My niece helped me move my Peachtree and my Vitex out of the small garden area. They got so huge this year. They were overshadowing everything. Now they are out in the middle of the yard Happy as they can be and the plants that were shaded will be happier as well.That was a lot of heavy work. The peach tree had put a root down in the ground half an inch thick, I hope tearing that in half does not kill the tree.

Kim, the chaste trees grow so fast. I think mine is over 8 ft now. It would even be bigger if it hadn't got completely knocked down to the roots because of the neg. 21 degree day we had in February '21.

Our backyard doesn't get much shade so I needed a small tree to help with that. I'm hoping it works out that way. It won't provide as much as a larger tree, but the backyard area is really quite small.

Glenda, I get to spend every Tuesday with the grandboy. He's about to turn 1 already!

R's nephew and niece are helping out, so that is good. They don't live nearby, tho. I do think they'll all come with his brother tomorrow and I'll go visit tomorrow too.

He is alert, but some decisions will be made soon and I won't go into detail here on a public forum.

We are having a Mothers Day lunch early tomorrow after we stop by the OKC Flower and Garden Fest.

Reminder that it is the Saturday. It's a good one. I like several of the vendors. Prairie Wind will be there and Lia's. Prairie Wind has a good selection of herbs and Lia has so many fun native plants...although if any of you saw my FB video a couple of weeks ago....do I really need more plants in the native garden? lol

Dawn Butler said the PW has patchouli. That is one thing that I'm looking for. And valerian too.

Probably won't buy much. I have so much that still needs to be planted. That's all I want for Mom's Day. Time in the garden getting stuff done. It will feel so good.

Jennifer! It’s a tree. I thought it was supposed to be like a little shrub.

I had a rough night, I did not get up till 1:00 pm today.

I went out to check the garden, I sure need to toss out some nitrogen. The ground is so full of water that nothing is growing, just getting yellow.

I gave away all my extra plants yesterday. I did not count them, but there were several flats of them. I also potter up 11 pots and baskets for Madge, plus planting flowers in the garden and flower bed. I went out to the south garden and found another 28 peppers and tomatoes sitting in 6 packs, which I will plant in the pasture garden, if it ever drys out.

Everything is still slightly soggy, but we're hoping to mow tomorrow. If it gets any higher, our dogs will get lost in it! I noticed we have grass about halfway up our chain link fence; granted I skipped weedeating last time, but still 2ft tall grass is a bit extreme. The yard isn't nearly as bad, only about 4" or so. But on the bright side, it'll give me plenty of mulch for the beds.

I harvested some of the potatoes. They were from a bag I bought at Christmas; when they started sprouting I thought I'd try planting them. Most that I harvested were "new potato" size, but they turned out pretty good.

I finally got everything from SF planted, though some are in temporary containers until I can get some larger planters. But I also need more dirt, so that's on the list for tomorrow after mowing. But I have some tomatoes and peppers planted, some cucumbers, and lots of basil. Up potted all of my dill and now I'll have enough to make a truck load of pickles. Kim, I wish you were closer, I think you said you needed lots of dill.

I still have too many tomatoes, and no one seems interested in buying anymore so I think I'll put an ad on freecycle. Back when we were in OKC I did that and some guy hauled them all off, then a week later returned all of my nursery pots! Doubt I'll get that lucky here. But it's either give them away or toss them and I just can't bring myself to do that yet.

Next on the list is that stupid circle drive garden. It got 2 years ago, then last year I tossed out gobs of seeds and let it go wild. Turned out to be mostly partridge pea and zinnia, which made for a pretty combination. I've got some other stuff planted but need to get the rest of them planted, then toss out the rest of my seed. I should have done it earlier, but with all that rain they would have gotten washed into the driveway.

Jen sounds like you’ve been busy busy. It is that time of year after the fling the rush to get it in the ground. I do need lots of dill. Two of my most popular need dill and I hate buying it. It’s expensive for organic dill dried. Cutting into my profit.

I have not been able to do a lot, for one thing its been too wet, and also I have been sick. I have been to the doctor, but it seem as tho the meds that you get will help one thing, but make other things worse, I am still in pain and cant stay out of the bathroom.

Some of Madge's family is going to meet in Ft. Smith and celebrate Mothers Day, but I ask if it would be okay for me to stay home, I don't want to ruin her day. My plan is to grab a pain pill or two and climb on my tractor. Diesel smoke is some of the best medication I have ever used, and if I crap all over that tractor seat, I can just hose it off.

I am still working on the driveway and the ditch in front of the house. The flash floods we have been having the past 2 or 3 years have been trying to wash us away. I also need to move some of my junk out of the pasture so the hay can be cut next week, weather permitting. There is never a day when there is not anything that needs to be done.

I still have 28 pepper, and tomato plants that need planting, but I will wait till this afternoon, some of Madge's family may come by this afternoon, and still need some plants. I still have between 75 and 100 sweet potato plants that I need to plant, I have not counted them, but I have plenty. I used a bunch of the sweet potatoes making 11 potted plant plants and hanging baskets. Madge has plants hanging, or sitting everywhere, I even made a flowerbed for her. Madge is not able to do a lot, but she does pretty well at watering plants.

Kim, I assume you are using the dried leaves. I suggest succession planting. It won't grow as well in heat, but you should have some fresh weekly. Also, watch out for black swallowtail caterpillars.

So far I have had a wasted weekend, I went to visit my uncle yesterday, and visited with wife's family to celebrate Mothers Day. Today we took flowers to my aunt at the nursing home, and took my sweetie pie out for breakfast, then it started raining again. I have not gotten any work done this weekend, and it does not look like I will get anything done. But, it will stop raining one of these days, and we will be begging for rain.

I may be able to sneak out and plant some cucumbers in a mineral tub later, I can do that in the rain if I have to.

Larry that sounds like a great weekend. I took my sister out for her birthday and saw my grandkids. Yes Amy I dry most of my herbs before blending. Oh, I’ve been succession sewing my deal for a month. It is taking forever to grow. Last year I could harvest huge amounts every week but I think it’s still a little too cool here because it’s been down to 54 at night pretty consistently.

Hi Friends.

I got to spend 4 wonderful hours in the garden. I was able to get ALL the peppers planted, all the calendula, more of the herbs, and half of the zinnias.

To be honest, I thought I would be able to get more done. I'm trying not to be disappointed about it.

Tom bought some raised bed soil yesterday, so we got those two beds at the back of the property finished. The plan it to put the green beans and okra back there. I need to buy okra seed. I'll just grab some Clemson Spineless from a rack somewhere. Normally Rick and I do half Clemson and half Beck's Big Buck.

I was happy to see that the Karjari melon is popping up. BUT then noticed that it's reseeded too.

All 4 varieties of the cukes are no shows so far.

Oh, I also planted 5 Hillybilly tomatoes. It's a seed that Rick brought to me in March. It was a variety he was interested in. They were huge so I had to "trench" plant them. I'll admit I was very annoyed that he brought the seed to me after I had already started the other tomatoes, but am happy to have them now.

I have garden plans for each night this week (and why is it going to be in the 90s???? Yuck!) but I'm not sure what the week will bring.

I've been able to give away over half of the 279 tomato plants, so that is good. There's been a few hitches with deliveries and all.

The garden is lovely right now even if it's imperfect. Just the smells of the lavender, chamomile, and elder flowers make it all worth it.

Happy Mom's Day to the Mom's. We spent time with the feminine line yesterday and it was nice.

I got a little mowing done this evening, but spent most of the day visiting. We spend a lot of time dealing with medical issues, but a lot people our age do the same.

I found more peppers mixed in with my Covington sweet potatoes, along with the Crackerjack marigold, I don't know how I messed the marigolds, they look nothing like a sweet potato. The peppers I found were a pimento type, they are always a hit, but often not as heavy of a producer as some of the hot peppers, and I have too many hots. It seems as tho the hot pepper plants are harder to give away than the pimentos. I feel lucky that I found these, it they had not been almost covered by the sweet potato plants, someone would have already run off with them.

It’s such beautiful weather I can only imagine everyone is in the garden. I watered everything really well today and that is all I did. I went to town to help a friend and then I had to run some errands. By the time I got back, I was too tired to really get into any garden projects, but I’ll hit it hard tomorrow. I need to finish planting all of my stuff once and for all this week it’s gotta go in the ground or go away. I still need to plant some more dill and a couple other things by seed, and I have a few transplants that still need to go in the ground, but then I’ll be done until I pull the greens out then I have space to put something else.

I now have 60 sweet potatoes in the ground, they have all gone in the new part of the south garden. The ground in that area get so hard that I have to amend the soil so the ground will be soft enough to get a digging fork in it in Oct. I am using cheap potting soil to amend each hole I put a plant into. Some of the slips have been in the 6 packs too long and are root bound. I try to fluff up the roots and remove any red roots before planting, also my soil is so shallow, I am trying to plant shallow also. I hope to mulch later. Shallow soil is so hard to work with.

I planted okra and squash on the, and I have seen no new plants, I may have to replant.

Larry, I have some Crackerjack marigolds that need to be planted soon.

I wasn't able to get anything planted tonight, but I did have to water things. Believe it or not.

Kim, I should have purchased more dill at the OKC Flower and Garden Fest. Usually it reseeds in one of the beds, but I haven't seen it yet.

I do think some cucumbers are showing up, but I can't remember which variety. I got home around 7 tonight and didn't have too much time to look around.

I only bought 3 plants at the fest. An Oklahoma native honeysuckle, a native lisianthus. And something else that I can't remember right now. lol

It's only 3 plants! Why can't I remember?

Anyway, they need to be planted and I don't know what to do with the honeysuckle. Where to put it.

I'm exhausted so my mind isn't as clear as normal.

Update on Rick. He's resting comfortably right now. I spent most of the day with him--about 10 am to 5:30 when his nephew was able to come to the hospital. I played his favorite album for him and told him about the garden things going on. We (Tom and I) picked up Tom's truck from my workplace and got home around 7.

I've been putting together tomato plants for people. Some of the situations are ridiculous. I look forward to telling you about those someday. But, not now. lol

How I long for a day at home to clean it up. And a full day in the garden to get it fully planted. Nothing is done well in my life right now.

But, chamomile. lavender, and elder flowers are lovely.

Oh my goodness Larry

H/J , thanks for the Rick update, he's been in my thoughts a lot lately.

I'm not planting cucumbers this year. Still got a lot of pickles left from last year. We just don't eat them fast enough.

It does seem odd, but I'm wondering when I'm gonna have to water the tomatoes. There's no rain in the 5 day forecast. There's possible T-Storms Sunday and Monday, but that's too far out to predict.

Mike Morgan is intent on trying to scare everyone. About 10 days ago, he said May 16th was gonna be a tornado day. He's now modified that to this weekend. There's really no sense in this until it gets closer, anything past 4 days is wild guess.

Weather fear mongering from X

https://x.com/MikeMorganKFOR/status/1921992715299873272

Forecast is for the 90's tomorrow. Most are saying 95 or so. One day with a few hours in the 90's won't cause the tomato plants to drop blossoms. I'm just hoping this is not a precursor of June.

For sure, the temps this week will kick the bermuda lawn into high gear. Mowing will begin in earnest. I have always put grass clippings midrow on top of the cardboard in the garden, but not this year. I think that could've been a source for cutworm eggs. The moths like to lay their eggs in lawns. Too bad can't train them to cut the grass.

And yes, after last year, I've got cutworms on the brain. It was May 14th last year when I saw the first plant wilting and dying.

These hot days still don't look like May 2022, when we were at 90* or above for about a 10 day period.

June 2022, was closer to July . A big part of the month was over 90*.

That was my worst tomato year ..... ever. There were other factors than weather as I made a lot of changes of what I'd always done, like pruning which I'd never done before, using a trellis, added different varieties, bought my seed from Totally Tomatoes instead of Johnnys Select.

No matter if its cooking, fishing , or gardening ..... or whatever, if ya gonna change something, only change one thing at a time, so if it goes good or bad, can know what it was.

But half of the month of June over 90* really shut down the tomato plants.

May of 2022 from Weather Underground

June of 2022 from Weather Underground

Jennifer thank you so much for the updates. You are such a good friend. My lavender and chamomile look great. They are blooming. Everything I got from the fling looks awesome. Except grapes and something I don’t know what. It was very limp yesterday. We will see if it perks up. My okra is up really well now in two areas but two sections are not at all. I will replant again. I am having a garden tea party for the grandgirls on Sunday. I hope I get the garden whipped into shape.

What are the options for bolting onions? It’s been a few years since I even had successful onions and it seems like I used to harvest the greens , dehydrate and powder them. And use the onions like regular. I remember they won’t store well so I would use those first which I need some onions anyway. So what do you think? Cut the bolting part off and let it go or harvest?

Kim, this is my worst onion year, ever. My onions are not bolting yet, but I think they are pretty well done. I pulled a few, and the largest is a little larger than a golf ball. I think I will start pulling my onions and start chopping them up, placing them on a cookie sheet to dry a little, then freeze them. I have done the walking onion this way with good results.

My multiplying onions have gone crazy. I planted some of these onions last fall to mark where I had planted the carrot seeds. The carrots did not do so well, but the onion tried to take over. I plan on chopping up some of the multiplying onion like I did the walking onions.

These multiplying onions are still shooting up babies. The onion are producing flower heads, that I expect will have seeds in them, and even if they don't, they will produce more onions than I need. The walking onions are doing as well as the multiplying onions, I may just stop trying to grow bulbing onions. I can chop enough of the to supply Madge with what she needs for cooking, it hurts her hands to cut up onions and potatoes anyway.

I had to show a picture of my largest tomato again. That is a piece of !/2" rebar the plant is tied to, and a small pair of channel locks standing on top.

I have a flower question. I use to grow a flower caller a Southern Belle Hibiscus, It was a very large flower. The ones I grew would come back from the crown each year, and would bloom like crazy, up to 11" across. I can not find those plants anywhere now. The lady I bought them from is dead now, and her nursery is closed, but surly someone else sells those plants, or seeds, but maybe under another name. Do any of you have any Ideas?

I vote you take a mixed approach with bolting onions, Kim. Harvest as you need them. Let a few flour and go to seed. They're pretty flowers and draw pollinators. If you have too many, harvest and chop and freeze or dry. I quit planting bulbing onions, but when store bought ones sprouted I used to plant them in with the walking onions and let them flower.

I have five onions that went to seed from last year that are still in the process of making seed. And I can’t dedicate that much room to making any more seed. So I guess I’ll pull them chop them and dry them with my next round of herbs that I’m dehydrating. I may have as many as a dozen that bolted this year but since I planted over 200 I think that’s pretty good odds.

Just want to let you know, Rick passed this morning.

wow .......... RIP

So sad

Jennifer, I am so sad to hear of Rick's passing. I had never met Rick, but from what he has posted, and what you have shared, I felt that Rick would never again be the Rick that he would want to be. I don't think that anyone wants to hang around, trapped in a body that that wont work, at least I don't. We don't have a lot of choices of how we go, but we will all go at some point. I fell blessed to have been able to share with Rick, on Garden Web. I will miss him greatly. Our numbers seem to be dropping, I hope that more will join us here.

I have sat here and rested for a long while. I try to take gardening very slowly because of my health issues. I have another 30 holes dug, and amended for sweet potatoes, this will bring my total up to 90 in the south garden, then I need to work on the tractor to get some tilling done in the north garden, and in the pasture garden. I would like to plant a few sweet potatoes in the pasture garden to serve as a living mulch to shade the ground around 4 fruit trees that I have planted out there, but that ground is really sorry, I do well to get grass to grow out there.

I'm so sorry to hear this, Jennifer. He's been on my mind and in my prayers. Love to all of you.

Jennifer so sorry to hear about Rick im glad you were able to spend time with him. I agree with Larry, I dont want to stay on this earth when Im no longer able to do the things that I need to

do to feel useful and not a burden. Just from reading his posts I feel Rick would not want to live in a restricted way - he was always active. I’m happy he won’t be suffering. I wish we all could be so lucky to end that way.

Thanks, Friends. It's so weird.

It's been a lonely gardening year. Normally he's at our house at least every other afternoon/evening during this season....and stays until dark.

I gardened before him, of course, but got used to having him around.

He would make me crazy sometimes with all the plants he would bring over for me to find a place for. And all the cowpeas and beans he wanted to can would make me nuts too.

But, I really miss him. And keep thinking of things that I want to message him.

His nephew gave me permission to bring over a garden statue he had in his front yard. It's really cool--a large griffin. I saw a couple of other things in his backyard that would be nice for the garden. If the family doesn't want them, I'll ask for them. His backyard has been really pretty at one time. It had some type of large ornamental pond at the back. I remember when a tree fell and messed it up.

He has a large rose bush too. I would like to propagate from it. Anyone have success with that?

There's maybe 50 or 60 tomato plants left in the hoop house. I've whittled it down from 279. Carol (I think her screen name here is SoonerGrandma?) wants to come get plants too.

Rick put super hot peppers in 5 gallon buckets and lined them up next to the hoop house every year. He only brought over a couple of Ghost and Carolina Reapers (he was still looking for Scorpion) but wanted to do fewer of those and more cayenne this year. He brought those over last time I saw him before the stroke.

I pulled over the buckets for the Ghost and Carolina Reapers and will try to find a Scorpion and some cayenne.

But, I feel like I should plant some of his favorite tomatoes too. Does anyone have success growing tomatoes in 5 gallon buckets?

If we had time, I would ask Tom to till up a place for them, but the buckets would be easier especially if they were right next to the hoop house where I keep a water hose.

He liked the dark tomatoes like Black Krim and Cherokee Purple. He also liked Super Fantastic. There's a lot of those left in the hoop house because quite honestly they didn't look great when he brought them over. There's also some Early Girl left, Boxcar Willie....and I can't remember what else.

Twelve tomatoes that he put in the SG survived. I'll try to keep those alive but they're really inconvenient for tarping. But, it's the last thing he planted so I want to give them a chance.

I thought of the plant that I couldn't remember the other day. It's a bay laurel. Has anyone kept one in a pot and brought it in during the winter?

Most of my things are planted now. Still need to put in the remaining sweet potatoes, a few herbs that need to be in pots, the marigolds, the roselle, and the zinnias that Rebecca gave me--half of those are planted.

My flower pots on the porches are still empty. It's been an odd year for sure.

Jennifer. . . . I can't imagine how much he'll be missed by Tom and you. . . and I trust that you'll have many funny and loving memories of the past few years with him as a gardening partner. He was a real garadening dynamo, that's for sure. My thoughts and prayers for you.

Many of us here are living on borrowed time now, and I expect you'll see more friends leaving before you. . . you need to get busy, girl, as do the rest of us, to recruit some young blood! :) . I congratulated myself yesterday for having SOME of the beds in order, and got many seeds planted. About 1/2 day of work and a smidge of how I worked five years ago. But I cherish nature and am thankful gardening's in my blood.

Roses: Someone in one of the facebook groups asked about that one year; her grandparents had died/moved and she was wanting to propagate som of their roses. I offered to help as long as they didn't hold it against me if they didn't root. I met her and took cuttings, brought them home and stuck them in some larger nursery pots filled with half sand, half soil. Put them in a somewhat shady corner of my garden so I wouldn't forget to water them, and next spring 3 of the dozen or so had rooted.

Larry, what you call "wasted weekend" sounds perfect to me. Visiting family, eating out with loved ones, is never wasted. Even if we don't get anything in the garden done.

I transplanted a pot of dill seedlings, then dumped the mess on the ground. So much for my excess of pickle making supplies lol. Oh well, I'm running out of space as it is.

Y'all talking about hot summers, I really hope you're wrong. I have camp at the end of June and trust me, dealing with a camp full of hot, cranky elementary and teenagers is NOT fun! So if it going to be scorching, I'm just hoping that last week of June is cool.

Larry, Southern Belle is a variety of perennial hibiscus. Not sure if you can find that specific one locally, but you might look for ones labeled perennial (vs tropical, which don't survive our winters). I grew some a few years back, gave several seedlings to my dad's wife and she still has them in pots on the porch. Mine got left behind in Tulsa when we moved, so I'm sure they're long gone.

HJ, I've grown standard tomatoes in 5 gallon buckets. They will grow and produce, but their production is not as good and they're more prone to disease and pests since they're under more stress than in the ground plants. But yes, you CAN grow in that small of a container. I'd advise larger if possible, at least 10 gallon if not mineral tubs. Or, cut the bottom out of the pot. That way the roots can go down into the ground instead of being bound up in the pot.

I took some of my tomato plants to work yesterday and gave them away. They didn't look half as nice as yours did, HJ, but everyone seemed appreciative. And I was able to get rid of 2 more dozen. And hopefully a few more to go.

Had to go into the office yesterday (stupid governor making us go back, but at least it's only once a month right now), so I picked up dinner on the way home and we ate early. That gave me a couple hours outside in shade before it got too dark. Now if only that circle bed was shaded, I'd be able to get it cleared up and planted. That's my project for this weekend. Maybe stick the rest of my dwarf and micro tomatoes out there, some peppers, and then shove flowers in any open space. Last year the partridge pea and zinnia took over and it was a riot of yellow and pink, with a few other flowers tossed in.

HJ, 5 gallon pots will need to be wateted at least once a day. Unless the bottoms are cut outit, that helps. Do you have any fabric pots? Those, especially set in a kiddy pool where they can soak up water, would be ideal. What does Rick have planted so far? Does he have family to use what he has canned? I know he was a big prepper.

A lot of my stuff is in and just growing. Had snap peas as a road snack on the way to my nephew’s graduation. Kid forgot his tassel.

First tomato set. It’s a bush Goliath.

I just snapped the seed poss off the bolting onions. Going to see what happens. They’re bulbing up. Might rob a few potatoes in a couple weeks. They look good.

Put in 3 Alabama Red okra plants. My Baby Bubba okra won’t sproit, so I might not worry about it. I just need some to pickle.

Jen, I did not find Southern Belle, but I did find a white and a pink at "The Plant shed", north of Van Buren AR., I think they may be close to what I am looking for. I ask Madge if she would be able to pick up some this morning, she came back with 2 pink, and a white, (I think). I am making a place in the southwest corner of my south garden for them. I will try to make a top notch place to plant them. I will keep an eye out for the Southern Belle, and I plan on buying some of those if I ever find any. I had pink, white, and maroon before, and they were very eye catching, these may be also. I have plenty of amendments to add to the planting hole.

I spent most of my working day, working in the south garden. I don't think that I have ever amended sweet potato soil like I have this year, but my health is failing, so I figured that I had better work on the garden while I am able. I now have 125 Covington plants in the south garden. I have also never planted sweet potatoes as close together as I am this year. I will plant more plants in the north garden, but I don't plan on crowding the other plants like I have crowded the south garden plants, because I don't want to risk losing my seed stock. I have really worked trying to get the soil in the south garden in good shape. I should be able to make the gophers very fat. It I thought my heart would withstand it, I would invest in a sack of gopher snakes.

I came inside yesterday, and Madge was just pulling 8 sweet potatoes out of the oven. The kids are coming over Sunday, and they had requested a sweet potato pie. The request may have just been to make Madge feel good, because both families still have stored sweet potatoes, but Madge does make a good sweet potato pie. I wish I could get Irish potatoes to store as well as sweet potatoes.

I don't do well trying to grow tomatoes in 5 gallon buckets. I have done " fair" growing them in mineral tubs. Growing is containers is something that I need more practice on.

Thanks, Jen, Rebecca, and Larry.

I'll probably try the buckets only because they're already filled with soil and I'll just need to top with compost. I'll put them in a place where they'll get afternoon shade. We don't have time to do much else with them. But, I did miscount. There's 125 left in the hoop house. I put in two Jet Stars in the back garden. I chose those because I know Rick bought them because I like them for canning diced tomatoes plus they're a decent slicer.

Tom and I got the arched trellis up between the two beds in the back garden. I shoved in some Contender beans that Rick had brought over a month or so ago....and some okra. The raised bed soil that we bought is sorta crappy so we'll see.

Seems like everyone is staying busy with life and gardening. It's a busy time of year for sure.

Rebecca, I forgot to say this. Rick kept most of the canning at our house. He preferred that. Although, I tried to push more on him. He would tell me what he needed and I would give those jars to him. I saw a box of jars of potatoes in his kitchen (that we canned last July)when we found him last week. I doubt his family would want any of our canning. We have two pantries of jars at my house. BUT, I've started taking inventory of what we eat and what we don't eat. There's no need to can things if we don't like it.

Jennifer, I am doing the same thing I have hoed up all kinds of food dried and otherwise I don’t eat that stuff that much. I do have a 5 gallon bucket in my loft that is emergency food I guess. But my day today eating habits are fresh out of the garden. So I am really focusing on that. I have an old dog pen, outback that Sophie doesn’t stay in and hasn’t for a long time and I had planned on planting squash and all kinds of things but I really think I am going to weed eat and just throw a ton of my old seed out there and see what happens. I have lots of spaghetti squash, butternut squash, pumpkin seeds. I’m just gonna throw it all out. Most of that stuff is so old that it would have a hard time germinating anyway, but at least if I give it a chance in the ground, it will do better than sitting in a bag in my house. I think they call it chaos gardening. Which is my style. So my new thing is, I am going to be teaching classes at a farm with a dear friend of mine. It will be a farm experience and take home a product. This particular Market gardener is a very straight line garden type person. Everything is in order and I told her that my garden would make her eye twitch. Because I have random things planted in random places and I love it like that, but I can see where some people would not right now. I am really focusing on getting my place clean and tidied up for my granddaughters to come to a tea party n I had this idea about a month ago and of course it’s hard to believe that it’s almost here and now I have to get busy. Mostly I need to make sure the garden is safe and free from anything pokey. I also need to make sure the ants are not going to be in the area that we are having the get together. These girls are 2 1/2 three and five so it will be an exciting time for us. I have sugar snap peas that are coming off by the handfuls every day so they will love to pull those and eat those fresh. I have no strawberries in sight which makes me sad. The rain really did something to the plants. My friend with the Market farm she has rows of strawberries and very few strawberries are putting on. I pulled all my bolted onions yesterday they will be going in the dehydrator shortly. The red ones I am going to pickle.

I had to go to the clinic in Poteau this morning, while out we stopped at a few places. One of the things I was looking for was a maroon Southern Belle, I found none, but I did find 2 Rose Marrow, Luna Red, which I think is as close as I am going to get this late in the year, I bought the last 2 they had, and I hope to get them planted before it starts raining. I wish I had more energy, and I think that I am already too late tp plant before the rain starts.

I did not know we were expecting rain today until I heard the thunder. I had not planned on working outside today. Trying to get more herb blends ready for market

I think I missed quite a bit over the last couple of weeks. I sure hope everyone is doing okay, especially you Jennifer, considering what has happened. That definitely will make you think about things. I have no idea what is going on at this point in the garden...too much stuff going on right now. It's about to get better though...baseball is winding down and summer will be in full force.

Josh, some years are like that. I'm so far behind this year.

Thank you. I'm okay. My relationship with Rick is weird really....and hard to explain. He was a really good friend. One that I messaged every day and saw many times a week during the growing season. I tend to have best friends that are male. Always have. I do have good girlfriends too, tho.

Anyway. It's just weird to have someone suddenly gone from your life. He hadn't been over like normal, tho, just because he was struggling with health.

I had new playlists for us to listen to as we up-potted and whatnot. Never got to do that.

Bless Tom. He's trying to be out in the garden more with me. Not that he wasn't, but he's trying to be near me more outside. He knows that I'm sad. He's sad too. He and Rick had a great relationship too.

I was finally able to plant all of the zinnias that Rebecca gave me. The last of the sweet potatoes. And made a large basil mineral tub that has all of my varieties in it.

Carrie Spoonmore (From Seed to Spoon. She and Dale came to the SFs for a couple of years) picked up some of Rick's tomatoes yesterday. One of her recent videos is a tomato plant in a seatbelt.--that's one of his plants.

I've about decided to plant a few more in the SG and figure it out. We'll see tho.

I'm afraid some aren't going to make it tho. I'm going to take the better looking ones to church with me on Sunday and set them out along with the extra basil plants.

Carol is picking up some tomorrow too.

Got the roselle planted tonight too. Two of them. They're about 2 ft. tall. There's some volunteering as well.

I just have the marigolds, a lemon balm, a mint, and the 3 things I bought at the OKC Flower and Garden Fest left. I think.

I do want to find a place to put the cantaloupe seed.

Normally, the green beans, cantaloupe, and okra are in the SG by now. It's a sudden shift for sure.

Josh, let us know what you find in the garden when you get a chance to look.

KIM! I'm so excited for your new "thing"! That's so fun! Keep us updated!

Our weather is supposed to swing back and forth a lot for the next few days. It rained today, long, but not a lot. I did get my 5 hibiscus planted late this evening. My soil is so shallow that planting anything can be quite a task, but I did a pretty good job, and I expect them to look nice.

You friends that are younger, which I expect most of you are, I would like for you to slow down and enjoy each other more. Madge and I had such a wonderful day today, we did not get much done, but sure enjoyed what we did do. When you get old, it takes so little to make you happy. Life is great!

Great advice Larry. Since I had surgery two years ago I am all about slowing down and appreciating what I have who I have in my life and the small moments. Not to sound cheesy but they are the big moments that carry me through. Garden News I am transitioning several pots from greens to summer crops. I have to look through my seeds and see what’s next. And my list for my area. I am thinking more cowpeas.

I finished the sweet potatoes, and got the hibiscus planted yesterday. I tilled the north garden and planted another 35 sweet potatoes. I have taken more pain with my sweet potatoes this year than I ever have before. All of that work and I may not even get a sweet potato this coming October. I have 18 more tomato plants, 6 pepper plants, and maybe 20 more sweet potato plants in a tray in the front lawn, then I should be through with the plants. I have sweet potato plants in the garden to take slips from if the need arises, but I have other projects to work on, the garden work need to go on the back burner for a while

Larry that looks so pretty.

Thanks, Kim, I am putting in way too much work into the these plants. I am planting them much like they are potted plants. There is no way I can justify the time and money that I am sinking into this garden, but I am afraid that it may be the last time I make a garden, or at least one this size, Madge and I both are going down too fast. Of course we hope that will change. We check the calendar every day, and we dont seem to be getting any younger. Laying all B.S. aside, it is getting much harder for us to do things, but I feel better out playing in the dirt. I also enjoy the time I spend with Madge more every day.

I don't expect to do a lot of garden work tomorrow, It I don't get this lawn mowed, we wont be able to find the house. I also need to start changing the oil and filters in all my junk.

Ugh. I wrote a long post last night but it disappeared--even for me, so I know it's not a "banned" word.

Potatoes. The potatoes in the Survivalist Garden are beginning to flower some and the foliage is dying back. I prefer to NOT dig them until we get back from Oregon which will be June 23. Will they be okay? Or rot in the ground? Anyone have experience with leaving potatoes like this? Rick was always in a hurry to get them out. I don't want to deal with them for a month or so.

I'm thrilled to have nothing to do today, so will work outside and finish planting things. Might go to get some vincas and asparagus fern for the pots. Finally.

There's a lot to do inside too. The eggs are piling up on the counter and the Easter decor is still out. I need to find my May/June door wreath that is probably in the attic.

I've decided to plant 12 more tomatoes in the SG. Twelve that Rick planted a month ago are alive and don't look too bad. Most of them perished in the crazy flooding rain we had. I'll fill in where the dead ones were for a total of 24. I don't need them, but can always share the produce.

What's everyone doing this weekend?

I have been mowing and trying to clean the yard and garden a little. I only planted 8 plants today.

A fellow that stopped and wanted a start of onion a few weeks ago, stopped and ask if he could have some to take to his son, and also would like to take his son some sweet potato plants. Madge also got a text from a lady that I had given onions and sweet potatoes to last year, stating that they would like more, if I could spare them. I think that I have plenty to satisfy both people, but that will just about wipe me out.

I also lost another class mate today, but this is the year we turn 82, and that is to be expected.

My garden is getting pretty dry now, and I am watering more often than I would like. I have some old hay that I may push around to the garden to use for mulch.

Started a new thread for the week.