Hi Oakleaf! Been wondering the same thing. I guess fall is a busy time of the year for gardeners. This morning I worked in the veggie garden digging sweet taters, harvesting turnips greens, turnips, radishes, squash, bell peppers and finally got around to weeding those darn carrots.

I finally got all the goodies from Jays swap planted in the flower beds. You blue iris got a place of honor and I can't wait to see it bloom next year! Like you we are really needing a soaking rain. Normally we would have had around 3 1/2 inches for September but there was only 3 tenths! Things are so wilted it's sad. I suspect the fall colors will be a pitiful show this month. Most leaves are just turning brown and dropping off.

Since summer waws so mild it sure makes me wonder what kind of winter we're gonna have. As long as I have some good gardening books, a snuggly blankie and plenty of hot tea and cocoa I'll be just fine if we get wintered in much.

I haven't hinted much about Christmas for myself but I have been checking the clearance racks in garden centers and have bought several things to put in a basket for my daughter, Kopper. What are you gonna ask Santa to get you for your gardening?

Darlene

Darlene, Would you beleive all i want is lots of help on a compost pile. I"m working on my son-in-law.
Vickie

LOL! There's gold in them thar compost piles! I started with a pile on the ground then hubby got involved and dug a pit. Those work good but last spring I finally got a 3 bin built just inside the veggie garden fence. Sure is a nice improvement.

I just recently found out the neighboring community has free compost and leaves. I gathered a ton of leaves this spring and summer from there after my stashed supply had run out. The compost they had was so so. I passed on it.

Keep working on your SIL! I bet he'll help ya.

Darlene

Haven't we had a great summer? I hate to see the cold weather coming. We got 1/2 inch of rain Fri. night. Out of all the annuals my impatiens have been the prettiest. They bloom all summer. Joy

im wanderin Am i in the right forum i live in washington county in mo. i hope so would like to meet someone close to help me and garden from texas but love missouri havent ever seen snow but cant wait :)

Welcome exquisitesoul1, you are in the right place!

I have been wondering about all the Ozarkians too....I check in each day but don't post often.

I have been trying to get control of the weeds around the garden area before they set seeds. I also finally planted all that stuff that had been accumulating on the picnic table for over a year (in pots). I still have a couple of rudbeckias 'Goldsturm' (raised from seed) and 5 or 6 pots of lavender (also from seed) and 5 clematis that have been growing for over a year in gallon pots. I must get everything in the ground soon.

I also couldn't help myself and ordered some sale stuff from Wayside so will have to get that in also.

Had a great turnout on sweet potatoes this year and they are so sweet. I had just about given up on raising them in this garden so this gave me renewed hope.

I just looked around this morning and made note of what was still looking quite good with some supplementary watering: Annual gomphrena, 'Moonlight' vinca, salva 'Blue Bedder', and of course mums. Everything else is pretty much finished. We are extremely dry and the yard looks like the Sahara!

That pretty much sums up what is going on in my neck of the woods.

gd

Hey, Vickie. It's been a busy season around here for sure. The daylily I got from you is coming right along. How's the Duchesse (rose) doing??

We hosted a garden tour this week..trying to keep everything watered has been a chore with no rain. It's starting to look like fall already. Mums are blooming and the camellias, too.

Beerhog and I and a friend from Texas are going to the American Rose Society Nationals in Tulsa next weekend..should be a fun trip with plenty of garden tours.

The gardening is at a wind down for me other than turnips and spinach..had a dastardly year here..worse garden I have ever grown..so now, we are into painting..lol..replacing windows, laying carpet, etc. mainly working on that poor basement that has been neglected. No rain here and everything is in need of watering..Brought the houseplants in so am enjoying them. Trying to save what little flower seed that I can and mainly just regrouping for another season next Spring. Neighbor gave me some peppers so made relish. Not much going on other than home repairs right now and that will take us into the winter.

Hey, Oakleif! Good to see your post.
I'm still here -- hanging out, hanging in, hanging on.
Didn't do a grden this year because of some health related issues, but did manage to keep some houseplants alive. They are keeping me busy now with cooler weather a'coming and trying to find enough room inside. I have a dozen or so Christmas Cactus in bud and can't wait for the blooms.
AdaO

I miss everyone, too --

I went back to work so my garden is not as well focused as I would like it to be. Weeds went out of control and the bugs that are not biting me have been eating my plants and have been trying to control that, but with not a lot of luck.

I check in as often as I can and have been missing a lot of folks -- Glad you made this post, Oakleif -- maybe it will stir everyone up!

Well finally finished our remodel/dont make me hit you project. It turned out wonderful. We do actually work well together. Have started putting my yard to bed seems like the season is almost over and time to plan for next year. Did get some flowers from parks and they sure look good. Cant wait for next year and them to bloom. Hope everyone else is doing ok. Judy

Hi Ada, Oakleif, Four Seasons, and welcome all those new to this message board. Ada, I hope you feel better. Oakleif, I've been in the garden, in the yard, and in the kitchen putting things up for the winter, and possible snow-in that exquisitesoul is looking forward to. It is beautiful, but it can be a slick trip on the way to the garden or barn or even the mailbox! I keep some stuff going all winter if I can. Have potted up pepper and tomato plants to bring in. and of course all those house plants that have spent a few months happily in the yard. Ada, I'm jealous that your cactus are budded....mine aren't yet....but I had blooms that opened on Christmas eve last year. Pretty clever of me, huh? naw, just dumb luck. Take care all. Maybe more of us "oldies" will respond to this link. Mary aka Missouri

Hello,I try to post,lol,but never remember where it was that I did that.Sigh...Finally have some rain here,I try to grow things,wasn't easy this summer,so dry!Very strange summer indeed. Uh,I have found that only I could possess the largest amount of non seed bearing plants.My cannas don't seed,my lavender doesn't seed,never did find any seeds on my hibiscus.I could sure use some tips on what variety to plant next year,as I think it would be great to share seeds and all.All I have at this point is enough marigold seeds for half the state. Nice to meet you all!!!

Been SO busy,haven't had time to garden much or even read Garden Web.Am digging the dahlias-swore I would label colors-guess what,I didn't and the ones I thought I'd marked,aren't!Have lots of weeds and a new chicken tractor that my husband built to try and fight the bermuda grass.We had lovely tomatoes and some pretty flowers.Posy Pet

I'm back, although I doubt anyone missed me, since I'm more of a lurker than a poster :). I decided to go back to school this fall since my son started kindergarten. Been busy, busy. Also had to get a new computer and just got around to getting back to some of my favorite old sites.

glad to see some one else. Where has everyone gone? Judy

I wish we Ozarkians would post more too!

We finally sold the dairy cows so next year should be so much better for gardening and life.....

We sold the cows in July and my husband had a heart attack on the 29th of October....he is doing very well, but still is unable to do any serious chores so I am doing them, with his help (driving, opening gates, etc.) That just takes 1 to 2 hours a day. It was a real wake-up call for both of us. We are trying to eat "heart healthy" now and exercise.

This made me realize all over again how lucky we who can have gardens and a few chickens in the backyard are. I notice even the heart institute's book refers to "farm fresh" eggs. Funny when the organic movement started back in the 70's with Mr. Rodale (can't remember his first name) people thought he was a quack! So much of the nutrition guidelines now are just that! We have plans to get a few chickens next year. You really can't have them when you dairy, or if you do, they must be penned up.

So, my advice for all you good folks is keep on gardening and be sure to add a vegetable garden somewhere if you don't already have one. Even in your flower beds works.

My plans for next year are totally remake my veg. garden, remove all fences, stakes, posts, etc. and start over.

The first thing I will do is use the Bermuda grass killer that was suggested here. My roundup hasn't done the job.

Let's all keep in touch over this long winter.

GD

Sorry to hear about your husband's heart attack GD. That's a tough wake-up call. I think it IS a good idea to plant more veggies and such. It encourages us to eat them if we've grown them ourselves. I'd like to hear how the Bermuda Grass killer does. I use round-up but like you said it doesn't work very well. I've noticed that it seems to help a little if you let the grass grow kind of tall before you spray it, but it's just scary to let that stuff grow, especially in a garden. Do you still have other cattle left? Winter chores may be tough this year for you. Try to be careful.
Margie - Glad you're back. Oooh I know what that's like - trying to get through college with young children to test your concentration skills. A friend and I decided there should be a very special award at graduation for mom's. Hang in there.

"Where is everybody" - I bet they're still here - just lurking. If Everyone tries to think of a question or topic and we start a few new posts, I bet that would get things rolling again. Ok all you lurkers! Go back and start a new topic where it says "Post a message to the Forum". Surely someone has a question....

GD wish you both well with your "heart heathy" habits. Possibly all of us should be joining you. During the hoidays it is especially hard to watch what you eat and to exercise. Mr. Rodales name was Robert.

Or possibly Mr Rodale was J.I.? He's the original. Hope everyone has a healthy new year. I was scheduled for knee surgery to remove a torn meniscus but I put my knee completely out and snapped the offender off in the process! Well, It was a painful week but I'm better. Now if I can just get through the tests for my muscle loss and hope that it isn't MS like they think. sigh. Take care all. mary

Just a little update on us. We are doing well. DH is taking the exercise classes and does most of the chores himself now. I help sometimes. We still have 29 head of Holstein heifers and some Holstein steers and a small beef herd. We hope to expand the beef cows.

I believe the original Rodale was J. I. Rodale. I have several of their first books.

Mary, I hope your tests turned our well. Good luck with the knee.

A disheartening note on eating heart healthy: We haven't lost any weight!!!! very disappointing. We will keep on with it for the other benefits and hope, eventually, the weight will go.

Thanks for the good wishes.

Glenda

I am so glad that so many of you remember JI Rodale.The world lost a true crusader when he died.I mulched along the edge of my garden about 3 feet with cardboard and leaf mulch to try and keep the bermuda grass out.The mulch worked good.Then my husband built me a chicken tractor that I ran outside of the leaves.I feel that the grass is under control now.For a while it was just going everywhere.We tried grass mulch and then tarpaper and then one layer of cardboard.It came under and thru everything.A thick mulch will eventually kill it but it does take a while.Everyone said to spray but I have gardened organically for over 30 years and didn't want to use Roundup all along my garden.Good to hear from you all.Posy Pet

Mary (Missouri) - I was just wondering how you are doing and wanted to let you know I was thinking about you. Is your muscle loss going to keep you from gardening this summer? I should have a Lady's Mantle plant to send you this spring (unless mine dies) to cheer you up. I noticed it was on your wishlist. Let me know if you'd like to have it.
Glenda - Dieting is always discouraging! I think staying on it for the other benefits as you said is a good idea. Hang in there. Are you close to the walking/bike trail? I think I remember you saying you live north or northwest of Springfield. That trail will eventually go from northwest Springfield, through Willard, Walnut Grove and on to Bolivar if I'm not mistaken. I'm not sure how far it goes now, at least to Willard. My husband and I have talked about getting bikes for ourselves and riding with the kids. I have a feeling dh and I would have trouble keeping up though. : )