Reminicing About Warm Weather and Flowers

I was just day dreaming about warmer days. I sound hopeless don't I? Spring and summer are never going to come. So I picked up my computer and started looking through my pictures of past years.  I'd like to share a few with you.

 

The fall of 2009, I started two new gardens in my front yard. In this garden I moved some of my vintage yellow iris's and also planted some new flowers.

As you can see my soil is not the best, but with the advice of  some of my B & B friends hopefully this year I can change that. As anyone who has done any gardening at all would know, it is an ever changing and growing process.

This is the same garden, spring and summer of 2010.

My Black Iris's.

My Daylilies at twilight.

And this is late fall of 2010.

My second new garden I started on the fence line of the picture above. I think the only thing planted at this time was a lilac bush.

Then I added a few more small lilac bushes,

Different color Bee Balm to attract hummingbirds, and a few other perenniels.

I can't wait to see how everything comes up this year!

My new garden that I've started this spring is at the far end of this garden, on the other side of the far fence. Hopefully I'll  be able to grow some healthy tomato plants in the new one.

This picture is looking the opposite direction from the outside of the fence.

This is the before picture.

And this is the after picture. It's far from being ready, but that's what happens when you get one sunny day out of seven!  I started working on it yesterday, but as you can see the street is wet from rain. But, I'll keep you posted!!

What Happened to Spring?

What happened to Spring this year?  Here it is almost May 1st and the only thing I've got blooming in my yard are crocuss'.

I've got somethings coming up but everything is so late this year!

What ever happened to Spring?!

Planting Seeds 2011

I have planted seeds before but have had very little luck getting healthy looking growth. They were always tall and lanky and didn't do well once in the garden. Then I met some really great people in a group on Birds and Blooms Website and that all changed!

Before, I just threw a bunch of seeds in a big container and put it in a window. Now I've got a neat setup down my basement with lights.

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Before, I just put soil right from the bag into the container. But I found out from my new friends that you need to mix the soil with water before hand, in a large container so it's moist all the way through before you using it.

They told me to plant the seeds and cover them with saran wrap. But I bought the Grower Starter Kit that comes with a clear plastic lid.

 Keep them moist with a spray bottle of water untill the plant emerges, then place under the lights. Make sure the lights are always 2 inches above the plants. I put my lights on chains that I can adjust the height. Also at this time I started watering them from the bottom, using a tray underneath.

The person that helped me the most,  her nickname is Wilderness, told me to make a solution of  water and listerene,  1 tsp.listerene to 1 pint of water,  to prevent  fungus. She says this is a big problem with new seedlings.  Spray them every other day with this solution and also put an oscillating fan on them for part of the day.
When they have a double set of leaves like the tomato plants in this picture......

it's time to transplant them into a larger container.  I used small butter containers, yogart containers and pop bottles cut off like in the picture above.  All of these ideas were given to me from my newfound friends on B & B!  Now, check on them daily, water as needed, spray  with vineager water,  give them lots of love and they finally end up looking like this........

I can't wait to plant them in the garden! Thanks to all my good friends on B & B!!!