From the reader garden question bag:

What, if any, chemical will kill those blasted seed throwers? We are inundated by neighbors' casually kept yards and they're just about to overwhelm us. I won't mention the morning glory that comes visiting. Let me know though about the seed throwers, please. They are sufficient to make our gardening experiences miserable.

Anyone have a solution? A bit of advice? I'll scrounge around and see if a master gardener has any comment on the problem. Until then, post away, people who have answers.....

I was making the usual commute past Watson's Nursery this morning on my way to my plush cube here at the TNT and I spotted a few purple-ish blooms on a striking rhododendron near the nursery. It made me want to get out of my car and jump around, go inside, buy some stuff. If only I had time to garden this week.... unlike Craig Sailor's proclamation below (scroll down people), I won't get started on my gardening experiments until next week, and I am sooooooo not growing anything in my bathtub (it's full of rubber duckies and other kid toys).

Back to rhodies: I just got a release about the annual rhododendron and plant sale at the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden in Federal Way.

Details here:

What: 2008 Spring Plant Sale Fundraiser
Where: Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden, Weyerhaeuser Corporate Headquarters West Parking Lot, 33663 Weyerhaeuser Way South, Federal Way
When: Saturday, April 5, 2008 – 10am to 3pm & Sunday, April 6, 2008 – 10am to 2pm
Admission: Free admission to the sale and the Rhododendron Species Botancial Garden during sale hours plus plenty of free parking!

Cool Plants! Rare and unusual varieties plus many all around favorites!

So where is your favorite place to see rhododendrons in bloom? Fellow GetGrowing blogger Craig Sailor and I were roaming about South Tacoma Way last spring and we stumbled upon a great collection of rhodies -- at the Tacoma Cemetery (48th and South Tacoma Way). We took a detour into the cemetery, feeling slightly guilty for being garden voyeurs in such a solemn place. We drove around the cemetery in silence, looking at all the blooms, which were amazing. It really is a beautiful place, hidden off of South Tacoma Way. I think it was about early May, about the time we were working on our giant South Tacoma Way culture project.

Please tell us where you like to check out rhododendrons in bloom, won't you? Post here or e-mail me at sue.kidd@thenewstribune.com.

Spring is only a few days old and I already have tomato seeds coming up - in my bathtub. The one inch high seedlings are Momotaros from Japan. Two weeks ago I sowed 17 seeds and, lacking a greenhouse, put them on a board stretched across my bathtub. I have a window there that gives them great afternoon light.

According to Territorial Seed Company, the indeterminate Momotaro is one of the most popular tomato varieties in Japanese markets. Its flavor is described as sweet and tangy and the 6-7 ounce fruit is dark pink, durable, heat tolerant, and crack resistant with good storability.

The seeds cost $4.05 so that works out to 23 cents per plant if they all come up (only 10 have so far.) Of course, they take time, water and a lot of care but I'll still save a ton of money compared to store bought tomatoes.

These are the only tomatoes I'll be growing from seed. The rest I'll get as starts from our local farmers markets. The two most successful and best tasting from last season were orange cherry tomatoes (Sungold) and Brandywine (a red giant with a wonderful and distinctive flavor.)

My crop last year wasn't very successful. I tried Green Zebras, Lemon Boys and other varieties with varying success. I had plenty of tomatoes - they just didn't want to ripen. This year I have some ideas involving large reflective boards to build up heat.

Until then I just have to be careful the next time I take a bath. Seed pots don't float like rubber duckies do.