Christmas In The City

On the way to Center City to see some of  the Christmas Village before it leaves. Snow from last night had mostly melted when I arrived back home. Except for my street. 

I've arrived. Lets do Macy's windows first.

Didn't stay for the Christmas show at Macy's. Lots of children from suburbia in the city for the activities.

Lets walk inside. Christmas Village is now at City Hall.

Okay, I won't get on just look and enjoy it.

Not a painting, Pure handmade silk. There were many portraits all beautiful.

Never learned to ice skate but that's okay. It looks fun.

Did some shopping but only bought a hat. Time for some lunch in the Reading Terminal.

One of my favorite places.

If I'd seen the tea biscuits on the right I'd of bought them. Glad I didn't see them.

Contessa's French Linens.

Bought some Botanical Interests seeds from the seed rack here. Couldn't find my seeds when I got home. Do you think someone took them out my bag while I slept.

Back home I rode past my stop. Asleep on the bus. Christmas time is not the time to sleep on the bus. This display is at the Thrift Shop where I got off the bus.

Hope you enjoyed the day.

Back home. Marilyn's second day.

Amaryllis Marilyn

Who told her to bloom before Christmas. She opened tonight. Marilyn is lovely. An appropriate name for a beautiful amaryllis. I guess it's close enough. While the 3rd snow event is on the ground, I'll admire the blooms and watch gardening videos. Dangerous driving after work today while the snow was falling and roads untreated. Snow was expected and I don't know why the city didn't treat the road before it snowed. Glad to arrive home safely.

I have to behave. Last night while sorting seeds, I added many not planned packets to my to start seed list.  The initial list only included coleus, begonia, vinca, pelargoniums, and echinacea.  Phlox, violas, bergenia (trying them again), spike plant, rudbeckia, petunia, stock, merigolds, stachy, and others somehow were added to a large pile. Do I like to see seedlings die! Of course not. I'll have to behave. Tonight the soil in my begonia tray was dry..and a small patch of mold was growing in the container with the foxgloves. Drama already. The excitement of seed starting.

Seed Starting Begonia and Foxglove

Glad to already have some seed trays I cleaned but didn't use from last season.

Starting 3 types of begonias all in the same tray. They won't be labeled so hopefully I can identify them when they get their true leaves. I've grown Big Red and Bada Bing before so I should be able to tell which is which.

Filled each tray with Jiffy seed starting mix.

Didn't sit them in a tray of water but used a spray bottle to wet each cell until water ran out the bottom then poured off the excess. I used warm water. Sowed all 20 pelleted seeds of Illumination and Big Red and 3 in each cell of Bada Bing. Begonia have taken at least a month in the past to germinate for me. Pressed each seed so it made contact with the soil and spritzed to wet the coating of the pelleted seeds. The seedling starts out very tiny and may be hard to see. Seeing the seeds germinate is the funnest part for me although I'll have to wait a while to see the begonias.

Sowed them all. That may not have been a good thing. I get overwhelmed with too many seeds in a tray. Sprinkled them on the top of a tray not sown in individual cells. Then lightly covered with seed starting mix and spritzed with water.

Plugged in the heating mat to warm it up. It should be warm before unrolling so I don't damage the heat coils in the mat. I got this several years ago from Hydro Galaxy. There are other alternatives to bottom heat including the top of a warm refrigerator or furnace or other appliance that has a warm surface. According to the seed packages for the begonias, bottom heat aids germination. What have I learned from growing them before. Although they take a long time to germinate, the grow bigger each day and are very hardy. They like humidity and I keep the humidity dome on them most of the time with some ventilation until they're a good size. During the summer, I bought taller domes for when they grow larger.

Placed on the warm mat. Florescence lights are on. I keep them on all night and turn off in the morning. My seedlings normally get about 14 hours under light.

Wanted to start them first instead of foxgloves but it took me a while to remember where the seeds were. They've been in the refrigerator for months to mimic a period of cold called stratification. Some seeds need a period of cold before they germinate.

Amaryllis Marilyn is trying to open. No, not yet. It isn't Christmas.  Hopefully the buds will continue to increase in size before opening.

The Face of Winter

I complain every year about squirrels eating planted bulbs but every living creature has to eat. There's enough fruit, grains, nuts, vegetables, and herbs for all. Never thought they'd like ornamental kale but it is an edible. A fresh meal in the mist of a frosty snow covered fall day. It is actually still fall although we've had our first snow.This afternoon having hot chocolate and sitting on the stool looking out the kitchen window, I caught one eating my kale leaf by leaf. Morsel by morsel it tore off each piece and threatened any other squirrels sitting on the fence to join in the feast. By the time I wrote this post several squirrels have devoured the kale and only a nub is sticking up from the soil. Two leaves have dropped to the ground. I'm sure they'll find them later. Tomorrow I'll trek through the mushy wet soil and snow and put some of the pumpkins and corn from fall displays  in the planter. Can't wait to see them eat. Do I want to encourage them? They'll be tearing up the yard soon enough when the first hint of spring arrives. I ordered a seed wreath for the birds and probably for them also. They loved the bird feeder filled with black oil sunflower seeds I had in the yard as much as the cardinals and sparrows.