Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Wednesday Wandering

Well, it's finally time for some blooms around here. I have about five different kinds of Daffodils scattered here and there throughout the flower gardens. These clumps need to be divided this year. And those old canes sticking up out of them are from some Marshmallows that have become invasive no matter how many of them I dig out each year. 

I should cut some and bring them inside. I'm always too tired at the end of the day when I think of that so they probably won't make it inside to a vase before they quilt blooming. 



A rusty old fairy watches over the Bloodroot so I don't forget where it is. 

I want to dig some up and put it in the native wildflower garden I've been working on. After reading about the best time to transplant I'm not sure I want to move it anymore. Touching it can cause a rash and supposedly burn and erode the skin leaving scars. Yikes! I don't know how I managed to plant it ages ago without any problems. 

I used to have a bunch of Hyacinth but they seem to have disappeared. I found a couple of sickly looking ones near the Bloodroot. 



There's a sea of Scilla in the flower gardens. They are rather invasive but they don't hurt anything, keep the weeds down and look wonderful in masses. They are always covered with little bees or maybe they are hover flies. I don't really know because I don't want to poke my nose down in there to take a good look. 







Species Tulips. 


They are all starting to sprout now. Well, not all, but most of them are up now and I've already planted that Flashback Calendula and the Old Spice Sweet Peas. I usually plant my Sweet Peas right into the ground but the last few years I think something has eaten my seeds before they even sprout. I think that is probably ants carrying my seeds away because there sure are a lot of ants in the ground around here. Then any seeds that do sprout seem to get eaten by deer or rabbits. So, I tried winter sowing them in containers so maybe I will have sweet peas again this year. Stay tuned. 

Some of the flowers will go into my new native wildflower area, some will go into the herb garden and some will go into the old flower gardens. 

I'm so excited! 


Over 30 years ago I read in an old Farmer's Almanac that potatoes should be planted around Good Friday. Don't ask me why. But ever since I read that I have planted my potatoes around Good Friday. It is kind of a tradition around here.  Each of those red flags represents a potato hill. Yes, I LOVE potatoes! 

Well, this doesn't look like much and it's a little weedy right now but this is my Strawberry patch. I noticed something (deer, rabbits, squirrels?) eating the new leaves as they sprouted up. Well, I read that maybe putting plastic forks here and there in the patch will keep the varmints out. So, it may look weird but I think they are working. Stay tuned. 

These three rows are the Onion patch. Some will be keepers and some will be green onions. I buy onion sets. For green onions they get planted deep and right next to each other. For keepers they hardly get buried and are set about 3-4 inches apart. The birds like to pull the onion sets out of the ground so I have to check every day and replant whatever they have pulled up. Yes, we eat a lot of onions. 

The Rhubarb is growing and needs to be weeded. It looks like I need to water it too. The ground is very dry and we have not had any April showers yet. Maybe today?

Hope all is well in your world. Have a wonderful day!



 

14 comments:

maggie fellow said...

oh we will try the plastics forks - thanks = so excited about your winter sowing - I would never have thought

sue s said...

Thank you for the lovely floral display. My daffs are just barely out of the ground but there are buds on the trees so there's hope.

Sharon Kwilter said...

Very pretty flowers. Thanks for sharing photos.

JCH said...

Nice gardens. Reminds me of mine before we moved. Don't have room here now except for a few bulbs from last tenants but have lots of ideas. We had a small spot we called "the woods". I had these unusual checkered lillies in there. One year the chippies ate Every lily bulb in any garden! Little suckers. I love the animals but could have very well enjoyed them stuffed in a museum too. :)

Linda said...

I enjoyed wandering round your garden with you. You have been busy with your little seed pots and planting potatoes and onion sets.
Haven’t heard Good Friday in connection with planting potatoes but many, many years ago I was told that you should plant parsley seeds on Good Friday. I did that for years and it worked. These days I’m afraid I buy a couple of parsley plants from the Plant Nursery. Two plants I bought last year have made it through the winter, also a coriander plant which is going great guns!

---"Love" said...

Looks like you've been working outside a lot! Or maybe you've just been getting everything ready to work outside a lot all summer. Either way, your flowers are beautiful! ---"Love"

Laura said...

Love the stroll around your garden! I have crocus blooming, and that's it for now. They make me smile and I know that daffodils and tulips won't be too far behind!

Your winter sowing really intrigues me! Thanks for sharing the update on your experiment! I really think that I need to try this!

MissPat said...

We are having another round of unseasonably warm weather and it is making everything grow too fast. The daffodils are in full bloom except for some clumps that are now in too much shade. Of course, the weeds are growing even faster. I've spent way too many hours trying to remove as much hairy bittercress before it goes to seed, but with a few more warm days, I think the seed will be flying everywhere. Hyacinths and Grecian windflowers are blooming. No veggie garden here because of the deer who it appears, did not come around much this winter, as there were no deer poop surprise in the back yard. I never got around to trying the winter sowing again. It sounds interesting, but I'm not sure what happens when all the seeds start sprouting but it turns cold enough that they can't be planted out. I've been enjoying the sunshine, but it's really dry.
Pat

Melisa- pinkernpunkinquilting said...

It was such a delight to get to visit your garden today. So many pretty blooms and little seedlings. I hope you will post more garden updates in the future. Also your green quilts in the last post are sooo pretty. Have a lovely week.

Pamela Arbour said...

Oh my! You have been busy!

The Joyful Quilter said...

Thanks for the garden tour, Cathy!!

Shami Immanuel said...

Lovely blooms of flowers. They are pretty.

gayle said...

I always love your garden tours!

QuiltGranma said...

Love when you show Every Bloomin Thing! On face book I joined Winter Sowers and have seen what they are doing. Great Idea. Maybe next winter for me.