Coffee's on and Spring is here!

Al, Thank you very much, I'd love to try them! I don't know annual dahlias.
1/2 would be more than enough. I've got foxglve, columbine and lupine if you're interested.

No problem Dave. They will make storable tubers by the end of the year. I am taking 2 kind to the UMW Roundup in June.
I have enough seeds right now I can just send them to you.
Al

Thank you. So they are regular tuber dahlias.

Well sure - they all make tubers. You don't have to store them if you don't want to.

Al,
I know what you mean about school vacations, my daughter had hers last week and my husband is home this week. They both were more helpful this year in the garden because I started working very early in the morning rearranging plants that can"t be left in the middle, so they have to help to hurry me up, if they want me to go somewhere with them. Good trade off for me. So Al I'm not the only one out there rearranging the beds each year? This is not just my disease? LOL. Pixie

Pixie,
I actually gave my plants a break and didn't do any rearranging last year. They were due for some serious sensemaking(what's up Dena?)

Great pics Andy - I agree - the macro is fun!!!

Al - I did those from seed this year and am curious to see how they flower!

Dave - isn't it amazing how each day brings something new in the garden??? I never get tired of doing the inspection in the morning with my coffee and the afternoon when I get home. The scent alone is incredible this year as I planted quite a few more hyacinth!

Thanks Anita, What can I shoot next, LOL.

Dave, I've been thinking about your pic problem, (isn't there a prescription for that?) LOL.
I use PhotoShop to 'adjust' my pics. I know you use another prog but they should be similar.
When I'm done I 'save as'
Change the name a bit to reflect what I did to it, but keep the suffix so the pic is right next to the original in the folder.
Be sure where you are sending the 'saved' pic.
With PS (PhotoShop) it wants to save it back in PS format. Save it as a JPEG.
With PS I have options for quality and pixel count. Go for best quality and don't change the pixel count.
Before you close the PS window, make sure you can find the 'adjusted' new image in the original folder. (It may be at the bottom of the folder until you refresh it and things get sorted.) Then close the window, it will ask if you want to save the changes, click NO. (This may be where you get in trouble, ? ? ) You already saved it where you want it and saving it again may overlay the other, can't say for sure.
Pics are fun, I want you to get over this hurdle and show us those pics.

The Nectarine is blooming well today, lots of flowers. The tree is leggy so I just take close-ups of the flowers.
Andy P

Hi everyone!
Andy thanks for the help. I'll try your instructions next time out. Not sure if they asked if I wanted to save changes but its worth a try,
. What is the hardines on your nectarine? I thought they were tropicals.

Al, When the seedpack said "annual dahlia" I just thought it was something different. (plus I'm a little slow on the fact that bulbs and tubors can originate from seed. In my mind they are seprate alternatives. Not really, because I know they aren't. But my mind is a strange place.
Speaking of strange minds: "due for some serious sensemaking(what's up Dena?)". You kinda lost me here.

wlpixie,I've decided gardens always evolve and never reach a final state.

Anita, Yep. Its the best time of year and getting better (to coin a malapropism)

Dave - I was speaking in Dena's language or is it langwage?

Oh! That strange mind!

but we love it just the same!

I just got the extended forcast..boo hoo..rain for the weekend. I know my babies need it, but why can't it do it at night or while I'm working???

http://www.erh.noaa.gov/ifps/MapClick.php?CityName=Ronkonkoma&state=NY&site=OKX

Dave, Nectarines are like peaches and plums. Some can handle zone 5.
Andy P

Can you tell it was a beautiful day in the North East? No posts.
I gave away a couple boxes of plants today, including some of those darn tall Dahlias that survived the winter in the ground.
Snapped this pic of a little Vinca today. I tried to get some pics of Forsythia but it was so windy I gave up.
Andy P

Moving along with my rearranging. My hydrangea macropyll's were spared, but moved to low profile areas. My Northern Lights azaleas that are almost 3 years old and 2' tall - had such small rootballs - could put them in to 1 gallon pots. Haven't found a home for my burning bushes yet - off of my property somewhere. My 3 cheap Jap Maples are all in different areas to see if one of them works. Opened up a few more areas for my dahlias also. Sort of at a standstill until I have my neighbor's bed prepped to put stuff in to it.

Dave - I sent out your seeds today.

I missed a beautiful day of gardening to work - wahhhhh!! I did get a couple of hours in after I got home. I love the later lighter bit...

Thanks Al!
Anita, Aren't these 2 guys tough to take for people who have to work for a living?
I'm taking Friday off. Partly to catch up & partly because my kids are on vacation. In theory it should be a 50%/50% day. I hope it works out.

Did anyone else consider joining Dena at the NE round up? I'm goonna try & go to.

Yes- such a tease!!! It's a bit too far for me. I'll be looking forward to pictures. It's supposed to be horrible this weekend, weather wise. Figures, I'm off!

I had a great time yesterday visiting my favorite nursery, Well Sweep Herb Farm in Port Murray N.J.. They are in the western part of the state near P.A. and the Delaware Water Gap. This is a good hour ride for me, but it's a pretty country road ride and well worth the time. This is a family owned business and if it's not busy Dave will give you a tour of the special plants they're growing and help you find what you want. They'll even go dig up some things for you if they are not out yet. At this time of year what I'm looking for are native plants, later I'll go back for herbs. The display gardens are just starting to fill in but they had a wonderful sweep of both double and single bloodroot that were beautiful. I got tons of plants because they sell a lot in smaller pots for somewhere between $5-$6. And I did buy 2 pots of the double bloodroot (this cost more as it was a specialty plant) and each had 2 blooms.
There are 2 picnic tables and an outhouse, chickens, roosters, and sheep.
I got:
Tellima
Prarie Smoke Geum
Claytonia
Blue Cohosh
Bayberry
Wintergreen
Silene Regia
Red and blue Lobelia
Galax
Hepatica
Double Bloodroot
Hellebore
Now to find a spot for everything.
They have a mailorder catalog also.
Pixie

Sounds like fun - I love road trips like that!

I visited my neighbor this evening.
Snapped a few pics.
Andy P

Nice haul Pixie!
Andy, Macro lens? Beautiful.

Dave, Yes macro. The one built into the camera. I did some cropping on that one also.

Has anyone noticed a lot of grass hoppers already? I don't usually see them this early.

Possible frost tonight in normally cold low areas, be ready!
Andy P

I'm still bummed that it is supposed to rain tomorrow!! I don't think I have to worry about frost - just wash out!

No grasshopper here yet except on Kung Fu reruns.

Good Morning all - wouldn't you know it!! I'm off and it's just lovely weather! I even figured if I got up right away, I could a bit done before it started raining. I get up and go out and it starts as soon as I get out there! Well, at least it will force me to get some indoor stuff done! I have some Streptocarpus I started that need repotting.

Not raining yet here. Maybe I can get something accomplished.

Not raining here, but it has been in the forecast all week long. Same storm that dumped 45" of snow on SD - ha ha.
Plenty of outside work to do if it stays dry - have to go in to work for a while.

The sun is out here, got down to 33 last night.
It was so cold (37) and calm last night I was worried, so I brought in 2 trays from the cold frame.
That heavy rain may stay to our west, we need the rain.
Andy P

I know its a drag to have rain on the weekend, but I've been in the garden all week, and it's desperately dry. I mean mid-August dry. Wierd dry. Our stream and pond are down to August water levels, too. We have FIRE warnings around here...in April!!

I'm just hoping we get a nice steady rain that really soaks into the ground so that the perennials I divided and moved yesterday in anticipation of wetter days (Lambs' Ears, Nepeta Giant Six Hills and Ladies' Mantles (my faves) have a chance to make it! Not to mention all the little seeds that have sprouted in the veggie garden.

Heck, I even garden in the light rain, although it drives my dogs crazy when I do. They just roll their little eyes at each other and still follow me from garden to garden, mad as hornets...LOL!

I got a lot done between the raindrops this morning.

HEY! you guys moved and I had no clue! I realy need to get on here more often!
I hope everyone had a Happy Easter, Here is a shot of my three sugar junkies!

I miss everyone so much, this working is putting a hurtin on my DG time!



Rock garden in my back yard...

I caved in a purchased the yellow Columbine, how could I resist???

I love them so much, I went out to the garden center at the "Big Orange Store" every night on my break and watered them so they would stay alive! LOL!!!

I love these tulips, wish I knew who they were...

I have yellow ones like it to...

Hi Dennis, hi Pam, hi Pixie, hello Daisy,
Andy! Love your sneakers! I did some boots up with the Hens and Chicks, you'll love them!
Hi Dave(not forgotten)
Hi Anita, The white flowers in question I now believe are Squil? You feel free to use your super computer powers to see if I'm correct! LOL!

Hey Al, guess what I planted this morning in the rain....
You gave me so much stuff! LOL!
doing the (soggy) happy dance!