Its getting quiet areound here! Everyone out in their gardens?!

[ok_nurse]

Yesterday I got my plant package from mail order. Woo hoo! (now that I know I'm moving to Australia, this will be the last plants I order and plant so I have to enjoy them!)

I planted two pink pussywillow trees behind my park bench off the front of my sidewalk that goes up to my front porch.

I planted red and mixed painted daisies and coneflower. More glads (couldn't pass up the price! I still have to transplant my bulbs frm my 4 yr old glads that are getting smooshed!) Also planted three pink honeysuckle that I think is the light pink and white variety whereas I have the dark pink and yellow variety that I sent everyone starts from. I also bought a pink peony and wideleaf ferns. REd sedum and creeping phlox and more blzing star. I got three mediterranean pinks. They sent me a blue clematis vine start for ordering so much and I still have more coming in another shipment. They sent me two weeping willow trees too and I have no idea what to do with them on my city lot. I think they misread the order and gave them to me before they realized I'd ordered pussy willow-then they just left them in the bag and got me the pussywillow. I anyone wants them let me know-I have no place to put them. I guess I can plant them temporarily until I find a taker. I hate to kill anything.

I also had to uproot and kill the Johnson grass next to my pond. I don't mind killing that cause it wasn't sharing-it was trying to take over everything underground. Sneaky. I had been checking it regularly because my neighbor said it was terribly invasive. I love the look of it on the pond's edge but whenI checked it last week, the shoots were growing about a foot a week! Too much. It is on the invasive plant list but I thought I could keep it contained in a small area. Fat chance. Its greedy and dead now. I'll have to find another grass for the flowerbed next to the pond. I transplanted some of my cannas there in the meantime.

My three foot magnolia is blooming for the first time. It has thin purple petals instead of the white and purple wider petals. I was kinda disappointed. Does anyone know if it may be like this because it is such a young plant? I wanted the wide saucer magnolia but I think I got a different one. When I bought it it was on unmarked and on clearance. The clerks all decided it was something else and gave it to me for ten bucks. I was thrilled cause I knew it was a healthy magnolia that had lost its tag so noone else could identify it and customers were afraid to buy what they didn't know. For ten bucks I guess I can't complain. It still looks nice in the flowerbed by the pond.

My seed maples are doing great in the field behind the house-hubby and I checked them yesterday. They are about 10-12 foot now-pretty good for three years time from seed! I made them all clump maples. There are four patches and I hope they grow big and lessen the lights from the new parking lot acrossthe traffic road on the other side of the field. We were asked if we minded the new strip mall in the land across that road before it was built. We didn't think about the 24 hour bright lights that would shine into our back windows. Urgh! Im glad we have big bushes on our fence line to obscure the view. Those parking lot lights are tall though. You know me, I'll fight them with vegetation! The trees were getting too big for my front yard anyway. I had already planted two clumps back there two years ago so we added two more from the trees in my front yard earlier in the wet part of this spring. season. They are all getting leaves now.

Hope everyone is enjoying the outside weather! My blue anemone bloomed yesterday for the first time. Its so pretty. All the seeds are sprouting too!

[jdkline]

Wow, you have been busy!! I actually got to spend the day outside yesterday. It was really nice to be out there doing something, anything. I saw a little yellow flower out there blooming. I dont know where it came from, but there it was and I was glad to see it. I also noticed that I have things coming up that I dont think I planted. Some tulips down by my daylilies, the little yellow flower, and something, I dont know what it is yet, is coming up by my yucca. I thinned that out last year and took alot of little ones and planted them elsewhere and I'm wondering if the "new" plants were there all along and I just couldnt see them. I cleaned out leaves and noticed alot of my plants were starting to come up. I was out there all day and about half was dedicated to leaf removal and I still have a long ways to go. But as long as I can get out there, I'm not complaining. Supposed to be around 65 here tomorrow. So, I will be out most of the day. LOL Started taking some leaves out of the ponds too. Smelly, stinky, yucky, but has to be done. It's all worth it when I can get out there and sit by the ponds and relax. Today I had to run around most of the day but I"m going out there in a few minutes to check things out again. Been thinking about getting my tables, chairs, and deco out but I'm not so sure that its not going to snow again. I know I cant plant any seeds outside yet but my times coming. I think the end of next month is our last frost date here. So, I got a while yet. I started a lazagna bed yesterday too. I'm going to try putting that together this summer and hopefully I can use it next year. Just something I"m playing around with to see how it works. I'm soooooo glad to be able to get outside again!!!!!!!
Deb

[dirtyfingernails]

Hey Y'all,

Been busy in the yard myself . The tomatoes are now planted , and the Buckwheat in the rest of the garden is now around 4" high . Planted my Chinese fan palm , star magnolia , and clump bamboo also . I bought a 12' x 20' six leg carport on mail order for converting into a greenhouse and it came in Friday . Plan to erect the frame today and get the rest of the framework parts during the week .

Also picked up my pick-up truck load of composted cow manure free from a neighboring dairy yesterday .I'll be spreading it in the gardens today if the rain stays away long enough . I wo'nt complain about it though , we are still far below adverage rainfall for the year .

To-do's left are till both sides of a rose of sharon hedge in the front (150') ,and remove grass to the trunks , mulch the leaves on the lawn and fertilize , and dress the gardens with mulch . My wife will be picking up some roses for a new bed we are putting in a short distance from the front entry way . I plan to take it easy and not plan too much else . Construction to be done will be an added tropical room on one side of the garage , put in a new well house , and finish the greenhouse. I'll take my time on these projects . Getting old , I guess.

Happy gardening ,
Bill

[jdkline]

I have been cleaning out ponds most of the day today. Wow, that water is smelly. LOL But has to be done. I got the top 2 cleaned out. Then started on the last and biggest one. It did not winter well. I had to fix the sides of it. Then I started pulling out leaves and cleaning it and found a hole in it. So, I had to patch that and didnt want to get it wet while it dried so I left the rest of the cleaning of it for tomorrow. Hopefully the rain will hold off long enough for me to get that done. I filled the first 2 ponds with water but cant circulate or filter the water until the last pond is cleaned and ready to go. They are all tied in together. I"m really itching to get our fish back in them. The beds in the front of the yard need some soil or something in them. So, I"m taking cardboard and putting it down on the grass. Then hauling the leaves I"m taking out of the pond and putting that on top of the cardboard. I'm hoping when that breaks down it will fill it in at least a little bit. I have a few things planted in there but not enough to deter me. If I can kill that grass with the cardboard that's easier than taking it all off of there. I had enough of that last year. LOL I'm planning on keeping it moist so that the leaves dont all blow away. I'm thinking about going to starbucks and asking for some coffee grounds for it also. Not sure what else to put on there. Then I painted my bunk bed benches. I changed the colors. I made one lavender and one white with a lavender seat. I think I like them better like that. Now I got to get some new pictures of them. So, by the time I got all this done it was 6:30. So I had a full day of it. Now I"m tired and my back hurts. LOL But it's all good. Hope everyone is enjoying the weather!!!!
Deb

[backwoods]

I haven't been out.....between the snow and now raining buckets it's too wet in most of my gardens to work in yet...and I did take a break for 3 days and had 5 grandkids come over plus a niece so was really busy with them. It was nice. Too bad the weather wasn't better.......I would have had them out working haha - I'm sure I could of found something for the 3 and 5 yr old too
It's good to hear some of you have been busy I can't wait
Della

[ok_nurse]

My 24 yr old daughter had knee surgery last wednesday and on Saturday morning she called me with chest pain. Scary. She threw a blood clot. She has two more in her leg and it could be fatal. She is on strict bedrest at the hospital and blood thinners. Lots of prayer and she's alright so far. So glad we know our Creator. We will have several weeks of this so my husband and I may not ever get our veggie garden planted this spring. It good to hear others who've been busy. The weather is beautiful as I look from the hospital window. In a few days my parents will be flying in and so will my daughter's inlaws. Oh boy. Their faith isn't as high as ours so they are coming here to worry. I hope they keep my baby calm. She's doing fine right now but she certainly doesn't need her blood pressure going up. Pray for her please...

[dirtyfingernails]

Donna,
The Mrs. & I are sending you our sincere prayers and hopes that your daughter has a speedy and complete recovery . God bless you all .

Bill

[jdkline]

Donna,
So sorry to hear this. You just cant catch a break huh? Of course I'll be praying and thinking of you and your family. Wish I could do more to help you out.
Hugs and much love,
Deb

[zuzu's petals]

Aw, Donna, I'm sorry that your daughter and all of your family is having to cope with this,
I'll be keeping all of you in my heart and in my prayers.
Just check in when you can, and let us know how things are going.

[missg]

Donna,
I so sorry to hear about your baby, but OUR FATHER will take care of her.
You and your family are in my prayers.
Gale

[JesluvsPaul]

Donna, I hope that your daughter is in Quick Recovery and please know that your in our prayers here!

[snowmm]

Ok Nurse,

My prayers go out for you and your family and especially your daughter. I will put you on my prayer list. Please keep us posted.

[ok_nurse]

The prayers mean so much because even though we can give her blood thinners-we can't keep the clot from dislodging and going to her heart, brain or lungs and killing her-only our Lord and Savior can do that.I'm so glad I serve a god who loves us and has a tender heart of mercy when we pray. Even if He decides to take her home-I wouldn't trust anyone more to take care of her. I took care of her when I couldn't and has always been faithful. I know she loves Him and if this is the only thing I ever got right with my kids-to love the Lord our God with all our heart soul and strength- it is enough in times like this.
She is starting anti anxiety medication today because this is all so stressful and she isn't getting any sleep. It is hard when you don't know if you will literally be alive in twenty minutes and there is nothing anyone can do to save or help you.
Her husband started post traumatic stress counseling and had his first counselng visit yesterday-without Shannon- and I had to talk him back to the hospital. (he was in Afghanistan for a couple years and, well, I don't think I need to say more.) He's kinda a broken mess. What a time for those memories. He waited six weeks for the appointment though and Shannon encouraged him to keep it. He went home after the appointment to their empty house and I finally got him on the phone and talked him in. He also is a seminary student, like my daughter, so he could also use your prayers to get through this if you wouldn't mind. God help us-we would all be a mess if anything happened to Shannon.
She has a PICC line in her arm so she doesn't need to get blood draws ever 8 hours and be poked and her IV can run through it also. At 6am the nurse thought it was clotted and couldn't be used so I raced to he hospital to help calm my daughter down (she's having panic attacks now.) They called in the PICC nurse and got it working again-Thank you Jesus. After that and yesterday's crisis of chest pain, Shannon has conceded to take the Xanax to keep calm because this may go on for weeks until the clot dissolves.
Just thought I'd keep you all posted-thank you so much for prayers. She was sleeping so I ran home (we live a mile away) and I got my preschoolers in for a nap and I think I'm actually going to try to lay down for 30 mins or so. I am exhausted and my parents are flying in tomorrow night. I think Shannon's husband's parents are coming on Friday. His mom is very emotional and I hope she can keep calm or there will be some hard feelings. I personally told her not to come if she wasn't going to behave herself. She says she can and I am glad she's trying to be nice. Usually she treats my daughter and her son poorly. That's another story-but I'm not putting up with any of it at this time in our lives. I feel like everyone is coming for a funeral. I need to stop writing and get back into prayer and see if I can catch a nap.
God bless you all.
-Donna

[jdkline]

Donna,
Thank you so much for posting. I know your time is limited but we have been wondering and worrying. I am praying for you all. Much love.
Deb

[zuzu's petals]

I'll be keeping all of you lifted in prayer, Donna.
I know it's nearly impossible to think of your own well-being at a time like this,
but please do try to take care of you, too.