New blog site.

Hello Fellow Gardeners!
I have a new site. Hope you guys will read my adventures there!
Can't wait to catch you guys up ...lots has happened in the yard but 3 family deaths in under 4 months have kept us way to busy to actually blog--but this weekend, I have committed to geting caught up on my new site. One thing I can say about gardening...it was a huge help, an outlet when all seemed so gloomy. Something to do with my family that helped us all relax and refocus if only for an hour at a time.
~Maggie

Questions about Lantana

Thank you all for the 'Get Well' wishes.  I am trying!!!  

Pam, I will make it out your way...some day soon!  Thank you for saving them.

So, while I am in bed; half asleep, half zone- out thanks to my meds, I decided to transplant my lantana.  But since I have never done this I thought I would ask my fellow gardening experts since I refuse to sit here and surf the net when I should be napping while my babies nap.  (Mommy naps when babies nap-always!)

:-)

Questions: 

• Can I transplant Lantana?  
  
• When is the best time to do this?  (I have been told not to prune this plant until the spring time and when it's showing signs of new growth.) 
  
• Does it have any special needs? 
  
• It seems to be a hardy plant and we love it's yellow flowers---how it attracts butterflies to our courtyard so we want to move the ones that have been planted around our trees to new beds along the front of our home.  Or would this be a bad idea?  
  

You know you're a Master Gardener When:

Most are true for me already!  Some, well, suffice to say that I love manicures and clothes and plants---they are true rivals.  

Enjoy!

Oh and I am STILL SICK!  It's been two weeks and today I was still running a fever of 102.  I want to feel better.

You Know you’re A Master Gardener When:

10. You rejoice in rain...even after 10 straight days of it.
9. You have pride in how bad your hands look.
8. You have a decorative compost container on your kitchen counter.
7. You can give away plants easily, but compost is another thing.
6. Soil test results actually mean something.
5. IPM rules!
4. You’d rather go to a nursery to shop than a clothes store.
3. You look for gardens open to the public whenever you go on vacation.
2. Your non-gardening spouse is actually getting involved with your garden endeavors...digging ponds, building bird houses, watering, pruning, turning compost piles, planting...

And you definitely know your a Master Gardener when...

1. You are surrounded by terrific people who share your passion!

Created by Audrey, Emmitsburg, Md.

Yikes!

Wow, time flies! I guess the holidays with 2 kiddos and a husband on vacation for 2 weeks took all my time। I’m not complaining just can’t believe it’s been so long। I will publish my blogs today…just need to proof read and add pictures। Hope everyone had a an amazing holiday season!

Cheers to Gardening in the ‘08!

Merry...

Pecan Pickers and Christmas!

We headed to my hometown this week and while visiting my Grandmother's house, I decided that we need a pecan tree. Why? Well, when I finally arrived to the house, my parents, who had our children with them, were already there and hanging out on the front lawn. I didn't realize what they were doing until I too got out of my car and my heart jumped with joy and head spun with memories all at the same time.

I lived for 4 years with my Abuelitos and I remember the day this pecan tree was planted by my Tio Carmelo on the front lawn. (He lived next door) I also remember my Tia Liz running over it with the mower and how funny we thought it was when she realized what she had done!

That tree, meant a lot to me.

I remember walking circles around this very young tree while waiting for my Uncle and Aunt to arrive with their new baby, Alejandrina. Running round it while chasing fireflies, catching them and putting them into my mayo jar as we watched the little leaguers play ball across the street--waiting until Tio Carmelo said 'Vamos' and we all walked to the concession stands to buy nachos, hot dogs or steak fingers. Staring past it from our patio as I watched my very distraught mother drove away to my aunt's house on the night it burned, taking the lives of my cousins. And crying next to it on the day Tio Carmelo did not return home...cancer had won. And of course, walking around the yard on many summer and fall days, picking up the pecans for my grandfather. He would in exchange, walk us to the gas station down the street to buy candy--I always chose a Ring Pop or one of those Dinosaur Eggs in the big black box with neon writing.

And now, I just want to up-root it and bring it home...but I can't.

So, it was the pecans from this tree that my children were picking up. Isabella had a plastic bag full and my son was taking some from a pile made by my mother and an Uncle, tossing them back into the grass and laughing out loud.

I joined in the fun of course, picking pecans and taking pictures. I was thankful for the 'flashbacks' on this Christmas Eve Day.

(You can see the tree behind my uncle in second picture.)