In the Garden, I Never Rush Spring

In the garden, I never rush the spring. Be aware that all sorts of plant offerings will appear very soon and it is much too soon to start putting anything outside. Slow and steady wins the race.

Greetings fellow gardeners,

It is still dark this morning and I am without Wi-Fi, which is normal in my little corner of the world. Apparently, it will be fixed sometime this afternoon,  until then there is no way to watch repeats of Gardener’s World. 

Cats don’t mix with Lupine Seeds!

For those who were wondering, I retrieved the lupine seeds from the water where they soaked overnight and planted them in small pots. These were the native lupines that I also planted in the ground in the fall. Unfortunately, I left these pots on the kitchen counter where my cat Kevin decided to investigate in case they were food. I have had to soak some new seeds and clean up a lot of spilled soil. I need to remember to pay more attention. Lesson learned. 

Rushing Spring is not a good idea

It is exciting outside. The air smells like spring, the birds are calling, and life is starting to sing again. I am being very careful not to remove any coverings from my tender perennials and roses in case we get hit with another burst of frosty weather. The chickens have started looking at me with hope as they can feel the warmer weather returning. I never rush the spring. Be aware that all sorts of plant offerings will appear very soon and it is much too soon to start putting anything outside. Slow and steady wins the race. 

The blood orange seedling that I thought I had lost due to neglect is starting to rally. In addition, I believe I am seeing some progress with my peppers, and the little coleus I kept has made it through the winter. I still need to do some more work on fixing the plant compound, but things are starting to look up. 

I have been trying to get ahead of some of my spring cleaning while looking for various things that I never seem to find. When I tackled a corner of my basement, I found a beige binder with ‘garden information’ written across the front. It was a special record made by my mother who died in 2011. Opening it up I found maps of her garden, sayings that she had found funny or interesting, and dividers from A to Z. I spent an evening reading through each letter. B for beans, L for lettuce, P for peonies and more. It is in the spring that I miss my mother the most and this is such a special gift. I have decided to add my own thoughts to this binder. B for bees, L for lilacs, and so forth. As I hope my children will start wanting to do more in the garden, perhaps this can be a special bond from the past into the future. I know that my daughter is talking about growing vegetables in raised beds near her tiny house, and my son has also indicated that he would like to try helping more in the garden. 

It is raining and threats of freezing rain are looming. I am working a craft show this weekend and continuing to do bits of spring cleaning. It feels great to be walking around again. Enjoy your week. Judith. (Email:  sghorticultural@gmail.com)  Veggie Bites are available at https://sghorticultural.wixsite.com/website or https://gardeningcalendar.ca/articles/veggie-bites/