8.9 earthquake followed by tsunami just hit Japan

Gardening has taken on a dimension I'd never thought about as all the soil is contaminated with cesium! I don't think I will ever feel comfortable out there again until this situation with the nuclear plant is resolved and I can strip the top soil off and replace it. Just growing a few flowers in containers for now, not ideal for me but better than nothing. Thank you all for thinking of us at this time.

Jon

Jon - No news here (in the USA) about the nuclear reactors in Japan. Are they still trying to get it under control or is it and just going to take time to shut them down?

Are you growing any MGs in containers? I know you said your neighbor dug up some volunteers and replanted them! :-) So sorry for all that you are going through at this time. I hope things improve soon!

Hi Becky, there's not much news coming through here about the reactors! I know they have problems with a water decontamination system, it's continually breaking down and leaking, this system is said to be vital in achieving cold shutdown.

I'm growing two mgs in a wood tub one is Kohkan the other Purple Fuji, no blooms as yet. Much of my trellises were badly damaged in the quake and need repairing before I can grow anything on them.
I've a lot of volunteers I will just let go up some bamboo canes for now.

Jon, so sorry you can't garden outside but I know this is the last thing you have to worry about right now ...prayers continue for you and your family and all people in Japan.

Adina

I appreciate everyone so much, who have helped and supported Jon and all the victims of this multi-phase disaster in Japan. So I am editing what I just wrote, because it just didn't sound right.

But what a gift to the human spirit are any flowers at this time - perhaps especially in spite of this ghastly corporate booboo with the Fukushima reactor(s) and radiation.

This message was edited Jul 3, 2011 5:06 PM

Jon, look what bloomed for me this morning, it is closing back up, the heat was 81 at 4:00am so imagine at 102 now. Whew!

Another one.

And a great big smile here!

A nice pink

And the last one. Have a great day everyone and try to stay cool as possible.

Hi Karen, flowers do most certainly cheer one up!
Nice blooms Jan!

Jan - Some beautiful blooms ya got there! I like this one a lot! http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=8687882 Glad to see you are getting lots of blooms from your vines despite the heat wave going on! Try to stay cool! (whew!)

Great blooms of yourt MGs Jan! I have some too, I'll post some pics later.
Hugs to you and to your family Jon! Prayers continue.

Adina

Thanks, the heat has been bad here for blooms but we got drizzle last night and this morning and look what popped out.

Jon, I sure hope everything is better and starting to get to some kind of normal for you. Becky and Jon, I so loving the blooms from the seeds you both sent me and I thank you very much. They brighten my days.

Some beautiful blooms Jan.
Hope things are improving somewhat Jon.

We're still getting some pretty strong aftershocks and some irradiated food shocks too!
Workers are doing all kinds of repairs in the road outside, dust, noise and inconvenience abound.
However we can see that soon things will return to more or less normal, thank you all for your continued support and encouragement.

Jon

Jan - Beautiful blooms! Glad you are able to get some flowers to bloom with the horrible drought going on there!

Feel free to join us on this thread if you have more photos to share with all of us: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1196674/ They would be a wonderful addition to what others are sharing! :-)

Jan, great blooms from Jon and Becky!!!!
Jon, thinking of you and your family everyday . I'm with Jan, hoping things are going back to normal for you all in Japan.

Hugs,
Adina

This is the last one I have different. It had a trumpet in the center of it. Kinda weird, I thought you might enjoy it Jon.

Hi Jan, some of mine did that last year too, I'm sure this mutation has a name I forgot, Becky will know I'm sure,
nice to get a few unusual blooms isn't it.

Jan - Pretty bloom! The trumpet is usually called a "flag". Many of us get those flags. Sort of like an extra petal coming from the throat. :-) A mutation.

A flag LOL! How'd I forget that?
here's my favorite from this morning, a volunteer derived from chocolate silk I think.

hi jon, hope you are doing okay. love seeing your blooms, from you and Jan both.

Jon, beautiful Choc Silk

Debra, I'm really trying to live life as normal as I can, even though I have major concerns about my kids, what can I do? Just carry on trying to make life as it was?

Patootie, thanks for the confirmation of my novice id, I'm learning LOL!

Wonderful people so you all are and I'm happy and proud to be accepted into the MG community, it means so much to me to be a part of this.

Jon - I am very glad that you are here and posting and growing some lovely MG vines! I love seeing such beauty after the incredible challenge that you are going through! To me, the beautiful volunteers represent hope that life will one day return to normal for the Japanese people and their families and friends. I am so glad that things do seem to be improving steadily in your village now. :-)

This message was edited Jul 21, 2011 2:55 PM

Hi Jon,
Sure do miss you around here... I just popped in to say hello and hope you are doing well and I hope the family is okay too.

Someone, please start a new thread....Becky?

Hi A, Yep we're all fine and trying to get things back to normal, bit of a way to go yet but headed in the right direction.

Becky - it's okay, you go ahead and start a new thread

Jon, my prayers are always with you, your family and all in your predicament

karen

Karen,
It's alright for you to start one, I hadn't seen you around so I just thought I would ask Becky.
A.

Thanks Karen! we're winning!

Y'all, I'm going to be away for a while - take care

Karen - Have a nice time while you are away! :-)

Per Antoinette's reminder that this thread is getting long, please join us for our continued discussion about Japan and our friend, Jon and his family! http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1198762/

Thanks Becky,
Karen, Have a nice time, I'll be gone also for a while too, lots of work, maybe we'll meet somewhere in between.