What's everyone up to this week?

That's great! So glad you all had such a lovely day.

I haven't been to Ikea in ages and that reminds me, my nice, cotton dishtowels from Ikea got chewed up when a mouse got into the dish towel drawer so I guess I need to get back there soon. LOL

I hope you got to eat some Swedish meatballs and apple cake while you were there. Yummm

...My ears in leaf mould.

(Sorry I'm late. I just saw this thread)

That's a lovely pile, wrightie!!

I'm a little late for this load of it, but I have a hot tip for anybody getting deliveries of compost or mulch.... I gave myself an award for Extreme Cleverness last year when I thought of this... I take eight of those big 22 gallon (I think) rectangular storage bins and put them in 2 rows of 4 on top of a tarp at the end of my driveway. The guy from the nursery is pretty good at jiggling the load off their little dumptruck, so he dumps some into the back row and then moves up just a little bit to hit the remaining bins.... Most of a 2 cubic yard load will go into the bins (some overflow ends up on the tarp). I can (barely) lift a bin and dump it into my wheelbarrow, and that's *much* easier (I think) than shoveling it into the wheelbarrow -- saves me a lot of effort!

Jill,

Thank you for all your kind words. It was lovely meeting you as well and I look forward to taking a trip over to your garden some day soon. Ikea was fun. I seldom get to just meander through the whole place as I don't need anything much. Doing it with you was enjoyable.

There will be more Lilies of the Valley available, as I did not finish diggingg them all up. Also, plenty more Shasta Daisies and also Rudbeckia Goldstrum. They are in the same bed with the LOV that I am trying to clear for better use.

I will post here when I have dug more up and maybe some of you in the Baltimore area would like to come and get a bunch.

Think Spring!!!!!!Think Spring!!!!!!

Gita

One more "treasure" to be seen--soon, I hope!

Gita, I think I told you that Jim (DH) looked in the back of my car and wondered if there were any plants left in your yard.... I will have fun putting together some selections for you, and it'll be easier to think of what you might be able to use now that I've seen your garden areas!

You should see if anybody else has had those maple tree root issues to overcome... I'm wondering if maybe you just need some really big planters (even earthboxes, or their homemade equivalent) for things like tomatoes, herbs, etc... I couldn't believe how quickly you said those roots filled up some whisky barrel planters you had, but that might be a reason for something like an Earthbox (no drainage holes in contact with the surface of the ground).

OK! Dug up the rest of my Lilies of the Valley. Anyone in or around the Baltimore area--COME AND GET SOME---SOON!!!!!
I have a 12" HB piled high with what I dug up today. Also dug up a lot of Rudbeckias--MAN! Do they ever have huge root systems!!!!!

You know what I will do with those? I planted them--4-5 per cardboard market pack (see! I save everything! Eventually--it comes in handy) and when they have "perked up" and growing, I will put a table in the front of my house and sell them for (maybe) $2 or $3 a MP. I know they would cost more than that for a single plant sold as a perennial, but the roots are all mushed up together on mine and they will not be in the greatest shape, no matter how much the "perk up". I will wait and see.....

Glad I got out to do a bit more digging. We are in for a monsoon this weekend. WHAT is happening this year??? Everyones seeds have sprouted and are getting tall and no one can put them outside yet. My biggest ones are the 4 O'clocks I seeded. They are a good 3" tall.

OK. Whoever wants any LOV, D-mail me soon. Very soon! They cannot sit in a pile for too long. I live in the Perry Hall/White Marsh area.

Gita

Gita, you're amazing. What are you going to do on that knee next, run the Marine Marathon? LOL It does feel so good to get out and dig, doesn't it?

I think we all must have spring fever. We had that cold snap but the average frost date for all our zones is April 30 and I've found here it's usually at least mid May. (I don't know why the hardiness maps have the same last frost date for zones 5, 6 and 7. That makes no sense but a lot about the hardiness maps makes no sense.) Last year our last frost was in early June.

Your four o'clocks are 3 feet tall already?! Mine haven't even emerged yet and won't until late May at the earliest. Wow. Oh, I see. They're inside. Mine are in the ground. Are these from the seeds I sent you last year?

I think selling the pips is a great idea. I'm sure yours are much nicer, mushed roots and all, than the dried out bareroot things most places sell. Then you can put that cash toward your blueberry bushes. :>)

Hart,

I am not an invalid--you know! Doing physical things actually makes my knee feel better--more "loose". I need to do more of it. I am going back to work next Wednesday--Whoopie! Sitting and answering the phone!

How I wish I was back in the garden dept. dealing with customers and helping them all out with my knowledge. Not gonna happen again--at least NOT in HD! NOT gonna be the only associate in all of garden and have to deal with helping old ladies load 50 lb. bags of stones in the shopping cart. That is what it has come down to. I would still, dearly, love to have a job in a smaller place that deals with houseplants and garden plants and where I can deal with customers. I am such a "people person". However--I don't think any of these places will pay me what I make at HD now. I have been there 9 years!

You misread! My 4 O'clocks are 3" (inches) tall. NOT 3' (feet) tall.....They are the most vigorous of all my seedlings, though.

YES!!! I have Spring fever! Like--104!!!! In a bad way. Our official frost free date here is May 10th. How come yours is 2 weeks earlier? Is it the mountains again?

I have SOIOOO enjoyed all this communication between you and Sallyg and Critter all the last months. It is a shame we all just cannot get together once a month and have lunch or something. I did meet Jill. She came to get a huge amt. of my dug up LOV's. We shopped at Ikea, had lunch of Swedish meatballs and had a wonderful time.

Anyway--if you know anyone that wants some LOV's, tell them to D-mail me.

Gita

They need to put you back in the garden department -- with some strong young feller to do the lifting!

I'm hoping we can meet up more often, maybe manage some random, small get-togethers once the weather turns a bit nicer. I think there are quite a few DGers near Frederick... and I hope I've already half-convinced Gita to come out this way soon! :-)

That's great that you're doing so much to keep yourself limber, Gita. I have a friend who had both knees done several years ago and she has an awful time. Can't even get out of a chair once she gets into it without a struggle. I have a hunch she didn't exercise like she should have after the surgery.

I'm sure with your experience you'd have no problem finding a job at a good garden center. But the pay would be an issue. That's a shame. It would make so much more sense to have an experienced person to help the customers and someone else to be the muscle.

Sorry for the mistake on the four o'clocks. LOL I swear I get more Mr. Magooish the older I get.

I looked up the frost dates in three places and they all said April 30 for all three zones. It made no sense. I know our last frosts are well past that date. At any rate, like you I'm sick of winter and ready to start digging in the dirt.

It would be great if we could all get together. I guess it's out of the question for you to be able to come to the swap on June 9? Maybe we could find a place where we could all meet halfway for lunch one weekend.

Critter, I have a question for you but I'm going to put it in a separate post.

Hart,

Just how far is the Swap from Baltimore ? I have never been to a swap. Don't know if I would have anything much to swap that late in the season anyway.

June is hard for me as I have a HUGE cookout every year at the end of June. This year will be 12 years and going. I hold my famous "Summer Solstice Party/Cook Out. It is for this Group I belong to. I usually get between 55-60 people. I provide all the grillables (chicken and asst, sausages (NOT hot dogs!) and everyone else brings a dish. They have to call to sign up and about half way through, I start being a bit selective and coordinating things a bit. Who wants 15 deserts?

Getting ready for this takes a lot out of me. I start preparing a couple of weeks ahead. YES! Cleaning the house is a biggie, as I seldom do that unless I am having a Party, but also my Garden has to be all done and pretty. Lawn mowed and edged, etc. Then, setting up all the tables and chairs outside and making sure not even the toothpicks are forgotten. Begging and pleading for one or two Guy-members to come early (11AM) and do all the grilling for me. Lets face it. I go through about 30lbs of chicken parts and about 20 lbs of sausages. We start at 4PM. The chicken has to be all cleaned and in Zip-Loc bags. The night before, I make about a gallon of my marinade concoction and pour it into the bags with the chicken, saving some for basting.

In the kitchen, a desert table is set up and also a place for coffee with REAL coffee mugs. No Styrofoam cups at my house! The dining room table gets the extra leaf in it as it will be loaded with all kinds of food and dishes people bring. I get really pretty, summery napkins and good sturdy plates. As I said--EVERYTHING is set up just so. I am real anal when I put on a party, but I suppose that is why everyone thinks I am just the "Hostess with the mostest".
THEN--I just hope it does not rain!!!! Last year we rained out. All that outdoor prep for nothing. This has only happened twice in 11 years. Generally, this is a most pleasant, laid back affair. So everyone says-----if only they knew....

The way this Group operates, everyone brings a dish and also makes a small donation toward the Hostesses expenses and time. For the cookout, it is $7.

Then in October, I go through all this same stuff--just indoors--as I also hold the Group's Halloween Party. Get about 35 people for that. 11 years and going on that as well. Instead of grilling and all the outdoor stuff, I go all out and decorate the house, have costume judging and give prizes. I wear a costume myself as well, it just has to be "functional", as I am known to run around ragged to get all the last minute stuff to go off according to plan.

The second weekend in October (both days) I have also been doing face painting for a local Nursery here that holds a wonderful, community Oktoberfest Festival. It is the most awesome place and has the most awesome activities and decorations all geared to the kids and families. Luckily, it is only 5 minutes from my house. I have a girlfriend who helps me. We only charge $2 per face-painting. This should tell you how many kids we do in a weekend. We both clear over $300, and that is after out booth fee of $80 for the weekend. Once we sit down--we never get up! Parents and kids stand in line for 15-20 minutes just to get their faces painted.
I have been doing this for, maybe?, 15 years for the owner. Would I dare to NOT do it? NOPE! We have become an "institution" there. NO OTHER face painters are ever asked to participate. We are THAT good!

OK! I have a feeling I really digressed here. It is all your fault,Hart. You mentioned the Swap in June.......That got me going......Sorry!

OK! To make up for it I am going to post some pictures of these 2 events for you to see--just in case you thought ALL I do is garden and have knee replacements......:o)

This is "MOI" at my 2005 Halloween party. You all know I am a "clown" anyway, right? I made this outfit maybe 20 years ago.

This is me from last year's Halloween Party.
The phrase, "I have been working myself to the bone for this Party" was well overused last year.

Here is a picture of our Face Painting booth at the Chapel Hills Nursery Fall Festival. I am on the left and my friend, Kathy, is on the right. The Nursery sets up the Gazebo for us at the same place every year.

Can you find "Cinderella" among all the pumpkins????

Among all the wonderful activities geared to children is a costume judging contest. After the parade down the street leading to the Nursery, all the kids/Moms/Dads get to parade in front of the judges for their votes for the best.
I thought this Mom and her Tot were the best. Dorothy and the Lion.

Gita, what fabulous photos! I love your clown outfit... I've been known to put on clown face every so often, even took a class in making balloon animals (but I need to get faster at it).

You know how most face painting goes. A couple of "Smiley Faces", a daisy, a lady bug or such.

Well! Here's MY board of pictures the kids can choose from--ALL for just $2 each. It has only been altered a few times as new "images" come and go.

Every year the most requested are predictable.

Among the girls: Ariel, the Unicorn, the Rose. and the Rainbow. Barney was so popular I removed it 2 years ago. The colors purple and green take forever to dry. Just did not want to deal with it any more.

Among little (?) boys: The Dragon backed by the setting sun, the Skull and the crossbones, the Snake, the spiderweb and "Sponge Bob". I removed him last year as well. The Ninja Turtle also hit the sack several years ago. Too much work! Why do I do this to myself???

So, here are the selections as it stands now. Kathy has her own picture board and does her own choices to paint. You can see the sign hanging for the booth telling all the people this.

Great photos, Gita. You're so cute! Really talented with makeup too. That skeleton makeup is incredible.

I'm not sure, but when we drove up that way for a few years ago, actually it was a bit north of Baltimore, it took around three hours. We kind of took the scenic route, though, up past Martinsburg WVA (Harper's Ferry maybe?) and then across that highway that goes across Maryland - 70? It certainly was not the best way to get there. You can also get here by going around the DC Beltway to 66 and then 66 to Front Royal. That would probably be a lot quicker.

Early June may be late in the season to you but around here nothing much is up to be dug for swapping before then. LOL I pot everything up for swapping anyway in whatever I can find - saved small pots, styrofoam coffee cups with holes in the bottom, whatever. Most things will keep for quite a while in a little pot.