From One Basket Case to Another!

Those will be pretty for Valentines!

Hi Yardqueen,
Have you seen the new basket weaving forum? I'm going to try to make a 'loose weave' !!!! should be a laugh.
Hope everything is ok with you?

I have not seen that forum... I will look for it.

Yes we are fine, tired but fine... I planted seeds in 330 containers this week end! I still have at LEAST that much more to do! I know it sounds crazy, but I find it very difficult not to plant at least a few containers of almost every kind of seed I have. I did eliminate a few, but not many! But here's the deal. Some of my seeds are old. and I do not know if any will germinate. Others I don't know if they are even viable seed, as they are from trades and I don't know if they are old or not. I would hate to have the only seeds I plant be all of the ones that don't come up!!! Besides, I am providing a lot of people with plants also. Almost everyone who hears how many seeds I plant asks if I am going into the plant business. No way!!! I will not sit out and sell stuff... I don't have time for that... But I have friends and family members who will be delighted to get plants from me this Spring!

Wow! that is a lot of seeds. I'm sure many will gerninate, I use old seeds and usually something comes up!
It's an exciting time of year, sowing seeds, I love to scatter mixed annuals around my flower beds, just to see what I get.
I'm going to start my sweet peas off in the greenhouse this week, maybe some others too.
Your family and friends will be in for a treat this spring. What kind of flowers are you growing?

All kinds of annuals and perennials. Butter Daisy, Ameranthus, Mexican sunflower, Bells of Ireland, Rudbeckia, Hostas, Balsam, Balloon Flower, Moss Rose, Linaria, Cleome, Liatris, Larkspur, Clematis, Columbine, Scabiosa, Blue Woodruff, Striped Squill, Scarlett Milkweed, Poppies. Most of them I had several different cultivars... like I had about 8 different Hostas and there were a lot of seeds for some of them. I have a bunch of different poppies, rudbeckia, columbine and cleome. 2 kinds of balsam, amaranthus and larkspur, and 3 of scabiosa. I planted about 6 to 10 containers of each cultivar I had. Each container has anywhere from 4 to around 20 seeds in it. Depends on the type of seed and the size of the container. Anyway, DH counted them and there are 330 containers so far. I am not even half done.

I will be wintersowing 11 more types of seed and some of them have 2 to 4 different cultivars. I also will direct sow 9 others that are drought resistant by fences and in other places just to see what they will do if left alone. Last year we did that with some vines and they did very well. I have 50 types that I will start indoors, and 8 more to start indoors that are like trees and things that will take years to bloom. They will be wintered over in the greenhouse for years to come...LOL It will never end. And I have a lot more seeds that I am not even going to touch this year. I don't know how I will do the ones I have planned to do especilly the ones I will start indoors. I don't know where I will put them either! I will have to make room in the green house for some.

I bet you are shocked at how long this reply is.

I am Shocked!
I went to bed thinking what a stupid question I had asked, ..what flowers are you growing!!
I wasn't expecting you to actually tell me !! you have so many. Thankyou!
You are going to have a beautiful and colourful garden this year.
No wonder you don't have time for your baskets!!!!!

I'm going to town with my youngest to spend her christmas and birthday money....playstation type shops, I'm yawning already! maybe pay a visit to the flower lady at the market, if we have time. haha.

Have a good day!

Well, of course I didn't tell you ALL that I will be planting... there are definately all kinds...
I should be able to make bouquets THIS year. You are lucky to be able to buy flowers like that! I remember when I visited Germany when my daughter and SIL were stationed there, they had flower venders in town like you are talking about. People would buy them them on their way home, along with produce & other grocery items. We do not have that where I live even in the cities. We do have produce stands in the country (I live in the country) but only in the spring and summer, where they sell local produce. But no flowers... We usually buy our food in grocery stores or Wal-Mart. You can buy flowers there, but they are already packaged up in cellophane and you have no choices. There may be a choice among PACKAGES but no individual flowers to pick from and not much variety in the packages. So that is why I like to use my own flowers (when I have them)

You have a great day also!

Carol

Hi Carol,
To cut a long story short, going here there and everywhere, she got her playstation and went to bed happy!
We didn't have time to see the flower lady, if only we had gone there first!
I am looking forward to your bouquets this year......
I bet you won't want to cut anything when your garden is blooming beautifully!!

If even half of what I have planted comes up I will have so many flowers I won't miss a few for some arrangements! I have now planted seeds in 450 containers... Here are some pics

2 liters

These will go in the coldframe when DH gets it moved outside. He will have to have DSIL to help move it...

oh, here is the coldframe. It is 6' x 3'

You can see more 2 liters on each side of it... I don't have pictues of the 120 or so I did tonight. Of couorse not all of these are for me. I will share with family, friends, neighbors and co-workers. anyone who wants some!

Thanks for showing me all those, you have been busy!
As soon as you get home from work you will have to start checking on those babies!!
Your garden will be so full of colour and perfume this year.
I haven't sown a single seed yet.... seeing all yours makes me think I should make a start.

When is your last freeze date?

I'm not sure of a date, but we can get frost in May, so I don't really put anything out until the end of May.

I usually can put mine out the 1st of May. You have time to winter sow if you were so inclined. You don't have to get carried aaway like I did!!! I will finish up tomorrow and spend the rest of the day in the greenhouse as I havent been out there much during this planting frenzy. DH has had to water. I need to check for pests, etc. Next weekend I will be busy so after that I will start my indoor planting. That is another thing I will do in the GH, make room for some seed pots,

I am going to start my veggies for the allotment pretty soon. I have my onions sets!!!!
Once I start, I will end up doing lots of seeds, always do. It's nice to share them with your neighbours and friends, sometimes I even take some up to my Mum in Liverpool, on the train!
I have some bulbs to plant, basically loads to do. It's nice to see someone else is organised though!
Is your greenhouse heated?

Well basket case, wheres your baskets from christmas?!!!!!
I know, you have been too busy. one day eh?
Have you ever made your own basket? I'm thinking about trying to make one!!!!! (don't laugh)

I am already enough of a basket case without trying to make one! It would probably drive me bonkers!

We run some electric heaters in th greenhouse... Don't know if I can find a better way... Costs an extra $200 or more each month for the electricity bill... I could buy a lot of new plants in th spring for that...

I will take the pics sometime this weekend. I need to charge my camera battery.

Have you charged it yet?.......Lol

Hi Carol,
How are all your seedlings doing?

Hi Terry!

Would you believe I am still not well? I am a lot better, but this is hard to get rid of. Seedlings are doing great. But we got snow night before last. Texas weather is crazy. How are you? Is it still cold there?

Did you ever make that basket?

Did I ever make that basket?!!!!!!!! NO, don't know where to start really!
I thinking about using Forsythia stems, but not sure if that would work.

Sorry to hear you are still not well, it's been a long time you being under the weather, you must be fed up.
We haven't had any snow, but it's still too cold to potter around outside.
I'm getting prepared (mentally)!!! to make the treck to the allotment soon, before the weeds take over again!

Glad to hear your seedlings are doing ok, better than you, by the sound of it!
Get well soon.

Thank You! I am trying

Here's some Tulips to cheer you up! ..... not in a basket, but nevermind!

OOOHHH, thank you! I love tulips! I need to grow more of them. The daffodis were beautiful until the freezing rain. I will have hyacinth blooming shortly

Hi Yardqueen, Long time no hear/here! How are you and all your flowers doing????

Hi, Terry! Lovely basket there! The flowers and I are doing great. Lots blooming now...
I retire in a little over a week now, so you will see some pics after that I am sure. We will be gone a couple of weeks right away, but after that...

Hi there Yardqueen! Nice to hear from you again. Enjoy yourself and I'll be looking out for you in about 3 weeks ok? LOL!!
It's my Mums basket, she's a case too!!

Are you back yet? LoL!


Hows the retirement going?
Looking forward to seeing your Cannas this year, are they flowering????????

Yes we are back... been busy tho. Had a garaddaughter for a week, and a grandson a day here and there! Also doing a little yardwork and housecleaning.. and a lot of laundry! Yes the cannas have been blooming, and I have had to deadhead them once. need to do so again. I don't think they look as good as last year, but it is so HOT. 105* today and tomorrow. It has been in the 100's for a while now. We haven't had any rain lately either. I had a lot of blooms to make arrangments with before our trip, but no time. Now I have time and most everything is looking pretty dead. How is London doing?

Here are some pic of flowers that I would have made bouquets with if ...

lilies

lily

phlox, salvia, cleome

more cleome

calla lilies

hydrangeas

roses...

more hydrangeas

ferns and begonias