03-31-13 Raining!

Raining! I feel bad for all who were looking forward to an Easter sunrise service. This morning, not too many people saw the sun rise!

On the good side: as a drought-averse gardener, I always appreciate free irrigation from above and, the rain is forcing me to stay in so that I can finally write the blog I intended to get to a couple of days ago.

The last two days have been glorious. Finally! I have taken advantage of the better temps for two things: weeding and transplanting.

I love those mini tulips but can't seem to be able to take a good picture of them. They look much btter than this!

Weeding: at this time of year, the garden is pretty much covered with weeds that overwintered, protecting the top soil and keeping it moist. Two things I appreciate, but now it is time to put them on the compost pile before they produce new seeds. To quote my neighbor David (Yes, the one with the peach tree!) if we could only produce vegetables with the vigor, resistance and persistence of weeds...

Transplanting: as most of you know, I start my Summer vegetables under a grow lamp in my wife's boudoir (The only room to have a wide enough sill.)
I took advantage of the two warmer days to move them to larger containers and new dirt to help them develop a god root system before transplanting them in the dirt at the end of April. The eggplants and peppers came out a little smaller than I'd like but they'll catch up. The others look very nice after two days in the new dirt. All this, of course, is kept under shelter since we expect more cold next week.

New crop under light: sweet corn and some of my favorite cucumbers.

What else to do at this time: dig up your garden, unless you have raised beds that don't require tilling.

New fiddle heads on the ferns.

This one's a bumble bee.

The girls are just as happy as I am to see the sun.

03-17-2013 A different year!

Watch those pollen pockets on her legs! I have seen them come home with their legs fully covered in pollen.

What a difference a year makes: I thought things were running a little later this year and, sure enough, when I went back to last year's posts, it was warmer then and many blooms were way more advanced than they are now.

Hyacinths

I first noticed last week after talking to Bob that my fruit trees had not budded yet; a true sign that things are not ready. While Greg Fishel may be good at giving us some form of a five day weather forecast, when it comes to long term, plants and trees do a much better job and, this year, the signal is that they're not ready to come out of hibernation yet.

The good thing though is that yesterday was beautiful and this week should be frost free. At this time of the year, the garden looks better without all these artificial covers protecting my winter greens. Down side: some of the same escaroles and lettuce are going to go straight to seed at the first sight of two/three warm days in a row. The need to reproduce is as strong in lettuce as it is in human beings! The fun level might be a little different though!

Checked my "mean" bees yesterday and the approach of Spring has not soften their mood at all; they were eager to have me for lunch! On the positive side, I have seen some of them working my neighbor's peach tree. David will be happy in a few weeks when harvest time comes.

Landing in pure paradise!

On my side, besides some more clean up, I transplanted a number of young leeks. The old ones have almost all been eaten, a true sign of winter's end. 

Last of the leeks.

Next crop.

The onions are showing their first green tops in time for St Pat's

Future roses being raised for Ann and Peter. Nice new growth!

What I call optimism: looking at these fresh new leaves and tasting in my mouth  the raspberries this baby will produce in a few months. Did I mention you also need a lot of patience when gardening? Who wants to wait so long for raspberries? Or anything for the matter!

Art work on one of my hive tops. My girls may be mean but they appreciate a little artistry in life!

Nice day!

Not quite Spring yet but today was great. That I spent most of it pulling weeds and doing some clean-up did not take away from it.

Great day until I checked the weather this evening with its forecast of more cold days coming earlier than I thought. It'll be time to cover my veggies again.

On the indoor front, my future tomatoes, peppers and other hot weather stuff is growing very cosily in our spare bedroom under a grow light.

Here is what's in bloom today:

Johnny jump ups or violas. I prefer them to most larger pansies. They have more character.

The heart of a red anemone.

Hyacinthe

A future peach; my neighbor David's future peach if my bees do their work.

Not a bloom but I love bamboo; they always look so good!