Seedlings etc.

( Note: Blogger is acting up this evening and won't re-size my images. So, as always to see a bigger version of the pics, simply click on them.)

Nature continues it's showy spring roll out with a seemingly endless array of sights, smells, and bird song. Oh, what a delight it is. Pictured is a Sessile Bellwort which has found a place in the front yard. So perfectly delicate and colored. The other morning I went out to the front deck with a cup of coffee and found myself listening to the beautiful song of some bird I could not identify. It was glorious. The Lilac has been in full bloom these past two days and it's heavenly scent is wafting through the yard imbuing the whole place with a magical aura. Beautiful, moving, and reassuring spring.

Some tulips that blossomed in the past few weeks...

I was late sowing tomatoes, didn't get them started until about two weeks ago. They should nonetheless provide a crop... I hope. With this week's high temps they grew much in the past few days and I potted them on, earlier this evening. They'll go in the ground in a couple of weeks. I have been able to place them outside during the day ever since they germinated and doing so has given them a robust character. Seedlings that are exposed to breezes develop stronger stems than those that are coddled in hot houses. These are going to be very good plants I think. Also sown were some zucchini, which is growing gung-ho, some nasturtiums--doing well, petunias--terrible germination, and black-eyed Susan vine--also far from satisfactory germination. I have 2 of the vines and 2 or 3 petunias! There are enough zucchini plants to probably feed the whole town, prolific as they are. Several plants will go to the neighbors.

Just after potting on the tomato seedlings this evening, with some of the zucchini visible on left...

The cost of plants in nurseries has sky rocketed. Shockingly so. I was at a local place this week, 4" pots are over $8 each! A hanging pot with a large geranium: $50!! I shall say no more other than that is not going to make gardening a money saving effort!

The latest quilt square is presenting challenges. Firstly, the pattern's author pictured the central shapes as two-tone leaves and that didn't suit me, so I decided to make them a stylized sun. So far so good. But there are four flowers, one in each corner, and they have many petals that become very narrow near the center of the flower. I have successfully cut out two of them, but the third one started falling apart at those narrow areas. I think I need to find a more tightly woven wool to use for these. Also, because of the narrowness, blanket stitch is out of the question. I checked the author's sample and she put blanket stitch along one edge of each petal only. I wasn't keen on that either, so I'm sewing these down with whip stitch and may then decorate the edges with something else. Not sure yet.

(I've decided not to crop out my current reading. I never read it as a child, only ever saw the wonderful movie that used to come on TV once a year. It's never too late, and it's an enjoyable quick read! 😊 )

Wild things, Tame things, and Sheep and Wool

 

That's a Dogtooth Violet (Erythronium). Ran across them while I was strimming some brambles out back last week, in the dappled shade where the forest meets the field. So, so pretty. There was a whole patch of them...

I'd never seen them before since it was an area I've managed to avoid all these years.

On the other side of the yard, in front, I found these beauties in a small patch. I have seen them in years past up on the other side of the stone wall. Glad they are feeling comfortable in approaching nearer. Trillium...

Finally, one bank on the edge of the front lawn is covered in violets this time of year. Their soft blue/purple is a sight for sore eyes...

Among the domesticated flora greeting the spring are some pretty Daffodils. I do love them so. This one is my favorite of all...

Aren't they beautiful! I must plant more next fall.

Another striking blue, Muscari...

I have a few Hyacinths that I purchased from the supermarket in years past, sold as forced indoor blossoms. I put them out in the garden when they're done in the house. This is one of them, it's getting on in years now...

My neighbor and I visited the NH Sheep and Wool festival over the weekend. These festivals are always a good vibe. It was a lovely day...

Finally, I saw the Aurora Borealis Friday night! We had clouds moving in and out but in between there were a couple of really nice displays. It was awesome. I hope you got to see them where ever you are.

Another block is finished for the quilt and the next one is started.

Yard and Garden

 

Pulmonaria

The Lungwart (Pulmonaria) is blossoming. Its truly delightful blue/purple color is a welcome site against the mostly brown/grey of the yard at this time of year. And so easy to grow.

I got an early start on the yard and garden this year, it seems to me. I've already cleaned up most of the walkway border where the teeny tiny Tête-a tête Daffodils are in full bloom at the moment. Such a cheerful sight! They brighten the grayest of days.

Yesterday I put the blade attachment on the strimmer and went at the bramble patch. Despite being drowned out by the brambles every year, the daylilies that established themselves on the bank continue to persist and that makes me happy. This summer I will keep beating back the brambles hoping to eventually eliminate them from that area of the yard. I want it back:

I need to go back and pick up all the chopped down brambles. Today I focused just to the right of this area where there is an old chicken coop, shed?, and cold frame. The chicken coop has been looking very dilapidated and I went down with the intention of demolishing and removing it. But as I started working on it, I realized that the walls of the coop are very solid, it's just the roof that's caved in. Now I don't want to get rid of it because it's so well built. It's making me want to try chickens, but I'm so unsure about it. More thought needed. Predators are a worry, as is my schedule.

L to R: Chicken coop, cold frame, and shed.

It gave me pause this afternoon to realize that in my 10 years here I've never used this cold frame. That's going to change. It, too, is very solid and I'm going to start some seedlings in it this year. I think retirement might have something to do with this turn of events. The covers seem too opaque to me so I will look for something to replace them. It probably retains heat quite well. I can put a remote thermometer in it and monitor the temps. Sounds like a plan.

The shed on the right is also in good shape but I wish it was up closer to my garden; it would make a great garden shed. But it's too heavy to move so it will remain unused for now.

Last year, the rose pillar that was holding up my Dutchman's Pipe vine fell over. It was quite a predicament because the vine was completely intertwined with the pillar and I had no idea how I could remove it without destroying the plant.

Well. The other day as I was looking it over, I remembered that I had put that pillar together and therefor I could disassemble it. So I went at it with screwdriver and pliers this afternoon. It was easy to pull the vertical supports out of the vine but the circular bands were knotted in place. With a bit of prying and minimal cutting, I got everything freed up. Hurray! I did not have to cut any of the big stems, only some much thinner ones. The pruning will probably be beneficial to it in the end. So the climbing rose now has the rose pillar--which it needed, and I can find something more suitable for the Dutchman's Pipe to grow on. So glad that dilemma is resolved.

One task that had to be done this year was cutting the oregano down to size. It had completely overtaken the herb circle I built several years ago, crowding out all the other herbs. To be honest it didn't look so great last year. Maybe because it had gotten so out of hand. So I went at it aggressively. Very aggressively: I pulled it all out. Knowing now how it spreads, I'll get a new plant and give it a more suitable space.

It's nice to see the circle again.

Also starting to flower at this time are a few pansy plants that I planted 3 years ago! They keep coming back! To be sure, I'm down to just a few plants now, but it's wonderful to see them so early, in blossom.

This square will probably be done by end of week: