On the Porch

The hellebores are beautiful.

On the porch.

Bird, squirrel, and cat watching.

Pelargoniums, pansies, and last years bulbs. I call this the hospital. They wait for spring.

Back inside. She wants a little attention. This is the way she looked at me.

I guess this won't be the star this winter. Hopefully the others will do better. Still waiting.

It's only 50 degrees today but cool indoors. With the warm weather the heater is not jumping on. We'll have a fire. You can bring the marshmallows.

In the kitchen window. Makes me nervous just thinking about how to remove them. I'll let them grow and continue to water from the bottom. If I spritz them from the top it would be over. Foxgloves and snapdragons.

A Gardener's Delight in the Winter

Sometimes gardeners are an embarrassment. But only to those that don't garden. They don't understand what all the excitement's about. Seeing the faces of other shoppers as they look in glee at all the blooms in winter as they load their carts with tropical plants, orchids, paper whites, hyacints, narcissus, calla lilies... Should I go on. I wasn't the only one. Not another house plant when I can get fragrant primroses. I always make sure to get some yellow blooming ones because they're so fragrant. I've been waiting for them to arrive in stores and bought my share for $1.50 a piece. Cheaper than the garden center. I'll show you some other colors tomorrow with the hellebore's for $4.00's a pot. Couldn't believe it. Do you know how much they cost for a small pot at nurseries and online! Okay there was no variety but who cares.

Poor excuse for a hyacinth bloom. It's early yet. Maybe it'll open up more and put on a better show. Smells wonderful though.

I won't buy another plant. Until spring.

They smell wonderful.

Home On The Range

Hyacinths have greened up since brought from the basement a few days ago.

The bloom is finally trying to emerge after brought up from the basement weeks ago. Yes that's me in the background.

I can see the bloom inside the small hyacinth. Didn't think it would do anything. Hopefully they'll all continue to grow tall and be beautiful in bloom. Can't wait to smell them.

On the dining room table. After careful thought, I think I'll try winter sowing again. I have a lot of seeds I'd like to try but no space for them. Containers have to be washed first. Another day.

Coleus had started to germinate over night.

They're big seedlings. Maybe those are the Kong ones.

Coleus seeds starting to swell before they germinate. They were tiny black specks when I sprinkled them on the pellets.

Okay, I've killed most of the geraniums I sowed. Instead of taking the tops off when they started to germinate, I waited as I usually do and took them off the heat mat. Think they were traumatized and many layed down and died. What's a gardener to do? I have some old geranium seedof Black Velvet from 2013. I'll sow them and see if they come up. I refuse to buy a geranium this spring. Remind me I said this. I must grow my own. They're not hard annuals to grow when directions are followed. 

Got to get around to potting up my few vinca. I'll wait to they have 4 leaves.

Echinacea Prarie Splendor growing slowly but alive, yeah!

Thought mold was growing on the top. No, it's the seedlings. Snapdragons and a container of foxgloves. A nightmare. What am I supposed to do with them. Let them grow I guess.

Some other vinca.

While I Wait For Spring

Started bringing some of the hyacinths up from the basement and hopefully they'll bloom. They're pale colored but will green up in a few days. 

In bloom in the house. Got to have blooms during the winter. We still have 9 weeks left. I'll be patient.

The palm that sat here during the fall is now in my bedroom closer to a light source, the window. Maybe...it'll survive.

Amaryllis Marilyn has one flower stalk left. The others are finished and have been cut. The bulbs are now making foliage and storing energy for next fall.

I've been sowing seeds. So far pelargoniums, vinca, foxgloves, snapdragons, violas/pansies, echinaceas, lupins, petunias, coleus, gazanias, and impatiens. For my region, it's also time to sow lettuce and broccoli. When I do start them I'll also start some kale and hot peppers.

Sweet potato vine is hanging in there.

I started reading the first book in this series yesterday. Bought these many years ago from the thrift store. I have too many unread book and now books on Kindle. Some I pay for but many are free fro download.

The princess says hello sitting on her blankie my aunt sent her from Georgia.

Yesterday for the first time since this became her home she sat right in front of the fire. Actually too close. Thought she might become a ball of fire. But she realized she was too close and moved back. Her visits on the porch since the extreme cold have been brief. I think I'll join her now and take a nap.