Preparing for Spring

A few days till spring. Temperatures during the day have warmed to the 60's almost over night. By nightfall it still feels like winter. Today is chilly and rainy, a good day to burn some of the fire wood I bought in the fall. Inside the house is cool although the heat is still on. Turning off the thermostat till fall is always exciting because the bill will be so much lower. I was horrified with my last 2 gas bills this winter. It'll be nice to have that space on my porch where fire wood is for plants soon. I'm already thinking of what large tall plant to buy. For the past few years I have been resisting the urge to buy a palm, knowing that it will have to come inside during the winter and palms need light. I'm going  to buy one this year. We'll see what happens in the fall. If you've been reading my blog for a while you know that I mentioned that I usually change things up a little each season. It's that time again.

 Yesterday I spent hours after work until dusk cleaning the porch, taking an inventory of what I have, what I need, and how I want the porch to look this season. My daughter and I spend a lot of time out there, reading, talking, and enjoying the weather. It's nice to sit outside in the rain and not get wet. The rattan settee on the porch is filled with cushions and pillows of different colors. This season I'd like to match the cushions and only have 2 colors, white for the pillows, and a fabric I bought last summer to make cushions but didn't get to. This weekend I'd like to cut out the cover for the settee so I can make some progress and maybe by sometime in April, the new cover can go on. I also want to paint the porch floor. I didn't get to it last summer before the weather got too hot. The multiple window panes also have to be painted and that should end my painting there for a while. Unfortunately I broke a beautiful green ceramic flower pot I just bought. I loved the color. I have 2 smaller ones, but it's not the same. I'm hopeful that I'll find a replacement in the store.

What are my plans today? I woke up later than expected. On the weekend I like to get up early. It makes me feel I have more time to do things. I got dressed and sat on the porch. Read part of a gardening magazine, ate breakfast on the settee and fell asleep there. Not part of my plans. I'm now inside going through my curtains to see which one's I'd like in the living room and kitchen. I already have some pretty yellow floral ones for the bathroom with a matching rug and towels. I like white and lighter cooler colors  at this time of year. It makes me feel better and lifts my mood after months of shorter cold dark days. Soon I'll take up the rug in the living room till fall.

Today I'd also like to freshen up the house plants. Some have dead leaves to remove and some need repotting. I don't expect to get to everything today just start. Windows need washing, blinds taken down, washed and rehung, and surfaces wiped down. I hope to get around to finishing up the tiling in my kitchen the next few months. It would look so much better finished. Seeds are soaking on my dining room table hopefully to soften the seed coat before planting this weekend. The seedling I have are few but my geraniums should make it and look good. The second set of coleus I started are small and fragile although many should make it and I hope to repot some today.  Life is busy. 

I see plants breaking ground in the yard through my windows. There's also evidence that the neighborhood cat has visited. The new arborvitae I planted had a tough time with the weight of the snow. Hope they can recover. I just planted them in the fall. Waiting for pansies at the garden center. Did a drive buy this week to see if anything was out yet. They'll definitely be available by Easter. Can't wait. I cut my ornamental grass out front and cleaned out winter's evergreen branches. The planter is now ready for spring. The squirrels are still eating my bulbs. How sad. I already have a plan to keep them from eating in the fall. I hope they're still some spring bulbs to come up soon. They were so pretty last spring.

Black eye Susan seeds soaking.

Nasturtiums

Geraniums (pelargoniums)

The only 2 coleus that survived the first sowing. I like that they are dark colored ones.

I have about 6 geraniums this size. They'll be house plants at the rate they're growing.

Dragon wing begonia. Trying them again. They may not get large enough by time to plant out but that's okay. They can be house plants for the window seal.

I have to stand that one up. I knocked it down watering it. When they get this size they can be handled.

The only impatiens that germinated out of a whole tray. They should have been transplanted a long time ago. It would be nice if they make it.

Salvia. They look strong a good seed to work with.

Coleus are starting to show their colors. I'll transplant them a little deeper as they are elongated from not enough light.

One calibrachoa sprout. The other 3 dried up. Twenty seven more never germinated.

Fabric for my cushions. I don't even like the fabric now. I think the butterflies sold me at the time. It's this or solid red fabric I already have. I'll think about it.

This is what I'll probably be doing most of the evening inspite of my ambitious list of what to do.