heat mats and lighting

I will plant them then just as soon as I can get them in the ground unfortunatley it is going to rain tomorrow. do you know anything about hibiscus ? my sister got one she has it in the house but now it has lost its leaves and is just the wood . do you think it can come out of it ? I know I gave you no info on it. she also has a tropical plant that has white mold on it and a gooey sap its leaves have been falling off to. I dont do house plants. at least not yet.

If your sister can cut back the hibiscus she'll see if the cut areas show green (meaning it's alive but resting) or brittle and brown (dead). They do need a good pruning to flower at their best.

White mold and gooey sap sound like problems. Have her isolate the plant in another room so the problem doesn't spread.

Hey Pirl & Tammy, How does your garden grow? Every things comming up roses here. My Passion cuttings turned out to be some sort of weed. Oh well. The red banana I planted last week started a bright red stalk from it's center it's grown allmost 3" in less than a week! Tammy can't wait for my Raspberry sorbet Sweet william to hurry up and get outside They are going to be the pride of my container plants. Got one just for them, a big one. Lowes had 15gal pots for under $20 They will be looking good with an asiatic lily planted in the middle of them.D-Mail me and let me know how you are doing. Have you learned to do the Photo sending thing yet.I'd love to see what all of your hard work comes to. Pirl,I found some Madagascar jasmine seed. 2 packs no date but you never know. Have you ever tried this Plant? Keep in touch your Pal JIMT.

Hi Jim: we're still in the season of brown grass, slowly turning green. Weather is great but we can still get snow through early April.

Haven't grown any jasmine since the one I put outside died, years ago.

Good work on that banana! Keep up the good work.

The big excitement right now is checking the clematises for buds and many are huge so I'm happy.

every thing is growing here , just slowly but that is ok ,my roses are doing great. I bought those stick type ones from rural king they had them for $2.50 a piece so I potted them in my basement. I planted alliun and freeezia and cannas in containers in my basement, Pirl my wave petunias are very slow tp come up would fertilizing them help? also the canna I planted were very dry I let them soak over night do you know if they are suppose to be so dry I bought them last fall. My rasberry sweet williams that I had out in the yard are coming to life that surprized me I didn,t think they would winter over. My friend here at school is going to try and show me how to post a picture. Jim I hope your sweet williams do good. happy gardening all, I cant wait for spring!!! Tammy

We're all anxious for spring and after the winter most of us have endured it's no surprise.

Can't see your canna from here, Tammy, but you can Google for instructions or just plant them and when you see new growth you'll know they are growing.

It's the plant roots that absorb nutrition so if the petunias aren't growing well and don't have the required roots to uptake the food, there's no point to feeding them. We gave up on petunias a few years ago, after too many disappointments with seeds after years of growing them well, and now buy them locally.

Once you get the photo posting down you'll wonder why you were hesitant. Most of us go through it so don't think you're alone.

Hi From Mobile al. Spring is over. All two weeks of it. High today 84 now it will really pick up speed. Is there really a whole season called spring where you guys live? Does it last a whole month or so? Tammy here you can mow your Cannas once durring the summer and they act like they were just comming up and start the show all over again till the cold gets them. Now the seedlings from Chinese Tallow start to pop up. Plucking 100 every couple of days is, well, therapeutic in a therapeutic sort of way. I have 2 Painted ferns come back!! I thought they were gone for good. The dogwoods and Redbuds are starting to bloom,My yellow native azaleas are in bud. And everyones "pride of Mobile" azaleas are startig to cover mobile. Mine are 11'x? I can not see the whole of the front of the house any more. I wish they could stay in bloom all year. Pirl, please post pic's of your clematises. a hundred what a sight!! They must be the envy of every one of the neighbors.I saw the pic you posted from Fine gardening Mag. on container gardens. What a fine example of what must be the work of quite a few folks. I got my Plant Smart replacement Sensor a couple of days ago. It is really a fun thing to use. The guys who built the sensor are some of the experts "behind the curtain" who give answers to our questions.Really nice guys and make having one worth it. Goodnight and good gardening.JIMT.

You're cute, Jim. Yes, we have spring for a good two to three months and we enjoy it.

Thanks for the kind words, Jim.

While we haven't had the pleasure of seeing Mobile's azaleas, I have seen them in bloom in Savannah, GA, and we slowed down while driving to try and absorb all that beauty. Ours won't bloom until Mother's Day.

What is Plant Smart? I have a system given to me by my daughter, called Easy Bloom Plant Sensor and it is fun to use but by my age I know the plants that want sun as opposed to shade and water as opposed to being kept dry. It's good for new plants that I've never grown before.

So sorry to take so long. We have been working a lot of overtime at my work,I know it's giving mgrs.a headache or worse to part with the money. Puts a bonus or two in jepordy I bet .Pirl, The Easy Bloom is one and the same as Plant Smart. I did have both icons on my laptop. Plant Smart is the name of whatever part of the co. Black and Decker bought out. I know it is more of a toy,I just like Bells and Whistles.I get a heap of contradictory readings. But It's fun.I think i'll get the fertilizer function for a month ($3.00) just to play around with.I send soil samples to Auburn once a year to get the real lowdown on my dirt.Mobile calls her self The Azalea City.And lives up to it.You would think the city gives them away they are so abundant. Tammy I can't wait to see your garden.Well you guys enjoy your spring. JIMT.

SPRING will you please make your mind up to stay and quit teasing me!!!!! sorry about my little hisssy fit just now, we have had temps in the 70s here for a couble of days but starting tomorrow it is droping back down to a high in the 40s . It makes me want to scream ,but I wont because that would wake every one here up and then I would have to fix breakfast for everyone for waking them up. I hate the smell of eggs.
Jim I am envious of the long growing season you have there , I have been to Alabama once in the winter years ago, i would dearly love to see the azaleas and the native flowers along the country side. Ok what is a plant smart replacement sensor? we usualy have a couble of months of spring weather before it gets hot.


Pirl do you grow AZaleas ? If so can you tell me do you grow them in a container and what kind of soil and amendments they need ,most of all are they hard to grow and do they take a lot of pampering? My roses are doing so good I really need to put them out soon I am little afraid of them getting hit by a hard frost.

Yes, we have many azaleas and they love acid soil and average rain or watering. They aren't hard to grow at all and don't need pampering - maybe a little haircut as they finish blooming to encourage bushier shrubs.

Roses give angst if we've kept them inside and then have to put them out to face Mother Nature while they're showing such good growth. Good luck.

Tammy,the PlantSmart and EasyBloom sensors are "built using the same technology developed by NASA for use in the space shuttles" well all I can say is they are fun to use. The sensor is built to stick its forked prong into an area you want to plant a new plant you have not grown before or(like me) want to know if you've made a big mistake by planting every plant where it will not thrive.You plant it in an area where you want to check the Light, Temp.,Moisture,and for $3.00 a month(I got it today) it will check the ammount of fertilizer Too, against the needs of whatever plant you have or will be planting in this area or pot. I put it under my plant lights and got caught.It told me the sun was shining at night and something is wrong OR YOU ARE USING PLANT LIGHTS.This did not go over to well. The reading was voided.Oh You plug it into your computer with a USB cable and they send you all these neat graphs and advice. You can go to their Forums and ask questions of a really nice and expert gardener or Tech Guy or Plant Dr. Sort of like Pirl but a guy. A Toy But kinda fun.JIMT.

Jim - you are just too funny with that line about, "...Sort of like Pirl but a guy".

Here's a link to show you Easy Bloom:
http://www.easybloom.com/

I didn't opt for the $3.00 a month fee for fertilizing analysis but I didn't even know about it until Jim mentioned it.

HI, the co. who took my $3.00 for the fertilizer readings is Easy Bloom,I do belive They are the Parent Co. It is too sad about Liz Taylor I saw "Who's afaraid of Vir. Wolfe" last year for the first time. I'm glad I waited till I was older. HEAVY stuff. We should Plant a plant in her Memory.Any suggestions? Something Violet?JIMT.

It is sad about Liz Taylor, I watched Cleopatra 3 times in a row. was she in Cat On a Hot Tin Roof with Paul Newman? I like the plant in her memory idea, it is sad to say but seems like they just don't have many great movie stars left. not that today's actors aren't good they just aren't the same caliber of actor like the old stars were.

Pirl help , my only climatice is starting to wilt any idea what s wrong? I encluded a pic.

Here is a picture of my plant stand that my husband built me and some of my seedlings, Pirl to I have things to crowded on it?

These are the Petunias I srarted from seeds off my plants from last year.

Tammy - that clematis isn't sitting in a pot of water, is it? Get it out if it's in water. They want cool damp roots - not drenching wet. Put it in sunshine but don't let the leaves touch the glass - ever.

Not too many plants but only the top shelf appears to have the lights close enough to the plants. Put something under the trays to raise them to a similar height as your top shelf. You can use boxes or anything that will get them close to the light. Otherwise you'll get leggy plants and you don't want that. The lights get moved upwards (on chains) as the plants grow. I can't see if your lights can be adjusted but you can adjust the height using whatever you have in the house - slats of wood comes to mind.

Instead of trying to adjust 10 different trays with wooden slats you can put a few trays on an old cookie sheet to make it easier.

The petunias look great! They aren't supposed to look drenching wet - yours is picture perfect.

The clematis isn't in water but that soil is very wet I will put it in another container when I get home , what is the best medium to grow clematis in ,I wonder if I should add peat moss to the mix ? I am growing snap dragons too put mine are much smaller , I will put my plants closer to the lights . we are going to have snow this weekend here maybe 3 inches , I have several spring bulbs coming up out side to you think they will be allright , they just have the leaves coming up no stems or buds yet.

I really wouldn't add peat moss. Try repotting the clematis to a soil-less mix, widely available at any home center, Walmart's, Home Depot, etc.

The snapdragons in the photo were from a former year. I posted the photo to show how close the lights should be to the plants. As they grow you can move the lights if they're on chains.

Everything outside will be just fine. We've had snow on blooming daffodils in the past and they continued to bloom when the snow was gone. Spring is a tense time for many of us gardeners.

Well done Tammy, You set out to do something,you do it! Your Pic's are wonderfull. Tell your husband & son I think they did you a great job. We expect pic's of your plants as they grow:) Did you start any sedum from seed or get any allready started? Oh,did you see any coral cactus at the store? I thought for sure it was a sedum but it's a grafted cactus.Very unusual looking plant in a good way.Today is the 18th Festival Of Flowers.So I'm off and will attend.(I have a friend who has a cousin who has the opening exihbit this year.)any excuse to go. My Chrysanthemum Carinatum (I've fogotten what else they are named) will be blooming soon! Or do you think the flower buds should be removed? I read and read but still am not sure about what to do. Now to get a camera that works with a computer before the last of the azalea blooms are gone.JIMT.

I appreciate your comments Jim, they did a good job for me on that stand. I love flowers shows they are the high light of my winter
I was sick both times they were held this year. I would love to see pictures of your flowers . I dont know that I have seen a chrysanthemum carninatum when it blooms please post a picture. I am still waiting for spring weather to arrive it was 40 today.

It was so hot and humid, but it would have been worse if the sun had been out.The prices were Outrageous this year so I took some pic's and helped my friend carry her Bird feeder to the car. I have not been told of any shows here in winter, It sure would brighten up a dull winter. The big ones are now during spring. Did I mention we don't have a formal season called spring? Just a week or two of nice weather then the heat. I gripe alot but I really do love it down here.There was a Butterfly house! Very well done.And all of the displays were~from traditional Southern to~wierd and striking, worth the hour and a half we spent there.I decided to plant this first group of herbs and flowers in containers.In the garden "my dance card is full" except for shade loving plants.I was told by a friend and Real Gardener "Don't move any thing else. Your plants have only been here a year. Give them a chance to get comfortable." That is all it took. I put the shovel and wheelbarrow down.I didn't want to do all of that hard labor at this time anyway. And my Banana Shrub bloomed. The Carolina Allspice has bloom buds from top to bottom everything,is green and healthy. A sign they like it just fine where they are (I hope). And a friend put most of my garden pic's on a memory stick and put them on this laptop. Hopefully I'll learn to send them tonight! Don't give up Springs just around the corner!!Your pal JIMT.

Tammy - your husband really did do a great job with the stand and I'm sure he'll be as thrilled as you to see the results of your hard work with the seeds and plants. It really is fun and so very rewarding. Take photos when you eat that first tomato with the juices running down your arms - maybe get hubby to take the photo instead!

Jim - love the "dance card is full" line! I'm feeling like that with our gardens. I'd agree with the person who told you to put down the shovel and leave the plants alone this year. Sit back, relax and enjoy!

Thanks Pirl, You make my day. But for this garden I needed to start showing a little restraint.(a lot.) This is a single bloom from my Admiral Semmes Hybrid Azalea. Developed by Dodd and Dodd Nursery Just up the road in Semmes Al . It does show a Honeysuckle semblance.Ya think?JIMT.

They each have their own brand of beauty, Jim. I do love the azalea. We had an orange Exbury one for years until it died.

We're due for snow tomorrow so count your blessings and take more azalea photos!

These I planted over 20 yrs. ago. They were Not supposed to cover the whole house.But they are what they are and the neighbors take photos. They are the largest Pride of Mobile for miles and miles not in a public garden. Next year they get a little "haircut" or a tunnel cut from the center.JimT.

Pirl~ Here is the first container of Gazania & Chrysanthemum Carinatum You and Tammy kept growing.JIMT.

Stunning, Jim. I can understand why folks stop and take photos.

Good work on those seedlings, too!

Some of our azaleas with some lupines.

Pirl your Azalea is beautiful,and those Lupines make this a postcard.The seedlings and I have you and Tammy to thank.I would not have put sterilizing at the top of the list if not for your advice.You may have saved them all. Now they are all just waiting for their homes. Tomorrow at last!! Getting all into containers.Thanks JIMT.

Wow! That is LUSH! Are they basil?

Yes and is there a lot of it!!! Thanks to a well used Chop stick with instructions made for someone with sausage fingers and a sore rib.They are pretty big now.Here are a few.JIMT.

I planted four, just four and got four. I doubt I'd know what to do with all you have but I'm sure they smell absolutely wonderful.

As much Cilantro Basil Pesto as we can. : )JIMT.

Yum! I do make it and freeze extra in rolls, using Saran Wrap (or any plastic wrap), so we have it in winter. Not as good as fresh but on a cold, snowy night it works for us.

Yumm!! A blessing in a hot bowl of soup w/Some crusty Bread. Cooked a corned beef so Reubens for lunch. Sans soup.JIMT.

Thank you Pirl for mentioning Azalea and Orange!!! I Looked for an Orange Azalea Today at the Botanical gardens Big Spring Doo at the park. Well I guess I have a dance or two I over looked. There was a Aromi, Hybrid Azalea,"Sunrise" Got it. No matter what the lady behind me said I did see it first. It was way too big for her to carry anyway.There were only two left, one "Sunrise" and one "Spring Fanfare". I think they will do well. Dr. Aromi taught at University Of South Al. here. His wife developed this plant with his help after he retired. Oh I bought "Spring Fanfare" also. (and an Abbeville red La. Iris, Lots of Coleus, Blue moss phlox, @ 2, passiflora Caerulea, 1 Miss Margr.. Passiflora. More Butterfly Ginger.& some Rose Moss.) I fell of the wagon after only...not 24 hrs.yet. Well,umm, There is almost a whole acre out side my little 50'x50' area. Just needs a little color.JIMT.

Sure, sure! No more room on your dance card turns into a truckload of plants!

I'm happy you got all the beauties and expect photos when they all bloom.

OH MY what lovely flowers , you dont know how bad I wish I could see them in person . you both have introduced me to flowers I didnt even know exsisted, my world of flowers has gotten so much bigger now. I feel like a child in a candy store for the first time . like i always had fudge and rock candy at home but get in the candy store and there is so many things, you dont know which to try.
I love both of your pictures, Pirl and Jim you simply must be the envy of your neighbors and I cant even imagine all the work that went into your yards, but wow did it pay off. I truly enjoy the photos they lift my spirits .