Your neck of the woods, countdown to SPRING 2013,4 days left

Going to opening day of my Farmers Market tomorrow am. This is the 32 nd year! Will say hi to Garlic Man and all my other 'friends' there. Can't wait to hear their perspective on this season.

The Saga of Paul digging up my Wintersweet is now recorder. pictures and all,
on the "Spring Time Plant Shopping" Thread.

It is DONE! Gita

Got to go and read it. I have had a few hours out in the Gardens this afternoon, cleaned up a few more small beds. Sprayed the patio with weed killer.
Who gave me the Tricyrtis hirta 'Lightning Strike'? it is coming up so excited.

Toad lilies are pretty neat. I love the yellows.

Sally, that is such great news - good for you!

THanks Terri

Just for fun:

"Women don't want to hear what you think. Women want to hear what they think - in a deeper voice."
Bill Cosby
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/b/bill_cosby.html#YRQhwlhXzuQlGbbo.99

Hahaha. He is a funny man!!!

FYI
All of the Spring Swap at Jans threads are now stickied at the top of our forum.

This should help the organizationally challenged among us
(we know who we are! lol)
to always be able to easily find all Spring Swap threads.

Just look at the top of the forum.

When these threads have served their useful life they will be 'un- stickied'

My son is #467, wave 4, green caps, USA Triathlon event today, Temp AZ
http://www.usatriathlon.org/events/usat/2013/04/collegiate-national-championship/coverage.aspx

WooHoo, Way to go! What a great experience. Bet you are just beaming.

We kept an eye on the video stream for about 2.5 hours! Also cleaning the bedroom chasing out the dust puppies.(actual small dogs made from German shepard hair - ! -ha)
We did get to see him run across the finish line. That's exciting , and comforting, especially after you learn about crashes and people passing out during the race. We went to one in COlumbia MD. THe first emergency siren you hear kinda chills you.

Now as to what the heck am I doing 'watching TV' and cleaning on such a GLORIOUS spring day???

I would have been glued to that TV. LOL
I watched for quite awhile but I was watching the women, mostly coming out of the water and picking up their bikes. Just amazes me what our children can accomplish.

Wonderful. So glad you saw him cross the finish line... Did he go with a team from his college?

Hope your plants were well behaved in your temporary suspension of the watchful eye! Mine seem quite rebllous wether or not I'm watching.

Speaking of watching, I think there are supposed to be some Northern Lights visible next few nights.

Sally, is your son one who will phone home? Where do they swim in Tempe?

Again, congratulations to your son.

Mark spoke to Scott after the race at some point. There were five girls and five guys from the university Tri Club. They swim in Lake Tempe-? it sounds like a man made lake, (possibly having some thing to do with an anomalous giant hill in the background of some of the camera shots.)
Thee are two announcers at the finish line, they announce every single finisher. Its nice to hear your name over the speaker/ your kid's name over the speakers, after all that grueling effort! They struggled with pronunciation a couple times, and joked about it. After yet another difficult-for-them-to-pronounce name, one of the guys said. "I got this next one!...Scott Miller!"
lol

" Just amazes me what our children can accomplish. "
If only they'd put 'laundry sorting ' in there, between the bike and the run perhaps...sigh...chuckle

If I'm remembering correctly, my brother who lives in Phoenix showed me the four mountains that corner the Paradise Valley wherein Phoenix and Tempe sit. Each mountain is a park with trails, etc. Was the bike part up and down hills? What an adventure. Love the announcer thing!

Sally, how exciting and adventurous for Scott. Way to go, and what a proud mama you must be.

Quick story on names - my maiden name was Marrone, prounounced like bone, silent e. I used to be called Bony Marony, Terri Macaroni, and even Terri Marony full of Bologne - LOL thank goodness just in fun and not the bullying you hear so much about today. Well anyway, when I was a teenager, my mother got pregnant but sadly ended up miscarrying. My brother, sisters, and I blamed my dad because he swore he was going to name him Tyrone Marrone - always said with exagerated syllables - just so it would sound great when the kid was being announced in sporting events.

Even though Marrone isn't that difficult, it did get mispronounced often. One of my sisters and I have married surnames that makes life easier - mine is Thomas, hers is Wilson. One of my cousins went the opposite. Her maiden name was... da da da da Miller ... but changed to Dglonski on marriage LOL.

Mah Roan...its obvious to me! Sheesh!

In cases like your cousin Dglonski...a "Miss (Prolonged pause)" becomes the default to hearing your actual name called. Take it from a "Guentner"

GOsh I've been in the garden pulling variegated Vinca. There is not much bad about being in perfect temperature perfect shade, birds singing, nurturing some things (despite ripping out others LOL) I started the Vinca twenty years ago before I could envision a garden with so much more than that.

Woohoo!!! Way to go, Scott!!! Heehee on the announcer!!

I feel the same way, why am I inside??? I do have a 'big dig' going on. On a mission to rid a bed or two of an awful grass that I let have free rein. AAAAACCCKKK!!! I usually try to lift a too large shovel full, then twist. A little sore today, so not gonna do it today. So there. When things are not perfect at the swap I'm not gonna stress!! We're gardeners, so know it is a work in progress always. Then a redo or overhaul. It's what we do. I know you will understand. Thankfully

What a gorgeous day. David and Pat swung by - put David on a mission to identify a flowering shrub/tree that grows native in the woods that after all these years I still have no idea what it is. He took some pictures so I'm sure I'll have my answer soon. We went on a nice walk along the canal path at Point of Rocks. There are all kinds of wild flowers in bloom - virginia bluebells, dutchmen's breeches, spring beauty, ornithogalum, violets... Took a little nap after I got home, boy it felt so good in the sun. Now I'm ready to get back to yardening - weeds, weeds, weeds. Sally, I've always liked vinca but I guess too much of anything becomes a problem.

I had some blood root pop up today. I received it in a mailer trade and had wrote it off. What a surprise!

Love surprises!!!

Terri it sure does paint a pretty picture.

Yes, it does!! Love spring!!

I knew David would be able to id the mystery shrub/tree that grows natively in my woods. It seems that it is Alamancier canadensis, also known as Canadian Serviceberry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelanchier_canadensis

Yay David - I've only been wondering what it is for 20+ years and within one day you solved it LOL

Here's another "gardening oops" -- I think some some gardening bloggers call them "goops."

I planted a hellebore last month in what I thought was a partial shade area. Oop! It turns out I miscalculated summer time vs winter time shade, and it's actually in full sun.

I've read that hellebores can take more sun than people realize, and that they *tolerate* full shade rather than preferring it.

Is this true? Or do I need to move this one? It's Ivory Prince, and looking good so far.

This article says they can take full sun

http://www.hellebores.org/growing/propagating.html

Some of mine get a good bit of sun and are doing very well. I moved a hosta that was burning up in the same area but the Helles are handling it.

prayers for all in the Boston area

Jen, This has hit me particularly hard as my DDJen ran the D.C. Marathon just last month and we were there at the finish line cheering her home. So I have a really good idea how excited and happy those people were before those bombs went off. That they were the parents, children, siblings and loved ones of the runners.

Holly, I thought of you and Sally today, cheering on your children, and several friends of mine who are marathon runners. I had to turn the news off.

Yeah Holly, I thought of you and Sallyg when I heard the breaking news this afternoon

Oh man I just love this double bloodroot. WOW.

http://www.edelweissperennials.com/Large_Image.aspx?plantName=445&gclid=CP7rlvOMzrYCFa1QOgodUzYAIQ

Terp: I know; I'm weak in the knees for that plant. I've been tempted to splurge. Shipping is rough, as I recall. I might look at the Green Springs sale...

Aspen: Mobot loves your serviceberry. Maybe it would work in my shady back yard. http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/plant-finder/plant-details/kc/j290/amelanchier-canadensis.aspx

Ric, they have revised the pixel size for avatars, you may try uploading it fresh and it should be more clear.

Thanks for the info Sally!

Sally---That is much cuter----now I like it......G.

tee hee Gita, she has a curly spider for her hair!