My first batch of outdoor seeded veggies are sprouting! They're still quite tiny, but I have sprouts from the seeds planted on Feb. 5. Yes, this year's garden looks to be coming along. :)
Peas, beets, spinach are sprouting!
Yo win the early bird prize, Cindy. I've not been to my garden in two months but got tomatoes and eggplants on heat mats today.
Need to plant another crop of mustard and some lettuce. I have zinnias sprouted (I use a heating pad on low,,works great) My clivias are putting up spikes. I am glad the weather cooled down some. We have the 30th anniversary of the Cherry Blossom coming up and we need them to look perfect....for the 16th -
come and visit. Lots of activities. My Ikebana club always makes arrangements for the Woodruff House.
Elaine, and everyone else, maybe you can come up to Atlanta to see Orchid Daze at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. It is happening now and into April. The Atlanta Orchid Society show is the weekend of March 9th, in conjunction with the garden's Orchid Daze. I am co-chairing the society's show. There will be lots of displays, vendors and an orchid auction the weekend of the show. The gardens look beautiful during this time.
Laurel,
I am so glad you posted this. My mom is coming up on the 1st and I think we will come up that weekend. I took her to the botanical gardens several years ago and we really enjoyed it. She grows orchids in her tree in Florida, as well as in pots.
I'm thrilled to have stuff growing new! My broccoli, cabbages, and salad from last fall are still growing away. The Fava beans are now about 3 feet high and loaded with flowers (which they have been for about 2 months now). But nary a sign of a bean... I even have bees tending the rosemary bush that's blooming like mad. I keep wondering when we'll see some beans.
I started my spring broc and kohlrabi, etc. but wonder if the weather will go from cool to 102 so that the usual spring crop of brassicas is a waste. The peppers and eggplants are sprouting and a couple of tomatoes too. I'll start more this week.
Laurel - where did you get your heat pads? I'm thinking about buying some of these. I have had good luck getting quick germination for the cooler crops by using a 24 hour florescent light, but it's not so good for the eggplants, etc. Elaine - good idea on the heating pad. I'm going to try that tonight.
Orchid Daze sounds so cool! I'm not sure if we'll be able to make it, but will let you know. Hopefully I can join in the discussions here again - it's been a crazy winter... I am still playing catchup it seems from everything.
Here is the link to Orchid Daze http://www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org/events-classes/events/orchid-daze The Atlanta Orchid Society show is the 9th-11th from 9-5. I hope some of you can make it. DM me if you plan on coming and perhaps we can arrange to meet at the show. I'll be spending a lot of time there.
Aside from the wonderful selection of plants that will be available, the ABG's Fuqua conservatory houses the largest collection of species orchids in the country. Each year Orchid Daze is designed around a theme. This year's theme is garden gates. There will be sculptural gates, antique gates, etc. throughout the garden. They bring in thousands of showy florist orchids for wow factor.
Cindy, DD gave me a four foot heat mat as a gift last year. I can ask her if you'd like. I'm really happy with that size. It doesn't have a thermostat but I had no problems. I was so enthused about the speed at which plants sprouted and the improved germination. Steve built a potting bench using an old 8' formica counter and kitchen cabinet section with a double sink. I set my mat up on that counter and put the seeds in cups that are in Costco mushroom trays. Each tray holds nine mouth wash cups. The mat holds hundreds of seedlings. We then mounted two lengths of closet shelving and suspended lights on chains between the two levels. We can raise the lights as the plants grow. This set up runs across an eight foot span of windows so there is natural light as well. As my seeds sprout and get going, I move the trays onto the shelves, leaving more room to start new seeds. Once I'm done with the sprouting phase the mat gets stored and the counter becomes a third level for seedlings.
I'm being cautious with what will be in the garden this year. DD is getting married in July. With four days of celebration spread out between Atlanta and N. GA. there is only so much I can manage. The wedding weekend culminates with an open house at Maypop so I'll probably be planting more flowers than usual.
Thanks Laurel - I'd love to know where she found it. I'm thinking that it would be a really good investment!
Sounds like a fabulous set up for starting and growing plants. I have grand plans for an eventual greenhouse, but somehow life always gets in the way. Congrats on your daughter's upcoming wedding! That's a lot of challenges all at the same time!
Cindy, she ordered the mat on line but can't recall from whom and said "maybe Amazon". It's a 48" Hydrofarm mat. I just went downstairs to check on the brand and noticed most of the seed, planted on the 19th, is up. I'll place the seedlings under lights in a day or two. Since I don't have a thermostat on mine I place a beach towel across the top to reduce heat fluctuations.
AWW, congrats on your daughter getting married. Know you will be very busy! I am getting ready to set up my seed starting. I started a few zinnias already and some clivia seeds.
Thanks, Cindy and Elaine. Now that tomatoes are moving up on the shelves I need to get other plants going on the mats.
I don't know what's up with this board, this is the third time that I have posted a message, it was slow, I come back and the message has gone poof! My apologies for being slow to reply Laurel. Thank you for the info on the mat! I hope to find one I can use for next year! Now will try to post this Again!
LOL!
Today is the first official garden start day here at Maypop. I planted several varieties of peas and have a few more to go. The deer took care of most of the favas and all of the peas. I may not have any this year but am enthused about their cold tolerance and looking forward to trying again next Fall. We have cabbage that wintered through and is heading (one is ready to pick) and lots of mustard. The FL broadleaf has stayed mild despite warm temps.
Hi Laurel, long time no see, I was wandering if you are having a plant swap this year, it shure was fun last year. I have been changing my garden, aded more flowers less grass, it should look good this year. Last year I got a Philipino lilly from a lady I forgot her name, it is coming up but I would like to know how tall it will get. I have staked it . I hope you and your charming husband are great, always talking about you and your nice house and garden. Have a happy Spring. Etelka
Hi Folks....I'm here to give fair warning that The Roadrunner is planning another trip to Georgia about the middle of MAY.
I will fly into Atlanta....then will make my way to Augusta for a week to visit my special cousin. Will I get to see any of you?? Kiseta, surely we can have a chance to see each other...my cousin actually lives in Grovetown. Jo
Hi Laurel! So sorry to hear about the damage at your garden. You're taking it better than I would! I forgot to ask you - what is the variety of fava beans that you sent me?
The heat is making everything grow quickly here - some too quickly. I'm going to try planting early bush beans this year. Wish me luck!
Etelka, we would love to host a RU and plant swap again this summer. However, we have lots of out of town guests in April, spend part of May in Miami and our daughter is getting married here in July. That leaves June. If there is interest we can get together in June around the same time as last year. I'll post something in April. SO says if we host you must bring him another strudel. lol
Jo, we will be in Miami in mid-May. I have a house there to check on and pilgrimage to the Redland Orchid Festival http://www.redlandorchidfestival.org/ annually. It's the largest show in the U.S. with growers from all over the world. Unfortunately I'll probably miss you once again.
Cindy, I didn't tell the whole story. SO stepped on the few remaining fava bushes while helping out with garden clean up. He thought they were weeds. Now that's a real "bless his heart and isn't he precious?" They were covered in flowers and beans for goodness sake! The variety is Windsor, which is open pollinated as well as heirloom, and considered a good variety for our growing conditions. It's very cold tolerant (down to ten or fifteen degrees) and slightly more heat tolerant than favas tend to be. You can, therefore, save seed. There are other more exotic Spanish and Italian varieties. The favas we've seen growing in both Spain and Italy tend to grow in climates with less discernible seasons that have more even temps than ours. This means less cold winters and less hot summers.
Roadrunner, I would be glad to have you both for lunch and to sit in my garden. Your reletive lives in the country, I am in the city, maybe she will know Harrisburg, the old section in Augusta. I don't mind the city, it is colorful people, noise and lots of activities, but it is not so bad, my mortgage is low and I have a bus line close by (that is for me when I get old) We have a lots of 100 year old oaks, and enough land around the house to play in the dirt. My lot is ablut 40 x 80 feet, most of my flowers in the front. I would be happy if you D-mail me before you come closer to the date, to give you my address and phone #. Etelka
