CLOSED: April Showers Bring May Flowers CHAT!

We're a friendly bunch and anyone is Welcome to join us!

Our March chat was here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1301475/

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If the rest of you are like me, when you turn your calendar to April, doing so automatically puts either a real or an imagined spring in your step and a song in your heart. Spring bulbs are blooming, perennials are greening up, trees are starting to bud, birds are singing, and it wont be long before it's safe to plant one more year. All seems right in our little corner of the World.

So tell us what are you doing this month, in the garden or otherwise?

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April Showers lyrics by Al Jolson

Life is not a highway strewn with flowers,
Still it holds a goodly share of bliss,
When the sun gives way to April showers,
Here is the point you should never miss.

Though April showers may come your way,
They bring the flowers that bloom in May.
So if it's raining, have no regrets,
Because it isn't raining rain, you know, it's raining violets,
And where you see clouds upon the hills,
You soon will see crowds of daffodils,
So keep on looking for a blue bird, And list'ning for his song,
Whenever April showers come along.

And where you see clouds upon the hills,
You soon will see crowds of daffodils,
So keep on looking for a blue bird, And list'ning for his song,
Whenever April showers come along.

Judy Garland's version in 1956.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ke2HsMIIPiI




This message was edited Apr 1, 2013 8:39 PM

I found you!!!!!!

Today was just the longest day. We got up rented a u-haul, drove to Birmingham to the Restore Store, picked up miles of fence, well not miles, but it sure seemed like it, then back to the house, Ralph went to work. I went to the Sears store here and loaded up about 60 pallets to tear apart to make walls with. I am going back to Birmingham at 5am to pick up the rest of the fencing. Then have to get back, unload it all, clean out the tailor and return it by 10 am!! I think I will just collapse for a day or two after that...sigh....

Also all my hostas are popping up and looking great. Problem is they are all in pots not the ground..darn it.

Long day for sure and a short morning to travel and have the trailer back by 10 AM. Where all are you going to use the fencing?

When I checked today, so far there are two Hostas peeking out of the ground that the neighbors' chickens didn't destroy. Fried Green Tomatoes and Elvis Lives, according to the chart I saved. A far cry from the 30-something that were there but may be surprised if others wake up. They haven't bothered the NOID Hostas in the side garden, so far that are also showing pips, and still have a bunch on the back porch, in pots.

my little woodland violets are starting to bloom, the daffs are blooming, the hiyacynths are blooming, things are greening up. Taking inventory outside to see what things I planted last year made it.
Have not seen my hostas or anyone elses here yet. I only had two LOL they were tiny.

I have a buncha NOID hostas, but I have only noticed one breaking ground. Admittedly, I have not gone searching. They always seem to not be there one day and there the next. Funny that you who are a lot colder than here are already seeing them.

Look what's new and 'blooming' at my house! 4 black and 2 yellow

Awwwwwww, so cute. I have a new puppy too. Ralph says no more animals... But he is just so cute. His name is Winston.

Awee I have been wanting a blond Lab but i have a small peek Mixed & a duck & 3 cats from Neighbors & Family right now i have a Black caat trying to help m-e type w-hen -he's * see gotta go

Awe. love those new puppies!

sweet! love pups and kits. like Ralph, court says no more. they must be coming in through the cracks in the foundation. :)

Kris - I wish I had HALF of your energy. phew. take good care.

A.

Well never made it to Birmingham. I was so sore from yesterday that I just could not get out of bed... Lol. So I just finished wiring my bedroom, washed dishes in the rv, played with Winston, and took a long nap. But this means I still have to go back to Birmingham later this week or next week for sure.

Here is a picture of Winston...

Eeek! What sweet eyes! How can you not gaze at him all the time?! :)

awwww gee, i want a dog..

Oh Kris, Winston is so precious! What kind of dog is he?

He is a Great Pyrenees / mutt mix.

Oh my, he will be a big boy!

Winston sure a cutie, don't think I have seen a puppy that cute in along time.....well we have 3 new white ducks that are still yellow right now.....

Not sure why we have 3 more new ducks but we do.....heavens.

Still getting down in the high 20's here, but things are still growing....no hostas sticking their little noses out. I think I lost my BIG hosta due to DH's chickens......told him once I figured out what is missing I am taking his check book and going shopping for the missing plants!

Happy Birthday, Carolyn! Spotted these at Lowe's today and immediately thought of you.

Oh Snooze! Thank you. Funny thing is I was talking to my sister last weekend and she told me that just lately her Calla bulbs were just bursting with growth. I still need to take a peek at mine.

Happy birthday Carolyn, hope you have a great day.

Happy B-day carolyn I Looked at the B-day List this morning but i didn't see your name sorry hope you have had a special day enjoy the eve

Happy Birthday Carolyn!!!!!!!!!!

Kris, he is just adorable! He does have the sweetest face! Is he being a good boy so far?

Here's ours...3 days old now. So far we have lost 3...one at birth and two yesterday...they were so tiny, about half the size of the others. One I tried to feed with a bottle, but she was just to week. I sat there holding her and crying for about an hour wishing I could do something. I know I am too emotional about my animals, but I just can't help it. I worry about them about as much as I worry about my kids. The last four seem to be doing good, but now I am worried about the mom. She seems...sad. She is usually a VERY hyper dog, but now she just sits with the puppies and looks sad.

I know animals have similar feelings to us concerning their young, as well as other feelings. (Anyone who has ever been around a dog can admit that. The only thing is, dogs are more true to their feelings than people are.) Once I had a goat and I had to find homes for her twins because I did not want to start a goat farm. She was so pitiful. She cried and called for days.

My pot of Callas are starting up also. Except the pot that has not been watered in an eon. But even in that one the bulbs are hard and obviously alive. I re-potted and watered. We will see.

Sorry to hear you lost some puppies! I think we all feel the same way about our furry family members! We hurt when they do!

Happy Birthday , Carolyn. I hope your day is full of love. I did not know you can grow calls in the ground in our zone. I learn stuff every day here. love you!

Happy Birthday Caroline! I hope this will be a good year for you!

Hope you had a good one Carolyn. Will poke you on FB. :)

Wilson was supervising my work today. We started at 7:30am and just stopped for lunch. I got a lot done today, bedroom is fully insulated, wiring is done in bed room and bathroom light over the toilet is wired too. I got everything right except the bathroom light. The light stays on, will not turn off. I will have RaLph check that tonight. I turned off the circuit breaker just to be safe. I had stew for lunch. It is cold here. Winston and I are taking a nap and then back to work we go.... Course he really napped the whole time I was working....lol

Sounds like Winston is right at home! I give you lots of credit for doing the wiring, something I don't think I could do.

oh, he looks like a lil stuffed doggie.. so cute!

He loves his new duck. It was on clearance for $4.00 so I could not resist..

He is a doll. We are working on the chewing issues now. He chess EVERYTHING!!!

Didn't realize that Sooze came out as Snooze - ^_^ sorry about that, Sooze. Typing on my phone usually ends up posting twice or coming out strangely.

Paula - I am so sorry about your pups. I too as emotionally connected to my pets as I am to my children.

My birthday was great fun - DH and I went to the casino up by Syracuse for a few days. Ate too much, came home about $100 richer than when I left and had a great time just getting away. Home now and back to business.

I have grown callas for a while now. I started with a pot of callas that had flowered and died down that were on the mercy shelves at Lowes. I now have about 20 pots of different kinds I overwinter and bring out every spring. Now that we are back home, I should probably take a look at them.

I forgot to dig Mine this last fall so I Don;t think i will have any this year . Going to give up on plants I have to dig up No More for me Just My Brugs :) & Dahlias for i can store them over at My friend in her basement:)

It was so Nice yesterday I went for a walk in the woods My brother had it Logged off this pass winter & I found a couple stumps Just Perfect for Plants.
#1 is Zoey My bro's GD Sitting on one of the stumps & My stone pile
#2 is Merlin the Cat who comes over & gets into trouble but i love him hes funny
#3 i will be taken before & After pic's
#4 are 4-5 more stumps I plan to plant in :)

the woods are a bare slate right now but i hope to share a few changes with you as it grows :)
well off to play have a great day .

Susie

Every fall when I have to dig up my dahlias, I think the same thing.

I have been putting my callas in terra cotta pots, so they are easy to just bring in when it gets too cold. They are my daughters favorite flower, so I will always have callas.

Funny thing - we have black kitty named Merlin. ^_^

Just when I thought it might be safe to bring my pots of Caladiums back out, we had 2" of wet snow yesterday between 4 and 6 PM, big fat flakes. With temps in the 60's today, the meltdown is on and looks like a different World now from a short 24 hours ago. Callas are stored and will get them going soon, hoping for a really pretty show, thanks to some I've bought and others you gave me, Carolyn. I wonder how all those will fare in pots at Lowe's with another night near freezing? They were unloading carts of Calibrachoa / Million Bells that already looked like they'd been bitten with blooms half closed and branches all weepy looking. I love them in hanging baskets and should have looked on the floor for broken branches...lol Two years ago I stuck a broken piece in the side garden after cleaning out the baskets, it still lives there defying Mother Nature.

Near the end of the growing season last year, I visited a really out of the way, one-greenhouse-operation where the lady grows mostly veggies and annuals. As I pulled in her driveway, the greenhouse was empty of plants but it was a shock to see huge Callas in her yard with huge White blooms, many large clumps up to my knees. I got out, not realizing the lady was sitting on her porch, and had to touch the blooms to make sure they weren't fake. She called out 'Hello', and 'bout scared the willies of me. I asked if she dug her Callas. She just laughed and said several years ago, one in her greenhouse took a spill and she left it there, thinking she had so many that one wouldn't be missed. It took root and even spread to the outside of her greenhouse, just outside the door in lousy clay soil filled with gravels. From that one clump, many more formed and the ones I touched were among the many transplants up near her mailbox. No mulch or any kind of covering. Those were the most striking Callas I've ever seen, probably because they were such a surprise. We had a great visit and I promised to come back this year after hearing raves about her Petunias. Nice to know who supplies our local stores with 'local plants' too.

Snow pic was taken at my friend's house yesterday. She hosted a pizza party for me and our mail lady's birthdays next week. Let me tell you that was not a pleasant ride home and am glad I turned down a libation.

Wow! Fruity, is snow this late that common for you?

I had bunches of pots of Callas at one point, but decided to put them in the yard and they all died. I must have put them in a bad place as i know they survive in the ground here also. I put them near the house and think the winter water from the roof may have rotted them.

I was wondering the same thing about that snow! It was 68�� yesterday and going into the 70s today here.

I didn't realize I could plant the callas in the ground here - even with mulch. I tossed a pot or two last year. :( Well, live and learn. Happy early birthday, Susan.

Beautiful calla, Carolyn! Happy belated birthday.

My black cat (have two other kitties) is BooBoo. Can't tell much about here here. lol. She was sleeping in.

Ya'll have a good weekend. ♥

Weather cold 37* here this morning but they say 50's later today with rain late this afternoon & rain till next Thursday , some places are getting a rain& snow mix . Glad its not me :)

I set up a fish tank yesterday & when Merlin came in he jumped up on the stand & was Hypmatized by the fish . he was so funny .

well guess i better go read more news of the night :) ya all have a great weekend

Hello everyone! Popping in for a brief howdy-do!

I haven't been gardening much or buying much the past couple of months. I did get some tomatoes and I'll have a few ready soon. My two peach trees are doing great and covered in fruit - despite the lack of rain. We did have a really good soaking last weekend, and it's misting now, but they're still calling for a really dry summer again. :(

DH's company is sending us to Zambia in a couple of weeks. His company really appreciates his work and the knowledge he brought to the sales team, so his manager pushed some buttons so we leave very soon! All expenses paid and right next to Victoria Falls!!