I'm still trying to get more raised beds in, I have several hundred plants needing to go out. I want to use all of the beds on my deck for flowers this year. (Tomato plants are 24" tall)

Oh wow, Ceresone. I just can't get my mind around "hundreds of plants" ! You must garden on a much bigger scale than I do. Your bench planters and containers on the deck will be lovely once again. It looked like such a peaceful place.

I really think raised beds are the way to go. The soil is never too wet to plant in them, and "my" earthworm population stays put, multiplies and munches away on my kitchen scraps all winter under the big black bags of leaves. Soil is never frozen under those bags.

It's still very nippy out this morning. Wonder if I'm jumping the gun a bit today?? Someone said light snow Wednesday? Have to be kidding me!!
Sunny

The only garden related thing I accomplished today was to wander around my yard trying to decide what to do with my apricot tree.
I want raised beds. There's a tree in the way where I'd like to put them though.

I got a load of rotten wood chips today and haven't unloaded them yet. They were from the electic utility mixed wood and could have some walnut. The people at the stone business were trying to sell them for mulch and nobody bought them. I asked about the pile and they said $7 a scoop. My truck holds two scoops.

My tomatoes some of them are getting too big. I also over fertilized some and those aren't big and may die which is OK because I planted too many. The space under the lights is limited now that they take up so much room. When we have a nice day which should be tomorrow, I will start putting some of them outside for a little while.

I spent all evening chasing Honey who escaped from the yard and turned into a wild, obsessed hunting dog. His fence usually shocks him and it wasn't working. I had to cut the briar sticks out of him. He jumped in the pond twice to cool off and smells like a fish. When I finally caught him he had his nose in the hole of some animal - whatever made the hole is bigger than Honey but he doesn't think of that.

disregard date--this was taken last week

Ooooo -- they are beautiful! And I love your light set-up (moaning and biting my hand ...)
Sunny

Looks good. You and I couldn't wait could we? We will have to be very careful hardening them off. I am putting a few out today for just a few minutes. When it gets 50's at night I can put them outside in a stock tank with glass on top but it is too early for that. Also we have some nights in the 20's next week. Even with all the cold weather I am seeing changes. Peonies are up and a rose has shoots. The weeds are bad and will be growing like mad soon.

Cleaning up the gardens this week, and mowing the lawn tomorrow if it doesn't rain. All my perennial babies are outside hardening off, and I'm planting them out as I get a bed cleaned out where they need to go. The ones I planted a couple of weeks ago came through the cold weather just fine.

Everything is growing fast and the trees are all budding out as if trying to make up for lost time. I was totally surprised that my tulip magnolia came through the last cold snap and the flowers don't look too bad. I expected them to all be brown and falling off!

I hope we are over the worst of it! We could still get some cold but hey, it's spring!

Happy Gardening! Sandy

Ceresone, I saw this setup on Facebook and was very impressed but just couldn't believe you were growing so many plants.....are they just for you?

You are going to be a very busy gal very soon!

not all are for me, I have 2 Daughters and a Son that are putting in gardens. I have a feeling they wont take near enough tho!! I think I will put all the beds on the deck into flowers, as I do love to have them inside and out. Bad luck this week--most of my Dahlias are dead, think the heat last summer didnt allow them to store food--and deer have been into my 16'x16' raised Iris bed, pulling up and munching on them--dont you believe that deer dont like Iris!

Raining here this morning. Sure is different than last year!

I don't have enough stuff up high yet to see what I have lost. I know most roses will have RRD (thanks to me) and if they do, I will get rid of them.

We don't have deer damage ever here; I think we are too close to the road but we do see them a lot on the farm....just not near the house.

We are getting a nice, gently rain....1/2 inch so far. Spring is starting out a lot better than last year.

I found a tip for preventing deer damage from Old House Gardens Gazette and I am going to try it on my hostas, I bet it would be good on irises too. The stinkers much on my liriope and pull it up so I am going to put a bit of it on them. Sure would beat that expensive repellent, and I don't have a dog.

Protect Your Daylilies with Vick's Vapo-Rub
Got deer? Here's a tip from our friend Diana Bristol of Bloomingfields Farm, deep in the deer-infested wilds of Connecticut, who swears by it to protect her hundreds of hostas and daylilies: Put a little Vick's Vapo-Rub on your thumb and index finger and then touch bud or leaf with it here and there. Diana says touching the smallest buds on a stalk is especially effective because the Vapo-Rub will remain on them for a long time before they get big enough to bloom and drop.

Sandy