Friday the 13th

Some local farmers apprarently aren't superstitious because they are out planting corn and soybeans today. It is very dry here and we even saw a few "dust devils" today which is unusual for April. This is very different from a year ago when it rained almost every day.

The Government Weather Forecast calls for normal prcipitation but above normal temperatures. Plants are a month ahead of some years but the frost seemed to nip some of the new buds and flowers this week.

This year July is unusual in that it has 5 Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. That is something that happens more than 823 years or whatever those catchy emails have been saying.

We are home from our fantastic Holland in Bloom trip to the Netherlands and Belgium. Holland certainly was in bloom and Keukenhof was the height of the bloom with 4.5 million tulips in bloom! It was a flower lover's dream and I highly recommend you put it on your "bucket list."

I hope to catch up blogging and emailing and posting some of our interesting pictures but farming and more consulting is job one now. I think the trichadermas can help the bulb growers and they are very interested in what we shared.

But I have to wonder if they keep the good bulbs to themselves and send the rest to us and buyers around the world! Just kidding, but their plants and blooms are so much larger than ours in general, at least it looked that way.

Strong Gold is one of my new favorite varieties after meeting Jan. A field of those blooms is simply beautiful.

While in Belgium, we came across this button. I am sure you will enjoy it!

Ed