Summer!

So much for spring! This weekend we had weather up into the 80s/90s! It's just way too hot...I'd like it to be a little cooler! I hope this doesn't mean this summer is going to be sweltering already...

I have had no luck selling my worm tea concentrate so I decided to use it instead. Hopefully, my plants like me for it! I moved all my hanging plants outside today and I even put my Butterworts out in hopes that they grow even better! Put a pitcher plant that I haven't had time to repot outside too as well as my Ascocenda orchid. Put my hangers in the ground ready for plants as soon as they get acclimated to the new bright light! The new begonias I bought are looking absolutely gorgeous! I need to get them in a bigger pot and hang them! Not sure where I am going to hang such a thing, but I'll find a place!

I am a bit late, but I just found my herb seeds from last year and decided to plant a few. Spring in the NE is so unpredictable that it is so hard to start things from seed. I wish I had a greenhouse!

Temps Rising

The forecast for this weekend is a high of into the 80s! I think I started my sweet peas a bit too late. It is tricky growing in a zone 6a when you are so used to zone 8! I am just not good at this timing thing. I wonder if it would be too much for the seeds to plant them in the fall? That way they have plenty of chill time and whenever they are ready they can grow! Only thing is that they are planted only 1" below soil surface and if they pop up early a frost could kill them....

"Sugar Ann" Snap Peas

YAY! The peas have arrived! I got an email from them earlier today saying that it would be shipped today or tomorrow. To my surprise, after coming home from a day of volunteering for Master Gardener hours at Phipps, my seeds were already in my maibox! Ok, so I don't have a mailbox....they were on the floor near my mail slot, but still! They're here! And all the way from Vermont! Can't wait to plant some this weekend in a windowbox! I hope the robins have picked through the vermicompost I put into it so that I have worm free compost for the peas! YUM! I bet these shorty peas would work well in a hanging basket too.

Such a Nice Day

This past Thursay and Friday were really nice as well as today. I'm glad of all three nice days I had to work on Friday since it wasn't quite as nice! I had planned on washing the car and double waxing it today, but my plans were thwarted thanks to J.

At least, I got to get some stuff done outside...spring clean up and planted my snapdragons since they really couldn't have stayed in those teeny weeny pots for any longer. Planted the basil too since it seemed to take cold nights ok. I brought out the sweet potato vines and replanted those. They shrunk a lot. I also replanted the Caladium. I hope it survived the winter. I also planted this Toad Lily my friend, Jen, gave me. It sure didn't look like much out of the package! Just this tiny skinny little root. Guess we'll see if it grows!

I didn't do so well as far as organized planting of my garlic and discovered a few spots I could've filled in so I moved the one garlic I had growing to the spot since it was off all alone without its garlic buddies!

Sure doesn't sound like much in a post, but I am pooped. Ready for sleep again! LOL

My lillies look like they have multiplied over the winter, which is really exciting! Can't wait to be able to share with my neighbor as she really liked my dark red lillies last year. I posted a pic of my front yard today...you can't see too well some of the things that are growing, but it is looking nice in person! If you are nearby, stop by and check it out.

It's supposed to start raining tomorrow for a few days. It's going to feel like a winter day in Seattle next week! Temps are going down so it will give my sweet peas some time to grow! They have already sprouted and peeking out! I am so glad winter is over!

Planter With Snapdragons

Front Yard in Spring Growth

Gardening & Cooking

I have noticed that most gardeners are also good cooks...except for me lol I rather be the taste tester ;) However, I do love growing edibles...if only I had more sun and space! I still have yet to receive my Sugar Ann pea seeds yet. I am quite excited about it even though, again, I do not have the space or the sun, but hopefully they will still produce! I thought about maybe growing them in a window box, but unfortunately it will only get afternoon sun on that windowsill. I really don't get full sun anywhere...too many tall trees in the backyard.

Otherwise....we have a few days of sunshine....yesterday, today and I believe tomorrow, but starting Sunday it's going to rain for a few days with the temps on the chillier side.

More Surprises

My sweet peas are popping up! My garlic has been growing well as you can see:



My lillies are also popping up in that patch. They have multiplied! YAY! One of my terrestrial orchids just stuck its little head up out of the mulch! Hopefully it won't get frost bite, but I did stick the cage over it in case some critter decides to make a meal out of an expensive plant! You can see the little green shoot in the middle of the pic:


This is something that I'm not sure what it is, but I think I planted it! Isn't it cute???

Ethanol

This is ridiculous b/c you need fossil fuels to produce ethanol.

Spring Weather

We spent a few days in warmer weather this past week...coming home was a bit of a disappointment! Spring days this year are quite chilly. Nights are cold enough to have a fire going in the fireplace! The only reason I am happy about this chilly weather is that it is not freezing for one and that this will give my sweet peas a chance to grow! I have missed those flowers dearly since I moved away from Seattle back in 2001. They are one of my favorites and I have not been able to grow them here in Pittsburgh with our short spring and fall weathers. They grow, but don't bloom at all. Hopefully it will be a mild summer here. I hate going to the Vintage Grand Prix when it is sweltering hot like it has been the first few years that I have lived here. My hyacinths are still working at it...since my lot is shady they are usually a week or two behind everyone else's bloom time!

Last night, I finally got around to reading my Gardening How-To magazine and found a sugar snap pea that only grows to a height of 18"! It was called Sugar Ann. I just had to order some! I got them from https://www.highmowingseeds.com. They seemed to have the lowest shipping. Hopefully I can get some to grow! I love those things fresh as I am sure Pele, my bearded dragon, would too!

I haven't planted any pansies this year. Should, but felt lazy :) I do, however, need to get some snapdragons before everyone snatches them all up! Been too busy studying in hopes of getting into the DMS (Diagnostic Medical Sonography) program at school. I am more determined at 30 than ever!

Dahlia

Today I found a Dahlia at Lowes I couldn't pass up...especially after I saw what the name was...Seattle! It's a dinnerplate yellow with white tipped flower that are 6-8" in diameter. The plant is 36" tall, takes full sun (which I have none of! But I'm going to try anyway!), package says it is deer resistant (not that I have a problem with them), good cut flowers, blooms all summer, and is hardy down to zone 8, but suitable for zones 4-8. I guess I will have to dig it up in the fall if I want it to come back next year. I should've shared one of the three bulbs I got with my neighbor so that I can at least see it bloom if mine doesn't! I may dig one back up later for her.

Peonies & Alliums

I am EXCITED!!! My one Peony is coming back! Thank god for labels b/c I wouldn't have remembered what I planted there! The one I got as a bareroot and unsure of whether it would grow or not has new shoots! Woohoo! Need to write new tags for some of them....can't read the labels much anymore!

All my Alliums are coming back including the new ones! They have really unique leaves...I am excited to see what they look like!