May brings a promise of blooms!

Time for a new thread. Hopefully, our weird weather will stabilize and spring will come to stay. We actually had a fire in our fireplace last night as the temps dipped down in the upper 30's. The weather folk are promising 80's for next week with lows in the 60's. Talk about crazy!!???

Please join us with your chat and photos. We will look forward to seeing your spring blooms! I'm still waiting for a bloom from anything in our garden but most of you are further along, bloom-wise, than I am up here in southern Missouri.

We have had some beautiful dogwoods blooming in all the woods around here. It has been an especially good year for the dogwoods. I took a few pictures of the ones on our property and our neighbor's property.

I was born in north LA and have relatives still in the area. When the Swamp people are in Marion that is close to where my relatives live. While they don't talk exactly like the swamp people they have a similar accent. Part of where my accent comes from. My dad used to take me to basically a swamp to play when I was a kid. We would swing from huge vines into the water. Now I can't believe he actually took us there. My mother would never go with us. Now I know why! It was called The Louder Bottom (don't think I spelled Louder right). That kind of explains it! I just remembered how to spell it ! The Loutre Bottom.

This message was edited May 1, 2014 7:26 AM

Marilyn thanks for the new thread and the link to that blog. That is quiet a testament to a wonderful, loving God. When Joann died I can't tell you much about the entire next year. I wasn't angry at God but I do remember unloading on Jim & Billy one day because they still had their life and mine had turned upside down with 2 babies to raise for Joann. I remember thinking I'm never gonna stop crying and then one day I didn't anymore. It was 17 years on the 26th of last month. That is also a testament to God because all I wanted to do was crawl into that casket with her but have made it so far only by the grace of God.

LOL!! I find the cajun dialect monotaous and absolutely hate the music. I guess that comes from being raised with it all around. I never even thought I had an accent until we traveled to Va. and those people had a fit over the way I talk. I have to say it embarrassesed me. I love the Newfoundland accent or the Australian accent myself.

Well have to go see what I can get into today!!! Hope everyone has a good one.

Jeri I think that LA accent is hard to get rid of. It used to embarrass me also but I finally decided that's just who I am and so be it! My son and DIL hired a lady to help the twins with their college essays. She had lived in New York City and has lived in Berkley, CA for a long time now but my DIL noticed her accent and told my son she sounds like your mother. They asked where she was from and sure enough she had been raised very close to where my family came from. She had not lived in LA for 30 years but still had enough of an accent that they were able to pick up on it. The area I came from has it's own distinctive accent.

Yes there was so much tragedy in Sunday's storm! I had breakfast with my very good friend who survived a tornado herself back in 1997. The entire building she was in was blown away and she had to be dug out by the National Guard. A lady directly across the street was killed. She would have probably been killed herself if an employee had not called to tell her a tornado was coming toward her business. She had just enough time to take cover under a sturdy worktable. She said she could only look at a few of the pictures and had to stop. She started tearing up just talking that little bit about it. It still brings back memories. It was a life changing experience for her. It made her stop and look at her priorities. Yes only with God's help and grace will a lot of those families make it. So so sad!

I don't watch all that much TV but I do like American Pickers when I can catch it. And I like NCIS shows and Grey's Anatomy. I'll watch the History channel now and then if they have something interesting. That's about it.

Marilyn, thanks for the new thread. Beautiful dogwoods. I miss ours blooming already!

My mother's parents were both from South Louisiana and my mother and my aunt were both born in DeRidder, LA. My grandmother's last name was Mizelle, which is French, and I believe her mother's last name was Savoy. My grandfather's last name was Morgan which I don't think is French but his mother was a Long of the famous (or infamous) Longs of Louisiana politics. When Western Union transferred my grandfather to Arkansas, my grandmother thought she was moving to the end of the world and that Arkansas was populated by savages!! ROFL

Charlotte, the name "Loutre" sounds like it might be French, too. Funny, isn't it, how those French names get pronounced by the rest of us folks. :)

Jeri, I can relate to your grief over Joann's death. My son was killed in 1981 in a motorcycle wreck and I still find myself grieving over him from time-to-time. I don't sit around wringing my hands and saying "woe is me" but there are times when I think of him and the tears will start rolling. The thing is that I never know when I am going to be affected that way. Sometimes I can talk about him with no tears at all and other times, the grief just comes flooding back. I don't think one ever has "closure" over the death of a child. ( I hate that word, anyway. It just seems to imply that once you have "closure" that the person doesn't exist in your memory anymore, which
certainly isn't true.)

The guy is going to start on our front porch on Monday so we will be moving the clematis today. I hate to have to move it at this time because it is loaded with buds but it has to be done or either let it be covered over with concrete. We are going to dig a big hole where we want to put it and then get a big root ball when we dig up the clematis. Hopefully, it won't die even though I am sure it will go into shock. I am going to say a prayer over it. Prayer works wonders--even for plants and for pets!

This message was edited May 1, 2014 12:34 PM

Yes Loutre is a French name. Lots of french names even in the northern part of LA. Lots of people with french descent in the area also. My grandmother had french blood in her.

Here is a picture of the big pot on my front porch (actually two of them exactly alike) with the drift roses in it. I'm hoping the roses will cascade over the sides like the the ivy. Thought I would show a few other pictures while I am at it. The second one is one of the pots under my pergola, 3 and 4 are at the back of my koi pond and the last one is of my variegated dogwood. I thought sure I had lost the dogwood. Some big pine limbs came down during the 2012 snowstorm and broke several big pieces off it. But it has recovered and is shooting up and it's actually going to have a nice shape. Of course it didn't bloom this year. I bought it for the foliage anyway. Blooms will just be a bonus!

Pretty, Charlotte. What is that in the pot with the drift roses and ivy? Looks like crepe myrtle.

Jeri and Marilyn, I know what you mean about the grief. I still miss my Mom after nearly 19 years and cry now and then when I think about her. I haven't lost a sister or a child but an only imagine how difficult that would be, and especially if unexpected. I hate that word too, Marilyn.

Elaine I lost my only brother and only sibling when he was 59. He had heart problems but was doing great and was not ill so it was very unexpected. When he died it made me the only person living from my birth family. It still gives me an odd feelings to think about that. I think it affected me more than I realized. This Easter was the first time I've really enjoyed doing some of the things I used to do for family on a holiday. Some times it!s easier to just avoid doing things which remind you of the past.

This may be an old wives tale but maybe some of you know. Is there some reason you don't put your pepper plants near or next to your tomato plants? I couldn't ever find a good reason not to. Someone said maybe it was the hot pepper plants that would transfer 'flavor' to tomatoes, but I have done this and had no adverse affects. Also have planted basil close by and everything was ok.

Elaine here is a chart that may help.

http://www.ufseeds.com/Vegetable-Companion-Planting-Chart.html

I have always heard that too Elaine and was told several years ago that a truck patch grower had a whole row of tomatoes that were too hot to sell because of the row of hot peppers growing beside them, now I don't even remember who told me that-so it could just be an urban tale.
I read the blog this morning also, it was horrible, yet wonderful at the same time. God will provide !

I had the big surgery this morning--took the surgeon about 5 seconds and all fixed now ! I can tell it will be sore for a little while but the biggest worry is gone now, it looked like a piece of Thorn they said. I can't believe I had to go to 2 doctors for a briar in my foot ! That's what happens when there are no kids at home to operate on you I guess !

Well, did it again ! Forgot what I came here to say--LOL--I was killing time after the big surgery this morning because I had an appointment for massage, manicure, and a haircut at 2 in Ripley, had to go to New Albany to see the doc. I went to the only nursery there to look around and saw a Japanese maple that is called bamboo. It is the first I have seen like that and it sure was pretty. It had a weeping habit and looked a little like a weeping willow. I really don't have a place to put another Japanese maple, but if I find a spot I have that one on my list now.
I did buy a St. John's wort, it is not the one that Kathy Ann has but just a regular one.
While I was goofing around waiting on time to go to my massage, my massage therapist called and asked if I was ok ? I was supposed to be there at 12:00 for massage, 1 for manicure, 2 for haircut--OOOPS ! Rescheduled massage for Tues, and offered to wear a dunce cap while I got my manicure and haircut !! I told her I felt like a total idiot !!
If any of you have the Japanese Maple, please tell me if you like it

Beautiful pots, Charlotte. I am definitely going to see if I can find some of those drift roses up here.

I had never heard that about not mixing the peppers and tomatoes. Does that apply to just hot peppers or does it include bell peppers, too?

Jeri, I am going to check out that link as soon as I leave here.

Sandra, we want to see a photo of you in that dunce cap! LOL I only have one Japanese Maple and that is one that Jim gave me in Sept. 2012. The deer almost killed it that first winter but it came back and now we have hog wire around it and the hog wire is wrapped in fishing line. So far the deer have left it alone. We were told that the deer get confused by the fishing line because they can't see it and it scares them so they leave the tree alone. So far it has worked. Since I have been letting Laddy run loose on our property when we are outside, the deer don't come around like they used to do. There is only one plant they nibbled on this past winter and that is the nandina down at the end of the driveway but it is coming back, too.

We were not able to move our big clematis in one piece today. It was just too big and too intertwined within itself. It hurt me to have to chop it up but I managed to plant 12 cuttings and I hope they take root. We also managed to save a part of the original plant with the root ball and we did plant that part up against the trellis we had prepared for it. Hopefully, it will live. If all 12 cuttings take root, I will have some to share if anybody wants one.

Everything is now ready for the porch contractor to start on Monday! Al is going with him to pick up the materials early Monday morning while I go to my check-up at my cardiologist.

Elaine I forgot to tell you what that the shrub in the pots on my front porch is not a crape myrtle. I can't think of the name of it right now but I bought it at Homestead last spring. The only thing I don't like about it is it loses its leaves in the winter. But the ivy helps during the winter. The drift roses will also keep some foliage during the winter. I have a couple of drift roses in my back yard.

Sandra I have several different varieties of Japanese maples but I've never heard of a bamboo one. I have 3 bloodgoods, a weeping one with the small leaves behind my koi pond, a miniature one that I have in a pot, a coral bark and a butterfly. I think my favorite is the the butterfly one. The leaves are a light color and have a lot of variation in them. The tree really shows up pretty against other greenery. I do a lot of trimming on mine to get the shape I want. I do just a little every year. My bloodgoods are all tall trees and I've tried to keep the canopy up fairly high. I trim away a lot of the small stuff underneath to let light come through. One of the bloodgoods is in my front yard and it had a large branch close to the base of the tree. As the tree got bigger I finally just cut that branch off to give it a more uniform shape and to lift up the canopy. I did the same thing to a willow oak in the front yard. Every year I cut some of the bottom limbs off. There are a few limbs I would like to cut off this year but not sure I can do it. I'll have to have a step ladder in addition to my extending ratching clippers!!

I had heard about not mixing certain vegetables together and had looked up the chart when I started vegetable garden. I know it has to do with how insects, etc inter act with various plants but I have never really understood it all.

Sorry you missed your massage today Sandra - I bet we've all had moments like that!!! I know I have!

Sandra I just looked up bamboo Japanese maple. I think I 've lost the tag for it but here is the leaf to my miniature Japanese maple. Is it similar to what you are talking about. I bought mine from vendor at Mg meeting in MS

This message was edited May 1, 2014 8:28 PM

Sandra that is good news!!! I have been worried all day!!!

Mary is sounding better. They put her on neurontin and are hoping it will help her leg pain.

I have 2 miniature/dwarf JMs - Orangeola and Tamukeyama. Also have a Crimson Queen and another larger one (can't remember the name) and a really large (15' or so) one out in the yard that is palmatum variety whereas the others are dissectums like the one Charlotte pictured. I love the lacy look of the dissectums. I also looked up bamboo JM. It looks like the 'real' name is Beni Otake JM which translates to Red Bamboo. It's a pretty tree that grows 6-8 feet tall. Not weeping though; is vase-shaped but does do fine in sun. Sandra, glad you are over your surgery on your foot. Glad they took care of that thorn before it got infected.

Jeri, thank you so much for that link! I'll read it in more detail in just a minute and I'm going to make a copy and keep it with my garden journal.

I tried to look for one that looked like the one I saw and all I found were red leaf, this one was a green one.
It was really unusual

Well, Sandra, all I can think is that many JMs take on different colors at different times of the year. Check this anyway because the pics I saw had some at different times of the year and even says it is green part of the year.

http://japanesemaplesandconifers.com/beniotake.html

No that looks nothing like the one I saw, it was really different and from a distance you might even think it was a weeping willow. He told me where he buys his maples and I can't remember now. I might just have to go back over there and make a picture of this one !

You have us all curious now Sandra!!! Take a picture. There is always some place you can tuck an ornamental tree. I got to thinking about the ornamental trees in my back yard and can't believe I how many I have back there. You know it not a huge place.
I have 6 Japanese Maples
3 crape myrtles
1 vitex
4 dogwoods (one dogwood never blooms because it is in too much shade)
1 umbrella tree
1 tree form hydrangea
2 redbuds
1 althea (I had several and got rid of all but one)
1 snowball
1 huge fig tree (a tree not a bush)
Plus my 6 big pines, one sweet gum tree and some other big tree I don't know the name of and no one else does either! I have over 100 azaleas, and several other types of shrubs. Really don't know how many. No wonder my yard is nothing but roots!!

So Sandra if I can cram all that into my space in the back you certainly can with all the space you have. Most of my ornamental trees are next to structures, or along the fence.

Always room for one more, Sandra! I don't know what it could be then. Probably not 'red bamboo'/Beni then because it's not a weeping JM. There are so many.

This always bugs me when I can't figure something out. Here's something else it might be:

http://www.fast-growing-trees.com/Virdis-Weeping-Japanese-Maple.htm

I also found it spelled, Viridis.

Ok, so I called back over there and asked him about it again
. He said that it was in the bamboo category and the name of it is Koto, I asked him to send me a picture by text and he did

OOOPS try again

If you can enlarge the picture you will see the thread like foliage better.

This message was edited May 2, 2014 11:33 AM

Koto ito komachi? Maybe?

It's a really pretty one! I've not seen that one before. I think you should get it!!

He insisted it was a new variety ???? All that was on the tag is Koto. I can't find anything on the web about Koto. They all have other words.
I definitely loved it Charlotte, I looked around yesterday and still didn't see a place I thought it would fit in. I wasn't that expensive as JM go, the 5 gallon was 60 and the 2 gallon 50

I looked it up also and found the same thing. It is probably a Koto variety but more to it than just Koto. There was one that I'm sure you found too that was green but had a light yellow tinge in the fall. I've found some small nurseries (and sometimes larger for that matter) don't actually know what they have. I bought my first hellebores from a nursery like that probably 14 years ago. I had read an article about them in Southern Living and ran across a plant that looked like one at a small nursery in western AR. It wasn't labeled and she didn't have a clue what it was. She had just bought it from someone. It now is a HUGE clump and I've even divided a lot of it out of the original clump. I have a neighbor that grows azaleas, japanese maples and other plants that he sells to individuals but mainly to places for resale. He grows some Japanese maples from seed and others from grafts. I have a feeling most of his stuff is not going to be tagged. He gets cuttings from people with azaleas and roots them. He's growing a brunch of iris for sale now and I'm sure none of them have tags. People that aren't true gardeners don't really care what it is. They are mainly interested in knowing the color and the type plant - azalea, iris, etc.

Yes, I asked him where did I get bamboo from, he said he told the man he buys from that he wanted some of the bamboo type and that is what he sent him. That was all that was on the tag was Koto
I still don't think I have a place it would fit into. Maybe next season, I might get one. I think the deer have just about killed my hearts a bursting bushes and if they don't come back out prettyi could take those out and put one there. I raised the HAB from seed too

That's really pretty, Sandra. It has a lacy look to it! I love Japanese Maples!

I am POOPED!!!! I spent all day yesterday working on my back yard. I have a pile of debris in the front to prove it! Then I worked on some furniture last night. And back out to the yard this morning to finish cleaning off the stones and deck. We watched church online then I went down to the vegetable garden and spread some manure and humus and planted the last of what I going to plant for now. I planted orka, peppers, squash and a sun gold cherry type tomato. Then from there I went to the antique mall and totally emptied 3 of my booths. They were jammed packed full! Stuff on the walls, hanging from beams across, etc. I packed my double booth across the aisle as tight as I could get it and then put the big pieces of furniture in part of the aisle! It took me three hours working like a crazy woman. Didn't know I could move that fast. And climb up and down a ladder that many times. Then I took Richard to Maumelle park to eat sandwich picnic style. Home to water my outside plants and talk to my son - just now sitting down!

Of course when they get through painting, I've got to totally reassemble all my booths! What a fun time!

I was talking to my son tonight and I can't believe how much proms cost now days! I had no idea! Of course he has 2 going to the prom at the same time. One of them has a girl friend that goes to a different high school so both of them are going to 2 proms. Justin is taking Clint's girlfriend's best friend to both proms. It was going to cost $200 per kid per weekend for tuxedos = $800. So Kristi went to Joseph F Banks and spent $900 and got each of them a tuxedo and a suit. She decided she had rather spend $100 more and actually have something they could can use. Justin is probably going to be playing in a jazz band at college and will need a tux for it. She also figured they would need suits to interview for summer jobs., etc. Girls do not wear the same dress to different proms! As a matter of fact that don't wear a prom dress but one time!! The reason it cost $200 to rent a tuxedo is the boys want wear just any tuxedo - it has to be the most stylish one. The girls would be upset it it wasn't a certain style! Prom tickets are very expensive - then both prom are in San Francisco so they have to have transportation there because the parents don't want all these kids driving into the city. His girl friends school is providing special bus transportation (part of the prom ticket fee). A very generous parent is providing limo service for a big group of their friends from their own school. Things are just not like they used to be!!

A prom now is like a whole wedding when we were kids. The girls spend a fortune to get hair, nails done too !
I hope you have an easy day tomorrow Charlotte. I have been enjoying my Mothers Day this weekend. Amanda came yesterday, Cayla, Bryan and Eli also came. Amanda had to go HO e last night, but Cayla stayed till about 6 tonight.

Glad you got to have a good visit with your kids this weekend Sandra.
They also don't just ask a girl to the prom anymore! It has to be a big production with props, etc which also cost money.
I'm headed for a hot soaking bath with Epsom's salt! Meant to already be in bed but had some things I had to do first!

Really sounds like a nice visit Sandra!!! Happy Mother's Day to you and everyone!!! I'm having trouble believing it's already Mother's Day 2014. We're almost 1/2 way through the year!!!

I've gotten the banana plants cut behind the old pool area last week and this week I have tackled the big bed with the Angel Trumpets. I got them cut back and have this fiber optic grass that has spread next to my turk's caps. Pass that Epsom's salt if you don't mind Charlotte. I guess I'll just go take good hot jacuzzi instead. I've given up on hand pulling the weeds. I've resorted to using my hoe. The weeds come back anyway!!! Then I'm using XL2G and putting down 4 sheets of newspaper and then the mulch. Think I'll get um???

Sandra, glad you got to spend the weekend with your girls. What a nice Mother's Day!

Charlotte, that is apparently the way most kids spend their proms these days. I think it's really wise Kristi spent the money on a tuxedo for the boys, especially if they will be using it for other things like their orchestra performances. They will probably wear them more in college and can change out the ties and cumberbunds if they need to. We ran into a friend the other day. Her daughter was getting her make-up done at the department store. The kids weren't going out to eat at a restaurant though. Some of the parents were cooking for the group, which is done a lot around here to save some on the cost of the evening. I think that's great, and the kids get a much better meal in a more relaxed atmosphere.

Back in 1998-2000 when Jimmy was at prom age we bought the tux for the 1st one and did what Elaine said and changed out the shirt, tie and cummerbund if he was taking the same girl but even doing that the prom set us back $800-$1000 each time and I knew the owner of the limo service and got a discount there. So many young people have been killed after Homecoming, Prom and Graduation here that it is safer. I even paid for my niece Robyn's limos so she would be safe. That is a good idea to cook for the group and cut some corners there also. The pictures alone are another major expense to add to the evening.

They both actually already owned a tux but it wasn't the style the girls wanted! So they now own two tux. The tux they had they wear for jazz band performances. They have a poker night with friends every so often and they dress up for poker! They wear their tux and other kids wear suits if they don't have a tux. I'm sure that they will have to have two different ties and cumberbunds for the two proms they are going to. I know some parents usually have parties for them before the prom and also after the prom. The before the prom party is where they take all the pictures. Jeff was kidding and said maybe somebody will feed them too! They also do feed them at the parties. They are fortunate to have some parents that are financially able to and like to provide things like limo service for a big group of them and catered food. When they do it they don't want any help from other parents. Sometimes they rent a limo and each couple pay a share but this time one person's parent is paying for the limo for the whole group for one of the proms. The other prom the ticket cost is much more because the school is arranging for charter buses to take them to the prom. San Francisco is about a 45 minute to an hour drive from their house depending on traffic and once you get there parking is also a major problem. They sure don't need to be driving into the city on prom night. They seem to stick together as a big group for whatever they do out there.

Hello All! I'm back! My sister and I had a great time on our cruise. We left Saturday mid day and stopped in Monroe and did some light shopping. She was looking for a specific pair of shoes but didn't have any luck locating them. Then we stopped and spent the night in McComb, MS because a friend called to tell her there was a jazz festival in NOLA and that we probably wouldn't be able to get a room close to there. We were on the ship and in our room by 2:00 pm. We had some really rough water the first part of the week - and actually for most of the trip the waves were larger than what most people considered "normal" but thankfully my patch worked and I didn't have any trouble with seasickness. My sinuses and sore throat were considerably better by Saturday morning, and although I continued to take my allergy meds, I didn't have any problem on the trip. I could tell when we got back to land though that the allergens are still in the air! :) We went to Moghany Bay, Roaton, Belize City, Belize and Cozumel, Mexico...... we had fun, but I was happy to be back on dry land that wasn't swaying! :P LOL It was pretty relaxing and it was nice to get away from the stress....but unfortunately, we weren't off the boat 30 minutes when my sister got a call that one of her best friends had had a severe stroke and massive heart attack and was in very serious condition. She is still living, but her blood sugar was at 17 prior to both attacks and she is in a coma. They are moving her to a hospice facility and will just keep her comfortable because nothing can be done to repair all the damage. She already had several serious health issues and was undergoing dialysis for one disease - My sister was really upset of course from the news and I ended up driving all the way home.

I was glad to hear that all my DG friends got thru all the horrible storms safe and sound! I know the devastation is widespread....and so heartbreaking.

Hello Julie! Welcome to Mid south! Nice to "meet" you! I remember feeling a little out of place posting on this chat thread because everyone already seemed to know each other here.... but that was several years back and now these DG friends are family! As has already been said, we have met up in person several times and we love getting together to see each other, swap plants or plant shop, and eat...........we just love a reason to get together. You won't find a better group of people! Of course, as you can tell from this thread, we know a lot about what is going on in each other's lives, and we discuss a wide range of topics, plants included ^_^. We hope you will stick around and become a part of our group - we have lots of fun!

Headed to Arkadelphia after work to pick up a bunch of Jessica's things from the dorm, and move her refrigerator. She finishes finals tomorrow and is SOOO ready for this semester to be behind her! It has been a tough one. She and Kyle leave on their honors trip on Monday- they have to be at the airport by 8:30 so they are going up the night before to spend the night at Alex's so they don't have to get up as early. They are really looking forward to the trip!

Glad to touch base with everyone! Hope all is well..........

Genna