On The porch

Almost tulip time. My daughters' pink tulips are the first to develop heads. I'll show them maybe tomorrow. Today it rained all day so nothing got done outside. I rested and prepared seed trays for the second round of seed sowing. This time zinnias, sunflowers, strawflowers, cosmos, nasturtium, black eyed Susan vine or Cyprus vine. Lemon balm, peppers, tomatoes, pak choy, and a few I can't remember. Can't wait to get the bulbs off the porch so other things can be started and fill their spaces. I need to get out front and plant a container, a small basket for the door, and clean out the flower bed. Dormant perennials I ordered during the winter are waiting to be planted. Some out front, and some in the yard. There is so much to do in the yard. I've waited to clean up fall leave to provide a habitat for insects and possibly possums over the fall and winter. I'm anxiously waiting. Maybe in April. I hung some sheer curtains for a little more privacy although they'll probably be open during the day to let in as much sun as possible and drawn when I'm relaxing on the porch.

Lettuce, Georgia collards, spearmint, and I think peppermint, lemon thyme, and a few strawberry plants.

Last spring I put the bulbs outside and frost damaged them and stunted the blooms. Hopefully this won't happen this spring. Unexpected frosts are always still possible until mid May.

Went to Primex Garden Center last weekend and bought some carex grass, ranunculus, and vinca for my container. It's waiting patiently to be planted.

Can't forget the pansies.

The tips of some of the tulips did get some frost burn on their tips. I accidentally broke off the developing tulip bulb. I'll place it in water.

The roses and tulips are on my desk at work. Still doing well. Next week will be their second week but I'll have to trash them possibly mid week.

Didn't keep watering my lemon cypress tree and it's dead. I'll have to throw that out. The other pots are dormant perennials, bergenia, stachy hummelo, echinacea, brunnera, a tiny hydrangea, and hibiscus.

Not pleased with the hyacinths so far. One has rotted. It's still early and some others have opened and smell wonderful.

That's a tassel fern.

My lesson in growing kale on the sunporch over winter. Thought it would get larger. I need to pick the leaves and add to a stir fry. Next fall, I'll start them early so they can be larger before the temperature drops. Enjoy digging in the soil. It's time.

 

Pansy Time

 

Seedlings in Bloom

I wanted them garden ready but never thought they would all be blooming in March. They don't go outdoors until May. Double Cascade Orchid Mix Petunia. Seeds from Swallowtail garden seeds. Petunias are on the easiest annual seeds to start for me.

 

The Smell Of Spring

Tomorrow is the last day for the Philadelphia Flower Show. I went on opening day last week for the first time since COVID. The show was back indoor this year. Walked some and sat some. Left with 3 cattleya orchids. They smell wonderful. Can't wait until the next time they bloom. No humidity trays at the nursery today. I'll have to improvise. Almost spring. In Philly eastern red buds and cherry trees have started to bloom. My neighbors narcissus are in bloom. My sun porch smells wonderful from hyacinths that have started to emerge. I bought a flat of pansies today to be planted another day. Also lettuce, Georgia collards, herbs, and strawberry starts will help decrease the number of seeds I still have to start. My gomphrena seedlings have started to bloom. Hot orange globes. It's too early for that. I'll have to keep them alive. It's a while until the last frost day although I know they can take some cold. The ones I grew from seed last season lasted until frost killed them in November.

Seedling Progress

My seedlings are growing fast. Every time I water them they get larger. It's a long time until Mother's Day the time in my region when gardeners wait to put out plants. They'll be huge. I haven't finished starting seeds yet. Glad to have another plant shelf in the bedroom where I can use 2 shelves for seedlings because it's getting crowded on the shelf in my dining room. We've had a strange winter. More mild days than cold and probably less than half an inch of snow. I loved it. My seedlings seemed to do better this year starting them later and quickly germinated all of them including dragon wing begonia which usually takes a month to germinate when I've started them in December. Maybe global warming and the position of the sun may have something to do with it. My forced bulbs in containers on my porch are larger than usual. I'll post pictures of them another day. Won't make the mistake of putting them outdoors yet like last spring and we had frost and most were damaged and didn't do well. Looking forward to the first bloom which looks like it will be the hyacinths as the flower bulb is already above soil. Hyacinths forced for indoors died after a week of below freezing temperatures. I had them in my shed although they normally go in the cellar. Cold shattered the containers and the water drained out. Didn't even know what happened until weeks later. I threw away the bulbs. Glad I have some on the porch. In the fall, back to the cellar and I'll have to buy more forcing vases.

Love the markings on the pelargoniums. Some leaves appear burnt on one. Possibly too close to the lights. I'll start more as only 4 of 12 seeds germinated. I ordered more. The blooms are going to be salmon colored. I plan to overwinter them indoor next fall hopefully to have blooms all winter. We shall see. 

Gomphrena next to the pelargoniums. I have enough plant to have a small patch of them this year which I'll enjoy. The ones I started from seed last season did well and bloomed until frost killed them in November.

Those are gems. Won't have to buy them this year. The blooms will be orange.

Look at the verbena bonariensis. Can't wait. They are looking even better than last season. They will always be on my seed starting list. They're so pretty and like a cottage flower.

Nicotiana antique green a shorter green variety. Thought I started the tall white ones. Last season the nicotiana I started didn't bloom. It was huge until frost but not one bloom. I think they don't like being fertilized. I top dressed my flower bed with manure last spring. All the other plants loved it but maybe they didn't like it.

Coleus sunset from Baker Creek

More gomphrena that need to be transplanted.

Kong Coleus

Petunias and 2 pepper seedlings.

And finally, dragon wing begonia. I do have a few black eye Susan's and 3 foxgloves not shown. Hope they make it.

Some new houseplants. There was a large congo rojo in it's place but it had spots which I found out is a type of fungus. The fungus didn't spread to any other plants except a smaller rojo. Both thrown out. I have other philodendron but the fungus only damaged them. I read that all the damaged leaves could be cut off but it would take a long time for them to recover. Maybe in the future I'll buy another one. The monstera has 2 new leaves since it's arrived. The plant on the left is a Chinese evergreen. I also bought a silver bay which is in the living room but 1/2 the leaves fell off after preventive spraying it when I got it home. If it continues to live I won't be spraying that again. It was fun searching for plants this fall and winter and having them delivered to my doorstep. In spite of cold temperatures, nothing was damaged. I bought other philodendrons, a clementine tree that bloomed and had 1 fruit which I knocked off. Found some hoyas that were nice and other more colorful Chinese evergreens. Finally I did what I said I wouldn't do again. I bought my favorite. Two peace lilies. Many have died in my house although they're supposedly low light plants. This time it's placed in my bedroom window where it gets bright light. A jewel orchid and another type of orchid also purchased during the winter are doing well. Now to get them through the spring and summer. The Pennsylvania Flower Show starts on Saturday. It's back at the Convention Center and I'll be going, the first time since COVID started. Hope to get a few orchids and enjoy the show. Hope your seed starting in going well.

 

Seedlings

Seeds have germinated well and started popping up in 2 days.

The germination rate for the pelargoniums was not good. I can see the seeds after digging in each pod but don't know what happened. These are salmon colored. I have more seeds but they are reds and I want salmon this season. I may order more seeds.

Tomatoes and broccoli and some herbs to be started soon. Zinnias later.

 

Christmas Eve

 

Paper whites when I started them. Started hyacinths in the shed chilling.

My little lemon cypress. It actually smells like citrus when you rub the leaves.

Paper whites today.

Had to start planting bulbs in container. I've only begun. Next week is the week. This morning it was 8 degrees, so no planting bulbs

I usually use paper towel in the bottle to keep the soil from draining out.

Sorry for the side ways pictures. Didn't take time to turn them around before I down loaded them.

Merry Christmas. Have a beautiful holiday.