I have sent my pkg out, but pal has not posted that she received it. hope it got there ok.

I got cards from Paul today, I had seen your cards in a robin I was in. They are beautifull. thankyou so much,could I have a link to the site you sell them on for when I run out. I love them, thankyou carol

Paul, love your painting! I wish I had talent in that area.

I got a package from my pal today. She sent me another great card. She picks out the cutest cards. This one has a picture of Sister Mary Margarita in her habit holding out her Margarita. lol Then she sent seedlings of black eyed Susan, agastache rupestris, calaminta nepeta, sun coleus and kalameris integrifolia. I'm thrilled with them! Thank you so much pal! I have been buying up a storm to try and fill some new beds so now I will have somthing to help me fill them in. I just started my butterfly garden last year too and now will have all these great plants to help attract even more! You are so sweet and good to me. Oh, and I didn't get a bee but there was a tiny spider in my box. Does that make me one of the "IN" crowd? lol

Gina, I had to laugh over your garden helper story! My parents had daschunds and they would "help" dig sweet potatoes. Of course, they ate as they dug. They also helped to gather the pecans in the same way. Dogs, nothing like 'em! My own daschund loved to play ball and you guessed it, his favorite place to run after it was right thru the middle of my flowers. grrrr We lost him last fall after 14 years and I'd give anything to have him running thru them now. I'm working on his own memorial garden now.

Yaya, you and DH are still in my prayers. I saw a really comfy looking lounge chair at wally world today that he would be able to lay back and tell you how to garden in. I'm sure you need a coach!

Take care all,

Nancy

Thanks for all your words of kindness. I went to garden club today and we divided and potted up perennials for a big sale for one of the other non profit groups in the area called "Gateway Greening" I got to take home a variagated solomon seal and 3 ferns for my shade garden. Also, one of the ladies brought me some wild trilliums from her yard. It inspired me to go and dig up and re-arrange some things out there. Now it is 1 in the morning and instead of sleeping, I am up looking through my shade perennial book making a wish list!

I am so excited about that garden....until today I really hadn't done anything to it, it has some daylilies and hosta's I rescued about 2 years ago from Lowe's in November when they were pretty much dead, and I threw them in the ground.....since that time I did all my backyard renovation, but they were still where I had originally put them, although their bed had been expanded and instead of being on the edge of the bed, they were right in the middle...but now that they are moved, they look great....and the bed is ready for more plants.

I also planted some scallions, leeks and parsley in the veggie garden today, some that I had started from seed back in Feb.

I'll admit that I haven't done much on my business in the last week.....I have been playing hooky.....good thing I am the boss......

Tomorrow I am going to move/divide the poor hostas in the shade bed, and maybe get some more things planted on my hill.

YaYa

Ilsonshine, your boxer was trying to help you make cuttings- pure and simple. I have a big overgrown lilac because I don't know how to tame it. If I find some rooted parts I'd be glad to send them and will keep them away from MY dog. Nice scent, medium ummmm lilac color. LMK.

Yaya, sounds like you came home with some treasures from the Garden Club! I love Solomon's seal, I have a smaller variety and tall Korean variety blooming now with its little white pearls of blossoms. The trillium is one of my alltime favorites. I just made another foray into the wilderness with the hound to scout out wild ones in bloom.
Since we have deer around it's amazing any of them survive but there are delightful little patches surviving and reproducing deep in the woods right next to deer trails. They are amazingly tough little woodland plants- one grows right out of what appears to be a rock outcropping- steep.

Now hold the phone on daylilies: I always thought they were a full sun plant. I just got Shirley's generous shipment and another 6 in a swap. If I could put them in part shade I would be happy as a clam to fill out my shade beds. One bed gets about 2.5 hours of morning sun, then another 2 of very filtered afternoon sun, then 1 hour of late afternoon sun. Shade plants do well there, but would my new daylilies?

Taxes got done! What a phenomenal headache-literally. I am sooo glad it's over for another year. Www.findacpa.com is where I'm heading....

A few little notes to some of our members:
First of all, Happy Birthday on April 17th to Mellen. I hope you have a wonderful day!
Second, YaYa, you can be assured your husband will be in my prayers. I hope he is on the mend.
Third, Paul, that iris is so beautiful! I love irises but for some reason they don't love me. I have a very hard time getting them to bloom. I love your artwork as well.
...And lastly, thanks for all the gardening news that everyone posts. This is a beautiful time of the year here in SC with the dogwoods, azaleas, wisteria, etc. in bloom. I had three kinds of tulips in bloom this year and am proud to have started a redbud tree from seed. (Now to make sure I don't accidentally step on the little fellow!)
Enjoy the rest of the weekend, everyone.

Sandlapper Rose

Pochella, the wild "ditch lillies" here(MD) take a good bit of shade and still bloom. Not sure how much the hybrids tolerate. It may very well depend on your climate. In Kodiak there was no plant that I found that would not tolerate "full sun". Probably because we got so little of it. LOL. They used to joke about closing schools for sun days the way other places closed school for snow days.
Give them a try for a couple years and see how they do.
Beth

Did I miss Hairys B day? here is a late birthday wish. Ya Ya sorry to hear about your DH thoughts and prayers are with you. could you check and see if my pal is ok? she usually posts, or maybe my box to her is lost. gotta find that darn conf #Happy belated bday Mellen

Happy Birthday Mellen!

Wow, I have been out in the garden for several days straight.....good stress reliever.....and many of my mail order things have come in. Today I planted a midnight blue shrub rose, it has rave reviews....and a moonberry hybrid tea rose. Both are purple with spicy scents. I can't wait for them to bloom. I hope I put the shrub rose in a good spot...it is so hard when you have never seen a plant in person before to really know how it is going to look, how big it will get and such, it says 2'3 feet, but there is really a big difference between the two, depending on what is in front of it etc.

I also planted about 50 seedling false blue indigo plants on my hill. I have high hopes for those also. I am planning on maybe going to the nursery this week for my annuals for pots and things....since we have now passed our average last frost date. I always like to wait at least a week after that though to plant annuals.

YaYa

Finally! I've stopped moving long enough to get on the computer. It's been a busy weekend with lots of running around, digging, and planting. :-)

Yaya, I'm so sorry to hear about your husband. You're both in my thoughts.

I received my box a few days ago (sorry for the delay) and was again delighted with all the goodies I've received. My secret pal is helping me fill out my daylily collection and I'm very grateful. My pal sent me....Asiatic Lily 'Royal Respect' (which is gorgeous in pictures I found), Canna 'Wyoming' (love the colors), Canna 'Tropical Sunrise', Daylily 'Scarlock' and Daylily 'Chicago Arnie's Choice' (can't wait to see this bloom). If that wasn't enough, my pal also sent me a good heavy duty pair of gloves, which I so needed since the pair I bought already ripped (grrrr...), a thermometer for me to hang outside my back door, and the coolest rooster! It's kinda folk-arty, kinda rustic, very cool! ;-) And of course I received a lovely card, my pal always finds the best ones somehow. (I hope I'm not forgetting anything...)

Thanks again secret pal, you're always full of surprises and good wishes. I hope you are having a good spring.

Thanks for the Bday greetings. It's been a wonderful time. My parents were here for the week-end. My(our)only child, a son, who we had as a foster son at 14 then adopted at 16 and is now a H.S. senior sent me a daisy basket arrangement at school. He's never done anything like that before. What a kid! Thanks, Vee, for the cake, and you are not late with your greetings. Today is the day. I want to thank my secret pal for the birthday e-card and message. Pretty, pretty. Have a super week, everyone! Mellen

Happy belated birthday Mellen! Such a sweet thing for a BOY to do. Wow!! You must have done something right. ;0)

Nancy

Hi Mellen
Hope you had a Wonderful Birthday!!!

Hi Mellen,
I see several of us missed your Birthday. Glad it was a fun one. It's alright to celebrate Birthdays for weeks.
They only come once a year. (Thank goodness)

Sounds like everyone is really busy during this Spring season. We cleaned out our - Red neck pond- (that's what I call it) this past week-end. We made it out of a big white satellite dish. My Aunt found it for me last year.
It really turned out better than I expected.

Ya Ya - Sorry to read about your husband. I just prayed a prayer for him and also for you. God bless you both.

Shirley

Yippie skippers, I just got the cooolest BD box from my secret pal!!! She sent me 2 rose bushes. I am in heaaaven, dear pal. I am actually getting a start on my rose garden that I have been dreaming of starting to honor our dearest former landlady, Mildred. The lady who sold us the land on which to build our home. For the land sale to happen itself was a gift from above. By the way, you do one HECK of a tape job! It literally took me 7 minutes to get into that box!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you dearest pal, Mellen

Mellen, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday to our Dear Mellen, Happy Birthday to you (even if it is a little late : ) ).

THANK YOU Secret Pal O' Mine for your thoughtfulness and generosity. I received a box in the mail today and it was a sweet surprise. It was full of neat items: a nice card with happy April/Spring wishes; Bulbs/Tubers= Eremurus, Liatris, & a big Elephant Ear Bulb (my boys will think this is cool); Seeds = Candlestick Plant, Candlebush and Dutchman's Pipe Vine (something I'd asked ?s about last mo) : ). More plants that attract butterflies, yeaaa : )!! Plus: Garden gloves to help with planting all this : ), a cute little windchime with flower and ladybugs that sounds so sweet, and a "Welcome to My Garden" resin type key hider (neat). Hope I remembered it all and didn't leave anything out. I hadn't heard of some of the flowers before, so this was a nice learning experience for me too. THANKS 8~) My sweet pal wants to keep me diggin' ;~)

The package was a really nice pick me up as I had an EGD this morning and had been pretty out of it after the anesthesia. Oh, health update: Praise God my voice is coming back and is getting stronger. The docs figure I have acid reflux that affects the larynx=LPRD (rather than GERD which effects the esophagus). No, with this I don't normally have heartburn, but it along with a cold/allergies/asthma coughing can literally take my voice away. Todays test didn't find anything bad so I'm to continue the Nexium daily and add I think it is Pepcid (I wasn't with it when my DH filled me in). So the box of goodies helped to perk me up so I could get busy with some things. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers, I do appreciate them.

Wow, lots of newsy posts since I last checked in! Yaya, so sorry to hear about DH, will keep you both in my prayers. Mellen, happy belated birthday!

And special thanks to my pal for my box, sorry I didn't post sooner. I've been gone on business, got the box when I got back last week, then my sister came in from out of state and seems like we've been having so much fun I haven't got on line to post. Wish I had been out playing in my yard, weather has been beautiful. Oh well, there's always this weekend.

My box had a beautiful card with a picture of an iris on it. Is that from your garden, pal? It's gorgeous. Also received refrigerator notepads with flowers on them and a ladybug magnet to add to my refrigerator magnet collection. A tart candle burner with some yummy smelling tart candles - love those. Big container of Peters plant food, that will come in mighty handy. And a beautiful resin frame, cream colored with beautiful pink lilies. Thank you pal, you always make me smile with your thoughtfulness!

Thanks to all of you for the inspiration provided by your gardening updates, I have really got to get out and work in my yard. I am excited though, as I am having a patio and retaining wall put in my yard, the stamped concrete stuff. It's going to look like flagstone when they're done, only a couple more weeks before it's finished!

Happy April to everyone!

Hi, everyone.
I received a package today from.... Yaya. Thank you very much. She felt bad for me for not receiving anything from my pal for a couple of months. She sent Plant-A-Tree bookmarks, couple of cards and seeds, plant markers (I just ran out so I was planning to cut up some mini-blinds, but now I don't need to), and a journal. The journal is perfectly timed as my current journal cannot take any more catagories. I started making notes about plumerias from the front, epiphyllums from the back, and adeniums somewhere in the middle, and they are all converging... LOL. I will use this one for brugmansias and passifloras.

Still nothing from my pal :-(... I hope she's okay. I don't want to trade her in for a new pal since she's sick and all, but I really would like to know I have a reliable pal.... what to do, what to do?

Thanks,
Paul

I could just roll over and play dead. I forgot to wish Mellen a Happy Birthday! Happy Belated, Mellen. Sounds like you have had a great birthday week!
{{gwi:33507}}

Happy Birthday to the April babies... Hope your day was special..

To my pal..Thank you so much for the box of goodies and card.. The skeeter candle will come in handy since they seem to be back with a vengance this year. Little vampires.. This candle even smells good.. The frog thermometor is hanging on my kitchen window sooo cute.. The Cyclamen bulbs will be going in the ground this morning...Wow each month I have gotten something off my wants list... You are so good to me.. Thanks Bunches..
RondaM

A big thanks to my secret pal. The package arrived in yesterday's mail. I think with so many people swamping the post office for tax day, that things slowed up a bit.

My pal wrote a nice note on a very pretty card, and there were lots of surprises inside. The biggest was a bag of dinnerplate dahlia tubers. Those tubers are HUGE! I had to look them up because I've never grown them before. It looks like the obedient plant rootings I got last year didn't survive the winter... so I'll put them in that nice sunny spot. I'll have to remember to dig them up come fall!! I'm resisting the temptation to dig around where some "late starters" are in the hope that they survived their first winter.

There was also a number of seed packets for a variety of basils. It's still not too late for me to start some up for my garden this year. Due to my secret pal's generosity, my biggest basil problem is deciding which varieties I ought to start and put out!! I love homemade pesto.

Thanks again secret pal!!
-Stephanie

I received the cutest card today from my pal...and it "sparkled" in the sunshine outside where I sat down to read the mail. My pal was apologizing....apparently thinking they have to send a box each month......but the "sparkle" that arrived today was enough for me....nice to be reminded of our web friends out there thinking of us. What about on next month's thread we all post a picture of ourselves.....that's going on at the Cottage Garden forum and it is so nice to finally put a face with a name....What do y'all think???
Thanks again for the nice card,
Theresa

I wouldn't mind posting pictures... but could someone who know how write out some clear directions for doing so and post them here?

Maybe each month we can have a theme for a picture to post...the first month could be pictures of ourselves, other topics might include: containers, vines and climbers, roses, garden art, favorite combination, pets in the garden, etc. If anyone has any other ideas they would like for topics please post them.

I bought lots of annuals today.....but I am going to try my best to wait another week before I start planting them out....I am always so worried about a late frost.....those plants are too expensive to get frozen!

YaYa

my box was sent today - a little late, which i apologize for, but tax time killed me and i just kind of collapsed over the weekend.

box was sent priority confirmation, so it should arrive in a few days.

enjoy

and all this talk about dahlias, i just received on another swap some dahlia tubers. not sure the identity of them, but so what...you girls always talking up a store about them, i just can't wait to get hooked.

mellen - happy birthday, a day or so late. you're still 29, right?

You know, i have to say, out of all the swaps i am/have been involved in, i enjoy this one so very much. i enjoy the goodhearted nature of everyone. i enjoy reading what everyone receives and mostly i enjoy reading the smiles i hear in each post.

i want to take the time to personally thank Paul for his generosity in sending me his beautiful cards. we love them. thank you so very much.

i had a little garden helper today, my 3 year old nephew. what an interest he has in gardening. he eyed everything that was blooming, then took me around by the hand and showed me what he wanted to pick. gotta love that - he just didn't pull things out, he asked first. so we picked flowers as we walked around, then he helped water the veggie garden, then we dig up two grape hyacinths so he could take them home to plant in his garden - one for him and one for his sister. he didn't want to go home when his mom said it was time, he wanted to stay with me in my garden. i am so thankful for that as well.

last but not least, i am thankful for a day full of sunshine.

Hi Everyone! Hope your April is going well. Just thought I'd pop in and do a quick catch up... Been very busy at the shop! We finally closed last week on the house for the shop and it's a filthy mess! I've been up to my eyeballs in cleaning! Where's Mr. Clean when you really need him?

Happy B-day to mellon and anyone else I may have missed. Ya ya, sorry to hear hubby has re-lapsed. I will keep you both in my thoughts.

I have 100's of daffodils in bloom right now... still waiting for the rest to pop. The gardens look so good with color!
Hope the weather where you are is just as beautiful as it is here!
Tally Ho!

~Dusty~

I received a wonderful pkg from my pal today, poochey I got seattle dahlia, and lots of other goodies thankyou pal I love it. poochey can I please put my dahlias in the ground now/ thankyou pal you are the best.

It's getting to that time of year when I can send my pal actual plants. There's just one problem. I have never done it before and I'm petrified that she'll recieve 'dead things'. Can someone direct me to a site or perhaps give their instructions on how to send 'live things' throughthe mail.
Lil

Lucky Girl Veeja: NO NO and NO on the dahlias! I just knew you would be asking with our fair weather week coming up! Resist the urge or cry later when they all rot. I am speaking from painful experience. You might be a few degrees warmer than here, but not much and not enough to risk it, plus it's been very damp lately- not good for tubers with no roots.
Aim for planting May 1st and not a minute before. (I will be the one you see on the news in the straight jacket with hands bound, salivating over tubers and eyeing the garden for the next week, so you are not alone...
Glad you got 'Seattle'- one of us can preserve it and keep it going, hopefully.

Lilylouise, here is what I posted on the birthday swap- it has always worked for me after I learned to double bag everything with the remotest hint of moisture involved, right Carol?
>>If you can bare root the plants, gently rinse soil and rocks, worms and debris from roots, drain well, then wrap roots in damp newspaper or paper towels. Then wrap roots in plastic bag and cinch up on stems (if possible) with ties. If foliage is fragile I make a sturdy little newspaper 'cone' around wrappedroots and leaves to protect them. Low-lying plants can sometimes travel in covered food containers like Chinese or Thai food, or clear strawberry packages etc. I put moist paper towel inside the bottom, close the cover and tape well. Plastic bag it.

All plants with moisture are then wrapped in a big second plastic bag because LEAKS are bad. Even little leaks.
This protects non plant boxed items and the box itself.

I've also sent potted plants inside two containers, one holding the pot, padding around the plant pot so it doesn't move, and one inverted over it and taped well to protect foliage. Pack it inside the box so you think it won't be thrown about in shipping. those inflated air cushions you can get are great, lightweight fillers.
I think it's amazing how well stuff can travel given that the USPS can't really care too much about our labors of love in shipping.
Happy swap all. Poochella

Thank you all for the birthday wishes.

YaYa--positive thoughts and prayers to you and hubby.

Mellen

Every plant, and there were lots tat I received from poochey grew well, Only problem p.o. called as there was no return address, They asked if I wanted it delivered since it was leaking. Good thing they didn't blow it up it had some wonderfull plants I am enjoying this spring, a lot of my dahlias have pretty extensive roots, must I still wait?
wanna plant!!wanna Plant!! wanna Plant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Carol

Thanks Poochella for the instructions on sending live stuff through the mail. Plus I got my April package and Earthly had sent Autumn Joy sedum and it arrived in perfect condition. It's not one I have had before so I'm really looking forward to see how it likes NY. Many thanks for all the goodies. I don't know how you find the time to gather all the stuff you send.
It cooled down considerabley over night. It's more like spring again. I really believe the spring flowers last longer with cooler weather. The forsythia and daffs are spectacular this year.

WHOOOO HOOOOOO - Everybody I went to Lowe's at lunchtime and found all their dahlias and bulbs 50% off. They still had a good selection and they are putting out new growth so I know they are not dead. OHHHHHHH I spent way too much money again.

Paul - I got your cards and I love them. You are so talented. Thank You Thank You Thank You.

Poochella - I did not know about planting the dahlias until May?????? I guess I messed up. Mine have been planted for 2 weeks. Hope they do OK. Have my fingers and toes crossed.

Dusty - Send us some pictures of your shop. We are so proud of you.

Shirley

Veeja, I'd wait to plant those dahlias no matter how warm it gets. And it's warm outside! BUT: I'm going to the Dahlia Association meeting tonight and if I hear differently, I'll let you know.

Shirley, you are quite a bit warmer than our fickle Springs here and not as damp, I think your tubers will be fine. Another gent in NC I sent tubers to has had his in the ground for a couple weeks already.
I just put many of your wonderful daylilies in what I hope will be their permanent home- we'll see how they do. I've had a glorious day hauling compost and digging up this and that to move in my two shade beds. Bees are buzzing, hawks are calling, dog is shedding and life is great!

Beth, I took your input from the ditch lilies post and put some in about half shade so we'll see how they bloom. You daylily growers, I will be looking for your advice on fertilizing etc. I've only had two kinds ever.

Sandlapper, I am amazed and impressed that you got a whole redbud tree (even if wee) from a seed. It's an amazing feat isn't it? I have a 3 ft redbud we got from joining the Arbor Day Foundation afew years ago. I hope it continues to grow and that I don't mow it down with the tractor.

Theresa I like the photo idea. You'll all be stunned that I'm a dead ringer for Julia Roberts, or is it Julia Child? LOL Carol and Beth B have seen me or a photo at least and know I'm a big liar!
I really want to see Dusty's daffodils in bloom- mine are all long done.
I was going to post photo posting advice but my camera/computer software aren't on speaking terms lately and I've been having nothing but trouble posting photos. I find Photobucket to be the very easiest online photo storage place, in case anyone wants to check that out. Back outside I go...
I'll work on photo advice but there is also a FAQ here on GW for such things

Here is a link that might be useful: A good start for photo posting advice

lil - i am so glad the plant arrived in "perfect" condition. boy oh boy was i nervous. i mailed out several boxes on tuesday and all but one had plant(s) in them. i was so nervous about sending them as i had never done it before. thanks to sue k and pooch, both gave excellent instructions on how to do it -- i added foil just because i remember it as a kid taking flowers to school wrapped in paper towels and foil. i wasn't sure what to send you plant wise, but i'm so glad to know it made it. hope you enjoy the reading materials i sent as well. you are somewhat of an enigma, i need to know more about you LOL!

pooch aka julie roberts, lucky you that your trees from National Arbor day survive. three times mine have not (sigh) and believe me, not for lack of trying, pampering and following directions. i just wish they would send them right then and there, not wait for when they consider it the right time.

all you dahlia ladies...guess what? i am in another swap that beth k hosted and my pal sent me some dahlias. and pooch, don't hollar, but i planted them the following day after soaking the tubers. i think i might have a lot to learn? anyway, i can now say i am on my way to a new obsession.

brit's gran, congrats on your lowe's spree. yesterday on my way to an appointment i passed a place that said "all easter flowers - fill your trunk for $20.00" i felt like a kid in a candy shop, i drive a van!

wow, can you believe that april is almost over? and where the heck are all the april showers to bring the may flowers? we are on a definite dry spell.

dusty, all those daffs must look gorgeous. what town is your shop located?

i don't know if it is that i waited so long for spring but i agree that the flowering plants this year are just vibrant. every day something else is popping up and open. yesterday there seemed to be green sprouting on the dogwood, today it was flowering. my daffs and hyacinths are spent, but the tulips are just magnificient. i do agree forsythia is absolutely gorgeous this year, the yellow is just screaming "notice me".

i planted a bunch of allium - when will that bloom, anyone know?

Poochey, bad news, I planted one yellow daylilly in the shade it comes up every year but no bloom in three years. So all are in sun now. I am addicted I think I have 150 now bought lots this spring. those I get to plant now. Glad everyone is having a wonderfull box month.Got myself a new spring hat

Well, today was one of the wonderful days that don't come along often enough. It was Hubby's birthday so we both took the day off work and took the boys out of school for some "Hookey".....We took the boat out....beautiful, sunny, and 78 degrees....St. Johns River smooth as glass....took the boat to downtown Jacksonville and had lunch on the river. After THAT, I got to go shopping ALONE and found some great plants and a white cast iron bench (that I had been wanting) on clearance! Woo Hoo!
And if it wasn't a perfect day yet, I got home to find a package from my SP! So the perfect ending to the perfect day included watching my youngest's soccer game then coming home to plant my surprises just as the sun was setting :) Pretty great. My pal sent a wonderfully themed "pass-along" box which included bulbs form her (or his) mother's garden and a division from her first GW trade. I have actually been wanting some Ladybells since last year when the ones from my brother's house died (maybe it had something to to with transporting them from Michigan and transplanting them in July). When I look around my gardens at all the plants I've received from other GW'ers I realize how interconnected we all are. I have also shared things that others have shared with me. Also received a "pass-along" book (John Grisham!) Yes, SP, I do occasionally treat myself to reading even if it's while watching soccer. Actually, I have the book sitting right here ready to start reading since everyone else is in bed (I'll probably stay up too late). The package also included a set of garden hand tools and and ADORABLE garden angel that has found the perfect spot in my garden. Thanks SP for coming through again!
Sorry so long-winded - just wanted to share.
Theresa

Posted by: Theresa24 When I look around my gardens at all the plants I've received from other GW'ers I realize how interconnected we all are. I have also shared things that others have shared with me
----
that's the real beauty in gardening, isn't it?
although i am just beginning to get plants from gardeners here on this forum, i have so much from friends, families and even strangers, and i've been able to pass on as well. that's my favorite part of gardening.

earthly

Wow, Theresa that is a wonderful day indeed! I do the same thing walking around the garden- there's Veeja, there's Shirley, there's Elaine, there's Pam and Darlene and so on. Plants are nice, but they mean much more when they have a person behind them.

I tried so hard to get to the dahlia meeting but ran into a big accident- fire trucks, highway patrol and about 4 cars involved. So I went exactly 13 miles in 45 minutes ten of those in ten minutes and the other 3 in 35 minutes. With about 18 miles to go and I bailed, couldn't stand sitting in that mess any longer and would have been oh so late arriving. I think they would have frowned on such tardiness despite everyone here knowing that Seattle traffic just stinks 90% of the time. It's very frustrating to want to go to something and get thwarted by traffic. Maybe I should pray for patience. I need more of it! I need a helicopter.

Veeja and Shirley you daylily gals-- How does this sound: 3 hours of morning sun and 1.5 hours of afternoon sun for daylilies? Or I have another spot that gets about 4 hours of hot midday sun as well. What do you think?

Earthly, I would never holler at you! No way. No how.

Poochella, I'm sooo glad to see that I am not the only one who names their plants...Makes it so much more fun to see your friends in bloom...

Ronda_M

I hope my pal will forgive me, I forgot to thank her for the fairy bookmark and the mouse personal planner, which is already marked up with quilting classes and reminders of birthdays.. I'm just going to have to start bringing the box with me when I go to use the computer, it's always filled with so many wonderful things. The woman I send to, on the other hand, always writes such wonderful thank you notes. I'm glad she enjoyed her things. But thanks again, secret pal.

Hi again Earthly.
I just opened the "sock' mobile. It's a sailboat! Thank you so much. We still have about 4 weeks until our boat, Watercolors, is back in the water on Lake Ontario. With the warm weather DH was able to get the bottom painted and the hull waxed in plenty of time for the splash date.
Here are some of the smaller allium that bloom for me in late May to mid June.

thanks for that pic. too funny, i went out early this morning to where we put a rock garden in at the back of the property. there were things that looked like that and i thought it was anemone (?). i put in what i thought were those pom pom looking ones and they aren't up yet.

i (made a mistake, i believe) ordering from one of those discount kind of places last year, you know where you buy something and get the same for one cent more? anyone ever do that? although some of the stuff is absolutely gorgeous and in full bloom, other things are not even showing signs of life...ground covers, trumpet vine, pussy willow, calla lily, carnation, vines, other stuff that i can't even remember what it is.

i just notice that my guarantee is only good until june 30 of this year, so i hope to see more esepcailly in the month of may. maybe i am just being impatient seeing some stuff bloom and wanting everything at once (no telling i'm female, huh? LOL).

I just wanted to thank my Secret pal for another great month! She sent me lots of great seeds, calla lily and Asiatic lily bulbs, the cutest frog wind chime and stickers which DD was very excited to receive! Thanks so much!

Jenell

Shirley, just because you said Lowe's had their bulbs 1/2 off I stopped by ours yesterday on the way home and their's were still full price! Everyone gets such good deals at Lowe's but ours hardly ever puts anything on sale that isn't 9/10s dead. I did need some manure so it wasn't a wasted trip and of course I saw other things I had to have. ;-) Can you please ask the Lowe's manager or your store to train mine? <:d>Theresa, I do the same thing when I look around. It just awes me that I have parts of so many people in my gardens. That's the way I think of it, parts of "them" because they put some much of themselves into growing those plants.

My pal didn't post that she got her April package either but I'm sending everything with delivery confirmation so I hope she's getting them.

I got a really great package from a trade on a differnt RR today. I've been very lucky with both my RR pals. I love this one too. I look forward every day to coming home and seeing what everyone has to say. Keep posting, it's like being with old friends.

Nancy

I rec'd a great box in yesterdays mail from my secret pal! Inside were some yummy Old Fashioned Lemon Lilies which I have been after for a couple of years now!!! And some wonderful Hen's and Chicks which were desperetely needed! And of course, a nice note. Thank you so much to my secret pal for a perfect box!
Oh and yes, you shipped everything perfect! All the plants arrived in perfect condition!
Well I am off to plant my new goodies then off to the shop for another grueling day of cleaning and painting! The folks that sold me the house left it filthy! Lot's to do, lot's to do!
Thanks again to my secret pal!

~Dusty~

Ok, Time for a new thread for April.

See you there.

YaYa

Nancy - Well fiddle sticks, what's wrong with that Lowe's?
If you know anybody that works there tell them to call you when they go on sale. I do that alot. I can't stop by everyday to see.

Shirley

is there any club with a open for someone new to this that can exchange gifts evry month like plants and stuff