cat grass en masse

 It's still pretty cold, but...sunrises have been amazing lately.

I've slooooowly been working on getting my mini greenhouses out.  No green yet!

For instant gratification, there's always...cat grass.  It's so easy to grow.  Just sprinkle seeds and cover...

...put in a sunny window for a couple of days, and...instant spring!

It lasts like this for several days...meanwhile, I'll start another container of it tomorrow.  Swap out the old, repeat, repeat.  So easy!

Meanwhile, I've got daffodils everywhere!

This vintage jadite egg cup that I picked up at an antique shop is perfect for tiny daffodils.

I bought these ceramic eggs so long ago, and I use them every single spring!

Meanwhile, I'm getting my fill of color outside.  I love seeing all the green!

Not just green.

Vinca

Spirea

the first of the violets!

a peek of lilac

daffodil

hosta nubs

the first redbuds!  

Things should really be popping in a couple of weeks!  Meanwhile, we'll be checking the trail cams for the first signs of BABIES...bobcat cubs, goz, coyote kits, and fawns!  We have an astounding number of possums and I'm really hoping to catch some possum babies (joeys, just like baby kangaroos!) soon.  I love spring!

Have a great week!  

sprouts 'n shouts

Happiness is...

...my spring garden.  I will admit to being a little flower-crazy over this past week.  I've fussed over my greenhouse seedlings (germination 75%!  Hooray!!).  I've micromanaged the new growth in the front garden, splitting up clumps of ferns and spacing out my columbines.  I've mercilessly weeded.  I've worried over a dry spell and grumbled over low nighttime temperatures.  In short, it's been heavenly.

Only a gardener would understand as I bend over some mysterious green growth, puzzling over its identity.  "Is this a weed, or did I plant this?!?"  I ask Todd.  He smiles and nods. 

He doesn't understand my euphoria over sturdy peony shoots.  "These were flattened by the drought last year!"  I inform him.  "Absolutely dead!"  I show him my coreopsis.  "These can be divided next year."  I gloat.  "And wait until we build a potting shed and I can start using rooting hormone!"  Since he's not a "flower person," he politely admires and says yes, I've never seen such a healthy euphorbia and oh, definitely, that probably is a coneflower.  In short, he does exactly the right thing.

I am especially delighted because I've built this big garden from scratch.  When we moved in last year, the only things planted were a few hostas, a bleeding heart, and these daffodils (and weeds!).  I'm sure I've got at least 100 plants coming up now, and that doesn't include what's coming up in the greenhouses.  I've got 30 columbines alone!  Squeee!!!

I did have to do something regrettable, though - pricking out my chamomile.  "Pricking out" means thinning your seedlings, as they are likely to be too close.  That means they're competing for nutrients, space, and water, and are not going to thrive.  My chamomile went crazy this year:

I hate to lose even one plant, so pricking out is difficult for me.  Even though I have plenty of chamomile...even though I still have a few seeds left, and it grows easily if you broadcast the seed...I tried to save as many plants as I could.

This is a dangerous time for young seedlings.  First, they have to survive the upheaval of the pricking out.  Then they have to adjust to a new planting - which means that, until their roots fan out a bit, they are going to struggle to draw up water and nutrients.  Finally, they have to deal with "hardening off," or getting used to the sun, outside the comfort and protection of their little greenhouse space.  We have cold nights and sometimes fairly warm days, so this will make them tough - if they survive.  Finally, they'll have to make it through yet another relocation - to their final destination, my garden.  Fingers crossed that I have a healthy crop!

Todd and I have been working all around the property this week.  We walked the fields, trying to decide where to put the fences.

We attacked the fence line next to the house, spending hours and hours pulling up blackberry brambles and dried weeds.

We're both covered in scratches, but it's worth it to clear out that mess!  On our rambles, we discovered...redbud trees!

Another mystery tree about to flower...

Pollinators out and about!

And an entire slope of trillium/trout lilies by the stream leading to the pond!  They should be blooming within a week.

It's also heartening to see so many birds out and about.

And, another great harbinger of spring - our apple tree is starting to bud out!  I can't wait for the blossoms.

Although I'm irritatingly hampered by my sore shoulder, I love this springtime work.  I can't wait to see the fruits of our labor in a couple of months.

Have a great week!

rainbow bright

Bosewichte had a nice treat today. 

I planted some wheatgrass earlier this week.  Cats love it and I love how "SPRING!!!" it looks.  The roots are so shallow that the seeds will grow in anything (I've even seen it grown in eggshells!).  I had a natural wood tray with some tiny ceramic inserts that were perfect.

It grows fast. After just a day...

Check it out!

I have so many things growing inside in pots...one of my favorite March traditions.

I've got bulbs potted up on the front porch, too, and delightful patches of green are poking up all over the front garden!

I checked my little greenhouses, and was rewarded with some exciting growth.

Unfortunately, the soil is too wet.  I must've added too much water when I  prepared the soil mixture.  Certainly most of the seeds will rot, and it's too cool to open the greenhouse tops to evaporate out some of that water.  But now I know for next year, and I still have plenty of seeds to direct-sow in the garden this April.

Still seeing more signs of life out on the hiking trails...

And it's nearly St. Patrick's Day!  I made a batch of my annual St. Patrick's Day cookies a few days ago.  They're easy - a batch of vanilla cookie dough, split and rainbow colored, molded into a long cookie "snake" and encased in chocolate cookie dough.

They're slice and bake.

I may have pre-sampled one. YUM.

If I can get organized in time, I will also make corned beef/cabbage and Irish soda bread, although the corned beef and cabbage combo, at least, is not really an Irish (more of an Irish-American) tradition.  It's still a fun thing to do!

It's nice to have something to focus on, because the coronavirus issue is definitely concerning.  Todd and I are lucky...we don't have kids to find childcare for, we always work from home, and our business does not tend to be affected by downturns of the economy.  We're still taking precautions...practicing a little social distancing (one of my favorite things to do, anyway)...and keeping our loved ones close!

We have families and friends that we're worried about, and are concerned about all of the hourly workers that may be facing financial hardships due to restaurant and business closings...the kids who only get a square meal in school, and now school is cancelled indefinitely...those in the tourism trades that suddenly have nothing to do...and many, many others, especially those in other countries whose lives have been completely changed by the virus.  I hope that this self-imposed semi-quarantine arrests the virus here and that life can go back to normal soon.

Stay safe, everyone!