Paging Don Sparks: Time to move those 50 pound bags of salt back to the shed.
Salt on the bench, potting soil across from it – the porch hasn’t yet decided what season it is.
I mulched two more garden beds yesterday, mowed the other side of the front lawn, then I had a long chat with my neighbor – we tend not to see each other around here during the winter months – and that was it for the day. Today, it’s cloudy and, of course, more rain is coming tonight. It’s seems to be a daily thing around here. But I think I’ll be able to pot the pansies and geraniums. Pansies will be in the urns near the porch, geraniums in the barrels by the funky patio. I haven’t purchased any impatiens yet, or the coleus that I plant in the vintage pots in the secret garden, nor any hanging pots. All of that costs money, frugal as I try to be. So I’m taking it slowly. That’s not hard to do given the crazy weather we’ve been having.
Normally, I’d be getting ready to plant these seeds, but since we had a frost just yesterday, I think I’m going to wait for another week just to be on the safe side.
As frustrating as this Spring has been so far, I am heartened by all the perennials that are emerging. I see coneflowers, hostas, sedum, day lilies, catmint, bee balm, rose bushes (though a couple are not doing all that well,) ferns…and that makes me very happy. Now, if we could have a few days in a row with sunshine and no rain, I’d be ever so grateful.
When I went to Rick and Doug’s to water their plants, I took some pictures of their garden to send to them. They have a lovely dogwood that’s in bloom as well as all sorts of other interesting plants. Oh, it’s so good to see something other than snow! And to see the spring green of our grass.
Happy Tuesday.
Well…if it’s any consolation…Jim brought out the snowblowers in anticipation of the big snow we were to get, that never materialized. Thank goodness…but now those have to be put away…again. And the weather is not any better here…still rainy and in the 40’s. Friday and Saturday are predicted to be sunny and in the 50’s…yahoo. So…those days I’ll have to make up for lost time.
Your pansies will be great once those are planted..instant color is so needed. It is exciting to see all those new shoots sprouting up, but, I’m concerned that some of my plants have not come up yet. Don’t know whether they are just late this year, or if the horrible winter did them in. Hope they are just late starters.
Fingers crossed that we both get some sunshine….and quickly! ;)
Fingers crossed, indeed! And no more snowblowers!
Claudia, we had a week of sunshine and warmth (70’s and 80’s (!)) and now we’re heading into a week of cloudy and mild. Oh we’ll, at least it’s easier weather to do the gardening. I’ve done a lot of trimming already, so, as usual, there’s raking with which to fill my green bin. Two plants didn’t survive the winter…a Jasmine, which was almost 30 years old, and an azalea. The Spanish lavender is in full bloom, and the English lavender is sending out flower spikes, and the dahlias and peonies are leafing out nicely. We bought micro bark mulch for the potted plants, but the nursery was out of compost yesterday. And, the limoncello my daughter made with our lemons and a huge bottle of Costco vodka is ready to use for refreshing drinks. I’m ready for summer, let alone spring! Hope the weather morphs to your liking soon so you can plant your seeds and see more growth throughout your space.
It is easier to garden in the shade, but I do love the sunshine! I’m sorry you lost some plants, Wendy. Always a sad thing.
Can I just say I am so envious of your porch! Most British houses being smaller than American homes don’t have the room or the long summer weather to merit building one. Over here they’re more likely to be found on lovely old tennis or cricket pavilions built in the early 20th century and commonly called verandahs. Watching American films, I’ve often thought how nice it would be to sit in a rocking chair on one, seeing the evening sun go down.
The rest of your garden looks lovely too.
The porch was the first thing I saw when we drove up to the house and that was it for me! I grew up with a porch and I missed having one. This one is even better than the one on my childhood home!
It is lovely to sit on the porch. I often have my second cup of coffee out there in the summer. Thank you, Dee Dee!
Claudia,I just wanted to let you know that today I received the book I won.
Marilyn
Oh, lovely! So glad you received it in a timely manner, Marilyn!
I’ve been limiting my time online so have missed about a week of your posts. Now caught up and see you’re in the same boat: alternately rushing to work the flower beds when you get a break in the weather and otherwise waiting for spring to decide to come and stay.
I smiled at your picture of pansies in the house. No sooner did I get mine in pots when I had to drag them inside because of the snow. Luckily we only got a trace and not the original predicted 10 inches. Meanwhile, Dean and I are antsy to get outside and DO something. Too cold and too much rain (and wind!). So – last weekend we took a drive up to Kohler to the company’s design center to look at, what else, Kohler sinks and faucets for our reno. I always get inspired in that place. Plus little Kohler is such a cute town.
By now I’m kind of tired of making decisions though – kitchen sinks, faucets, cabinets, appliances, leg designs for the island (the “sitting down” end of it), the finish on the floating shelves, the vanity and the water-saver toilet for the powder room, and on and on. An afternoon with the designer and I’m frazzled. Meanwhile, it will only get in the low forties this week and rain every single day. Sigh…
I’m glad you didn’t get all that snow, Kay, and your kitchen and powder room redos sound exciting! I’ve never had the funds to do a redo of any room, wherever I’ve lived, so I’m a wee bit envious! Enjoy the process!
We saved for years. I’m also using part of my inheritance from my mom’s estate – she would have liked that. At our age we thought long and hard before committing. It’s a 30 year old kitchen and we just have to update it if we hope to sell the house eventually.
Good for you for diligently saving and, I agree, your mom would have liked that. I felt that way when we used part of my inheritance to visit London and Paris. It would make my parents happy.
I keep hearing snippets of weather info from other parts of the country and it’s quite something to think Montana has just had many inches of snow, Kansas City was in a strip of cities that were scheduled to get hail so big that the forecasters were advising people (and their cars) to get under cover; then there’s you with frost; and I think of lucky retirees who are on the road and doing travel of a lifetime, when you think May 1 would be safe from freaky driving/touring weather; but, you just never know. Mother Nature gets her way! But we have to forgive her, because her whole ‘life’ is altered now with climate change. It’s hard for her.
Mother Nature is complaining. And she has a right to! Thanks, Vicki!
I love your seed packets. They’re so much prettier than the Burpee’s or whatever it is I bought a few weeks ago, I’d just save the packets for art practice when I was all planted! You’re doing good work. I wish my back let me haul mulch like that. But I do have a good garden helper in the spring. My bleeding heart is “bleeding” a bit and looking very pink and pretty — I’m always relieved when they emerge! And taking great joy in the bulbs. Loving your porch!
My back really bothers me when I’m doing all this work. At the end of the day, I feel it. But the addition of the new wheelbarrow has helped a great deal. I put a bag of mulch in the wheelbarrow, wheel it to the garden bed I’m mulching, and scoop it out. But it does involved bending over and that’s the part that I pay for!
Enjoy your bleeding heart and your bulbs, Jeanie!
I just looked up a whole bunch of lower back exercises. Hopefully they’ll help build a bit more strength before summer begins in earnest! Your new barrow sounds terrific!
I should do the same thing. Always my lower back – for years!