Gardeners! Share your garden photos and garden chatter here.

[cgw143 168]

That's fascinating! I'll look into this for Michigan and suggested start times. Thanks!

Successful experiment with this last season. Granted, it's a bit counter-intuitive for us tundra-dwellers but it does work. Mentioned above, we went deep into perennials and annuals from seed
this year. Crappy US/Canada exchange rate aside, fuel surtaxes will boost prices for nurseries this spring--by how much remains anyone's guess. No new beds beyond inhouse sight lines at the family ruin. The kid, his drone and mapping chops will supply an overall plan for the property, locating dry/soggy bits, shade patterns and existing beds and hardscaping. Need a dose of rationality. Still, there's a small slush fund for antique roses if any of the old dowagers kicked the bucket over the winter. It's ancestor worship for my late sainted MIL.
If it's accessible, do watch BBC's "Gardener's World." You'll watch, slack-jawed, in pure wonder. Beats a big drink, especially in January--hah!

 

[SquarePeg]

Successful experiment with this last season. Granted, it's a bit counter-intuitive for us tundra-dwellers but it does work. Mentioned above, we went deep into perennials and annuals from seed
this year. Crappy US/Canada exchange rate aside, fuel surtaxes will boost prices for nurseries this spring--by how much remains anyone's guess. No new beds beyond inhouse sight lines at the family ruin. The kid, his drone and mapping chops will supply an overall plan for the property, locating dry/soggy bits, shade patterns and existing beds and hardscaping. Need a dose of rationality. Still, there's a small slush fund for antique roses if any of the old dowagers kicked the bucket over the winter. It's ancestor worship for my late sainted MIL.
If it's accessible, do watch BBC's "Gardener's World." You'll watch, slack-jawed, in pure wonder. Beats a big drink, especially in January--hah!

Pretty sure I’ve watched it via YouTube but I could be confused. It’s definitely available on Britbox.

 

[terri60]

I was at a home-improvement type store yesterday, across town from where I usually go - and they actually had herbs out for sale! I bought 2 basil plants, 2 parsley plants and an oregano plant. Where I live they usually make us beg for herb plants until the first week in May. Everything I've kept going through the winter from last summer is exhausted and begging me to dump them outside. Sad!

I also bought a packet of basil seeds. My Morning Glory plants are about ready to come out from under the grow lights and just sit in the sunroom for the duration. The first week or so of May is usually safe to plant outdoors. I'll have to cull a few, but they look great and several are already trailing. Yay!

Next up under the grow lights will be the basil seeds. I'll keep most of that pack so I can try more in the fall, maybe a few trying the "Winter sowing" method and some under the grow lights. I am determined to keep some fresh herbs around over the winter; I really don't like buying them in plastic cases. Will probably grab oregano and parsley seeds next time I'm out, to save for the winter experimenting.

Can't believe we're past the middle of April already.

 

[cgw143 168]

Finally, Spring checked-in at the family ruin after a too early/too long winter in the True North.
Forsythia defiantly popped this week but the Spring bulb show is 7-10 days away. Big temp drop overnight with an hour of ice pellets this late a.m. Weather that encourages/excuses an early Sunday drink...
Shot on my old fave MS Lumia 650 phone I keep stuffed in my small bag for non-fuss p&s moments like this.

 

[terri60]

Finally, Spring checked-in at the family ruin after a too early/too long winter in the True North.
Forsythia defiantly popped this week but the Spring bulb show is 7-10 days away. Big temp drop overnight with an hour of ice pellets this late a.m. Weather that encourages/excuses an early Sunday drink...
Shot on my old fave MS Lumia 650 phone I keep stuffed in my small bag for non-fuss p&s moments like this.
View attachment 296125

We're going down to 29°F tonight. Should be the last freeze though.

What are the blue flowers? I feel like I should know them, but I don’t.

 

[cgw143 168]

We're going down to 29°F tonight. Should be the last freeze though.

What are the blue flowers? I feel like I should know them, but I don’t.

Mini Dutch iris.

 

[terri60]

Thanks! I really didn't think irises came up so early.

 

[cgw143 168]

Thanks! I really didn't think irises came up so early.

In warmish spots around the ruin they'll come up with the snowdrops.

 

[SquarePeg]

Dutch iris are my favorite iris. I am hoping I don’t miss mine blooming while I’m away. I definitely missed the magnolia tree blooming . Lots to do when I get home on Thursday. Too much to list but there will be yards of soil and compost delivered and of course almost time to plant the dahlias!

 

[cgw143 168]

Dutch iris are my favorite iris. I am hoping I don’t miss mine blooming while I’m away. I definitely missed the magnolia tree blooming . Lots to do when I get home on Thursday. Too much to list but there will be yards of soil and compost delivered and of course almost time to plant the dahlias!

We're stalled by lingering cold weather. Highs in the 30sF. Too early for spring clean-up. Monsoon-like rains all last week. Basement gro-op is thriving and spuds just arrived with new gro-bags. Had time this week for snowblower maintenance/storage but will wait for some warmth. Tons of small fixes at the ruin might get done: ice cables yanked from downspouts, eavestrough checks, rain barrel prep, plumbing and some 8th grade-level outdoor carpentry. Nothing much till temps rise and stabilize.

 

[terri60]

We're staying in the low 70sF most of this week, with mostly sunny skies - hopefully that will make it seem warmer.

I've brought the Morning Glory seedlings upstairs and parked them in the sunroom. They need the smallest stakes I can find- they're winding around each other. Still too cold for outdoor planting.

 

[Jeff1574 74]

 

[snowbear142 73]

We picked up a few things at a nice nursury in Portland yesterday: phlox, bleeding hearts, tulips, catnip (a present for Zoe) and a few things Lazy Lobster picked out. Pics after coffee.

 

[cgw143 168]

Shopping for early annuals yesterday for the ruin. Wow! Prices up in S. Ontario by 30%+ Perennials even more. Fingers crossed our annuals/perennials from seed project delivers even a little. Inflation, poor exchange rate and fuel surcharges ain't helping! Nurseries cut back sensing demand would falter.

 

[SquarePeg]

Prices are up around here also. I was planning to buy a small pink dogwood tree this year and will end up paying much more than I wanted to if I do. Mostly I am good with perennials and some herbs from seed but there are a few things I buy annually that I don’t want to skip, and I need a new hibiscus. I couldn’t bring mine inside last fall because it had a bad case of spider mites and I didn’t want to risk them getting into my houseplants.

Thought I might miss the magnolia bloom while I was away but the flowers are still holding on.