pitimpinai, I went through the thousands-of-bulbs thing last year. This year it's only hundreds. For one thing, I'm out of room for thousands more--I have to play "junior archaeologist" any time I plant ANYTHING to make sure I don't slice into something wonderful and dormant. The other thing is that planting is about the best "buns of steel" exercise I've found. Actually, too good. Last fall, in late November, when I went for a monthly hormone injection in my backside, I was so tight that the needle started to bend! I don't plan to bend any needles this year. My Scheepers, Old House Gardens, Lily Garden, B&B and Odyssey Bulbs mostly haven't arrived yet. The early orders came (Colchicum, fall-blooming crocus, some species lilies, stuff like that) and were promptly planted. It looks like the planting will begin in earnest next weekend, when those orders start arriving! Lisa

I am a balcony gardener mostly. Unfortunately , there are too many rats, alley rabbits, and wild dogs in my industrial zone neighborhood to successfully grow veggies in the mud pit driveway/ garden. Here are my plans for this year... as copied and pasted from my journal and some of it has gone outside already. Once again...this is a cut and copy of my happenings and plans...pardon the type os and run ons, it was like a scribble only in typing. ------------------------------------------ Downstairs in the muddy dirt driveway next to my car: 1) old grandma craigslist transplanted wisteria: survived!!!! YAY! 2) Tons of muscari and mint planted on top of the dug up rats nest. Growing! Allysum growing despite the starlings. Hostas growing 32 pips Lilly if the valley not growing!!!!ERRRRR!!!!!! Tranplanted lavender Growing! Grapes trimmed and growing. Lilacs , small but alive Borage growing. Pink hollyhock growing transplanted rose of sharon no sign of life. Mint growing on the stairs level 2 olive oil can full of garlic growing and happy paintbucket full of wisteria trimmings left outside and alive(?) bucket of mint no sign of life. landing bucket of mint.. no sign of life. 2 5 gal buckets of carrots of all colors growing. on the stairs level 3 tons of mint in pots no sign of life. balcony. pail of chives overwintered outdoors loving it! pail of giant lovage root overwintered out doors coming up Mint in cauldron, living despite the starlings. overwintered rosemary DEAD! 2nd batch Yellow violas doing o.k. first batch the starlings ate. mini roses, were fine now ERRR(??) peas peas and more peas outside and loving it. nasturtium, no sign of life. Indoors Growing. 1 ft lacinato kale 2 pots of arugula overwintering french tarragon Crazy ass ginger root. 2 genovese basil 3 types of oregano 2 types of mint. I type of lavender 1 type of thyme. 1 pot of parsley 1 overzealous rootbound african blue basil Ready to transplant ASAP( c'mon weather!!) giant sweet genovese in file box just like last year.. same time same method same place. (Snuff out the starling first this year!) outdoor lacinato -bucket 3 4 inch pots of parsley- Balcony in crates 12 black nasties- all over 3 day and night- nasties all over an bunch of emperess of india- nasties all over Black prince tomatoes balcony in 5 gal. giver rest away cherry tomatoes -5 gal give rest away striped roma-milk crate give rest away italian paste -crate give rest away 5 mini strawberries. top crate okra, 5 gal bucket. # blueberry plants ready to put in container in front of car.Make mix purple pole beans for the deck supports 5 gal bucket. blue lake beans for landing/ deck rail.. 5 gal bucket yellow bush beans for landing 5 gal bucket black and purple carrots for landing 5 gal buckets 12 wormwood/ for near Any rat entry and exits in mud pit back yard. 1 wormwwod for use up here. 7 black holly hock/ back yard 20 sunflowers of dif varieties and heights. along the dysfunctional driveway gate various fox gloves. who knows where i will put those. 20 lambs ears... near the trellis. under the wild ass grape vine that will fruit this year. Johnny jump ups ready to go Allysum. ready to go(???) Billions of summer savory.. ready as soon as they are. Trade trade Trade!! Cuttings; mint - fine. Af. Blue basil- 30 cuttings doing overly splendid. oregano rooting. lavender(???) thyme -rooting swwet potato from counter rooting Affix old ladder to bldg. for hanging planters for herbs. find a place for chamomile. Find Black Purple Silver or White plants and have a ton of stuff to trade. clover for under shady grapes, maybe GODZILLA clover! plant munstead. Get rosa rugosa for hips try the vert garden thing with the stakes. and steel (???) find a crappy old clawfoot to grow out of in the back mud pit.(???) Tame them grapes to feed me. Kill those damn rats and flush out those starlings first thing... and , paint the grill And get a heliotrope, saffron and opium poppies because i like them. :) Find a place to hand black fuscia figure out cool bucket/ chain design to hang in negative space of skyline. Kill the tree of heaven next door when no ones looking. Kill the stump of a crap tree in yard and dig it out this year. Patch big rat holes in wooden fence. ------------------------------------------- I got a ton of stuff to do.

Veeja, Tisha is so cute, I just love her! I know she's in good hands with you since everyone has left their pets for you to care for, or "adopt" shall we say? My sister has the same heart for animals you do, and she always has four or five dogs at a time, some transitory and some permanent. I remember how she used to always walk up to dogs as a child when we were walking to school. Some so large and ferocious looking, I thought she'd be eaten by them, lol. Being four years her elder, my mother always entrusted my younger sister to my care. Anyway, to make a long story short, all the animals loved her and she would pet and talk to them. Now we have such fond memories of those "good times" we had in our childhood and I affectionately call her "Dr. DoLittle" everytime she takes in another stray. Have a wonderful day everyone. Sue N.

Hi everyone!! Yippie, partners!!! For those who are new to the group, send an email to the person you are receiving from with suggestions of what you are interested in from their list. I like to try to give my partner a lot of ideas to make it easy for them to decide what to send me (I basically list everything I like! LOL). You can also send an email to the person you're sending to if you haven't heard from them yet. You decide what you'll send from the list of plants your partner is interested in. We like to pack the flat rate boxes full in this group so keep that in mind. :-) Don't forget to get a delivery confirmation number and post it here when you send your box. I sent both deb and dee emails. Hope they didn't end up in your spam folders ladies! LOL!!! I will be able to send my box early next week. bigmama my friend, i sent your side box out today. Hope you like it!! The dc #'s in the car, will post later. Regina, I've been thinking about you with that nasty storm, hope you're ok!! Night everyone. Amy