More Spring Flowers

Tulip

Daffodils

Ferns Unfolding

Hyacinths

For My Tomatoes

I installed 11 wall-o-waters around tomatoes, peppers and eggplants in hopes of a better harvest this year. So far so good.

Introducing...

Clematis Huldine - "Emma"

Clematis Montana Rubens - "Billy"

Clematis Montana Brewster - "Jennifer"

White Dawn Climbing Rose - "Betty"

Clematis Comtesse de Bouchaud - "Oscar"

Joseph's Coat Climbing Rose - "Romeo"

Dirt and Baby Onions

My delivery of dairy compost came today. I made more planting mix, filled some containers and the bed along the fence that I'm going to attempt a row of corn in. Composted all the existing beds and containers, fun fun fun!! Can't wait to get it all worked in and the beds cleaned up. I've been waiting on this to get going on planting salad greens, spinach, carrots, all my cool season plants. Now I have lots to do. Yay! I'm going to start some of my tomatoes, eggplants and peppers soon with wall o waters.

Planted some of my onion starts today in containers. Did not get big onions last year and am hoping to reverse that this year. More sunshine, early start. Hopefully it will work.

Images of Spring At My House

Photo 1: I need to look up what these bushes are, but I'm so glad to have them in front of our house. They flower in spring and summer and have a soft trailing branches in a pretty green yellow through the fall.

Photo 2: Fava Bean Survivors! These fava beans weathered our unusually snowy winter and are blossoming. Yay!!

Photo 3: Heal All. I used this medicinal herb as one of my winter ground covers and am now indecisive about what to do with it. It can be invasive in wet ground (which I have) so I should take it all out NOW but it's an amazingly useful herb to use. As a tea it can help with a range of internal ailments from sore throats to liver healing. You can apply a solution of it to clear up pink eye and irritated allergy eye problems and a paste to help wounds. I want to grow some of it. I'll probably choose one spot to grow it and take the rest out.

Photo 4: My first tulip!! The tulips are all very short so far. My daffodils are tall but the tulips are almost at ground level. Hmmm.. too much clay perhaps?

New Garage Lights Set Up

Patrick set up my shop grow lights in the garage. It turned out so well! I can adjust each light as I need to. My plants are very happy. Now I have room to start a new batch upstairs.

What a difference two weeks makes...

Today I transplanted my tomatos, eggplants, and most of my peppers, until I ran out of time and soil. Oops. I'll finish tomorrow and start round two in the Aerogarden. I love my little plants, so gorgeous and green! I am determined to pamper some sweet peppers into glorious production this year. Last year my peppers were overcrowded by squash and monster marigolds and produced all of one tiny bitter green fruit. This year I'm giving them their own pots and/or bed, starting them early with wall-o-waters and putting something behind them that will collect and hold the heat (like brick) to keep them nice and warm on chilly days. Still working on what that will look like, but I have some time.

Also this year I'm going to try out the upside down tomato planters. I have 8 varieties of heirloom tomatos I'm growing this year and am experimenting to see what works best. I LOVE my tomatos and eggplants. They are so beautiful and so much fun to watch growing.

This past week I planted peas in my front yard and out at the farm. We planted four different types of peas along a 30 (?) foot fence that will be a beautiful and delicious backdrop for flowers later. Yippee! It feels so good to be out working in the garden again. We had two fabulous sunny days and rain ever since: perfect for my new seeds. Tomorrow I'm going to be setting up 4 new grow lights and a work table in the garage with Patrick's technical assistance and then we're going to put up trellis', supports and wires for the 2 climbing roses and 4 clematis that will be arriving this week.