Karen, Sorry you've been having problems with rain. Have you looked into wood chips? It might help with the standing water and help from your soil from washing away. We got a wood chipper and we have loved it!! We rake the leaves in the fall, put them thru the shredder and put them over our garden soil. I then took the wood chips and spread them on top. My soil is very dark and so much easier to dig in. Also wood chips are great at soaking up water. You can call a local tree cutting company and they usually drop them of for free. The film I got the idea from is Back to Eden. I love the way it has changed my garden just from fall to now.

Everyones plants look great!!!!

I went on vacation this past week (just got back today) and the first day into my vacation I was informed we had a hail storm It happens every year and I knew it was going to do it when I wasn't home to run out to cover my garden. The week before I went on vacation I saved my garden twice. Luckily most of the plants will be okay. I took the damage tomatoes off the plants, left all the leaves from our maples above in my containers, saw my peas starting new leaves from them being damaged. My beans are beat up but luckily I over planted My poor seedlings that I was going to transplant when I got back didn't make it. Half of my nasturtiums were destroyed but my marigold seedlings will make it. At least not all was lost like last year (we got a cold snap and cold after our average last day of frost....2 weeks after I planted). Just preparing for the next swap and getting bags ready for my rare beans to isolate. I don't plan on isolating the common ones (5% chance, I'll take the chance). Pictures are on my phone I can try to post later but there is so many leaves from the trees around its hard to see the damage to the garden. Well off to listing more for the next swap and waking up tomorrow to mulch my garden with leaves and wood chips. Oh and I didn't think I would miss my garden for the 8 days I was gone but I did.....and I was in Vegas no green to look at but I did convince my husband to go to a nursery to see if there were things to get

Cheryl - So sorry about your hail damage. We had some of that too that got a few of my things. But I'm glad it didn't take it all out. That would have been horrible. If you need some nasturtium seed let me know. I have some. The nice thing about those is they can be planted anytime here. I don't know about your area though. We have such long, hot summers.

I do use mulch. I watched well over 10 bags float downstream that day. Around my house I have to have it to keep the plants in place that haven't latched yet. Plus, as you said, soak up some of that rain. I was particularly irritated that day because I had just finished mulching the last of my gardens. I am still in the process of mulching what I lost. Plus the fact I hate weeding. I'd rather pluck a few weeds from a mulched bed than spend the summer pulling weeds that have popped up everywhere. My vegetable garden is the only garden I have no problem weeding no matter how bad it is. I have to have clean paths, lol. I'm so OCD about it. I still can't get in my garden from Sunday and Mondays rain so I refuse to look at my garden. Tomorrow I will get up early (5 am) and go out and get it weeded. I can't take it any longer.

Well, our AC is out and it's going to be 98 all week long. It will feel like 110. It's hot in the house now so I'm going outside in my shade garden, lol. Too hot now to do anything else until around 7 tonight. Hopefully the AC repairman makes it here before then.

Something for tea sweetner maybe
Red Sourghum , from Litlecheryl


I get a few flowers but not much at gardening truly , lots of greens and tea plants that are nearer weeds to most (redundant with that I am )
Turnip green third batch are up , garden mustard second batch are up ..
and more kale seeds cleaned and planted , with more to do ,

These are some garden marker cards of various sizes I have been testing that I made ,, good so far , info ID on the back ,

This I believe was from bx Winter sowed a few I have seen 3 bloom I believe ,, very random ,

Pretty little thing....is it a viola?

DnD Yes Viola I believe it to be Viola Convolvus ? Forgive if I have forgotten who it is from , I do seem to think I got the majority of flowers from you and bx

That's pretty! I can't remember which variety of viola I sent you but good to know it bloomed! I like yours better than the blue perfection I planted!

It wasn't from me. I had Johnny Jump-Ups, but that's it

Next time I see the seed packet I will say again , it read , Swiss Pansy , viola , and the name , They make nice understory plants here sometimes cold bare ground in February ,they will pop up and bloom for a while ,
I have trouble doing doing seeds as such of these , Eventually though I may get to offer a few back to you all

I remember those seeds! I had got them in a trade the year before. Supposed to be huge pansies with dark blotches (my least favorite type). Looks like they weren't quite as advertised. Still very pretty though.

How do you collect seed from them? Every year I grow pansies & violets but I never get any seeds! I thought they must all be sterile or something. I saw seed pods for the Johnny jump ups but they always popped before I could harvest them.

bx Eventually they make a trilobe seed pod , but I have rarely seen them , I think it is because the pansy rarely pollinate .

This from bxncbx Elaine

I'm so glad you got a seedling from that cross! I wintersowed some seeds from that cross but only got 1 seedling so I was worried the seed wasn't really viable. Usually I get great germination wintersowing. I can't make that cross anymore since I lost South Seas this year. Spacecoast El Bandito isn't happy either so I'm hoping the seedling looks like SEB but is hardier in my garden.

bxncbx Elaine I have the one sown 4/12 weeks ago , because I missed wintersowing them These seeds are in the garden outside a few are pushed up like a root is under them ,
Because here, and my last two attempts at wintersowing them failed , Weather warms mid winter seeds sprout , grow a week , and bam ,, hard freeze , super cold , and no root crown means a dead ,frozen seedling ,
The natural to this is , This is the time of year the seeds usually drop or fall ( July -August ) if they crown , on the corm or root even in the least , back next year with a bloom , like all the perennials do , (most )
I may be able to offer a few ,
Red Volunteer
Hyperion ?
Here is an unknown making , a pod ,


I usually keep a few deno them a day or two afer their ripe and try pre winter sowing ,

Anyway the seedling above from you is growing nicely , hopefully it will continue to do so

A Tiny Tim Tomato , from Rick Corey

Thanks for showing the Tiny Tim!

It came through Rick and thank you ,!!! In spite of cats , kittens , Raccoons , and Groundhogs , and Grasshoppers also
Like a trooper in an assault ,,

@jimard8 when did you start that tiny Tim? We are the same zone and I was curious. I didn't have much luck with my tomatoes with my green house being knocked over.

Littlecheryl I started that one shown , (which is two actually ) Last few days of May with June first as completely frost free being the idea , In May being our frost free date here , I lost four of them started earlier ,
This plant , will not take any frost at all , Definitely a warm season tomato ,,

@jimard8 by seed or transplant?