5.20.2022

flowers are springin' up

My earlier irises are in full bloom, just in time to keep the Spring show going. The daffodils, tulips and crocus are done. All my iris are transplants from my previous home.





the mystery iris


I am happy to report one of two (new last year) different Lavender plants made it through the Winter!! 




I thought they were both dead and bought one new Lavender variety to try. Oopsie doodle.




my allium bulbs are also in bloom & look better this year

(Leo photobomb)

The butterfly garden plants I ordered during an early bird sale in January arrived yesterday!

Guess what we will be doing this weekend? 

I started two seed trays indoors earlier this year. Wave Petunia seeds for my hanging baskets & pots. I've been growing the original Wave from seed since they first came out. I also planted more of last years purchased seeds: Asters, Lupine, Echinacea, Orange Butterfly Weed, Hello Yellow Milkweed and Black Eyed Susans. The test butterfly weed I started last year, came back this year :)) 

I also have milkweed seeds for the new butterfly garden, collected from our property. A ton of collected Zinnia seeds and Four O'clocks seeds Val collected, for me to try for the first time.

The tall Purple Salvia and Pink Salvia I tried starting from collected seeds didn't do well. Only one Purple Salvia seed sprouted. Hardly a success. It will go in the new garden.


mid-April seeds sprouting

My mom gave me this incredible seed stand as a present, many moons ago. She knew what made me happy. I got my green thumb from her.



four trays & adjustable height lights

Our veggie garden is already planted! Two weeks earlier than last year. Last season I grew a new (purchased) pepper and fell in love with them: "Escamillo" yellow sweet peppers. They were fantastic!! Similar to my favorite red "Carmen" sweet peppers that I have grown for many years. I gave up trying to grow orange peppers from seed or plant. They never produce for me. I am not fond of green peppers anymore, so red (and hopefully yellow) it is. Thank goodness I have a few yellow pepper seeds. Can't find the plants this year. I started four plants from collected seed :)) Will be very interested to see if they produce.

Gardening and experimenting go hand-in-hand. 

Sandy loam is very hard to grow, most anything. I am up for the challenge and a firm believer of my long time gardening mantra:

"grow what grows for you"


5 comments:

Shirley said...

One of the things that bothers me about moving is not growing a garden. Hopefully I will get into a place by July 1 that has an existing garden bed and I can put some of the early maturing varieties in, and maybe a bunch of started plants form local greenhouses.
Can you compost your horse manure and add it to your sandy loam?

aurora said...

All our horse manure gets spread onto the hay fields. Our veggies are growing in raised beds. We used our sandy soil as fill for the bottom, and got a dump truck load of organic raised bed soil for the top half when we put them in. Now we just refresh the beds each year with a bag or two of bagged organic raised bed soil. We absolutely love our raised beds! I highly recommend them. They were an absolute game changer.

Sorry about moving in the middle of gardening season. I get it. A couple thoughts, maybe start a couple of your fav plants in pots and bring them with you. I did it the first year here. Not ideal, but it is something. Or maybe family/friends can get a few things for you or share their produce? I know, it's not the same. You will have new things to grow & look forward to soon! If it doesn't work out this year, there are usually farmers markets and stands. Are you dividing or bringing any fav perennials with you?

Val Ewing said...

Wow...wow! Just love your flowers! I have an just one kind of iris. But over the years they have multiplied so much that I have them all over the place.

Raised beds would be awesome. I may go for some old lick tanks, wash tubs and a cracked water tanks set on old pallets for my 'raised' gardens. :-O
I looked into building a frame with all the old lumber pieces I have around in sheds and to nix that idea. I don't know how to run the saw thingy. I'm dangerous around machinery!
We shall see what redneck creating I come up with!

:)

Linda said...

You have a green thumb! I love the planter stand your mom gave you. I want one! And I love the flowers you’ve chosen for your butterfly garden. I haven’t had great luck starting plants from seed, but the cost to buy them fully grown has skyrocketed this year. And some are saying there is going to be a food shortage, so a garden is probably a wise idea—as is canning for the future.

Far Side of Fifty said...

Your Iris are just stunning! Sounds like you will have lots of seeds to try! Gardening is all trial and error! :)