Mid-Atlantic Gardening: What is happening in your Garden Today?, 1 by Gitagal

Gitagal wrote:
I have been out all morning doing this and that--and I did mow the lawn as well. Still just at 2" to even the growth out a bit. Next mowing it goes back up to 3". Just HAD TO do it with the rain coming tonight.

To me--because of the forecast low night temps (mid-high 40's) after next week--and for the rest of April-- I feel that it sure puts a damper on my gung-ho gardening. Seems like such a bummer!

I am basing this on the forecasts, for the rest of the month of April, from Weather.com in my zip code.
I am sure some of this will change, but, all of a sudden, my gardening "get-up-and-go" seems a bit suspended.....

Beautiful day today--however--there are strong T-showers predicted later on today. We DO need the rain!
I brought in my 2 flats of Coleus cuttings and moved all the flats of transplanted veggies to the patio floor under a table...
Better safe than sorry!

Wanted to show you allwhat you can expect IF you take the time to dig up the big roots of your 4 O'Clocks.
I had there dry in a box in my basement. In mid-February, I put them in a plastic-lined box in some soil and kept them moist (still in my basement).
Eventually, there will be shoots of new growth coming from the base of where the old stem died back.
From these--you will get a huge bush this season.
I believe we (z-7) are the borderline for these being hardy--so, I suppose, one could experiment and leave them in the beds for the Winter. However--I have also read that these can get really "invasive" with massive root-systems. So--I rather dig mine up and re-plant the roots.
Actually--these all are going to my manager at work--who has "fallen in love: with the 4's. he cannot explain it when i ask him what it is about this plant---he just wants his WHOLE driveway lined with 4 O'Clocks this summer.....

He has planted seeds--I hope??? I asked him the other day if he had even looked at the roots he dug up last fall? NOPE! They are still in hos garage! He just has NO time to pay to gardening--but wants all kinds of things.....
I am obliging him the best I can.

Will send him an e-mail in a few minutes with all these pictures of the 4's sprouting....
He will also get--2 each of Ch. Purple, Mortgage Lifter, and Sun Gold tomatoes as well as 2 each of my purple and yellow Daturas and 6 plants of Italian basil. All these sprouting roots of the 4's and maybe some of my Cannas as well. It is frustrating--as he never stands still long enough for me to talk to him.....always a zillion other things on his mind.......
SO! I write things down for him and, now and then, send him e-mails.....Never get any replies, but I understand.......

OK! here are the dug up roots of the 4's "Broken Colors" starting to sprout. This is what I have kept them in since mid-February. I often wonder IF soil is even necessary??? as most of the energy and nutrtition, surely, resides in the fleshy root. Who needs the soil? I just think it helps keep everything moist......

Notice that the on on top left has just begun--the sprouts on that one are no more than 1/8th"--just showing....