Here in SW Houston, zones 8b/9a, Spring is in full swing and it's planting time! I feel quite rushed to get it all planted, in between the part-time job, cleaning, cooking, organizing, birthday party planning, parenting and other mother's duties, errands, etc. that a working Mom has to somehow also get done.

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Do any of the rest of y'all also have to do something like this to
get your garden(s) in or is it just me?? Do tell. If this site allows
messaging other members, I'd love to read some replies about this topic of rushing to
plant and canceling activities to plant, etc.

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The mesquite and huisache are both in bloom now and attracting bees, which means I am in for a planting marathon! When that mesquite puts on flower buds, I get ready for a planting frenzy!!

I may need to postpone or just miss optional social occasions such as
dinner with friends, sports events or tailgating, and rodeos. But I
won't ever postpone going to church. Unless I am in a hospital or very
contagious, I attend church. I do avoid travel, and other away-from-home
distractions like weekend trips to nearby parks and other attractions,
for the 2-4 weeks it takes to get everything planted. A necessary
sacrifice. Otherwise, I can't be sure to have enough time to finish
planting everything, and my harvests will suffer.When I have a paid job outside home, I do my best to get leave of
absence from my job during planting time. You'd be surprised how many
employers will accommodate this, especially if the employer is in a
rural or semi-rural area.

My part-time job as a receptionist for a
company that markets unique luxury beverages doesn't buy much organic
food nor can it pay my autistic son's special-needs private school
adequately. So, I grow my own organic veggies and fruits, as well as
herbs. Loads more fun, and much better for my health and sanity, than
being a receptionist all day long to get more moola. :)

---',----',-----',-----{@ Miniature and Floribunda Roses are blooming here now.

I feel that Spring here in my area is too short! In
most of S and SE TX, Spring is quite brief. Ash trees are budding out, which means high temps will hit soon, and it will feel like Summer. Anyone else feeling they need more Spring than they are getting these days ??

Also, even if early heat isn't so bad for planting, then there's also later frosts here once in a while. I wound up losing 80% of my food garden on March 1, 2012 due to a
super late frost. RIP to most of my veggie seedlings, all strawberry
seedlings, some of my cold tolerant crops like cabbage family, and all
my herb seedlings that year. So, now I always save back half my seeds
and seedlings till March 3, just in case of another freak March 1 frost. And
plant the other half when the mesquite and huisache are in bloom. :)

Ash trees (Fraxinus) are a really late - to - leaf- out
tree genus. By the time the Ash trees in my area have new leaves formed, it'll likely be too late for me to plant the majority of Spring crops, and
late to plant perennials, except maybe a few tropical/heat tolerant
perennials such as hibiscus, esperanza, lantana. IF I can have enough
time to baby them and help those perennials survive the upcoming long
heat, that is.

Generally, my Fall/Winter sown veggie garden is always much more productive than my Spring sown one. But I do the Spring garden every year anyway-- too much fun to miss out on!!

I get better results here by planting veggies, perennials,
and trees between October and early February, instead of planting them in Spring. How about you?

Happy Spring Planting to everybody - whenever your planting time arrives.

Best wishes,

Grovespirit Zone 8b/9a Texas gardener