Spring chat 2016

New room everyone. Come on over and show us how your gardens have survived the winter and rains.

A few blooms from years past, I hope to see again soon!

OOOOO PRETTIES! I am still at work sorry for the caps lock.. Calgon time needed, please take me away!

Very pretty, Linda. And thanks for the new room. It has been raining here so I haven't gotten out to take photos yet but I will soon.

What variety of orchid is that, Debra?

Debra, that is so pretty. I too would like to know the name.

I finally got out to take a few photos.

...

Is that a Spurge, Carole? I love it ( Pic number 4 top row) love the daffs and the hellebores? you have a lot more green going on there than we do here..
that orchid is called a nunn's orchid. it likes to bloom inside. Outside it just sits all summer throwing up green fans. I'm keeping it inside this summer.
LK, it will be no time before you are out and gardening again. Kat, I'll send you some ros seedlings.

Debra, thanks so much.
Really ready to start putting things in the grow but still way to early here to do that. Cloudy here today but it is 70 degrees so that makes up for it.

Beautiful blooms Carole, the Cats play at 3:00

Hope everybody has a great weekend, they are calling for rain tomorrow.

Kathy

Yes, Debra, it is a spurge - Euphorbia 'Blackbird'. I'm going to look for that orchid. I haven't had one for awhile. I love them.

Kathy, I have the TV on and I'm sitting here waiting for the KY game to start. Go Big Blue!

Thanks for all the nice pictures Carole. What is under the jars?

Linda, I used large wine bottles as a border for a flower bed in the backyard. Eventually, ferns grew up into them. I liked the look so I left them as is. I had to laugh because I couldn't get that to happen if i had been trying to. It was a fluke.

Kathy, good UK game yesterday! It had me on the edge of my seat but they finally pulled it out. Another game today at noon but I'm sure you already know that. I think the Jayhawks play today too, Deb. They're likely to be a #1 seed.

Did everyone remember to Spring their clocks forward?

I like the jars too!

Good luck on your games today.

The Cats pulled it out, now on to the big dance. Ready to watch and se where they put us and who we play next/

Whew! That game about wore me out in overtime. :) It was so good.

I'll be turned in to Bracketology at 6 pm. Looks like UK will be playing Fresno State next in Des Moines.

well, shoot. I am late to the party. I think the jar idea is way cool, Carole, Please don't look too far for those orchids, I'll love to send a couple to you.
I had a beautiful spurge a few years ago, I don't know why it went away, but it was very cool.
I snuck a few seeds out to the now bare clay in the bare flower beds that aren't supposed to be flower beds. I figure it they are the kind of flowers that grow in the ditches here, they can grow there same clay and rock stuff. ugh.
Joe sure has enjoyed BBQing out there in all this warm weather. Supposed to chill off Wednesday, tho. I'm clueless on games and sports, sorry. I just know bits and pieces of our basket ball team. WSU Shockers.
How ya doing Linda?
Hay Kat, I sent out three boxes today to peeps in warmer climates, is it still cold up there? I have 3 more to go but they are all going NORTH.

Hiya ladies. Loving the pretty pictures above. I have been in this new house since October and haven't dug but one or two plants into ground of the dozens of pots of plants I dug from the old garden. Oy! What a challenge! :)

LK, about why the chat thread was in trades... Several years ago I suggested a chat thread to keep our pretty tight group of traders together in one place during the winter as there weren't many trades going on!

Since then the group has fractured due to some deaths and complete disappearances of once very active DG members. I'm a slug, and I only have access thru my cell phone so I feel somewhat removed...but as long as I don't get locked out of my account again I should be good for spring! :)

I see Debra is busy sowing seeds. I just today started a few containers. I guess I will start putting out milk jugs. It's just too darn easy that way. Anyone else starting seeds?

Morning everyone.
Glad to see you found us Debra and Amanda.

We are off to see my surgeon for my follow up today. I will be back late this afternoon. Hoping I come home with no walker, and can just use a cane to walk with.

Good Morning everyone....Thought i would jump in and see what's going on on DG.
I have been more on ATP--but i still check DG every day. Still feels more like
home here...
I have 7 milk jugs I WS'ed. Fitst serious attempt to do so.
I have them all nestled up against the East wall of my shed. Quite a protected spot.
I finally got to planting some seeds. SO late! Did it on 3/11. The tray of cells is sitting under my lights set-up. First seeds that came up were my Cardinal Climber vine.
I also planted seeds for my old blue Picotee MG. It has such pretty leaves!
The blooms are blue edged in white. It also has some pink ones mixed in.

We had a few days (last week) in the 80's!!! Overall, spring IS trying to come....
So far--all I have done outside is clean up the beds--prune and feed my Roses,
and trim back the old leaves of my Helebores. Need to also tackle the old
leaves of my ferns. They are like a blanket--laying on the ground.
I need to feed all my acid loving plants --but I am out of Holly Tone! :o(

Lawn is turning all green. I have not fertilized it yet. Will get to it this week,
The bag of Milorganite is a-waiting. Love, love this product. Inexpensive, organic,
and good. If you have never tried it--DO IT!!! HD sells it (at least here). It is a 35lb bag
and costs ONLY $12.78. Can be used anywhere--any time of year. Slow release...etc..

Hey! As we are talking about spring and all kinds of "beginnings--I would like to post, for you all, a Poem I wrote in 2007. Yes! I have written poems to and about my garden.
This one is my "Masterpiece"...sometimes--I can't believe I wrote it! I tear over
any time I read it....It is not a rhyming poem--read it as in prose....i it is pretty "deep'...

SO! may I post here, my gift of SPRING to you all.....with love, Gita
(wish you could see it in the beautiful Font I have it saved in..)
**************************************************************************

The Garden Wakes…..
(Gita  Veskimets-- April, 2007)

The Garden wakes--
It's breast heaves slowly.
With all its dormant strength
it takes a breath
and blows away the remnants of Winter.
And it feels renewed.

The Garden wakes--
It sighs at all yet to be done
and hopes of glorious things to come.
It drinks in the dew in the morning
and the rain of the night.
And its thirst is quenched.

The Garden wakes--
It wipes the sleep from its eyes
and is blinded
by all the glory and the color
that laid beneath the earth so long.
And it revels in things well done.

The Garden gives--
Unselfishly--of all the bounty it has cradled
in it's loving arms;
And at days end
it rolls itself up in the green, green grass
And it rests.

The Garden sighs--
The burden now heavy on it's chest.
It gasps for cool air
and thirsts for refreshing rains and soothing nights
that now come so seldom--
And it tires of the effort.

The Garden struts--
It’s wondrous wardrobe of the Fall,
lovingly embroidered with the colors of the setting Sun,
and feels that it was a job well done.
And before the golden yarns unravel from its cape,
it lays its head on the soft, fallen leaves—

The Garden sleeps.

Debra, I would love an orchid or two if it's not too much trouble.

Hi Amanda. Good to see you. Moving is such a chore. Yes, a number of people have disappeared from DG for various reasons, some unknown. Some went elsewhere and others have seemingly disappeared altogether.

Hi Gita. Nice to see you also. Please feel free to join in this chat anytime.

I still chat on this thread and on a couple of others. After all, it's NCAA Basketball Tournament time and a couple of my fellow UK basketball fanatics are still active on DG.

I'm thinking about having my front yard redone. It could use some fresh landscaping, weed removal, and grass overseeding, especially where I had the wheelchair ramp removed.

You all have fun today.

Moving is a chore, for sure! We are enjoying a beautiful day, 70s expected, but the bottom is about to drop out of our temps. Highs in the 40s, lows in the 20s. :( Here's a few pics of what is about to be frost bitten.

Debra. We are in the 70's here. Send away. Everyone will chat later. Lunch break is over.

Gita, what a lovely poem. Thanks for sharing. It is deep, and moving yes. It made me think of my old garden. Sigh. The landlord has tilled it under. :/

Well, it's a gorgeous day here. I must check my container with butterfly chrysalises! Had wasps and hornets coming out of thin air yesterday!

Nanny, you are getting cold overnight? Hope you get to keep some flowers. I put a hunch of tropicals out a couple of days ago. Maybe too optimistic?

Hi Carole. Good to be back. It does feel like home here.

Enjoy your day!

They are saying that we could have a rain:snow mixture Sunday into early Monday. This is to be our prettiest day but only going to be lows in the 40's so that isn't bad. Everyone enjoy their day.

ohhh so beautiful! Gosh Annette, you are so lucky to have that tree!

Beautiful pictures Annette, my daffs are just now starting to bloom. Mu lilac bush has budded so hope that we don't get any really cold weather.

Hello Amanda

Linda, how did the doctor's appointment go?

I want to get some of my seeds started this weekend as I am off.

Everybody have a great night

Kathy

We are back home. No staples or stitches. he used super glue to close the wound. No more walker. I can use the cane, and put full weight as tolerable. Not too bad. No more ted hose, and I can take a shower with out covering the wound. He said I can drive, as soon as I can walk without the cane.

Yay LK. Glad you had a good outcome.

Our weather looks fairly moderate without severe dips in temps. Which is good news because today I started releasing butterflies!





This message was edited Mar 15, 2016 9:17 PM

Those are beautiful.

awwww those are lovely! gosh it must be warm where you are at, Amanda. GREAT NEWS Linda! YAY!
man, whatta windy day this was PHEW! I had to call Joe to undo the umbrella from the table, didn't want to lose another batch of plants and stuff like last year. That wind gust took my new umbrella, table, plants and all and dropped it down and all the glass broke everywhere.. no glass on this table. learned my lesson about that. :P
Kat, working on your packet now, you did want some ros's right? LOL
in the basement...

We were at 80 something yesterday. I have another chrysalis getting ready to eclose, but overnight temps are coming down gradually so this unseasonably warm snap will be more spring like.

Good for you, Linda. I know that's a relief.

Your basement looks great, Debra. I was down in my garage yesterday. Boy, does it need cleaning out. Did push the rolling greenhouse outside under the carport and watered everything in it. I think most of the plants survived my benign neglect.

Love your butterflies, Amanda. :) I'm ready to see some here.

Going to be a beautiful day here but the wind is suppose to be blowing hard again but temps in the 60's and this weekend they are calling for rain and a little bit of wet snow mixing in.

I drove for the first time since surgery yesterday. We ordered asian food for dinner, and I drove to pick it up and bring it home. Today, I drive to outpatient therapy and get registered for next week.

So happy that you are doing so great Linda, keep up the good work

oh Linda, so excited for you. ARe you still hurting like you were before? Has anyone gotten their packages I sent out here yet? I know I have not sent out Kats or Caroles yet.

Question, probably a stupid one but was wondering if ice plants can be started by seeds?

I have no pain at all, other than the muscles therapist are trying to find.

Yes, I got your envelope today. Thanks so much.

This message was edited Mar 19, 2016 7:50 AM

Yes, you can, Kathy. Not a stupid question at all. I've bought seeds in the past http://www.doityourself.com/stry/how-to-sow-ice-plant-seeds

Thanks Carole, may look and see if I can find a plant somewhere. I also need to start hunting for some more shade plants to put in my wooded area. So much prettier than just plain dirt and weeds.

The Cats play at 5:15, better bring their A game against IN as so many of the higher seeds are getting knocked out.

Have a ladies luncheon at 11:30 and think that the men are serving. Should be interesting

Kat I'll send you some shade plants.. when I get your stuff going. Carole I'll be sending you a pot of orchid bulbs, anything else you see of mine you'd like?