It is 61 degrees and I started the big clean up. We had a fabric salesman here this morning and the I decided to get my 3 hours worth of cleaning out of the way. This year I made a pact with myself to work only 2-3 hours a day on the back breaking clean up so I wouldn’t hurt my old body quite so much. It’s so tempting to keep working when I get started but I’m going to try to restrain myself this year. I started right outside the garage by storing all the sidewalk salt and grit for next year and generally cleaned and sorted gardening tools and pots. Then I tackled the garage and moved all the hardy perennials outside. My pot of miniature hollyhocks is blooming! We have these seeds for sale and now would be a good time to sow them directly onto the ground because they are very hardy. The lavender and hen and chicks also went outside. Both spent the winter in the garage and playhouse and are looking quite healthy. Now I’m off to the sewing machine. Last ballgame tonight! I was hoping to cheer for Wisconsin but now I’ll cheer for UConn.
I hear you, Mary!! The chiropractor told me today I could work outside, too ,but not to go overboard. I, too, have that problem of wanting to get everything done at once. We just need to pace ourselves-we are not as young as we “think” we are!
There’s just so much I want to do!! I don’t have time to get old, do you?
Retirement is a full-time job.
Where do I find price etc about the miniature Hollyhock seeds? I would love some
Thanks for elating this Connecticut Yankee with your support for UConn. And, don’t forget, the women play tomorrow night.
Your work ethic is amazing. Wish you would bottle up some of your energy and make it available on your web site.
I have relatives living in Connecticut and also cheering for that team!!
I have an old clock radio that can play music in one-hour increments. I work at a task for an hour and then do something else. Currently, it sits near my sewing machine ~ I sew for an hour and then go exercise my legs & back. Getting too old to handle those long 8-hour stretches of sewing.
I would like to grow Chinese Lanterns in my rock garden this year! I completed a watercolor painting of lanterns last year and they are really an unusual plant! I was wondering if you know of a good place to order
some seed or if you have any information. We have similar soil conditions and weather in NW Wisconsin but our soil is sandy at our location.
Billie
These lanterns grow like weeds around here! They’ll start coming up soon but seeds won’t develop until fall so I’m not sure how I can help you get them started this spring. Do you think I could dig some up and send them?
Do you have any info on Chinese Lanternsbor have you grown them.
They’re basically a weed but such a neat seed pod!
Thanks,
Billie
Whoops, I thought the first message didn’t go through. Sorry!
Billie
I took a walk around the yard and got inspired to get to work also! It is a bit too wet, though, and there are still a few big bumps of snow! I know I will have Chinese lanterns coming up in an area this spring and could save some this fall for anyone who wants them.
the hollyhocks you are talking about, are they really called mallows????? just wondered. my neighbor lady gave me some seeds and i just threw them on the ground, kind of forgot about them, then all of a sudden (well, it took a few years) here is a real pretty mini hollyhock, now i have a lot of them,, think they spread, like the regular ones. my orange poppies keep spreading too but are sure pretty although they really don’t last too long. it’s nice to finally get outside, i know what you mean, just try and do so much, save the rest for another day. planning to go over to mason city this weekend for the quilt show. enjoy these nice days!!!!
Yes, they are actually called prairie mallow but resemble a hollyhock so much that my mother-in-law always called them by that name.