OT- Anyone else getting 'Spring Fever'?

[plantlvr]

Even though it's supposed to rain again and our last frost date is a month away, I've been home sick from work with a nasty cold pouring over seed catalogs. I'm going to try and grow beets for the first time, and get some salad greens going before my 'tomato and pepper' frenzy starts.
I work with plants and you would think I would take a break when not there, but I confess I'm a 'plant nut'

 

[Kanza]

It's pouring buckets here; even my mail was soaking wet when delivered. The water is covering the streets, not even the brick is visible and I am sooo ready to get OUT! I am raising houseplants and that isn't doing it. They're pretty but I need to see leaves on the trees and flowers in the yard and I want to put my coats into storage!

 

[Mary Kay]

In The Garden..container or acres..whatever..

Check out the garden thread in the Women's Room.
I got my herbs in and the peppers and hot peppers. We set up my topsy turvy's on Weds. I can wait for the tomatos..I planted red and yellow!

 

[Mary Kay]

Here's a question for you..how do I get Sago palm "Pups" to grow? When we repotted the palm there were two bulbs with palm fronds on them..we popped them off from the mother plant and want to know what to do now.

 

[Kanza]

I would think you'd treat them like any pup - good soil, kept moist, bright indirect sunlight - at least that works for my bromeliads and orchids. Sometimes I have to almost "ignore" them or else I "gentle" them to death - you know what I mean, fuss over them too much

 

[Adrenalynn]

I'm freezing my ni... ears off. Stupid "global warming" - get on with the spring already!

My feeders are incredibly busy. The migrants are migrating in and out. The doves are getting a lot of action. The birds-of-prey are hunting and mating. I've got my first two hummingbirds feeding. Seen the first two baby hummers fly the nest. The birds definitely think spring has sprung!

I need a hot bath...

Here was the White-tailed Kite that took a dove right in my yard yesterday. Left a big mess of dove feathers for me to clean up too. I only see them in the warmer months, but they're definitely hungry since this is the first time I've seen one take a bird before, even on the ground.

 

[plantlvr]

I would think you'd treat them like any pup - good soil, kept moist, bright indirect sunlight - at least that works for my bromeliads and orchids. Sometimes I have to almost "ignore" them or else I "gentle" them to death - you know what I mean, fuss over them too much

Exactly Kanza! I worked at a orchid nursery for a few years and one of the old timers used a phrase a lot, 'Benign neglect'.

 

[plantlvr]

Wow beautiful photo Adrenalyn! Love birds of prey, such masters of flight!

 

[Adrenalynn]

Totally agreed! His eyes are so haunting too. They have such amazing eyes.

Another photo of him on Home - For The Birds I took a couple more photos of him this afternoon, I'll probably post them some time this weekend. Also a redtail a couple weeks ago.

 

[Morandir835]

I'm the odd ball I guess.... Spring leads to summer, my two least favorite times of year... Nothing beats winter. Wife on the other hand is happy it's gong to be warm again soon... Ms. Kanza, here's a song for you YouTube - Illinois is Overflowing - recorded Live July 28th, 2007.

 

[Mary Kay]

Do I take the fronds off the top and act like they are regular bulbs or can I leave them on?

 

[CatMommy]

Ha-Ha...OMG Plant...I have terrible spring fever.

I've been waiting for WEEKS to plant some Plumeria stalks that someone cut off their mature plants for me. I think I'm going to do it tomorrow otherwise they're going to root in the backseat of my truck...LOL...

 

[Sallyem]

Lynn....is there ANYTHING you CAN'T do? Those photos are as good as any I have seen
in bird books by famous photographers! Kudos!

 

[Sallyem]

Beautiful Kite, Lynn!

 

[Adrenalynn]

Lynn....is there ANYTHING you CAN'T do? Those photos are as good as any I have seen
in bird books by famous photographers! Kudos!

Thank you! You flatter me (as always!)

I'm just a novice, still learning avian photography, which is very different and with a different set of challenges to the other photography I do.

I do think they've been getting better as time marches on. The water-birds are in the marsh down the street, pretty much everything else has just been practicing my technique in the evenings in the back yard.

I think the Yellow-rumped Warbler with the fly in his beak is my favorite. Although the eye on that kite hunts my dreams. "Engaging" isn't the half of it.

Anyway - it's been a fun spring activity to combat my spring fever. That and building the half a dozen plus different types of feeders from scrap wood and other scrap materials that are laying around. (Like how I brought that around on-topic? )

 

[plantlvr]

Do I take the fronds off the top and act like they are regular bulbs or can I leave them on?

Leave the fronds on MK, it might take them a bit to grow but once you see new growth, you'll know they've rooted.

 

[Kanza]

Mary Kay - Leave the leaves on - you can even "tent" the pups a few days...you know, cover with plastic that isn't touching the plant, and you should be fine

Morandir - Lovely, lilting song and soooo appropriate now! It rained all Friday - so much rain that the street was covered completely. As a matter of fact, there's still several inches of water standing in the gutters, making puddles about 2' wide on both sides of the street. Now it's all turned to snow and we shall have ICE (where did I put my skates?) and much fun will be had by all - NOT!

Plantlvr - do you still work with plants? I raised orchids but cut most of my collection and am now down to only a handful. This house was built at the time of the civil war and has incredible overhangs which shade the interior...I was out of really usable space for them, simply not enough daylight and far too dry. I am considering bletillias outside and maybe that will give me an orchid "fix" when I need one! I raised them in zone 6 but I hope heavy mulching and planting in the right spot will get them through these darned winters! Danged snow! Will it ever or never stop???

 

[plantlvr]

Kanza, yep I'm the 'LNS' aka Live Nursery Specialist at my local Lowes. I order all the plants and try to keep corporate orders in check, that can be frustrating. They like to send fushias to my store in Summer when it's over 100 for example.
I had over 300 orchids when I worked at the orchid nursery, now I too am down to only a handful. I have them on a bakers rack in my bedroom and the phals are either in spike or bloom. Always thought about getting a lighted plant stand, maybe someday!
I just moved and like your house this house is a lot shadier than my old one, so I gave a lot of plants away.Right now I'm looking at the outside space, that's very small, to grow my veggies. I have 2 earthboxes but probably will end up getting a couple more.

 

[Mary Kay]

Plant..please tell the people at Lowes that I LOVE my solar butterfly! LOL

If they have any other choices..I sure would like a dragonfly for my daughter!

 

[AdAmA]

so does wearing flip-flops all week count or do I need to feel the urge to plant something for it to be spring fever??