Tom, I think that if someone is publicly selling garlic for planting purposes, it should be large... maybe not the absolute biggest of the harvest, but still very large. I can see him keeping his absolute largest to replant, of course... but the stuff I harvested here in July, even from some leftover loose runt cloves, were bigger than some I received. Therefore the thoughts that if the winning bid was more than $0.33 each, maybe they would have been bigger? These were different varieties than I bought from him last year, but last year's seemed bigger. As for the corn gluten meal, we really don't know if the weeds are annuals or perennials, they may have blown in or even survived thru finished compost. Some is crabgrass, others I've never seen before here, not that I remember anyway. I think the soil temp is warm enough for weeds to germinate still, and I couldn't get back there to weed so everything went to seed... and yanking & raking & everything probably spread seeds everywhere. So they still may germinate this year, plus next year. Also, I don't have any mulch, unless I use compost that I pay for... no grass here... maybe some leaves in another month. I personally have never mulched my garlic here. The corn gluten I think recommended app rate is around 10-20lbs per 1000 sq ft--the entire pumpkin patch is only around 250-300. You usually apply 2x per year. It's effectiveness increases each year you reapply it. I think it starts out in the 60-70% range the first app and handles about a dozen or more weeds (crabgrass, dandelion, etc.) The list is on Wikipedia I think. This should last me a pretty long time, or I can always put it on ebay in 10lb bags ;-) Plus, it acts as a fertilizer, around 9 or 10-0-0. For tomatoes, my Dr. Lyle is about done except for a few large green ones near the top, but still have many other varieties still producing. I only pulled 1 determinate plant. Next year I will devote more time & space on my own crosses/breeding. Of course I don't think I can get away with just 5! Plus you sent me 2 to grow, thanks. But I probably won't grow 12 different cherries like usual. I grew maybe 80 varieties of maters and spent sooooo much time saving seeds for ebay, and peeling & dicing tomatoes for Annie's Salsa (41 pints or so canned), that I think I only actually sat down and ate about 5 full tomatoes all year! And just 1 or 2 BLT's! We did do 8 gallons of puree with the Spremy too. Matter of fact, I STILL didn't get to save seeds from every one of the 80+ varieties this year yet! The smell of rotting split tomatoes that now look like seed "sacs" is making me sick! Today I did maybe 4 varieties of peppers--many drying in the oven to grind plus just got done preparing 15 Billy Ogden's stuffed hot peppers (mozz/parm/cream cheese/garlic/etc.) Pepper plants are still loaded--have to find more uses for them! Mark

Ok, well I'm back again just to tell you all that I finished my mom's yard. Now I know to some of you with extreme projects this may not seem like much, but it took me FOUR HOURS to weed out two beds that were around trees and two beds in front of the house. ~SIGHS~ I didn't even know it was possible to feel hamstrings the way I'm feeling mine. I worked the heck out of that shovel!!! This was done Friday last week and today is Monday and I'm still walking like I've been riding horses all day! LOL Anyway, just thought I'd share that with all of you. Oh! Yesterday my Garden Buddy and I decided to do a "Friendship Mixed Pot". We both got a geranium and a vinca vine with an annual as well. Well, I got two perennials (are begonias perennials?). Anyway this was another little project of mine and I'm very proud of it....MY FIRST MIXED POT.....hope you all like it. It's a red geranium in the middle with white begonias around it and the vinca in the front kinda spread out. I'm in love with it!!! This is a top view of it....

Hi folks! Granny!!!!! Of course you count!!!!! I'll take pictures of the Mail Pouch "barn" and other stuff so Lee can show you on his computer. Beverly hasn't even seen them yet! I broke my little finger and am waiting to see the hand specialist to be sure I didn't damage any tendons or ligaments. I hope not. This nine fingered typing is for the birds! I keep trying to use the splinted finger and typing really weird stuff! I also pulled the muscles of my chest badly enough that they thought that I might have a broken rib. Sheesh! I'm still going to find a way to pot up those last few plants! There is NO WAY I'll let if spoil my once in a lifetime trip with the boys. We're going snorkeling, para sailing, catamaran sailing, swimming with the dolphins and even some time for just laying on the beach! No heavy lifting for me until after the cruise! I'm overwhelmed with all the stuff I need to do in the next two weeks so I'd better go make another list and start checking things off! Barbi, was that you who wanted the baby arborvitae? I'll save them for you. I did dig up the campion that seeded itself in my stone path before I hurt myself. (*again*) They are a nice biennial. Mine are white but Beverly has some rose ones so who knows what color the seeds the bees made! I have Solomon's seal that needs dividing and some salvia that seeded into my stone path too. The candy tuft jumped the path but it might have to wait 'til fall. I can't wait to see Betty and Ron all the way from Michigan. I keep killing my forget-me-nots! Wonder what I'm doing to them? I hope everyone is doing well and my penchant for injuring myself is not "catching"! ~~Mimi

I have a daffodil blooming! Only one - on the south side of the kids playhouse and the poor thing is laying on the ground from all this rain but at least I have a little reminder that spring is on its way. We haven't been in the main path of most of the rain that's gone through but we still have water sitting in our yard in a few places. South of here, they're getting WAY too much rain and still more on the way. Is anyone worried about getting flooded out? There are several schools letting out early. Please be careful driving.