Our weather isn't cooperating well either, we're a little below normal and I don't have a heated greenhouse, so things have to be done in a timely manor. I really wanted to avoid using my sun porch this year for starting seedlings, so we built a hot bed in the greenhouse. It works great, but that timing is still an issue. I only started hardy things first, or that was the plan, so that when I need to move then into cell packs, they can handle the night time temps in the GH. So far, by putting some plastic or a row cover over the flats, I haven't had any problems, even with it going down to 27 last night. The hot bed was built on a sheet of plywood. Sides were added to it, about 6" high. The a 1" thick sheet of styrofoam was added, then enough sand to bury a heating coil. I bought one of those cables that you put on the roof to keep ice damns from building up, it was 60' long. Then I added my potting soil. You can start a LOT of seeds on a 4X8 sheet of plywood! This has a cover on it, of course, and also has a thermastat so I can keep the soil between 65-70 degrees. A night light is plugged into the outlet to let me know when the cooil in on. I have never had purple majesty millet germinate so fast in my life! It loves bottom heat. It was up in 3 days. I'm sure many of you already know this, but I didn't and always had a hard time getting those to germinate.
So as I move these seedlings out, I'll sow the next round of seeds. The warmer growing annuals that won't be able to handle the temps we have now. I'm also potting up my bare root perennials that came yesterday. It's nice not to have my sun porch full of trays, so I hope this all works out.
Cheryl

Hopefully everything is still working out for you, Cheryl. The hot bed sounds like a great idea.

Finally the weather has turned for the better and I moved seedlings into the greenhouse on Monday. The electric space heater is doing a fine job keeping it warm enough at night. I've now caught up with most of the seeding and a good majority of the transplanting - that which was ready anyway. Much of what I've recently sowed has been direct into cell packs, but there will still be a fair bit to transplant.

I'm trying some new plants this year concentrating on 'bouquets that dry'. I've not grown Ammobium nor Xeranthemum before and the seeds germinated in cell packs and are looking great. Statice, of course - I fear waaayy too much of it but it makes a great filler in fresh bouquets, essential for dried bouquets and super for making wreaths so I guess one just can't have enough statice. I sowed Acrolinium and Helichrysum today - they were great flowers for me last year.

I still have plenty of dried strawflower heads from last year that didn't get crafted into anything over winter (that was the plan) so I may try selling them at Farmers Market - perhaps a candy bag full? I also stemmed hundreds of them (on wire) but they'll be useful for the earliest of the dried bouquets.

We still have some snow but there's some very warm weather predicted for the next week so hopefully by next weekend it will be all gone and the soil can start warming up. The top 3-4" of soil is thawed, but still frozen after that.

I guess everyone else is just too busy to tell us what they're doing! Anyway, the hot bed is working fantastic. I have already emptied it once, and have it reseeded again and full. Now the warm weather flowers are in, celosia's, zinnia, marigold, ect. I also have eggplant and peppers in there. The plants that have already been potted up are doing ok, considering we're still below freezing most nights. I didn't even put a row cover over things last night and it went to -1 (C) or about 30F. Tonight we'll be a little cooler so I may cover again. It has been very annoying how cold we've been, we woke up to white again this morning, but tomoorw will be up to 50 and sun, so I'll be opening the doors on the greenhouse. I planted a few things in the ground in there, snaps and dahlias, and the cold weather hasn't effected them at all. I knew it wouldn't the snaps, but was surprised the dahlias were ok too. They were seedlings. All my tubers came yesterday, plus lilies, glads and crocosmia's and there is no way I can get them in the ground right now. I can't even see my rows! The deer seem to be able to find them ok though, everytime the snow metls off I see more damage. Not sure what to do about them at this point. It's looking like I may have to fence the area, but that's a lot of work and expense too. Always seems to be something doesn't there?
It sounds like your pretty well caught up right now. I have grown both Xeranthemum, and Ammobium and both were nice. The Xeranthemum requires constant cutting to get them at the right stage, but they really hold their color nicely. I don't do dried too much because I didn't have a market for them, but may try a few again for fall decorations. One year I wired a lot of straw flowers and never sold them, and then realized that most growers don't wire them, they just cut and dry, even with some of the leaves left on. I actually like them like that and it's much less time consuming. I'm sure it depends on what you're doing with them.
I guess we'll just keep each other updated! Glad all is going well with you.
Cheryl

Like everyone else I've been busy planting, planting and planting. Our weather has been fantastic for the last week and a half. I've already planted the cold hardy flowers(and veggies) I've also been doing some of my planting in low tunnels. Hopefully I'll be planting my dahlias tomorrow. I hope the weather holds out for them. Do you think it is too early to plant the dahlia tubers?? My dutch iris were a total failure. However, my allium Sensation seems to be thriving. good luck to all. Heidi

I am busy fuming at the weather which is cold and wet most of th time it seems. No problem with the sun bring on tulips too fast this year. THey all got the fungus from the continual cold wet weather the fungus likes. I am now officialy out of the tulip business except for the viridifloras and anything else I Can find that seems to have some resistance....

My LIsianthus are waiting for the growing net order to come so I Can plant them but maybe I Better risk planting them on 6" centers rather then waiting. GOod day for planting today as it is mid 50' and will probably have some thundershowery activity like the last week has been. I Am behind on planting glads, but got 18 rose bushes moved a couple of days ago.

Some seedlings in but they are slow to sprout. Looks like a sparse germination on most but maybe they will have enough room between them for once!

I have been counting my dahlias as they come up...signs of green from bout 60 now, some of those being in pots and ready for planting but also counting the ones left in the ground last year. I would say half of them are showing growth now and trust that most of the rest will be along soon.

Husband has been sent off to other places about 1/3 of the time by his work and my household assistant son spent a month in Asia so I have been scrambling...tired, in pain, and waiting for the reward of the beauty! LIfe goes on and I must get back to the garden.

So far: Achillea Cloth of Gold 9 flats,Achillea Cerise Queen 3 flats, Aster September Ruby 2 flats,Aster belgii mix 4 flats, Campanula pyramiddalis 6 flats,Shasta Daisy May Queen 3 flats,Delph clear springs 6 flats,Delph magic mix 3 flats,Echinacea Amado 3 flats,Echinacea Ruby Star 3 flats,Echinops blue glow 2 flats,Echinops artic glow 3 flats, Echinops ritro 4 flats,Statice latifolia sea lavender 12 flats, Rudbeckia Cherokee 2 flats, Rudbeckia Indian 2 flats,Rudbeckia sputnik 2 flats,Veronica longifolia 4 flats,Veronica Alba 2 flats all in 72 trays are in.

Now starting: Campanula Champion 10 flats, Celosia 20 flats,Dianthus 6 flats, Purple Majesty millet 11 flats,Gomphrena 11 flats, Snaps 20 flats, Statice sinuata 35 flats also in 72 trays are being planted (if it quits raining).

Also going in the ground or in the ground: 1LB Ammi, 1LB Bells, 1LB Candula, 1LB Cornflower, 1LB Cosmos, 1LB Larkspur, 1LB Nigella, 1LB Sweet pea, 1LB Zinna, 2 to 3 LBs of Sunflower and 5 LBs of Sorgum seed.

Bulbs in are 1,000 new Lily, 1,000 Foxtail, and 2,000 Glads.

Now to find something else to grow.

Bryan

Heidi,

Judging from the amount of shipments of dahlia tubers we've made this past week to specialty cut flower growers out east, it looks like they plan to start planting tubers mid-May.

We started planting our tubers this past week.

Trish
Banner Flower Farm
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Our weather has turned so nice - plenty of warm days, sunshine and frost free nights that's it's difficult to wait to plant out, especially since many of the transplants are ready and the soil is warm.

I did do some direct sowing this past week - Larkspur, Clarkia, Danish Flag poppies, some sunflowers, and Cosmos. Yesterday I took the plunge and planted out some Chaubaud carnations and Purple Bouquet dianthus transplants as well as all the Liatris. We're getting a real nice soaking rain today and more warm temps predicted for next week so that should get the plants growing. Lilies are poking thru (some are 6" high already).

I fear my aster transplants (Compliment and Tiger Paws) are infected with Aster yellows. Many of the plants are chlorotic and yellowing and if it is aster yellows, it must have been in the soiless mix as they have been displaying this to some extent since the second set of leaves. I think I will toss them for fear of infecting other plants once bug season starts, and give up on annual Asters. I had trouble last year with a small green worm that liked to munch on the aster flowers and buds. This plant is more trouble than its worth to me, and I don't know if the farmer's market customers will care one little bit that I don't have asters in a mixed bouquet. I'll start more zinnias instead - customers do like those a lot.

Ah well, it's always something, isn't it?

Trish:
I think I'm going to plant dahlias tomorrow. I've already planted out all my cold hardy flowers so I'm now ready to put in the tubers. Yup, tomorrows the day!!!!!! Our weather is still great. Unfortunately tonite it is suppose to get down to 28 degrees. The only planting that I'm worried about is the Feverfew, VIRGO. I hope they survive because I planted out half of them today to see how hardy they are.
Heidi

The feverfew should be very hardy. I have most of mine up again from last winter.

COunted the DAhlias that have come up (Left them in the ground last winter and I see about 80 with maybe 15 more to come. So far have found only 1 dead and 3 spots that I think I yanked them from last fall to make room for something I would like better. I have those ready to go in. THis year I added Sangria, Bon Bini and Ventura to my Karmas, and am trying Bluebeard and all the different Fubuki dahlias I could find,(all I saw listed except Canary, which was sold out). The Karmas outgrow all the others in pots with a great deal of energy, right from the start! MY corralitos ONes are ready to go in now too. I think that may be tomorrows job.

We had a gorgeous day in the mid 70's today. I don't see how any viable seed could help leaping up out of the ground!