Sudokuaholics Anonymous 4

I just bought 6 packs of plants to plant my containers. I got some new soil to freshen up with. THEN last night we had a freeze and frost on the ground! Well, I knew it was coming, hopefully our last, and I brought the plants in thier little plastic containers inside. When it warms today or tomorrow, I shall be outside potting up my container garden once again.

I had to travel further afield to find anything besides petunias. In fact, I visited 2 different home stores, in the gardening department, to find anything I wanted. It seems both had HUGE SALES over the Easter holiday and it seems they sold out of a lot of plants.

I did get enough salvia for a really big tub, and a couple of WAVE petunias, they should last through the year, I am told and not fade away by mid June like regular petunisa have been doing.

I have some firecracker Zinneas, and some begonias and some impatiens, and purple leafed coleus. I have partial shade on the back porch, on a bakers rack that is placed on the EDGE of the porch. I fill that full of blooming plants, gets early morning sun and then shade, fine for partial shade plants. then the front porch is FULL HOT afternoon sun.

I must find another huge market umbrella, mine from the last several years was attacked by one of our storms and was damaged. I find that umbrella does help provide some shade on the porch. Even flowers that the northern members can grow in full sun bakes in our afternoon sun here. I find salvia and some zineas and vinca about the only things that will thrive in the heat. OH, portalaca, or moss rose, those do well also. I could not find the star zineah that I like, little bushes of small daisy like flowers. I found those a few years and they were wonder ful!

HI STELLA, you were posting same time as me again today! How is Max? any improbement?

Good morning Tricia! Max's face is still swollen. He is on antibiotics and steroids now. I called the dentist and he will see him this afternoon. It occurred to me when I went to bed last night that maybe it had nothing to do with a tooth. Maybe he got biten by a spider or something because his gums are not inflamed and his teeth don't hurt. He fell asleep on the floor just before dinner on Saturday night and I can't remember if his mouth was swollen before that. He thinks it wasn't. We just assumed it had something to do with the complaint he had in the morning when he said he scratched his gum. I figured I should bring him to the dentist just to make sure anyway. We're just going to have to wait and see.

I wish someone could come to my yard and tell me what plants would grow where. MizT, you seem to know so much about it. We have a lot of shade and sandy, acidic soil.

I have just looked at our new years water rate and we pay £458.20 for our water and sewerage. This is the full amount we pay nothing added for over use of water. We have lived in this house for 10 years, but since then the water companies have changed their rules. If we were to move house we would be put on a water meter and would have to pay for all the water we use, it can actually make the water bills cheaper. Unless we have a hosepipe ban we have unrestricted use of water. With the amount of rain we had last year and this one so far I doubt hosepipe bans will be in force this year.

I've just been outside and have noticed that my Hostas are starting to sprout even though the weather is so cold. I will probably have to protect them a little tonight as we are forecast freezing weather overnight.

STELLA, have you found your county extension agent? they are part of the land grant collages, agriculture schools, and do ongoing research on plants and such. A wonderful resourse for what will grow in your area.

Also look up shade plants, and articles from the schools, with a .edu are research based information instead of just someone's opinion. Under the shade loving plants, look for those that like " well drained soil", and check for what pH they would tolerate and what growing zone they are suited for, if getting perenials or shrubs.

By typing in the name of my county, followed by extension agent, I find links to the local extension service, Once you find where they are located, you can pick up free information on plants suitable for your zone, light conditions and soil type.

Rolanda, so much work has been done so far on your renovations, you look as if you will have loads of storage space for the essential shower requirements

MizT you really do your homework on finding plants for your area. I have to look out for plants which are not harmful to Callie, who last year destroyed lots of my annuals. For my veggie patch I am using the old fenced in rabbit run so should be able to keep her out.

Brenda, I took Master Gardener classes when they were first offered here in my county, by the county extension agents, about 7 years ago. I was in our county very first class, and I learned a LOT. there is a lot more I did not learn, I have to look up, like diseases of plants, and insect damage, just could not get my mind wrapped around THAT. Lucky for me our test was open book test, hehe. I did learn how much wonderful information is avaialble online and at the extension services here in the USA and all for free!

I also have lived here for 7 or 8 years, and nearby for an additional 5 years, and know from experience what will grow where. I also had online gardening buddies who shared information, and even mailed plants cuttings back and forth, made suggestions, and it surely did help!

Now cause of arthritis I just cannot do flower beds, or a lovely garden. I am livmited to containers, but i do still have my plants. I put a LOT in a small area of p9orch and deck and they do make a nice showing. I NEED flowers, they feed the soul.

Thank You ladies...one and all. No new news about the cause of my sister's illness, and we can't call in or out of the ICU...right now she needs rest and the doctors and nurses to have time to do what has to be done. She feels better after three pints of blood, and other fluids....so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Knowing you care means a lot too...again thanks.

Stella,I'm following Max's condition with great interest....these mystery illnesses are really bother some...I think its easier to deal with the known rather than the unknown.
Miz T...always good to have a real plant expert in our mist as a resource..good on ya. I agree, plants and music fill the soul !!!!!

MAMA, I am far drom an expert and my knowledge is limited ti practices and plants that work in the south. I know nothing about the other regions growing conditions and such. Like I said, I had poansies growing all winter, still looking nice here, but about the time most northern states could put them out, end of May, they will die out here from the heat. I need to start me something from seed, to replace them when they die out, cause usually by then, no more plants available in the nursery. AND i just cannot pull out healthy, blooming plants NOW to plant them when replacements are available. I did same last year, and had zineas from seed ready to go in when the Pansies dies out.

dorm = from

ti=to

poansies=pansies

MizT I agree with you about pulling flowering plants out just because it is time to put in summer flowering ones. I have had winter flowering pansies in hanging baskets at my front door, They are still flowering strongly so they will be there until they are finished, I will save some of the seeds and start some off for next winter, saving a little money on replacement plants too.

I also cannot garden as I used to, but I have the advantage of still having three children(not really children aged between 17 and 24) still living at home, so I have instant (if sometimes reluctant) labourers.

Stella, if you can't find an extension agent, you can still get by. 1. Ride around and see what others have growing. Try to catch a gardener in his yard and ask questions. Oooh and aaah. They may share. 2. Get catalogs. Burpee and Parks are southern favorites, but even they have planting zone maps all the way to Canada. (Those maps are important.) 3. Go to a local nursery. Many businesses sell plants which may or may not grow well in your area, but the local nursery knows what grows well.

Could Max be cutting a tooth?

It feels like frost again tonight, MizT.

How do you shrink pictures to make avatars?

Ruby...to shrink pictures, I use the paint program and Angie's directions. Gath has the recommended sizes and using the stretch and shrink area I can get them right. There is also an attributes thingy to help determine the right sizes....sorry I can't use the proper terminology to explain, but I'm sure you will get far more helpful answers along the way.
I'm sure looking at the forum Q&A will be a good place to start.

Ruby, you said basicly what I was going to say.. re garden plants.

To shrink pictures to make avatars : ask #1 son !. well, it worked for me. heheh

SA4ers.
Ok everybody, I hope you can cope without me. Today, D#3 and I are off to have lunch with Bean and her son, Full of Beans! Straight after that, daughter and I are going to Alexandra, a town a couple of hours away to stay the night with my girlfriend, who has recently moved away. Ergo, I will be away for a while and not sure when I will be back posting, so y'all have a wongerful couple of days and I will catch up with the reading when I get home.
Bye

Gail, enjoy yourself, we'll miss you.
Have some more choccie couch cake - it refreshes itself each day!


Coffee and cake, anyone?

Hubby's got his first day off for 4 weeks - our driver has been away, so we're going out for the day - we're heading down to the Gold Coast, then what we do after that will be in the lap of the gods. Just a nice day together - doing nothing much, but getting out of the house. I'm so pleased to have him home again. He usually only drives 2 days and runs the business from home, but 5 long (at least 12 hour) days every week has been tiring for him and boring for me. Thank goodness for this site and my friends on it!!!

Thanks for being here.

enjoy your lunch today Bean and Gail..

Gail safe driving to Alexandra and return. see you tomorrow sometime

CynB enjoy your day with Hubby

umm.. I will have a cup of Tea thanks CynB.. a bit too early for cake..

havent had brecky yet.. just getting up from

a bowl of 'cereal' would go down well

mmmm... 'm feeling a little peckish and a bowl of cereal sounds good just before I go to bed Rolanda

Hellloooo. Anybody Home?

I decided to bring my chair with me. It is so comfy! I have a table too for my cup!

I think everyone is either eating or sleeping!

Can you believe I came on this page without my comfy chair earlier. Still waiting for hubby to get showered so we can go out - he got into clean-up mode around the place this morning.

Debby - your chair looks comfy and nice idea to have you table ready beside it!

Oops, he's in the shower - I'd better get myself ready - have a good day everyone.

Rolanda - I'll have to find a teapot smiley now - I enjoy a cup of tea myself.

a new adition to the room, I brought an occasional table. Nice books there, if you get tired of sudolu while waiting in the room, help yourself!

Teapot, huumm, yes, we need a teapot, good luck finding one there CynB. I like when you come with the dancing chicken on occasion, he is soo cute!

RUBY, I use a website for the avatar shrinking, some times, It is automatic, if you set the size to 50, and put in the location your photo is on your hard drive.

http://www.shrinkpictures.com/create-avatar/

Here is the website, and it explaines how to do it. Hope this helps.

Avatars must be 50x50, so don't forget to reset the numbers.

Good evening! Haven't had time to read the posts but I hope everyone is doing well.