Monday, April 29, 2013

Aaaah, Sunburned and Achy

Hello again!

I cannot believe how much my muscles ache and how my shoulders, arms and face are sunburned! BUT, it's a great feeling... I had such a wonderful weekend enjoying the weather and getting the gardens ready for Spring. I just love to plant. So rewarding to grow yummy things to eat however we end up eating most of it RIGHT IN the garden - especially the tomatoes and green beans. Good thing (with some plants) the more you pick the more the plant produces!!!!

Along with all the seedlings started this spring, I am so eager to put out the plants wintered-over in the basement; like my ranunculus! I've been growing them for a few years. I usually plant them in planters however one year I sank a bunch into the ground but when I was digging them up that fall, I didn't do a great job finding them all and left a few over winter. I was told in my zone they cannot survive in the ground during such low winter temps although low and behold the following summer I found a couple blooming right where they were left! Unfortunately, I don't trust my whole collection of bulbs outside like that and usually just bring the planters in and bag the bulbs.

This year I am trying to grow passion flowers. Not sure if I'll be successful because I hear they take a while to germinate and not all seeds grow. But, if I grow the vine flowers/fruit, I hope they too can be brought in the for the following year. Hopefully, I can grow some in a pot and some in the ground. Next year, see which come back! I've been lead to believe the plant might handle this zone's winter temps. It will be fun to see.