I have been a member of that church and denomination since the day I was born, never will change BUT I do go to other churches fairly often and I found too many of the relaxed , Let Us Entertain You, type very often are the Mo Money, Mo Money type.

My sigs. brother in law gave away every thing to one of those types of churches when he became a Christian, he learned his lesson but he learned the hard way Christian churches preach the Good News, the scams use Jesus name to suck you dry.

When I went to schedule a picture for the church they said they were full up , so no picture but they said I cold give then an old one.

Wow, this thread is dead.

Yes, it sure is dead, RpR. How's everything up north? It looks like this weather is finally going to straighten out this week, I hope. Last Friday I went out and covered practically everything in the yard cause it was suppose to get down to 27. But it only got down to 36 or so. So Saturday DH helped me pick up all the sheets, pillow cases, towels, table cloths, old shirts, and blankets and fold them. They are sitting on the floor in the living room and I just might have to use them today to cover stuff for tonight. I will keep a close eye on the temps. I don't want to cover stuff if I don't have to. Right now the low is forecast to be 33.

I think today I will work up the dirt in 2 more of my raised vegetable beds. I have 2 already done and strawberry plants in 3 and Iris in 3 others. I'd like to more the Iris but I don't want to miss their blooms. I'm wondering if I can gently move them without sacrificing the blooms? Any thoughts?

I have plastic mesh fencing around my raised beds. I put garden fleece over top the fencing on frost warning nights. Actually put it there three days ago and haven't removed it as enough light gets in from the sides and the fleece lets in light. After the frost warning is over tonight, I'll remove them for the season.

gardenglassgems said:Yes, it sure is dead, RpR. How's everything up north? It looks like this weather is finally going to straighten out this week, I hope. Last Friday I went out and covered practically everything in the yard cause it was suppose to get down to 27. But it only got down to 36 or so. So Saturday DH helped me pick up all the sheets, pillow cases, towels, table cloths, old shirts, and blankets and fold them. They are sitting on the floor in the living room and I just might have to use them today to cover stuff for tonight. I will keep a close eye on the temps. I don't want to cover stuff if I don't have to. Right now the low is forecast to be 33.

I think today I will work up the dirt in 2 more of my raised vegetable beds. I have 2 already done and strawberry plants in 3 and Iris in 3 others. I'd like to more the Iris but I don't want to miss their blooms. I'm wondering if I can gently move them without sacrificing the blooms? Any thoughts?

Having lost roses to hard freezes in the past, best to be safe rather than sorry.
Mid twenties here but the roses have been uncovered for some time so no sudden shock.
Outside of potatoes and roses in down South, plus one rose up North, only thing I have done is till the gardens.
I am heading home to plant five of my Brownell's Sub-Zero roses, with temps hitting rock bottom tonight and (supposedly) going up into the eighties by next week.
Too da-n hot!
I have had them heeled in while waiting for my Edmund's roses, which have not come and they did not respond to inquest, but I want to get them down South and out of the veggie. garden.

Your Iris, if you can get a shovel in, one of those miniature sand type shovels used for gardening, and get a dirt ball with all the roots there should be no problem.
Not screwing up the root system is what matters.

Thanks. DH and I decided that we will till up a part of the garden that I was going to put raised beds in and use it to put veggies in ground this year I may only have to disturb a few Iris. But I agree with you, if I can get the majority of the root system without damaging it too much would be best.

Temp. are not normal but close enough.
Garden shops have dam-ed little in them this year, including the ones with there own green house.
Mostly same poo same pile.
Veggies it is pretty much you can get a, b and c or c, b and a or a,c and b.
Found one today actually selling d, e and f.

I haven't been to any garden centers yet except for Walmart where I pot some yellow Pansy marked down to $1.07 individual. I got vegetable plants from my brother. I will also get some annual flowers from him some day.

Today was windy and almost cold but I managed to get some things done outside. I did a little weeding, a little mulching, a little planting, a little moving pots outside, and some picture taking. Here are a few.








I was going to put a Daylily in the bare corner but didn't get around to it. Maybe tomorrrow.

Hello! New here, figured I'd pop over to say hello.

Look at those irises! I'm across the river from you and mine are finally setting with buds and the stems seem so short this year. They never bloomed last year w the late snow and this year they look like they are still doing a battle. What I'm hoping doesn't happen are the extreme temps which in the last few years seem to find me running out to the yard to cut them or loose them to heat. They are so lovely in blooms our like that to last both outside and for some cuttings.

Do any of you have perennials? Are they fairing ok? Everything this year just seems slight in height or bud size at this house. I must confess even the tomatoes I started from seed look crazy.

But I will say I'm finally glad to get outside and start in the dirt. I am in the process of saying goodbye to the daffys, tulips and grape hyacinths and contemplating potting up the planters this weekend and weeding the beds before I plant. The garden will just have to wait as I'm guessing the soil is still too cool to being inviting.

What is your favorite part of spring in the Midwest?

Hi Scarlet. The only Iris in bloom for me right now are the Dwarf. I have one reblooming white NOID Iris that is sending out bud stalks but my other TB Iris are not yet. Everything here seems to be doing good. Some of my Tulips took a hit from the cold temps once they came up. But other than that, things are really starting to grow esp. the weeds. I still have not gotten through all my beds for the first time. I have now decided to weed and then put down new finer mulch right away on the newly weeded bed. I have planted my vegetable plants in the ground and have only planted onion sets and pea and bush bean seeds. I do think the soil is still too cold for most seeds.

Good luck neighbor with your gardening and planting.

I should be getting dressed to go weed at first light. Instead I'd rather be a lump today and not move. The weeding seems daunting to me this morning as I then have to come in, clean up and teach my kids. Maybe I should wait until tomorrow.

Gardenglass: dwarf or not, they are lovely. I have the tall bearded ones and right now the stems look short and the bud heads not full. Maybe with some more warmth and time they'll look better. One of the things on my list to do as I weed is also move my compost in. With my totally sandy soil it's a help. I also had the best of luck with bonemeal in the past, however I have a few new neighbors that dogs are loose at night and they enjoy trying to find the elusive bone, but in the process dig everything on up.

Have your peas come up? I swear mine just don't want to make a move. I have one little leaf FINALLY poking its nose out. I thought they were suppose to love cooler temps? Hah mine do not.

AM: With everyone staying at home I wonder how many gardens there will be. I ask because I was at menards not that long ago and usually with their seed aisle there's always seed until they pull their display down in June/early July(?). I went to grab a few things I thought to add to the garden and beds - I think at most they had maybe 3 dozen packets left of everything. It was interesting, I've never seen it so bare. It's like toilet paper, Mac and cheese and tuna. I wonder if any of those w/tons of cans of tuna have eaten them yet? I'd have never thought there would be a run on seeds.

Currently I'm on the hunt for helenium. I have a bunch of English Garden magazines from the library and that is the one flower that is catching my eye in a lot of their pictures. I stopped at one nursery yesterday but they had none. I feel better though, as all their perennials look about like mine right now - smaller and scraggly - looked like last years offerings with a bad haircut in a pot. I can't say I have a particular look to my beds. I love the cottage look, I love color and I love the benefit of butterflies, hummingbirds and bees visiting. Except of late I've seen more wasps h then anything else. I've been told by neighbors that I have old fashioned flowerbeds like their grandma. If I'm under 50, is that a compliment?

I moved my plants outside yesterday (that included everything I bought earlier in a April). They had been in the basement under the growlights. The dahlias and geraniums have been in and out with the cold and the last week or so, have current residence in the greenhouse shelf. Of which I think is being held together by more duct tape then anything else. Darn plastic! It's time to get the show moving!

Well I think I've convinced myself, stay in now, teach kids this morning (thank goodness school turn-in is next week I love my kids, but I find teaching them is difficult and daunting. I've been out of school long enough to not know the "new" way to do math - I grew up in the "learn the metric system" era of math. I also learned that this mama is not as patient as she should be when the youngest says when at home play time and tv are more important then the workbook - that's what home is mom!) and then I'll eat my lunch and progress with my wheel barrow in tow of compost and my weed bucket and get going.

May you all have a good day of it! I'm rambling as it is. Look forward to your success in the gardens.

Hello Scarlet

Nothing wrong with old fashion type gardens. I'd love to turn my entire front yard into an english garden type. Not a lawn lover at all. It shows and I'm sure my neighbors love me for it.

So are you an avid dahlia type person? I'm looking to start getting into dahlias and seeking a mentor on what type, good vendors, and care maintenance.

Thomas: no, this is only my second year of growing dahlias. Maybe we can learn together. I had lurked the dahlia board last year to gain knowledge and found their posts very helpful and felt I could join in this year asking my questions. I didn't grow up w dahlias, but I did with nasturtiums, zinnias and all old fashioned types. I'm intrigued by their blooms and colors and I was totally amazed at how many more flying friends it brought to my beds.

This weekend will find my hubs trimming legs off old tomato cages as I use those for my dahlia support and then bend the leftover legs for staples. I found it worked well for my purposes. I have a small number in comparison to the other fine folk on this site. Except I've gone from 12 to 28 this year. So for me and my space that is a lot- but oh those blooms.

I think what spurs me w the cottage garden when I was 5 I remember a little old lady down the street in a little one bedroom house that was set back from the street and I remember her flowerbeds being all crazy with color and her out in her dress weeding and taking cuttings. I swear she was in her 90s in her yard tending her flowers some of which seemed taller then her little house. I had an elderly lady from the down the street stop and tell me she loves my nasturtiums (I fondly call them my nasties) as it reminds her of being a little girl at her grandmas farm. Anywho - I just like the rumble tumble of it all. It may not look like a formal garden but in its own way it's very curated by choices (either yours or your soil) I feel. Now if only those same nasties will germinate. I've had issues the last few years that I can get about 1 out of every 8 seeds to grow. Grumble! I don't know why, if anyone has suggestions let me know.

I'd be interested to know what dahlias you'll be growing. Do you like certain colors or shapes?

Great memory of the garden.

Well I've only grown the typical big store type dahlias. I tend to lean toward purple with dahlias, but not opposed to any color really. Didn't know different shapes existed until I started looking at vendor offerings. A little bit of sticker shock. Will definitely be lifting any dahlias I plant. That was the problem I had a long time ago when I planted dahlias, didn't know to lift them in the fall and well, no more dahlias. Not sure that I'm a pom-pom shape fan, just doesn't look like a flower to me for some reason.

How about you? What shapes are you growing?

I'm open to all the shapes. I had to laugh as my almost 90yo mom ordered me some dinnerplate sized ones and said to me "go big or go home" which I found terribly funny coming from her.

I have one of the small poms which has just a pop color in an arrangement. Last year I found most on my would like list were ones that have petals that curl somewhat under themselves at the base (still learning what that is called). This year I'm intrigued by the following: bi-color, bright colors and strangely, the color pink. I hate pink in general (Clothing, decorating etc) but found in all my beds I'm missing yellow and pink. So I've got pink, I've got 2 bicolors, I traded with a lady from church and now have 2 collarettes (she enjoys them she says because of the bees falling asleep in the petals) I guess I am open to seeing however they grow. I'm learning from the other group and their hundreds of past/future plants. And I found last year as they posted their photos the varieties I didn't even see when I passed by in a catalog or color combos etc to keep an open mind and see what I might try.

Do you have anyone nearby that also grows? I met my church lady when she brought in armfuls for the altar and spoke to her after. I have since been to her farm and beds and picked her brain as well about how to grow and care for. She gave me a call this spring w her extras. I gave her some of mine In return. I also am trading with my SIL, though she only had 2 types this last year and I have a brother who would like to try. I think thats what gardening is about - a lot of sharing. If your out for a neighborhood walk keep your eyes peeled and maybe meet a fellow dahlia fan. You never know - I only started w dahlias because my MIL found a bunch on clearance at jung two end of summers ago and bought me some - she's a total garden enabler Everyone needs one of those in their life.

Ok because my one hand will be numb shortly - I did it, the rain pops up they quasi spoke about today didn't materialize except for a few drips and a drop. I got the front bed weeded and planted and dumped my compost on top. I'd say it looks fantastic but all my plants are babies so no blooms yet I think two buds on my Hot Sally salvia but that's about it for color right now. I'm proud of my accomplishment for today and will see if the rains hold off some this weekend and the hands hold up to get more done. Anyone else planting this weekend or just eating?

I watched the morning news and had an aha moment: I had my dahlias in the ground last year by Memorial Day and it poured. I was afraid of rot with it all. They said the area got something like 1.13" that day - all I recall is came straight down in sheets. No rot and they did just fine long term. Let's not repeat that this year. I've a lot to get done! All my planters, 3 more beds and my garden. Yep, I won't ponder it anymore.

You have been busy Scarlet. Me too. I did many, many different things today but did not completely finish any of them. I started mulching my front flower bed which was half weeded. I almost got that half mulched when I started something else. I wanted to plant a few Daylily in my front bed, so I went to get my shovel. Two hours later I had not left my raised flower garden where my shovel was. I weeded an area, then laid down landscape fabric, and mulched after DH filled my 13 5-gal buckets with mulch. Then I sprayed some round up, took a break under the tree, put tomato cages around all the plants, and took pictures. Needless to say, nothing got completely finished but I feel like I got so much accomplished except for the Daylily did not get planted.

The right half of the front bed that was already weeded got new mulch.








The raised bed flower garden. This is where I will put some tropical plants for the summer. They will be in pots.


Allium getting ready to bloom.

Jeanne: looks lovely and that you have been busy! Why is it that allium leaves always turn yellow as the bloom opens? That's one thing that drives me nuts. I have a bunch that are in that same stage. Are you sending me over storms today?

The birds are singing so lovely this morn. The sun is just waking up and everything is lavender hued.

I attack the planters this morning. I do hope the storms hold off. I haven't looked at the radar just yet. Last night it said rain at 5am, 9am and 3. Haven't heard a single drop yet.

I'm really pleased with my compost. I have it all around my front bed and it's good and dark. I'm sure it's not perfect and I'm kind of a lazy composter especially through winter. I just added goat poo and hope I can get chicken via a work friend. Time to get cooking for more goodness.

Does anyone have a good fertilizer for irises? Mine have struggled the last two years and I'm looking for something that will help them out. And coneflowers. I had huge clumps of them three years ago and after 2019s horrid winter they are about 1/4 the size. These are the traditional purple coneflowers. I wonder what I'm doing wrong.

Hopefully today's planting adventure goes well. I'm hopeful the hubs and I can get to a new greenhouse today. It's about an hour away but they say it's large and I'm on the hunt for helenium. And we'll anything else that might hop in my cart.

Thomas: I forgot to say check out swan islands website. They are running their end of season sale they ship fairly quick and do priority. I tend to try to keep my tuber cost on the low side due to my budget So I try and limit myself to the $6 varieties. But you can sure still get some lovelies. I had ordered this year from swan and dans dahlias and mom sent me brecks and swan. I had found some at Walmart and one next to the strawberries at the grocery store. I know the dahlia group have lots of fav vendors that they use. How long has it been since you last grew them?