I find it best when I spring sow my MG and keep them in a warmish spot till the weather warms up and I can transplant out into the beds after our Memorial Day frost date. My best and earliest producing MG this year was 'Wine and Roses". It went crazy and grew so fast so quick! It produced more blooms even after the first fall frost shut down the already open blooms. The earliest ever blooming MG was a "Knola's Black Knight" that I didn't find a home for soon enough and kept it in it's little styro cup. It vined about a foot and a half and started pumping out blooms in early June! I usually have to wait till August or September for most MG's in my Z4 yard... Vera- I thought you must have planted them near the compost bin- They look so healthy and happy! That is a very good solution for an impromptu trellis!

I would be happy to explain the "chopstick thing". I had been complaining about losing plants due to over/underwatering, and I'd bought a "water meter" which is a device with a metal stick that you put in the pot and it's supposed to tell you how moist the soil is at the moment. I'd made mention of it on another forum, and another Garden Web member told me it was useless (and it is-total waste of money) and to go out and buy some cheap, bamboo chopsticks at Walmart (or wherever). I think I got about 25 or 30 chopsticks for about $5, and of course you can keep re-using them. Then what you do is stick a chopstick into the dirt in the pot and leave it there for about 5 minutes. When you pull it out, test it for dampness. I just wipe the dirt off and hold it up against my facial cheek. If the chopstick is dry, the plant needs to be watered. If it comes out wet -- and sometimes it will surprise you at how wet it feels -- do not water. I think it works so well because the bamboo is so porous. Anyway, it really is a clever way to tell you how much water is in the soil near the bottom of the pot. I wish I'd known about it when I was over-wintering those daylilies! LOL! And yes, Marbree, the plant that lived is doing remarkably well. No scapes yet, but lots of healthy foliage, and a second fan coming up. I feel confident I'll have scapes by next season! MacThayer

Cindy T > Not very fancy, but serves the purpose quite nicely. Here's what I've planted so far probably forgot a couple... Lobelia Southern Charm English Lavender Lobelia Cascading Marigold Snowball White Snapdragons Yellow Snapdragons Maroon Snapdragons Bellis Lupin Bells of Ireland HollyHock Chinese foxglove Crown Of Snow Obedience Plant Party Girl Sidalcea Red Salvia My seeds Yellow Flower in Canada Dry Planter Four O'clock Redabeckia (Single Flower) Asters White Center Pink by the rock Ornamental Millet Daisy Cape Buttercup Marigold Pink Monarch Morning Glory Bunny Cotton Tails Catchafly Verbena Brazilian Rudbeckia (Goldilocks) Lobelia Cascade of Color Old Fashion Climbing Petunia (Blue) TomatoÂs that I saved from last year :) PeteÂs Pumpkin Seeds Green Peppers Vegetable Marrow Cucumber Little Dillicious Brussels sprouts Eggplant Pepper Chile (Pepperoncini Greek) Most everything is up and growing like weeds! I'am still banking on a early planting season with this rain we should lose quite a bit of snow, and last full moon is May 23rd. Keeping my fingers crossed! :) Be Well Bev

Rooting a cutting is a good way to go or.......just plant your large plant very deeply. Either straight down if the soil has warmed up for the season or lay the tomato plant sideways in a small shallow trench and cover with your garden soil. Roots will form all along the stem underground and give you a larger root system to support the plant better. I ALWAYS start tomatoes early and plant them deep. I have multiple light indoors to support their needs before I bring them outside though.