Anxious for spring

Anyone else anxious for spring?

I always get so excited after the first of the year because I know spring is just around the corner. Here in PA, like much of the rest of the country, it seems... the weather has been totally whacky all winter long! Just this week alone, I have seen 50-55 degree weather for a couple days, then the very next day, snow on the ground! I am anxious for the weather to make up its mind on what it wants to do.... and hopefully, settle on spring weather for a while! I'm anxious to get started on some of my spring projects.

This year, I plan to start a raised garden near my house. Last year I tried to plant some veggies in this same location, but came to find out, the soil wasn't the greatest there. So, I figured the easiest remedy to this (and less back breaking lol) was to just put a raised garden there. At first, I decided just to get some cinder block to use for bordering, but the other day, my husband suggested we just use wood to make it, so, I guess that is what we are going to do. I am just anxious to get out there and start playing in the dirt with my kids again!

This year, we are going to try to grow carrots,celery, green beans, lima beans, tomatoes, garlic, peppers, onions, strawberries, oregano and basil. My son also wants us to grow a blueberry bush as well. We will see about that lol! I also have some calla lily bulbs and canna bulbs I need to replant that I dug up last fall.

I'm pretty new to gardening, so a lot of what I have been doing has been based on trial and error, and tips I see scattered across the DG forums, various gardening blogs, and "how-to" websites I come across. Over the last few days, I've sat here and couldn't help but wonder... just how many things I could go ahead and start indoors... and it not be too terribly early to do so LOL!

What kind of things are you all planning to grow this year?

My veggie garden gets smaller every year, as it's only for me.....I do plant lots of pickling cucumbers, because I love to have pickles all winter....beets are a must, as well as tomatoes, green beans, carrots, & summer squash....half of my garden now goes to cutting annuals, dahlias & glads......

I don't do much with veggies since my neighbor does a lot and I help myself.
I will have little in the way of dahlias this year, my back was out and I didn't get them dug in time :( hopeful that some may be saved with the mild winter but I doubt it.
Adding lots of lilies and a few dayliles this year.

every year I can't wait for spring.. sowing seeds and growing cuttings always helps me beat the winter blues

Ditto!

As usual, I started seeds too early indoors because I'm trying to rush to spring.. Thank goodness I'm only winter sowing and indoor sowing only what fits near my dining room windows. I am spending lots of time at my DD's house and my DH is left in charge of the seeds and seedlings, which doesn't give them much of a chance to survive.

LOL! I did that last year Roses! Started everything way too early, then transplanted whatever survived, only to find out my soil was horrible and everything died lol. It's taking everything I got not to do that again this year lol. Need to find something I can start and keep indoors I think to put my idle, anxious hands to work LOL!

I spent the winter doing nothing but reading to keep myself occupied and now, especially with the odd ball warm, spring like days we've been getting more frequently, I'm having a hard time maintaining my interest in my book and instead thinking about, planning, and daydreaming about being out in the garden LOL!

I've taken up knitting, Mrs. L.....makes the time in winter go much faster.....and my grandkids are getting new sweaters!

Lol my aunt tried teaching me how to crochet when I was about 15... found I was too impatient to finish the lessons so gave up lol. Later I picked up on cross stitch, but haven't done that in years. Now if I tried doing it again, I think my munchkins wouldn't stay off of it long enough for me to finish one piece. Still think about picking it up again every now and then though lol

I crocheted when I was younger, but didn't start knitting until a few years ago when they offered free lessons at the library....

Oh thats cool!

Yes, 35 women showed up for the lessons.....

wow! pretty big class!

I cured my "anxious for spring" by moving to central/west Florida, now I can garden year round....LOL

Jan

This message was edited Mar 3, 2012 8:19 AM

LOL

I brought in some forsythia branches and they are popping open. I love that jolt of yellow!!!

aren't forsythia such a breath of spring. I love them.

Jan

LOL! Trust me, if I could coax my hubby into moving somewhere warmer.... I totally would! LOL!

went to the county home and flower show. got some ideas.

what kinda ideas did ya come up with?

hydrangeas and lenten rose. seeing them in person had me thinking they may make a nice addition.

could always use those!!!

I dug out the clippers and the bow saw this morning. Galanthis elwessii or whatever you call a big snow drop is in bloom. I cut back a clematis, I can,t remember her name----I'm losing words like mad these days--somebody Corning I think---got up to the woods edge and something, I think a rabbit, then a deer (the deer left a stamping ground) has chewed a tritoma right down to the base and left just the roots---they must have thought it was candy--then I attempted to prune an Explorer rose but couldn't decide what would encourage new canes, so I gave up for the time being--I may prune it after it blooms. Then I peeked under some leaves and found a hundred or more daylily seedlings entering their third year that need moving to give them room or they might have bloomed this year----Tried weeding and found that baby nettles, like baby rattle snakes can bite and my fingers still sting as I attempt to type this in. I guess Spring is here whatever the calender says. Soon be weeding before breakfast. ----------------------------Weedy

FL gets too hot for me. I enjoy our 4 seasons, even though we didn't really have a winter this year
Doing some indoor things today since it was still nasty out till late afternoon but by that time it's getting ready for church time...I see some yellow in my blue/yellow/white garden from the window...need to check it out tomorrow, probably more crocuses

I was actually just thinking to myself a few days ago, while waking up my kids for school, that it seems like its getting lighter out, earlier, now. I've actually been noticing that for the last 2-3 weeks now. Getting excited, soon it'll be time for me to start some of my seeds indoors! I think this week I'll have to do some googling and find out when it will be ok to plant my bulbs out again. I brought them in last fall to protect them from the winter snow we normally get. Its Last year was my first time doing flower bulbs, so, I'm not entirely sure when to plant them out again lol.

Which bulbs, Mrs. L?

Cannas and calla lillies. I bought some bleeding hearts last year too, but nothing ever came of them when I planted them :(

Mrs.L, you can start your bulbs inside if you are getting itchy. Cannas like the heat, I usually plant mine in mid to late may.

I agree with Ronnie. Since I have no luck with calla lilies I can't help with that one but the canna do like the heat and I'd only plant them outside when the earth is really warm.

I actually tried that last year, in pots. but the most my canna's got were the folliage. What size pot should I get for them? Last year, I put them in I believe 8 inch pots. The Calla lillies, i had in pots last year as well (hense why i said I brought them in instead of dug them up lol!), and did get one bloom, out of I think 3 bulbs. All others, again, got the folliage, but not the flower.

Should I have put them in a larger pot? Larger than 8 inch diameter?

I only have one calla lily (I think, it's the one that's got pink blossoms) and I grow it indoors, crowded inside a 10" pot that also contains a jade plant. It comes up every year in March and then dies back to nothing after a display that lasts for months. It sits above a radiator in a humungous window with a northeast exposure. I water about once a week. This year it's right on schedule with the tips starting to show.

Hm, other than my kitchen table (which already has a few baby aloe vera plants hanging out on it lol), I don't really have any room in my house to put a 10 inch pot. Last year, when I started them in pots, I had my whole kitchen table filled with pots and seed starter kits. I'm trying not to do that again this year, since my kids are now doing homework at the kitchen table. Only other place I can think I'd be able to put them would be on my small coffee table... but, with two small, rambunxous munchkins (ages 5 and almost 7) running around the house, I'm afraid to do that yet lol! Guess I'll just wait till May and plant them out. Would probably be better that way anyway LOL! Atleast then, I'll get some nice color in my yard!

If your going to grow the cannas in pots the bigger the better, the can get huge. If you just want to give them a head start and transplant them any size pot the bulb will fit in is fine.
Mrs L do you have a basement you could start them in?

I would just wait to plant them outside. They will quickly catch up to any planted in pots anyway and you will have much higher success rates.

Yes, I do have a basement. It wouldn't be too early to start them now?

That's what I'm thinking too victor. While I'd LOVE to start them now, just cuz I'm itching to start growing something lol, I'm nervous to start them too soon.

The get big fast, your just about the same zone as me give or take, if your desperate you can start them in your baesment under some flouresent lights. Wait if you can and start some seeds instead! LOL

I've kept canna lilies in a pot for 2 years now....just keep the pot in my basement.....I noticed I have to transplant to a much larger pot this year, or, just plant out in warm weather....

Yeah, think I'll just wait on the bulbs for now. I'm not sure what seeds would be considered "Safe" to go ahead and start indoors this early even, to be honest. Besides, most of the seeds I currently have are mostly either herbs or veggies, for now. I've been trying to wait a bit till I can plant these bulbs out before getting any other flowers and things to do... need to see just how much room I have in my beds after these bulbs are planted out.