Jim, I am doing well. 2016 was a full year for us. We built a villa which was the worst build we had experienced. It was to be completed end of Dec 2015 but didn't close till 13 March 2016. Fortunately we did not put our home on the market till we closed. It sold quickly for our asking price without inspection or any requests. We priced it with the idea the gardens would make it difficult to sell. The first thing the new owners did was took out a small water feature in front of the house and the pond, stream and all the rock which had to be done by hand. I'm sure that was an expensive job. I don't think they have done anything since. I was by there recently and the Lily stems are still standing from last year. I am okay as I didn't see the garden fall to weeds and overgrowth. My husband and I have both received a new knee since. This was his 2nd and he heals so quickly with no swelling or other problems. Mine hasn't been so easy as I had a triple fusion in my ankle (same leg) in 2014 but I am working at the greenhouse. We'll see how that goes.

Jim, are you gardening? I was thinking of you just the other day as I was caring for my Clivia which I still have.

Carolyn (Ceres)

Sent from my iPad

On Mar 17, 2017, at 7:47 PM, James Singer <1*@rewrite.hort.net> wrote:

Anyone heard from Ceres?

Gondwana has always been at war with Laurasia.

On Mar 17, 2017, at 5:40 PM, Cyndi Johnson <a*@rewrite.hort.net> wrote:

It's good to hear from you, Auralie! Sorry to hear about your fall but I'm glad to know you're doing better.

Cyndi

On 3/16/2017 4:58 AM, Auralie Logan wrote:

I, too, miss gardenchat, since I don't spend time on Facebook.

It has been good to hear of your garden plans.  I have been struggling to figure

out what I can do this spring since I had a fall and a broken hip over the Christmas

weekend.  I am getting around pretty well now, but don't think I will be able to

handle my hillside garden or do much bending for weed-pulling.  Old age - 88

years - has a lot to do with it, too.

 

Our winter was most peculiar - warm, even up into the 60s some days for the

months of January and February.  My white Hellebore has been spectacular

with more than 35 blooms. and about three weeks ago I took a bunch of blooms

from my conventional purple Hellebore to our garden club meeting.  Daffodils

are well up and  some of the early ones are showing buds.  Trees are definitely

budding out.  And then two days ago we had a so-called blizzard with a foot of

snow and temperatures down into the 20s.  (I used to be told that to be a blizzard

the temperatures must be below 20 degrees and the wind above 50 mph - with

more than a foot of snow.)  Anyway, today is bright and sunny, and already in the

upper 20s.  I think rain is predicted for the weekend.  Oh well. 

 

I really must get my head together and order at least things to plant in the pots

near the house. 

 

It was so good to hear from some of you

Auralie

 

In a message dated 3/16/2017 12:18:36 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, 3*@rewrite.hort.net writes:

After hearing from you all in your quest to help me figure out a plant, I realize how much I miss our gardenchat.  How are people fairing now that winter in either over or nearly over?

Here in the Sacramento Valley we are in full spring mode. Bulbs, trees, etc blooming.  Veggie garden is planted.  Allergies are horrible this year after all the rain that we got.

Made an impulse buy of a White Fairy Magnolia shrub.  The flowers smelled heavenly and I was sold at one sniff.  Got it home with the help of a friend, but now need to get someone out to dig a hole (through a big tree root) to get it in the ground.  Since I hurt my wrist last Fall I have had to rely on others to do major digging and certainly sawing. (although I did briefly try to saw through it before I came to my senses this evening.  And then sat with an icepack on my wrist for the next 30 min).

Here is a link to the magnolia.  http://www.tesselaar.com/plants/fairy-magnolias/fairy-magnolia-white/

Theresa