What's Growing

Inside my seedlings continue to grow. The scarlet runner and purple hyacinth beans are really taking off. I've had to pot them up. I need to address the tomatoes next. They really should be potted up. The peppers are just starting. I had been putting all these seedlings outside on my covered front porch a couple hours a day for better sun but it has stayed so cold here that some of them actually shriveled right up and died! (Sort of like spring.) I have been keeping them indoors all day since then. Most bounced right back. Hopefully next week will warm up a bit. I am sure they can't wait to get their roots into the earth. How hopeful I am when I look at these starts and think of Earth Day. What better way to celebrate than to expand the garden, feed its soil and us, too!

Outside (in the near freezing cold) my milk jug plantings are just sprouting – so far hyssop and larkspur.

Back in the potager, things are starting to happen.

Rhubarb

Strawberries

Tarragon

Garlic Chives & Chives

Garlic

Snap Peas

This year I planted my peas really early after reading that in the Northeast, peas should be planted after St. Patrick's Day. I think that may be why my peas have not always done so well. Hopefully, this year, starting out in the cold (and it is c-c-cold), they will do better. We sure will find out!

What's Blooming

I believe these are Glory of the Snow, Chionodoxa. I planted them for the first time last fall and they are just beginning to pop up. They should naturalize over time.

 

The daffodils should open any minute! They are starting to fill out and form nice drifts.

Another new addition last year, scilla 'Spring Beauty,' a brilliant blue. The new, tight balls of blooms remind me of berries.

Most of my reticulated iris and early crocus are already done blooming, with the exception of Blue Pearl crocus. Blue Pearl is in its first year and I hope it naturalizes over the next few years to form bigger clumps.

 

Garden bloggers' bloom day is hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens the 15th of each month. Stop by and add your blog to the list so we can see what's springing up in your garden.

April Showers

Raindrops keep falling on my ...

... crocus blooms. And just like the guy whose feet are too big to tread in my flower bed, those raindrops keep falling ...

... and falling on my buds. So I just did some talking to the sun to shine things up and warm my bleeding hearts. But raindrops keep falling on my sedum heads. They keep falling ...

... on my blue spruce. But beautiful blue will not defeat me. It won't be long until Spring unfurls to greet me.

Raindrops keep falling and falling on my head, but that doesn't mean my iris will soon be turning red.

No my tulips will turn red instead.

So I'm not complaining that it keeps on raining because you see ...

... rabbits and deer won't eat my daffodils, so nothing's worrying me. Raindrops keep falling but I'll have May flowers from these April showers and that's fine by me.