It's August!! Is summer over yet?

We came from here:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1195864/

Well, I rather doubt that summer is actually over but the last couple of days have felt like autumn in my neck of the woods. It has been a welcome change, too! I don't think it got above the high 70's yesterday. The weather folk are saying that highs will be in the mid-80's for the next few days. That sure beats the triple digits we had earlier in the month! We have also received rain this past week--several days in a row. Everything is really greening up with this nice drink of water.

I went out and took some pictures yesterday after the rain. The flowers are loving the moisture and the cooler temps.

This is my pot-head girl with portulaca hair. I got her as a door prize at Karen's back in June.

Thanks for the new thread Marilyn. So glad to get the burning days of July behind us!!! It's not been as cool here but the days do have that feel of Autumn in them to me also. Days are getting shorter! Don't like that! But guess I can't have it all.

Jake got in late last night and will be here until Tuesday. It was almost 1 when I went to bed and he got in bed even later than that. Of course he was still on CA time and it was still early for him. So he's sleeping in this morning. We're going up to Eureka Springs and Fayetteville this weekend.

It rained here most of the night I think. We still have a light rain and lots of thunder. Boy did we ever need this good soaking rain!

Love, love, love that pot girl ! She is so cute, or course it has to be a "she" with flowers inner air--lol----
There is nothing much here to make pictures of, I even think I lost a clump of well established tall phlox in the heat. Some of it is still blooming and the butterflies are still all over the tall verbena, that stuff has blooms for weeks on it.

My phlox has not done well this year either! I bought 3 really nice big ones from a nursery in Arkadelphia back in the early part of July. One started to look bad after just a couple of weeks. Then I've noticed recently that the other two look like that have or are about to die!

Mine have had great blooms, sometimes it takes a few years for them to do really good, this year I threw handfuls of it away cleaning out the beds in the spring. The clump I think is dead is probably 3 foot around at the base of it. There are a couple of shoots still green, so it will probably come back next year, just smaller

Genna posted on Facebook that Kyle is 100% now. He is still on meds, and he tested positive for camphylobacter. He tested negative for tick fever, but the doctor said it could have been due to the antibodies already in his system so they will re-test later to be sure. Genna has been in Memphis for a training meeting for work and had no computer. I'm sure she will catch up later but is grateful for all the prayers and concerns.

Hello everyone! FINALLY a chance to catch up! Sorry, I do have internet access on my phone, but I only have the small plan, and I knew I had used it a LOT already this month so i avoided the temptation to get on line. I got to leave the hospital with Kyle about 3 pm on Monday - then made a mad dash home to clean up and repack for a training trip in Memphis that I was previously committed to. We were in class ALL day long and it was pretty much over my head, but it was nice to get out of my normal office for a a few days. I went with one of my co-workers and thankfully, he was willing to drive to Memphis and willing to wait on me so I didn't have to go alone. I drove home so I guess that was a fair trade off. :)

thank you Elaine for correcting my spelling of the bacteria. Kyle had "kept" the tick that he took off in Texas (although I didn't KNOW that until Monday afternoon!!!) He had it wrapped in a tissue in his backpack - said he was feeling bad and thought he might "need" that tick. The infectious disease doctor decided he wanted the tick to send to the CDC so I took it to him yesterday on my way back from Memphis. I texted him today because him and one of his colleagues were going to take it straight to a microscope and have a look yesterday..... I just asked him if they found anything unusual..... he said it had some of the markings of one tick that is known to carry african tick fever but he said it might be a while before he hears anything from the CDC. Oh, AND while I was dropping off the tick at Children's I saw a corner that had several computers with internet access for parents to use! I laughed because I thought that was about normal for me.....find it after the fact! :) He did test positive for the bacteria in his stool - and that might have been the source of all the problem, but the doctor is still leaning heavily toward tick fever. They will retest for that when we go back on Sept 9.

Thank you for all your prayers and texts and support! I really appreciate you all! Sorry that I didn't think to tell ya'll in the text that I had to be out of town and would be away from a computer even longer..... :) Kyle is pretty much back to 100% , he is even gone to the movies tonight with a friend. I think he is tired of being cooped up since that is all he has done since he got home last thursday! He is still on two different types of antibiotics and will continue those for several more days. He gave me quite a scare, but thankfully all is well now. (just a few extra gray hairs....)

Love all of ya'll and can't begin to tell me how good it made me feel to know I had all my prayer warriors praying us thru the ordeal!

Genna

PS We did get some rain here today.... but I have lost so many things in the yard that I am not sure that it did much good.

Hey, Kenny & I have been Talking about doing a Fall RU at Jim's place this october 22, will be at jim's house and maybe we can make a nursery run to dabneys or homestead before.

anyway. we'll be posting a thread soon about it. so be watching. Wanted to see who all would be interested in attending.

This is the only date Kenny can volunteer jim's house. so we are going to stick with this date. hope We can all get together and have some GREAT FUN! i've been wanting to see Jim's Garden's.

Should be great weather then!!! Ready for another road trip!! We always have such a great time together!

So glad to hear that Kyle is back to 100%! I know that was a scary time for you and the family, Genna! Will continue prayers for no lasting ill effects!

Oh, yes, Oct. 22 would be great! I'm ready to see all you gals and guys again and it won't be as far down there as it would be down to south Louisiana. Count on me--I'm putting it on my calendar now! Hopefully I will have a new flower bed along the back fence in place by that time and it will be ready for new plants! Here I am being greedy again!! You folks supplied me with a large percentage of the plants I had at my former home. I am eternally grateful to all of you for your generosity!! Love you much!

Count me in too, I will have to hunt Terrye up and tell her to catch up on the thread.

Marilyn, what do you want to put in the new bed, you know pretty much what I have so just tell me what you would like!

Thanks Kathy for heading this up. Hopefully the date will work out for most of us.

It is on my calendar!

Cindy got a surgery date, August 22--------I told her that would give her time ti heal !!!!!!!!

Great! Know she will be glad to get that behind her!

sounds like we'll have a nice turn out then for A shall we call it a Midsouth RU . We'll have the threads up and going by next tuesday.

Look what I get to do this weekend. I get to sew patches on letter jackets for Searcy High school. and Harding academy is still boxed up. and I'm going out to cut grass today also as soon as the grass dries up. it's cooler out side than it is in my house right now.

i'm dreading these jackets .

I dread it for you, leather is hard to handle. I blame leather for my shoulder being in the shape it is. Sewing leather furniture was so heavy. I had rather cut the grass--LOL !!!!

Looks like you have your work cut out for you, Kathy Ann! Just tell yourself: "It looks like money to me!" :o~

Sandra: I'm going to put plants in the new bed that will attract hummingbirds and butterflies, so any perennials will be welcome. I really liked the "David" phlox that you gave me. I think one of the central AR girls took it when they came to my house in January for the digging party. Also, if you have a start of the Hot Lips salvia, that would be welcome. I thought I brought some of that with me, but I can't find it now, so it must have died. :o( Janie and Charlotte have already given me plenty of iris. I could probably use a few daylilies, though. Any variety would be welcome. I am going to have a bed about 75 feet in length and 6 feet wide so that will hold a lot of perennials! One of my DD's step-daughters has told me that she has some patients (she is a chiropractor) who will give me some good dirt and also there should be plenty of horse manure available. Hooray!

$$$ is going through my head , don't worry about that lol

I do real well sewing at home on the weekends for athlete's coice, and it's not going to get any slower from here on out.

I just got finished cutting the grass, got 2 jackets finished lol you could tell which one I really wanted to do.

I have a couple butterfly bushes I took cuttings off of this spring when I moved the back garden Marilyn, if you want them youcan have them. their rooted and nice plants now. and I know I can root you some sedums , butterflies love them also. i'm sure I can come up with some other things also for the butterflies & hummers.

got to get back to work.

i put up a bunch of corn last weekend, and had some this week, it's the worst tasting corn i'ev ever had, not sure why it taste so bad, but i told danny if it all tasted like that i was dumping it. gosh that was about 5 hrs of work last weekend. can't explain the taste of it, but it Was NASTY!

We have found the same thing with the tomatoes that Jerry's sister is giving us now-they have no flavor. They planted theirs later and they just started getting ripe a few weeks ago. They are ok, but not near as much flavor as the ones we had come in early, I think it must be the heat causing it. The tomatoes we have left are tiny little things, and they taste ok, but not as good as the earlier ones, also the texture is not goo on ours. This has been a bad year for growing everything it seems, except weed in the flowers--I have lots of those !!!

Marilyn, the David phlox is the White, do you want some of the purple too? I think I can fix you up on the hot lips !!

Kathy Ann, I brought three sedum plants with me from the other place. They are all doing well but still in pots. I would like a butterfly bush, even if that article I posted on FB says they are invasive and bad for the BF caterpillars. I love the way they look and the wonderful fragrance of them.
That's too bad about the corn. You get yourself all worked up to bite into a nice ear of homegrown corn and it is nasty! Tsk, tsk, tsk!!!! :o((


Sandra, yes I would like some of the purple phlox, too, and thanks for the Hot Lips!! :o)

My nest door neighbor grew some tomatoes in big pots this year and has shared some with us. They have done quite well and taste delicious. Of course, she watered them every day because they were in pots. I wish you gals could meet this woman. She always looks like she stepped right out of a magazine, no matter what she is doing. There I am out in the yard in my old jean cut-offs, dirty clogs, sweat poring down my brow and here comes the neighbor looking wonderful in spite of the fact that she is out there in the heat watering her plants. LOL She is a really nice person, though, and has been generous in sharing her fresh tomatoes with us.

I can't imagine butterfly bushes being invasive, i've never had any of mine reseed. which butterfly are they bad for? i've not heard anything about that. i did not care for my Butterfly bushes this year and never dead headed them, so they weren't pretty at all.

I don't know, Kathy Ann. That article I posted was the first time I had heard about BF bush being invasive and I don't remember which butterfly caterpillars they are bad for. I would have to go back and re-read it. Let's just pretend it never happened. LOL

I have finally decided that it would help me if I read the directions on how to operate my new camera. ROFL I have learned how to use the macro feature, I think. Here is an example:



This message was edited Aug 14, 2011 7:09 AM

Genna so glad things are better. I hope it is a temporary infection with no residual effects.
Marilyn I got your sweet card. I love you too.


I am supposed to have my surgery Aug 22 if no other health problems pop up between now and then. I have an appointment with the general surgeon on the 18th. He will do the opening up and getting everything out of the way before the neurosurgeon fuses the disc. I assume he closes too. I really like the thought of two doctors assisting each other. Really ready for this since it's been screaming at me the last couple days. I just hope it works. I intend to do everything he tells me to do. They get you up right away and as soon as you go home from the hospital, they want you walking a mile a day. I can't do that now because it's too painful. I wish I could so I would be stronger before I have the surgery. Y'all please keep me in your prayers.

keeping you in my prayers cindy.

Always, Cindy!

Marilyn you need some of the butterfly bush I have. It is a really pretty color of purple. Dark and vibrant. I'll try to root a piece.

Cindy I sure hope this surgery gives you the relief you need! I would also like the idea of two surgeons! Praying for you!

Jake and I just got back from out trip to Eureka Springs and then over to Fayetteville. He really had a good time. This was move in day at the UofA so we were able to go in Jeff's old dorm without any problem. When we called Jeff to let him know we were inside and to find out his room number, he was really excited. Jake said he hadn't been that excited about anything in a long time. Just wish Jeff could have been there himself! But we took lots of pictures for him.

I also have several butterflly milk weed out there marilyn if you want them, their coming up after after everything was cleaned up out there, some orange and some yellow and one is one I grew from seed, i forget the name of it, i'll see if i can look it up.

Just found the new thread!!! Yall need to come get me when I don't show up!!! LOL!!! I've been so busy all I have time to check is my watched threads and I seldom make it to the forums anymore.

It's cooler here even this AM. I'm sure it won't last but you could definitely feel fall in the air!!!! Today was Brooklyn's 1st day of kindergarden and she caught the bus. Too cute as she waved goodbye!!! Rebecca is still crying!!! That will change too!!! LOL!!!!

A RU at Jim's spunds great. You know I'll be there. I love the Memphis trips. They always involve nurseries! lol

Terrye

Does Jim live in Memphis? or just close??

I sure hope i can make it..... I don't have a football schedule yet. I just need to make sure it isn't homecoming weekend! But if he is closer than Sandra, I MIGHT could drive on Saturday morning!

Cindy, I will certainly be keeping you in my prayers, dear lady! Hugs to you!

Charlotte, once again you have entertained Jake royally while he is visiting you. I think it is wonderful the way the Jake and the twin grandsons love to come and visit you. You really do need to take them to see the Ozark Medieval Castle on their next trip. I would love to have a start of your BF bush! Thanks!

Kathy Ann, I hated to go off and leave my milkweed so I would really like to have some seed. Thanks! By the way, the sedum you gave me (all three varieties) are getting ready to bloom. :o)

I went out yesterday afternoon and took pictures of the sun in the back yard--starting about 1 p.m. and continued every so often until about 8 p.m. I did this so I would have a record of which parts of the new flower bed area receive sun all afternoon. Most of it will have all the afternoon sun so I can plant lots of sun perennials for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds! Hooray!
Plus, I already have the shade bed along the back deck where I have placed the hostas and ferns and other shade plants you all have already given me. It's the best of both worlds, from a gardening standpoint! :o)) Now I am eager to start spreading dirt and manure but I will wait until later, perhaps in late September, before I begin that project.

I need some ideas for a border material to keep the dirt inside the new flower bed. I will have about 100 feet or more so it needs to be fairly inexpensive. Any suggestions?

Marilyn that was a good idea to take pictures of the sun. That's going to be a great flower bed. I can see lots of vines, clematis, etc growing on it. In a previous house I had, I had a back yard with lots of sunshine and a chain link fence. I grew morning glories on it and even cucumbers and squash. Don't have any ideas about edging material other than rock, brick. Not very creative this morning. You also need some of the purple homestead verbena you gave me. You would not believe how that little start has grown!

I thought about taking Jake to the Medieval Castle since we were up in that area but he was so intrigued with Eureka Springs I decided we didn't have time to do both. We stayed in a Bed and Breakfast on Spring Street. Just about a block from the Catholic church that has all the levels. We walked from there all the way down to the further point downtown and then back to our room. He loved all the art shops. He bought a small antique engraving. Justin and Clint would not have cared about going to the shops but there are a lot of other things in the area that they would have enjoyed. We did drive the car downtown for dinner!!

My passion vine (Jeanette) is just now blooming after coming back from the roots this springs. I was showing the bloom to Jake and he said oh a passion vine! Turns out they have a passion vine that has come through the fence from the neighbors yard and he googled it. It said the flower is good for making a calming tea. He is big into teas so he has been making tea out of their passion vine blooms.

Genna, Jim is in the edge of MS. he is about an hour and 20 minutes closer than me.
I figure Olive Branch would be his address if you want to google it.

OK you guys!! I'm going to be starting the threads for the RU Jim and Kenny have so graciously agreed to host on Oct 22 at Jim's in Olive Branch, MS. It will be later today and tomorrow before I get them all posted but wanted to let you know that it is coming. I know we are anxious to get everything underway and start getting a head count, plant list and for our group one of the most important things FOOD! So be on the look out -- it's coming!

I haven't got time to catch up since this morning, but Marilyn, that milk weed is plants, you don't want the plants? just the seed? c ause I don't have seed, just the plants lol

.

Ok I just posted a thread for chat for the Fall RU at Jim's. Here's the link.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1211308/

I just noticed Jake was drinking a cup of something with green stuff floating all around. I asked him what he was drinking and it was passion flower tea he had made from my passion vine. He just puts the leafs in the micro wave to dry them and then crushes them up. Tastes pretty good. You all may already know how to do this but I looked it up and here is the link.

http://theherbgardener.blogspot.com/2011/07/how-to-make-passion-flower-tea.html

Well, I'll be. sounds good, even sounds good with the lemonbalm in it, and wouldn't ya know it i dont' have a single lemonbalm plant out there and I use to have tons of it. that's what happens when you pull it all up. lol