Frost Warnings Over--Now We Need Rain

Today I came out of the grocery to the smell that occurs before rain!  I love that smell but to some people it is obnoxious.  The smell before a rain immediately makes me feel like a kid again.  I found out on The Straight Dope that is caused by geosmin or bacteria in the soil and the smell is called petrichor.

While I'm waiting for real spring days to arrive, I am trying other growing projects.  At garden club Monday night, we had Jeff and Karen Woodward from Woodward Greenhouses visit to demonstrate the making of succulent wreaths.  Here's the project I made that evening photographed in this morning's bright sunshine.  This wreath won't need water for a week since it is made of spaghnum moss.

My daughter brought me three tulip bulbs she started to force in a peanut butter jar. I found a vase and some clear marbles in which to place them that would allow the roots to be in water.

One thing you need to be careful about is to keep the bulbs above the water line.  Notice in the reflections on the glass vase what a clear sky and bright sunshine we had in the early morning-- followed by thunderstorms in the early afternoon and a calm, mild late afternoon and early evening.

Gardening is all about the water!  With April starting this weekend some of our water problems outside should be corrected.

 

Heavy Frost Warning!

Tonight should be a heavy frost--and so some of Spring will disappear.  I took some photos this afternoon while it was still sunny, chilly and very windy.  More like March...

The Narcissus 'Tete a Tete'  daffodils looked very Spring-like in the afternoon sun, but tomorrow may not look so perky. 

The pansies or hearsease on the front porch have benefited from the sun angling off the linen-colored siding--and cover overhead. They should be fine tonight.

 

The flowering quince has two open blossoms.  The bush is tucked in a corner so it may hold some heat from today's sunshine.  Everything looks good today because we had some rain over the weekend.  It is extremely dry. We need April's showers.

The front border looks nice with the white blooms of the Spirea 'Ogon' reflecting the white trim of the houses and the birch bark. Checking last year's blog entries for April, I found the Spirea blooming April 26th--a full month early this year! The Tete a Tete daffodils (which bloomed April 9th last year) peek from behind the protection of the small-leaved holly (front left).  This bush was very damaged by last year's extreme snow build-up along the walkway but has recovered well.  I fed the upright holly (middle right) Holly-Tone last year and it also looks good this year.  Nature does it thing--with a little assist/repair from the gardener.  What will this seasonal blast of cold weather after such warmth require from me?  At least a few coverings tonight...

First Starts Many Years Ago

Over fifty years ago, I started my first garden with the help of my grandfather. We called him Daddy Doc.  He was a dentist who loved to garden in his old-fashioned "grandmother's garden" in the back yard along a picket fence. I remembered that my sister had these old slides that my brother digitized for us.  I looked through all of mine but couldn't find the photo I remembered seeing on my sister's iPad. She found them--and here they are.  Me--as a "first gardener".

Plant seedlings grown in a cardboard box.  It might have been March by the look of the grass, the soil, and the winter coat.  I think I was working on a Girl Scout badge.  I might have been in third grade.  Love the plaid dress, bobby sox and loafers, wool coat and fluffy muffler hat. 

I think I still have that rake! Or maybe it's at Sara's...

This must have been later in the growing season in an area behind the garage. Looks like something has sprouted!

And here I am with my baby brother. Looks like I grew vegetables and flowers that year. And if Jeff is that little, I was going into third grade that fall.

Good shot of the garden.  Maybe not so good of the gardener...

Still, a very pleasant memory of a "first" that I still much enjoy.

First Starts

Two beautiful days (after fog each morning) brought me out to the garden this afternoon to rake up debris and prune away some dead foliage. So many fresh starts besides the primrose and daffodils reported almost two weeks ago.

Parsley overwintered in the herb box under the deck.

Lamium was green all winter.

Lamb's ear has recovered its furriness on new growth.

Pulmonaria peeks through winter's debris.

New Nepeta leaves have a slight furry texture also.



And the poppies look fuzzy with their deeply serrated edges.

The thorns on the roses cast shadows like sundials.

The texture and color of the sedum is a welcome relief from winter's dull grey.

Spring--EARLY!

Click on the first photo to view it as a slide show with larger images.

Full Moon and a Dozen Days to Spring

On March 1st, after an overnight snow, I discovered the daffodils coming up--under a stone!

I moved it right away and spied a primrose blooming nearby.  How exciting!

The March full moon or Crow Moon was brilliant in the spring sky this week. The temperatures have been variable with 60s one day and 30s the next. The wind is gusting; the clouds skud across the sky.  The birds have been active, especially bluebirds and finches at the feeder and perched on the deck.

The most amazing garden moment this week has been the herb planter I pulled into the garage after Thanksgiving last year. In December the Gerbera daisy had a bloom (now dried) and in January another (lighter color). They may be more petrified than alive right now, but the leaves of the daisy plants are bright green and renewed. The herbs (rosemary, sage and thyme) are alive with color and scent. The garage is filled with light from two windows and transom windows over the garage doors. I have watered the plants irregularly over the winter. I've kept the garage door open this week in the afternoon when the sun shines directly on the planter.  The miracle of Spring--and a mild winter!

Primrose Blooming Outside

The primrose inside is not blooming, but this morning from my window
I spotted yellow and went out through snow and ice to photograph this primrose in the garden.

Leap Day Snow and Garden Blog Start-up

Well, more snow will not deter me from Marching along toward spring and gardening. First, I'd like to display the indoor plants that kept me going all winter.

This Croton sits by the glass front door and sidelights.  It has lost some of its color (see bottom leaf) but is starting to get more colorful as the light improves as spring approaches (see top leaf).

I put this terrarium together last winter, but have taken out the lady slipper orchid which outgrew the space.  I've replaced a few plants that did not survive. The deeply textured Peperomia in the center has done well despite the rainforest environment shown by the condensation on the glass ceiling.  It has sprouted some kind of flower stalk (seen curling toward the side).

The variegated English ivy has been around the house for a couple years. I just keep cutting it back. At Christmas, I stick some cut holly in it.

I recently bought some Just Add Ice orchids at Home Depot (buy one get one free for HD Garden Club members). They helped me survive February but one has lost more than half its blooms. 

Bad plant or bad environment for it, I don't know...

This jade plant is from a cutting of a cutting of my mother's plant.  My daughter almost lost the first generation plant when she moved to a new house with less light in the kitchen.  I took the sickly plant and made some cuttings to root.  One survived and looks good. Maybe I'll be able to give my daughter a cutting back. We've kept this plant going for over 20 years.

This cyclamen was given to me last year by a friend.  It was very leggy over the winter, but kept blooming. I recently cut back all the long stems and these new short-stemmed leaves have taken their place.

New blooms are appearing also (with a little fertilizing and improved light).

I'm plant sitting some African violets and an Ice Cube orchid for a friend who spends winter in Hawaii.  They are both dormant now. I'm sure that she is seeing lots of exotic, tropical plants right now where she is.

This primrose I won in a garden club raffle bloomed all through February. I might be able to get it to bloom again. I see some new leaf growth...

Here's the lady slipper orchid taken from the terrarium.  I need to repot it. I'll take it back to Ballek's Garden Center where I purchased it last winter. They will help me repot it to bloom again. It has tripled in size.

This Chinese evergreen plant I've had for almost four years.  It took a rest last month from blooming, but I noticed a new bloom today. 

And last is a Pothos I've had for over 10 years. It used to be in my library before I retired. I took it home every summer and kept it on the porch. Now it lives in the bathroom in the same basket.

All these plants are easy to grow and give so much enjoyment when days are short and light is dim. And then take neglect when I'm out in the garden in the summer!