Happy Spring! Today, fellow writers (links below) and I are participating in a blog hop to celebrate the vernal equinox. We’ll each be talking about spring-y things.
As an avid container gardener (my only option for gardening, as we live on property that’s mostly deck), spring for me starts in January, when the seed catalogs start rolling in. They are a welcome sight, I have to say, and help me dream of greenery in the midst of the gray-brown backyard. Usually I start seeds–cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, and vining flowers such as morning glory and cardinal climber–in mid-March:
Recently we had a week or so of 70-degree days that lulled me into a false sense of security, and I direct-planted sweet peas, scallions, and lettuce seeds outside. Um, well, that turned out to be ill-advised, as you can see by this pic of my lettuce pot (taken three days ago):
But the false starts and hard work are worth it, in the end. Here’s a photo montage of how things look by mid summer:
So, what are your favorite things to do in the spring? I’d love to hear from you.
Be sure to check out the rest of the blog-hopper sites, and see how these gals ring in the vernal equinox:
Until next time,
Kathy
Your poor lettuce! Still, you’re running circles around me in the gardening department. 😉
LOL, thanks Kirsten! The snow finally melted and the shoots are still there, so we will see….
What is this you speak of? Capillary wicking matt? I’ll have to look that up, never heard of them & I need all the help I can get! Your garden rewards look amazing. Tomatoes without bug holes? Can’t even imagine lol Happy Spring!
Thanks, Shannon! Our bugs aren’t as big as yours in FLA, haha. But they still try to find their way in.
The capillary wicking mats are part of the sub-irrigation system that growers recommend for seedlings, as it helps prevent damping off. You water the seedlings from the BOTTOM. The mat wicks the water up from the reservoir tray, and the plants take it in from the hole in the bottom of the pots. As long as everything (soil, mat, water in tray) stays in place, the wicking works!
Wow, is that a picture of corn growing on your patio? That takes container gardening to a new height. Everything looks beautiful. You’re lucky you have such a green thumb.
Thanks so much, Allyson! Crazy to have corn on the patio, right? It’s a special hybrid corn sold by Burpee, called “Corn on Deck.” It’s bred for containers. I planted it in an Earth Box (sub-irrigation watering system), so that helped it really take off! The corn itself came out kind of goofy looking and we really couldn’t eat it, but it was nice to have the greenery and then I dried the stalks for fall decorations on my porch. Still worth it!
P.S. – Allyson, I can’t seem to find a place to click in order to comment on your blog, but your strawberry rhubarb pie recipe sounds delicious!
Love seeing your pictures, Kathy! I’m itching to start planting too, but am glad I held off because I would’ve been in the same boat. And I await my spring seed catalogs like a little kid waiting for Christmas! I pore over them, and it’s always so hard to decide which ones to try this year!
I know, I want to try everything! It looks as if my shoots survived the snow (so far). We’ll see if they keep growing!
Your plants are gorgeous, Kathy! I’m so impressed by your expertise. I’m resolving to do more gardening myself!
Thanks, Connie! I have so much fun. Good thing we don’t have to live off of what I produce, though. LOL.
I wish I were good at gardening – I really do, Kathy. But I must admit that’s not one of my gifts. You’ve got some lovely growing things, though! I admire your skill.
Thanks, Margot! We all have our gifts, and you are welcome to come sit in my garden any time. We’ll have tea and a chat. *wink*
You have a beautiful garden, Kathy. I do container gardening as well, though I am limited because there’s more shade than sun at my house. There are small farms near me so I get the produce from them. I grow mostly herbs because they take good care of themselves. I love the series, by the way. When do you expect the next entry to be published?
Thanks so much, Susan! Yep, shade is becoming more of an issue here as the trees become overgrown, but I have a small patch of sun o work with. We’re fortunate to have a couple of farmers’ markets around here, too.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the series! Working on book #6 at the moment, expect it to come out in November. I’ll let you know!