Saturday, February 24, 2018

Sowing Pelargonium Summer Showers

Ordered 2 packs but only sowed one. The first were delivered according to a delivery confirmation from UPS. But I have a mail slot that the seeds could fit through so they weren't delivered to my house. I guess a neighbor will enjoy them,  Burpee promptly sent out replacement seeds.  Showers are ivy leaf geraniums. Although we us the word geraniums they're pelargoniums. The hardy perennial ones are geraniums. Thankful my tickets arrived for the flower show. P. Allen Smith will be doing a class and I hope to be able to participate if I can get close enough.

Onto the seed shelf. Heat mat off for this season although I haven't cleaned and rolled it away.

Going to start, lettuce, kale, peppers, tomatoes, basil, broccoli, and basil next. Also going to try mustard greens which I've never tried. I won't transplant them until I order a new raised planted from Gardener's Supply. I've been looking at them for a couple of years. Gardeners Supply has a nice template tool to use for square foot gardening that lets you know how many starts go in each foot. This year I'll actually try to follow the diagram I printed out. They planter is six feet long by 2 feet in diameter. So I'll have 12 1 feet squares to grow in.

Hope these can produce in the yard. The shade in my yard is getting less and less due to the tree canopy. I didn't get the trees cut hanging over my yard this fall. Maybe after the trees leaf out.

Supposedly small romaine heads.

I've grown this in the yard before and it does well.


Normally grown the red, yellow, and orange chard but I'll try this one now.

The heirloom pepper is supposedly good for containers and Waltham broccoli is a good variety for my region 7a.


I've never had success with nasturtium although I soak and nick the seed..

My cat keeps eating my house plant so it's time to start some cat grass for him because I do have plants that are poisonous to pets although they're hanging and she can't get to them.

For my vegetables and herbs. Hopefully I get to them tomorrow.

I use this on my seedlings and they enjoyed it and all look more happy since watering them with it.



Those are the black velvet geraniums I started on coffee filters. Only 1/2 germinated so 50% of old seeds germinated. They look strange. As soon as the true leaves emerge I'll transplant them into pots deeper. Coleus seedlings saved. I usually don't throw anything out. They were the tiniest ones left but as you see they've grown.

Pink geraniums that were started on coffee filters. Four of 5 germinated.

I'm so pleased with my foxgloves.

Really going to try to get the other foxglove seedling transplanted tomorrow and  the snapdragons below.

They look a little more fragile. We shall see.

Sunday, February 18, 2018

Seedlings

I sowed 10 Black Velvet Geraniums on coffee filters a week ago and it's time to remove some. Five pink geraniums from last years seeds were also sown an germinated.

I put them in pellets until they grow some more before transplanting them. Coffee filters will probably be my method in the future to start them to avoid wasting seed starting mix for seeds that don't germinate.


Finally getting around to transplanting them.





 Seedlings transplanted last week still doing okay. I should have enough foxgloves to make me happy.



Vinca. Wanted to start more but not now. Maybe I'll start some for the fall for indoor blooms as house plants.
Echinacea's are struggling but alive.

A few geraniums survived but didn't handle being transplanted and may not make it. They're laying down now!

Geraniums







On another day I'll try to do something with the foxgloves and snapdragons if they survive. Plant abuse. I'll water them and hope they'll stand back up.

Yes they stood back up after a few hours.






The lady in red is snowing off.

And it's almost that time. Bulbs on the porch planted in containers are emerging. Beautiful snow fall last night but spring is near.

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Happy Valentine's Day

She bloomed just for me on Valentine's Day! What a beautiful Amaryllis.

Did you have your flowers and chocolate treat? Hope you had a beautiful day.