Posted on 12/19/2014 12:49:35 PM PST by greeneyes
The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. This thread is non-political, although you will find that most here are conservative folks.
No matter what, you won’t be flamed and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack the Weekly Gardening Thread. There is no telling where it will go and... that is part of the fun and interest. Jump in and join us!
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My gardening has consisted of watering the indoor plants and rearranging the kitchen. Have the grow light set up and several rectangular pots to use for herbs and spinach. I plan to do a little decorating outdoors this weekend, if it doesn't rain.
Here we are with just one more Friday to go in 2014. Hope you are all doing well and managing to stay warm. The flu has been raging and one of the local schools called off classes due to so many having the flu.
So far I have been dodging it. Have also been adding some rose hips to my herbal tea and lots of fresh orange juice for the added vitamin C.
Have a great weekend, and Merry Christmas. God Bless.
I’m here. My garden here in Georgia is being prepared with compost for the upcoming spring.
I can’t wait for the new year and the seed catalogs coming in and then I can prepare my garden for the summer bounty.
GARDEN QUESTION: Posted on ‎12‎/‎15‎/‎2014‎ ‎9‎:‎45‎:‎44‎ ‎AM by US Navy Vet
I have about 1.5 acres of land in my back yard and I need advice on what/when to plant on it so all the dirt does now wash down to the bottom. Whatever I plant/seed needs to come in thick and fast. My daughter had 2 horses back there and now the land is pretty bare. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3237364/posts
UPDATE FROM KATHY ON ARROWHEAD: ‎12‎/‎17‎/‎2014‎ ‎7‎:‎41‎:‎03‎ ‎PM · 353 of 393 Kathy in Alaska to Arrowhead1952; WhyisaTexasgirlinPA; Windflier; txhurl; Iron Munro; Old Sarge; 2ndDivisionVet; ... UPDATE FROM ARROWHEAD'S DAUGHTER, LISA... I wanted to send you an email update for the last couple of weeks. To be honest we are seeing very small progressions and sometimes there are weeks where there is not much to report. But I do have a few things I wanted to pass on to you and to the FReeper community!
Things are moving very slowly, and sometimes seem to be moving backwards, but hopefully we're taking 2 steps forward for every 1 step back. :) Dad's big achievement this week was that he was able to walk about 70 feet (with heavy assistance) during one of his physical therapy sessions. This was on a day that my mom was there, and this pleased the therapist and Mom very much. Also, the therapists have noted that Dad's posture is getting much better, he is able to sit up very straight in his wheelchair as opposed to slumping over or leaning to the side as before.
Dad's therapists (physical/occupational/speech) met with Mom this week to give her an update, saying that he is moving very slowly but still making small progressions. The neurologist on staff met with her as well and said this process is going to be very slow-and-go and that we are in for a long haul, but that the things he is seeing are relatively normal for this type of brain injury.
Dad's voice has gone from being quite strong a couple of weeks ago to very weak, and it is increasingly difficult to hear him or understand what he is saying or trying to say. He also has an incredibly hard time focusing on a task or on a command/question, as his attention span is noticeably shorter. The therapists are having a hard time getting him to respond to commands these last few weeks or answer any questions, but we hope that with time that will come.
We still do not have a long-term prognosis, as it is impossible at this time to say what the true nature of the injury is coupled with the fact that every traumatic brain injury patient is different. The speech therapist did another "swallow test" recently, as the first one did not go as well as she had hoped. While he does have a strong swallow, and can repeat it, his epiglottis - the flap that covers the trachea and doesn't allow solids/liquids to go into the lungs - is not closing at all. Because of this, he is still on a feeding tube and will be for the forseeable future, as anything put into his mouth runs the risk of being coughed into his airway. If the epiglottis does start closing regularly, they will test again and reevaluate.
Please pass on our thanks again to everyone who has taken the time to pray and send messages and cards and pictures - we are so appreciative of those and Dad does enjoy looking at them. My aunt told me this week that she handed him one that was upside down, and he made sure he turned it right-side-up before he looked at it, so there's that! Thank you all again so much for the continued love and support. It has been almost 2 months and we still need all the prayers we can get. With Love and Hope, The Schwausch Family - John, Linda, Lisa and Merfie Blue (the doggie, of course :))
If you'd like his address, just FReepmail me. And thank you to everyone for sending the family letters and prayers. Maybe you can find a postcard with your state on it...they could see how many states he could collect. Contact Kathy if you want the address.
It’s 33 degrees here in Massachusetts. My herbs are doing fine, and out little tomato plant was as well, until my youngest pup decided to eat all of its flowers.
I think that after Christmas we’ll be sowing some lettuce seeds in our wheeled indoor/outdoor container.
I am really wanting some home grown fresh tomatoes right now. LOL Maybe I’ll plant a few in pots this weekend to get a real head start.
Oh no - was any of the tomato plant left? I was hoping to find a small Rosemary plant trimmed like a Christmas tree to put in the kitchen to put some little decorations on, and have to use later, but we don’t have any locally.
How can you make poinsettias last after Christmas?
Do you have to keep switching the pot from bright day rooms to darkened areas at night? Around the nurseries sell red, pink, white and even green ones. Seems to me, the red ones remain the most popular.
Try to plant a garden there. The weeds will take it over in no time.................
I read up on that once a long time ago. The attempt was to keep it going was not successful. The next year I bought a couple of very nice “silk” ones in a pot, and they have looked nice each year since.
Maybe someone else will have a better answer. LOL
Yes, there is most of the plant left. I was relieved. Just no flowers!
Thanks. I’ve always been surprised that the poinsettia, despite it’s bright color and large size, usually has no fragrance. Maybe it’s been hybrided for commercial purposes for so long, that the fragrance or the natural occuring pollen has atrophied, or lost much of the oils needed for it’s smell. Those oils may only happen in mature plants. The immature species we buy in stores has no need to attract bees or birds, since it may be hand pollinated for a grower’s convienance.
Here’s a link from one of my favorite gardeners on Poinsetta care, including “After the Holidays”:
http://www.viette.com/v.php?pg=235
Andre has a garden show on Saturday mornings - it’s a Saturday tradition/habit (whatever) to get a cup of coffee, put on Andre Viette, and check out FR from 8-10. :-) I’ve visited his garden(s) a couple of times - ran into him once and had a chat .... nice man.
Me too. And my Grandaughter is for the first time talking about planting a garden. She loves tomatoes. I brought her some romas each weekend this year. She and her girls ate them like they were sweet treats.
Good. It will get some more.
Now wouldn’t that be great, if it also had a lovely fragrance?
Thanks for the link. Sounds like a great way to start a Saturday!
Yes, I am hoping so!
I’ve gotten a bit behind some. Have to gather up some mulch for covering the plot to over-winter. Need to rake up the leaves and run the mower over the pile to break down smaller for the mulch. Still have some mustard greens growing in a small area.
i’ve test sprouted the seeds i fermented and dried from the big tomatoes in my garden last summer. all the tomatoes have sprouted. the pepper seeds are just above the coir. I have prepped my basement to start the pepper plant seeds under my 1000 watt lights. I trim them to make bushes out of them. worked incredible for the tomatoes last summer. picked 5lbs of tomatoes on november 1 here in philly. i have my mortgage lifter, better boy hybrid sprout, and big red. i dug out two pepper plant to grow over the winter in the basement but thrips have taken all the leaves. hopefully the plant will survive and not infect my seedlings.
Plum trees blooming in coastal Oregon. It’s nuts.
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