[kenziesmom]

Hello Potting Shed Seed Pods,
I'm jealous of you who can put plants and seeds in the ground now. I'm still waiting for the snow to melt.

The only benefit winter sowing has compared to starting indoors is that the disease issues which you can experience has better growing conditions indoors in a warm room than outdoors in late winter, but the same can be said for the seedlings

I just found out about winter sowing. I'm a bit skeptical, especially living so far North; but I'm willing to give it a try. I can think of another benefit to WS and that is saving the precious little space I have in my home! Don't want to put "all my plants in one basket" so I'm also starting some seeds inside-JUST IN CASE!

Today I planted tomatoes, one of my favorite vegetables. However, the ones we have in winter in the grocery store taste like cardboard Nothing like fresh off the vine,

Tuppence2, You asked who kens is...she was my favorite dog I've owned so far. She was a MacKenzie River Husky/Wolf cross. A real beauty. I don't have a picture of the real dog but if I did the attachment right this is a close match. I had her from about 1989-1999. She got very sick from cancer in her leg and I decided she had suffered enough and had her put down. What a horrible thing for a "dog mom" to have to do. At the moment, I'm pet-less for the first time in more than 20 years. I hate it. I'm hoping to change that status soon. Wish me luck to find the right one for me....

Well, time for me to sign off. Happy Spring!!

pam in Alaska

[franca]

Originally Posted by kenziesmom

Hello Potting Shed Seed Pods,
I'm jealous of you who can put plants and seeds in the ground now. I'm still waiting for the snow to melt.



I just found out about winter sowing. I'm a bit skeptical, especially living so far North; but I'm willing to give it a try. I can think of another benefit to WS and that is saving the precious little space I have in my home! Don't want to put "all my plants in one basket" so I'm also starting some seeds inside-JUST IN CASE!

Today I planted tomatoes, one of my favorite vegetables. However, the ones we have in winter in the grocery store taste like cardboard Nothing like fresh off the vine,

Tuppence2, You asked who kens is...she was my favorite dog I've owned so far. She was a MacKenzie River Husky/Wolf cross. A real beauty. I don't have a picture of the real dog but if I did the attachment right this is a close match. I had her from about 1989-1999. She got very sick from cancer in her leg and I decided she had suffered enough and had her put down. What a horrible thing for a "dog mom" to have to do. At the moment, I'm pet-less for the first time in more than 20 years. I hate it. I'm hoping to change that status soon. Wish me luck to find the right one for me....

Well, time for me to sign off. Happy Spring!!

pam in Alaska

Welcome Pam.........beautiful picture of your dog look-alike.. good luck finding the right one.....Bob ( telecom ) went through the same thing last year and he is very happy that he got a new friend. L8R and don't forget keep getting those hands dirty.....

[franca]

Hi Ya........all not able to get much done in the gardens because of all the rain we are getting did manage to get all the grass done last week...filled all my Dahlia pots the other day ready for when I unpack my stored tubers, havn't looked at them yet to see how they are, will wait a couple more week before I check on them....lot of the usual spring stuff in full bloom the forsythia all burst into flower last week also the cherry blossoms are putting on a fine show, well that's about it from me for now... cu later take care..and don't forget keep getting those hands dirty weather permitting..

[Tuppence2]

Hello Pam, Bob, Frank.

What a lovely dog! I hope you soon have another canine friend to enrich your life. Mine four are, Ziggy, Schuee, Billy and Cecil, known as "The Gang".

Well, well, Frank - It's "Dahlia" time again. It seems only yesterday you were storing them for the winter! Look forward to photos of them.

I think we're in for snow after the hail and sleet yesterday. It's become very cold this afternoon. I've just checked the thermometer and it's 44 degrees Farenheit and falling. Brrrr. It's the cold wind that makes it worse.

Bob - Starting the dahlias indoors is obviously the writer's little quirk. I'm sure yours will flower the first year, mine did.

The lettuce and tomatoes I planted last Sunday, which are in the polytunnel at the nursery, have started germinating. The tomatoes were moved to a heated tunnel this afternoon. Fancy the little plants coming up in 7 days - exciting! One of the lads there has grown sweet peas from seed, they look very good, and I'll be given some for my garden.


Hope the snow and the rain clear so you can get some gardening under way.

This was my last Monday of paid work.......only 4 days to go and I can be a lady of leisure! (In fact, I've more planned to do in my retirement than I do now.)

Penny

[Steppinstone]

Hello gardening friends!! Welcome Kenziesmom!! Spring has not quite sprung here yet. Waiting for the last of the snow to melt.. It's raining and 58 degrees so it should melt fairly fast.. I haven't started my tomatoes seeds yet, I'll have to remember to get some little milk cartons from the school I work at. These work well for starting seeds and I can get all I need!
Take care and I'll pop in again soon!
Chari

[franca]

Originally Posted by Steppinstone

Hello gardening friends!! Welcome Kenziesmom!! Spring has not quite sprung here yet. Waiting for the last of the snow to melt.. It's raining and 58 degrees so it should melt fairly fast.. I haven't started my tomatoes seeds yet, I'll have to remember to get some little milk cartons from the school I work at. These work well for starting seeds and I can get all I need!
Take care and I'll pop in again soon!
Chari

Hi Ya Chari same her not able to do much because of all the rain.. did manage to get all my pots filled and ready to go for my Dahlias, will check how they wintered over in a couple of weeks.. ttyl take care, Frank.......

[eggplant43]

Just found a new place to live last night, and I'm excited about the prospects of having a big garden again

[franca]

Originally Posted by eggplant43

Just found a new place to live last night, and I'm excited about the prospects of having a big garden again

Nice to hear eggy good luck in your new place........bet you can't wait to start getting those hands dirty... post some pic's of your new place would love to see them.....

cu ......Frank..

[Tuppence2]

Love the photos, Frank. I see that there's a "baby" forsythia at the bottom of my garden - I'd forgotten I put one in last year and noticed it now it's in flower. The cherry is lovely. Is that a quince in flower underneath it? The cold weather a few days ago has hit the magnolia flowers, making some of them look very sad.

I've just planted the early potatoes! Used the dibber (or pogger as we call it in Wiltshire ), popping the potatoes into holes, so didn't need to get out the spade.

Good idea, Chari, to use the milk cartons, they come in very handy in the garden in several ways.

I didn't get into Palmer Gardens today to see how my little lettuce and tomato seedlings are getting on as this cold I have is draining my energy. Hope to be there tomorrow afternoon.

It's my last day of work tomorrow! I have next week as holiday and then don't go back to work as I retire on the 30th. I do have to go in once more to show the new person what to do, when she's employed.

Good gardening, everyone.

[Tuppence2]

This is the "Veronica" I planted under the hedge in the front garden last summer.

Such a pretty blue!

[eggplant43]

Penny, congrats. You earned everything you're about to get.

[Tuppence2]

Thank you, Eggy. Have you moved to your new house, yet?

My little lettuces in the big poly-tunnel are doing well, and so are the tomatoes. Matthew, the nursery manager, says I can prick them out into individual cells when they're ready.

I was potting-on "Shirley" and "Moneymaker" today. They'll be on sale to the public in around 10 days.

I'm now on holiday until the 30th and then officially retired! It's a strange feeling, to think I don't have to go out to work. I didn't think I'd feel like this. It will sink in properly when I wake early one morning and remember I don't have to get on the bike and be a cleaner any more.

My garlic is doing well - the green shoots are getting taller and taller. Hope you all have a good weekend in the garden, or thinking about gardening if you can't get any done.

[telecom69]

Today Penny Thursday March 29th is your Birthday heres to a very happy and peaceful day,Many Happy Returns ...also from tomorrow you are officially retired,so I would like to wish you a very long and Happy Retirement,free now to do as and what you please when you please,its a great feeling isnt it ...take care ...Bob

[Tuppence2]

Hello Bob, and thank you very much.

Yes, it is a wonderful feeling - I'm already have a lovely time, being on holiday this last week of my working life. I've lots of things to do today: Dogs to walk, then I'll visit Palmer Gardens to collect my card and a birthday cake one of the boys has made; drop in to the Pre-School children's Easter Parade; then I'm being taken to the Old Mill at Rode for a meal and back to Marjory's house (one of the group of friends taking me) for coffee, cake and my presents; then my good gardening neighbours (one is American) have asked me for a light supper. Whew! I'm a busy-bee today.

How is the gardening going? I planted spring onions yesterday in a "Gro-Bag" and it rained heavily in the night to water them for me.

In the week I planted in the front garden, to fill some spaces:

Erigeron "Pink Jewel"
Arenaria Montan (Alpine Sandwort)
Lithodora diffusa (Heavenly Blue)
and
Veronica repens (a white Corsican speedwell).

I've lots of little seedlings appearing, which I started to take out thinking they were weeds, then realized they're probably a wild verbascum, self-seeded from the plant I had last year!

Good gardening!

Bye

[Tuppence2]

Hello, everyone.

My day is nearly over, along with my birthday celebrations. Had a lovely day. I was given a beautiful pink/dark pink striped camellia as one of my presents. I'll keep it in a decorative tub in the front garden. It's quite open and window so I'll have to find as sheltered a position for it as possible.

I was also given a pot of sweet pea seedlings, and five little pots of heathers that need nurturing, and which would have been thrown away at the nursery if I hadn't brought them home: along with a garden-voucher for £20, which will help pay for the stone, fan-shaped herb planter (with divisions for each herb) that I've set aside.

Altogether, a great day. This is a photo of the camellia and my cake at Marjory's house.

Bye