So, epsom salts... where is the best place to buy them? I looked in the grocery store yesterday, and all I saw were some scented ones, guessing I don't what those, and they were pretty expensive too!

Drug store.

Big box stores, too. I bought a big carton of it last year...can't recall how much I paid for it, but it seemed like the price really shot up since the last time I stocked up.

Well if you want to order on line look here-

http://www.saltworks.us/garden...

Today the temps are back to normal for this time of year and it must have been 80 or so. Back to working in the garden. Today I moved a big clump of Matrona sedum and I was lucky to get it all in once piece and not have it break apart. I did cut it back quit a bit so that it has an easier time adjusting to the move. Then I moved three daylilies around because I thought they would go together better this way rather than the old way color and heightwise. After that I moved 3 daylilies that were in the back of the daylily bed foreward. I had room because I took out that big clump of sedum. Now why did these daylilies have to move forward you might ask? Well, because I had room in back of this daylily bed were nothing was currently planted (last year I had zinnias in there but never did put them there this year) but needed more room further along. And why do I need room all along in back of the daylilies? Because I mail ordered more tomato plants which were shipped today and should be here Wednesday-Thursday. I have to have some place to put them.

I have Juliet Tomato plants in back of daylily plants in another garden section and that is working out well so I thought I could use this space as well in the same manner. Not that I need more tomato plants. But someone on another forum was saying how they bought these unusual variety of tomato as seedlings plants which were shipped and of course I had to go look. I found they had all sorts of varieties as plants and were still shipping plus they were on sale. They ship as a cellpack of 4 plants. So I bought 4 SUNSUGAR because I want to compair them to my (already here) SUNGOLD. And while I was there I couldn't resist and bought this really unusual variety called Japanese Black Trifele. So now I had to find space for 8 more tomato plants.

The tomatoes I have here are growing like crazy and I had to get twine and tie big loops around the ones in front of the porch and tie them back to the posch railings. Crazy! And I am a crazy lady for buying more tomato plants. But I just could not stop myself from ordering them.

Go, Rita!
It's so nice to hear your tomato passion and the progression to harvest supreme!

Rita, you sound crazier than me I've got 16 tomato plants, and I'm really the only one in the family that eats them! (DD ate them last year, but this year she only wants the sweet grape tomatoes from the grocery store! AARGH!) Oh well, have lots of neighbors and chipmunks that enjoy them!

Found a yummy tomato and bread salad Weight Watcher's recipe today. Had it for lunch. Delicious with my Early Girls I've got coming in!

I have two of my EARLY GIRL tomatoes getting a slight blush on them so hopefully will have ripe tomatoes soon. And yes, I am definately crazy!

I don't have time to post pics today as I am working on more of my moving around projects. Started yesterday, still working today. Today I moved some Strawberry Candies and put clumps of Fancy Face were they used to be.

I also need to go and dig up clumps of iris that are near the end were I have my path and cucumbers planted. Cucumbers growing like mad and taking over the space. I need to take out iris at the end and put up cucumber trellis. I figgured at least 5 iris would have to move but it actually turned out to be 6 iris clumps I dug up. That is why I made room, so I have somewhere to put the iris to be moved.

I just have the clumps out and carried down to near my kitchen door. Tomorrow I will sort them, cut back leaves, divide and replant. Not up to it today. Now I need to get the metal fence posts that I use for support and pound them in so I can string trellis and get those cucumber vines headed the right way. This is one case where my usual method of crowding things in deffinately does not work! Need room!

But I have to get this done as poor planning on where I planted those cucumbers. And I am not about to pull them out LOL!

Hi All - for the long beans, it is not really how long they get that determines when you harvest them. In the same plant, some will be longer, some will be shorter. It is the diameter that you should watch out for. I usually pick them when they are about pencil width and still turgid. After awhile, you can see when they are getting old, and the shell becomes pithy. At that stage, you could still eat the seed, but not the shell. This is last year's harvest - mine's are just beginning to get to about 5 feet now.

Oh Diane, I didn't realise you could let them get that long as you have in the picture. I thought you had to pick them still short so I have learned something new. They sure do look amazing don't they? I can't wait! Mine have some little baby beans already as they have started flowering. But I am sure they can so better.

What a mess! I am digging out daylilies along a section of garden that I call the driveway side garden. Up near the garage it is the widest and down by the street narrow. Has a woooden picket fence in back which is my property line. It has, or had two rows of daylilies in front and a nice big row of lilies in back. Lilies gona stay. Yesterday I moved the first row of daylilies and replanted. Today I am digging out the second row of daylily clumps for moving elsewhere. Already dug and replanted three of the clumps, one of which was the biggest. Now I am just gonna dig the rest and put them in the shade to deal with later this afternoon. I guess they will join the clumps of iris still sitting here from yesterdays efforts.

I need to get it cleared. I think eventually I might make it a Tall bearded Iris garden. But intend to plant some of those tomato plants I ordered there. Who knows, if that works out well, I might leave it as tomatoes forever. But like I said, I need the space cleared as those tomato plants should be here today or tomorrow. My mail has not come yet.

I should wait to move lilies until they die back for the season, right? I'm thinking I might have set mine in just a bit too close. I brought some blooms of Muscadet and Conca D'Or indoors - man, those few blooms have this whole place smelling just great!

Rita, by the look of your gardens plants love to be moved! I envy your energy in the summertime heat. My energy for outside work is pretty much dormant at the moment, I'm deep-cleaning the house instead.

Tam, do you have your air conditioning fixed yet?

My lilies are always planted close and it never seems to hurt anything. I have moved lilies right after they flower many times, bulb and stems and all but waiting would probably be better.

It seems I always manage to get into a project in the garden. Here is the area my daylilies came out of and that I will plant tomato seedlings.


And here is the stuff sitting around that now has to get replanted someplace new.



cucumber row were I was working yesterday


from the back


And here you can see the fence posts and string tied so the cucumbers can climb

The ground is very dry here. Grasses are keeping the roots well into the ground. A pain to weed.

Yeah. I hear you, Lucy.

The thing that gets me nowadays is the quiet; even the birds and insects are conserving their energy. I read in the local paper today that once it does rain they'll reappear as if by magic, but for now the lack of sounds in the gardens is pretty bizarre. Birds and bugs (and other critters) still come to the water stations, but they don't sing. I heard a single cicada today when normally we'd be hearing a concert right about now.

Yes,AC in house and my truck are fixed...$500.00 later...oh and the windsheild wipers too...like we need those..I cant keep enough water in the bird baths,Orioles eating us out of house and home...its soo cool we are seeing all the fledges this year..I thikin we have at least 3 pairs and the fledges. We put out a kiddie pool with a pump and rocks in it for the birds...They are soo attracted to running water,I have another pump in a bath for them..Its so fun...

all Im doing right now is watering keeping things alive...I have areas that need work,but I havent had time,and iits too hot...but beautiful...

I carried a cicada in the house on my hat...I knew something flew by me,hahaha the dog and cat went crazy...got it outside alive...

Baby Orioles? How cool! I've never seen the babies, just the adults.

I'm glad you got your repairs done! We had to add a second window unit this year - it's been a brutal summer. With two, we can lower the indoor temp by about 15 degrees.


I'm happy to hear that your green friend escaped with its life! Those are some really neat critters. I can just see your pets now...a fun frenzy of motion!

Watering...yes. As we can, right? I got up extra early this morning to soak my veggie patch. I figure if they've managed to live this long, they deserve it.


I have my first bloom on a seed-started shrub! Wow! I'm tickled. Picture later...I need it to get brighter in that area first.

Here 'tis.

Seedling of St. John's Wort (Hypericum frondosum 'Sunburst') Second year plant.

So far, it looks the same as the parent plant, at least to me. Form and flower are a near perfect match.


This plant grows and blooms well, even if placed in bright shade...gotta love that!

Close-up of bloom.

bloomers these days are daylilies-