What have you done today in the Garden?

Mate, that foto of the light green Acer and bluebells is an absolute stunner. One could male a picture for the wall or a puzzel out of that. I see several components that I like. Well done.

Loggie— thanks for letting us know. That is so sweet.

 

Your welcome Sjoerd

 

Today was an unexpected hustle and bustle of moving everyone around to make room for new neighbours. The germination mats are working splendidly, and really speed things up. I'll have to account for that in next years planting.

I moved most of the herbs and flowers to the living room window. They will recieve a couple of hours of sunlight after 2:30 pm, so they need a little help. I have some grow light bulbs helping them out, hopefully it is enough.



The peppers were all pinched and are doing okay. I overwatered a couple as seedlings, and they have cankers on the stem. I'm not sure how they will fare, so I started a few more just encase.

I'm pretty sure my haskap cutting is not alive, but I water it anyhow. One never knows.



The tomatoes have shown up to the party.


I still have some gazania, cupids dart, and some celery and herbs up in my daughters room. It's a little cooler in there.


All of the broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower are up now and under lights.

I sneak into the greenhouse twice a day ( morn and eve) to water and cover. Still no green yet but I'm optomistic. The snow is slowly melting away from the side walls.






And my two artichokes are half way through their two week vernilaztion. They will be happy to not be in the refridgerator anymore. I can't take them out until about 10 am when it warms up above freezing, so they are not happy about the lack of light. Finger's crossed.

Hanging out with the cool kids.



We are beginning to see little patches show through the snow and ice in front of the green house and in front of the barn. That is always exciting.

I started vernalizing some poppy seeds today ad planted some coleus and bachelor buttons.

 

Strange isn't it?
Colombia is pretty much in the same latitude as England.
We've not seen snow in many weeks. Today in the garden it was sunny and 52f.

 

We tend to moan at times about this island of ours, but all in all, we have lots to be thankful for.

 

@Melody Mc. you are doing a beautiful job! Those pepper plants are so nice!

I planted all of my onion seedlings outside. I don't know how the will do, but I think OK. They are tiny. Ditto with the echinacea and the chive seedlings. the peppers and eggplants don't look good, but there is time. Next I'll plant seeds for snowpeas, sweetpeas, tomatoes. Tomorrow.

I stopped by the store for brackets for the big planter box. They had some dogwood trees, and I bought one. Now it's in sight from the kitchen window. I hope it blooms this year.

I got out the used cedar fencing and used treated 2x4s and 4x4s from the shed. I cut them to size for the new planter box. It will be about 6 feet long, 4 feet wide, two feet tall. I think this will be my final construction project - I can't do as much any more.

This is an up upcycle project, like the one I made last year. It's smaller - will hold eight 25gallon fabric pots, instead of ten. Basically, it will grow about as much as a 4x6 foot raised bed.

Here is the cedar fencing and treated framing before cutting.


Here it is after cutting.



Now all of the boards are cut. Next, level the ground and assemble. First I need to remove those brackets from the post, kind of a hard job. Hammer and crow bar.

Now Im exhausted and sore and grouchy LOL. I hope it rains tomorrow so I cant work.

 

Hmmm...

When have I heard that before?

Oh Yes! It's something that I often say and then another idea comes into my head and I start all over again!

 

Yesterday finished pricking out the polyanthus seedlings and sowed cosmos and marigold seeds 2 packs of each, divided up a small tray of eurigeron seedlings into a bigger seed tray, i will give those to Marion, she really needs plants that will come up every year.

 

That's a big discovery. And they last for many years. Mine are a decade old and haven't quit working.

 

I had to look those up! They will be very pretty.

 

Cut right down a dead azalea in the main border, spread out a couple of branches of the two either side to close the small gap. I kept the branches in position by forcing a couple of canes into the border. I say canes, but they aren't, they're these 1mtr. metal stakes with notches and a dark green plastic coating, they're hardly noticeable, where a bamboo can would look a bit naff. Wilko sells them in packs of three.
Tied up a few more clematis. I'd mowed the lawn yesterday, so there was nothing else to do.
This afternoon I watched an F A Cup football match on the TV, over my laptop showing another.

 

Thank you Daniel and yes they will, they're so easy to collect seed and come up. They can spread a bit and grow in places where you don't want them.
They die down but grow again.

 

Daniel and Mel- you just wear me out. All that work. It isn’t really the work itself, rather that you have the weather to DO the work. I am soooooooooooooooooo jealous,

The Ides of March have come and gone. That was a historical date for sharp instrument work and thus my sign to break out the sècateurs and take my Buddleja bushes down a notch or two. I got a little more than half the work done yesterday. We always say to ourselves, “rustig aan nou”. We do not always listen to our own advice, so today there are complaints of discomfort. The bushes are easily two times taller than I am tall, so it was stretch work for me. I lopped the branches off and my Bride made them small to fit in the twig bin.


Did some cursory schoffeling…but it was actually still too wet.
We also emptied the Dalek. Cheers Eileen.

 

@Sjoerd - I love looking up your sayings and some words that you drop. If I'm right..."Take it easy, oke?" . I like that very much. And your Dalek...I'm guessing a compost bin of sorts ? I'm assuming Dr. Who doesn't visit, but perhpas you both have a mysterious secrect identity and a phone booth in the Lottie.


@Daniel W - Thanks Buddy. I hope I didn't pinch the peppers back too late ( usually do it around 10 - 12 leaves and this was pushing 14) - time will tell. That looks like it will be a worthwhile project for sure! Sounds like time to pet Rufus, smell the spring air, and let him and the birds take the grumps away. Also we never know how we touch someones life - I've shared your grow bag adventures with my daughters. They are both living in condos with big balconies at the moment, and not a lot of storage. My middle daughter has ordered some grow bags already and is excited to start her garden. She hasn't had a balcony for a couple of years. My oldest is following your lead and sewing her own grow bags from landscaping fabric as we speak, and some for her sister. ( She thought that was very clever BTW. ) Everyone has spring fever. Your homemade grow bags are going to be making their debute in Northern Alberta.

 

You find the most interesting items DHR. I checked and these are actually available in Canada! I couldn't believe it. hahaha Next time we travel to the big city I will have a look.