I was up, briefly, about 2:30, and saw a light coating of ice/snow? on the bedroom deck. Its about 6' in the air, but by 5AM it was gone.
Gardening is over for me this year too, used to think I wanted a greenhouse, but now, I think I need winter to regroup(sit and go through seed catalogs).
Glenda, I do want to get Ms Males book too--she is a regular on several seed sites I go to, she fell few years ago, and cant do as she used to--but still keeps her hand in.
Had two family deaths in a week here, so normal wont ever be the same again.
Hubbys horse, a beautiful black/white appy/fox trotter, will have her last Vet visit Thursday too.

Can anyone tell me--Does Rhubarb vanish in the fall? or has mine died.. I planted in a harrel, but dont want to dig it up in case its alright.

Nice rains here, about 2"

ceresone, I can't raise the darned stuff; my sis brings me a few bags each year. She says it will disappear all but the dead pile of leaves on top and will return early next spring with little pinkish nubbins appearing.

I just cooked down some rhubarb jam two days ago. I love it on hot biscuits.

I was hoping that was the case with my Rhubarb. I put it in a half barrel with the bottom cut loose, so I can shift it into the bed when I got it ready.
The Horseradish is still growing like mad, guess I'll find out what the different leafed one is when I dig next fall. I cut it off, but it was determined.
Still raining and nasty here--must go to Springfield Dr's today for Hubby.

I thought of you yesterday; we had to go to Smith-Glynn-Callaway Clinic to dermatologist for DH. They love that easy money of those little sunspots!

Hope the appointment goes well.

Catch those sunspots before they turn into something bad. I don't mind the dermatologist. What I hate is prescriptions of new high priced drugs when you don't know what the long termed effects will be. Half the women over 50 need to take bone strengthening drugs - hard for me to believe that is good. In ten years it will probably come out they hurt you in some way like the HRT they used to push. This relates to gardening - exercise is good for you but wear a hat in the sun.

I don't wear sunscreen or a hat unless I'm going to be out for quite awhile. A little sun is good for you. There have been some studies out lately about how important vitamin D is for your heart and immune syste

I got seed catalogs this week from Stokes and Pinetree Seeds. I'm afraid to look. I know my wish list will be longer than time allows.

Ceresone - Sorry to hear about your losses. It's been a rough week for you. Unhandy for you to have to drive into Springfield too. I'm glad the roads are just wet and not icy.

No catalogs here yet....I did order a few seeds online from Baker Creek yesterday. They were offering 20% off for using their new shopping cart. The order didn't reflect it so I will be watching closely when I am billed.

I am going to be concentrating on tomatoes next year. I had such a flop with them this year.

The daylily seeds I planted are coming up. One little cell that was supposed to be the cream with burgundy eye daylily doesn't look like a daylily. I wonder what I have mislabeled?
I do know that all the seeds looked like daylily seeds, some were smaller is all. Be interesting to see what I have.

Re: sunspots. I have never worn anything including a hat and have been outside for lots of years. I have had a very small cancer removed from my forehead and some sunspots from the backs of my hands. I do always wear makeup that has a light sunscreen in it and for most of my life I wore Merle Norman foundation whose base was zinc oxide. I think it is good protection.

So far I have escaped the doctor routine for "seniors". I know I would be on a long list of drugs if I went. Everyone I know in my age category is. One of these days the arthritis will get the best of me and I will have to start going but I am putting it off as long as possible.

Ceresone, sorry I missed the deaths in the family and the sad loss of the horse. I scan too quickly sometimes. You have had way more than your share to bear.

Thanks everyone. The Vet has moved the horse appt. to tomorrow, (Friday).
I, too, just can't stand to wear a hat, just as I cannot wear gloves. --my claustrophobia is so bad, I can't wear nail polish!! Makes me feel smothered..
I was recently put of cloresterol medicine--have taken B/P for years. Seems that the Part D for seniors keep raising, as does the suppemental insurance.
Glenda, let me know what you think on Pinetree this year. In addition to the regular shipping cost this year, they have added a extra 6.95 to the spring orders-- just because?????
I suppose it's as well that I don't need many seeds this year, mostly flowers.
Difficult thing to bear on my Sis's death-is what her death certificate says--Death by enhancement.
But life goes on, and seasons pass..

I just got the Pinetree catalog. Scanned through it and don't think I need to order anything..I would have liked it better if they just raised the price of the seeds.....If you just want a couple of packets, it makes them pretty darned expensive!

What flower seeds are you needing? I spent the morning packaging all the seeds I have collected. Your name is on the vining purple petunias (have lots more too). If I have anything you want, I will be glad to send them to you.

These high prices on seeds makes you understand why our Grandmothers saved all their own garden seeds from year to year.

I used to couldn't stand gloves, but never go without them now I have discovered those stretchy Atlas garden gloves. Hats are another thing. I hate them.

Don't get me started on insurance. Our prescription drug coverage from Advantra just went up and I am waiting for the supplementary AARP letter to arrive. I did a check throught the SS site and Advantra is still the best, and cheapest for us. I don't take any meds and often feel like not carrying any....then, of course, I would have a stroke or heart attack and be in deep trouble. They count on that.

Death by enhancement...what the sam hill does that mean?

We are having a beautiful sunny day, almost 60°.

I make out seed orders on line and then get to the shipping cost and don't send the order. Shipping seeds is not that expensive. I think you should call and complain. I did that with Park's last year and they said their on-line shipping was higher and that if I called in my order for seeds it wouldn't be as high. When they realize the small orders they are missing, they may change their practices. Have you seen the sample seed site that Remy has? I don't know her- the name is familiar on the seed exchange. She has a few seeds of interest to me; a few seeds for a small price.

Glenda my Aunt Grace used to wear Merle Norman and said it was good for your skin. I wish I had taken her advice. I used to wear it some of the time but not around home. I don't wear gloves, sun screen or a hat unless I make myself. I rub my face and the sunscreen makes my eyes burn. When you get old you see what all that sun did to your face and neck where your collar comes to a V. Then you kind of wish you hadn't deliberately baked out in the sun or picked strawberries and got a terrible peeling sunburn. The top of my head gets tan because my hair got thinner there so I really do need to wear a hat.

I just found this the other day and have not ordered from her yet. Some of the pictures have "coming soon" so you can't order everything described.

Here is a link that might be useful: sample seed shop

I won't be ordering anything from Pinetree this year.

I wish I had inventoried my tomato seeds before I did the order to Baker Creek. They send a ton of seeds in their packets. I still had gobs of Granny Cantrell's left! Blast, now I have another package coming. If any of you all want any, let me know. I have 17 different packets of tomato seeds on hand, some saved and others from companies.
I need to carefully reread Dr. Male's book and see if there is something I "need" to try before spending my money needlessly!

I saw last year that Hummert's (I think) was carrying Park's Whopper, I may get that for my main crop canning. My sis in Iowa swears by it.

I can't say any tomatoes have done great in this garden. We moved in 1992. Maybe I will do tomatoes in flower beds this year and see if that helps.

The "sample seed shop" looks interesting. I do get carried away with online companies. I found another one called Ohio Heirloom Seeds that had very reasonable shipping and prices.

I finally got all the seeds I saved this year cleaned and packaged. The zinnias look iffy. It stayed so wet that the dried flowers seemed to have melted together. The seeds may not be good.

I knew the hyacinth bean vine wouldn't mature and it didn't; I managed to get three seeds that look viable, but that will be enough. I had two plants last year and they were about 20 feet wide.

I have lots of older seeds that I know I should just dump.....but I haven't. I found about a half cup of what I am sure is poppy somniferum seeds...should to a seed germination test on those.

ceresone, how are you after the trip to Springfield and the vet visit yesterday?

Here is a link that might be useful: Heirloom Seeds

Thanks for asking, Gldno.The trip verified that Hubby's brain id dying, but of course, no predictions.
The horse? Well, it's done. rather rough, she was born here, and was 15 years, and 4 months. Vet is sure she had cancer in her foot/leg. Destroyed the coronary band. She was ready too.
The only thing I saved seeds from this year was Cardinal vine. I keep my seeds in the freezer.
I want a lot of flowers on my deck this year, you can probably find a post of mine that says I will never do that again. But--what is the saying? "Those of us who do not learn from our mistakes, are doomed to repeat them"
May not be right--but that fits me!!
See the bubble of cold air--20 -30, in Canada? Jet stream is holding it back-but we all know what follows that. Geese know it too, flying over thick.
I think I will plant Parks Whopper this year too, I may have to sit on my hands this year, to limit my vegetables to the 4 finished beds.BUT--6 tomatoes should be enough for 2 people.
My purple cauliflower looks good-its a survivor from summer, and there isnt any bugs now--fall planting I think, would be the way to go.
Think I may have to fix, or help fix 3 seperate Thanksgiving meals this year. I may not be able to waddle to the garden next year!
Glenda, do you like Carolyns book on Tomatoes?

The book lists her experience in her New York garden with a large number of varieties.. She describes them, how they grow, what they are resistant to or susceptible to and how they taste.

I liked it, but kept thinking that down here in our soil, the results might not be the same at all and taste is such an individual thing.
I think it was worth the money.
I also bought Seed to Seed by Susan Ashworth. I needed some input on cross-pollination of different things. My gardening education was sadly lacking regarding this.

I could not survive three Thanksgiving dinners!

I have the book. I got it out the other day when I saw that Trudi had the tomato seed offer again. I couldn't find many tomatoes from the book on Trudi's list. What I get out of the book is like the Christmas catalog that Sears used to send when I was a kid. A lot of the fun is reading the descriptions and dreaming.

Glenda, Granny Cantrell was one of my favorite tomatoes last summer. I don't need any tomato seeds either, but it is fun to try different kinds. I don't think I will plant any hybrids but who knows what I will do next spring. I am sometimes impulsive. The heirlooms I had this year produced plenty for me and several other people.

I have been out enjoying the last gorgeous day we are supposed to have for a while. I finished painting the wellhouse and the back door. Our indoor/outdoor cat scratches to be let in and she really just destroyed the paint. Now I am hoping this sunshine will dry it before the weather turns.

I also pulled another mess of turnips from what I thought was a total failure. I just ate two small ones raw. Put on a pot of white beans and ham pieces to cook. That will probably require cornbread....and maybe fried potatoes with onions.

I also brought down all the other seeds I didn't toss last year. I swear what is in there is going to get broadcast in December.

The daylilies under the lights are about 4 inches tall now. The pink one that was much slower to germinate is now coming up. I counted 4 so far. Double JoAnn is a no show. I need to research....maybe she is sterile
; also the burgundy eyed one.

I toured the yard this morning and took a few pics. I may post a few.

Helen, re: tomatoes. I may have to order Box Car Willie and Aker's West Virginia and Druzba. I don't need them but last year was such a failure that I want to try again.

ceresone- if you only plant 6 tomatoes, i quit.

i have planned on doing very few myself. parks whopper, grandaddy hybrid [ det ], aunt gertie's gold and dr. wyche's yellow. maybe 12 to 16. that's it!

william