Practical Matters for Physically Challanged Gardeners #7

Kay, yes, there is a small town named Shiprock. It's very close to the Four Corners area. My dad's brother and my aunt Minnie, who is Navajo, have lived there since they were married, in 1957, I think.

Debra

Vickie, can I ask your opinion on something. The doctor concurred with MK‘s kitchen table diagnosis and put me on an anti-depressant. I don’t feel sad or emotionally depressed or anything like that. I just don’t have much energy or incentive. I have a weird sleep schedule that comes from too many years of working in restaurants, but I do get more than 8 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period. I still feel tired though, no matter how much sleep I get or when I get it. I thought it might be low iron or some kind of deficiency. . That is a chronic problem for me. A healthy diet and supplements help, but don’t eliminate all the symptoms. I’m still way more forgetful than someone my age has a right to be and have problems focusing. (I’ve heard ALL the dumb, blond jokes. I swear I’m going to start carrying around a certified copy of my IQ test. lol.)
Does any of this sound familiar? Does it sound like depression to you? It could be I simply don’t understand enough about Depression. I just know my Dad had physical depression and his outlook on life was dark. He had an ironic, gallows humor attitude. I’m not at all like that. While I’m no Pollyanna, my outlook is generally sunny and positive. I guess it could manifest different ways in different people. I reserve the right to question a doctor’s diagnosis, however, and educate myself.
Friday is our housekeeping day. I’m creating a funky container for my newest pet. A Venus flytrap purchase from the same nursery the geraniums came from. PJ got a new bay laurel that will spend its first winter here inside. MK, a lemon verbena that went immediately into the Fragrance garden. I think it has the strongest lemon scent (and taste) than any of the other plants in the “lemony” bed. MK did decide to sort the plants in the Fragrance garden by categories of scent. I think it will be a challenge to put some plants into a single scent category, but I’m sure she will come up with a solution. She may actually end up creating that dictionary of scents and scent words she jokes about creating by the time she is through. She may have to just to organize the garden in the way she imagines. lol. ~Nadine~

Nadine, I've been medicated for anxiety and, off and on for depression, for awhile..um, about 30 years. LOL If you are not sleeping eight hours straight through and are not resting when asleep, it may be fatigue (which can lead to depression, but isn't always). Sleep apnea could be the cause, too. A little personal, but if you snore, that's sometimes an indicator of apnea. The anti-depressants can help regulate your sleep. If you are still tired, maybe a sleep test would be helpful. :-)

Debra

One of the kids from work came this morning and brushed all the siding on my house and garage; got up on the roof, swept debris out of the crannies. (Paint is flaking in too many places to use a power washer.) Poor guy started at 8:00 and was whipped by 11:00. The house looks much neater, now, though.

The new Mondo grass under the cedar elm died from lack of water. But there is "weed" type of tufting grass that looks like a fine fescue growing all along my garage. So I dug up four or five of them and moved them under the tree. If they survive with no water whatsoever except rain, and look gorgeous anyway (to me), then why not try them as intentional plantings, eh? :-D Also planted eight Alstroemerias and three Daylilies (including one transplant). Potted two Clematis, eight Baptisia, and a Verbena. Cleaned out a little of the dead foliage from the Irises and Daylilies. Watered the roses a bit before I gave out. It is still way too hot and it is humid and I am tuckered! Have 25 Corepsis left to plant, but they will be fine in the trays until tomorrow or next week or...LOL

Debra

Arrgh, ahoy mates. It's national talk like a pirate day.
Debra, I've decided to stay on the anti-depressants for two more weeks and just play it by ear.
I've been watching an anime series about immortal gangsters in the 1930s. MK also has me reading Grapes of Wrath, that combined with dealing with a territorial red squirrel who's got a peculiar way of keeping people away from his favorite tree gave me the weirdest dream. My latest drawing is the result of all that.

Nadine,

Ears are fine things to play by, do it all the time myownself. Hope you get energized soon. :-)

Love the squirrel's expression.

Debra

Debra, I can throw some clumps of blue fescue in the next package that goes your way, if your interested. It likes the shade and it has got to be tough. MK has it growing in the hollow cavities of concrete blocks that top a wall. Melinda says the wall needs to be higher for safety and we are not going to have anything growing atop the new wall. I love the color. I think it must be related to our native wiregrass. The only difference I can see is wiregrass doesn't have such bluish tones. The SW Georgia, SE Alabama and NW Florida region is called The Wiregrass Area, but wiregrass is being push out by new types of grasses that have been introduced. MK has us leave the wiregrass alone or collect it for re-planting elsewhere when we weed. She calls it "a good placeholder". Wiregrass is a shallow rooted clumper. It is very easy to pull up. That can't be said for most of the grasses around here. Ironically, by encouraging the wiregrass weeding is made easier.
Better get to bed. Cleaning out the barn tomorrow. MK isn't the only one required to do away with collected junk this time of year. A lot of the clutter in the barn is mine. They are threatening to search me on Thursdays when I come home from the Rescue Mission Thrift Store before allowing me back on the property. lol. I inevitably see stuff I would like to have myself while cleaning and sorting and Thursdays are "$2 for everything you can fit in a bag" days so I end up buying the stuff that caught my eye that week. Maybe not the best volunteer work for someone with collecting tendencies. lol. I'm getting quite a collection of froggie figurines. lol. Got to get rid of the old junk so I can get the new junk in there. ~Nadine~

Nadine,

Would love some grass. Trying to keep all the plantings around the tree and to the right of tree basically foliage and let the rest of the yard have the blossoms. So I have boxwood and rosemary, heucheras, hostas, and Aquilegias, all of which do surprisingly well in hot dry Texas shade.

I could NOT work at a thrift store. My house is small and already full of 'stuff'. Would have to build an extension just for china and pottery if I did...LOL

Debra

HEYYYYY!!!! Where is everbody? :-D

D-mailed Carrie. She said tell everyone she's fine, just really really busy right now. :-)

Debra

DD#1 worked at a thrift store - it was the death of her. Blue fescue is easy to start from seed, if you want to. I can look around and see if I have some, of you would like.

Pain is making it hard to sleep, which is making it hard to think.

Nadene,No energy can be a big symptom of depression,However if you have had problems with anemia, The 2 together could really give you problems. I've had both for most of my life.My psychiatrist in Texas told me to get the iron suppliment Feosol(over the counter)and take it everyday of my life. I still do. You also need vitamin B12 too, since B12 and iron have to work together.
With the anti depressant. It takes 2 weeks to even start working. It's hard to get you regulated at first, You might have to take more or even 2 different kinds to get regulated. Don't ever take Paxel. For some people (like me) it sends them into a semi catonic stupor. It ought to be taken off the market.
Depression is not a fun disease. Hang in there girl. You're going to get better.People who get the disease depression tend to be more intelligent and artistic.Like Lincoln,Picasso,Einstein.
We could have so much fun shopping together. I love thrift stores, Flea Markets, and yard sales. No one in my family will go with me. They all run the other way.
Hope you all sleep well and pain free.
Hugs
Vickie

Jim, sending an Apache War Dance and a surprise one tomorrow. Hope they make you as happy as they have made me. :-)

Only supposed to get to 83 or so today. Time to get those 25 Coreopsis in the ground...and maybe pull some weeds...trim shrubs...bag recyclables...clean up dead foliage...oh my, maybe on thing at a time. LOL

Debra

Carrie, love to try some fescue seed if you have it, thanks. :-)

Think I overdid it this afternoon. Pulled a 39 gallon lawn bag full of weedgrasses and cedar elm seedlings (barely made a dent in the weeds and there are THOUSANDS of seedlings); moved a dwarf Russian Sage, a variegated Liriope, and two Iris (dunno if they are yellow or purple); planted and watered in: four of THE most expensive daylilies I've ever seen (committed to buy before looking at price list LOL), two quart pots of Pink Liatris, three Ruby/Magenta Dianthus, three Sunset Snapdragons, one each Merlot and Carefree Sunshine Echinaceas; potted two Purple Aster hybrids that are supposed to be low water once established; trimmed back heat damage on a large Provence Lavender, an Anouk Lavender, a Summer Sorbet Caryopteris, a Lemon Thyme, a wild pink shrub rose, and a Powis Castle Artemisia; pulled some Daylilies to ship out tomorrow...BUT....DID NOT PLANT ONE SINGLE SOLITARY COREOPSIS!!!! Arggg. At least I did move the tray up front and the weather is supposed to be in the low 80s first part of the week. Trying to convince myself that I will get them in the ground by Wednesday. Mebbe Ise will and mebbe eye-s won't. Everyone send "You...will...do...this...You...will...do...this..." thought waves my way!

Debra

Debra

It has been an exhausting week! I just couldn’t deal with going thru all my Dad’s belongings right after he died. His stuff has been stored in the barn here for years. I finally went thru it all and sorted out what I wanted to keep. It was a L-O-T of stuff. Now I know where I got my packrat tendencies. :-)
PJ has started turning the “baby barn” into living space by insolating the walls and putting up wall board over the exposed beams. PJ and MK debated long and hard the last few days on whether the structure should be called a barn or a shed. Papa Jim said since it is small and no animals have ever lived there it should be called a shed. Mama Kay says the traditional barn roof- line and the barn-style double doors make it a barn. They settled on calling it the “baby barn”. lol.
There turned out to be 17 dwarf Cavendish banana trees in the little space around the satellite dish. MK got them all dug and moved. The top growth of bananas is always turned to mush by our January cold. They come back from the roots when it begins to warm. MK feels certain they will return next year their normal size. The SE corner of the original property has taken on a tropical look with their addition. That is the section I eventually plan to take on as my own. I like the look. Even if they never fruit I like the huge leaves splotched with burgundy. MKs concern is that the area is too windy and the leaves will get a tattered look from the constant buffeting. I don’t think that will be a problem when they re-assume their natural size of about 5’ or 6’. The slope of the land and some evergreen shrubs should protect them from the wind at that height.
I found a product called SleepMax that is available from Walgreens. It contains a combination of chamomile, passionflower and melatonin that helps me sleep and doesn’t leave me feeling hung over in the morning. Hopefully, that will help me get back on a normal sleep schedule. Fenny and Tater-dog are doing their part to help me. SOMEONE lets them into my rooms if I’m still not up by 9:30. They poke, paw, lick, whine and bark until I give up and get out of bed. They attack their task with such single-minded determination I suspect they get treats when they succeed. lol.
Vickie, I found an adorable little angel figurine that MK said you would probably like. I was thinking an angel motif for the new baby barn living space since MK wants pristine white as the interior paint color. (The outside is painted the same colors as the house.)
We will have to come up with a w/c user’s equivalent of “shop til you drop.” When my ankle is bad I use “shop til you can’t hop.”
MK has some B-complex. I’ll start taking that at the same time I take my iron.

Photo: Close-up of blooming lantana standard ‘Ham & Eggs’

Nadine, sounds like my dogs when they think it's past time for breakfast. I'm not a religious person, but think there almost have to be angels so a monochrome angelic motif sounds wonderful. :-)
Debra

I have all my things re-organized, except for my books. I need to build a bookshelf for those. I’m glad I bucked convention and took shop in high school. I can do minor projects like that myself and PJ has the tools that make it easy.
The goldenrods are blooming so Kay is talking about moving to the New Mexican desert. lol. She does that every year when fall allergy season arrives. She will give up on over-the-counter allergy meds soon and get her expensive allergy prescription re-filled. Once she has that, she will remember that the majority of NM flora isn’t a pleasant tactile experience and forget all about the desert until next year. The neighbor would let us mow down the goldenrods, but MK says they are not the culprit. They are just the messengers that fall allergy season has arrived. Killing the messenger wouldn’t help.
I think the angels in the barn will be a fun juxtaposition. (lol. I like the sound of that word. I’ve always wanted an excuse to use it.) To open the doors of a rustic barn and find satin pillows, lace curtains and lots of pearlized, ultra-feminine accessories will be a blast. ~Nadine~
Photo: Barn Angel

Nadene, I'm on your train of thought. Also a pink shovel with a big pink bow and a white chicken sitting on a pink saten pillow.

I'll have to get some of that SleepMax for DH. He has a terrible time sleeping - he dreams about work when he's asleep and frets about work when he's awake and he works 70-80 hours most weeks. But he is ExTRA sensitive to Rx medication - if he takes one of my Ambien, for instance, he'll sleep for a week. Me, I'm lucky if I get 2 hours good sleep out of it. Ambien is considered a "standard" sleep-aid in hospital, for instance; almost everyone automatically is allowed to get it if they can't sleep b/c hospitals are so loud and bright and not conducive to sleeping. I'll get some right now online.

I’m in boiled peanut heaven! The boss-lady brought in bags and bags of freshly boiled, white jumbo peanuts to sell at the store. I snagged a few bags for myself. We are coming to the end of peak boiled peanut season, but it goes out with a bang with this especially good type of peanut. My Dad was from coastal SC so we always had boiled peanuts around August thru November, but he preferred the smaller, red peanuts. I didn’t develop a taste for them boiled until I had a bag of the white, jumbo type at the local Peanut Festival Fair. I’ve been hooked ever since..
Vickie, the white hen nesting on a satin cushion is a must! ROFL.
Debra, the daylilies arrived this morning in excellent condition. Most are in containers to be pampered for awhile so they don’t go into transplant shock. I looked at their photos in PlantFiles. The colors are incredible on all of them. I’m particularly looking forward to seeing ‘Mose’s Fire’ in bloom.
Carrie, toward the end of my time in CT, I was only able to keep going with the help of high potency energy drinks and sleep meds. I was burning out fast. The deep south didn’t prepare me for things being so fast-paced. I just decided I would rather have more time and less money. No house payments or other financial responsibilities to keep me from doing what I wanted so I decided I would be happier working at a lower paying job and having more time. Still have my fingers crossed I did the right thing. The job I thought I would have when I got back hasn’t materialized. I’ve even started putting in resumes at fast food places just to have a regular paycheck. Even there, I haven’t had success yet. They usually have high employee turn-over and I am more than qualified for that sort of work. I thought it would be a cinch. Everyone seems to be clinging to whatever job they have at the moment though and no one is expanding because of the current economic situation. Not TOO worried yet. MK has lots of little ventures to keep me in pocket money and I don’t have many expenses. I’m the kind of person who needs a dependable, regular income to feel secure, however. I’m not cut out to be an independent business person. Even when the money is there, the sense of security isn’t.
I’m the only one up and about today. MK is feverish from a sinus infection and PJ is in more pain than usual. He says it is because he had to stand in line at the courthouse a long time to renew vehicle tags this morning. I think they have both just overdone it lately. Halloween decorating tomorrow. That isn’t too strenuous. ~Nadine~

Oh, Nadine, you were in disguise! I didn't recognize you and was very confused until the end (I didn't know Jim had an uncle from the south ... I thought he grew up in PA, not CT, whoa, what's happening, is Jim looking for a job? I'm getting dizzy, the room is spinning .....everything's getting blurry and distant) .... IT'S NADINE!

LOL Carrie, I thought at first it was Jim too.Must have been 2 mind burps.
Nadine, It was'nt nice to mention boiled peanuts. We do not have them around here,except in cans from one store. UGH! I had my first taste when i went south a few years ago.and loved them.One gets strange looks if one asks for them here.Have you ever heard the rebel song Goobers Peas? What Peanut Festavle Fair? When?
There's a package for Amargia on its way. Just a few odds and ends.
Went to DR. yesterday. Everytime i go into town have to stop in and get my BP checked for him. And a biggie,I need to call and have a home care person start coming out to do housework and med stuff for me. SSI will pay.I still plan on traveling tho.
Hope you find a job you like soon. I'm forever remembering trivia things. Sometime i read of some women making pretty good money working as paid housewives(not what you think LOL) They shop pay bills etc for single workers who make a lot of money.
Gentle hugs for Kay and Jim.
Vickie

Sorry for the confusion, as Debra says too quickie on the clickie. We like having all the Amargia related stuff on one computer so you don't have to search through 3 computers to find the photo or information you want and you save overall computer memory space by not putting data into triplicates. (PJ says he had enough of that in the military.) but since it is set up so you simply have to click on your user name, it is also simple to goof up. Sxipper makes things too easy and it doesn't always work right on the Amargia computer anyway. I'll make password notebooks for PJ and I and make it so we have to put in our personal password and REMEMBER TO LOGOUT. We are all bad about not doing that. I take a break and when I come back to the computer just assume I'm still the one logged in when SOMEONE has logged me out so they can check their Dmail. Ah-h-h, the joys of communal living. Generally speaking, Momma Kay's is the Amargia computer, PJ's is set up for gaming and holds the book downloads and mine holds the music and movie downloads. BTW: I would be happy to make MK a passwords notebook, but it would need to be in Braille and I don't know Braille that well. Besides, she is the one Papa Bear and I ask for help when we can't remember OUR passwords.
We aren't sure what this bloom is yet, but I thought it was pretty. ~Nadine~

Looks like Oxblood Lily.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/54021/

VERY pretty! I love that color.

SOMEONE apologizes for their part in the confusion. SOMEONE should have logged Nadine back in or used their own system to check their mail.
Maybe I should consider creating a red garden. My thanks x 2, Debra. The daylilies will be a beautiful addition and I would have spent hours trying to figure out what the newest mystery flower was. Oxblood lily, it is. I will try to get that one multiplying since it is a good xera-scape plant. Many of our bulbs came along with the TX and OK natives who moved here in mass in the 1950’s to work at the newly created Ft. Rucker. I guess it makes sense some Texas garden heirlooms will pop up. Might help me ID them to watch the Texas regional forum. I’ll get your package on its way Monday.
Vickie, Kay is Braille-ing on some newly acquired rocks and oh-h-hing and ah-h-hing over them. I don’t suppose you know anything about that? Something that looks like a carved egg now graces her desk. She has christened it her “thinking rock.” Oh well, as long as she isn’t calling it her “throw at my husband cuss I think he’s being a toad” rock. You are something else, Lady! ROFL!!! That must have been expensive to ship! BTW: That was a neat and clever way to store seeds. Some kind of wonem’s make-up whatchamacallit, I am assuming?
Have the fall color changes started there yet, Carrie?
I haven’t seen renatelynne in a while. Anyone seen her elsewhere on DG? Hope she’s okay.
Sheri, you’ve got Nadine researching flying squirrels. Don’t be surprised if your new buddy shows up in our forum’s Sunday funnies. I have never seen one of those except in photos and hangin’ with Bullwinkle. (Jim)

Wow, I must have been more sleepy than I thought. Slept all the way to Christmas. That’s what it felt like. I appreciate the extra emotional lift as much as the wonderful things. It was so thoughtful of both of you.
Thank you, Debra. I need to take plant packaging lessons from you. The daylilies arrived in peak condition. There were enough of the Moses’ Fire that a couple did end up in Nadine’s corner sort of. They are in the border. Looking forward to sniffing the ‘Passion for Red’. A daylily with even a slight scent will be an unexpected surprise for most. Hope you aren't pushing yourself too hard to get things done.
Vickie, don’t worry. I would never throw what JIM is calling my “thinking rock” at him. I wouldn’t want to hurt my new “MEDITATION rock”. :-) Jim planted some of the fall vegetable seeds from the package this afternoon. Nadine is already planning what angel figurine will go where and we haven’t even finished insulating the roof yet. That’s a good moneymaking idea you had. Nadine is reliable and trustworthy enough she would be good at that. When Jim’s arm goes numb and he doesn’t trust himself to drive, he just gives her his keys and bankcard and sends her to the store. I don’t know many 20-somethings I would be comfortable doing that with. I’m not even sure I would have done that with my own at that age. Trustworthiness SHOULD be a marketable trait.
Carrie, with all the new regulations since 911, I imagine any sort of job connected to commercial aviation is stressful. Hope the SleepMax works for your DH. Valerian root, by itself, is good if little aches and pains or muscle tension is part of the cause.
Most over-the-counter allergy meds make me drowsy, but I thought I would try Claritin before I went to the trouble of renewing my allergy prescription. Forget that! With insurance, my prescription is actually the better deal. I give up. I’ll call the doctor Monday. You do know Nadine is not going to let me forget this anytime soon. She's so smug about it when she's right. :-) Kay*

Kay, I am really glad you are back.

I've gone Daylily crazy the last six weeks. Ah, the insidious danger of plant co-ops... Learned a lot about packing plants from what I received, though. Had told Jim I would send the Apache, but the other two were so prolific, even just in pots, and had such wonderful NOT PINK color, I wanted to share them, too. :-D My only problem is that now I have about 12 still left to put in the ground and will have to dig a new bed to accommodate them. ACK! I'm soooo lazy when it comes to the boring stuff--like digging out heavy clay. LOL

Personal shoppers can make a pretty good living. Cleaning and cooking are not necessarily part of the deal, but going to the cleaners and pharmacy and grocery and department store and DIY store for a client might be fun for Nadine. She'd get to socialize with all kinds of people and truly help at the same time. Don't know the rules in Alabama, but it isn't that difficult to be bonded in Texas. She could certainly use that as reassurance to the client. I think an angel had to have guided her to you and Jim, so I am wholeheartedly in support of the angel decor. :-)

Hey, Carrie, is it too late to plant anything where you are? I still have 25 plugs of Coreopsis Sienna Sunset and Route 66. Be happy to send you some to make up for the Echinacea I killed. :-) First photo is Sienna Sunset

The Route 66 color and patterning will be different from plant to plant, but will all be some variation of cream/yellow with burgundy centers and speckles.

I REALLY like Sienna Sunset, but is it hardy this far north? And I hardly feel that you "owe" me anything; you have been too kind, and I promised you monarda that I never sent. I guess it's too late. Maybe not.

Fall is a GREAT time to plant perennials -- I wrote a whole article about it once. The earth is warm, the stress of summer is past, they have 6-8 weeks or more to settle in before it freezes, and then with any luck, it will snow and insulate the earth so the roots can keep growing.

I bought achillea something red and dianthus or carnation for a windowbox,

I’m not smug! I merely seek deserved recognition of my prognostication talents. Told ya so….Told ya so….told ya so. Okay, now that I’ve got that out of my system. Lol. Can you all do me a favor and keep that “Nadine is dependable and reliable” stuff quiet and just among yourselves. A rumor like that could be social suicide if any peers my own age get wind of it. I’ve had to live a double life since I’ve joined the adult conspiracy. :-)
Vickie, I would have been content just with the angel figurine, but Papabear can’t resist tinkering. Angel goes around and plays music again. It sounds like a jazzed up version of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. Way cool!
I learned a lot of things about squirrels while looking at squirrel images. The major thing I discovered is that flying squirrels are hard to draw. I’m going to have to work at that a little more. Had to fudge on this week’s drawing a little.
I didn’t know there was so much variety in coreopsis! I just knew the straight species my Dad called tickseed (Stuck with a name like that who would think of it as something nice.) and that one that was so popular for a while that you saw it everywhere. ‘Moonbeam’? Will the named cultivars grow in less than ideal soil like the straight species? ~Nadine~

I have "Moonbeam" all over my darn yard: the fertile places, the sandy cracks, the rocky, dry crevices, everywhere. On the other hand I've planted other coreopsis "something Ruby" never came back and "Autumn Blush" prefers a little coddling.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/535/

Carrie, hardy to Zone 5a. Send you a couple tomorrow...

Nadine, not sure, but I'll send you some to try. Do you have a preference or would you like to try each?

THANK YOU, Debra. I am in my office which already bears signs of your largess. All I need to do is seduce or otherwise persuade DH to put up the curtain rod and make me some shelves for the outside plants that are coming in. He could put up a windowbox for those dianthus/carnations, too. Windowboxxes on this, uphill facing side of the house do much better because they don't have to be watered. The ones along the street side ALWAYS need supplemental watering (because they're under this huge eave) and they're the only thing that does, so they suffer.

I worked from dawn to dusk in the garden yesterday. Didn't get up until 9:30 this morning. lol.
Nighttime temps are dipping down into the 40's already and aloe vera can be damaged by that. Had to move all the seriously tropical plants to winter quarters. In my attemps to simplify, I've been trying to cut down on those type of plants. However, I want to hang on to the more-than-ornamental ones like the edible ginger and the aloe. Jim also has a few he is attached to like his ponytail palms.
The corner where the overly enthusiastic bananas were is finally cleared entirely and ready for a more thought out planting. Taking some time to do the research so I can find the perfect plants for the sunny, moist site that do not get tall enough to interfere with the satellite dish. It is by the concrete bridge into the fragrant garden so I think I want something fragrant. Haven't found the perfect plant yet. Was considering sweet flag, but I'm afraid those would get out of control quickly and grow into the irrigation trench, blocking it.
Heard the storms that hit the Carolina's so hard have moved up into the NE. Need a boat, Sheri? Or, was your area spared the worst of it?
Carrie, we have to water containers in the sun as much as twice a day to keep them going in the summer. It was suggested I mix pieces of sponge into the soil for water retention. (We often have an overabundance of luffa sponges so it was suggested we could take out two birds with one stone. The lady who suggested it used those cheap kitchen sponges.) Have you ever heard of anything like that? I've used water crystals, but they aren't cheap and I wonder how environmentally sound they are.
Debra, the package didn't make it out yesterday, but it is on its way now. Either you are an extremely generous person or really, REALLY don't want to face digging that hard clay. lol. (You can store the glad bulbs til Spring.) My arthritis can't hold up to much digging of our red clay. I dig a little hole with a mineral pick, fill it with water, wait for the water to be absorbed and soften the surrounding clay, removed the soften layer of clay, fill it again with water, shovel out the softened bit....and so on. It can take me several days to dig the planting hole for a shrub or small tree. lol.
Sent a book I thought you would enjoy, Vickie, and a little something to defer the cost of sending the package with the stones. I love them all. Keeping them to myself is a challenge I've just given up on. Kids are fascinated by them. Fortunately, rocks are washable and not damaged by gummy worm goo. The one that made such a good pen holder ended up on Nadine's desk. Her rationality is that it isn't the right size for a Brailled stylus and when I sign things it is usually at her desk because she knows how to position a blind person's signature guide. Nadi and Jim say your rocks are more interesting than mine...and lots easier to lift. lol. Kay*

Kay, maybe some of both? :-) I have been isolated for a long time. This place has made me feel less alone. Which is worth a lot. Currently, I have the means to indulge my growing plant, um, obsession, and I know how easily those circumstances can change. It does make me feel good to share. AND, if I offset how much I get by giving some away, then I can justify *continuing* to indulge... LOL. But, it is also a way for me to pay forward the generosity of those who gave to me when I didn't have ANY means. Which also makes me feel good. Guess the short answer is--it's fun. :-)

Debra

Debra, that is such a beautiful way to express a lovely sentiment! Thank you.

We're getting a French exchange student on Sunday for 2 weeks; I'm terrified! We don't usually eat together much or anything family-like anymore. We have to act like a "normal" family for 2 weeks, except DH's about to have a meltdown, we NEVER eat vegetables or together or healthy food or anything. For instance tonight, I had a piece of my healthy bread w/ creamy (yuck) PB and J and a glass of milk at the computer. DD#2 had Disney Princesses chicken noodle soup and ginger ale in her room. (Leftovers from when she was sick last week!)

Carrie, take Debra's short answer and run with it. That sounds like it could be fun. Relax and enjoy it. “Normal” is one of those words like “forever”. We all use it, but none of us can truly define it. Or, my personal favorite, “they”. Who are “they?” Like, “THEY say Obama is cutting NASA's funding.”
I want the names of those villainous “they” who say all the things I don’t agree with. Identifying those wise and intelligent “they” who share my own opinions never seems so important. lol.
There was frosty condensation on the windows this morning. The cotton rose (Hibiscus mutabilis) is beginning to bloom and the oranges to color. Spider lilies (Lycoris radiata) everywhere. Jim and I have once again picked up our ongoing debate about which flowers are and are not to be called by the common name “spider lily.” :-) I think I will try to find the white blooming version of those. Raking pine straw and mulching around tender perennials and shrubs today.
Have a good day. All!
Kay*

Kay, maybe you, or someone else, can tell me the answer to my question (I have had for a loooong time); why are fruits and veggies sweeter after it gets colder? Like oranges and (I've heard) cabbages and kings,

Kay, Jim, Nadine,

Package received. THANK YOU! The book is great and I am planting the grass this weekend. One of "my" kids is coming over early to dig a trench along the rose fence so we can put a paver border in, maybe help keep the *#%(&^(*#$& never-to-be-sufficiently-cursed runner grass in check. The red daylilies will be going in with the roses instead of in a new bed by the curb, so I am thinking maintenance will be easier. I am feeling much better with the cooler temperatures and hope to get a lot done tomorrow. :-)

Debra