And look who I saw poking up through the mulch!!!  It is the Columbine that my Sunnybrook friend gave me when we moved from Virginia Beach in 2004.  It comes back every year, and she seeds like crazy.  We have this stuff all over the place.  I will show you again when she blooms.  That is why we let her stay.  

 

I don't let the new plants stay in the arugula bed, because I don't want it to get into my cuttings.  I don't know if it's poisonous, but the word "toxic" does show up in the wildflower books.  So, I just let that be what it is, and keep it out of my edible beds.  Otherwise, I love it.  The flowers are so pretty.

 

I hope your weather this week is as beautiful as ours.  

 

 

HAPPY FEBRUARY!!!

 

And it's time to plant seeds.  Today is the best time to plant seeds for tomatoes, peppers, and lots of other stuff.  

 

We will plant seeds today, because it takes about 8-12 weeks for them to get big enough to go out into the garden.  It's a process.  We plant the seeds into flats and put them on heat mats.  Then when they are big enough we will transplant them into 6-packs, and keep them under grow lights.  And then when the ground is warm enough, they will go into the garden.  

 

I guess we could just buy the 6-packs at Home Depot, but this way I get to choose the varieties of seeds that we like.  And I don't mind the process.  Actually, I like it.  

 

 

HAPPY SPRING!!!

 

On our loop walk yesterday, I noticed the Bradford Pears have already set their spring flower buds.  And that always makes me think of FAITH.  They are reminding us that spring is coming, and we are ALL ready!!!

 

 

HAPPY ALMOST SPRING!!!

 

The best time to prune the blueberry bushes is when they are dormant;  which is winter.  So on Sunday, when the weather was warm and spring-like, we got out there and cut back the old canes and the branches that were covering the walkways.  It seemed like we were cutting back a lot, but when we were finished, you couldn't tell that we had done anything.  

 

I guess that's a good thing.  Hacked back bushes look terrible, and ours are still attractive.  

 

And if all goes well this spring, we will be picking blueberries come Fathers Day.  Yay!!!

 

 

HAPPY WINTER!!!

 

According to Punxsutawney Phil, we should be looking at Spring in 5 more weeks.  

 

In the meantime, I will be looking for signs of Spring.  Here's one:  flower buds on the Mahonia.  This is one of my favorite plants in the park.  It is interesting 12 months of the year.  I always love checking on her.  

 

 

HAPPY FEBRUARY!!!

 

 

 

Priscilla gave me an amaryllis bulb this Christmas, and we thought it would be red.  But!!!

 

Look how beautiful she is, pink and variegated.  We have loved watching the flowers emerge, and they are gorgeous!!!

 

 

HAPPY WINTER!!!

 

On a walk one day last week, we saw Violet's daffodils looking quite bold for January.  That one looks like it might bloom SOON.  I hope it survived the cold and little snow, or that our friend picked it, and brought a little spring inside.  

 

 

HAPPY WINTER!!!

 

I hope you have daffodils in your garden.  They are so "springy."  And ours are starting to emerge.  I know it is only January, but they are coming up.  I even saw some of my neighbor's daffodils sporting flower buds !!!  

 

Ours are just coming up with leaves, but it always makes me happy, because I know that spring is just around the corner.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!! 

 

 

 

OK, the picture isn't all that pretty, but the subject is very interesting to gardeners.  This is mushroom compost.  It is aged, composted horse poop, mixed with some straw.  Commercially, some companies add soil to the mix, but we have good soil, so we don't need to pay extra for that.  We just get a cubic yard for $60, and spread it onto the hills in the garden.  

 

It adds excellent organic material into our soil, and gives us a fun project on a warmish winter day.  We get out there and dump bucketfuls onto the hills, and then work it into the soil.  Then when spring comes, and it's time to plant, all is ready for planting.  

 

Now you know our secret for a successful garden.  Well, one of the secrets.  The biggest secret is HARD WORK.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

Here is my beautiful Rosemary.  She is about 2 feet tall and just as wide.  I am sharing this now because it's winter, and she is a bit tempermental.  Over the years, we have planted three or maybe four Rosemaries in this same spot.  The ground is good, the sun exposure is perfect, and each one has thrived here.  Until...the temperature drops below 10 degrees.  That's when we lose them.  Well, that's when we lost them in the past. 

 

We are trying to be proactive, and protect this one from the cold.  The first year (for this one) Jon turned the wheelbarrow upside down to cover her.  That was pretty, NOT, but it worked:  she survived the cold.  Well, the wheelbarrow isn't big enough to cover this bush now, so we have to come up with another way to protect her from the cold.  

 

We still have time though;  the temps next week are cold, but only going into the 20s.  We can work with that, but I need to figure out a good cover for my girl.  She's so pretty.  

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!