Starting seeds, Part 4

I need to try it on my double Perl. I'm so afraid I'm going to lose that 1 bitty plant before it grows up and makes babies!

When the blooms are done, cut off a 2 or 3 node section. Clip off the bottom leaves and leave stem no more than 1/4" and place in soil so the nodes are just below the soil line (1/4"-1/2"). The one that didn't make it was not as mature of stem cutting as the one that did. I stuck two more i today, we'll see.....(could also dip in rooting hormone too, tho I didn't)

Cool! Just like any other cutting, sounds like, although I have very little experience doing it myself. I think I'll wait until the plant is more mature. Cutting a whole stem is giving up a lot of flowers! This is the first time she's opened 2 at the same time. ^_^

How is it possible that I started in December, kept going all winter, and now feel sooooooo behind?! Today was so beautiful, low 70's. So today bought--horrors, how lazy!-- peas! Anyway, I planted one veggie bed, the snap peas, Red Ace Beets (my starts), and lots of lettuce (mostly mine), and covered it with a frost blanket. Overkill I know , but my thinner stuff is all in shreds.

We are very dry here right now, so yesterday I found the timers, put the batteries in, and started checking out the irrigation system I put in last summer. Sketchy, but it mostly works, just a couple of missing heads, which I was able to figure out without losing too much time. Last fall, while I still remembered what was what, and to take advantage of end-of-season sales, I bought lots of things I thought I might need, and enough extras that I'm sure I can tweak and expand the system now. Only problem is, there are soooooo many itty bitty parts marked with warehouse codes... Do you think I have any idea any more what is what?!

Phew! Pam yer crazy. I haven't read the thread for over a month and had a heck of a time chasing you!

I started too much from seed last year and didn't have the time to tend it, so I'm starting a little a time. I have to say that this year's "spring" is really putting a cramp in my extended growing season.

Nice work Kathy and Pam. You make my head spin.

I grabbed up some of this Ammi major you keep talking about in the robin. Tell me why it's so rare.

I'll just be content to follow along. Right now I'm waiting on some black pincushion flower, euphorbia marginata, white swan echinacea, veronicastrum virginianum. Over did it with the milkweeds this year. Have no idea where I will plant them all, but I am going to single-handedly bring back the population from the bring of extinction.

Keep up the good work.

A.

Amanda....The Ammi major is rubra, that's what makes it rare ( the rubra, is red or dark pink) and can't be found on the market to be bought).. I received as a seed trade more than 15 years ago. Grew it once and then moved. Just refound the seed this spring and thought I'd share. It did germinate quickly for me and I have scads of babies. I just hope I didn't mix it up with the white form of A. m. which I had also grown at that time, but envelope I put the seed in did say Rubra, so I'm hoping my labeling was correct. If by chance it is wrong please forgive. But you will enjoy it if either. This is not the roadside wild flower that many people refer to. This plant will be about 24-30" (was in my garden), redish pink umbels, ( if it were to be the white flowered variety it will get 36" with white flowers). So all in all the seed is 15 years old but all of mine germinated or was very high %, I tested it before offering. So I hope you enjoy.

I did look it up before I took some seed. I figured I couldn't go wrong with another plant for pollinators. Can always count on you Kathy! I'm looking forward to sprouting them.

I fancy my own garden as a meadow/prairie garden, and Court last summer said it was like "a powerline easement" which to me was high praise.

I'm also considering, however remotely, relocating for work to somewhere in your neck of the woods (perhaps even farther north)(sad sad face) in my quest for prairie land. Very keen on the prairie restoration going on in the middle of nowhere and re-introduction of Biston and Elk. If we make serious plans in that direction I will definitely be looking for your input.

A.

I also had very good germination of your elderly seed ;^) with my Spring Sowing. That and Verbena Bonariensis are the first to pop. Our days are warming up, this whole weekend has been gorgeous. The nights are hovering just above freezing, 34-37.

We are also having a major drought, the only rain in sight is days away, and only 30-40% likely. I spent the day working on kinks in the system. Last night I boned up on the parts and mostly know what they are for now. But today I discovered that there are huge dry-as-bone areas I need to fix quick. In my haste to get irrigation set up before leaving for 6 weeks last summer, I cut some corners because I was running out of supplies. It didn't matter then, it rained regularly while we were away, but now, Yikes! All those months of raising babies, only to let them shrivel up- no way! So we are staying until tomorrow afternoon so I can make sure I have it all covered.

Does Echinacea White Swan come true from seed?

Amanda...did you get some of the Daucus carota seed too? It's a host plant for the Swallowtail Butterflies, they lay their eggs on it and after hatching it's food for the worms before caccoon stage I believe. (both plants are related too; Daucus c. is Biennial and can reach 5-7 foot. It's yummy and I just love them). The Ammi's are Annual with reseeding tendencies.

Gosh Pam, thanks for reminding me, I've wanted to grow Verbena bonariensis for years.....got some seed out of the box, almost forgot about it. And if I remeber correctly, yes the Echi. White Swan does come true...It's been a few years since I've grown it. Most any of the Echies. that are more than I'd say 10 years old should come true from seed, it's all those new ones from the past 5 years -ish that don't, from what I've read. ( I was naughty....the other day when I went to get pots, I got another Echie. paradoxa(yellow). I meant to collect seed last fall and didn't, so now I have 2..lol. Ya, ya, I picked up some other things too...I'm soo bad, all 2 1/2" pots.

Ok, I'll beat you to the question...lol. Here are the others:
Pardancanda (cross of Belamcanda and I believe Vesper's Iris, it has shades of purple and pink flowers)
Thalictrum Delavayi
Dictamnous purpureas Alba
Echinacea paradoxa
Gaura lindheimeri (whirrling butterflies), love this plant, doesn't seem to be all that hardy for me so I get a new one every few years
Belemcanda Hello Yellow
Nepeta faassenii x Blue Wonder
Veronia Fasciculata (2-4 foot)
Rudbeckia subtomentosa Sweet Coneflower (3-6 foot)
Geranium cinereum Ballerina
Artemesia lactiflora Guizhow (4 foot x 18")
Scutellaria Resinosa SmokeyHills
Eupatorium Chocolate (36-48")
Oenothara berlandieri Siskiyou Pink
Artemisia Powis Castle
Iris odaesanensis (12"^ x 6">, white and yellow)
Tiarella cordifolia
Lily pycnostachya ( think I better check that spelling again tomorrow, lol, can't even read my handwriting)
Clematis scottii (Scott's Sugarbowls 8-16")
Thalictrum Rochebrunianum (5 foot x 2 foot)
Papaver orientalis Royal Wedding
Iris lactea ( 20" soft blue and yellow)
Atlas Daisy (does anyone remember the botanical name off hand)
Atleast some of them are unusuals.

Pix 1: Daucus carota
2: Daucus c., close up of an umbel
3:Ammi (don't remember if this is A. visagana or A. majus, am growing both this year so I can identify my seed correctly, one is taller and more greenish white than the other).

Hi Kathy - yes I did get some of that seed too. I was a tad confused when I saw on the packet that said "wwwKathy to PFG" but I figured you sent so much seed Pam just put it back in for the rest of us. Thanks! :)

You've got a fabulous list of plants there. I have tried to start the E. paradoxa. I may have gotten one seedling. I think I planted it out in the "back 40" last year. I did put a tag next to it and there's a small plant there. Sometimes when I trade I don't always get the proper seed for the species. Sometimes it's just a guessing game. This is one of those times.

I learned something about the E'chocolate' last season. I dug up 5 plants I'd grown from seed to move them. They had been in place for at least 2 years. I thought they wanted a little shade. they would suffer some wilt midday but come back at the end. Well the year after I moved them they came up in spades where they had been which was quite a shock! They had never spread, not one single volunteer, plenty of seed. It's apparently that kind of plant that reproduces from broken root-stock. Ack! Now I am pulling them up like weeds. It's amazing. So I have a lot to give away at our RUs this month and next. Lovely plant.

Well that's my tip for the day/night. Talk to you later!

ANACYCLUS pyrethrum 'Mount Atlas Daisy’

For me, A Majus only gets around 24," maybe a little taller. Last year I had it with E White Swan and a white Veronica.

Love that Tiarella! Started with one plant rescued from a crack in a stone wall several years ago. Last fall I spread it around quite a bit. Can't wait to see it do its thing this year.

Also love Thalictrum Delayvii. I have 3 plants, been trying to increase them. Last year I got seedlings by scattering seeds in a large pot late the previous fall, then let them grow there until September before planting in the garden. This spring, although the original plants are coming up strong, there is no sign of the babies :(

I had a much smaller shopping episode yesterday, but bigger pots: Thalictrum Black Stocking, Polemium Bressingham Purple, a nice big pot of blooming white Hyacinths and some snap peas.

Lol Amanda, I have plenty to share ..hey Pam, did you ever get any Daucus carota seed from me? If not let me know I have seed I can include in your May plant trade box. Just let me know...

.Yup, wasn't sure whether to get the Tiarella c. or T. c. Whereii, the gal said they are pretty much the same. Love the pix........

I'm hoping the Thalictrums do good for me this year...I had them at a lower elevation garden in semi shade. I also have one planted here from 2 years ago, but with the drought last year it sulked and didn't bloom. Here they will be in full sun tho at 6900ft, so should be cooler for them and can take the sun. I also grew from seed T. flavum, which is yellow, (I'll have to find seed for that one again).

Am soo looking forward to this summer, my gosh I have many, many new goodies. I hope they are all my new favorites..lol. And phooey, some I have to wait til next year for blooms..guess the annuals will just have to do double duty til then. (But I am wondering about those that are out in the cool temps under remay, some just might get enough cooling to enduce bloom this year, maybe I should get more out there as they are saying temps will be cool for another 10 days. Highs in the 60*s and lows have been down to the low to mid 30*s here. Ok, I need to get to bed..lol. Chat later. Kathy

1: Crambe cordifolia, spring, 5 foot. This is one of those plants that if you dig and move it you'll get babies coming up from the roots also.. Am thinking I need to move some into the back yard this spring and let it do it's thing there...yeah!!! BABIES! lol.

My Thalictrum is in shade, loves it but doesn't seed. Years ago on LI, I had it near containers and every spring there were lots of babies there. My current plants are offspring from then, ca '97-'00. I guess I should have waited til now to plant the new ones, but worried about the pot drying out over the winter.
This year I'll plan better. T Black Stockings is a new hybrid from Terra Nova, division is the only way-- or maybe I'll try cuttings. That might be quicker!

I've admired Crambe from afar in the Brit books, but didnt realize it would do well in our zone. Hmmmmm... Now to find the right spot BEFORE I find the plant, so it doesn't croak in the pot before I decide what to do with it! Lol...

Amanda, I've been thinking about moving my Joe Pye... Maybe I'd better think again!

Just looked up Thalictrum ina book by A. Armitage. He states that thalictrum can b divided or seeded. But nothing about taking a slip to increase, although the propagators use tissue cultures. Can grow in shade or full sun, but when in full sun it's not as vigorous and blooms later.

On the other hand you can take slips of Eupatorium and root. Hmmm. But the book says nothing about them comming back from the roots left in the ground.. How big is that Joe Pye that you want to move? And if it were to come back you can always send the babies to me.. I could use those in the backyard as a barrier along the fence...lol, just saying... Also J. P. doesn't do well south of z7. Also that the common roadside plant is not as pretty as those grown for the garden, is that true? Also, Amamnda were they easy to grow from seed and was there any special treatment needed?

Another plant that has been coming back from broken roots is Phlox paniculata (David), and I'm using this method to increase my number of plants in the garden. I'm trying to create a stand of them. Looked last week and it looks like several have made it thru the winter so far.

not sure if these pix are of the same plant or both varieties I have in the garden. Should put on a good show this year as they are finally growing up and are making babies for me...I've been allowing seed to drop and last spring noticed a bunch of little ones.

Another plant that increases from roots is Papaver orientalis for those unaware of this potential. Hey, speaking of which, do poppies (o.) and hems. (daylily), bloom at the same time? (Normally) I will be planting poppies inbetween and around some hems. this spring so am wondering which color to add in the group of hems. if they are in bloom concurently. If not both at the same time I guess it doesn't matter. (I do not know the colors of the Hems. yet as they were received in trades). So far I have 1 white, about 10 or so of that Marlene (maroonish purple?), a redish orange, Coral Reef (5-10) and I'm thinking Elizabeth and a pinkish one is in the garden, the others are new.

oops, trying to find pix of the two that I have, they are both next to each other and pix #2 is a goof.

Hey Kathy ... you'd asked about the globe thistle too. ..no, I don't remember any special treatment for the chocolate eupatorium. You might remember I collected a lot of seed when I worked at the new England wildflower society's botanical garden. That was one of them. I also have ironweed coming up in that bed same seed source. Same 4 plants. I wonder.... but no, I think I moved one and it did not transplant well.

Have you ever seen a white flowered solidago? Have seed for that too but species escapes me now. You (anyone?!) Would not happen to have Liatris ligulistylus to ship to me? :D

I started E. purpureum (Joe Pye Weed) from seed for my daughter some years ago when she lived in town. It grew to 4 feet tall. It is native from Eastern US so take the culture from that.

If I remember correctly, the seed were very tiny. I bought them from Parks. They need stratification. Hers bloomed beautifully. She sold the house---with JP and moved out of town in the boonies with alkaline soil not good for JP.

Looked today while doing garden cleanup...and I'm thinking I lost most of my newly planted Joe Pyes, wow, can't beleive it...darn!!! I'm beginning to wonder if this last winter was harder on my plants than I thought... Maybe I should try to replace them this spring.

I did find that most of my Lythrum Mordens Pink made it throught the winter, am soooo glad as it's no longer available. In front Pix 1, Lythrum spikes, behind grandiflora roses and Becky Daisies.

Pix 2: Blooming now Iris buchanni (hope I spelled that correct) or is it buchanii, guess I should look.

Spent all day in cleaning up the garden, 8 hours straight and only 1/6th done on the main border...
Got fertilizer down in the main border the other day and now is suppose to rain everday for the next 4... Guess I timed that right.

wow! What a read! Thank you all so much for the serious education I just received. I've been bugging the heck out of Amanda about starting some seeds this year and I think I answered the majority of those questions reading all FOUR pages of info in these threads. I'll try and post once I start but I feel like I'm way behind the power curve for this season already. I decided against the veggie garden this year as I'll be away from home too much and don't have any gardening buddies or neighbors near by to lend a hand watering while I'm out of town.

Thank you all again!
Mike

Sheeezzz Mike - told you it would take a while! I hope you were taking good notes. ;)

I just transplanted some swamp milkweed/A. incarnata up to 4" pots. I also took some A. viridis out of the refrigerator and have it incubating in a flat in sealed plastic in the iguana's room, 75+ temp year round, 45%-55% avg. humidity year round. Daytime temp in basking area is 95 deg.+. Overnight sleeping area is 68-75 deg. max.

Nice gig for an Ig, if you can get it.

Also a great place to start seeds if you can keep the Ig and cats/critters off them. :/

A.

Edited to say that the orange speck on Rita's nose is remnant butternut squash.

This message was edited May 7, 2013 4:25 PM

Love the iguana pic!

Lucky Rita!!! Quite the beauty she is, deserves only the best!

Welcome, Mike, glad you enjoyed the read ^_^. And please do post your experiences... The more, the merrier. We are all still learning, this thread has been quite an education for me, too.

Lots of stuff is just coming up in the garden now, but oh my, is it ever dry! Yesterday while working on the irrigation I found a few more powdery-dry areas. That may be why I lost my little Thalictrums. Grrr.... I hope the first-year Platy Hakone Blues made it, they're in a particularly dry area. Didn't think to look for Joe Pye, but it's been in the ground a couple of years so should be OK. Want some?

Just before leaving for the weekend, I started a few Zinnias and Cosmos. They're already up 2"! Still waiting for Impatiens Balfourii and I Balsamina. Did I mention that I may have finally gotten one (1) Veronica Fairytale to sprout? It was soaked when I did the lobelia and a bunch of other stuff. I thought it might be a stray seed, but it doesn't look like anything else I sprouted, at least not so far. Once it gets its true leaves maybe I'll be able to see better what it is.

I trimmed a few petunias back last week and stuck 2 of the trimmings in empty cells. One looks just as perky is it did then. The other actually bloomed, but looked wilted. I cut off the blooms, maybe it will revive...

Tomorrow have to pot up a few things, especially the tomatoes. They are starting to look starved...

My Impatiens haven't germinated yet, either. Every year except last year, which was very warm, I start to think they're not going to germinate and I'll have to buy plants, and then they pop up.

Ok...I typed a message and it disappeared, phoooo.

Amanda...do you have the same problem I have had growing A. incarnata. Plants looked great for a couple of months and then (again this year) they drop all their leaves. They are still alive and growing new points at the soil line, but are naked. And the Liatris you are talking about, is that the wild form? I have that variety that grows out in my feilds (the wild one). Will look for them this spring and get a pix for ya.

Pam......I'm waving my hands!!!!!! Here, here!!!! I'ld love some Joe Pye!!!! As much as you can spare.... LOL. It looks like my Eupatorium joicus made it thru the winter, am soo glad, this will be it's second season. It's the varigated, white form, last year reached 4 ft, hoping it gets a bit taller. I can't beleive how late everything is to emerge this year... Still looking to see what made it thru the winter.

We're getting rain now, some last night, a bit this morning and more for the next 2 or 3 days. By the time it's done we could be getting 2+"... What a wonderful gift from the sky... Maybe our drought is finally done!!!!

Ok, got babies to attend to... Later all....Kathy

OK, JP for you. I'll put it on the list.

Just checked the radar. It's pouring at the house. Of course. And rain is predicted for several more days. Harrumph!

One Impatiens Balsamina so far...

Pam, was it you or Kathy that was asking about the Anthemis? (I know, on another thread.)

I found Anthemis 'E.C. Buxton' in Forest Farm as a cool lemon yellow and in Bluestone it has white flowers with yellow centers...I wonder which one has the right one. Still, here is your light yellow.

Also, Forest Farm has another one - A. tinctoria 'Moonlight' with pale yellow daisies in late summer.

Must have been Kathy. Sounds nice though...

Although a relative of A. incarnata is drought resistan, A. incarnata is not, called by it common name Swamp Weed, which tell you its watering need.

I grew it from seed 5 years ago. It takes 3 years to bloom unlike other perennials that blooms the second year from seed. It will not do good without regular moisture---usually the reason for leaf drop. It thrive in full sun grows 3 to 4 ft high. Bees love the flowers.

If you can satisfy its moisture needs, it is an easy plant to grow. Add some manure and peatmoss in the hole when planting.


A. incarnata in July.

Thanks blomma - yes, I don't like the place I put them and they did take years to bloom, and even then only a few flowers. I still have 2 left of the original 5 that I purchased. If I had to guess, the ones that survived got more shade than the others. I did mulch heavily but could never give them enough water.

I won't care when they bloom since I grow them for their foliage (to feed monarch caterpillars!) but this bunch I will plant on a side of the house where water flows freely in the summer both from basement sump pump and the HVAC condensate overflow. I typically collect the HVAC condensate for watering over the summer. I have wondered if I can set up some kind of drip irrigation to farther parts of the yard. In the meantime, the "swamp" milkweed will do very nicely there, I think.

Whooo - I'm too tired to start Joe Pye from seed. Waving my arms too. Kathy I got some of your varigated seed in the robin and was very interested to see it. I will get to it eventually. Took my last exam today. Have a status report for my advisor due on monday, then I'm home free. :D

It was me.....I was hoping someone might have some seed or babies to trade...haven't looked but think I might be able to find one or the other locally.. I have babies this spring of the gold one... I just like the light lemon yellow coloring, soo pretty. They bloom all summer too, and reseed at their feet. Thanks Evelyn. I haven't been to the most of the nurseries yet as spring is just about here....

It seems to me that when I had it in the garden, A. i. Ice Ballet, it bloomed 2nd season and lasted for about three years and then disappeared. I just figured that it was a short lived plant. And I have kept the seedling moist too.. Oh well, I'll just plant them out in a few weeks and look for bloom next spring..

False alarm on the Veronica, it turned out to be a stray Parsley seed :-(

Moved tomatoes from cells up to 5" pots. Put the rootball in the bottom, stripped the leaves off the stem except for the top ones, and filled the pot with potting mix. I stuck the best trimmings into cells, let's see if the grow root. I've been doing that with petunia trimmings and they are growing, so why not?!

Today I had to work in the city, tomorrow we head up to the house for a couple of days. Frost is predicted for Monday night, but I'm not worried. None of my tenders are outside, just the cool perennials. Their relatives are coming up in the garden already so mine should be fine. I just hope the heavy rain didn't flatten anything. Amazing how just a few days ago I was so worried about drought...

I wonder if anything new came up In the Spring Sown box...

I just finished potting up tomatoes------somehow I have 133 of them! LOL
I'll be taking most of them to Community gardens and Plant Shares.
I strip them down too,but never thought to try rooting the stripped part.
Let us know how that turns out?
Caroline

I was surprised last season to be able to root petunia cuttings very easily.

Carolina - golly that's a lot of tomatoes. :D

I'm still a bit behind, but babying the few varieties of seedlings that I HAVE started. We're going to get that cold dip here tomorrow as well, Pam, but looks like we may be turning the corner on this spring thing.

Have a great day!

Caroline, my daughter have started extra tomato plants from cuttings in water. They root all along the stem. She pots them up and let them grow potted for awhile before they go in the garden.

That is great to know!
I did one year break a plant accidently, and stuck it in
a pot of soil where it took root.
But taking cuttings would be excellent where the germination might have been poor.
Or if I only have a few seeds of one kind:---- I could start the seeds earlier and then take cuttings!

Caroline,
Not only that but cutting will also assure that you get the same type of tomato. Tomatoes are hybrids so don't come true from seed unless purchased from a reliable company.

The cutting should be about 4 or 5" long.

My favorite tomato, although I try others every year, is Sweet Million, and I share my plants with a friend nearby. Last year some meant for another friend stayed in pots too long, and I finally gave them to the first friend as I was full up. Apparently they came in just as the first batch was tapering off, and went like gangbusters til fall. I'm thinking these cuttings, if they root, will be my later batch this year. Definitely worth a try...

Thanks for info on tomato cuttings.

Just waNTED TO STOP IN AND SAY HI. HI!! Oooops, sorry on the caps. Spent the day in my garden and my daughter's. I'm tuckered out..lol. Mine, gosh, only done wih ab out 40% and it been 2 days.... Ok, gotta get to a shower... later. Kathy

Me too... Worked hard today and got a lot done, still soooo much to do. Still pretty cold out there, we're expecting a freeze tonight. Brrrrrrr...

The covered stand is all zipped up and covered with Reemay. All the plants I broughtt out from the city yesterday are in there- snaps, campanulas, dianthus tucked in for the night. Everything that has been outside with no cover still is. No choice, no more room anywhere else. Tomorrow I'll unzip, but leave the Reemay.

So odd how Platycodons grow. Last year I had a bunch of P Hakone Blue from seed. Some went in the ground, some stayed in pots. In the fall I planted a group of them together, expecting to have a nice patch this year. Then over the winter I decided that they are impossible to blend into the color scheme, and planned a blue garden in another area around them. It's said that they are tricky to move, it's best to do it while they are dormant, but I wanted to wait until they were showing. The more mature plants are just coming up, so today was the day. I know there were 7 babies, but digging around gently in the area, I could only find 4. Then I found one in another area that had been overlooked in the fall, making 5.

But here's what's so odd... My 2 original blues came from a friend in mid July, high summer, an artist who just had to get rid of them because she couldn't make them blend into her garden. One wilted, one bloomed its head off, and to my great surprise both came back last year beautifully. In the fall I moved them, because I wanted to put my doubles in that spot. Well, both are up now... But one of them made a baby where I was digging up today. The root is far bigger than the ones from seed, must be a chunk that got left behind last fall. So now I have 4 Hakone doubles and one single in the new 'blue' area.

The other reason for kicking them out of where they were is that I want to put my new P Perlmutters there. They will fit in beautifully with the red roses and soft pinks, lavenders and whites already there. Whew!

Leaving again in the morning, won't be back here until the 24th, but then we're staying for 10 days. Boy, do I need that time in the garden! That's the tail end of the 'early' season for us, planting out date for tender annuals is June 1. Does this happen every spring, first it's too early, too early, too early... Then too late?!

Looks god Pam. What the red in pix 3, a Weigela? Sure is pretty and bright, just love it.... Everything is looking good!! When will you be at the gardens for the summer, or do you both go back and forth the whole summer? Will try to see about getting your trade out after the 24, please remind me...lol

Blomma, Have you been out working in your garden yet?

CLScott, how about you, what your last frost date also, just curious.

Spent another day in both gardens, and now I am tired!!!! Dug a few things and need to get them potted tomorrw, babied and one plant I don't have in my garden. Fed the gkids and I'm ready for bed...lol... Home in a few hours tho. So what's everyone else up to? My wild Mertensia is in full bloom, should gets a pix. Wished I had the feild mown last fall. One of these years I will remember to do so and then I could see atleast 2 acres of the Bluebells blooming. It's amazing cuz the trees are just starting to leaf out. Things are greening up nicely...

Amanda..is it easy to root the petunias. Gosh never heard of such a thing. Great idea!!! Think I'll try that this week as my babies need clipping and I haven't planted them out yet. Ok I'm off for now, check back tomorrow. Later all, Kathy