Some Spring Growth On The Patio
Finally, a thunderstorm. I watched as lightning flickered and zig-zagged across the bedroom window. Thunder growled in the distance.
Then rain. A lullaby that sends me to sleep.
During the day, I walk outside every few hours with the pupsters. I can’t seem to stop myself from looking for yet another little nodule of green growth poking up from the dirt. Even though I’ve looked just hours before!
My hostas seem to grow 2-3 inches overnight. The herbs are usually first to show up. Mint was up a few weeks ago. Right about the same time as sedum and succulents.
I reached down this morning and rubbed a leaf of peppermint. Love the pungent scent!
Lemon balm is coming up. And I believe one of my cone flowers. Not sure which color.
The clematis was growing early on, but it was on dead growth, so I cut it back. Now it is fuller and up about three or four inches from the container soil.
Sedum autumn joy is already a fairly big clump in the same container as the clematis. (Photo at the very top)
I noticed wild morning glories (purple) were coming up behind the containers against the fence in the small amount of dirt there.
They seem to thrive most anywhere, even in small cracks in the concrete.
I will not be buying many plants for the patio gardens this year. So I will wait and see what comes up, and then try to fill in here and there.
Herbs are usually the cheapest option. Or packets of seeds. However I rarely have much luck with seeds for some strange reason I have yet to figure out.
Herbs are generally hardy and most will stand up to sun.
I know we could still get bad weather, so I am leery of these wonderful warm days.
I’ve been taking old containers of soil from last year and spreading the dirt in the blue raised garden bed.
Soil is too heavy to bring in here by myself right now. And then walk it from the car all the way through my apartment to take outdoors.
I know the soil needs replenishing due to nutrients leaching out over the past year. So when I’m walking better, I’ll try to bring a few bags of soil in.
So what’s going on in your gardens?
Isn't it wonderful too see that beautiful green popping up out of the Earth again?..I see tulips and daffodils coming back for their Spring visit…the wild growing sedum is back..I think it's time to take a walk around here to see what all is going on..Should have taken that opportunity the past two days it has been so nice here…now tonight we are expecting snow..2-4 inches..yuck…Please go away Winter and let us enjoy seeing our beautiful plants come back again. ?
My hosta is growing like yours. Up and spreading out with 76 degree temps today but chance of snow flurries Sat. night. Crazy weather here in Nashville TN.
The new growth looks great. I have done seeds in the little trays and that seems to work. It's the transplanting that seems to get mine. I have citrus going in to bloom and tiny peaches on the peach tree. My tomato plants survived our "winter", because we did not have too many consecutive cold nights. So I have mature tomato plants still going and new ones planted that will produce until about June or July, and then it's too hot until the end of September. xoxo Su
I am hoping to get some things planted when we get moved. In the Texas heat, it is hard to find pretty plants/flowers that will survive. The front of the house gets mostly shade, so I definitely want to try a hydrangea there. The side and back of the house have no landscaping at all, so I have to start from scratch there. I know what I want to plant, but just unsure what will grow. When we lived here before, knockout roses grew well in our yard, but I want something different! Love that you have some green popping up. Can't wait to see it all in full bloom! Love and hugs!!
Too much for my area 🙁 Things are coming up that should not be seen for six weeks or more.
I planted a few tulips and crocuses last fall and the foliage is pushing through. That's it! The previous owner didn't have anything planted out there. We do have one Bradford Pear in bloom. One of my least favorite trees, but I'm glad to have it rather than no trees at all. I planted a dogwood and a redbud last fall but they are still asleep. They are too small to have blooms anyway. Your little shoots look so pretty.
Nothing is growing here yet in MA. It's still too cold for the most part. Today is in the 50s but by Sat. it will be in the 20s.
Brenda, seeing the photos of your awakening garden makes me happy. It's so nice to enjoy the new growth along with you. Early in the season, once things start popping up around here, I am like you in constantly looking for new sprouts even if it's only been a few hours.
It is always so exciting to see things growing the yard. Looks like your gardens are starting to come alive for spring.
NOT ONE THING! Everything is still frozen solid here – today it's going to be around 50, but we are back in the single digits by Friday. Hope that keeps the bears away for a bit longer, it won't be long before they are waking up from their winter hibernation. I can't believe how much growth you have on the patio already! Things will be blooming there in no time! You may want to revitalize your soil by using Compost Plus in the old soil rather than replacing it. It works great, I use it every year – here's the link.
http://www.vermontcompost.com/products/compost-plus-container-and-transplant-booster-mix/