New Bees 03/12/11 friends - new and old...Come on in...

Jan, does that apply to all seeds, the no tap water? Could explain why I haven't had the best of luck with that method. Gosh, I never thought about that ever!

Thanks for the advice Mekos! I forgot about the stratifying! I have to look around for VFT seeds when I can. I love those.

Rainwater ..... what is that????? :-( Weather just said we are almost 4" behind in precipitation for the year already! Just don't want it to rain in Eureka Springs, AR the weekend of April 15th. We are going that weekend. Can rain here all it wants to though! :-) PRETTY PLEASE!!!!!!

This message was edited Apr 6, 2011 5:38 PM

I got VFT seeds extra, gonna send Nettie some soon so don't mind sharing with you too, Tikipod.
Sandi only Carnivorous plants. BUT I have found city water makes smaller tomatoes and less of em compared to useing rain water. So I know it helps other stuff too. When I started catching rain water or filling a large container with city water and waiting a day before useing it on plants, they do better than straight from the hose pipe. Just my own observation.

Cool, thank you Mekos!

My Sarracenia has been watered with either rain or distilled and seems to be doing well. So far it looks a little like it has survived winter although I can't say the same about my Venus. Black as night but it was planted fairly late in the season.

Since my son loves CP we are going to build a better bog bowl and grandpa might add a few more plants to it.

The VFT really need to go out for winter or the life expectancy is low. Maybe a couple years, it must hybernate. So that may be what has happened to yours, and it may perk up shortly as it warms up more.

I hope it does. It was planted in the Sarracenia's temp bog bowl in fall and then we had a bad freeze. I don't think it had time to get established. I had a few store employees tell me they are "short lived" tropical plants ... After reading the cp forum I just said "No. Google it."

Well, I know they are short lived if they dont get a time to rest in winter, but if they do they should be ok. Mine froze too and it seems fine. Actually 2 of them a red one and a green one. The green one is putting out now, the red has not woke yet. Give them time. My CPS, Cobra lilies are about to bloom. Got a ball shot up now about to open.

hi ladies mekos i have questions for you plrase the little sun dew has little ones around the bottom or it do i just leave them for a while they are almost under it. im not sure what to do with it ? i bought some ogon sweet flag can i grow them in my bog or not. nettie

Yep and yep.Haha
You can leave the little ones there OR move them just be careful handling them so not to bruise the tiny roots, but it is ok. Maybe use tweezers or a thin something to gently pick up under the plant and swish in the water and they should seperate. The sweet flags are good in bogs. Should be gorgeous this summer blooming.

mekos thank you im still new to this so need all the help i can get. i also have mini cat tails out their don,t know if they would need more water than i keep in the bog what do you think? im trying to make the bog look good and i do love cat tails. but need some one to tell me a few things before i mess up. started to get some of the little fiber optic grass but was afraid it would take over.love nettie i forgot to add the little pitcher plant also has little ones comming up around it not a problem just thought some might need to be moved away from the mother plant.

This message was edited Apr 7, 2011 12:08 PM

This message was edited Apr 7, 2011 12:09 PM

Cat tails do good no matter as long if it is damp or wet. They would probably wave madly saying.. the more the merrier, (water that is).
I'm sure it will be gorgeous Nettie.

thank you i jost needed a little push to get me going. i just hate to make a mrss ill make pictures if all goes well.love nettie

ok im going to tackle the greenhouse in the morning just grtting ro hot in their take some big things out and put thsm under the oak tree they like it under the tree. i like them out by the water hose. talk later lovr and hugs nettie.and good night.

This message was edited Apr 8, 2011 10:59 PM

Hi All: :)

I am a New Bee. I think.

I only just subscribed recently because I was lonely for plant people. I plant mostly natives in my flower garden, and I certified a Monarch Waystation last year.

I have been prepping my beds and moving things around. I think we have seen the last of winter here.

I have joined in on a couple of trades/swaps and looking forward to checking in here frequently.

Thanks so much. And tell me AREJAY - what is envie? :D

Hi Amanda! And Welcome! If you are looking for plant crazy people, you are in the right place! We are all addicted and afflicted, lol! You will fit right in! Wow, that is impressive on the monarchs! I would venture to guess that there are going to be a lot of us looking to you for info on them. Oh, an envie is simply an envelope, and be sure to send one to Robin, (Arejay) so she can get you your free seeds! Just click on the link at the top of the page, and it will explain everything! We love sharing!

WELCOME Amanda!!! We love NEW BEES. Tell us a little about your flowers and your zone. What do you grow and what you like. Anything you are looking for? Flowers are beginning to bloom in my neck of the woods. I'm getting all excited.

Hi Amanda - You don't have to crazy to be here, but it helps...

Welcome aboard our train!

Al

Hellooo!

I feel like a kid in a candy store in here. Can't believe I have managed to live this long without becoming a subscriber. :D

Thanks for the tip on how to participate as a NEW BEE. Envie. duh. I guess I am used to seeing sase and such. Such a dunce. ;)


Mekos: I grew up in PA, college in upstate NY, grad school in Boston. Figured that was as far north as I wanted to get. Moved to NC in '98 and love, love, love the long growing season. I am a flower child, though I dabble with container vegetables. I am a vegetarian but don't eat enough of them. Anywho.

I'm in Zone 7b. Prefer to plant only native wildflowers. I garden for wildlife - feed the birds better than myself, can't kill an ant, love the colors/flowers.

I have full sun, but I have not developed the shade part of the garden as I would like. This is our third season in this house (rental). Last year was awesome, but this year will be even better!

Here's a link to pictures of the Monarch Waystation.

https://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=716796433&aid=199237

This year I'm going to garden for bumbles (?!). There's a publication from U. Min. called "Befriending Bumbles" I can't wait to have.

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG8484.html

We pulled up lawn chairs in the driveway to watch honey bees on the mountain mint last summer. There's a narrow trench along the driveway and against the neighbor's retaining wall. It's the perfect place for the stuff because it spreads like crazy!

I AM an addict. I work for Metrolina Greenhouses which supplies annual and perennial plants to Wmarts, Sam's Club, Lowes, and major grocery stores. This is not a career, but it puts me in close proximity to plants on a p-t/f-t seasonal basis. ;)

So glad to be here. I feel the love.

Thank you soooo much!

Have a great day.

A.

Bumbles??? I love bumbles. Welcome aboard Amanda.

Hey Amanda! Welcome to the Funny Farm;o)

Kelly

OH Amanda, you are OUR kind of Girl! Mindy is gonna love you too. She is doing research on honeybees and pollinating etc. If ya get pictures with a honeybee on a flower, she would love to add them to the database. We all try to help out as we get some. You have the dream job of the century! Being close to plants for SALE. I'm drooling here! My place is covered in BUMBLE bees. They get to be pests here as they will take over my bird houses and run off my blue birds and make nests in there and fill it with honey. Then hundreds of bees swarm and get after me everytime I get outside so we are not too fond of them here. This just seems to be bumble bee country! (SORRY) But I get lots of pictures with the bumble bees in there.
Anyway, WE all love to see the photos so feel free to post anytime.

Mekos - scads of pictures with honeybees and bumbles from last year. Let me know where to post them or who to send them to (Mindy?).

p.s. I LOVE the osteospermum. This is one of my all time favorite flower photos, EVER.

A.

WOW! That is gorgeous. Just post them here so we all can enjoy them. When Mindy comes she will ask if she can use for the database. She has been doing an incredible job with the different color of pollen and different colors of honey. Anything with a honeybee, she will love! We LOVE them ALL. Go ahead and post anytime. People drop in all around the clock, ya never know when they will. That is what so nice, you come on and find beauty waiting on ya! Amazing beauty!

This is one of my favorite photos I took last summer. Not a honey bee, but.....

OH how gorgeous! I love it too. We get those pretty colored butterflies here too. So cute!

oh me didn.t get all the plants out of the greenhouse we tried i ran out of gass missy is comming tomorrow after church and help me fenish/ nettie

I ♥ Osteospermum too;o) Here's one in my favorite color in a container I just redid for Spring...

Those are just gorgeous!
Forgot to add, NETTIE, don't you overdo out there now. Let the younger kids help more so you don't hurt yourself. That is hard work. I think I am gonna wait a little bit more before taking mine out. Not too sure about the weather just yet. My luck, I take em out and get a hard freeeze that night!

This message was edited Apr 10, 2011 12:23 AM

I'm ready to take my plants outside for the summer. Need teenage step-son to help me. He puts them in for me in the winter too. Next weekend he is suppose to be here, so will have to wait for 2 weeks, as we are out of town next weekend. I hope I don't let any die this late in the season, as I get pretty bad about watering them all. Carrying water jugs back and forth to the kitchen just wears out my back!

I'd hook a long hose pipe up and not carry water jugs. You be careful!

Mekos - maybe start a new thread specifically for bee photos? I know how long these threads can get - might make it easier for her to find them when she's ready to look.

A.

She told me to give you her e-mail address if you wanted to send some to her. So I'll d-mail you soon with the address. But go ahead and post here, We keep Kelly on her toes with making new threads. OR if you have a photo album set up and can give a link to it so everyone could go look, that is good too. But what ever you like is ok.
I love what she is doing with making a database. Until I started reading her articles, I didn't know there was different colored pollen, that honey bees made different colored honey and that the honey tasts different. (How deprived I have been!)

Has anyone heard from Michelle? I was wondering how the nursery business is doing.

well got the greenhouse empty. missy got home called me said we could get bad wind and storms tonight. just made my day i told her to stop listing to the weather liare. they can,t make money out of good weather. got to make people crazy ive already gont so no problem for me i just told bill what she said he thinks he may be getting me new plants. i would try to save them but would probly just go to bed. love and hugs nettie, hi amanda and good to have you love the pictures keep them comming.

mitt she is probly working hard. she is always doing things. every time she has been on and that s not been very often. i sure hope she is doing great. not like me ive been running out of energy have alergys to every thing.if mother nature turns on me i don,t think ill be able to do it. get all those things put back in the greenhouse. nettie the garden club is going to the iris fsrm next week we can buy plants but can,t get them until they fenish blooming. don,t think i will go trees are putting out alot of polin, they will keep me drained of energy. the pines around here are spewing yellow everywhere. and they have alot of pine in charleston.

This message was edited Apr 10, 2011 10:18 PM

This message was edited Apr 10, 2011 10:19 PM

double bloom pink tulip got these on clearance last year' never had any of these before. nettie.

I saw Michelle on another thread last night, well, I saw her post from yesterday.

We have that lovely yellow pollen covering everything here. I had to start giving my dog her allergy tabs as she is starting to chew on her legs and feet. That is a sure sign allergies are bothering her. I've had a headache for the last several days, but then again, the wind has blown some of Texas all the way up to us.

Pretty tulip Nettie! Mine are up, but not quite in bloom just yet.

Al

Nettie - that's so pretty!

I have a confession - I bought some bulbs on clearance in November and planted them on a nice warm day in February.

They are blooming now! :D