February 2011

I've been down with the flu. H1N1. I'll be getting a shot from now on. Hope to be back soon. I have no energey yet.

Get well Sally!

We use the elderberry tonic too. I make my own with elderberries, echinacea and other herbs.

Justgrowin, I have to smile. I'm just now reading your post before mine. Elderberries and flu. Man!

Good luck with selling all your stock. I can't even get excited about any hard work yet. In a few days I'll be ready tho. I'm on my last day of Tamiflu and feel almost up to par.

Thanks Will!

Indianagardener, another elderberry user.

We finally have rain coming. It spit in the night, but my iris are still shriveled and dry. I got out and walked the yard. My crocus are up and some of the tulips I replanted last Fall. I am so excited!

Crocuses up here but not blooming. Unless they are alliums. lol. I need to check plantfiles on them. I also have tulips and daffs doing good. A few more weeks and tulips should be blooming if not sooner.

I also finally got another blueberry bush as a pollinator to the one I've had a couple years. Hope I get blueberries this year. It's the smaller size I was looking for, 4x4. Funny part was it's Walmart that had it. lol. Lowes and Home Depot all had bigger ones. Got it cheap too for 10 bucks for a gallon size I think it is.

Pepper, since Rusty already had crocus, I would think you would too. I'll bet they are alliums :o)

I'm happy to see tulips that I moved last year. At last, I can look out windows and see them here and there instead of all in one bed. I still have those in the garden that will have to bloom and be re-marked and moved. Someday, I'll get all of them dealt with!

I hope you get blueberries too! I love them!

I'm still tired and getting tired of it! I managed to do a few things yesterday, but sat in bed and read. I didn't even feel like going outside :o(

My Crocuses are up and blooming, surprised yours aren't Pepper.
Didn't get much done outside yesterday it was sooo windy. Got a little done. Probably got more done the other day when I was off than yesterday.

Washed all the big elephant ears in the solar room, top and bottom, busy fighting spider mites....yuck!

Mine are blooming today!! Almost didn't see them because they are so tiny. lol

I need to get my Elephant Ear bulbs separated out of the one pot they're in before they start growing. I was pleasantly surprised last year there is so many EE leaves in one bulb, I was thinking when I bot them that it was 1 leaf per bulb, boy was I wrong! It is about 5 leaves per bulb, and all of them in one pot, even tho big, is no good! I'm still raking leaves from last Fall, today I raked up like 6 yard sacks. It has to be done I guess, the leaves are about a foot deep and some stuff is or will have a hard time sprouting up with any vigor and happiness!
Glad you're feeling better Sally, the Flu does stink, H1N1 or regular Flu. I remember having the Flu, you absolutely don't feel like doing anything. I try to avoid the Flu at all costs, it is a real bummer, not to mention it's so dangerous, Flu isn't to be taken lightly. I went into Walgreens last year doing the uninsured thing in they're Minute Clinic. I walked in wearing a dust mask and people in line were staring! I said, "don't be alarmed, I might have Swine Flu!" Turned out, it wasn't Swine Flu, they said I had bronchitis, you can't be too cautious with the Flu. I am a home health care worker and my name would be mud if I gave people anything!

My Crocuses are pretty much done, they are all flopped over and laying on the ground now. Better late than never, Pepper! Crocuses are such a nice reminder that it's early Spring.

Blueberries are so nice to have, not just for the Blueberries, but for the brilliant red Fall color, I bought several Blueberry plants at the Lowes late October special time last year. Have you seen the price of a package of Blueberries at the grocery store? It's like $5 for a medium size pkg., they are very nutritious!

I've been working on my landscape projects in the backyard, putting my fallen "roadside bluff" limestone rocks to use right now, just around my proposed "tropical spot". I have yet to get a Banana 'basjoo' to anchor the "tropical spot". I've got to break that big rock in the photo (in the middle) in half or something, it kinda looks funny with the little rocks!? I plan on painting that wall white and getting rid of that old pipe sticking up on the left. How do you like my lava-rocks? Makes you feel like you're in Waikiki, doesn't it?! lol And the seashell?! Okay, not exactly the Fla. keys, but if you put you're mind to it! Now, if these Palm trees will just sprout! I've got Louisiana Palmetto seeds, Windmill Palm seeds and California Fan Palm seeds, one of them has to grow here for Petes sake! lol
That is a cool Bunny there, happ! That is also one big rock you got there too, did you build around it?! Neat bed there.

Will



This message was edited Mar 21, 2011 11:16 PM

Happ, you've been on my mind and I've been missing you. Glad to see you back!

I hope ImaMes finds her way back, but boy, when you get busy, it sure is hard to get back in the swing of things.

Don't those crocus look nice! Love the rock and rabbit too! I am so ready to be able to put out a birdbath! I may anyway. I have one I set on the ground that's just waiting to break. Sooner or later it will. The robins sure would appreciate it and the rain will fill it for me later today. I'm gonna do it! LOL!

Pepper, did you get all your bulbs planted from earlier this year? They won't bloom yet tho will they?

Will, I hope the roots haven't all grown together. I have Oriental lily bulbs from a pot and I had no way to spearate them. I hope to dig them later this year and get them apart....after I Google how to best do it.

I'll bet most people were wondering where they could get a mask, LOL! I think we ought to be like China and Japan and wear them durring the infectious months.

I think I would try to break the largest rock in half, but no more, so it will help the second largest rock fit in too. It will make a nice tropical bed right there and feel so cooling walking past it in the summer. The solar lights are a nice touch.

It's gonna storm here this afternoon, possible red exclamation point thunderstorms with hail! I may be glad I don't have anything growing yet!

I don't think a single columbine seed grew on the porch. It's either old seed or I didn't start them soon enough. Oh well, I see columbine all over the flower beds so I'm not lacking :o)

Well, my truck broke down today on the way back from Walmart. I even got cussed by one guy. There I sat with my hood up, which is kinda the universal sign that you're broke down and this guy rolls by with his window down and cusses me! Of course, he wasn't stopped or anything, but what was he thinking? Maybe he had a bad day at work or something! It's not like I chose where to break down, I didn't say anything back or anything, he just cussed and ran! I'm not a violent person, I don't do road rage or anything. I just waited for the tow truck and me and my 15 bags of Garden Soil got on home, broke down truck and all, $67 lighter! I'll prolly have it towed to a garage and fixed, I can't go long without wheels! I broke down in a parking lot where people catch public transportation, they leave they're cars all day. That guy obviously didn't think that thru, if I was a vengeful person, (which I'm not), I could really damage his car during the day.

I planted up the rest of my seed purchase from Seedrack today, 30ish Hollyhock seeds, 12 Louisiana Palmetto seeds, 6 Dwarf Pomegranate seeds and 30ish California Fan Palm seeds. My next seed purchase from Seedrack should arrive tomorrow I think.

I never thought about the EE roots, billyp. I hope I don't have to leave them all together again dangit! Maybe they should be okay if I need to separate them since they're dormant? They don't have roots on them at the store! : )

I have ditchlilies from happ coming up again this year! See them in the photo?! They'll prolly get a permanent planted home this year, maybe around my proposed watergarden.

Columbine is a pretty flower, I want some now!

Yeah, they must be freaking out in Japan. They already wore masks alot from Avian Flu and other infectious ailments there. I hope a lesson is learned about this and natural disasters and nuclear power plants everywhere. Poor people of Japan, now they say 18,000 confirmed dead.

Hmmm.. I would break that rock, but I'm not sure if I can! Maybe a sledge hammer will do it. I took a wire brush and got all that dirt and mud off it today.

Somebody else can make the April thread, I messed up this one! I mean the March one, well, dangit, you're supposed to know what I mean, not what I say! lol : )

Will

Will, what a shame about your truck. I hope it's a cheap fix! Some people jusat gfeel the need to yell so they feel superior to others. I pity his wife.

Everyone is starting seeds, LOL!

I don't know much about EE's, but I think the roots will die back in the fall since they aren't perennial. The lilies are. I wonder if I will ever get them apart. I sure hope so.

The ditchlilies are hardy and looking good! I think they would look nice around the water garden.

I wondered how you might break it. Maybe a better solution would to be to use it somewhere else and go get smaller rocks to take it's place. It might just powder or splinter and lose it's charm.

The storms out of Missouri didn't amount to much as they finally passed thru us at 10:30 pm or so. I hope you guys didn't get any damage.

Hi billyporter, good to hear from you. Just a little rain my way, I think farther north Mo got a little more thunderstorm than us. Now they are talking snow by Monday! My daffs are blooming.....

Ahhh, Short, hate to tell you this but where ever you planted the ditch lilies first they will probably always be there.....if you left one fraction of an inch of root, it will grow. I think you could put the roots in a blender and throw them on the ground and they would all root. One time I let a friend dig "all" the ditchlilies by a ditch. DH was kind of upset cause he said he liked them, told him not to worry they would be back....yep back that very same summer....

I got my daff and tulip bulbs planted and some of them have leaves coming up. I hope they bloom but if not that's ok. I have a bunch of smaller ones that I'm gonna give away as part of a trade I have going with someone on a different site.

We didn't get any rain last night here. Not one drop. lol. Fine by me!! I want my garden to dry out so I can plant my potatoes and onions before I plant tomatoes and peppers. Gonna try lemon cukes again too if I can find my pack of seeds.

Haha happ! I am on to the wily ways of the Ditchlily! They haven't been out of that pot since I got them from you in Oct. 09'. I may be planting them in the ground soon tho! I have the well-wishes on them from my friend here, she loves Ditchlilies too! They'll prolly be out by the fishpond in the ground. I was out there digging on the fishpond some more last nite with my headlight on! I would really like to get that going soon. I have a few plants I'd like to get situated in there this Spring.

No rain here either, it looked like rain, especially today, it was so gloomy, but nary a drop! I was outside this afternoon raking and stuff! lol

Here is what the Crocuses look like here today, in the photo, they have looked like this for about 4 or 5 days.

Yeah, I'll prolly just get some smaller rocks to take it's place. I think I want that bigger one for a rock/desert garden I want to make with my glorious Prickly-Pears, Yuccas and evergreen Hens and Chicks. It is kinda charming I suppose, I like it too, how it's like a square almost, but still a rock, it doesn't have a molded look or anything like concrete does! If I could, just one bit of advice on cleaning off mud with a wire brush, from a limestone rock, its brushes off the orange/yellow part!

Come to think about it in hindsight, I don't think that cusser man saw me in the truck, I am not a big person and I don't think my head sticks far above the bucket seat-look of the seats from behind. Altho, I don't have bucket seats, it's a bench seat but they made it look like buckets from the rear-view. I was kinda slouched down waiting for the tow truck. After he was about 200 feet away he looks back and saw me as if to say, "oh boy, he's broke down"!
Thanks billyp, I hope its a cheap fix, sounds like a clutch cable either broke or came unattached. I think this may be the visit of all garage visits tho! I may also have them find out why it uses so much oil, and see what it takes to fix that too. I'd like to resell it someday and I can't sell somebody a lemon, like I was sold. I don't think with a clean conscience I could burn somebody just to get the bluebook value, which is what I want.

Pepper, on those seeds I may have over-looked the need of them to be cold stratified before they'll sprout, I didn't read all the papers that came with the seeds. I haven't found the papers to that shipment yet. I was unpleasantly surprised when I read the papers on my seeds that came in the mail today that 2 of the 6 need stratification first. I think I might know where I stashed the other papers in the trash outside, since it hasn't rained yet they may be okay..lol I wrongly assumed they didn't need stratification when they got to the customer.
Hehe.. I hate to say it, maybe you've heard it before, guys aren't too big on directions and whatnot...lol

Will

Dang it. lol. I don't do cold stratification. lol. I'll see what I can do with these. Wait, is it the palms or hollyhocks that need it?

Prolly the Hollyhocks. Not entirely sure yet, I haven't found the papers that came with them. If you've already planted the Hollyhocks, I'd say they might not sprout until after NEXT Winter.
I'll look more for those papers that came with them, I just threw them away yesterday I think. I doubt if the Palms do tho, they don't get much cold in California at any time. : )
I'll try to find that soon.

We have snow coming this weekend. lol. They'll sprout. But I can wait before planting.

Happ, I totally agree with the ''blender roots,'' LOL!! They will be where-ever they set foot!

Pepper, at least they put up leaves. That will feed the bulb for next year!

It's funny. I never thought a cucumber was ''healthy" other than having a lot of water. Turns out they are very good for you!

Will, fish pond it is, and I can picture them blooming when it's all finished :o) I hear you on trying to get going on it. If you keep chipping away you'll make a lot of progress.

I like the look of limestone too. It is it's own personality and nice to let plants drape over or butt up against it.

I forgot to ask where you got your Lava? That's pretty cool too!

I'd rather the guy just hollered at the truck too :o) It would be nice to find why it eats oil. It would run better for you if it didn't.

Poor done crocus :o(

Pepper, yep, the Hollyhocks. I hate finding out things like that too. Especially when I could have thrown them out in the Fall and hope they went thru winter like they should. On the other hand, my Hollyhocks won't quit seeding in the garden and I don't have room for them there!

It's colder today! But the air feels fresh and clean. I am ready to go get groceries tomorrow. The appetite has returned and I need spicy food!

LOL. I can assure you the hollyhocks won't go where it doesn't belong. lol. My dad mows down anything in his path that doesn't belong. lol

I saw a bumper sticker the other day and it just cracked me up. Honest I am not a violent person, I don't even like violent movies, or gory movies but after driving downtown for 30+ years.....well... the bumper sticker said:

Keep honking I am reloading...

For some odd ball reason that just cracks me up....

LOL!! My mom needs that one.

Those lava rocks? Good question, I've often wondered that myself. They were here when she moved here in 1996, I asked her tonite. She says she thinks they were sold commonly many years ago in landscaping.

Here is that big limestone rock again in the photo, this time after I cleaned it and shuffled around some smaller rocks next to it in hopes of satisfying my phobia deal that it doesn't look right! Well, it still don't look right! lol In the next photo that rock prolly won't be there! I think I want it with Hens and Chicks growing by it.

Haha, "keep honking I am reloading"! That is funny! I always wanted to make my own bumper stickers, about 2 or 3 of them, something like "If you want a speeding ticket you'll have to go around" and "CAUTION: I stop for stop signs and red lights!"

Yeah, poor Crocus, poor, poor Crocus! Sorry, just had a Seinfeld moment there!

I just thought of something, I hope you guys like exclamation marks! lol

Thanks for the words of encouragement billyp, I do have a grand picture of this fishpond!

I sure would like to get that oil consumption fixed in the truck, it's a pain. Buying a jug of oil regularly to keep on hand isn't cheap. If I go on any kind of road trip thats over 5 miles or so I need to consult my oil situation and always doing that is a pain in the thing. I don't want to burn up the engine from just neglect!

C'mon over happ when you can and we can do the trading! Can I interest you in a Pine tree? It's a 6 y.o. Eastern White Pine (Pinus Strobus) or a Witch Hazel or Forsythia or a Chinese Wisteria plant?! One of each?

Billyp, can I interest you in some White Habanero seeds? They are plenty spicy, these are them. - http://seedrack.com/08.html Scroll about a third the way down to the "White Hot Habanero".
The paper on them doesn't say anything about stratifying, so I'm going to plant them up! Anybody else want some? The seed pkg. says 35 seeds and I don't have room for that many peppers.
Maybe the Uncle of your's in TX. would like to have some Pepper?!

I haven't found the papers that came with those seeds, Pepper. The seeds of those 2 that might need 60 or 90 days of around 40° F cold is the Hollyhocks.

Will

Pepper, LOL! What are we going to do with your Dad?

Happ, that cracked me up and I am all of the above too, ROTFL!!

Pepper, ROTFL!! What are we going to do with your Mom?

Will, that's pretty nice to just end up with the Lave rocks. They would look good with a really bright color planted next to them!

LOL, those are good bumper stickers too!

Thanks, but I have more garden seeds right now than I have room to plant. I also got free peppers and tomatoes with an order, LOL!

Till you paint the wall and get things planted, the rocks won't look right. It will turn out ok in the end. The rock cleaned up nice and has a nice diamond shape to it.

Chance of snow today. As I said, I'm glad I don't have much up yet. The tulips are a few iches tall and my crocus still has life left in it. The fruit trees aren't budded and I wonder if I'm ever going to get apples. We have bees.

I was watching a show about bees on TV, about how a whole hive just leaves and dies. Very sad and scarey. They're trucking bees all over to pollinate blueberry bushes, farms, etc.

I hope the situation reverses itself!

Will, I'll take some of those seeds. My uncle will like them and a coworker also likes hot stuff and loves to garden also. He'll get a few for his birthday that's coming up. lol

That rock looks fine so leave it alone. lol. YOu should make that a cactus and succelent bed. Hen and chicks, hardy cactus, tall sedums, etc. And move the lava rocks around and that big rock so that it looks more random inside the bed. That will make it look a bit better. lol

Oh and I hope you all are prepared for SNOW!!! 3 to 5 inches around here. More or less. lol. Depends on who you listen too.

This message was edited Mar 25, 2011 6:06 PM

Snow is a bad four letter word! I am so ready to play in the dirt, discover muscles that I had forgotten I had, and feel the callouses on my hands. Then I will impatiently wait for all that is sown to grow and hopefully become bountiful. For now I am trying to find a trellis strong enough to handle cucumbers growing up it (the one that I have used for the last couple of years was pulled apart last year by the vines). Maybe I can ziptie or wire it back together for one more year.

Hope everyone is careful this weekend.
Debbie

Debbie, I've tried zip ties, they didn't last a summer in the sun. Hope this helps.

Thanks cathy4, that is what I was afraid of. I will have to figure something different. This was an arch that Dollar General sold several years ago. Picking the cukes was so easy and the kiddies loved to help, plus I could grow lots of them in a small space. Oh well, back to the thinking place!

I grow cukes on a trellis, too. It is worth buying a good metal one that will last years. I bought mine at Home Depot for about $10.

Ok, Pepper, I'll send a few seeds you're way. They should make a fine Birthday present for a Texan! I remember when I lived there, they had Jalapenos for sale on the counters of convenience stores, I usually got one to go! Habaneros ought to fit right in!

Yeah, I finally found a decent use for the lava rocks. I was starting to think we were stuck with them. They mighta looked okay in the 70's, but I couldn't think of anything to do with them now, until recently! Oh, I agree, I want to get some bright red (and maybe yellow) Cannas growing by them.

Ok billyp.. but you'll wish you had a "White Hot Habanero" for you're Salsa..lol!

Yeah, that wall painted and stuff will really make the backyard and that space look 100 times better.

Prepared for snow?! Bleck! I want to be done with Winter! At least it won't last long and it will be slushy maybe.
Yeah, depends on which channel you watch is what kind of forecast you'll get! They say above I-70 will get this and below I-70 will get this and who really knows!
All I know is yuck!!

Here is a red lily that I got from Pepper in Oct. 09', it seems to be a little bigger this year.

Good idea Pepper. I'll try that with the rocks, I really want that area to work out, my friend here is skeptical of a "tropical spot"!
I have 2 of those, I have the Hens and Chicks and the hardy cactus, I'm gonna do that cactus and succulent bed.

I have a cheap, flimsy metal tubed trellis from Harbor Freight Tools for $5.99. It definitely wouldn't retain the upright position with Cucumbers. It barely stays in the ground with a breeze!

The oil situation reversing itself? I hope so too. I remember shortly after I bot that truck, I was doing some work for the guy I bot it from. He asked me, "how's the truck running?". He got burned too I think, I'm not sure that he even knew it used oil. Anyway, I told him what I had just found out. I wasn't nasty or anything, but I told him it will use all the oil up in about 3 weeks. His wife was right there. At least I don't think I would knowingly ask that theoretically, in the presence of my wife (if I had a wife) if I knew it had a leak like it does. I don't know for sure if he knew the engine was nearly shot. He made a BIG point in retrospect of making sure I knew and that it said on the Bill Of Sale that it's "as is", which is fine, but I wouldn't have bot it if I knew the oil situation was that bad. I made a decent cash offer on a used car a couple weeks ago and they wouldn't do it because I want to have it looked at first by a mechanic..hello! I'm thinking they'd rather get another offer from somebody else who is willing to get burned! If they DO call back now, I'm gonna tell them I came to my senses about that car and I don't want it.
My Grandfather (the Cheeseman) says it just needs rings. I don't know, but I may be finding out soon if the cheeseman is right.

I tell you, if it isn't sewage, worms and beady-eyed lizards IN the house, its engine repairs and snow outside the house! For those of you that don't know, I am a home health care worker and I live with the disabled patient. She is my friend's heres Mother. The Mother is a nice lady, she has Parkinsons and dementia. She just called me in her room again a few minutes ago to tell me the room is filling up with water and sewage. We are nice to her and everything, we treat her good. I'm not looking forward to being elderly, it could happen to anybody.

Will

The arch that I had needed a fence post on each side to stay upright shortleaf. Poor thing but it did its job.

Pepper, great minds think alike! I too thought if the big rock was more in the bed.... plants separating the lava rocks... I'm still debating on what color to paint the wall, LOL!

Yep Will, the bed has plenty of potential. Isn't that the Tropical bed you were planning?

Hi Debbie, I'm hoping to find a big pair of shorts to start Spring in, LOL!

I put my cukes on 4' tall rabbit fence with metal stakes. That's pretty permanent and sturdy.

I know they suggest growing them with corn, but have you ever tried to pick things that grow in the corn, or try to pick corn with things growing in the rows? LOL!

The arch sounds really neat!

Will, I make terrible salsa! Seriously! I don't even make it fresh!

When she walks back there, and there's an illusion of coolness.... It will work. Just put a small chair out there for a restful look.

Never back down from wanting a mechanic to look it over!!! My sister in law will test drive them directly to one! Listen to your Grandfather! Only you can let someone take advantage of you, and you aren't gullible. They do know you're nice and that's what they will work on. Walk away! Car lots have used cars too, with a warrenty, and you can drive them.

Poor old woman. I hope the thoughts don't last very long for her, even tho they recur. What an elderly nightmare.

Awww, look at that lily!

March is almost gone already! I can't believe how much I missed by being sick all the time. I will be so glad to be able to walk out of the house without a coat!

HI all: I finally found time to get back here and see what everyone is doing. It sounds like you are in the same boat with me--ready for spring. Right now it is raining, windy and cold. I'm worried about my young plants in the greenhouse and high tunnel, and the ones that have broken dormancy. I have them covered and can heat the little greenhouse but high tunnel is unheated. I'm thinking about running several space heaters in it, but it is 12 ft tall so don't know that it will do much good. But even if it brings temps up a few degrees it can make a world of difference sometimes.
How's everyone's veggie seeds coming along? I've got tomato and sweet bell peppers, plus some Hungarian wax and Thai Dragon King (I think that's the right name). Tomatoes are about 8" tall and will be ready to go in the ground in a couple of weeks. And I've got a lot other plants that are looking good. I wish I had more time for my own yard and garden right now, it's so satisfying and relaxing, but when you are trying to do a business it can get stressful because you have time and money invested in it. I like the idea of a trellis or arch for cukes, and growing vertical. Bought the new copy of Square Foot gardening and it's looking better all the time. Our soil is such hardpacked clay nothing breaks it up. Well hope everyone is well and over the flu.

I'm ready for spring, but it is snowing heavy right now, at least 2 wet inches on the ground and more predicted. Since the weather is so cold for the next week, I'm going to start some more broccoli. There are about 100 tomato plants, peppers, petunias, zinnias, coleus, marigolds, impatiens, baby's breath, alyssum, lots of different herbs, and other things I can't think of right now out in the little GH. If the power goes out, well, I don't want to think about it.

Hi billyporter, After looking around on the internet, I have decided to build my own (with DH help of course). Using a trellis would work but not the way an arch does. I am looking for a picture of it. I found it!! This was part of my garden area last year.

Justgrowin, we are hoping to get a high tunnel finished this summer. We have the beds in place, now to get the time to get the fence posts driven...so much to do and never enough time! Wishing you luck in your business! My little plants are not near that big but they are growing and I just keep on talking to them.

cathy4, KC missed out on a lot of the snow. By the way the weather maps looked snow was everywhere except here. The warmer weather can come back at anytime, I would not complain.

This year we going to try to grow potatoes in containers. Been reading up on it and looks like it is possible and saves lots of space. We sill see.

Everyone be careful out there.
Debbie

I have a piece of heavy duty fencing that I used last year for my cukes. It's like hog fencing. Very strong and doesn't flex much. Get some fence posts to put on either side, some of those plastic ties and tie it to a post. It will work like a charm. I grew mine upright but you can angle it too. Look in Gardening Supply's catalog or website for ideas and make a homemade version.

Well, snow didn't amount to anything here. Started out with a whimper, got going pretty good and maybe an hour or so later it was done. Weather liars can't tell weather anymore!! My county was one of those under the winter advisory for today too. Grrr... lol

Will, the lily is looking good!!

Oh good for you not2, I was going to tell you if you go to home depot or a car parts place they have wire ties that will last forever. DH uses them all the time and I steal them from him all the time. rofl. Looks like you are going to have some great trellis for growing....which is probably better to go ahead and just do it....

We are all ready for spring for sure.

I am ready for Spring too! Oh, please don't paint it pink or yellow billyp!! It should prolly be white to match the rest of the foundation, I kinda already got the paint for it. I only had 2 choices,
gray and white for concrete paint.
Yeah, thats the tropical bed I'm planning, billyp. I'm open to suggestions. I'm not married to the idea of the limestone rock border. Think it would look better with just regular landscape edging?
Could those plastic ties do the same thing? I already have some cheap plastic ties in my arsenal of cheap whatnots. Heres quite a set of the plastic ones. - https://shop.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=plastic+ties
Yeah, they are looking to dupe somebody on that car, I'm pretty sure. Not only did they not want to agree to it being looked at by a mechanic, but when "I" was going to test drive it, he stayed in the driver's seat (after maneuvering it out) and drove it. The shifting of it manually might've given away that the gears were messed up. Car lots seem to really be after profit, they're prices are usually so high to start with, they will just be too far from reality. I am discouraged by car lots because re-selling anything from a car lot is going to be a loss because they sell on a whole different starting point from the Kelly Blue Book values, they use "suggested retail value". It is always much higher than "private party value" - http://www.kbb.com/used-cars/buick/lacrosse/2009 (that car was just an example, I could never afford a 2009 Buick LaCrosse..lol), which is much more pallatable to an individual like me.
I am only interested in paying the total amount of a vehicle as opposed to a payment plan type deal. I don't want to have car payments and full coverage insurance. Not to discount the newer car, I think having a nice, reliable car is a good choice many times. Its just a matter of preference, I don't really need all the niceness and reliability (and commitment..lol) of a newer car right now. I do admit that having a car that will always start and run is nice! If I had an income where a newer car was less of a financial burden, I'd be all for it.

Thanks Pepper, that Red Lily is growing nicely!

This late afternoon and evening, the snow was coming down good, but not much of it stuck for long. Here it is in the photo when I stopped at my Grandparents house to play Chess again tonite.

Will



This message was edited Mar 27, 2011 9:40 PM

Justgrowing, I'm hoping for the best for your plants. It would be hard to lose them now. The weather is so close to warming up. I hope your business flourishes!

I've started nothing yet. I can't really set tomatoes out till June, and even then it's cold enough that they just sit there. The peppers I will start a bit earlier because I can't wait for the first blossoms on them. They take so long to get to eating size!!

I keep intending to do Square Foot gardening, especially for radish and turnips, etc. and have only actually gotten the spinich in tight rows. The rest, I forget and start running that hoe in a line. Later I'm doing a Homer Simpson DOH!

The Square Foot guy used to have a show on TV like Crockett's Victory Garden. That's my garden Bible! They really ruined Home and Garden TV. None of those shows are on anymore. Crocketts was ruined right after Bob Thompson(?) was hired. I could just cry!!

Cathy4, I have broccoli and cabbage seed this year. Eeek, I better get my seeds out and look again. It might need to be started sooner than I think!

You really have a lot of things started! I hope they all do well!

Debbie, nice garden area! I love the large raised bed going in! I think that's the way to go sometimes and would like to do that in my garden. The narrowness sure would make weeding or picking from both sides easier. Plus, making exellent dirt to plant in!! I have a DH too, hmmm...

Potatoes in containers is the talk now. I still do mine in the ground, but sure would like to try covering them with straw! Harvest would be a breeze. I don't have a big garden area or much more sunny areas to even add. Dang this town living!

Pepper, the hog fence is a treasure! My Uncle even laid small sections on the ground and let his tomatoes arch over it.

The weather liars are in full force here. That's why I've decidsed we are going to be dry this year. So far we've had no snow or rain that we were to get. I got pretty spoiled with timely Spring rains and grass that never got crunchy.

Happ, after being sick and missing the 70* weather we had, I am SOOO ready for Spring!!

Will, I actually pictured a very soft yellow, but I agree, white to match the rest. It's not going to be planted year round. LOL!

Give the rocks a try. Let the plant's cover them some, or accent them. If you don't like it there's always time for change. It will give you more ideas when things are planted and getting size on them.

We use the zip ties and like them. It's what we tie the Honeysuckle to the trellis with and use to tie and store the Christmas lights.

Car lots are high, but try to find an honest person who is trying to unload a car. The guy driving? Nope! Iwould have walked away right then! If your truck looks to be in good shape, brakes, etc, not the upholstry, try haggling with the dealers. Sometimes they will come down. The salesman doesn't care what you pay. They care about making a sale. If you ask a reasonable price not too far from what they offer, well, that's better than the cheats on the side of the road.

Besides, the value of any car drops considerably the minute you drive it off the lot.

I understand your situation and needs on buying a car tho. I hope you can find someone honest.

I'll bet your grandparents really look forward to your visits. Good for you for having such a wonderful time with them!!

I'm thinking you got a bit of your sense of humor from Grandpa :o)

The snow looks like a heavy, LOL!

We are promised sunshine today! I really need to get out and tend to the iris. I just know the borers are already chomping their way into my leaves!

I have tulips slowly appearing and sure can't wait to see some blooms. Even the grape hyacinthis just greenery. Wah! I need color!

Woke up to white grass this morning but by 9am it was all melted. I would love for it to dry out so I could get my cooler season stuff started. My potatoes and onions are down in the basement waiting to be planted and I have radish seeds to throw out too.