Posted on 01/09/2015 12:27:25 PM PST by greeneyes
Thank you to all the gardeners who posted their favorite Seed Catalogs on last weeks thread. I have several of them winging my way . . . y’all are very much appreciated.
It was 9 degrees here this week. Way too cold for NC. On the positive side, my indoor plants are blooming. My rozalea has pink buds all over and my geraniums and begonia are doing well too. I haven’t been outside to see how my other plants are faring.
As a side note, it appears that I’ll be able to start the Master Gardener program at my local extension office. It’s an 11 week program and I hope that my schedule will work out.
That would be ideal, but a greenhouse needs power and it would be a bit too spendy to get it out to the garden.
I’m thinking maybe an addition to the west end of my workshop might work out pretty well.
Greetings from sunny Southern California.
We’ve had 80 degree weather the past few days - not good. It causes fruit trees to bloom and then BAM! If we get a rainstorm or winds, it knocks off all of the blossoms and there goes your crop for the year. This happened last year and my orange tree only has 4 oranges on it this year (we usually get around 50).
We are still suffering a severe drought. People around here are letting their lawns die- which is no longer a reportable offense. Cactus, succulents and native plants are replacing green lawns - my city is even paying people to remove their lawns.
I’ve fought it, but some of the new native-plant front yards are beautiful - and cut water bills down immensely. We haven’t been fined for water use yet, but it’s coming, we’re at Tier II almost at Tier III - which is where the fines start, I believe. We’re trying to cut back, but I have a lot of fruit trees.
Hello greeneyes and everyone!
I’ve been truant for a while, I know. I wanted to check in and see how everyone is.
Christmas and New Years were wonderful, and I hope everyone had as blessed a Season as we did.
I have had quite the adventure. I went to the county court house and was in pursuit of info on local gardening master classes through our extension. Their office is in the basement. As I was going there, I missed the bottom step to the basement and took a flying leap at that lovely marble floor!
The good news is the everything is AOK except for a bruise as big as Dallas on my right knee. I am not complaining because that could have gone sideways in a whole lot of ways!
The bottom line is that the classes begin in the middle of March and last for several weeks. I hope that I shall be able to participate!
I have been having fun reading through the garden catalogs and seeing what might be some good things to acquire. I still have not been able to find a good source for the sunchokes. Maybe one of our fellow students or teachers might hook me up to a local source in March.
Oh- could you put me on the ping list for this thread? Thanks.
I thought I already was - Friday is normally a very busy day for me but today I have a rare day off, LOL.
Will take photos of my garden to post for next week. My pansies and stock are blooming right now - cyclamen too. My winter garden is more colorful than my summer garden.
Now that is a siginificant accomplishment !
African Violets are tempermental and sensative to sunlight (east/Northeast), and the proper amount of moisture (via bottom fed).
Maybe it's time to expand your horizons this spring..?
My first introduction to horticulture was tending 50 african violets, another 40 'wandering jew',
and a variety of others for my mom's college alumnae plant sale in NY , while she was in Florida during the winter.
I welcome your success .. and encourage you to expand this spring.
THanks, as always for your words of encouragement!
Strangely enough, many years ago it was African violets which belonged to some friends I was house sitting for which showed me that I didn’t automatically kill plants if I followed instructions!
I had not realized that this series of classes is for certification for master gardener. I was under the impression that it is a series taught by masters for the plebes who want to know more! I have not researched the web site itself yet. (Knee and other issues prevented that! LOL!) I’m glad you alerted me to look closer into what I might be getting into! In any case, it would be a very valuable thing to go through.
Hi everybody!
((((HUGS))))
I intended to ping you to my post 30, NEMDF.
In addition to the house sitting survival of those African Violets, a lovely gloxenia plant which was given to us when my dad passed actually lasted 10 years under my care. It kept dying off and then coming back in the spring. To me it was totally miraculous that the poor thing was willing to stay around that long!
Crap. I was hoping for Obama corn.
Damn, Mr. Bender! Where did the leaves go on that fig tree?
LOL… they are laying on the sidewalk and the street. Fig trees set a second crop but they rarely ripen here on the coast but they will just a few miles inland. Are you getting back in the swing of things now that you are back home?
Well, it’s January in South Texas. Is there anything I can do to prepare for planting? I was thinking of dropping a bag of compost Ito my 4x4’s.
Thoughts?
Yes, that’s the one!
However, I spoke too soon! In one of the seed catalogs that made its way to my house this year, THERE IT IS!! SUN CHOKES!!! I can order it now!
I understand! I will need to check and see what the classes are I’m interested in have as structure and purpose. However they design it, it sounds like something very useful and worthwhile.
I’m not burning with desire to have certification at this point, but having more knowledge, especially of local interest is what I’m hoping for. But if I get it along the way, it wouldn’t hurt my feelers!
I wish you well, and know that your quest to re-certify will reward you greatly. For sure, we will at least be challenging our “gray cells” as Poirot might say!
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