Mixed up

The computer problem post and the post before that should be switched. I tried to post those pictures the day before and couldn't because of the computer problem so it looks all mixed up. So please excuse the confusion.

Everything should be back to normal now. But, what is normal? "Its a setting on the dryer." This is what my friend Sharon says. Why does she say this? Because what is normal to you may not be normal to me. Everyone's normal is different.

So, have a great day. Ta ta for now.

Computer problem

I had some great pictures loaded up yesterday and a post written and didn't get it posted before my laptop that has all my pictures lost its internet connection. So I'm writing this on my husband's computer and it doesn't have the same pictures on it. We have someone coming over to look at it today so I hope to be back up and running this afternoon. Then I can let everyone know what's going on. So ta ta until my computer is woking again.

Sunshine, blooms and more

Future site of Greenhouse




Mason Bee Can




Sweet Pea Site




Daffodils "Cheerful"




Emerging Drumstick Primrose

Ok. My computer is back up and running. What did we ever do before them? We certainly didn't have blogs. So I've posted these pictures and I'm going to tell you all about them.

First, future site of the greenhouse. My prayer is for a 12x16 and Mark and I are both trying to research what would be best. We went to see the one in Yelm by some friends of ours and it was pretty cool. I would love to have one that big and well made. We'll see. For now I have the little one in the house to get my seedlings started and will try to get those started today.

Next is my can of mason bees. We have them under the eve of the garage and they were pretty full and they are starting to emerge. Love them. We need to put up more nests for them to lay eggs in this year.

Then there is the sweet pea bed. I got them planted on Sunday and am very excited to have them this year. I have chicken wire over them so the birds don't eat all my seeds and they should be emerging anytime now. There are three rows of them. Very exciting. If you come for a visit while they are in bloom I'll cut you a big bunch of them.

Next are the first daffodils that started blooming. They are called "Cheerful". And they are so fragrant. And the ones that I have cut for inside have lasted a long time. Love them.

Next is a Drumstick Primrose. These are very cool. They start blooming before they are all the way up. So when the bloom is still way down low in the cluster of leaves the little florets on the drumstick start to open and then it comes up. I'll take another picture when they are up more. I think that is one of the primroses that I divided last fall and there are several of them out there in the lasagna garden.

Ok, my friend Linda brought me the poop and it was wonderful. Mark calls me the Poop Queen. It was aged so I was able to put it directly on my garden area and I put some of it on the raspberries. I was getting a load of horse manure from my friend Greg last night and it was nicely aged. So I will have lots of great poop for my garden.

Well, Jacob needs to use the computer for his science project so I must go for now
Ta ta.

A Gardener's Journal

I have another favorite garden book that a friend of mine wrote. It's a story about Flora New who moves to Ashville, North Carolina to her mother's home which needs a lot of work and the garden that she brings back to life. It's also about the women who come to live with her and how they resemble the flowers that she plants. It's a delightful story that makes me want to know all about the lives of the women. She also mentions me in the book as someone who introduced her to flowers and also about how I used to bring flowers to the office every week and she loved them. I love this book. The book can be gotten at Amazon.com. I highly recommend it.

My friend Linda is bringing me some llama and chicken poo this week. Can't wait.

We are going to go see the greenhouse on Saturday. It's the one that Mark wants to build for me.

The weather is still beautiful today. Clear and 57 degrees right now. What a blessing that is. There are so many things to do in the garden and I can't wait.

So everyone, I hope that where ever you are the sun is shining and you can get your hands dirty.

Ta ta for now.

Dreaming......

Could there possibly be a greenhouse in the future for me? This is the big
question. Mark had the taxes done last night and was talking to our tax lady who knows one of Marks work friends. He built one for his wife who absolutely loves it and is thinking of building one for me. We are going to go out to their place on Saturday and have a look at it and see how it looks. I have wanted a greenhouse for ever so long. At one point we were saving money for one and Mark got a Harley instead. That was about 11 years ago and one may be in the future for me. If I get a greenhouse this year I may have to forfeit chickens for another year. I think I can do that. I've gone without them for this long, I can wait one more year.

I did get to work outside yesterday and today. I love it when the weatherman is wrong and it benefits us. So it was beautiful the last couple of afternoons and I was able to get all my bags of amendments (poop) and work in my pea patch. Then today I had to make another place for my pea patch because the first one is right where Mark will build the greenhouse. But that was ok because it was for the cause.

It would be in very close proximitry to my garden room. Just a few feet away. So when I need a little break I can go and sit down in the garden room and read. And what will I read? Maybe I will have my computer in there and I can read blogs.

I had a thrill a couple of days ago when Sharon Lovejoy my favorite garden writer left a comment on my last blog. That was so exciting. I have been a fan of her books for so long. There are so many other blogs to read and enjoy.

Well, this is getting long and I don't want to go on forever so have a great night and ta ta for now.

Happy Valentine's Day!

This is what my honey had delivered on Thursday morning for Valentine's day. They came when all the ladies were here for bible study. I love that! They are alstromyerias.(?) They are just beautiful. He's a very special guy.

He also gave me bags of steer manure, compost, flower and rose food and seeds. It's really what I wanted. Now I just would love to have some dry days to work out in my pea patch. Can't wait.

I have some daffodils called "Cheerful" blooming. They started blooming about 3 days ago.

The top picture is my potting area out under the grape arbor. This is one of my favorite places to be in the summer. I have pots and soil and tools and buckets and all the things I need to garden. Its great to go out to and just putter. I hope to have chickens on the other side of the arbor this spring.

Well, we are sitting here watching speed skating on the Olympics and its hard to concentrate. So I hope everyone has a great day. Ta ta for now!

P.S. Happy Birthday, Carla my dear friend!

Sweet Pea Time

There is no picture today. In two days it will be time to plant sweet peas here in Puyallup. It's probably time to plant in other places too so let's talk sweet peas.

My friend Carla who had the most amazing sweet peas last year told me what she does and I'm not sure if I have everything correct but this is what I'm going to do. First of all they are heavy feeders. So that means a well prepared bed for them to grow in. I'm going to have a row about 10 to 12 feet long so I'm going to add a bag of steer manure, chicken manure, a bag of Whitney Farms Rose and Flower Food and of course, compost. Now I know that sounds like a lot of work but if you want the best sweet peas it's worth it. And the seeds need to be pre-sprouted. They can be put between two wet paper towels until they sprout and then planted. I'm going for it this year. Then when they start to bloom they need to be picked every day. Now who wouldn't want to see you coming with a bouquet of sweet peas?

So, President's Day is the day to plant sweet peas and Monday is President's day so you know where I will be. Have a great Valentine's Day.

Ta ta for now!

The Seattle Flower and Garden Show

Cold Frame

I got to spend all day at the Seattle Garden show Friday and had the most wonderful time. I went with 3 friends. Carla picked me up at 7:15am and we didn't get home until 9:30 that night. What a day!

I hadn't been to the show in about 6 years. A former boss and me used to go every year and sometimes spend 2 or 3 days going to lectures and touring the gardens and shopping. So it was a real treat to go again. It was fun to see all the gardens. There are some talented people out there. Three of them featured chickens. I was glad to see them because it shows how popular they are becoming.

The fragrance when you walk into the convention center is very powerful. It's like a whole room of hyacinths and daffodils and clean dirt and so many other things all together. It's heaven!

I still don't have the picture thing figured out on here yet. That's why there are pictures with no writing. Some day I'll get this figured out. So here are the descriptions of the pictures.

The first one is three Barbies sitting at a patio. They look quite relaxed don't they? I wish I could look that good sitting in my garden. I've never seen Barbie weeding. I woner how Barbie would look after three or four hours of weeding. Hey Barbie, got a minute?

The second picture is of a chicken in the cab of a small truck. They planted the bed of the truck with a vegtable garden and made the cab into part of a chicken coop. Quite clever. In the lower part of the door there was an opening cut out so that the chickens could go into the coop that was attached to the truck. Very cool.

The third picture is of a cold frame that I'd love to have. I know that they are not supposed to be that hard to build, its just finding the right place. And the window and the time, blah,blahblah. (I can make up a long list of excuses.)

And the last picture is of a John Deere chicken coop and chicken. I really like this one because it was what is called a chicken tractor. That means that you can pick up the whole thing and put it anywhere in your yard that you want and leave it there until the chickens have eaten the lawn and fertilized it and then you move it somewhere else. Very cool.

The other cool thing that I saw at the garden show where Sunglo Greenhouses. I have greenhouse envy for anyone who has one. I know there are many kinds out there but I know someone who has this particular one and she really likes it. I hope to get one this spring if possible.

There's so many things coming up in the garden. It's hard to keep track of everything so I walk out there every chance I get. I do have what look like paperwhites coming out by the back walk. Very exciting!

I worked out in my potting area today just cleaning it up. It felt sooo good. I'm always so embarrassed when someone comes over and it looks like a tornado hit it. So, it will look nice till I start potting things up again.

Well, its time to get something to eat. So,ta for now!