It’s the weekend, and I couldn’t be more happy! Despite COVID, work has been surprisingly hectic, so I’ve been using my lunch hours to get out and get some sun and recharge. I’ve cleaned most of the winter crud (old leaves, dead stems, etc) out of all the gardens and there’s not too much more I can do at this point.
I’m not sure how/if the lock down will affect our usual planting in mid-May. I should still be able to get soil to top all the gardens up, but you never know. Plants are another matter – it’s hard to say how the garden centres will manage if things stretch on.
I’ve got more than enough in the gardens, but as you may recall, I usually buy annuals for the random assortment of pots and baskets I have. That may not happen this year. But hey… I’ve got seeds!
I have a bad habit of buying random packets of seeds throughout the winter and I’ve got a real assortment of things in here.
There were a few empty pots from last year that still had soil, so I filled them all with a few exciting things from the tin.
It’s technically a little early to be planting seeds outside, but the place I have the pots is sheltered, and gets a lot of warming sun. I also didn’t plant the whole pack, so if they don’t take, I can try again in a few weeks. I still have more pots to fill, but it will have to wait until I can get some more soil.
When it comes to fresh strawberries this year, we won’t be relying on the supermarket. I bought a lovely hanging pot of them last year, whenever it put out runners, I’d cut them off and pop them in the soil. They are already coming back and looking nice – I’ve got about four separate plants around the garden. Quite a few also ended up in my pretty green glazed strawberry pot. I brought it in for the winter to keep it from cracking. I remembered to keep it watered every so often, and as soon as the days got longer, green sprouts started emerging.
It’s back outside now and looking fine! And that hanging pot. I left it outside all winter, but in a bit of a sheltered spot. It must have done the trick because look:
It’s now hanging back on its hanger, and I’m looking forward to fresh juicy berries in a few months.
In other kitchen news. I mentioned a few posts back that some of my herbs were coming back. This was a big surprise for me – I don’t have a lot of experience with herbs, and I thought they were annuals
The basil didn’t make it (I have more seeds so no biggie), but the parsley (left) is sprouting up, and the oregano (right)… well just look at it! When I cleaned out all the old dead stems, all I could smell was pizza!
I’m debating on if I should get some vegetable seeds. I always grow tomatoes for Dave, but COVID definitely has me looking at food security a little differently. I wish we had more room – I’d love to grow squash!. Maybe I’ll try a potato planter bag.
Now that everything is tidy, there’s not much I can do until I get more soil. But that’s okay, the spring bulbs are about to put on their show and will keep me nice and entertained for the next few weeks
I hope your garden is springing nicely!
Wandering Cat Studio 
When I used to grow herbs on the deck I found that some of them would come back every year too. My poor son just put in all his spring crops in his allotment patch right before his state locked down. He had them under the caterpillar tents so he knows they are toast with all this warm sun we’ve had.
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I haven’t lived here long enough to TRULY say, but I think my garden has a bit of a slow start this year.
The daffodils I bought at Home Depot last year are blooming in the front yard, but the back yard patch is just getting started. It doesn’t look like we lost anything over the winter this year. Last year we lost several plants, including our weeping cherry tree.
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How lovely! I have a small dirt area near my apartment door that needs some plants. I didn’t realize it was an area I could use.
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Oh, it is always to exciting to see things coming up in the yard–very promising!
We’ll take a lesson from the plants and bloom where we are right now, too.d
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Oh Val!!!! I I have early plans….spring fever.
so #1: the outdoor woods are ready for me to plant clover as soon as it gets warmer. I cheated and started some indoors. OH my gosh it is all excited over itself….It sprouted in a day! I think you sent me pepper seeds, They are started in an egg crate in side too and they are up!
Mostly I just want the perennials that I worked so hard on last fall, to flower this year. I want the woods to be full of clover. Its good for the soil. Ive worked and worked on building first and taking hot coals to the areas Im c reating for clover beds. Fingers crossed.
The juncos are still here. I keep asking them to please leave…they come in around Thanksgiving usually .
GO VAL GO
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I just typed a long, long comment and WordPress wouldn’t let me post it. Since my memory won’t let me remember what I wrote, it was something along the line of our stores aren’t selling any plants right now and we don’t know if they will. I didn’t buy any seeds early on either, never thinking I wouldn’t be able to walk into the store and get them. My rhubarb has poked through the ground on Thursday though. And you are a lucky girl to have fresh strawberries this spring.
Blessings,
Betsy
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Well, the signs all point to you having spectacular gardens again this year. I even think strawberry plants are pretty when they bloom and then you have the strawberries to eat. Your yard is going to be beautiful.
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Excellent come back on so many plants!
Basil really is the tenderest of annuals, but oregano, thyme, and sage are real troupers and will come back year after year. (I don’t currently have any thyme or sage planted, but my oregano is cheerfully growing despite the snow we got yesterday. I have high hopes!)
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