"I will take more pictures at regular intervals, and note how large the plants will be at maturity. Last year's plants are so big already! " Last Fall I started what I call "The Monday Morning Photo Project". Every Monday morning, I go out with my camera and photograph my whole yard and gardens. I take full views of the different gardens, but close up of what is budding, what is in full bloom, and what is dieing off. Fall was an odd time to start, but it did get me in the habit and I did photograph every Monday, even throughout the whole winter. I like the commitment I made to weekly photos. In the past I would just go out when things looked pretty, I didn't always get an accurate date of when flowers were in full bloom, and I never got the whole sense of how long the blossoms lasted. I could always tell you when my first daffodil bloomed. But I could never tell you when the last one died off. Having the record for the full year will really help me next Fall when I want to plant more bulbs - I have made a point to photograph areas that were lacking in certain bulbs - so now I'll know where to plant them. And as I continue to photograph over the summer, I should have a great record of where I'm lacking color or blossoms at any time, and thus will help me with planting next spring.

bpgreen, thanks for helping me remember what RTF is. Steve said "...She'll eat some pie, but it's all about the crust for her.... I have to eat a whole pie myself!" Sounds like torture. I'd suggest you keep making 'em. Maybe one day she'll acquire a taste for it. I used to be a crust person myself. I discovered that I have 'superior' taste buds and now love the pie filling too. I just use much less spice. It was irritating to me to eat apple pie that tasted like cinnamon instead of apples. Many recipes call for too much spice, IMHO. I have a good no-sugar-added pie filling recipe.. I adjusted the spices to suit myself and, this year found a good low fat crust recipe. I'd never realized before having fruits fresh from my own trees, just how good they would be. The apples from my Fuji are different than those from a grocery store... more flavorful and even crisper. Don't rub in my lack of nectarines, Steve. :-( The thought of a juicy fresh nectarine or peach (or even frozen in a smoothie) sounds delicious! One year we got a box of nectarines fresh from a friends tree. Great fresh, needless to say, and the low sugar jam I made from them was fabulous! Parrots: Part of the reason I grow organically on my property..... I mostly have African parrots but also have a couple of Blue & Gold Macaws and a flight of 3 older cockatiels (2 well into their 20's). The "Psittacine" in my online name means 'of or pertaining to parrots'. I was a 'psittaculturist' (raised and studied them) for almost 30 years... retired from the "raising" part a few years ago. They definitely aren't for everyone because, if their needs are truly addressed, most are higher maintenance pets than a dog or cat. I've raised many species of parrots, or have studied them. I've also raised barn swallows, a killdeer, sage thrashers, humming bird, magpie, a starling (fun bird! much like a Magpie) and a common sparrow (Twiggy, one of my favorites)and maybe others I've forgotten. Have never been able to save a common robin, though. What species of conure was yours? Steve said: "Always wanted a falcon, though! Maybe someday..." Not an easy thing to get a raptor license. There is a guy that lives a few blocks from me who is a falconer and has a raptor rehabilitation license. His golden eagle died of West Nile Virus last year, (he now has a new one for his education program). They are beautiful animals. Crystal

Hi there tomato growing friends! My list for 2015 is still in the works. I'm checking out what has already been posted. Some varieties I'm familiar with. Others I am not. I grow tomatoes from seed as a hobby. I wish I could do it year round but the weather/climate never cooperates. I try and select my varieties based on it's history. For example for 2015 I hope to germinate and grow the "Purple Calabash". Why? Well it happened to be Thomas Jefferson's favorite. He grew it on his farm in Monticello from 1806 to 1822. This past year I grew Livingston's Paragon which was the 1st tomato introduced to the public and commercial growers here in America back in 1870. It took him 20 years to perfect it. Ok it would be great if when you are adding your list for 2015 you could indicate why you chose a certain variety. It might be impossible to do it for all but even if you just picked out the one that interests you the most. I think by doing this it would add to the joy that this thread has created.

Blight has been a problem for me during the last three years (even though I rotate every three years, space apart (last year's 5' x 5' centers weren't enough), drip irrigate from below, prune up 12" from the bottom, mulch and spray frequently). What I haven't done in the past is start fungicide at planting. I intend to do that this year. Root loss has been a problem for the last two years. Tremendous amounts of rain in northern MO. Most of the first half of the last two years, my garden looked like dirt soup. I have lots of compost in the soil but I plan to use more Earthright this year, to deepen the soil more, and improve drainage. I am also considering adding plastic between rows, with weed block on top of that, to let water drain off. I like weed block in 5' wide rolls, because it lets me get in the garden when things are a little damp, and eliminates weeds. Plants will be 4' O.C. with 8' between rows (for air circulation). Based on the way things have gone in the past, I will only have 2-3 feet to walk between plants (even with 8' O.C. rows). Learning all the time.