Finished creating my pond today, needs more work and plants but it’s a start.

Just thought I would check in with everyone. The weather here has been totally off the wall this past couple of months. The last couple of days have had flooding diasters all around us. Forutnately, while we received some crazy inches of rain, we managed to not suffer the flooding of areas very close to us. I know others are having extreme heat, which is headed here starting tomorrow. When Mother Nature gets in these moods, it can have some serious impacts on our gardens, our homes and our lives. So I just wanted to check in with all of you to see how you all are doing. I know not everyone is being impacted by these extreme weather conditions, but for those who are I just wanted you to know that we are thinking about you. If there's anything we can help with, please don't hesitate to reach out. We have members in all 50 states and I'm sure if someone can help they would be happy to.🪴

Today is National Red Rose Day! I know a number of you love to grow roses. Whether they are red, white, yellow, or pink - roses are always stunning. Share some pics of your roses with us to celebrate - even if they aren't red.

One of the biggest misconceptions in gardening is that if you haven't planted everything by spring, you've missed your chance. Not true. In fact, some crops grow so quickly that you can plant them in June and still enjoy a harvest before many of your summer vegetables are even getting started. If you're looking for a quick gardening win, these fast-growing crops deserve a spot in your containers. Let's take a look. 🥗 𝐁𝐚𝐛𝐲 𝐋𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐳𝐞: 1–3 gallons 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭: 25–35 days 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭: You don't have to wait for full-sized heads. Many lettuce varieties can be harvested as baby greens just a few weeks after planting. 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐫 * Salads * Sandwiches * Fresh garden bowls 𝐏𝐫𝐨 𝐓𝐢𝐩 Harvest a few leaves at a time instead of pulling the entire plant. 🌱 𝐀𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐳𝐞: 1–2 gallons 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭: 20–30 days 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭: Arugula is one of the quickest greens you can grow. Its peppery flavor adds excitement to salads and wraps. 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬 You can often begin harvesting young leaves while the plant continues growing. 🔴 𝐑𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐳𝐞: 1–2 gallons 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭: 25–35 days 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭: Radishes practically seem to grow overnight. They're one of the best crops for impatient gardeners. 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 Crowding seeds too closely. Give each radish room to develop. 🧅 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐎𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐳𝐞: 1 gallon or larger 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭: 30–60 days 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭: Green onions provide repeated harvests and take up very little space. 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬 Many gardeners regrow them multiple times by trimming the tops. 🌿 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐳𝐞: 1–3 gallons 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭: 30–40 days 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭: Basil grows quickly in warm weather and rewards you with continuous harvests throughout the season. 𝐏𝐫𝐨 𝐓𝐢𝐩 The more you pinch and harvest, the bushier the plant becomes. 🫘 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐡 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐳𝐞: 5 gallons or larger 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭: 50–60 days 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲'𝐫𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞: Bush beans may take a little longer than greens, but once they start producing, you'll often harvest handfuls at a time.

is it a bad thing to purchase young plants to plant? can you only seed to be a real gardener? Is it just a preference?