It's time to wake my gardens up for the coming growing season! I know it's almost a month too soon, kinda...but I have a garden for every season. . except fall. My winter garden is in bloom now and must soon be put to bed; my spring bulb garden is starting to wake up, so must be fertilized; my summer to frost garden must have its winter rye turned over and the soil prepared for planting and my summer Tomato Jungle on my back patio must have all its containers filled with mix. . . not to mention that in 2 weeks, I get to sow my indoor seeds. . . so I must get out my stored gro stations, set them up ad infinitum. . .

Is it any wonder that today is my fifth day of recuperating from unloading all the ingredients for my Tomato Jungle container mix? I definately overdid it. It was only 8 sacks, of a bit less than 19 cubic feet total, that I balanced on my rollerator and carefully wheeled into my house (a few things have recently gone walk-about from my back patio).

While I'm bedfast these few days, I've double-checked my double-check for the upcoming season and thoroughly enjoyed perusing the almost daily catalogs, to single out and mark possibilities for NEXT year!!!

March 3th is D_DAY!!!!

@BetNC, @Kabby, did y'all get severe weather from this trough? I heard they had tornado watches as far north as Philly. I bet that is a new experience for them. We came through unscathed , but parts of Dothan still do not have power.
I learned several new Japanese exclamations of frustration and disgust that are not included in Charles Berlitz language courses while Jim was working on my computer, but he managed to get everything working right after replacing a switch and doing a complete re-load.
We borrowed a tractor with grader and front loader to catch up after what amounts to a year of neglect. We tried to keep up through Jim's back surgery and my illness, but did not do a very good job of it. A change in our entrance road from the west to the east side means totally re-orienting the property. We are on a sandy slope that calls for no-till gardening. Our only machine investment is in a small lawn tractor. To put t everything back in order in my lifetime, however, we needed to call in the big guns. It gives me more damage control with Jim in the tractor seat than I would have hiring someone. I am still repairing damage from the large equipment needed when we had some large pines taken down.
There is an online seed catalog with a half-full virtual shopping cart calling my name.
I think I must have a growing from seed addiction. It does not bother me in the least that I may never see some of the trees and shrubs I sow reach maturity. The magic of seeds amazes me as much now as it did as a child with my first package of sunflower seeds. k*

@AmargiaExp I stayed in Montgomery last night and we were okay. Talked to my husband this pm, he said a lot of trees are down, electricity out last night.Back on this am.Our trees are ok but many down in the wooded areas.
Virtual shopping cart...I made 2 purchases today.Between trades and orders I should be in good shape in the spring.

Glad everyone is okay.

Kabby

I'm glad to hear it did not do more damage there, Kabby. It seems to have done its worst in the upper south and mid-Atlantic. The biggest downside to moving to the Huntsville (AL) area is that the region is so tornado prone. Where I live now is tucked into a hillside in such a way that high winds do little damage. It is heavy rain and erosion we have to worry about in this location.
No trees fell, but Jim did need to clear limbs off our access to the main road. He bought a new tool for the job I am sure he will tell everyone about in the morning.
Today I moved a flower bed that was in the planned path of the new driveway. I asked Nadi if she would help me re-plant some of the perennials. She said, "That depends. Do any bloom in shades of violet or purple? Any with purple foliage? Meaning she would help with the re-planting if there were some plants that could be moved to the flower bed outside her micro-house. Neither of the girls are into ornamental gardening much. Companion flowers for her vegetables and fruits is Tiggers limit and Nadi isn't interested in any flower that isn't purple. Luckily for me, purple is a very common bloom color and I received help in exchange for a few 'Little Grapette' daylilies and a start of French lavender. Tigger has been more help with the borders around the main building since I got into edible landscaping. Lesson of the Day: Grow plants my helpers like.
Jim is my main help with projects involving ornamental plants, but he was on storm clean-up today and garden task that involve bending at the waist are especially hard on him. He has a long-handled grabbing tool and a sweeper that attaches to the lawn tractor for clean-up jobs. He was a late comer to gardening and only interested in practical plants in the beginning also. After a few years of constant exposure to gardens and gardening, he developed an interest in foliage plants and those with interesting structure. Then, someone on this thread gave him a box of daylily cultivars and he has been hooked on hemerocallis ever since. I am not naming names.
I need to go find my leather gloves before I call it a night. I have an Opunctia rescue mission scheduled for first thing in the morning before Jim starts grading the road. I know of no blind person who loves cacti, but bees of all kinds adore the blooms. . As long as I am not the one who has to weed around them, they make sense. The older I get, the heavier the water hose gets so more xeric plants in the dry, outlying areas works for me.
k*

Well, I was planning to post this morning. There is a small sinkhole in one section of our new access "road". I found it with the tractor. That took most of the day to fix.
I do like my newest garden tool. I went to the big box store planning to buy a new blade for my bow saw. It turned out the manufactures changed the sizes arbitrarily and I would have to buy a new handle for the new size blades. That obvious money-making scheme ticked me off and there was a Robi cordless electric chainsaw on sale. I bought that instead and saved myself pain and effort. It was much easier to cut up the large limbs that fell on the roadway and the small saplings growing just outside the fence using the Robi. It's a fraction of the weight of a gas chainsaw and, best of all, no pull start. I've come to dread the pull start on the push mower and the chainsaw since my back has become a problem.
I did have to stop work twice to put the new chainsaw on to recharge, but that gave me a chance to recharge also. It does seem like a good idea to buy a second battery in case I need to clear storm damage quickly or a storm leaves us without electrical power and there is no juice for the charger.
The weight of my gas chainsaw has really become too much for my back. I will give it to the man who let me borrow his tractor. A few pints of raw honey does seem like cheap rental for the use of a tractor.
MK and I did not always agree about the use of equipment. Our stances on the issue have come much closer together over the years. I have come to see how delicate our particular environment can be and how easily heavy equipment could destroy the system she has so painstakingly set up so the land can take care of itself. Since her Energizer bunny physical energy level has faded with age to something the rest of us would consider normal, she is willing to admit large equipment is sometimes a necessary evil..
I grew up on a farm in the Pennsylvania heartland. It took time to shift from an agricultural mindset to a horticultural one. My biggest contribution here will probably always be maintaining and using the equipment, including the computers. Those have become as much a part of land management as mowers and tractors.
Doesn't everyone get into gardening one plant variety or special interest at a time? Lately succulents are what catch my eye at the nursery.

Hey, Jim. What do you think of this one, then?

Sempervivum Lipstick

Sorry to hear some of you had damage. We had storms too and a tornado sighting, but no damage. I'm more worried about hurricane season coming up this year.

I, too, have become rather fond of succulents (and air plants). But daylilies are still my first choice. (Though I have plenty and probably don't actually need any more.... I still want more.) My first garden interest though is always gardening for butterflies and hummingbirds. Miniature gardening is my newest kick lately (which is where succulents come in!). If I was retired, I'd be doing a LOT more in my yard. Unfortunately, work takes up far too much of my life right now.

Isn't that just the way it is: 'employment getting in the way of enjoyment'

Unfortunately .... so true!

@ lovemyhouse Hey, Jim. What do you think of this one, then? Whistling Big Grin

Sempervivum Lipstick

She's a beauty! I checked. That is one I can grow. (Just curious, of course. Some of the hen and chicks varieties I brought back from PA melted in our heat and humidity. I've been collecting small stonecrops mainly trying to find something that will survive July and August in the faux stone troughs and concrete planters MK makes. Those are a better way to reduce erosion than terracing in some situations and sometimes we combine them with terracing.
The stone troughs we've used in shady places are a big hit with me and the GCs. Of course the boys interest could be the dinosaur figurines Kay inhabits my plantings with the day before the kids are due to arrive. For me, it is being able to work from the lower level sitting in a lawn chair or my wheelchair. Working with small plants in a limited space. It is a nice change.
I'm headed down to central Florida in a few days, but I will take my camera and Windows tablet with me. My SIL has just moved down from northern New England and is excited about getting a garden started. I have a bottle palm that is getting too big to be moved into the greenhouse every winter and some tender succulents that don't fit in with the new lower maintenance plan. She would like a start of the tall bearded iris collection for sentimental reasons. I'm not sure iris will grow in what is probably USDA Zone 9. Spring Hill is about an hour drive north of Orlando. I will be spending the afternoon researching that to see if any iris cultivars are more heat tolerant than others.

One day I'll learn to tag things right

@SeaCanepain

Jim, I just received the Lipsticks, but, once I have increase, I'll send some along. Didn't have clear images of this one yesterday. Do you like it? If so, same thing with it.

Pale Stonecrop (Petrosedum sediforme 'Turquoise Tails')

Mine from today:

@lovemyhouse, don't make me start naming names, Deb! .
I suppose if a person is going to be addicted to something, there are worse things than daylilies...or sempervivums...or sedums...or any other plant that can be legally grown in all 50 states.
@beckygardener, it definitely sounds like you have plenty of experience with storm damage. I've been reading your thread about creating your garden after hurricanes Frances and Jeanne. No wonder hurricane season makes you wary!
Turning Jim's shady containers into miniature Jurassic Parks was actually Nadi's doing. She found dinosaur figurines at Michaels or Hobby Lobby that were larger than normal, detailed and accurate. Discovering them tucked in among the ferns and moss was a big hit. I think most little boys go through a dinosaur phase, but my little guys developed an especially bad case of dino-mania after a teenage boy made a fossil discovery near their house. If I can create a more portable version of the Paleo- planters perhaps I can distract my pint-sized paleontologist and they will not totally dig up their backyard.

I haven't been posting lately: between housecleaning chores, getting ready to FINALLY get to start seeds Sat. ( ), seeing doctors, recovering from fetching gardening supplies and then recovering from"" (ad infinitum such is life, right?). . .

I'm here, even if I'm not posting! (Just call me LnNC, as in Lurkin' in NC )

@SeaCanepain I'm confused: are y'all still next to that crazy, troublesome neighbor and TALKING about moving.......or did I miss a whole bunch and y'all have found and moved to a new place???

Spring has sprung!! My first (lonely-looking, ain't it?) bloom: Spring crocus Pickwick.


Even tho I've had blooms thruought the winter, thanks to my hellebores. . . this is an exciting time! I've been seeing green tips peeking out and finally they've decided to GROW . . . 6 types spring crocus, 3 types Hyacinth, 2 types giant allium, 10+ types of daffodils. . . plus my neighbor's tulips!! One of my daffodils even has a bud!

@AmargiaExp I hope you'll share some pics of your miniature Jurassic Parks!! It sounds so NEAT!!

Kay

@lovemyhouse, How big is Turquoise Tails? The shape reminds me of 'Blue Spruce' and that is a favorite.

A lady who can't pass by any plant without brailing and sniffing it should not say anything about plant addiction. I am selective! MK is like a botanical Will Rodgers. She's never met a plant she didn't like. She's the only person I know who noticed the pristine whiteness of burn hazel flowers and has some positive things to say about kudzu. ROFL.

I only add a few new daylilies every year. It's not my fault they multiply so well. It should be pointed out that I am not the one who saves seeds from crosses and grows them out in pots to find out what they will be like. That person shall go unnamed.

@BetNC, It's just good to know the storm didn't knock out your electricity or something. Over-doing it and needing some recovery time is a situation I can easily relate to. We are still at the apiary and have every intention of keeping this property though we do plan to buy a small house closer to the grandkids.

We let the nutty neighbor know if there was anymore harassment we would give the property to one of the people his attorney brother was convicted of stealing money from. The public has access to those court records, and a few of the victims were named in the newspaper articles. I guess they thought because MK is blind and I am dyslexic we don't read. Lol. My dyslexia was never severe enough to keep me from serving over 20 years in the AF and MKs blindness has never kept her from doing anything she wanted to do.

Anyway, all has been quiet on the northern front since a police officer delivered that message for me. The camera at the end of the road is down so the nuts can't harass Nadi when she goes to the mailbox. It's all been mind games thus far aside from the road. None of us spook that easily and now that it is all in police records, as @AgaveGirl suggested, I don't think we need to worry much. They are mainly financial predators. Their plans to turn farms into a up-scale housing development are dumb to begin with. Most of the land they own is flood prone, and we are not the only land owners of adjacent high ground holding out. Even if I wanted to sell now, I wouldn't. It simply isn't right to reward that kind of behavior. I'm afraid the older members of the family are lost causes, but their kids need to see bullying doesn't get you what you want.

How are things this growing season with the apartment/townhouse authorities? I was thinking of flowers for you to have a fall garden, but then there is that height limit they came up with. You may need to get into groundcover stonecrop if they keep up with the "How low can she go?"

Late to the party again but I'm here reading with great interest.

March 2013 , my husband lost his left pelvis bone to cancer. He is cancer free but has been working to learn how to walk with a leg brace that is supported by the ischium(sit bone), what's left of his pelvis, and now a new back brace. He also lost his tailbone. The back brace helps hold his "innards" in place since the muscles that used to do that used to be attached to the pelvis that is not there, as well as support his lower back. He sometimes walks short distances with crutches. Other times he uses a wheelchair.

We are both avid gardeners. I find that I have most of the job alone now, but I do enjoy DH's company while working in the yard. I think he enjoys telling me how to do things! He loves to get on the bridge and "play" in our ponds. The little wood bridge elevates him above the water and allows him to reach in and do some cleaning etc.

Other times, he uses this rolling seat that helps him weed and get around. It's too bad our yard is so uneven otherwise, I would really put him to work! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KS6KPWY/ He also has a tool that has an extendable handle.

He lost a screw to his brace once or twice while in the yard. His Prosthetist/Orthatist just rolls his eyes. He knows how active DH is. His Physiatrist tells him to quit "manhandling" his expensive brace. But that is not going to happen. He wants to be active!

I have had to make many adjustments not having DH's help especially with the heavy work. I use ramps about as much as he does. My dolly is my newest best friend as are furniture dollies to move my large potted plants. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KS6KPWY/

This week I plan on working on evening out the flagstone. Tree roots have lifted some of the stones making the surface very uneven. In other places, the mortar between the stones has disappeared. I will work slow and steady removing roots with a reciprocating saw and resetting the stones. By creating a more even surface, maybe I can get more work out of my husband?? One can only hope!