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Why arent my tomatoes turning red?
Here is a web-page that makes some pretty strong comments about garden-center grown Tomatoes and the challenges they present. Lucky for me I planted mine early and have a long growing season here in Atlanta. I hope my tomatoes do turn red soon - I have plenty growing now. Will take his advice next year and plan on building a hot-house in the basement under artificial light for Tomatoes and other seedlings.
you must start your plants from seed eight weeks before your last frost date. Even if your local garden center carries the variety you wish to try, it will be weak and spindly, and considerably behind schedule. Finally, the manner in which you bring your seedlings up to the setting-out stage is of critical importance. Ideally, the plants will be about 14 to 16 inches tall with dark green leaves and sturdy stalks almost 5/8 inch diameter so that no protection or staking is required to insure initial survival. The roots of the plants ready to set-out will be in a phase of rapid growth. How is this possible? These seedlings need strong light at least 14 hours per day. The tops should be gently brushed on a daily basis to persuade them to grow hard outer cells on their trunks. Ventilation should be constant 24 hours per day, but you do not want to see actual leaf movement. Seedlings must be potted-on when any portion of their leaves extends over and beyond the sides of their pots. At the time of setting-out, my seedlings are always in 8" pots. They are dark green and very sturdy. When I give a few plants to other people, they are always amazed at the size and shape and health of the plant.I do not pinch suckering growth. Keep in mind that tomatoes ripen in the heat from the sun, but not in direct sunlight, so a lot of pruning prevents the plant from shading its fruit. My plants are spaced on 36" centers for good air circulation and grow straight up inside 24" diameter cages of concrete reinforcing mesh. When they reach the top of the cages, I trim them a little bit so that the plants do not become too top-heavy. I allow the plants to do pretty much as they please as long as they stay inside the cages where the fruits will be shaded. More…
We spent the day at the Botanical Gardens
Gotta love a warm summer afternoon and wonderful kids!
This Garden Is Illegal - A Garden Blog
is a great resource for information on gardening and related activities. As the writer states, gardening is an obsession; which is pretty much the way I’ve been running lately.
Eco-Terra Landscape Consultants has a great article on what to do with this frost damange here in the South. 
Here is the little Maple I planted last year, It had come in so nicely and I had pruned it back a bit on the interior to give it a nice look. That’s probably all that would have survived, so I blew it. I have dead wood all the way down to the trunk. I’ll cut it back and hope for the best. I just deep watered them, will do that once a week.
Here is one of the Crepe Myrtles that got wacked . I had just pruned them 
The Article says to just let them grow, they should come back.
I’m going to get to work on landscaping the back yard. The kids can’t use it, it looks like you know what and its time:
Here is our male bluebird (click the pic to see it big):
He likes the worms we put out for him. Couple is here - not sure if they found the box we put out. They may be nesting elseware.
this looks like a good place to buy worms for the bluebirds we are accumulating in our back yard.
We have a pair of bluebirds -
I hope I can get in place what it takes to keep them here. I bought some mealworms today. Not sure how Stephanie willfeel with them in the fridge 
Looking for info, here is some info I foundfrom Audubon Omaha
This weekend we regrouped - I pulled out the pansies and made room for summer flowers. Whacked some weeds and cut the grass, after changing the blade on the mower. Stephanie cleaned house and the kids purged their closets and rooms of old stuff. I didn’t get as much done as I had hoped - along the meandering I have been doing at home while I try to figure out how to get the fire started at work again. I am onto a new kick - a truck. What started as a simple second vehicle - a work truck to haul and bring more or less stuff. To finish the back yard and basement turned into a search for perfection. I cannot simply buy a cheep truck, I immediately look for quality. So I find Toyota the engine that could … forever. I look into it and find coolness, SR5 and Off Road. Word that excite and motivate. I take Daniel to look and he loves the back seat of a double cab and suddenly I’m looking for new trucks to replace the benz.
Wait - regroup again, looking at two doors again, second truck all be in new and a 4 wheel drive truck. Trip to REI and excitement about four wheeling the forest service roads to camp and hike in the nature I so love. But none available for now - you can search inventory on the internet now days - so back to 4 doors. And the dream is expanded… 4 doors and 4X4 or should I mistype $X$ - what have I done! I’m pricing Toyota Tacoma 4 door 4×4 beasts!
This weekend they regrouped - I just fell into my fantasy world again…
i really need to sell something.
worked in the yard today - got the weeds out from around the front door finally. Need to get some annuals next week - pull out the panzies (sp?) and plant. I wish someone would find this blog and leave comments - I’m getting bored with it.
