Hi Carolyn - long time, no see!

Hey Chris -

How are you? I haven't been on in awhile.

Doing good - super busy. And waiting impatiently for the weather to improve! Order any new heurchs this year?

Thanks Carolyn22. The red one in that photo is Midnight Bayou.

Wow, your gardens are breathtaking! I love the moss around the stepping stones!

dormantsrule... Welcome and your gardens are gorgeous. Looks like a page out of a gardening magazine.

Hi Chris and Carolyn

Chris, I have the same problem with plugs...they don't do great for me. I lost about a third of the ones I ordered.

Hi Linda! Yeah, I gave up on plugs.

I had Midnight Bayou as a plug and I lost it. I lost all my plugs last year - it was so dry.... I just love that color!

Chris - I have been good. Waiting for the weather to change as well...

Well, I haven't been reaaaaal good. I did place an order but it won't ship til May.

Chris -

I have not been good either, but this time I have been placing orders for callas and tuberous begonias.....

I got some callas too. Did you get them from the lakesidecallas co-op?

Chris

Yes I did. I have a weakness for callas (right after my weakness for heucheras!). I started collecting callas several years ago from the mercy shelf at Lowes. I have picked up different colors over the years and then last fall what pushed me over the edge was one day when we were grocery shopping, my husband put a potfull of the black callas in the shopping cart and said it was because I had been working so much overtime..... I just love them!

Years ago I had some but then I got sick of digging them up every fall and gave up on them. After seeing all the beautiful ones they have available now I thought I'd give it a try again.

they are beauties too. I also have some coming in trade. I love filling my deck with pots full of different things - callas, dahilas, petunias....

Well hello Carolyn and Chris! Geez, I've finally woken up after that long, cold, snowy winter! It's nice to see the weather is finally coming around to being somewhat warm and the perennials are beginning to pop up! Spring is in the air!

Linda and Dormantsrule - Hi, I'm Cheryl... Another Heuchera/ella lover and have been growing (or trying to anyways) them for several years now. Sometimes I wonder if I've lost more than I've grown but I never give up, they are just so addictive, right?

Dormantsrule - Your pictures are just beautful and we always love seeing other's gardens. Such great color combinations in your garden. Sometimes I struggle with that...I've never been particularly artful so so I don't have quite the knack that so many others do. I just put them in and hope for the best! I really like the moss growing in between the steppers. Does moss spread readily after planting or do you have to put alot of it in? I've never tried growing it before but it seems to grow everywhere I DON'T want it!

I'm ticked off at the deer again this year. Two years in a row now they've chewed off every leaf on my Caramels in front. Do you think it would work if I put rose cones over them with the tops cut off? I'm just not sure how I could anchor them down - maybe just put rocks on the edges? I have to do something, it takes too long for them to recover and grow to a nice size.

Well ladies, I've got several plugs coming from Ella's.... from the sound of it, it looks like I'll need to set up the Nursery again and take care of some babies until they grow up a little - my first time with plugs...I wish I would've asked you all before buying them! Oh well, not alot of money invested so it won't hurt too much if they croak!

Happy Spring All

Hey Cheryl,

Good to see you again! It has been a long winter, hasn't it.

About covering your heurchs, I have major rabbit problems in the winter, mostly on small shrubs, but what I do is make chicken wire covers and take wooden stakes, weave them through the wire on a few sides, and stick them into the ground about a foot deep. Keeps the cages held down to the ground good. It works great. Those that I forget to cover usually get lots of damage. Deer can be pretty aggressive so you'd probably want something you can "fasten" to the ground. One year deer stood on their hind legs and knocked our bird feeders off the stands, stomped on them and ate the food. If yours are that bad you may need to put cement silos around your plants. Darn critters. Last few years we've had vole problems in the winter. I've lost more plants to them than anything.

Good luck with your plugs! You're probably a better "plug mommy" than I was.

Cheryl -

How are you? I have been wondering about you....

It is definitely time for winter to be just a memory. This past year in particular seemed to snow every time I turned around....

I have had good luck with plugs in the past, just last year was bad - but last year was so dry. I have no idea what to expect this year as the year before last was so wet. I suppose as long as it isn't snow, everything will be fine!

Hi guys -- I love the garden pic Dormantsrule!! Very nice! I love how you are sending all those potted beauties out to the ill! I bet they love receiving that little bit of cheer! What a blessing you are!

I got into Hecherra's right about the time I realized they go so well with all my Hosta's!! (I am in trouble). Ihave about 10 different kinds right now and I think I bought a few more on a co-op. It's getting bad when I cant remember what I bought already (ouch)

Anyways - I will have to see if I get plugs how they do over here in MN!! Will have to baby them for awhile I assume!!

Happy spring -- it finally hit 50 degrees!!!

Christine -

Welcome-

yes, they definitely have to be babied. When you get them in the mail, open the box and make sure the medium they are in is moist. Just let the little babies get acclimated to the area. Then pot them up into little pots. Keep them well shaded and moist. You will need to check them at least once a day. In 6-8 weeks or so, plant them into the garden.

Hi Carolyn -- Thanks for the helpful advise!!! I will do that when they arrive next month!!