ROUNDUP IS ALMOST OVER

I have almost finished rounding up the strays. All those tiny little seedlings are now where they belong in the new flowerbed. That is all except the poppies. They are still way too tiny to make the attempt so I have been faithfully watering them for an hour each day to hurry up the process. I can't plant any vegetables until they all get moved.

The new flowerbed is looking great and getting fuller all the time. I can hardly wait for everything to be in bloom. So far I have enjoyed the white tulips, crocus and grape hyacinth. The pink hyacinth just opened yesterday so that is exciting.

I had to come and let everyone know that I had something funny happen the other day by accident. I had washed up an old doll bed and had it sitting at the edge of the garden until I could think of something to use it for and as I walked by being in a hurry I through my hand tool into it. I started to laugh as the thought came to my mind, "I am putting my tools to bed for the night!" I shared it with my husband and he said I should share it with the blog.

I am so thankful for those volunteer plants which just come up in the spring on their own. We have been enjoying salads for weeks now and the garden wasn't even planted yet. My lettuce and radishes are just at the leaf stage so it will be a while yet before we can cut any of that but my spinach and green onions have been cut constantly.

The strawberry plants have been put in and now the long wait for berries. They are looking great however and it is still exciting to watch them grow.

Our snow also has gone at last and the sunshine is beautiful. I was able to plant my carrots, beets and parsnips (these from the seeds from a plant from last year)

I will wait a few weeks before I brave putting out the tomatoes or basil or peppers.
Speaking of which I should share with you that I wanted to put in some hot peppers and didn't want to buy a whole package of seeds as I would have them for many, many years to come. I decided to buy one little pepper and cut out the seeds and dry them and that little pepper cost all of 18 cents. I got 21 plants came up and I thought I only planted 18 seeds. Go figure. I will keep you all up to date on how the plants progress and if they produce so you can also try this method.

SPRING IS ALMOST OVER

When I look out the window and see the totally white snow covered fields it amazes me that summer is almost upon us. The trees look like a Christmas card scene and it is really beautiful to behold if it was the proper season to enjoy it.

We just last week transplanted a field of strawberries and now winter has arrived once again. Hopefully the plants won't die from shock.
It will be funny to look back at these entries and the dates and the weather. Alberta certainly is unpredictable.

We talked with our daughter in Ontario and she was telling us how terribly hot it was there (27 degrees Celsius) and I was wearing a sweater and a winter jacket. Oh, for the days of warmth to come back.

Well, enough of feeling sorry that I am not able to get out in the garden but I had to tell someone how disappointing it was to have a blizzard on May 22, May 23 and May 24, 2007. And it looks like it will stay that way again tomorrow.

There are only 4 weeks until the first day of summer and winter just isn't letting go.

SNOW AGAIN

Well now that we are almost at the end of the month of May you would think we had seen the last of the snow. But, NO, it is here once again or should I say still. Who would believe that with the plants coming up in the ground it would get cold enough for snow. Only in Alberta can the weather fluctuate so much and so quickly. It can be 20 degrees celcius and then the temperature drops low enough to give us more snow.

I had to hurry to bring in my little baby seedlings to the warmth and protection of the house. I don't dare to take the chance of leaving them outside even though protected under plastic. The evenings have been quite cool but they have remained strong and healthy but since the plants are doing so well I couldn't risk losing them after all these weeks of caring for them.

I did plant the same flower seeds outdoors and the plants are sooooo much smaller but I wanted to see what the difference would be. I will wait until I am sure it is safe to put out the ones I started inside and it will be interesting to see just how much difference there really will be. Since I planted only those that would reseed and come back again year after year it will be interesting to know if planting them outside will make the plants more hardy to this unpredictable weather.

My new flowerbed which I dug up by hand in the fall is about 12 feet deep and about 40 feet long. Many of the plants I put in last year are up and very healthy. Mostly perennials are planted at the back. I have hollyhocks, delphiniums, Bachelor Buttons, Bee Balm, Lovage and Comfrey. Since these are all tall and stately plants it makes a wonderful background for all the new plants I have put in and will put in this year. So far I have put a hosta, and in the fall I put bulbs for tulips, grape hyacinths, daffodils, hyacinths, etc. When these bulbs start to die down the plants I am putting out later will cover the spots and the beauty will go on without bare spots in the garden. I was thrilled last fall to find a sale on bulbs which were regularly priced $4.99 and on sale for $1.00 per package. Needless to say I purchased 15 packages and planted them immediately. Not all have come up to my disappointment and I am sure it has something to do with the many, many neighborhood cats using my freshly dug flowerbed as a new litter box dug up just for them.

I am hoping to figure out how to put pictures to share the changes with others as things start to fill in. I don't know yet how to do so but it would be nice to watch the stages and the final outcome and have a record to look back on.

HERE AT LAST

Last week I went through the yearly job of rounding up the strays. Oh, how those little seeds spread throughout the entire garden. I went out with my trowel and ice cream bucket. Patiently I sought out each tiny little plant coming up in all the wrong places and dug each one out gathering them together in my little pail. As the grouping grew the bottom of the pail filled up and when it was tightly full I found the perfect spot for planting it again. I dug a nice round hole and carefully placed the entire circle of volunteer seedlings into the hole. I now had a lovely circle of bachelor button's, sweet williams, daisies and dianthus. Now to wait for next years roundup.
Our first rain but the air is so cold that you wonder if it will freeze coming down. At least the ground will be getting moisture to help all those wonderful little seeds that have waited all winter to begin their sprouting and growth . Now for the warmth to come and encourage all those dormant bulbs into existance.
So much is going on under the ground and if only our patience can endure the wait to see the beauty arise in our back yards. Time just seems to go by so S L O W L Y!!!
Until next time and there is more news to pass on. Bye

THE SUN IS SHINING

What a wonderful day! Praise the Lord for His goodness!
As Murphy's Law would have it I am nowhere near my garden. Oh, the itching urge to get home and dig in the dirt is consuming my thoughts. It becomes difficult to visit on days like this.
Now that I know my lettuce has poked its head above the ground and my radishes are planted and the little green hairs sticking up through the dirt are trying to become onions for that mouth watering salad I yearn for. I can hardly wait to be sharing my bountiful supply when others are just beginning to plant their seeds or work up their ground. I am beginning to realize that I am a compulsive gardener. It has become a year round urge to see growth and benefit from the fresh produce or beauty of flowering plants.
It brings such joy to my life to be able to share my flowers and plants and produce with my neighbors and friends and family.
To think we can have all these gifts from those tiny little seeds and yet benefit from the time in the fresh air, enjoy the sunshine and get exercise all at the same time. No need to join a gym or tanning salon and the time alone with the Lord is the greatest benefit of all. People often think I must be crazy to love weeding but the time alone with my Lord is so precious and brings me such peace that I can't help but be ADDICTED! Bye

SPRING IS HERE AT LAST

Well, who would believe that we would be watching the snow still coming down on April 18. Imagaine that, gardening will just have to wait. Praise the Lord for the extra moisture going into the ground and we can look forward to the weather improving sometime.
At least I can enjoy the little plants indoors which I started a few weeks ago. It keeps me encouraged that they will soon go into the ground outside. It is so much fun to watch those tiny seeds break through the ground and become lovely little green plants. Even my one and only geranium broke forth with beautiful colorful flowers. What a celebration to be blessed with these little day brighteners.
I planted a number of new bulbs into my flowerbed last fall and am anxiously awaiting their arrival as this is the first time I have had bulbs to come up in the spring. And it would have to be the year that spring decides to be late in arriving.
I guess I will have to content myself with reading Gardening Books for a few more weeks.
We learn patience through these strange occurances in weather.