Holy cow, Ceresone -- from the title I thought you might be planning to do some tilling today -- YIKES! You could sell tickets to see that if your ground is as wet as mine. lol

I checked the two bins of potatoes, and the Red Pontiac and Kennebec bin is leafing out, but the Yukon Golds haven't broken through. I put three of them in whole, but they were sprouted. I'm growing in shredded leaves in two 18-gal. plastic bins and the shredded leaves are just about leaf mold after two years in heavy contractor bags. There are a lot of holes in the bottom of the bin but I was surprised they were not floating after all the rain we've gotten. Can't wait to see how this experiment turns out. They look okay because they are between bushes and the bins are dark green. Has anyone been cutting asparagus? I'm cutting every day and saving up for a mess.

So glad I mowed before it rained again, even though I know better than to mow wet grass. I feel sorry for the little plants out on the driveway, hoping to be planted soon. Finally brought the tomato plants in the garage as they were looking bedraggled. Well, everything seems to look that way today. I'm patiently waiting a sign of broccoli florets, but the lettuces are doing great and so are the onions and garlic.

Roses need some alfalfa tea soon. One of these days it will be sunny and warm -- think so?

What is everyone else doing?
Sunny

Waiting for the rain to stop! It began in the wee hours of the morning and hasn't let up all day....not heavy but too much to be out.

I did go out yesterday and put out some of the dried iris tubers left from last fall and relocated a perennial.

If I mud in too much they will be growing in a concrete block when we dry out.....Some of the soil needs more humus.

planted tomatoes on the 27 april. planted peppers on the 28 april in containers. have some blooms on both. corn is about 10 inches high and beans and cucumbers are up. we have been eating radishes and lettuce for quite some time. have a flat of okra that will go in as soon as the weather warms the soil. planted nine bark and a virginia sweetspice yesterday between rain showers. as always, working on some cedar projects that i started in dec.
if it rains tomorrow it will make 7 straight days.

william

Tomorrow I plan on taking full advantage of a sunny day and planting some bare root plants I ordered from Burgess (I always have good luck with them). Since they're bare root and tiny the holes are also tiny, so I'm not much worried about the wet soil.

I'd also like to get my tomatoes in the ground and am going to try growing cukes in hanging baskets. Although I'm also thinking of just designating a square section of the yard for a veggie garden instead. I really need to make up my mind.

I can't believe some of the seeds I planted 4 days ago are already up. The dimorpheca my sis gave me and sweet marjoram and hyssop are up. Still haven't found the melampodium seeds.

No rain this morning.

Looking forward to the warm up.

Gldno, you asked how many raised beds? It keeps changing, but my last count was between 21 and 25.It does seem each board gets heavier,wonder just how much a treated 2"x8"x16' weighs? I do know that if they're wet, like now, they're still heavier. I'm going to be a Amazon great-grandma--LOL
Checked the tomatoes that I already set out--seems neighbors dogs have been back--dug up quite a few, and broke others off. Very irritating, people that think living in the country gives them the right to let their dogs run on anothers property. Sorry--but I just came in from the garden!!!
I see the Bell Peppers that still need set out are blooming, the raspberries are blooming, and I have nectarines and peaches about the size of a dime. Cherry tree is loaded too.
Here's hoping we all get sunshine, at least this afternoon, and tomorrow.

ceresone, you have set yourself quite a job....good luck with finishing all of them.

We finally fenced the garden area because of our dogs and the odd cow that gets out. One year the heifers got out and ate all the sweet corn....can't have that.

I have been running off a stray dog for a week now...I think it was droppped. Another pet peeve of mine!

I tried to mow today and had to give up on one side of the yard. The mower almost buried up before I could get out. I had already got stuck in the ditch once. It is way too wet to mow but I didn't want to have to bale it.

That is certainly once advantage with your raised beds...the drainage will be outstanding.

I lost all my fruit.........blackberries and raspberries are getting ready to bloom and the strawberries are loaded with open blooms.........please, God, don't let it frost!

I have a few iris opening each day.

Still looking for melampodium seed............

Gldno, is there no place you can call to pick the stray dog up or take it somewhere like animal control or the police station? My heart really goes out to stray animals. I hate people dumping them instead of being responsible and at least taking them to the pound so they don't have to be hungry and thirsty in their last days. It's a big pet peeve of mine also.

Another option is to see if a local vet will at least put the dog to sleep. We had to do that once since we couldn't find any place to take the stray and just couldn't take in another animal. The vet had what they called a Samaritan program where they'd do it for free if you couldn't find any other place for the stray.

Well, I finished the garden, almost, today. I planted the rest of the tomatoes, all the peppers, and the cucumbers.
All I have left is the sweet potatoes, which havent came yet. The will be the first guests of the first bed--so I have to hurry and fill it.
Then, I climbed on my handy-dandy Cub Cadet, and started mowing! I mow over 5 acres, and when I stay on it that long, I can hardly move.
Any how, Now I'm ready for the rains!
Biggest problem with rain now, will be the dry-lotted horse, her pasture turns into a quagmire, glad she can get in the barn too.
Heres hoping everyone enjoyed the sun today--if you were lucky enough to see it.

We live out in the country and my poor vet is innundated with strays dropped off on his doorstep! The only option would be to take it in to the Humane Society Shelter and they now charge for leaving them......

Sounds like an Inhumane Society shelter!
Seems that they should realize if a family has a dog and can't afford to feed it and many can't these days, they aren't going to have money to drop it off there!
Someone dropped one in my neighborhood over the weekend and it is already causing problems in my garden, digging and breaking plants. I think a neighbor down the road is feeding it, instead of calling the county to pick it up. They haven't started charging yet, but they won't come out, unless you have the animal confined or tied up.
Last animal dropped here, before the dog, was an older cat.
I found it in my backyard, nearly dead of starvation, trying to catch a meal and having no luck because it was so weak. I couldn't let it die, so I began feeding it, a little at a time, until it was able to eat a regular meal without become sick. It stayed around the house and rear woodlands for about a year. I built it a shelter for the winter, but it preferred it's own prepared bed, near the front steps, against the brick wall. Guess it was warmer there.
A pack of dogs came by one night and chased it down.
The end, sadly.
Rb

ceresone, 5 acres! and here I thought it was just City people who move to the country that do that............I spend an hour and a half and that is enough for me. Anything more and out comes the trusty tractor and brushhog.

Eureka! I found the missing melampodium seeds and a coffee can full of others to be planted direct in spring. I had been working outside when rains started and I just set the can inside the smokehouse..........and forgot. I should never ever put anything in an unusual place.

All I got done yesterday was planted out the Ruby poppy seedlings and began cleaning the Garage Wall bed. I hope to tackle the berry patch today, but am taking a cold and don't know how I will hold up.

I planted some chives a few days ago and see they are coming up. I plan to put them around some roses.

This was a busy day outside. I feel like I have been driving a truck all day. ! I made some "Executive Decisions" about the new hosta bed and it's going to work out better. I think I'll post pre- , middle, and finished photos and see what you think. Hardest thing is going to make Kate give up her favorite corner where she fertilized the grass. I'll make it so she can still go in there, but can't do any damage, because most things are in containers. With deep cypress mulch, if she does forget herself, it won't be hard to clean up.
Soft bed is going to feel GOOD tonight!
Sunny

Sunny, I had a busy day too, almost 6 hours of it but I did get the berry patch under control and mowed around it and the garden. Please do post the picture of the Hosta bed progress.

My poor tomato plants are looking sorrier by the day....I need to get them in the ground ASAP.

The two B & B salvias that I started from broken pieces last summer finally came up and are looking good. The mother plant has spread quite a bit too.

Also finished mowing the swampy part of the yard.

I have a bad, coughing cold so I felt worse for the wear last evening. I told DH it would either cure me or kill me working out in that sun....I am alive today.....not cured yet.

Trying to get ready for the next predicted storm! Mowed all the yard yesterday and today and did some trimming. Planted tomatoes and more onion plants and some salvia.

It is now raining and blowing again. Getting very tired of this.

glenda

We had a pretty strong storm here but I don't think we got any hail. It was windy even before it started storming and blew over the container that I had my little tomato starts in on my balcony. I found the container down on the ground and it took me a few seconds to realize what it was and after a short panic, I found most of my tomatoes dumped out safely still on the balcony, bent but not broken. I think the wind coming up through the boards made the container flip.
Glenda - We have a stray dog now too. : ( I'm hoping someone will claim him, meanwhile my kids have fallen in love with and have been doing that "can we keep him" thing that kids always do. lol He has a great personality but just a mixed breed and I'm almost sure he was dumped. We "had" to bring him inside last night when it was storming of course. I wouldn't have the heart to take him to the Humane Society even if it was free. I'm sure there are cute little puppies available now so it's not likely he would find a home.

What is his name?

Helen - The kids had named him within the first hour even though I was telling them that he might belong to somebody. They call him Jackson. My two other little dogs are females so they pee in the grass. I'm not used to having a boy dog around that hikes his leg on my flowers.

LOL, Yep you will be keeping him.
After all he has a name now...Jackson. : )
Bonnie

They say the male dog urine is more dilute than female, because a boy has to have enough to go around. The problem is certain plants may get repeated doses. They also like to do couch corners and table legs. My boys never get to come in the house, but Annie does.

christie, it is now a done deal! He is yours, heart and soul, yours............Now you need some of my kittens to complete the picture. They are walking and getting out of the box now..........just irrestible.

Surely now that Christie has a new dog and some kittens (compliments of Glenda) she needs some baby ducks and perhaps a chick or two. Anyone? lol

I'll bet you within a month or two, you'll be wondering how you ever did without that old charmer, Jackson. Hope so, anyway. Good for you not taking him to the Humane Society, Christie. They say mutts are smarter or every bit as intelligent as purebreeds and I agree. An integral part of the family before you know it --
Sunny

I'm not a bit tempted by those kittens Glenda. lol
I'm not in the market for poultry either Sunny. That would just be something for the dogs to chase. The Sheltie that we got last summer hasn't learned to ignore the birds yet. She'll bark for 10 full minutes at a robin if it's sitting on the other side of the fence where she can see it.

Glenda - How big is your mama Black and Blue? Is that the one by your driveway that you've had for a long time? My Black and Blue is coming back but only on one side so far. I was hoping it would spread but right now it looks like it's going to be smaller than last year. The B&B that I got at Lowe's already has a few flowers on it. I got it in the ground yesterday and twice a hummingbird buzzed me while I was planting it.

My Bell Pepper plants--broken off by hail! Well, not all, but I was so careful to plant all the different colors this year! Heard KY3 say our town was to be hit by 75 MPH winds too, that and the hail hit right on schedule.
Many around here had it worse, so I won't complain.
Cucumbers are coming up--and I don't think I have ever had potatoes grow this tall! Mulched heavy, just planted some Blues this week.
Have to get a fuel filter, before I can mow, so the potatoes wont be the only thing thats tall.
Be Safe, Everyone, another round late tonight.

ceresone, the storm missed us. Sorry you got hit! If it isn't one thing, it's another! We just got a quote of $800 for removing the two trees from the yard and garden. The quote included removing the first tree, but leaving the other one cut up and laying in place. Probably a reasonable price, but I think I will get another quote to be sure. the one in the garden will just have to lay in place because he can't get his equipment in there because of the lagoon and the fences. I just want it off the hoop house.

I am seeing some volunteer cucs....will just leave them be.

My potatoes are looking good and already have had to spray for Colorado potato beetles and need to do it again....now that the rains are supposed to be finished for a while. I didn't even get mine mulched. I planted them closer together and they have filled in completely so no weeds except the odd dock plant that I pull up.

Strawberries are loaded and I have my eye on one turning red. I get first dibs!

Christie, the mother plant which has spread into tree separate clumps is probably 12 inches tall. It is hard to tell because the blasted violets have filled that bed in completely. The starts I broke off (accidentally) from it last year and put in the grass bed have all come back and are about 4 inches now. I thought it was the heat from the pavement, but guess not. I even forgot to mulch them.

I think I will start another thread about gardening chores...so this one won't get too large for dial-ups.