Quote from: Mighty_Mouse on February 16, 2011, 08:10:09 AM
Playing in the dirt is therapeutic for me, like you, it calms me and takes away stress. I'm going to try cilantro this year, and haven't had any luck so far with my basil. My MIL, who lives next door, has a green thumb (she could make a rock sprout) and helps me out. This year I'm going to try to plant Vidalia onions and red onions and see how they do; we usually just drive up to Vidalia and buy them there. We've tried rutabagers (sp?), but no luck. It might be the soil, but we're going to try again. I have two apple trees and an orange tree, both are doing well, I was even able to use my apples in my pies and cobblers this year. I think fresh herbs make one's food taste so much better. What state do you live in? I'm in south GA. In our yard, we have mostly pine trees, and scattered oaks, but I'm still wanting a magnolia and a dogwood tree. I planted crepe myrtles last year and they're doing great.

I live in Illinois sw of Chicago. we are having a lovely 60 degree day,,,grey with clouds but still 60  now, unheard of,lol.  Cilantro is easy sneezy,,,if you can grow flat leaf parsely,,,you can do cilantro.     Here we cant really plant anything outside til about Mother's Day weekend....depending on the temps.  I have raised beds which makes it sometimes earlier but not by much.

OK, we got onions, cabbage, and most of the potatoes in the ground. Together with my MIL we have four acres of land between us, and we use two for planting. I also started my cilantro in my little herb garden, please cross your fingers for me. I haven't tried to grow it myself, but need it for following Bobby Flay's recipes. Does that man ever cook anything without cilantro or some kind of pepper?  ;) :))

yes Flay is very good.  Just keep em warm n the lid on the starts... pref in a non sun light,,,when they pop take off th lid n let em go... careful not to get the starts to wet,,,or,,,ya get to start over,lmao...   Going start my 3rd flat today....  well this evening.... I will,,,right now... alittle busy... pssst I am jealous though, you get to plant stuff,,,I'm lookin at 3" of snow to fall. Have mercy it just isnt right.....

I dunno, Elfie, my poor back says I'd maybe rather have the snow.... ;) My grandson is 15 months old, and he'd have a blast playing in snow. He's happiest outside anyhow, and Mr. Mouse (who is really a lion) very much enjoys his company when doing anything outside.  :)

lol,,, even the kids around here are sick of the snow,lol.  Got alittle bit for the last few nights.... it's gettin on the borin side,lol...

I agree Elfie it is hard to imagine a garden when you have over a foot of snow and temps in the teens...  Keeping warm is our biggest priority right now.   :o

But maybe a little garden dreaming might make me feel warmer.  :)

Yes ST,,, you guys got nailed,,, and keepin warm is first.... I been watchin and reading. I felt for you two when I saw.
When i get sick of it I always start some seeds.   Easy ones and now it's time to get them into bigger pots so they will grow bigger.  I have to go in the shed and get the containers out.  I save all the good plastic containers from the starter plants I buy. I have my friends save theirs to,lol.  Works out well when I have plants that I have started and cant put in til around Mothers day.... I wont start the tomatoes til after we come back from the race. I'll be around to make sure they are watered properly...  so go ahead n start some..... it kind of pushes spring alittle closer,lol

Digging in the dirt always makes me feel better.  :) This year, in my flower beds, I'm going to try a couple of calla lilies. I have them rooted already, in pots here in my dining room. Spring is coming, y'all, I can feel it.  ;)

Quote from: Mighty_Mouse on March 08, 2011, 06:30:10 AM
Digging in the dirt always makes me feel better.  :) This year, in my flower beds, I'm going to try a couple of calla lilies. I have them rooted already, in pots here in my dining room. Spring is coming, y'all, I can feel it.  ;)

MM check this out  ;D   http://www.callalilyguide.com/

those are nice... I am going to libne my fence with them, it will block the neighbors yard and attract the hummingbirds.  3 weeks and I can officially start out back... I cant wait to get out there this year...   2 new raised beds to make, flaTS N flats of seeds to get started,,,,
my winter onions are just now starting to pop... cant wait to see if my experiment worked out there....
First Bristol then dirt....it doesnt get much better then that... :))

I'm jealous, I don't have any more room for new beds.... :)) My amyrillis and Texas irises are about to bloom, I just hope it's not too early for them. The warm weather fools them, I think.

Spring cleaning...I finally purged my library.  :'( I donated all my Stephen Kings, Dean Koontzes, a whole bunch of romances, and more to the library. So I have more room for Tudor/Stuart stuff, plus WW II materials. Now I have to clean the rest of the house.... ;)

Quote from: Mighty_Mouse on March 08, 2011, 12:08:38 PM
I'm jealous, I don't have any more room for new beds.... :)) My amyrillis and Texas irises are about to bloom, I just hope it's not too early for them. The warm weather fools them, I think.

Spring cleaning...I finally purged my library.  :'( I donated all my Stephen Kings, Dean Koontzes, a whole bunch of romances, and more to the library. So I have more room for Tudor/Stuart stuff, plus WW II materials. Now I have to clean the rest of the house.... ;)

Spring clean,,,yep I'm gonna  but it will be summer cleaning,lol. gardens first! I also am done waiting for Himself to prune the apple tree... time to just do it,lol.  I can only grow amaryllis inside the house in the winter time. havent mastered outside around here,,, one day I will.
I need some different Iris's though,,,mine are boring,lol. But thats a  front yard thing,,,front is for flowers back is for all things for cooking,lol.

Quote from: Elfie on March 08, 2011, 01:47:37 PM
Spring clean,,,yep I'm gonna  but it will be summer cleaning,lol. gardens first! I also am done waiting for Himself to prune the apple tree... time to just do it,lol.  I can only grow amaryllis inside the house in the winter time. havent mastered outside around here,,, one day I will.
I need some different Iris's though,,,mine are boring,lol. But thats a  front yard thing,,,front is for flowers back is for all things for cooking,lol.

I call my big irises "Texas irises" because they're huge, as big as my husband's hand, I'm not sure what their real name is. I have some purple, some white, and some yellow. Do you have gladioli? I've got several colors, I did part of the front yard with a bed of red, white, and blue ones, really pretty when they bloom. I'm not sure what would work up north; when cold weather comes here, I generally deadhead everything and prune them back, and cover them if it gets seriously cold, and believe it or not, it does sometimes. Day lilies will survive anywhere, any temperature, I've got a gazillion all over the place. My amaryllis are white, red, and peppermint stripe, and are in two beds in front. When I finally get a digital camera, I'll take some pics of my beds when all are in bloom. Roses I don't really do, my MIL has a gorgeous rosebed to the side of her yard, and roses all over the place. I do have one knockout rose, deep pink, that I bought and planted after I knew I'd survive breast cancer, but haven't messed with it....I'm afraid I'll kill it if I touch it now, and it's really pretty.

yes we have glads here. I plant them in phases. when they start to come up and they are about an inch tall I set in another round,,,and again and again.  We have to bring them out in the fall, it's just to cold to leave them in, unless I want worm food,lol. Then I just leave them in.
I have lavender, I need another one.  I have these wonderful little orchid looking wild flowers from the river, we call em little blue eyes.  The flower is only as big as a baby finger nail, very light blue to cream. I have no clue what the real name is for them.. I been on this kick about finding cool looking wild flowers.  I dont ruin the area,,,just take one or two until it takes...   I have to come up with something that comes back that wont bore me to death,lmao... I have day lilys to, I am going to take them to the river after the spring high water, they are great for holding the dirt in the bank. I have yuccas, love yuccas.  Purple smoke tree in the center of my yard. Drives  himself nuts,,,I like it,lol so does everyone else around here,lol.  Have to thin out the hostas, those to will go to the river. I'll circle the trees with them,,,they will grow where grass seed wont, birds dont eat that,lol. I have feverfew in the front bed to,, I like feverfew, cute little white daisy lookin thing, I could go on but I'll just make ya nuts,lol. As it is I have a flat of sweet basil to put in bigger containers and a flat full of spider plants to do to... when I get back,,, I'll start about 6 more flats, seeds are waiting and its driving me bonkers,lol

I don't know about anyone else, but you won't drive me crazy discussing flowers.  ;D Your wildflowers sound very pretty, I use some for borders in my beds. We have some that look like daffodils but are white and very small blooms, and some that look like clover and are both purple and pink, almost look like begonias, that are small, grow close to the ground, and spread. My MIL and I both have borders of those. Mr. Mouse did finally let me have a magnolia tree, and a couple of cherry trees for the back. My MIL has a weeping willow in her yard that drives poor Mr. Mouse to tears.  :D I have a bed to the side of the house with what we call "bottle washers"; they're very tall and have a red/orange flower that does look like a bottle brush, very pretty together, not so much alone.

The gardens are doing fine, hopefully today we'll get some rain for them. My cilantro is doing great, I decided to leave my herbs where they are. I am trying some red carrots this year, so far, so good. Now I'd best be the one to stop.... :))