**SWEET INTERRUPTION** 4

i bought me a new ladder when I moved. The current one I had was a very tall one so I let DS take it and bought me a shorter one. Just my size and of course, it is covered with paint, plaster and all the goop now.

Making notes here...for Christmas, include the "grabber" for my golden dime sistas!!
Lolol!!

I think I should clarify... my new step ladder is only about 3' tall... 3 steps.
He also got me a 6' step ladder when we started renovating because I wouldn't use his old wooden one... it was way to rickety for me... and he really wanted my help...

At work, I had to climb 12 - 20 ft. high ladders..now I try to stay away from any ladders especially wooden ones!
Where have you been Audrey?

Forgive this tired mind Audrey....I meant, did you plant the brug yet?

Mine is a 6' one also. Grabber--Jaye, that is what I use to pick up limbs and debris in the yard with. It has another use? LOL No I went to a program a while called " Gardening for the Physically Challanged" and they said to use a grabber in the yard. It works wonderful on days my back says no bending!!!

Normally it's Kel that fills in that role. "Grab that for me Hun.." Think I'll get a grabber myself for yard work. Thanks for sharing Marion.

The speaker also said to get a "stabber" like is used to pick up trash in parks, etc. use it to pick up things also. I have one but don't use it as much as the grabber. Long ago I bought the special shaped gardening tools because of my problems with carpal. I just flat refuse not to be able to putter in my yard.

Scoped out the area for the lagsana bed today. We have a perfect area that will have an azalea border in back. After looking at the area for awhile the outline just sort of developed itself. Plan to follow the natural slope of the lot and go from there. Let's see project #13,0096. No problem.

Only 13,0096? Hmmm think you got too many places behind that comma.
maybe 130,096... huh?

I only have 129,954 projects on my list... so, you got me beat.

Oops you are right--see I can't spell and my math is lousy too. Actually my list isn't as long as I thought it might be --just getting anxious to move on with some of them. The lasagna bed I think can be started now for next year or is it to early? Help someone?

So proud of you Marion!
If you have azaleas growing, you must have acidic soil then. Next will be colours. What's Ross favorite color? Gonna leave that to providence too, right, the colours and the plants...or you'll just 'go with the flow'?

Project # what?? I'm still at under 100! Unless you include the 200 odd plants.

Anytime is the right time for a good lasagna bed.

Yes, there were azaleas when we moved here--badly in need of trimming and fertilizing. That has been taken care of and now they are much fuller and healthy looking. He didn't really have a favorite color. Still not sure what will go there just yet. I want to get the soil enhanced for planting first. Jaye, is it to early to start for next spring?

Oh perfect. It just so happens I have a huge pile of newspaper and cardboard on hand now. Guess where they will go this weekend.

Well, I'm gonna have to revise my list... I think there's some things on there that will never get done anyway... so, I'll make it more realistic... can probably get it down to about 95 projects.... that is, if Don doesn't help with the revision... if he gets involved... it'll grow, not shrink.

Not at all, cos you'll be able to layer the bed with lots of organic stuffs..and give it plenty of time to 'cook'. So what if you're 2 months ahead..anyway, spring comes mighty early in Florida!

...or take that tin can from under the bed and rent a handyman!
I have to do that this year, BJ.

Yes and I want to get a little of a head start as during March when most are planting I am working with the festival. From the about the 15th of March to the 23th I will be in Gainesville. If the bed is ready then when I return I can plant as I usally end up with a car full of plants given to me. Not to mention the other things I do buy.

Well my list includes all the little things I want to do including my cross stitch projects, cushions for the outdoor furniture, dresses for the GDs so it adds up. Not even to go into all the things I have been reading about on DGs that I would like to try doing. Yikes so many projects--so little time. Oh somewhere in there, I like to read.

Marion... the formula I used for my azalea beds was recommended by the organic garden center I deal with... I planted rescue azaleas last year, and they have since doubled in size, and were full of blooms this year... I'll tell you what I did

My bed is about 15' long, and about 6' wide... In that space I amended my soil with the following...
One bag of lava sand
One large brick of peat moss
One bag of composted cotton hulls... (I'm sure composted mushroom would work too)
I mixed it loosely with a fork... guess you can till it too.
Then after you plant the azaleas, top dress with an organic compost.

They said that is a no fail formula... and they were right.

That's about the size of the bed that was here. I do something similar where I have the news planted but the exsisting one were just let go--tall spindly things. Slowing I am working my way down the fence line and taking care of them.

Good deal then...
I did the same thing to my hydrangeas... but only amended so as to not disturb the roots since they were already established, but not doing well... it really brought them back to life this year.

That is what it is doing to the azaleas. They are getting fuller and look so much better. Now to decide what to do with the skinny gardenias in front of the front porch. Talk about sad looking.

Ya know... I have a hedge of gardenias... some of them are growing and doing really well... other's look like they're suffering.. I do the same things to all them alike... and don't know why they do so differently.. it's a mythtery....

BJ, since camellias are acid loving plants, guess I can try that formula for them. Don't know whether I could find cotton hulls..but yes to composted mushrooms. I had promised Kel..not one single azalea here. MIL's obsessed with them :))
Intend to add more camellias in the fall.

Did you try throwing coffee grinds to those gardenias, Marion?

Oh, Jaye... I have no camellias... and I love them... my neighbor has a double red bloom on hers.. and I went over and stole some cuttings to try to root... but they didn't root...
Then, I saw them once at the garden center near me... $49 for 1 bush... I didn't buy it...
Maybe this year I will though... but not till fall.

No, I didn't know about coffee grounds on gardenias. Learn something everyday. I'll start doing it now.

I have a Pink Perfection, Star Above Star and A Blues Green. So far so good with those. Oh they can be expensive alright BJ. I almost had a stroke many years ago when Ross added a camallia to our yard in Gainesville. We had gone to the nursery to look, saw a Pink Perfection but I was put off by the price---$50.00. Not so with him, he bought it and it was the best 50 we have ever spent. What a bloomer it turned out to be.

BJ, they're pretty reasonable for a 3ft. one, under $30. Camellias are hard to root, they say. But June is the right time to start rooting them, from new growths. I'll try rooting them in a couple of weeks.
I got, Sarah Bernhardt, Morning Glo, Niccho and Mrs. Betty Scheffield, a bi-color.

And then again... I might try one more time to get some cuttings from the neighbor's bush... It's just stunning, and bloomed from about November last year till after April this year... I never seen anything so lovely. I really need a sure fire way to root the cuttings though.

Those were about 3' (if that tall) that the garden center had for $50... I thought it was outrageous.

That's too much BJ!
It's camellia country here, on account of the pine trees I think! They love acid.
If any do root, you got your name on them ;)
I had promised someone else on DG..that was in the fall..don't remember her ID. Oh well, you know what I'll be doing tomorrow! Lol!
It started to rain again..hallelujah! A good sleep again.
Great company tonight, and Marion, I snacked on home grown tomatos!
Rainbow camellia dreams my sistas!!

My were too. Good nite--tired from having to go into town. Sweet dreams all.

Night Night Jaye... sleep tight.

Here's a plan I can probably do to get those camellia cuttings to root.
http://www.camellia.gulfcoast-gardening.com/care/Camellia_cuttings_text.htm

Night to you to Marion... sweet dreams.

New room... http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/875473/
I try not to let postings go beyond 150. Darn dial up takes forever to load.