Feb 3rd ! Its almost spring!

Well I think its almost spring. Im trying to keep to the positive side of life. I was in that negative area a bit too long recently When it gets really cold where we live, I know spring is right around the corner. One of the reasons we moved to the south here in southwest Mississippi is the mild winters we have. I will take the hot humid summahs (said southern like) any day over snow and ice for the winter.

Due to all the happenings in my life I put things off in the garden for a while. I have plans that pop in my head for the garden, I take note of them and go on. I do know for this years planting it will be less, I want to just get what we use the most first, tomatoes and peppers and then add. I will save my squares for carrots of course to be apart of the experiment. I cant wait. Our biggest focus will be finishing our home. I have cabin fever literally living in a 30 ft trailer and 5 others. I cant wait until the pool is filled with fresh water! I will try to make that arbor for me to sit under this year if it kills me. I want a place to sit and look at the garden when its hot. I had good luck with my cantaloupes, I may try that for the cover.

I was wondering how the others are doing in the Lower South. It is close to planting things if they havent been already in someones hot house, cold frame or on the porch or deck
Ha-v-v
Is excited spring is really around the corner

Hi Ha-v-v!
Yes, we should be saying "Hang in there gardeners!"

I'm going to try to post some pictures this weekend of my seedlings, my Hope for the Future. Dallas is not very pretty these days, and I'm a little anxious about the cold weather veggies buried under freeze cloths, ice and snow. We'll see!

I will tell you, the arbor we built last year for my climbing veggies was the most wonderful thing we did for our garden. Again, I'll try to post pictures when it is a happier time in the garden. Hubby and I like to take lawn chairs there and enjoy. Pole beans (Rattlesnake and a Purple variety, and Chinese Noodle Yard Long), lima beans, Lemon Cucumber and Malabar spinach were beautiful (didn't eat the spinach, just enjoyed it - a purple variety).

This may sound silly, but I got the arbor passed by Hubby as a place to grow the pole beans. He didn't even have to build beds, I would start in big bags of garden soil broken open. I said this way it would be temporary and we could move it if not in a good location!

We loved it so much we expanded and now have real beds!

Hang in there, Spring will come!

Jane

I'm in NE TX, Texarkana area, waiting on the snow, which should be here in the wee hours of the am.

I want an arbor too, but I want good smelling flowers that will climb it, and I want some that bloom day and some that bloom at night. I want a glider swing in the middle of my garden, the same kind my great grandparents had, and I want to paint it green and yellow just like theirs!!!

It's
only the first week and it's been unseasonably cold here (NE TX) so, I
played on this forum, I'm new here. I made lists of what I need, went
to the IHA spreadsheet, made a list of what is available, I'll be
contacting some of you as soon as I get some more stamps next week, I
exchanged some marigolds for some carrots (I have THOUSANDS of marigold
seeds that I have saved btw). I printed out a small planner recommended
here, tweaked it to work for me, printed out a 2 page calendar and got
out my highlighters, pulled up the Farmer's Almanac weather and
gardening calendars, and highlighted bad weather days, plant days, and
no plant days so all I have to do is open the calendar and glance to
see if it's a good day to plan or if I need to check the local weather,
and then made some notes. I also got some seeds started, I started with
flowers this time, I always wait until last and then I'm out of
supplies and hubby is not buying for flowers, so this way if I run
short, he HAS to buy more, cuz it's for food. I did Blue Bonnets &
Forget Me Nots (175th aniv of TX Independence from Mexico), Marigolds,
Alyssum, & Petunias. Also some Tequila Sunrise pepers (wonderful
& I have more to spare) uuummm, Parsley, Chives, Toothache Plant
(hubby needs this) & Cilantro. I think that's it, we are just
hunkered down and waiting on the weather to hit. MMMMMM I smell fresh
bread, better run.

Thanks for the edit!!! I wanted to do that, but was on my way to bed and forgot for a moment where the other one was, then forgot to link it when I found it!!!

Well, it's snowing here, it was supposed to start at 4AM, I did not get up to check, even though I was awake. It's 7:30AM and still coming down, weather man said possibly a light dusting, HA, less than an inch, I haven't been out yet, but I'm betting on an inch so far, and more to come, I cannot see any dirt. They also pointed out we have not been above 30 here in 3-4 days, so it's gonna stay for a bit. Snow is no big deal, it's when it turns to ice, or we get ice on top of it that worries me. Our rural electric company is the best, we are not on the grid that's had rolling blackouts, and they keep the trees away from the lines, but one branch on a line, or one car hitting a pole is all it takes. The do keep and hand out dry ice for times like these, like I said, they are good!

janefss2002 wrote:Hi Ha-v-v!
Yes, we should be saying "Hang in there gardeners!"

I'm going to try to post some pictures this weekend of my seedlings, my Hope for the Future. Dallas is not very pretty these days, and I'm a little anxious about the cold weather veggies buried under freeze cloths, ice and snow. We'll see!

I will tell you, the arbor we built last year for my climbing veggies was the most wonderful thing we did for our garden. Again, I'll try to post pictures when it is a happier time in the garden. Hubby and I like to take lawn chairs there and enjoy. Pole beans (Rattlesnake and a Purple variety, and Chinese Noodle Yard Long), lima beans, Lemon Cucumber and Malabar spinach were beautiful (didn't eat the spinach, just enjoyed it - a purple variety).

This may sound silly, but I got the arbor passed by Hubby as a place to grow the pole beans. He didn't even have to build beds, I would start in big bags of garden soil broken open. I said this way it would be temporary and we could move it if not in a good location!

We loved it so much we expanded and now have real beds!

Hang in there, Spring will come!

Jane

Oh I would love to see pics!! We all do. When you can post of the arbor I would love to see that. All ideas welcome!! I have some chicken wire Ive used to tie plants up to, tomatoes etc and started to use it for a "fort" for one of my sons. We will see, the fort will have to be made taller this year, the growth spurt these boys have. If I get one thing done that needs my husbands help it will be the arbor. I just have to be able to get there and sit in the shade, last year the sun was a bit too much to just sit out there longer. Soooo the shade will be welcomed! I have enough boxes to fill for us, and lots of area to putter in to keep me self sufficient. Two new chairs are needed for the garden for this season.
Im hanging in there, the thoughts for the garden are doing great to keep me encouraged. I have plans to do less and harvest more

Spring is around the Corner
Ha-v-v

The rain has changed to sleet here in NE TX, the snow is not far behind. UGH, what a mess.

I lived in Tx when I was a teen. Hughes Springs= NE Tx, not far from Texarkana.
memories.

Anyway, I sometimes grow the Moon Vine. It looks like a giant white morning glory and smells pretty good but doesn't fill the air with its aroma. It is a pretty vine and blooms very early morn during the darkness and closes by mid morning but not before the hummingbirds get their fill.

If you want an arched trellis with an aggressive flowering vine, I would suggest a Trumpet vine. Hummingbirds go mad over the trumpet vine.


Ha-v-v, I am always eager to get outside, rather I live in 30ft or 80ft but 30ft during the winter would drive me insane. I hope spring comes your way early.
We once bought some land and built an 8x16 room with one child and lived in it for 2 months during the winter but we also had a camper that served as the kitchen. I was never so happy to get out of that cracker box. And here I am about to do the same thing again but Spring is around the corner and OUR world will be outdoors.

Now, close your eyes and tap your heels and repeat after me:
There's no place like Spring. There's no place like Spring. There's no place like Spring.

I love visiting Hughes Springs, it's full of History. We lived in Linden for a while, I think my favorite thing is the Wild Flowers they have replanted along the Highways and By ways, thanks to the Lady Bird Johnson Foundation, the roads are dotted with blue bonnets, indian paintbrushes, and yellow coneflowers. Come spring, right before Easter the drive to Longview from Texarkana, is absolutely beautiful with all the Dogwoods in bloom. Thanks for the tip on the vines, I just want a bit of fragrance, we have a fence line full of honeysuckle (I just discovered it's the invasive, poisonous, Japanese variety) so we do have scent in the air. I just wanted all day bloom and was considering something I already knew. I am wanting to get rid of the honeysuckle we have and start over, I want to make honeysuckle jelly!!!

I went to Linden many times too. Had a few friends there and a few crushes. That was 25 years ago..wow 25 years. Tx brings back many teen memories.
Also lived in Houston and Sealy. Sealy just west of Houston on the interstate.
Moved from Tx to AL when I was 16.


Speaking of honeysuckle jelly, did you also know you can make Kudzu Jelly?

We have box edges/private hedges that are the size of small trees and they bloom just before the honeysuckles bloom and the air is filled with frangrance. Gives me a headache after a while but worth it.

I found a recipe for "flower" jelly, you can use honeysuckle, rose, and any other edible flower. I understand the headaches, here they are sinus headaches, but at least this year I won't have to worry about my wisdom tooth abscessing when the sinus' flare up.

My husband grew up in Linden. They are restoring the courthouse, closed it down, & built a new one. It's neat that they are restoring it, but prior to it's closing it was the oldest working courthouse in TX. They tore off all the "new" additions, down to the original building, sad thing is they also cut down all the trees on the corners, so it all looked naked the last time we went through.

Ha-v-v, I am always eager to get outside, rather I live in 30ft or 80ft but 30ft during the winter would drive me insane. I hope spring comes your way early.
We once bought some land and built an 8x16 room with one child and lived in it for 2 months during the winter but we also had a camper that served as the kitchen. I was never so happy to get out of that cracker box. And here I am about to do the same thing again but Spring is around the corner and OUR world will be outdoors.

Now, close your eyes and tap your heels and repeat after me:
There's no place like Spring. There's no place like Spring. There's no place like Spring.

Yes I will tap my heels !! lolol. We are going on 7 yrs in a tiny environment (March is the anniversary), our three youngest sons were smaller when we started and they grew like they were steeped in miracle grow. We are just "over" living in a small environment. It was fine when we were traveling with my husband to his jobs, now we are stationary and they boys are larger and in need of giant size beds etc
This is what we will be moving into this year...
These are the floor joists waiting for log walls


3rd course of logs, 4th is up as well, its on hold now for 6 weeks husband is gone off to work now.


Of course I cant wait to get in, but the fact spring is around the corner has just helped me tons I have lots to keep busy till the work begins again on the house.
Ha-v-v

Okay ya'll, as I was coming home last night (hubby said "run to town with me", translation, sit in the truck while I visit with every human being I come into contact with) we had the windows cracked and the truck was lulling me to sleep. I smelled it, spring, it's on it's way. No, it was not the cow droppings in the pasture we were passing, and it was not the remnants of the dirt I had been digging and hauling all day, it was spring. I have already picked 2 daffydills, and have more blooming in the yard. It's on it's way, and I don't care what anyone else says, even if we do have more cold and one more snow possible, I smelled spring and no on can take that away from me!!!!

Ha-v-v!! It's finally happening! I am SO excited for you!!!