Is winter over? (Home Depot, cabin, garden)

[ElkHunter]

Well, last year, on this weekend, is when we got that boat load of snow and wind. Then never got anything again. I kept holding off on my garden when I actually could have started it a lot sooner. But you never can tell.

What's it going to do this year?

[ruggedindividual]

I've got my grill, charcoal, hickory & mesquite wood at the ready. Just waiting for mother nature to give me the word so I can blow up the inflatable pool and let the kids have at it!

You know, it's funny...back in Texas we used to dread spring coming because it meant summer's wrath was just around the corner. Here we've been anxiously anticipating it!

[emeraldsky]

I've been clearing out my yard, raking leaves (guess the previous owners forgot to rake those leaves...), clearing out flower beds. Need to do a bit more and get that soil all raked up and ready. Went to home depot today and saw a few nice flowers available...pretty ground covers. I was tempted to get a few, but I think I'll wait just a couple more weeks...

I think I'll try to grow zucchinis again too, for zuccini bread and stuff. Going to a class in 2 weeks at church where we're having a master gardener from the UW come to teach us how to grow those, and butternut squash and carrots. My last attempt was disasterous, wilted, and shriveled, but I'm going to keep trying...

Can't wait to grill too. My husband is a good grill cook. Yummy.

At home depot he also picked up those wasp jails that kill the wasps I hope. Saw a couple dead wasps while I was out raking... Elkhunter, I remember you mentioned something you did about mosquitos? That you haven't seen them in your yard in years?? Care to pass that on? In fact if anyone has any helpful hints about any bugs be gone, please pass it on. Thanks.

[ElkHunter]

Every spring I spray my yard with Malathyon. It's about $7 for a jug and a jug, properly mixed in my sprayer, lasts two years. Not a skeeter in sight when I'm done and it lasts all summer. Course, I spray at night so nobody notices that I spray as far into their yard as my sprayer will reach. haha

On a couple of bad/wet years, I sprayed again in the middle of July.

[emeraldsky]

Ahh, you make me laugh Elkhunter.... thank you. Malathyon then. Good bye skeeters. (And hopefully wasps too.) Hello springtime and lots of fun hanging out in the yard...

[ElkHunter]

By the way, the Malathyon did nothing for the wasps. Had to get some spray stuff (shoots about 15 feet and it's foam) and spray each nest that I found. That did the trick.

[weezy18]

Can't wait to get out there with you folks - still cold here (PA)- a little snow yesterday. Wanted to do burgers on the grill but think I'll wait until it gets above 40. I'm getting cabin fever, the ground is still too wet too start any type of clean up so I've just been taking the dogs on an extra run in the evenings. Elkhunter thanks for the tip on getting rid of the "skeeters."

[emeraldsky]

My husband bought those Raid yellow-jacket traps. So I hope that does the trick.

I really like that there aren't too many bugs most of the year here, but the wasps kind of freak me out. I saw way too many of them last summer and fall... inside, outside, in my car...

Weezy18, I hear ya about the cabin fever... spring's coming though... we did have a mini-blizzard Friday, but sunny today.

p.s. my dad's in PA. He tells me he can't wait to go fishing soon...

[ElkHunter]

Read the label on the Raid Yellow Jacket traps. They don't work on Paper Wasp's, which are the most common wasps around here. Last year, I put out two of those traps and I think I got about a half dozen wasp's.

The only way I could rid the area of them was that spray foam and constantly keeping an eye on the lookout of where they were starting a nest.

Bar-b-q?????? I have a Gen Aire stove with a grill on one side. I've been bar-b-q ing all winter. But it will be nice to fire up the outdoor grill so I can add some wood and get better smoke flavor. Can't do that on the Gen Aire, the smoke detectors can't handle it.

[swamp lily]

82 and sunny down here in God's waiting room- I'll fire up the grill for y'all (corn on the cob and ribs sounds good) and hoist a cold one towards the Northwest. Hope it helps
Harry