Central Midwest Gardening: June 2012- Feels way too much like July!!, 4 by Crit

Crit wrote:
Will, try putting some moisture crystals in the soil of things that need watered daily. They swell up and are gel like when they absorb the water and will help keep the soil moist longer. I put them in my tomatoe plants soil so I can water them when I water the other plants. Ususally every other day. I have some potted plants and plants in my new garden I am going to do that to as well. Anything to cut down on the watering and still have/enjoy my plants!

I bought 2 hardy hibiscus at Lowe's last fall on reduced price. One had a Luna Red tag and the other had the Luna Swirl (I think that's the name) on it. Well, the one I had the red tag on bloomed and was the Pink Swirl, so I thought I got the tags mixed up. So I switched the tags and when the other one bloomed, it was a pink swirl too. Although they are pretty, and are on opposite sides of the yard, I was very disappointed that I didn't have the red. Where I planted it I wanted a red flower. Oh well, need to check my stash of seeds. I may have some there.

I'm with you happ on not saying TY for plants. My mom told me that some 35 years ago when she gave me something. Soooooooooo, I say much appreciated or something like that.

mclowdis .... everything was early this year. I think it was because of the unusually warm winter we had. A lot of people have talked about having so many things early this year, and wondered if they would last the normal season for them.

Pictures of more progress on the pond. DH thinks he can have it ready to go by next weekend. It has been so hot here, by the time he gets off work (the building he works in has no AC or exhaust fans), he is a front end alignment specialist and Service Technician for a Chevy dealer here, he doesn't want to be out in the heat any longer, and I don't blame him. Now when he gets off work, the pond is in the shade so not so bad, except for 104* temps!

Then we had some laying hens given to us, so I had yet another project for him. (We were given 4. One diappeared and one I caught my rat terrier with dead. So now I am down to 2, but want 12 so we are working on things for them. He hung up the nests for me. Then we got to thinking they needed something to keep the weather off them. Here is a picture of the 'roof' he built for them with a pully for me to lift it up to check for eggs. Now we are going to have to build a chicken wire enclosure for them at night about 10 x 10, they are free range during the day, and in bad weather and at night. I just KEEP getting projects for that poor man to do for me. And he does them all without any complaining. He's a keeper!!!

The new flower bed is done and I am getting the plants planted as I can. It is in the sun until about 5 o'clock everyday when I start to get some shade on it. I'll have to post pics of it in the next post as I don't have enough room on here. I'll do that next post.