I think your garden looks good, Larry! Thanks for sharing the pics. Especially the one of your lil fur baby.

The carrots that overwintered here are delicious. They are tricky though--finicky to get the seed to sprout and then the thinning issue. UGH.

Megan, I sure hope your little cutie is feeling better.

Kim, your pics from yesterday (on facebook) are so cool!

Around here....

The calendula is SO pretty. The replacement tomatoes (for Dawn's tribute ones) are thriving. The noodle beans and rattlesnake pole beans have sprouted. Onions look good. Blackberries and raspberries (thanks Jen) are blooming, as are the elders.

The columnar apple trees are a bit of a mystery. They are leafed out...but only one variety made blossoms...and only a few. There's a few small fruit. Not sure if the polar vortex affected them...?

Several things that overwintered are still in the garden. The cabbage and brussels. They've flowered (so interesting to observe this) and the bees LOVE them. The carrots are delicious and the onions we planted for "green onions" are starting to bulb. Also the parsnips are growing. These are all things we planted last fall.

The peppers in the greenhouse are struggling with aphids. I haven't planted the roselle yet either.

I bought some annuals for flower pots and whatnot. Does anyone else feel bored with the selection at Lowes, HD and WM? It's just the same ol same ol.

I need to up my flower seed starting game. I love me some pretty annuals and need more than what is available at those places.

The corn and peas are looking good is the survivalist garden. The tomatoes don't look bad either. Rick planted several rows of beans tonight. I cleaned aphids off of about 100 pepper plants.

Ladybugs must like a hard winter too. They are everywhere! Either that, or they know something we don't know.

Strawberries are producing, but a little behind. Cabbage looks good. Lettuce looks good. Kale looks good. Prize Choi looks good.

It's spring and things are happening.

Maybe we won't have a hard summer. We deserve a mild summer after these past few months.

I think we *deserve* a good summer with ample (but not excessive) rains and milder temperatures (which we did have last year it seems, I know I never hit 100F) I'll vote for that.
I know this isn't as important as food crops, but just an observation that bearded iris (which are in a number of yards across town) look spotty this year...not a whole lot of bloom (considering mine took freeze damage..that's probably why). Mine are just a tiny flowered blue and white, and quite boring...I intend to rip them out soon. Oh and I did order new and improved varieties for arrival mid-summer, so I should make room. Much more attractive and modern patterning and repeat bloom being things I was looking for when I made the order.

Jen - I’m the one who brought the bendigo or sungold so I’m looking forward to seeing what it is myself! The bendigo plant should max out at around 4’ tall. Or that’s been it’s max for me.

I noticed this morning that I have fruit set on a second lemon boy tomato! I went around and tapped blossoms on all the plants since humidity continues to be high. Dunno if it helps but I feel like I’ve contribute, so there’s that.

Larry - the pictures look great and so does your fur baby among the flowers. Speaking of flowers, HJ I agree that selections are pretty disappointing. I wish there were more native annuals. I would grow them for sure. planting our native perennials with their deep taproots doesn’t work well unless you’re positive it’s staying where it’s planted.

Also, HJ be careful of not letting your carrots go to flower. The Couple times I’ve let it happen in my garden, they’ve attracted harlequin beetles. only time I’ve had those in my garden.

I have a lot of ladybugs this year too! Have to say I’m very happy about that. I hope they find my bug bee houses because two of them have areas meant for lady bugs. Nothing has used them before because I didn’t discover until this year that youre supposed to add dried leaves. 🤦‍♀️

Put the hubs to work breaking down and clearing out a pile of wood from the old bed we replaced early in the year. He found two snakes, from his descriptions a brown racer and very small black rat snake, and a toad In the pile. After that discovery, I was sad that I had him clean up the pile. There are still plenty of places for them to hang out in the yard.

Got my bell and poblano peppers planted yesterday. I need to do a little more cleanup and I’ll be ready for the remaining peppers to go in.

The farmer I help with marketing got me a weeding tool for Christmas and yesterday was my first time using it. It is amazing! He discovered it while running a dairy in Mexico so he doesn’t know the English name for it and I haven’t seen it in any of my catalogs. the label is an Asian language/ characters, so it’s no help either. It’s not a hori knife, it actually looks a bit like a hand held sickle. In Spanish it’s called an ”os“ like Oz but with an S sound instead of Z. I can get the blade of it just under the top of the soil and cut the plant at the crown. I know cutting the plant at the surface is good for the soil because it leaves the roots to decompose, but when hand weeding it was easier to just yank. This makes easy work of cutting them at the soil line. As you can tell I’m really excited about it.

Seems like there were other things I meant to share but I gotta run for now.

Jennifer thank you
The cabbage flowers are delicious btw. I have hundreds of flowers so enough for me the bees and to make seeds and my grandson.

Anyone recognize this plant? It is NOT spiderplant or pandan like Google lens thinks. It lost its label. I thought it was Self Heal or coreopsis Nana, but the leaves don't look right for either.

I'll be back in a bit. Actual gardening happened today.

Sorry to hear your kiddo is sick, Megan. Being sick on your birthday sucks.

Slowly getting more gardening done. Need to get more potting mix so I can finish the containers. Planted a few cucumbers over the weekend so they should sprout in a week or so.

I've posted free plants on several different facebook groups and on nextdoor & haven't gotten a single hit. My sister in law wants to have a yard sale so I may put some of them out for it.

Anybody heard from Rebecca

Rebecca!? Check in!

Rebecca posted on FB a couple of times this week.

I can't believe no one came for your plants Jen. Someone was looking for black cherries today. Wonder if any place local to me as them, will miss them this year. But, no, the tomatoes are in the ground. We're done.

Megan, I have one of these. https://www.amazon.com/DeWit-Japanese-Handheld-Gardening-Remove/dp/B00QVER5K2/ref=sr_1_184?dchild=1&keywords=garden+sickle&qid=1620071695&sr=8-184 that I love, or this

https://www.amazon.com/JIANZHENKEJI-Japanese-Handheld-Nejiri-Garden/dp/B083C15M92/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=garden+hoe+handheld&qid=1620072116&sprefix=garden+hoe+han&sr=8-3

How is the Okmulgee garden HU, did it get hail?

I discovered one of the things I winter sowed is an native annual. I wondered if I was crazy, because it's considered a weed. Carolina Crane's bill a native geranium. I think I'll put it in a pot, just in case. Some of the rudbeckias are annuals, I think.

Larry, maybe you're growing the wrong variety of carrot. Some are better cooked and are kind of strong fresh.

I think we deserve a pleasant summer this year, too, but I'm not holding my breath.

I need a gaillardia. Wonder where I could find that...

Ron put the tomatoes in the ground Friday. Today he planted kale and collards and Chard. And he killed what was left of the coral honeysuckle. He put many things in pots for me.

I have a plant I thought was lemon balm, but I'm thinking it's the agastasche I loved so much last year. I think it's working on blooming now. (Meanwhile I should find some lemon balm.) The passion vine did not survive. I have 2 "blue" salvias. Now I have a scarlet one (which is a tender perennial or annual in this climate). And a pink one. Some of my winter sown seeds didn't make it, but I'm going to have enough natives to fill the bed. I wanted another bed, but Ron is baulking at the idea. I may do some big pots.

Anyway, have a good week.

BTW I believe this is my mystery plant https://www.almostedenplants.com/shopping/products/11628-honeysong-purple-stokesia-daisy-stokes-aster/

I bought a new camera yesterday, and grand daughter came by this evening to show me how to use it. I think I would have done okay, but I am very unsure of myself on these kinds of things.

I have plants all over the house. Madge said that we may have another storm tonight, so we brought most of the stuff in. It is still too wet here to do much gardening, we have potted up some plants. These are the plants that hang near the front door, they are a little wind beat from the last storm. I had to see if I could use my new camera, but the picture does not look right, I may have to call grand daughter again.

I bought a new camera yesterday, and grand daughter came by this evening to show me how to use it. I think I would have done okay, but I am very unsure of myself on these kinds of things.

I have plants all over the house. Madge said that we may have another storm tonight, so we brought most of the stuff in. It is still too wet here to do much gardening, we have potted up some plants. These are the plants that hang near the front door, they are a little wind beat from the last storm. I had to see if I could use my new camera, but the picture does not look right, I may have to call grand daughter again.

Top to bottom, left to right:

Rose campions are starting to bloom. Planted last year and 6 survived to this spring.

Rose bush we planted on my poodles grave. So happy it made it through the deep freeze.

White iris in bloom. Oddly enough, last year only the purple and white ones bloomed, this year just yellow & white are blooming. Still waiting for my pink ones to show color.

My sister in law loves bleeding heart so she babied these all last summer. Good to see they bloomed.

My first tomato of the season. Bendigo moon or Sungold? I'll (hopefully) know soon.

Mystery plant I found sprouted in an unlabeled container. Anyone got a name for it? Right now I'm calling him Greg.

Yellow iris

Gaillardia putting on a show. Only the one plant survived, but it's covered in blooms.

I’m here! Work is kicking my butt right now. Garden looking good, hope storms don’t get to it.

Hi everyone. Haven’t been posting but have been reading your posts. Y’all are amazing! I’m slow getting going this year. Between my limited mobility, hubs back issue, a new bottle calf with a broken knee, and a diabetic dog I haven’t kept up. I noticed someone mentioned a plant identification app. I used to remember so much better than I do now. Please tell me if you have a favorite plant app ( preferably free) that you like. I need simple, nothing complicated.

As for gardening, getting some beautiful strawberries now, had collards and greens twice last week, spinach is perfect size for salads now.

Larry, my potatoes are planted under straw in an old hay ring. I’m anxious to see how they make.

We got 7/10” rain last night. Welcome moisture.

I use PlantNet (red box). It's semi reliable, at least it gives me a suggestion to go look up. And if you're on facebook there are a few different plant identification groups. One is very strict on identification only, no discussion about uses or anything else. But I've found it to be one of the more accurate ones.

Brrrrr--it was so cold today, until about an hour ago when the sun finally came out. It rained most of the night and into this morning. We got 3/4". That was perfect, since I planted so much stuff at Lincoln and here yesterday. And it was perfect planting conditions yesterday, too.

I lost you all. I forgot to check the new thread, so was just checking the old thread and thought it strange that no one was posting.

I've been using PictureThis. It's pretty good if the seedlings are more than just the first couple pair of leaves; just remembered it's not free. $20 a year or so, I think. By pretty good, I guess about 75% correct. I hope the new calf does all right, farmgardener. That sounds problematic, to say the least.

We have lettuce and greens everywhere. . . and I'm out of the mood to eat them this week. I best get back to it.

Jen, how did you get your photos in all one frame? Is that an app or does it give that option on your photo album? And, Larry, congratulations on being brave enough to order a new camera! Who! I am suddenly so sleepy. I think an after-dinner nap is in order. Be back later.

Yes, after a week (in which I ran AC once), the heat must return. 40F tonight. At least I have a while before rains return (forecast say like 2 weeks, but that's simply absurd and impossible). I'm sure rains will return by the end of the weekend, if that long.

Watched live video of Reed Timmers crew running southwest of me last night. Those storm chasers are crazy.
We got less than a 1/4” of rain. Which is fine by me

Nancy, it's an app called Layout. You pick the photos & then choose a layout. It offers some editing (change sizes of photos, move them around, enlarge or shrink somewhat).

Amy, so how much you willing to pay for a nice clump of gaillardia?

As I set here reading the different ones talking about the weather, rain, wind and so forth. I am thinking about how the same thing is affecting me. My soil is too wet, we are having too many storm, it seem too cold at times, then I stop and think about the many times I have seen on T.V. of some one trying to put in a crop in hard, rocky, dry soil, using an old worn out hand tool. I think, that person may be trying to feed a bunch of kids, and if that crop does not make they may be in big trouble. All of the thinking make me realize how lucky I am. My soil may be too wet, but, at least it will grow a lot of different kinds of food. It is heart breaking thinking about how much of the world is happy with just half of what I have. I dont want to sound like I have a lot, which I dont, but I am so blessed.

I will shut up, I am just rambling.

When I was at Lincoln planting things yesterday, I was almost overwhelmed by it all. I TOLD John last fall that everything we had planted should be back this year. Not only IS it, but in spades. Amy, I have a hand hoe very similar to the ones you posted. I'm going to have to take that thing in and just scrape off the hordes of morning glories, bronze fennel, dill, even fleabane. I was astonished by how what I thought was one dead bachelor button clump (because I'd moved it last year) came back in at least half a dozen large clumps--and it's not even native, so I have to take some out! We were a bit concerned about milkweed, even though I knew better, having planted app. 30 of them last. year. But just in case, I made arrangements to go see Lori in Tahlequah and get another 16, which I'll do on Sunday. I'm anxious to see their place, anyway. Here's the funny thing. Yesterday in the Lincoln garden, I counted 9 of them. . . and that was before I quit caring so quit checking. I'll be splitting that order of 16 with Lincoln, so I'll have plenty to add to my measly stand, too.

Lots of frost weed; lots of rudbeckia, coreopsis. Yarrow on steroids in that big bed--it's already like nearly 3 feet high and 4' in diameter. What the! lol. Freelance cosmos and zinnias scattered about. Didn't see any tithonia. I probably was in plant fatigue mode at that point . . still, I have an enormous stand of it here in MY sun raised bed so can take some to them if necessary.

I'm not sure all of John's Vitex are going to come back. (And if they don't, good riddance--we can put in some beautiful natives.) He had seven put in. I'd like to see about 4 of them not make it. LOL. Now that I'm learning more and more, there are some beautiful natives that would be much prettier and much better.

I'm at that point with my seedlings grown on the cart, where I don't care any more. I've given many away to folks that wanted them. I've only planted six tomatoes at the school and six here. The pepper project, on the other hand. I wish I could find fun pepper lovers in town or here. There's a whole bunch who have never even made it off my indoor grow cart yet--probably have at least 60-80 of them . . sigh. LOL

Larry, I haven't posted yet but just saw yours. Thank you, thank you so much. We all needed to hear that. I may have to use an edited version of that, credited to you, on FB. That was what we all need to remember.

I was thinking as I was kind of tracking on FB the past couple days. . . so many new gardeners who have no clue about what to do, how to do it, what to grow, how to be responsible about growing it, how to do planet earth no harm. . . I see various students of Dawn's. . . (not all of the smart and wise folks there are "students of Dawn's," but most are) and it occurred to me how conscientious they are and how true to her knowledge and wisdom, and it occurred to me how very proud she would be, and how we are honoring her by being responsible stewards of gardening. What an amazing gift she was and continues to be.

I got sidetracked with all the plants . . . well, come to think of it, guess that's what all this is about, in part. Love ya all.

Nancy, gardening is never done..what would be the fun in that ? :)
I'm gonna track how long we have before the next rain. I hope I'm not going 'I wish it would rain' (*lol*), but I have at least two weeks before I would start worrying about *that*...well I think.
I planted grass peas (lathyrus sativus) about a week and a half ago. It was kinda a whim that I ordered them (and didn't plant last year) last year. I am simply impressed by their vigor and fast growth so far (yes....like springing into instant growth). It's a last ditch crop for droughty areas like Asia and Africa, and I'm impressed the water we've received hasn't turned it to mush. It also has a problem with a neurotoxin if you eat too much...not sure I'll do more than taste it, but it *is* pretty. The seeds were interesting and seemingly mimic pebbles with varied shapes and colors.

At the same time, I planted dill, it's now beginning to show too.

Amy, the first link you posted is the one I have. I’m just in love with it and sort of looking forward to weeding this weekend. LOL

Larry, thanks for your “rambling.” I try to always be grateful for what I have instead of worrying about what I don’t. It’s always a good reminder. I am very lucky to have had the last year working from home which has offered opportunities to decompress on stressful days by stepping into the garden. It’s also allowed me to push some limits like planting tomatoes very early since I was home to uncover them at the appropriate time. For a kid who grew up as stinking poor as I did, I’m living a dream and I remind myself of it regularly because, especially working in the corporate world, it’s easy to get caught up in chasing the next goal.

Nancy, I was a little miffed with the chilly weather yesterday. I bought a new dress in September. I actually bought two because I was shopping for a dress for annual family pictures and couldn’t decide. The one that didn’t get worn has been hanging, tags on, in the closet. Yesterday, I had an in-person meeting and thought I’d wear it. It’s a dress for 60° weather, not a rainy 50°, so when I stepped outside, I was cold! I grabbed a blazer which covered what Makes the dress so cute! Blasted weather.

I haven’t done much gardening since Sunday. Some evenings, I get right out and start work on a small project, but this week I’ve just relaxed and enjoyed the few days I’ve had of not teaching PE by meandering through the garden. We resume PE tonight though.

I’m the type that likes the building and creating part of gardening, but the observing has been nice. I see many things that need to be done and try to think of priorities. I know that once June gets here the heat will govern what gets done, whereas right now it’s the rain. My future rain garden area needs to be completed but since I’m building it in a low spot that already collects water, it’s pretty wet. And I’ve had much less rain than the rest of you. It looks like the transition from a La Niña to ENSO neutral weather pattern means I stay drier and more of the severe weather and hail stays just south of me. Hopefully I didnt jinx myself. It is still spring though, so...

With all the talk of summer temps, I thought I’d link to the CPC outlook maps. You might not want to look. https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/30day/ Looking at weather history for other ENSO neutral years and I’m thinking that we should maybe be digging swimming holes instead of gardens. They’re not our hottest years but they‘re the years that get hot and stay that way with little respite. 🥵

Amy I wish, I had known you want lemon balm. I have so much of it... and I give so much of it away.

Megan, I am good. I have my inflatable pool, and it will get set up if it gets HOT. :)

Larry I recall my maternal grandma having no electric, and later not even running water. Yet she taught me the appreciation of the greater outdoors.

All, I have been busy cutting out the dead branches in my hedge/row of euonymus bushes, and realized, the bradford and the other tree are in the row of bushes... not in the neighbors back yard.

soo, I have cut them off. Not sure, how much more I will do with the trunks... but for now, I have this HUGE pile of limbs to cut up so I can put them in the garbage. I hope, I will feel good to do all or at least most of it after I mow. Today is iffy. I don't get to eat anything solid/good. ;) Tomorrow Colonoscopy. Yuck.

Nothing like putting out a bunch of power... :)

Moni

Yuck for ya, Moni. You don't have room to stack all the wood up and let it dry out, probably. Garry took out 5 Bradford pears 6 years ago and we still have seedlings come up a bit. He got MOST of the roots out--obviously not all.

Lots and lots of lemon balm here, too. Amy--Ron and you (and Eileen, Rebecca) need to do a road trip down here one of these days and pick up some of these plants. I'll dig a gaillardia up from the school--they exploded over there.

I spent a good part of today studying up on native flowers and grasses. I thought about you, Danny, how well you do with their taxonomic names. I do well once I've ordered and planted them--otherwise, not so good.

Megan, what must you do to complete the rain garden? We do get a fair amount of rain--but because the property is very rocky, and slopes to the east and south, the water just doesn't stay. I kind of wish we DID have a spot we could do that with.

Speaking of stinking poor, that's what I'm going to be if the grass doesn't slow down in growing--can't afford to hire lawn mowing out! But for now, we'll do it once in a while.

And now I need to go do some weeding. Later.

Nancy, that's one of my secrets, it helps if I grow it (lol).

In contrasts to (Nancy), I wish I had a good knoll to grow things that don't like being constantly wet, though wetland planting is certainly interesting and finding that even some weeds (Lynchis coronaria) can't take it...

I was thinking about creating a raised area (by having a truckload of something hauled in)..but then it would make physically removing my garden (when/if I sell/die) pretty hard. As is it, of course it would suffocate my few existing tree/shrubs, which were not planned with that in mind. But I thought about it yesterday..lol.

I must have been pseudo-pregnant yesterday, nothing would do but that I have good raw fermented sauerkraut, so I made a trip to the organic food store in the next town (we don't have one) and I ate at least 8 ounces of sauerkraut alone.

Haha - Nancy & Danny, wanting what we don’t have! Nancy, my yard slopes pretty drastically but just inside the fence the slope flattens and it gets muddy which the dogs track in. So this is a bit self serving. Something needed to be done to control the mud and rather than adding a French drain like so many in suburbia would do, I decided on a rain garden. If I listened to the books though, I shouldn’t do it because it’s hard to do in clay soil and especially hard in clay soil that already collects water. Whaaa! Makes me wonder if the authors have ever gardened- this is no easy hobby!

Danny, I have built several mounded gardens because of my slope and clay. My husband has instructions to reach out to this group and let y’all come dig Out all my good dirt should something untimely happen to me. It’s not in my will but I’ve threatened to haunt him if he doesn’t. 😉 Much of what I’ve built is using the hugulkultur method and I still hit some larger wood when digging so for the good of the order, I’ll hold off on letting anything happen to me so the wood can break down and make it easier to dig for you all. You’re welcome.

I believe the baby bunnies are weening. This is creating quite the struggle in my yard and sadly one of the babies was eaten by the neighbors dog last night. Sometimes nature is heartbreaking. Actually the b-word comes to mind, but. I’m concerned that Jill got ahold of the momma though and worried they may not be getting care. I’m trying to leave them alone but don’t want them to starve and die. I have a message out to Regina who some of you met at SF. Hopefully she has some advice.

I am ready for the weekend and not just because gifts will come my way. I’ve been “off“ this week and want to get outside and sweat and dig and work out whatever emotional funk I’m battling at the moment. I think it’s from my daughter turning 13. I’ve always dreaded her turning 13 because that’s the age my brother was when he died unexpectedly so I’ve always had it in my head that this was the age when I really had to start worrying about her. I’ve also always thought how strange it would be to have a child who lived to be older than him and that will happen soon too. My mind has been in some dark places, and her being sick hasn’t helped, so I need to get out and dig. She is feeling better though and the smell of vomit is not as strong in my car but I’ll be shampooing it again this weekend.

I can’t leave it on that note so back to gardening. I discovered a bi-color oxalis had come back in my front garden. The front garden is where a lot of my special plants live and this one is special because the kiddo picked it out last year at the garden center because it had 4 leaves. None of the other bi-color oxalis had 4 leaves, no oxalis normally has 4 leaves that I’m aware of. I thought it died from under watering or heat stress last year but it’s back and it still has 4 leaves!

Oh, my Mexican hat plants are huge! In the wild they’ve always seemed thin and wispy but in my garden they’ve been almost like a low shrub And they flopped over the garden edge - planted them where I thought they had room based on what I’d seen in the wild. The flopping made it challenging for the hubs to mow or trim and I’ve been debating taking them out. Well, I put tomato cages around them and they’re as tall as the cages! The cages have proven great supports so far too so I might keep the plants after all. I had spider mite issues on them last year so I’m going to evaluate whether I think they’re drawn by the Mexican hats or if they’re drawn by something else and just discover the Mexican hats. I’ll also test how they rsspond to being cut back hard if spider mites do appear. Need to add that to the garden notes for this year.

That’s a much better note to end it on. As mMaragret Roach says at the end of her radio show/podcast- happy gardening meantime.

Just on an amused note, yep, the 2 1/2 weeks w/o rain was a pipe dream. We now have a chance of rain Saturday. That's more like normal, even though a drying period would be welcome.

Amy , the okmulgee garden didn't get hail. Been lucky so far. Lost a few tomato plants from the late freeze, still in the process of replacing some of them . The corn got froze out but now it looks like it's growing back. Most of the tomatoes , squash , and cukes made it through the freeze but I had to cover it all with 2 layers. Trying to plant beans now but it's been too wet.

HU

Moni, Ron claims if you drill a hole in the stump and fill it wit Epsom salts it will kill the roots. That's his plan for the wisteria. After that, if it doesn't work a charcoal chimney over it and cook it with charcoal. (Should make it smelll like we're cooking, not burning. ;)

Megan I like the weeder you have for general weeding, and it will get down in a crack well too. For the itty bitty seedling weeds that come up in a carpet, the second is really sharp and slices them right off.

I thought the one plant was lemon balm, but it doesn't have lemon smelling leaves and it is currently growing straight up. Either way it probably should be repotted. Will that keep it from blooming?

the mesonet blog says we have a chance of frost the first of the week. WTH?

Danny, your post didn't show up for me until after I figured it out. Would have saved me a lot of time, LOL. I suppose if you LIKE sauerkraut ... I'm ok with a little bit of homemade, and I know it's good for you, but not my thing. Your body must have needed something provided by it. I have cravings for things like pizza and cheesecake, sauerkraut certainly is better for you.

HU, glad your garden didn't get hit with hail.

One day Nancy I hope to come visit you. I can't believe I've killed lemonbalm TWICE.

Going to have the baby this afternoon, so better go. He's sitting up by himself now.

Amy, Frost? OMG, that means we probably do too..I gotta look :( It was 40F yesterday morning..not all that far from frost (35 ish usually here).
Edit: At least at this point, the lowest in the next two weeks is 45. Whew...you really did scare me..since I'm still seeing frost damaged plants :(

How do you kill lemonbalm, I've even had it it spontaneously generate in the marsh here? :)

Oh, most of my reticent plants have showed up now (hibiscus, milkweeds), still wondering about my meadow phlox (phlox maculata), but expect it any day now.
My carnivorous plants all made it through the winter, and in fact, I have sundews that I thought were tender that were hitchhikers on other plants, that have survived the winter. Everything is tiny now, but alive and starting to grow. I'm not sure, but I kinda think the pitcher plants won't bloom this year either. Having never had one bloom, I really don't know signs till I see buds..but...I don't see buds yet.

Nancy the search was for nothing... which is good in this instance, all ok here.

Megan, try using a strong peroxide and water mix to get the smell out. It worked great on a piece of furniture that came from a nursing home.

Amy keep cutting the stem off, that looks like it's growing straight up, as in to make seeds/blooms. It will have to start over, and you diverted it for now. :)

Moni

Danny, I swear I am going to work up the energy to get some carnivorous plants this year. Can I start them any time? I know the kids at Lincoln would go nuts over them. Gotta do this.

So glad the search was for nothing, Moni.

Yes, we can all make fun of Amy for killing lemon balm. Twice. I know she's making fun of herself, too.

I just got talked into participating in a kind of garden tour on May 22. Okay, not a garden tour. A poker run. LOL. But still. Gotta have the yard and beds and containers in tip top condition, right? I initially told them I was reluctant because of Covid. . . but that I'd check with Garry. Garry was kind of excited about it!? What the??? Does that sound like the Garry any of you who know him know?? Not me. BUT I think I get where he was coming from, and I think this might be a good thing. Both of us sprang into action today with chores we should have been doing all along. This was probably just what the doctor ordered. We were sitting at our deck table late this afternoon, ready to quit, after actually working hard. I said, "GARRY! We just cleared SIX weedy areas today! (Not counting the one our new gardener friends did a few days ago.). We only have five left to go!" (And only one of them is Bermuda-infested.)

I discovered THE best thing about leaving the leaves! The billions and billions (thank you, Carl Sagan) of tree seedlings that emerge are easy pickings, since they're rooted mostly in the leaves. Hallelujah!

Regarding the craving for sauerkraut. I do things like that, Danny--well maybe not so much as to drive extra miles, but when I get a craving, I act on it. As a matter of fact, that's usually how I decide what we're going to have for dinner every single day. Thank goodness Garry loves most of the same foods I do. If I get a craving for something he doesn't like, like Jacob's favorite (and mine), Braunsweiger, or calves liver, then I fix him one of his favorites at the same time. Because I love food and because I love cooking good food, I rarely have no idea what I'm going to fix. Something almost always pops up. The few times I've been at a loss and asked Garry what he might like? Useless, totally useless. lol

I was looking for photographs of what was blooming last year, year before, about this time, and oh my oh my oh my. The garden beds I have now are NOTHING like they were even two years ago. So interesting how things change. . .

Megan, how old were you when your brother died at age 13? I am so so sorry. And explains some stuff about your Mom, bless her heart. I'm sure your babe will have a great birthday, though delayed, this weekend, perhaps?

More to say, but getting sleepy. . . XOXO to you all.

CP:

As with most outdoor plants, the best start is going to be either in fall (when going dormant) or early spring before growth starts, if you mean the hardy ones. However, some of the most striking can't be grown outside in our climate (California cobra plants, most Australian plants, South American Nepenthes,etc). So, first decide what you want to grow OR where you want to grow it.
Most of the hardy plants are quite small. The largest being the sarracenia/pitchers. All require container growing because of intolerance of salts and acidity of soil requirements and very frequent watering (easiest dealt with by having bottom of pot sit in an inch or two of DISTILLED water or rainwater (no tap water unless low salt content)).

Houzz ate my post!

Moni, this is what the plant that's about to bloom is. https://www.outsidepride.com/seed/flower-seed/agastache/agastache-flower-seed.html. I'm ok with it blooming, but I want to put it in a bigger pot.

Danny, it was the mesonet "ticker" that mentioned possible frost for some parts of okla.

http://ticker.mesonet.org/

First post was longer. So you are saved from my meandering. It's Friday, have a good weekend.

Errands took us near Lowes today, so I bought lemonbalm, more dill, more Basil, a lavender (mine died), sweet mint, some marigolds. A Speedwell. I have to look that up, I hope I remembered it as a good plant and not because it's bad. Yes, plants are expensive this year. I resisted penstemons since Nancy brought me two. Turned down a $40 Bougainvillea. If it had been peach I might have faltered, but it wasn't. I didn't buy the foxglove Ron liked. Has anyone grown them here? I'm thinking they don't like our heat.

had whataburger for lunch, that's the sort of thing I've been craving. Yum.

So, anyone who got mint from me at spring fling...I have a suspicion it wasn't mind. If you're near OKC, i have some larger clumps of chocolate mint I'm dividing & you're welcome to pick a few frome me.

Jen, I got some mint. It was small so is still in its original pot. I'll leave it be for now and see what we've got. Fun, right?

I have 4 plants coming up in a straight line...so I must have purposely planted something there, but I don't recognize it and absolutely don't remember planting anything there. Also, fun, right?

Love some mystery in my life.

Who in the OKC are is going to the OKC Flower and Garden Festival tomorrow. We're going early. I'm hoping to see people I know. :)

Also hoping to pick up some goat milk soap and herbs.

I did this with a mountain mint (from a friend), I swore it wasn't. I went and bought one (larger) and it was (lol). It was just an unfamiliar species..and quite different to what I knew and expected.

I gave up on the garden at my daughters. I just could not physically do it all.
And the area I was going to put it standing water and craw dad holes. I can’t justify spending hundreds to have a market garden right now. So I will grow a little patch at home for myself and pray that I get my land soon.

That's sad news Kim. But yeah, it's not nearly as convenient as if you could come outside and start work, wander back in, etc.

Danny that is so true. Even though I am at my daughters 2-4 days a week it is definitely easier at home. The problem at home is it is not my lane. I am essentially squatting here. I have been given a little patch to tend and will make the best of it with it and my pots

I'm so sorry, Kim! Will your daughter be doing the garden at her place, then? Well, this is so sad!

No Nancy she doesn’t garden. It is sad.

Kim, I understand your pain. I can not get plants in the ground, everything is too muddy, plus I am just not man enough to do the work. I have never been this late getting my garden planted.

Its too bad you don't live next to me, I can get more land ready than you can plant, but you would have to fight the mud just we are all doing in this area.

I hate the mud.

I'm with you Kim, but I would probably also say I hated the dry baked concrete that might be the alternative. If only we believed in happy mediums and not excessives.