Saturday on the Porch

Yes I'm still planting bulbs and hoping they'll bloom in spring. As you can see they're still healthy. No mold, solid and most of the tops have started to emerge. Don't laugh. They're going in containers on the porch till spring. Ninety tulips, 40 irsis, and 20 crocus. I have to do better next year. 

Planted 6 containers and still have one bag of irises and 40 tulips left. I actually was in the garden center yesterday and following my instincts was a good thing. Summer bulbs have started to arrive. Bare root dahlias, echinacea, canna, peony, lilies, elephant ears, caladium, fruit trees, berries, onion sets, seed potatoes, starter hydrangea and many more plants and tons of seeds and seed starting supplies.

Trying to avoid an explosion of gnats multiplying. Have to find some newspaper to cover the containers but paper towel will do for now.

Hellebores's still pretty but brought with them a few gnats to the porch. That's not good. Isn't it too cold on the porch for gnats? I guess not.

They'll be planted in the yard in spring. I have a tiny one I bought on line 3 years ago that's still tiny and has not bloomed. Maybe these will do better since they're already big plants. Looking forward to seeing how they do in the yard this summer.

It's fifty degrees on the porch and beautiful outside but windy.

Spent most of the morning outside sweeping the front, raking leaves and bagging them up, trimmed the ornamental grass, removed the smelly ornamental kale from the containers, took down the Christmas wreath (yes it was still up and alive), wiped some things down, and finally inside for brunch.

Back to the poor excuse for hyacinths. What's the matter with them. I believe these were purchased later than my first order. Thought I was forcing the blue hyacinths but these have so far been shades of purple. Maybe I planted the blues outdoors. Spring will tell. Glad to keep my order on the computer because I won't be ordering hyacinths from this company any more. Plan to write a review on their web site and on Dave's Garden Watch when I look at my purchase order.

Hope they eventually look better than this when open. The few blooms that are open are smelling up the living room and smell wonderful. I have some on the desk in my office and they smell wonderful.

Paper whites finishing up. I enjoyed them this year.

Do you still have fall pumpkins? I think the squirrels in the yard would enjoy these. Have to get in the yard soon and put them out.

Lets hope the bulb emerges and it straightens up.

In the kitchen window waiting to be moved under plant lights. Still don't know what to do with them in regards to separating them.

They're stretching for the sun. What happened to the other seeds I started? White swan echinacea didn't germinate. I got tired of waiting and threw them in the trash. Was going to throw the purple cone flowers in the trash today but saw a few had germinated in the kitchen window. Impatiens may be trashed next. I bought fresh seed but they're taking longer to germinate than I was expecting. Petunias have also not germinated. Coleus doing well but still small. Don't have their true leaves yet. Some lupins have germinated. Only a few violas remain and they're starting to get their true leaves. I'll put them in 2 small pots hopefully this weekend. Begonias didn't do well this season at all. Thinking about starting some more. I'll show you how they're doing in another post. You started your seeds yet? I'd like to winter sow many of the rest I want to try but have to clean out some containers first.