After getting my new knee, I’m starting to be up more and more, a little at a time. I do my exercises, work out on the knee flexing machine that came home with me on loan from the hospital and try to walk about with the walker as much as possible. I’m even walking short distances without it, so that’s an improvement. Yes, I am very careful! I still have pain as Tylenol does nothing for me and because I’ve had a bleeding ulcer, requiring repair, I can’t take aspirin or other NSAIDS. But, with ice, it’s slowly getting better. I’m waiting impatiently for improvement as my first seed starting will come in about two weeks. I bought some cool cherry-flavored Petunia seed from Baker Creek Heirloom seeds, which are not only cherry flavored but have huge blossoms. I couldn’t resist!

It won’t be long before I’m starting our new petunias and onions.
We really love some onions we can’t buy sets for. I start them from seed, myself.

Then, around the first of March, I’ll be starting my onions. Although I do plant sets, there are only a couple of options available for reasonable prices and we really love our Clear Dawn and Ailsa Craig giant onions. I start them so early as it takes about three months before the tiny plants gain enough size to stand the stress of transplanting out into the garden well.

And it won’t be all that long before we see this in the gardens!

Just a note, some folks are having a hard time finding ProMix seed starting medium or if they find it, it is very high priced. So, you might check it out now to get it while you can, for, perhaps, last-year’s pricing. — Jackie

34 COMMENTS

  1. I was just thinking about you and wondering how you are doing! The recovery is so hard and painful but worth it!

  2. Great news of improvement! I wish I could help with ideas of pain management…
    Those petunias sound amazing! I’ve never heard of cherry flavored petunias. Do you eat them in a salad?
    Thank you sooo much for my seed order!
    I have already started my onion seed and it is germinated and in a protected area outside awaiting transplant. I can’t wait!
    And I have put your favorite onions on a list to give a try for next year. I LOVE trying new things in the garden.
    Prayers for comfort to you, Will, and your family (and helpers too)

    • Thank you so much! You are supposed to make a cherry flavored beverage or flavoring for baked goods from the flowers. Sounds yummy, right? And we love petunias anyway.

  3. So glad to hear you are making progress. I am getting anxious to start seeds as well. Thinking about it sure helps the winter pass a little quicker. Prayers for continued progress and pain relief.

    • Thank you Marilyn. February is flying by so spring can’t be far away, right?? Think flowers and sweet vegetables.

    • I’m trying to be good. It’s hard when you want to do so much and your body has other ideas.

  5. Jackie, I haven’t seen my catalog yet. Maybe I didn’t order last year. Please send one to Mike in Patrick, SC

    • Our catalogs got late this year. My knee replacement didn’t help things. I’m so sorry! They are going out this week to customers. If you don’t get one, email me at jackieclay2007@yahoo.com and I’ll send one to you.

  6. So glad to hear of your steady recovery. And gardening in March too!
    I am frustrated with myself with having not planted my garlic in the fall last year. We had winter sneak up on us here. It was so sudden that all our trees did not get a chance to drop their leaves and so they froze “on the vine”. They are still clinging up there, ugly and brown :( Our ground froze and everything has been solid ever since last November. I wonder if I can chisel a 4″ hole into the earth and plant some coves, if they would even take hold?! HA!

    • I think you might better wait till spring. Spring planted garlic isn’t as big, come harvest, but better than nothing. I ordered some fancy peonies in June, from Breck’s, and they didn’t come until our ground was frozen and under 2′ of snow! I planted them in pots so hope they’ll make it until I can get them out in the spring.

  7. Hey there, so glad you home and doing o.k. I have stomach woes too and can’t take aspirin without hurting my gut! I got some CBD oil in a roll on applicator and it works great for temporary relief of aches and pains. Try some of that stuff. It gives enough relief to get me in bed and asleep. Warm applications of a hot water bottle help me too. I haven’t had knee surgery yet; but I’m getting there. I know you talk about things going up in price. Well, bird seed is up there too. I have enough to fill feeders until May and then I may have to remortgage the house just to feed my birds! I planted sunflowers last year for summer feedings but got none left over for this past winter. Hang in there Jackie. We got promises to keep and miles to go before we sleep!

    • Amen to that!! I will try the CBD topical and see if it helps. So far, ice has been my best friend. I had to laugh. Will bought me some Eggo frozen waffles and they have shrunk to about 3″ in diameter! He could barely get them out of the toaster. Shrinkflation, for sure. Not cheap, either!!

  8. So since my plant-in-the-“pots” failed last year, ProMix is the medium in which you can start the seeds then transplant into the garden?

  9. Started our onions here in MO on Jan. 31. We will put them into the green house about March 15 or so. It is unheated, so it depends on our crazy weather. Hope your recovery continues to go well.

    • Thank you Susan. We love our onions. The cows got in the Wolf Garden and ate ours down to the root, including our potato onions, which didn’t fare so badly. But I couldn’t pull them. Luckily, they’re perennial, so in the spring, they should come back up.

  10. We live in Alberta, Canada, and the final date for planting garden is May 24 round about. One can plant peas because they like the cooler weather. Anything above ground is subject to a later spring frost before that time. So plants in the house kind of take over until one can set them out. I am very glad that you are improving day by day, and that is good. Have subscribed to BWH for about 15 years. We get a lot of good magazines, but BWH is the very best. Read every inch of it.

    • I do too, Louise! In face, being laid up, I’ve been reading many old copies and enjoying them very much. We can’t safely plant outside until about the first week in June. Even then, we have to really watch for sneaky frosts.

  12. So glad to hear of your progress Jackie! Received my seed order from you, made me very happy!

  17. Hi Miss Jackie, it’s good to hear about the progress. Slow and steady gets it done but I understand the impatience. I can’t believe you have petunia’s started already!!! Onions start here in Maine around the 1st of March too and then peppers. I might be seeing mounds of snow outside but Spring is coming…hurray! Don’t overdo it with your knee…Pyro

    • No, I am going to start them in a couple of weeks. They grow so slow here I have to get them going soon. The knee is getting better slowly. I notice improvement daily.

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