Ethan. At the beginning of the skits, they put the area of Portland....I'm always like Ethan lives there! when they say "southeast Portland".

Anyway, I should check the bread and maybe do something else. Would it be crazy to plant a few sweet potatoes already in the hoop house? I don't want to go back to weeding cause I get so dirty and I'm already somewhat cleaned up.

I just don't have the go power to get anything done.

This is the next project I would like to start on. This is our Fur Baby's grave, we have sort of mabe a flower bed over it. I need to weed it and build a trellis for the rose bush. I have never been any good at caring for roses.

This is the type of rose it is, I don't know the name, but Madge wanted it, and it has no, or, few thorns

There are a lot of flower on drag mat. there are 17 tray of flowers and vegetables here, and I have 10 more trays in the house, some are house plants, but I still have more plants than I know what to do with. I am trying to harden these plants off, they have been in the sun for a little over half a day today. I hope to start putting dome in the ground any day now.

Madge is still not doing well, and I can't keep her down as much as I would like to, of course she says the same about me. We are both just a couple of worn out old people.

Jennifer, I have heard of sweet potatoes doing well in a hoop house, I have never tried it but sweet potatoes will grow about anywhere. I am planning on planting some in the ground very soon, but I have extra plants, and if I lose some, no big deal.

Wild fire got the Governor's house, but skipped over his garden. He was working there today. I see his chickens made it also.

Gov Stitt's Garden

I need a Market today. It went fairly well and I came home with five plants. One minute I was looking at how beautiful her basil is and the next thing I was walking off with the bag of plants. At five for $10, I could not pass it up.

Kim, I glad you got you basil.

Lynn, it looks like the Gov. has a nice garden.

I pulled some sweet potato slips today, but my ground is not ready to plant then, I put them on the light shelf instead. I need to do some weeding and other work to start planting. I have enough space cleared out to plant maybe 10 or 12 plants. I hope to have several pepper and tomato plants in the ground within a week.

I will probably work on the flower bed tomorrow where the rose plant is. I ask Madge what was the name of the rose she bought, she told me "Lady Banks", I don't think it is supposed to do well in this area, but I have never had a rose to do well.

I liked the Solo cups for cutworm protection.

But I like this 5" pot better

And this cottage cheese container even better. I can fit this over the plants. Don't have to cut the side and staple as I do with the Solo cup. And this is sturdier than the thin 5" pot. Its also reusable, as opposed to the Solo cup which would be more difficult to use again.

Looks good, Lynn, you will be picking tomatoes before I get mine in the ground.

Lynn, you made me feel bad. I decided to plant some tomato plants, but when I started I decided that I need to do more work before I was ready to plant. I did go ahead and plant 2 Black Krim plants, but will do more clean up work before I plant any more.

I will start a new thread.