Dave’s Garden-Welcome Home

I got the planting bug…again.

Usually this inspires fear in the heart of plants everywhere and my husband who mans the finances …because I’m not good at it….but I never give up.

This year I have no kids at home and minimal livestock to care for. Really almost none since my husband does the caring while I work out of town. (Hey, these days if the job pays well, out of town is fine.)

So……incoming…..by the bucket. (pictures)

Dahlias, been a favorite of mine since Great-Grandpa had them.
Johnny Jump-Ups, Mom’s favorite. Must be genetic.

Daylilies, daffodils, crocus, hyacinth, coneflowers, iris, sunflowers, tomatoes, herbs, etc.. You get the picture. If it grows and it’s legal I want some…..

Last year I was stuck on trees. Planted a 4 in 1 apple (Bob) and a Vanderswolf Pyramid Pine (Charlie)..Yep. I name the trees.

Now on to Dave’s Garden. http://www.davesgarden.com/

This time I am engaging help. A whole online community of gardening people who look like they’ve had some success! I love it when I sign on it says “Welcome Home Beadmom” (That’s me.)

This home has lots of flowers and lots of friendly people. Right away I was greeted by people and offered free seeds. Free is my favorite!

Originally I signed up for the free section but quickly realized I wanted to subscribe. $19.9? a year. Call it $20. In one day it was worth the price. I learned how to plant $40 worth of Dahlia tubers without killing them all which I surely would have done! Kind people check to see if I have a designated watering person while I am out of town. I tell them I do and if he fails in that job I'll hide his Girl Scout cookies. They deemed that a suitable threat.

There are tons of forums (discussion boards), blogs, flower, bird & bug data bases, journaling, photos etc. There is a rating of companies so you know before you buy how good they are and much, much more.

I am currently involved in 11 boards. Photos, Pacific Northwest Gardening, Books, Movies & TV, Beginner Flowers, Farm Life, Beginner Gardening Questions, Dahlias, Poultry & Livestock, Beginner Landscaping, Sustainable Alternatives and Equine Forum,

Lots of great conversation in all the things I love.

Here is a picture of the converted computer desk in its new function as an indoor garden center as mentioned in http://gingerrambleson.blogspot.com/2009/03/planting-seeds-granddaughters.html.

I just called home. My sprouts are doing well.

Planting Seeds & Granddaughters

Of course I can start by saying… my granddaughter is the smartest cutest 10 month old on the planet. I will elaborate on this further down. I might even say it a few more times.

See.

OK. Now about planting.

It should be spring. I want it to be spring, therefore it should happen. Weekend before last I was lured by the bulb bin at Lowes. It was calling my name. “ Ginger…buy Dinner Plate Dahlias…”Trying to convince me it was time to plant things. It worked, sort of. I was convinced but not stupid. I bought them knowing I would store them for a few more weeks in case of snow, which of course happened 4 days later, about 5” of the cold white stuff. I mean really what if I waited and they were all gone???? I try to pay attention to impulses when shopping. (I mean if items are speaking to me directly.)

Dinner Plate Dahlias are really awesome. The flowers are the size of a dinner plate… (hence the name)

Picture courtesy of http://www.directgardening.com/

Husband was a good sport as I loaded up the cart….OK so I should preface this with the fact that most things I plant don’t live. With one glaring exception I had very good luck growing kind loving productive kids so I can’t complain too much about the plants. After the last kid left last year I started watching “Desperate Landscapes” http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/shows_ddsl/episode/0,3110,DIY_28996_51320,00.html

I decided to try again with the plants before someone nominated me…. So far I think the pine trees are going to make it and my lavender looks viable still. We’ll see if the apple tree sprouts leaves this spring. Right now it looks similar to most everything else in my winter landscape. Like a big stick. I have to say husband is learning that there are some benefits to humoring me in these endeavors. He scored a Yard Machine lawn tractor with more attachments than a food processor…..including a snow shovel that can also move dirt. However, he did find out you really need chains for the beastie or it doesn’t push snow anywhere.

So that was last weekend. This weekend I decided to maybe rush things a little. I have this huge corner computer desk in the dining room that really has just been collecting stuff since I got my laptop. I was going to move the computer into the French room and give the desk to my son who has been begging for it for a while. Of course now he has no room for it….grrrrrrr…. So I did move the computer and threw away most of the collection of junk around it and….the desk is now the plant stand!

I bought a new light fixture with 5 adjustable heads and filled it with grow lights. (Holy smokes grow lights are expensive…Husband was a VERY GOOD SPORT.)My daughter in law said if I put too many grow lights in I might expect a visit from the local gendarmes. I’ll be happy to show them my sprouting tomatoes and hopefully some Dahlias. They didn’t come to visit when I had 20+ 150w floodlights keeping baby chicks warm…

I went to http://www.dahlias.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=2#15 and checked to see if Dahlias can be started indoors… YIPPEEE!

I also scored a 72 starter flat. (OK I just bought it but scored sounds so much better…) some seeds for tomatoes, Oregon Spring, http://davesgarden.com/, Sweeties (Cherry) http://www.parkseed.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?storeId=10101&catalogId=10101&langId=-1&mainPage=prod2working&ItemId=5883&cid=ppp000133 and Urban beefsteaks http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/118362/

I also got going some cilantro, basil (Italian Large Leaf) , Johnny Jump Ups and Coneflowers

Now back to the granddaughter. (The smartest cutest 10 month old on the planet.) As I was planting these seeds I was thinking about being a grandma and the joys that come with it. Next year she will be twice her age and twice as smart and cute and therefore able to enjoy this planting time with me. I can see her little fingers pushing seeds into the squares of the starter trays. Then we can watch the little things sprout up together. (She will have a little brother or sister by then and probably welcome some alone spoiling time with Grandma.)

All that hard work and nice thoughts about my Granddaughter earned me a glass of wine. I finished the Willamette Valley Vineyards Riesling. Next week I’ll let you know if anything sprouted besides my imagination.