Happy Easter friends :) Kgal, what do Kentucky citizens eat at Easter? I loved your Easter decorations, they look so countryside! And I love countryside style (that's why I live in the countryside of Belgium, lol). my mom has a little problem: she's wealthy but doesn't spend a red cent more than necessary, never. For instance, she only visits me four time a year because I live 45 km away from her, and she doesn't want to spend money on gasoil... She's known for the fact, lol and we all love her as she is. At this moment, the world entered a recession era, especially Belgium that has been without government for more than six months; which means that the prices have been increased to much that "the life is hard to live"... So, my mom decided that she'll come but takes my sister, her son, my grandmother, to split fuel costs and she thought that by cooking spaghetti bolognese for 7 people I'll spend less money. But, while I'm not wealthy at all, I stick with our traditions so, we'll eat a leg of lamb (lamb is the most expensive meat here but I've found a store that sells lamb with a great discount). Regarding the Belgian politic, our new government becomes effective today, and it was done specifically because we celebrate Easter: people will say nothing because a party that had not been elected is one of them. Karen, I also love the cartons with candles and gave a carton to each woman in my family with perfumed candles; they thought that they were eggs and have been a bit disappointed at first sight, lol. Rose, hearing from your traditions, arts and crafts is also addictive, lol. Do you plan to come to visit your DH's cousins in Belgium one day? Or maybe you already did... OK, I understand that... since it rains every day of the year, you prefer to spend your holidays home, lol. No, I'm joking, sometimes, the sun shines here too, like today, for instance. Phonegirl, well, my ex-m-i-l - who didn't like me at all - always said that I was generous and that I gave to the others what I can't allow to myself. In 11 years, it's the only kind comment she made about me. When she has been at the hospital, I called twice a day every day to have news about her health and she told me that while she didn't like me she loved my son so much and would like to see him; which was impossible because little children were forbidden in this section. Some days later, when I called the hospital, I learned that she died. I brought my son to the funeral although he had not been "invited". She wanted to see her grand son a last time... I love to give and I know how well you feel when you give something but, like Karen, I think that it's a question of wisdom.

Rosieclown, Here are all the Christmas gag gifts I have that are not the poop poems. You could just put the candy and such in decorative Christmas cello bags you can get at the dollar store, add the bag toppers, and forgo the mugs to save money. Hope this helps. Angel Kisses (*you can use the hugs Hershey kisses*) There are so many kinds of kisses, Some for love, and some for good wishes. But here is the one that can't be beat Angel Kisses--so wonderful and sweet! *************************************** Angel Seeds (*use white candy*) #1 In this packet you will find Angel Seeds of the sweetest kind If you eat one you will see Your heart will be most lovingly Eating two or three or four Will bring you happiness and more Angel wings and shiny halo as into an angel you will grow birdiekity #2 God created angel seeds To let us know He cares. Take one seed per day And swallow it with prayer. #3 Angel seeds are delicate So plant them in a spot just right Do it with a little prayer And love them day and night So when you are in special need Of the Angel's love and care Look into your heart to see Your Angel living there ********************************************* Candy Cane poem (*Tie this poem on a candy cane*) #1 Jesus Gentle Shepherd, this cane of red & white, Proclaims a sweet love story, born on Christmas night. This cane, you see, when turned around, begins your name of love, And now becomes a symbol of peace proclaimed above. The lively peppermint flavor is the regal gift of spice. The white is your purity, the red your sacrifice. And so this cane reminds us of just how much you care, And like your Christmas gift to us, it's meant for all to share. #2 A significant symbol of Christmas Is the Simple Candy Cane. It's shape is the crook of the Shepherd One of the first who came. The lively peppermint flavor is The regal gift of spice. The White is Jesus' purity. The Red is sacrifice. The narrow stripes are friendship. And the nearness of his love. Eternal, Sweet Compassion A gift from God above. The Candy Cane reminds us all of how much God cared. And like His Christmas gift to use It's meant to be broken and shared. ********************************************* CANDY CANE SEEDS (*Use round, red and white peppermint candies*) I once knew a gardner who knew how to grow Bright tasty candies, right out of the snow I asked him to share his secret with me And this is what he replied quite readily To garden in winter is difficult you see It takes lots of care and a very special seed I'll give you a couple to grow your own treats And you'll soon reap a harvest of candy cane treats. *************************************************** CHRISTMAS BLESSING MIX BUGLES---The trumpet that sounded at his birth. PRETZELS---Mary's arms wrapped around her baby. FRUITS AND NUTS-----The gifts the wise men brought. CANDY CANE(S)---Shepherds staffs. CHOCOLATE STARS-- The star of Bethlehem. HERSHEY KISSES--The love he has for you. RAFFIA---The hay in the manger that ties it all together. Use dried fruit mix and two different nuts. Put in treat bags tied with raffia. You can then put in mug, or any suitable container that recipient may need, or just leave in treat bag. *************************************************** Christmas Candle Here's a Christmas Candle, A gift for your family to share. Let it brighten up your season, And spread gladness in the air. It is hoped that you'll enjoy A special season full of fun. And love will burn more brightly When your holiday is done. *************************************************** The Christmas Star (*give Christmas star cookies*) May the Light that shone from the Christmas Star On that night so long ago Fall on you this Christmas night and set your face aglow. May it shine from your eyes. May it rest in your mind. May it burn in your Spirit bright. May the Peace it spoke to a weary world. Bring joy to your heart tonight. ©m.garren 12-7-96 ***************************************************** Cookie Cutter Poem Instructions: Place a gingerbread man cookie cutter in a baggie Put some candied sprinkles in a small ziploc bag and put in baggie with the cutter. Attach a card with the following recipe and poem. Poem: I made a plate of cookies to share with you this year I thought it was a good way to spread some Christmas cheer They all looked really tasty, so I thought I'd eat just one And a little while later, I noticed there were none. So here's my Christmas greeting, And a cookie cutter too, Now you can make your own cookies, And maybe share a few. Recipe: Sugar CUT UPS 1 cup sugar ½ tsp. salt 2 egg yolks 1 tsp. baking powder 1 Tbsp.cream 1 ½ cup flour 1 tsp. vanilla Mix and sift flour, baking powder and salt. Cream butter, add sugar slowly and cream until fluffy. Stir in well-beaten egg yolks & vanilla extract. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with cream. Chill for 1 hour, roll and cut with cookie cutters. Decorate. Preheat oven to 350. Place cookies on greased cookie sheet about 2" apart and bake 10 - 12 minutes or until cookies begin to brown. FROSTING RECIPE: 1 cup powdered sugar 1 Tbsp butter, room temperature 1-2 tsp. milk Add all ingredients in small bowl. Mix well. ****************************************************** Perfect Man (gingerbread man) Gingerbread man Is the perfect man, He is no trouble at all. He is very sweet And never talks back, And he always comes when you call. If he gives you any trouble, any trouble at all, Here's what you do ya'll. Give him one warning, just one warning I said, If he doesn't listen, bite off his head. ****************************************************** Ginger Bread Man - Recipe for Life 1 Heaping cup of encouragement 1 cup of melted compassion 2 cups of hope 1 cup of love 1 tablespoon of faith (it only takes a little) 2 large attitude Lots of hugs in assorted sizes Cream encouragement and compassion together. Add hope, love, and faith. Mix thoroughly until smooth. Slowly add the unbeaten attitude. Batter should be firm but not unyielding. knead gently. Roll in hugs and cut out to the desired shape. Add stars for eyes and a kiss. Bake in a warm oven. Excellent when shared with a friend. ****************************************************** Grinch Candy Canes Poems (*Just buy the green colored candy canes and attach the following poem:*) #1 When the Grinch discovered There was no way, To Keep Christmas from coming On Christmas day, He devised a new plan... Though not quite as mean. He licked all the candy canes, Til he turned them all green. #2 Every Who Down in Who-ville Liked Christmas a lot... But the Grinch, Who lived just North of Who-ville, Did NOT! The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season! Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason. But, Whatever the reason, His heart or his shoes, He stood there on Christmas Eve, hating the Whos, Then he got an idea! An awful idea! THE GRINCH GOT A WONDERFUL, AWFUL IDEA! "I know just what to do!" The Grinch laughed in his throat. And he chuckled, and clucked, "What a great Grinchy trick! IÂll lick all the candy canes, and turn them all green! ****************************************************** GRINCH PILLS (*use green M&M's*) #1 Feeling kinda' grouchy? Holiday spirit can't be found? Just try these little "Grinch Pills." They're the best medicine around. Whether eating a whole handful, Or munching one or two, These tasty little "pills" Take the "Grinch" right out of you! #2 So the Grinch stole your Christmas, Well this should help you out. Little green Grinch pills Will take out the pout. You can eat a handful or just one or two, And before you know it, you'll be a smiling fool. ****************************************************** Christmas Candy M&Ms As you hold these candies In your hand, And turn them, You will see. The M becomes a W, An E, and then a 3. They tell the Christmas story, It's one I'm sure you know. It took place in a stable. A long, long, time ago. The E is for the East, Where the star shone so bright. The M is for the Manger, Where Baby Jesus slept that night. The 3 is for the Wise men, Bearing gifts, they say they came. W is for Worship, Hallelujah, Praise His Name. So as you eat these candies, Or share them with a friend. Remember the meaning of Christmas, It's a Love story that never ends. by Pam Ridenour *************************************************** Make Your Own Treat (*use frozen or dried cookie mix*) Poinsettia's are red Cookies are sweet I've been really busy So make your own darn treat! **************************************************** Santa Kisses #1 Santa's been busy Granting our wishes So he dropped off this bag of Santa Kisses #2 A bag of Hugs & Kisses to wish you Merry Christmas **************************************************** SMELLS OF CHRISTMAS (*It's a cute little idea that could be given to a great friend during the Holidays. It could be given in a nice coffee mug or whatever you can think of*) 3 cinnamon sticks 3 bay leaves 2 orange slices 2 lemon slices 1/3 cup loves - whole Combine ingredients in a mesh bag and tie with a string-not ribbon. Place in a ziplock plastic bag, and put in fridge until ready to use. Place 1 quart of water in a saucepan , and remove the mesh from the ziplock bag and place in the saucepan. Add water as needed and heat on low. If giving as a gift, I dried the lemons and orange slices first. Then put them in a pretty glass jar with ribbon tied around it. **************************************************** SNOWMAN KISSES (mini-marshmallows or other white candy) Snowflakes from Heaven as white as can be! Can build a Snowman for all to see! He's cute and cuddly and full of good wishes! And wants to give you a bunch of his kisses! **************************************************** Snowman soup (*1 individual packet of cocoa mix, 10-15 little marshmallows, several Hershey's kisses and a small candy cane put into a Christmas cup, with this poem added to it.*) #1 Was told you've been real good this year. Always glad to hear it! With freezing weather drawing near, You'll need to warm the spirit. So here's a little Snowman Soup Complete with stirring stick. Add hot water, sip it slow. It's sure to do the trick! #2 When it's so cold that you holler and whoop, It's time to bring out the Snowman Soup! Pour the packet in a mug. Add marshmallows too. And throw in these kisses that are special just for you. Now add some hot water and use the cane to stir it. Sip slowly and soon you'll feel the warm winter spirit! #3 When the weather outside is frightful, Snowman Soup can be delightful. May it warm your spirit and your soul. Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow! When you feel a chill or 'burrrrrr', Use the peppermint stick to stir. Add hot water and sip it slow. Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow. #4 This snowman looks frosty, but he has a warm heart He's brimming with soup mix just for you-- This isn't a snow job ... I think you're great Your friendship warms me through and through. Recipe: 1-3/4 cups instant mashed potatoes 1-1/2 cup non-fat dry milk powder 2 Tablespoons instant chicken bouillon powder 2 teaspoons dried minced onions 1-1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt 1 teaspoon dried parsley 1/4 teaspoon dried whole thyme 1/4 group white pepper 1/8 teaspoon tumeric Make 3 cups soup mix. Instructions to attach to jar: To serve: Place ½ cup of mixture in a mixing bowl and add 1 cup boiling water. Stir until smooth. **************************************************** Spare Reindeer Nose's (Red Hots or Red M&Ms, hard candy, etc.) #1 Rudolph has a job to do Every Christmas Eve, it's true. His nose will always light the way For Santa and his tiny sleigh, But if his nose should ever go out Don't cry or whine or yell or pout. Take out this bag and use a bit. From Rudolph's Red Nose repair kit. #2 Rudolph's nose is very bright He helps guide Santa's sleigh Without it in the dark night sky They might not find their way. So just in case dear Rudy's nose Is kaput and goes on the blink We have these spare "red nose seeds" To repair him in a wink! **************************************************** St. Nicholas' Shoe (*go to a craft or party store for a plastic shoe or boot....or use a small stocking*) When St. Nicholas comes to fill up each shoe, He leaves gifts inside, and a shiny coin, too! So here's a small token that's just meant to say~ Best wishes to you as you go on your way! **************************************************** WASHER & DRYER (*Wrap a dishcloth and dish towel in a large and pretty box with this note attached*) This Christmas our ship has finally come in We're feeling so wealthy and rich. Instead of some small remembrance This year will be quite a switch We're giving a gift of high quality No more cheap presents for us. It's time we really went all out But don't worry, its really no fuss. We considered giving you a sports car Or maybe a tropical cruise --- But we decided to be more practical And give something you really could use. So, open the box and you may be surprised, To find not only ONE gift, but two -- We hope you will put your presents to work It's a WASHER & DRYER, too!!!! **************************************************** Wisk Gift Take a large wisk and fill it with Hershey Kisses. Wrap all in cello and tie with fancy ribbon. Make a cute little holiday gift tag that says: "We WISK you a Merry Christmas". ****************************************************

OMG, I'm already in tears missing those quilts! I did a letter to her explaining what she was receiving. It started with, "Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Enclosed is a gift for you that comes from my heart--three quilts that were made by my great grandmother, my grandmother, and my aunt. They have been entrusted to me for the last 30+ years and now I'm entrusting them to you." The letter ended with, "I sincerely hope you enjoy these quilts ... they are pieces of history created by women for their families." Why am I so upset? I can't stop crying. Those quilts mean so much to me and NOW I worry???? I'm sure it's ok. I've just had them for so long.

* Posted by: karenm 7 ) on Wed, Nov 13, 02 at 12:52 Well, I'm posting again. I had the original post 4mts ago. Have managed a few more mistakes in this time. Being a new gardener, I am always looking for free plants so one friend (maybe she really doesn't like me) gave me, gooseneck loosestrife, wild violets, periwinkle, and several mints. (ALL of these are considered VERY INVASIVE!) I planted the gooseneck in with my roses to cover the Roses leggy bottoms. Next spring I will begin the process of elimination. Already pulled up all the mints. I like the violets so far, but they have not invaded anywhere I don?t want them to be. Also, went to a plant sale with same friend and bought several plants with Latin names and metric measurements. (I haven't gotten that far in my education.) Did not have a clue what most of them were, but they were at a good price. Anyway, I bought some aster. I knew what that was. Yea, right. It grew to be about 5-feet tall and 3-4 feet wide. I had planted it in the front of the bed. It looked like Godzilla stepping all over my other sweet and dainty plants. To make matters worse, I too tried to move this huge monstrosity in 100-degree heat. Needless to say it did not live. Would loved to have seen it in bloom. For that matter, I have quite a few plants I have never seen bloom because I move them so much. Gotta get that perfect placement ya know. I'm looking forward to spring to see what new adventures are awaiting me! * Posted by: wavesmom sf calif (My Page) on Wed, Nov 13, 02 at 14:53 I have been gardening for years, and composting for 3. My worst mistake was when I dug up the crabgrass, and wanting to be the perfect composter, threw the crabgrass in the compost. My pile doesn't get hot enough to kill seeds. Guess what I have EVERYWHERE in my yard. Note to self: if you don't want the plant everywhere in the yard, don't compost it. I had the same experience (same year) with tomatoes. I could have fed the masses with the number of tomato plants that came up. * Posted by: Nelz z5b/6 NW PA (My Page) on Wed, Nov 13, 02 at 22:57 I had the worst one until this afternoon. 1 - A few years back I started all my cukes and squash (summer and winter) and melons in peat pots inside to get a few week head start when they hit the ground. I had the following number of varieties; 2 cukes, 4 winter squash, 3 summer squash, 3 watermelon, 2 canteloupes. I had several plants of each type. More than I needed, but you know, always plant a few extra in case all do not germinate. Everything germ'd. After 10 days I sorted everything out, what I wanted, and what I'd toss. My mother in law plants everything, and even though her garden was in, she said she'd take the rejects. I gave the flat explaining it was a lot of cukes and a few squash and 1 watermelon. Wrong, as in wrong flat. I forget which was which. I had cukes out the ear, and mom was nice enough to share the harvest. 2-Use only clean straw! I think I got oat straw, with all the oats attached. At $1 a bale I got excited and loaded up the truck. I put my beds to sleep for the winter, planted my garlic, and mulched HEAVILY with the straw. Every bed is growing lots of green blades through the straw. So, here I am weeding in November. I'm limiting my work to the garlic beds, the rest will be a 'covercrop' that I'll hoe in next spring. At least they pull up easy. PS - This is an awesome thread, and I didn't see many mistakes, just learning experiences!! * Posted by: bdot z7 NC (My Page) on Wed, Feb 26, 03 at 13:25 1st, what is a "DH"? Every time I see that I think designated hitter and it confuses me. :) My first mistake was when I moved into my house 2 years ago. The back yard was small but was over grown with weeds and vines and stuff. I loved it cause it's a good animal habitat. The wild rose bush (it's the kind that's invasive that people hate but I've come to love) is about 10 ft wide, 15 ft long and about 7 ft tall. Anyways, I decided I would clear out some of the wild grape and also honeysuckle from the trees especially all the dogwoods. Well I'm happily pulling things out and since it's the winter (no leaves on vines) I didn't think until I started itching. Let's just say I used to get poison ivy by just being in the same town as it is in. It hit the blood stream and I had it for 3 straight months. Near the end I had a swollen shut eye and had to get medicine. Went to Immediate Care (since I don't have a doctor since that requires setting up an appointment 3 months in advance) and they gave me allergy medicine. Luckily mom works for a doctor and got me some good pills and I haven't had poison ivy since even though I work next to it when feeding the tigers. My other mistake was in a way related. I had read that jewelweed helps keep you from getting poison ivy. It did wonders back when I did get it and would rub it on the spot. Well anyone that knows about jewelweed knows it has the water-resistant leaves. Well I had made a flowerbed beside my house. I couldn't get much to grow last year in the severe drought. Well these 2 plants came up that looks just like jewelweed leaves. i was so happy that I continually watered them. They got up to 1ft.. then 5 ft... then 10 ft.. ok, somethings wrong. Either I have a very happy jewelweed plant or that's not what it is. I did some investigating on the web. I found out I had lambs quarter. HA HA HA! I hate killing plants so I didn't want to take it down but then I knew the thing would reseed one day and that would be a mess. Luckily after it was up to about 13-14ft, we had a heavy rain and wind. Knocked both plants sideways into the yard. Didn't kill them but they were in the way so I removed them. * Posted by: Storey z8b TX (My Page) on Wed, Feb 26, 03 at 17:58 One of my most recent was allowing my friend to walk through my pepper patch. He tried a few peppers and asked what they were after tasting. Before I could stop him, he tried a habanero... I never knew anyone could run to a hose that fast or drink that much water at one time :o) Fortunately, he survived, but now he asks about the plants BEFORE he tries them. Stephen * Posted by: Peach_Fuzz 4 (My Page) on Wed, Feb 26, 03 at 18:36 Bdot, DH is "Dear Husband" in our land of abbreviated computer lingo. (although I'm going to think "designated hitter" now!) * Posted by: valeriePA z6 PA (My Page) on Thu, Feb 27, 03 at 6:42 I repeat it every year-too many seedlings and plants and not enough prepared soil. The seedlings or plants end up dying waiting for me to dig up more of the lawn. I think I'll give lasagna gardening a try this year. * Posted by: MaryMarg Zone9/San Jose (My Page) on Thu, Feb 27, 03 at 15:27 We moved into our first home four years ago, and had a gorgeous bougainvillia draping over the tops of the french doors to our bedroom. New to gardening, my husband and I couldn't figure why it "died" several months after moving in. My husband, escaping with multiple minor cuts and several colorful expletives, managed to remove it. We found out several weeks later (after it had been taken away by the garbage man) that the beautiful climber was merely dormant. Such remorse! * Posted by: somara ) on Fri, Feb 28, 03 at 15:10 I'm now starting my second year gardening and I have a feeling that I'll be a beginner for another 5-10 years. Here are last year's mistakes: 1. Plant swaps are great and the people are friendly; however, people are NOT giving you plants out of generosity... they just don't want to go home with what they brought. I finally understood this during the fall swap when I couldn't get rid of the last of my plants without having to take something from someone else. So I went home with another truckload and needless to say, most of it didn't make it in the ground again. So I'm only attending one swap a year now. 2. I found a small patch of Bermuda grass in my yard last spring. I thought I'd get around to it later. Nope. Bermuda grass will take over your entire yard the moment you turn your back on it. This year I'm breaking out the flame thrower. 3. Find out what the dimensions of the full grown plant is before you put it in the ground. That cute little wild current tomato that wouldn't grow for two months, eventually hit a growing spurt and took over the entire bed (4'x6'). It was STILL producing tomatoes through December. 4. The biggest mistake, and probably the one I will continue to make every year for my entire life, is trying to do too much with my yard. This year I promised my sweetie that I'd only work on the area around the back patio... but I've already drawn out plans for under the trees, the front bed, and pretty much the entire property. But ya' know something? As long as I'm not repeating my mistakes year after year (with the exception of #4), then I must be learning... * Posted by: mindi1248 z9 FL (My Page) on Mon, Mar 3, 03 at 22:47 This one just happened to me today... I bought some veggie and herb seeds about a week ago (even though I've no idea where to put them) and I decided yesterday that I would get them started in some dixie cups. Labeled and stuck the dirt in the cups, and poked a hole in the bottom to drain, and planted the seeds. I left them outside... This morning it started pouring rain. Turns out that the little holes in the cups couldn't keep up with the flood and when I went outside all the cups were overflowing and soggy and the seeds were floating or on the ground..lol.. I replanted what I could and brought them on the porch..we'll see if they germinate! :) * Posted by: mindi1248 z9 FL (My Page) on Tue, Mar 4, 03 at 14:33 Mistake Number Two: Not using waterproof ink on those dixie cups! I replanted in some real seedling cups today, but now I have no idea what's what! Guess I'll have a surprise when they grow..if they do..lol :) * Posted by: ticksmom419 z7 NC (My Page) on Fri, Mar 7, 03 at 10:30 Somara, in response to your bermudagrass mistake, it only spreads all over your lawn if you don't want it to. I'm tired of fiddling with my sad fescue and WANT the bermudagrass to take over. How many years will it take, do you suppose? Murphy's Law strikes again. * Posted by: ernie50 z7ga (My Page) on Sun, Mar 9, 03 at 7:20 I've been gardening for some years, however still learning. Tried to grow Joe Pye last year from seed, but never came up so couldn't identify seedling. Finally saw a few tiny seedlings & nursed along for 3 months. Was poking around outside & saw same thing growing wild outside. It was a weed!Had somehow got in my seed flat! * Posted by: timtijones z5 Milwaukee WI (My Page) on Sun, Mar 9, 03 at 11:36 Last year was my first year gardening in my first house, so the mistakes were many and frequent. Some of the most important lessons I learned were ... 1. No matter how warm April may be, there's a reason people around here (Milwaukee, WI, zone 5) say don't plant until after Memorial Day. We managed to get some make-shift cold frames around plants both in the beds and not-yet-planted, but we still lost almost a third of the annuals and perennials during a May cold snap. 2. Try to have at least SOME idea where you're going to put that beautiful plant you just saw at the nursery. Lost a few plants that stayed in the pot way too long after purchasing because we didn't have beds ready. 3. EVERYTHING takes at least twice as long to do as you think it will -- digging beds, amending or replacing soil (we have lots of clay, so sometimes we just empty out a big area and refill with garden soil), fertilizing, weeding, pruning (actually, that takes 4 times as long!!). One of these days I'll try to leave time to actually sit out in the yard and ENJOY my gardens, but it didn't happen last year. Maybe if I schedule the time in my DayMinder... 4. Just because it's the north side of the house and shaded in April doesn't mean it's a shade garden. I planted a dozen astilbe and 6 goatsbeard (aruncus) in the front of the house, which is on the north side. The astilbe did OK, but the flowers dried up and turned brown in less than a week, and the poor goatsbeard probably didn't survive ... they grew less than an inch last year from the planting size. That bed gets FULL SUN from May to August! So I'm moving everything that survives the winter to the west side of the house under the shade of the neighbor's black walnut tree. 5. Which brings up the last one ... black walnuts' roots kill most plants planted anywhere near their canopy. Fortunately, astilbe is one of the plants that can survive the black walnut toxins, along with ferns and hostas. Guess what I'll be planting in the west side beds this year!! * Posted by: veilchen z5 S. Maine (My Page) on Sun, Mar 9, 03 at 11:56 One of many: When removing the pachysandra from the front of the house to put in a new shade garden, I discovered what was obviously a small shoot of a rose. My house was built in 1930, so I was excited to have found what may have been an old climbing rose that survived neglected all these years (in the shade!). Just think how hardy it must be! I carefully dug it out, getting all of the long tap root. I pampered it for a few days in a container, keeping it moist. Then I transplanted it around a metal obelisk trellis in a sunny spot in my garden. I gave it lots of compost and water. By the end of the summer, I trained it up the obelisk and it was thriving. I was very proud of my horticultural accomplishment of saving an antique rose and couldn't wait til next year so I could see the blooms. Well, it bloomed last summer. Very plain, single white small blossoms. Totally unexceptional. Japanese beetle magnet as well. What I had transplanted and nurtured was an old root stock of a wild rose. I yanked it out at the end of summer, and it had really anchored itself in. I hope I got it all. * Posted by: John_Blutarsky (My Page) on Sun, Mar 9, 03 at 14:44 Trying to drive 400 miles with a bunch of houseplants in the back of my car. They were exposed to too much sunlight and at the end of the journey their leaves had turned black! Fortunately, none of them died, just took a year to get back to their old selves! Next time, I'll keep them covered up better. * Posted by: clg1 z7 AR (My Page) on Sun, Mar 9, 03 at 20:46 Thanks so much for this thread. I truly thought I was the ONLY one who had ever cultivated, nurtured and sang to rogue blades of grass mistakenly thinking they were long-awaited flower seedlings. * Posted by: teka2rjleffel z10FL (My Page) on Tue, Mar 11, 03 at 15:27 I love this post. I'm not new to gardening. I have been doing it for over 20 years. But when we moved to Florida from New York I made a big boo boo. The house and lawn had been badly neglected. So my husband (who hasn't a gardening clue) and I started pulling up the weeds in the lawn. After we were well into the project our new neighbor came over and asked what we were doing pulling up all of the St. Augustine grass (which looks like a weed but is the only thing that will grow here.) * Posted by: somara z8 - Austin, TX (My Page) on Thu, Mar 13, 03 at 16:56 My Mom and I were talking about what we were going to plant this spring and that brought up the subject of caladium bulbs... this was a BIG mistake from last year so I thought I'd mention it: Do NOT plant the bulbs upside down. Less than half of my caladiums made it. Unfortunately since both ends looked so much alike - this is easy to do. Someone told me later that the easiest way to avoid the same mistake is to plant the bulbs sideways. That way the plant has a better chance of breaking ground before it runs out of steam. * Posted by: Pickwick z5 (My Page) on Thu, Mar 13, 03 at 18:14 The grounds superintendent of a large estate where I worked in the days of my youth, assigned me to plant grass seed in a freshly prepared area. He conveyed to me where I might locate this seed. Evidently, I seemed to have grabbed the wrong bag. It was thistle birdseed........... * Posted by: LesLazz z17CA (My Page) on Sun, Mar 16, 03 at 5:26 Great laughs on this page, literally laughing and holding my side on a couple of them! My story is a bit different but true. Not necessarily, MY stupidest mistake but alas it happened any way. We move in 3 years ago to this house with the previous owner promising that the garden right outside my family room wall (all windows) was a tea garden, that she had worked very hard on. It being February when we bought, she said I couldn't tell until the bulbs came up. So I waited and waited and WAITED... all we had the first year were big weeds. Convincing myself I may had neglected the bulbs, I went out the next January and cleaned all the weeds and religiously watered, once again waiting for the tea garden, which never arrived. I decided to make it a rose and bulb garden, dug all the soil up and proceeded to plant three rose bushes and several different kinds of bulbs in a teagarden type pattern. Well, my hubby came out in January of last year and had a packet of wildflower seeds and decided to spread them throughout my garden (while I was cursing him behind his back, mind you). Fast forward, lots of wildflowers, bulbs grew but no flowers-because the wildflowers took all of the sun/nitrogen/whatever out of the soil (roses seemed to be ok tho). I told him I am going out to take everything out except my bulbs and roses. He asked if I would leave the poppies. I told him I will try (but between you and I , I know what a poppy looks like as opposed to a weed/wildflower) and I guarantee my bulbs will bloom next year! * Posted by: Vroomp z7Ga (My Page) on Sun, Mar 16, 03 at 10:34 What I have learned from my Mistakes: Tradescantia (Spider Wort) blooms in afternoon sun, but the leaves will fry and make the plant look like it's dying. It blooms three times longer in afternoon shade. Foxgloves and Gladiolas need to be in a protected area from wind. Otherwise the become groundcover quickly. Never put an Amaryllis in a pot whose base is larger than the neck. They don't come out without breaking the pot. Inkberry Bushes do not grow on the North side of your home. I lost 6 seven gallon plants. Morning Glories produce a lot of seeds. And they ALL germinate............. For years to come !! Stonecrop Sedums spread like mad under cover of winter leaves. Which happens to be the best way to multiply your Blackeyed Susans too! A Wild Cherry is the wrong tree to leave for shading your patio. In Spring it drops flowers(too tiny to be pretty)then it drops little black fruit(which stains).The insects that thrive in them can dump around 1 pound of poop per night. (that's how much fell on the tarp over the food table last party). Glad I had the forethought to put it up !!! Then in the Fall the twigs and leaves seem to never end. * Posted by: ladykemma katy, texas (My Page) on Tue, Mar 18, 03 at 22:34 pulling up the foxglove seedlings because i thought they were weeds..... * Posted by: Lynn9 z9,Northern Ca. (My Page) on Thu, Mar 20, 03 at 23:25 HA! I think the "pet" poison oak is the funniest one. My mistake this year was building a nice frame for a raised box-bed, filling it in & then realizing it is in the wrong spot! My second mistake was buying all that "organic" compost/potting soil that was on sale & *then* reading the ingredients. It's organic with a "wetting agent" added. It carries a warning "as in all soil, gloves should be worn before handling this product". I don't dare use the stuff & lost the receipt. * Posted by: Adina Zone 7, Atl GA (My Page) on Fri, Mar 21, 03 at 15:55 This wasn't a big mistake, but only because I'm a biological fluke. Several years ago, back when I lived in an apartment that didn't even have enough light for houseplants, I "adopted" the vacant lot next to my father's house and started cleaning it up a bit and planting some excesses from his garden. One day he came out while I was pulling weeds, pointed to the plant in my bare hand, and asked if I realized it was poison ivy. I didn't. My hands turned pinkish and itched a little for an hour or so later. I had never learned to identify poison ivy because I've never reacted to it. Still don't. Ivy--regular English Ivy--makes me itch and break out in red blotches, however. Go figure. * Posted by: GaiaChild N.Alberta,Can. (My Page) on Sun, Mar 23, 03 at 2:16 I agree that this is a great thread! I can relate to some of these mistakes and I'll try to learn from the rest :o) I've had small veggie gardens and have experience with indoor plants but last year was my first real flower/ornamental gardening attempt. This year I've planned even more so I'm glad I can come here for some good tips. TIA *thanks in advance* * Posted by: Holedigger z10 SO-CAL (My Page) on Tue, Mar 25, 03 at 15:38 All time dumbest.....designed a complete backyard courtyard with stamped concrete patios, flagstone walks, rip-rap planting beds, lighting, stucco walls, the works. Had it all installed, planted it and realized I had no way of getting irrigation to the planters, or onto the groundcover between the flagstone. Duh.I learned all about native plants and xeriscaping after trying to handwater (twice a day) the first summer. Everything fried. * Posted by: jslatch z8 Austin, TX (My Page) on Wed, Mar 26, 03 at 17:52 Yeah, ok... as a new gardener with a new house, I should probably have researched tulips before putting a delicate 12 bulbs in my 10'x6' bed. Having lived in Washington DC, where every spring the city is covered in gorgeous, prolific tulips, I had assumed that they would bloom and bloom and be this beautiful carpet of red tulips in the middle of my yard. Little did I know that in DC, there are countless men paid by the city to run around in the pre-dawn hours transplanting fully grown tulips for the spring tourists. Needless to say, I got a week and a half of pretty blooms, and then nothing. Ugly green flowerless stalks. What is that about? Who knew that tulips only bloom once and don't multiply? I guess everyone but me. So then I tried to repair my sad-looking bed with eight expensive ranunculus transplants, which looked great for a week. Now they are fading fast, leaving me once again with tired stalks. Sigh. I have now optimistically sprinkled the entire thing with cosmos seeds. Too bad they won't be up in time for my mother's visit... I was so excited to show off my green thumb. I have a feeling I will have many more lessons coming to me... * Posted by: Dic_Tamnus z5b OH (My Page) on Thu, Mar 27, 03 at 10:12 I had a "Three Stooges" moment while walking out to the garden. The side door of my house had a metal awning (sharp edges) that hung exactly 6' above ground level. As I (height 6'1") walked toward it I was verrrry carefully trying to take a sip from a cup of scalding hot coffee. In mid-slurp my scalp met the metal, raking across my skull like a hoe raking across concrete. From pain and surprise, I gasped, inhaling the burning brew. It sounded something like "Scrrrapeaacghgarglekoffplttttt!" So I spent the next ten seconds staggering, bent at the waist, one hand on top of my head and the other wiping coffee that was still running from my nose. My only regret is that I didn't catch the whole thing on video. * Posted by: Tannatonk z3 MT (My Page) on Thu, Mar 27, 03 at 15:08 This is a great thread! I don't have a tale to tell on myself but would like to make a suggestion. Seems like a lot of you have in the past purchased too many plants at one time without having given thought to how or where you were going to put them. The next project on your "honey-do" list should be to build a nursery bed. It could be as big or small as you like but a nice size is 4' x 8' with 6-12" sidewalls. Fill the frame with loose compost and soil. Now you have a place to store all those wonderful finds that you just can't pass up until you know the perfect spot for it. * Posted by: carolynkelsea San Jose (My Page) on Fri, Mar 28, 03 at 12:33 Wow this thread has been around since last year and it keeps getting funnier! I already posted once (transplanting large shrubs in a heat wave) but in my second year of gardening I've made an even sillier mistake... When we moved in I discovered two unidentified bushes hidden beneath some overgrown daisy clumps... For whatever reason I decided they were azaleas and I've been babying them for a year, giving them acid fertilizer, doing everything I could to make them happy... Well just the other day they finally bloomed, and oops, they're not azaleas, they're hawthorn bushes, which is a very common, tough shrub around here, they use it in parking lots because you just can't kill it... After a year of babying these things I feel a little let down! (The pink flowers are pretty though!) *Posted by Cactus_joe 7b (My Page) on Sun, Dec 12, 04 at 1:50 Stupid things that I learned while gardening this year: 1. If you plant a canna tuber right at the bottom of the container, and place it upside down, the canes will emerge through the drainage holes. A real talking point in the garden (?Did I hear words like "stupid thing to do", "how silly", "what was he thinking of", ""senilility", etc being whispered?). Doesn't do much for esthetics either. 2. If you pull a long cane of a prickly rose down too far, and let go, it will neatly grab hold of you pants and tee-shirt, and give you a painful surprise. 3. If you get real mad at how much rocks you have to excavate out of your lousy subsoil before you can plant any thing, make sure your shovel is equipped with shock absorbers before you ram it hard into the ground in frustration. Otherwise, the shock wave generated when you hit that big rock (the one which is always lying waiting for you to do just such a stupid act) will give your bones a jangle that you will never forget. 4. If you go on vacation and have the neighbour tend your yard while you are away, don't forget to tell her not to dead head the roses if you are into hybridising. 5. Never even think of pulling the stun of stepping smartly on the head of the garden rack to get it's handle to flip up - unless you happened to be wearing a suit of armour. * Posted by: NGraham z6 KY (My Page) on Sun, Dec 12, 04 at 8:08 I can sympathize. I've experienced much the same things. Once when my husband had back surgery, I didn't ask, but my neighbor kindly mowed my yard for me. Took out a white lilac a friend had just given me, it did come back but sulked for a long time. Several times I coulda kicked myself when I nurture seedlings I have carefully grown & cared for, plant them out, then carelessly pull them out when weeding. * Posted by: FlowrPowr 5 OH (My Page) on Sun, Dec 12, 04 at 22:10 Joe, the one about the rake really made me chuckle. We were planting some end of season roses about a month ago, and I did that very same thing. It was not one of my more graceful moves. Let me tell you, a rake upside the head, can really hurt. I saw stars for a couple of seconds. Of course, my hubby thought it was funny. I guess one thing that I did that was kind of stupid was loose one of those little hand held garden cultivators. It was an older tool, and just kind of blended in with the soil. I sat it down, and when I went to pick it up, I couldn't find it. My hubby found it when we were doing the fall cleenup. I think I am going to paint the handle day-glo orange, so it doesn't get lost in the perennial jungle again! * Posted by: EGO45 6bCT (My Page) on Mon, Dec 13, 04 at 0:52