Everyone always says that winter is the hardest, and it is true that winter can be hard, but mentally, March and sometimes April can be the hardest for a gardener’s soul. We get teased with beautiful weather, then bam, winter rears its ugly head. Like this week coming. Really? More snow and ice possibilities. Well at least I am busy harvesting tulips and getting things ready for spring and summer.
Yes, the one armed flower farmer has been busy. More seedlings have been planted out into the high tunnel including the ranunculus and the pitiful few anemones. I tend to rot more corms than plant corms, but I have some planted out. I might try another batch tomorrow, Just soak and plant. No sprouting and just take my chances. What is the worst that can happen? They don’t sprout. Oh well.
The next big seed sowing happens this week. The last of the cool flowers will be sown, then later the summer flowers in a few more weeks. I did my first official flower garden stroll this afternoon. My, the rodents have been busy. Still a bit early to see on some plants, but for the most part it isn’t as bad as some year’s rodent activity. Maybe because it was such an open winter and there wasn’t as much cover for them? It is still early and the verdict is still out…
My biggest goal is to get the twenty peony roots that have been sitting in the cooler for a week or two planted tomorrow before the next wave of craptastic weather rolls in. I figure if I can get 10 planted before my orthopedic appointment, and the next ten planted afterwards I should be good. This one armed thing is getting old. I can hear you all now yelling at me. I will be careful, promise.
The last five crates of forced tulips get pulled out of the cooler tomorrow, can’t believe it. There are still plenty of tulips, do not fret. The tulips in the raised beds are all up so there should be an even segue from forced to outdoor grown, which should see us to the peony season and the cool flowers. Even with these last five crates, it is still two to three weeks before bloom time.
Speaking of tulips, I have placed next year’s order. I have ordered 5500 bulbs, eleven varieties. I will see how this goes. I might get bored with the selection, as beautiful as it will be, but 11 varieties may not fill my tulip desire. I can always change it for 2026.
So that is this week’s round up. Keep your fingers crossed that all goes well tomorrow at Ortho and I can move on with my PT. I don’t mind wearing my beautiful sling for a few more weeks, but not going forward with physical therapy would depress me beyond beyond. The sling actually keeps me sorta under control so it is good.
I leave you with last week’s instagram #windowframethursday, the first was taken on Thursday, and the second was taken today growing and dancing from the heat of the house.
Until next week. Allie. I dream of flowers, do you?