How long will he be in Kuwait ? The middle son got back from Iraq all in 1 piece & now the baby is there. Yikes, I'm going to be completely gray before this is over. I think Linda sent me some of the KMOGG last year & I shared them with a friend here & a friend in San Antonio for her K class' butterfly garden. Who knows where the next generations are going. Linda has made a great effort to send seeds to every new WSor here. She has some nice pics in the gallery too. Really Really glad to see you !! Bev

Hello! Thank you for the info on the plant swap.. AND right down the road from me too! Since it is in May I will go ahead and get some extra seeds started so I will have some transplants to trade. Looking forward to meeting you all! Madabouteu (Kenneth??) I grew up in Central Illinois smack in the middle of farm country. The soil there is dark and rich. I've spent some time living in SC and ND too... garden in each area. I have to say that I am a southerner at heart though and I don't miss the winter one bit. Kim

Hi and Welcome to the Oklahoma Forum! I don't like putting the whole peat pot in the ground either, but sometimes you have to, as you have discovered. Here's what I do: If the peat pot is dry, fill a plastic container of some kind with a inch or two of water and set the peat pot in that water for a few minutes to soften up the bottom of the peat pot. Then, take it out of the water and use a knife to cut a big "X" across the bottom of the pot. This "X" will leave an opening for the roots to make their way down through more easily. I do remove the plant and its' soil when I can, but when it is not possible, I soak and slash the peat pot and then plant it intact. Watering is a much more difficult issue. Due to the variations in soil and how quickly it drains, wind and how quickly it dries out soil, etc., it is impossible to give a nice, easy answer like "water once a day" or "water every other day". The answer is to water your plants when they need it. When do they need it? When the soil in the root zone is dry. How can you tell? With brand new plants that have small root systems, just stick your finger an inch or so into the soil. If the soil is dry, water, If the soil is moist, don't water yet. You want to keep the soil evenly moist, but not sopping wet and not bone dry. It is actually a tiny bit better for the plants to let them get a little bit dry, but not enough to wilt. When they are a little dry, they stretch those roots a little deeper looking for water...and that deeper root growth is good. You want to establish a good root system that goes down deep because that will help the plants survive in the hotter weather. So, it is better to water LESS OFTEN, but more deeply than to water MORE OFTEN but shallowly. If you don't like sticking your finger into the soil to check the moisture, there are moisture meters you can buy that have a probe that you stick down into the soil. (If you have somewhat compacted soil, the probe will go into the soil more easily than a finger will too.) Dawn

Oh Nora, what a great surprise hearing from you!!! i agree things change and you must go on, i'm again on the blue side and have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, i just have no energy and just doing day to day things are a stuggle for me. i know just how you feel taking plastic off of your Mom's swing. Although different i went into our backyard garden, which is where we laid our Buddy to rest, how he loved to plow and sit in that garden with me!! i put a cement angle on top of grave and must have cried for a good 2 hours, i just never thought losing a pet would affect me so much and so hard. on a happier note, if you can call it that - lol we have no snow! it's actually 48 out right now so for us its hot out! Carley has only 39 days left of high school, and i have been busy sewing her grad gown, which is flowy and has alot of tule on the botton half, she saw the dress in a prom mag, and on e-bay and also in a wedding store window here, so wouldn't you believe that one of the pattern companies makes the dress too, so for 4.87 for the pattern at W---mart (yes we have them too!) and 2.99 for the tule at the Sal. army and 1.99 for the satin there as well i got off really well, it seems that almost all of girls went to duluth to get their dresses or are having them made, actually it's not cool to get a ready made dress this year. i'm doing lunch for Matthew this afternoon, he wants to come home so bad, but with having him stay over some weekends i do not see a change in him that i would like to see, the family he lives with thinks he's just great so again he just gets to lounge around and get waited on hand and foot, so when the change comes the door is open for him. Al had a mind heart attack last tuesday, to stubburn to go to the hospital he just took baby aspirin and nitro spray, he said that's all they can do for him at the hospital so why bother? - men!!! However, he has been outside 2 times this past week, so that is real good news! LEt's hope that we hear from some more of you out there and find out how your winter was, how you're doing, we need some good stuff! i also think of everyone alot and welcome to all our new family members! enjoy the sun shining on your face! debbie