Some of you might not want to read Sunday's posting.  But I have been reading the daily devotions book THE POWER of Being Thankful but Joyce Meyer, published by first words very helpful and really hitting the spot in my life.  I do have a strong faith, so want to share with you today's devotion. 
 
Determined to Overcome
 And He arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea.  Hush now! Be still. And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.  Mark 4:39
 
    Thankfully, there is no storm in life that is greater than the power and purposes of God.  When you refuse to allow your difficulties to impress you, then they will not oppress you and depress you either.  If you put your focus on the Lord, you will hold steady in the storm and arrive safely at your God-appointed destination.
     Any time we try to step out and do something for God, the enemy will oppose it.  Paul certainly experience this, He wrote in 1 Corinthians 16:9." For a wide door of opportunity for effectual has opened to me...and many adversaries."
     Paul experience opposition, and you will too, I encourage you to make up your mind that you're going to do what God is telling you to do.  Don't be double minded, second guessing your decision. Determine to push through and refuse to turn back.  Trust the Lord, be thankful for His strength, and press on no matter what. 
Lord, Thank You, that there is nothing too difficult for You.  Help me to lean on You when there is a storm raging around me.  I put my focus on You today, and I refuse to be impressed by my problem.  I choose to be in awe of You instead.  In your name we pray.  AMEN
till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky's Greenhouse Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net

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     I found this article and think it will be helpful for us that don't have time to do a garden.  I will be growing the vegetables in containers.  I will be posting the different vegetables thru out the blog.  IT is spring and it is good. 
Growing Vegetables in Containers   By Marie Iannotti
 
How to Grow Carrots in Containers
■ Growing Tips: Long carrots require 2 months or longer to mature and tending to a container of carrots can be tedious. However, two options can make it easier: 1) Seed a few carrots with potted flowers. The ferny foliage is attractive and you will be pulling the carrots before the roots of the flowers take over the pot. and 2) choose a fast-growing round or baby carrot, like 'Babette' or 'Paris market'.
Carrots grow best and sweetest in the cool temperatures of spring and fall. The seedlings will need to be thinned to 1 - 3 inches apart​ once they are about 1 inch tall but other than that, the only thing you'll need to do is make sure they get a regular weekly watering. The roots will toughen and crack if they are left to dry out.
 
■ Minimum Container Size: 8 - 12 inches deep
■ Spacing: 2 - 3 inches
■ Approximate Yield:  Depends on diameter of container. 1 carrot per plant.
■ Recommended Varieties: 'Babette', 'Parisian Market', 'Thumbelina','Scarlet Nantes'
With a deep enough pot, you can grow any type of carrot, but the shorter varieties will mature more quickly and can be succession planted sooner.
 
How to Grow Cucumbers in Containers
■ Growing Tips: Cucumbers that grow in a clump, rather than a long, sprawling vine, are considered bush varieties. They can still spread out several feet, but they should not require trellising and grow well in large, wide containers or even hanging baskets. Bush cucumbers tend to start producing earlier than most vining varieties.
Vining varieties do best when trellised. The pots can get very top heavy. To keep them from tipping over, a larger container is recommended for vining cucumbers.
 
The leaves of all cucumbers can be very susceptible to fungus disease, so whichever type you choose, make sure the plants have good air circulation.
 
■ Minimum Container Size: 10 inches deep. Bush variety - 1 gallon. Vine variety - 3 gallons.
■ Spacing: 12 - 15 inches
■ Approximate Yield:  Bush - 10 per plant. Vine - 12-15 per plant.
■ Recommended Varieties: Bush - 'Bush Pickle,' 'Salad Bush Hybrid,' 'Spacemaster.' Vine - 'Crystal Apple,' 'Lemon,' Kirby varieties.
 
How to Grow Eggplant in Containers
■ Growing Tips: Growing eggplant in containers offers several advantages. Eggplants require warm temperatures, even at night, and planting in a dark container will concentrate and hold heat. You can also move the container to wherever the sun is or place it on a hard surface that radiates heat. Another big plus is that growing them in containers helps to control some common pests, like wireworms.
Once the plants start bearing fruits, they will get top heavy. Some staking may be required, to prevent the branches from drooping. They can also tip over if the diameter of the container is not large enough to balance them.
 
The slender varieties tend to produce more fruits and can be picked while young, short and tender. Some of the newer varieties, like 'Hanzel' and 'Little Fingers', are ready to harvest at 3 inches and they grow in cluster so they produce more fruits.
 
■ Minimum Container Size: 4 - 5 gallons, at least 8 inches deep.
■ Spacing: 1 plant per container
■ Approximate Yield:  Slender varieties - 10 - 12. Larger varieties - 4 - 8.b
■ Recommended Varieties: Slender - 'Bambino,' 'Hanzel,' 'Little Fingers,' 'Ping Tung.' Classic - 'Black Beauty,' 'Rosa Bianca.'
taken from https://www.thespruce.com/growing-vegetables-in-containers-1403373
till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky's Greenhouse Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net

Big Leaf Begonia is great for landscaping.  We used them a lot in the beds of Mason City. 

     I will share the basic information about begonias.  My mom's favorite plant to grow, so I have good memories of seeing these in her garden.  As the 7 types of begonias listed we have some of each here we are growing at the greenhouse.  Give some thought to use these in your gardens.
 
Begonias are among the most popular of cultivated plants, indoors or outdoors. These lovely plants are grown for both their leaf forms and their blooms, depending on the type of begonia. In some areas of the world, the wax begonia is easily the most popular bedding plant, while serious plant collectors still go to great lengths to hunt down beautiful foliage begonias.
 
An Introduction to Begonias 
According to the American Begonia Society, the Begonia genus of plants includes about 1,500 named species and several thousand hybrids. From a cultivation point of view, begonias have all the ingredients for successful hybridization-they cross readily, they have striking variability in the genus, and their ranks include everything from durable landscape plants to delicate specimens.
 
Botanically speaking, begonias are terrestrial understory herbs native to tropical regions around the world, including Central and South America, Asia, and Africa. Today, most begonias in cultivation are hybrids, so they cannot be grown from seeds. Fortunately, however, they readily reproduce from leaf cuttings or rhizome division, so it's easy to rapidly increase your ​begonia collection.
 
 7 Types of Begonias 
Because of the wide variety of begonia types, enthusiasts divide the genus into different types to help keep them straight. Brad Thompson, a begonia expert, offers the following divisions for begonias:
 
01 Cane type. These grow from straight, sometimes brittle stems, and are prized for both their blooms and their foliage. The very popular and beautiful angel wing and dragon wing begonias are cane-type begonias. These hybrids generally feature clusters of pendant flowers that appear throughout the year.
 
02 Shrub type. Shrub begonias grow in mounding piles from multiple stems. They range in size from small to huge plants that would dwarf a full-grown man. These are not as common as cane-type begonias.
 
03 Rhizomatous. Rhizomatous begonias grow from thick underground rhizomes. These types of begonias are popular for their beautiful leaf shapes and colors, with leaves that can attain massive size under the right conditions. These are very popular plants and include some of the most commonly cultivated indoor begonias.
 
04 Semperflorens. These are the common wax begonias, so called because of the waxy appearance of their leaves. In temperate areas, these are grown as annuals, but they are perennial shrubs in warmer areas. Wax begonias have been bred with pink, white and red flowers, either in single or double blooms. Although they are most commonly grown outdoors, they can be grown indoors.
 
05 Tuberous. Tuberous begonias are primarily grown for their flowers, which are often show-worthy. They have a short dormant period in the fall and winter. In terms of plant structure, tuberous begonias include trailing types and upright plants.
06 Trailing. Trailing begonias are great for hanging baskets. They feature pendant growth with beautiful displays of flowers, sometimes year-round. Most pendant begonias have bright-green leaves.
07 Rex. Rex begonias are actually a type of rhizomatous begonias, but they deserve special mention for their showy and beautiful leaves. Rex begonias offer a truly bewildering array of leaf shapes and colors, including greens, red, purple, silver, white, and many others. These types of begonias have insignificant flowers, but the leaves make up for their lack of interesting blooms.
 
3 Broad Rules for Growing 
Knowing the type of begonia growing is essential for success. In general, however, 3 broad rules can be drawn about begonias:
 
01 They cannot tolerate freezing temperatures,
02 They prefer regular and even moisture but dislike being wet,
03 Many of them do not thrive in strong sunlight.
 
But even these are only the broadest of rules. The rest of this series of articles will delve more deeply into the world of begonias and hopefully offer some tips and hints on how to identify and keep your begonias thriving.
taken from https://www.thespruce.com/growing-begonias-indoors-
till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky's Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net

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     Growing Vegetables in Containers
Many vegetables will grow very well in containers. You may not be able to grow as much as you might in a vegetable garden, but container vegetable gardening can be quite productive. There are a few special considerations when growing vegetable plants in pots, but they are by no means deterrents.
 
Although any variety can be grown in a container, compact plants do best. Seed companies realize that homeowners have less and less space to devote to vegetable gardens and every year they come out with new vegetable plant varieties suitable for growing in small spaces. Be on the lookout for keywords like bush, compact, and space saver. Here are some tips, including vegetable plant varieties, to get your vegetable container garden growing.​
 
How to Grow Beans in Containers
■ Growing Tips: Pole beans are a great choice for containers. They grow up, instead of out, and they continue producing beans for a couple of months. They will require some type of support, to climb on, since vines can reach 8+ feet tall. The support can be as functional or decorative as you like. You can even use pole beans as a privacy wall or curtain.
■ Harvest frequently, so keep the beans coming. Even the pretty flowers are edible. You can start seeds in late spring and start a second batch in mid-summer to keep harvesting beans well into fall.
■
Bush beans aren't as productive as pole beans, but they start producing earlier and you can succession plant throughout the summer. Either type will need regular water, perhaps daily in hot weather. They will drop their flowers if the soil remains dry.
 
■ Minimum Container Size: 8 inches deep. Any diameter is fine, but it will determine how many plants you can include.
■ Spacing: Bush - 3 - 6 inches. Pole - 5 - 6 inches.
■ Approximate Yield:  Bush - 20 - 50. Pole - 50+
■ Recommended Varieties: Bush - 'Contender,' 'Triumph de Farcy.' Pole - 'Blue Lake,' 'Kentucky Wonder,' 'Lazy Housewife.'
taken from  https://www.thespruce.com/growing-vegetables-in-containers-1403373
till next time, this is Becky Litterer, Becky's Greenhouse Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net

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