I found some nice solid yellow violas (violeta amarilla) at Wal*Mart this weekend and could not pass them up. I'm a sucker for any yellow flowering plant. They were $1.57 a sixpack.

The label on the pkg says they were "grown by Dallas Johnson, Council Bluffs, IA 51501" Anybody know Dallas?

Normally I plant violas/pansies in the fall and over-winter them. But, I decided to take a chance on the weather and put them in a new flowerbed I built this spring. I put some in pots too so, if it snows next week...I won't loose 'em all.

With the nice warm weather recently I've gotten a really bad case of spring fever...Not to mention some sunburn on the back of my neck...No red-neck jokes please!

I also changed the oil, filter and blade on the lawnmower and cut my grass for the first time today. I fertilized twice last fall and have not fertilized this spring...but the warm weather and rain has made the grass grow fast.

I don't think I'll need any fert until late May when I usually put down Milorganite at half the rate. I seeded some clover back into my yard this spring and I hope to cut my fertilization back to just once in the Fall if the clover takes.

I bought a Hound Dog Tool Co "Weedhound" this year to cut back on chemicals for weed control. I don't have many weeds or dandelion except near the edge of the grass next to concrete. Altho, my nextdoor neighbor has zillions. The weedhound works great...I had a pail full of stuff in the same time it would have taken me to spot spray Weed-Be-Gone.

The city has condemed a mature ash tree on the corner of my lot which will be firewood soon. Since I live on a corner lot and the tree is on the parking, the city is not keen about me putting a new tree where the old on was. They say thay would like to have a longer "line of site" at the street intersection. They prefer a new tree in my yard or no tree at all. The tree in my yard would no longer be maintained by the city as the trees in the parking are..."can't fight city hall" ;-)

Now I'm chomping at the bit to plant the indian corn seeds I bought on eBay this winter...

Pete in IF