Mid-South: May 2016

Good morning, gardening friends! Spring has truly sprung here in the N GA area. Pollen has been rolling through for about a month now. I've got baby trees from my neighbor trying to take over everywhere. And the Virginia Creeper is back on the fence.

So what are you planting or planning to plant right now?

Gardenate says that there's lots we can get out there!

Amaranth (also Love-lies-bleeding) Plant in garden.
Basil Plant in garden.
Beans - climbing (also Pole beans, Runner beans, Scarlet Runners) Plant in garden.
Beans - dwarf (also French beans, Bush beans) Plant in garden.
Cape Gooseberry (also Golden Berry, ) Plant in garden.
Capsicum (also Bell peppers, Sweet peppers) Plant in garden.
Celeriac Plant in garden.
Celery Plant in garden.
Chilli peppers (also Hot peppers) Plant in garden.
Chives (also Garden chives) Plant in garden.
Coriander (also Cilantro, Chinese parsley) Plant in garden.
Cowpeas (also Black eye peas, Southern peas) Plant in garden.
Cucumber Plant in garden.
Dill Plant in garden.
Eggplant (also Aubergine) Plant in garden.
Endive Plant in garden.
Fennel (also Bronze fennel) Plant in garden.
Florence Fennel (also Finocchio) Plant in garden.
French tarragon Plant in garden.
Kohlrabi Plant in garden.
Leeks Plant in garden.
Luffa (also Loofah, plant sponge) Plant in garden.
Marrow Plant in garden.
Mint (also Garden mint) Plant in garden.
NZ Spinach (also Warrigal greens) Plant in garden.
Okra (also Ladyfinger, gumbo) Plant in garden.
Oregano (also Pot Marjoram) Plant in garden.
Parsley (also curly leaf parsley or flat leaf (Italian) parsley) Plant in garden.
Parsnip Plant in garden.
Pumpkin Plant in garden.
Rockmelon (also Canteloupe) Plant in garden.
Rosemary Plant in garden.
Sage (also Common Sage) Plant in garden.
Savory - summer savory (also 'Bean Herb') Plant in garden.
Savory - winter savory (also Savory) Plant in garden.
Spring onions (also Scallions, Bunching onions, Welsh onion) Plant in garden.
Squash (also Crookneck, Pattypan, Summer squash) Plant in garden.
Strawberries (from seeds) Plant in garden.
Strawberry Plants Plant in garden.
Sunflower Plant in garden.
Sweet corn (also maize) Plant in garden.
Sweet Potato/Kumara Plant in garden.
Thyme (also Common thyme) Plant in garden.
Tomatillo Plant in garden.
Tomato Plant in garden.
Watermelon Plant in garden.
Zucchini (also Courgette/Marrow, Summer squash) Plant in garden.

So let's get out there & have some fun!

I DO want to remind everyone that spiders are on the loose since it's warmed upl. Be careful with your gloves & garden shoes. Be sure to shake them out before putting them on...

Marie, you are on it!!  Thanks for your diligence in keeping us Middle-South folks on track each month.  By the way...  are you still thinking about planting Echinacea?  I think my seed storehouse might have some hybrid seeds left.  You want?

Hi Windmere. Thanks. I can't believe it's already the beginning of the month again....

No, thank you, I've got seeds. But I appreciate the offer!! Right now, even though I've got stuff ready to go out, I'm not sure it's going to get there.

Mike's hot & heavy on getting the greenhouse built in-between our business classes. And I've still got my stuff from Christmas ready to be put on the beds to make tunnels. And that's once I get all the grass & weeds cleared out from beds & between the beds & fence & get the drip hoses fixed back up.



To all of you newbies - BE SURE to do your fall garden cleanup so that it's easy & fast to get ready for the following season. It makes it a lot easier physically & mentally... And, again, if you're planting next to a fence, have some sort of physical barrier between the beds & the fence line. :-)

I know - it's all a learning process...

When do y'all start your Echinacea? The packages say it takes 365 days to bloom so sow it in late summer.

joboomartin wrote:When do y'all start your Echinacea? The packages say it takes 365 days to bloom so sow it in late summer.

Joboomartin, I started some last fall and more this early spring.  It's really a waiting game with Echinacea.  I have not had a bloom yet, but I think I will get some from the ones I started in fall.

You might notice that if you buy Echinacea ready to bloom via mail (Burpee, etc.), they can be quite expensive.  I'm sure that one year waiting period contributes to that high cost.

Marie, it sounds like you and Mike are pretty busy!  I have a lot of tasks pending too.  I just have to do a little at a time without thinking about magnitude.  If I get overwhelmed, it seems I get paralyzed in my mind and I end up doing nothing.  It's all about attitude. 

Hi Joboomartin. I was PLANNING to start it in January so it would hopefully bloom this year anyway, or at least get a great start for next year... Best laid plans & all that....

Windmere, yes, we are! Usually we're winding down the spring season about now, but it doesn't seem to be happening this year. Between Dept of Nat'l Resources & private classes, we feel like the Energizer Bunny right now, lol!

Went and got some more greenhouse supplies - door, fan, roof supports. And we figured out that we have a 10" drop from from to back on one side & 11" on the other. Hmmmm......... (Wish I could post the emoticon with the guy scratching his head.)

Yep! That's the one!

My Echinacea did not do so well after all the rain this past fall and winter.  Maybe it doesn't like standing water.  Some of it did not come back so I will probably buy some even though it is more expensive.  I have tried growing from seed before but I haven't had much success. I love the butterflies it attracts.