Today has had fog, rain, snow and bone-chilling cold. After a client meeting, I hiked it over (as in drove) to Barnes and Noble to get The New Square Foot Garden book, per Angela’s recommendation. On the way home, I almost took a detour to get more blackberry lily bulbs because I can’t see a single sign of the ones I planted, but decided to wait until the weekend. I’ll be itching to be in the garden so it will give me a good reason in case the plants from the nursery don’t survive before I can plant them. I just hope there will still be blackberry lily bulbs available.

The green stick is still near my peas and beans, and hasn’t changed at all. Everything that is currently outside in the veggie beds are looking like they might survive the stupid weather (I hope). I suppose I should get the last bed prepped and a decent plan for both the front and back gardens. I’m currently feeling some anxiety that nothing will survive :\

Earlier in the year, we bought a pack of mixed seeds that we think will do well in the driveway bed because it’s so sandy and the seeds are for xeriscaping. It’s supposed to go along the lines of the cottage garden I want to have. In the mix are phlox, which I don’t care for because they are so darn prickly. I Googled what phlox seeds should look like and took most of them out of the big messy mix. While doing that I started sorting seeds so that I can have some nice clumps of similar flowers. I figure I could plant some groups of similar seeds in “pockets” of the bed and then scatter the rest willy-nilly. Of course, Ralph saw me doing this and couldn’t stop laughing. I can’t help that I’m addicted to gardening and the Type A part of me that makes for a sometimes anal-retentive graphic designer, wants some order in the chaos. I thought it was a pretty good compromise of random and controlled but Ralph just kept laughing.

I started a bunch more seeds for the plant swap, scattered a few hellebore seeds that I hope were ripe, covered the gargoyles for the impending frost we’re supposed to have starting tomorrow and admired the first Queen of the Night tulip that bloomed. Oh, and I threw some Kentucky Wonder Beans in with the peas. I don’t know why I never bothered planting beans before, when we eat them regularly, but this time I did. Mainly because I’m pretty sure I’ve planted too much of everything I already have seeds for.

By the end of the week, I will plant cleome seeds as well as the two packets of mixed seeds (after I plant the groups of seeds I’ve sorted). Why is gardening so addictive? Is it because you “create” a plant from start to finish? That must be it. I like making pretty things and gardening helps feed that desire in me.

Thinking of relocating the veggie beds in the next year or two. Seeing how big Ralph wants to put in a pond makes me think that moving the veggies to the unused side yard will help to keep the lawn big enough for the dogs. I really hate taking away any grass from them.

To see if there will be enough sunshine for them, we bought these little plastic flowers that you stick in the ground. They change color depending on how much time they were in the sun. If it all works out, it’ll kill a few birds with one stone. The side yard won’t be unused space, I can create hoop houses that won’t have to contend with snow run-off from the patio roof, the dogs get to keep as much yard as possible and my dearest Ralph gets to have his pond. Moving the beds will suck big time, but I have an idea that should help make it a tiny bit easier and will also allow for taller beds where I won’t have to bend over as much.

We had a couple of bad weather days this last week and there are supposed to be a few more next week. So on this beautiful weekend, I will hose down the lemon tree and get it ready to bring inside before the bad weather. Everyone at the nursery and Ralph think that we should be good to go after that.

So I want to get ready for planting right after the bad days go away. I’ll do some weeding and prep some areas where the soil looks uninviting. Once the weather clears, I’ll plant out what I got at the nursery last weekend and throw some seeds out as well as start the hardening off process. To do that, I’ll need to clear off our little iron plant stand as I think it will make it easier to move the plants in and out at night.

I also need to start a new batch of seeds for the plant swap. I think I’m a bit behind on that but I’m out of room for seedlings in the house. I hope I have stuff to trade.

Before the weekend is over, we’ll have to make sure the gargoyles are protected for the bad weather and that the roses will be easy to cover.

Thanks to the spring cleaning I’m doing, I’m feeling re-energized to make good on a lot of things on my resolutions list. Oh, a few have passed their expiration date, but better late than never, right? The year’s only a third of the way through, so if I hustle, I can probably make a decent showing. Plus, with the trip to Portland, I’m hoping my creativity will get an even bigger boost. I really feel broken in some aspects of my life, so I need to fix things. One step at a time, as long as I’m not standing still. Stopping to smell the roses is all fine and dandy, but first, I need to have roses to smell.

Day one of two-day forecasted rain/snow weather. Then it jumps to the 70s! Things aren’t looking like some plants will survive. They’ll wilt and then fry. :(

I know this will put my lemon tree into dormancy and who knows what it will do to the hoya that is in quarantine with it.

Spent the evening working on the seedlings indoors. Had to repot a lot of them, dump a few and just water the rest. No planting tonight. From the looks of the 10-day weather forecast, I may be able to start hardening off the seedlings in a week or so. I hope a majority of them make it to mid-May, which is our average last frost date AND the plant swap. Things look a bit more organized though, so I hope that helps me come planting time.

Ralph bought me some ladybugs today. We made a large envelope/pouch out of thin painter’s plastic drop cloth, taping edges. We placed the lemon tree, along with one of my hoyas that was right next to it and I think got slightly infected with the mites, on the front porch. We covered both plants with the plastic, let loose some ladybugs and tied off the bottom.

My plan is to leave it out until tomorrow evening at the soonest. The porch gets some morning sun, but is shaded otherwise. The night temps will be in the high-40s, which will put the tree into a temporary dormancy. I’m hoping it’s a short enough dormancy that it doesn’t affect the fruit that is currently on there. I’m trying to tell myself that if all the fruit go bad, but the plant is healthy, that is the important thing. I just can’t help but feel bad that I’ll have to wait for more fruit. From what I’ve read online, it sometimes takes up to 9 months before the fruit will ripen.

Note to self: If I ever buy a similar plant, check it for scales before purchasing.

Today’s gardening efforts are kind of mixed. We went to the nursery so that Ralph could pick out the plants he wants in the bed he’s in charge of this year (it’s nice that he likes gardening enough to want a bed each season to plant himself). I picked up a few things but almost all of them need to wait until after next weekends low temps before they go in the ground. So, after weeding, I transplanted some lamium (Pink Pewter and Beacon’s Silver) to some shady spots. I’m happy they’ve survived the spot they have been in. Fortunately, they even grew, so I was able to make two plants out of it.

Some of my tulips have bloomed (yay!). I spent a good chunk of time trying to create the frame for the false weeping cherry. Ralph wants it to “mushroom out” like a miniature tree rather than have the typical weeping shape. This will require the frame to hold up the branches until they naturally grow out, rather than down. He was supposed to do this the last couple of years, but couldn’t decide the best way to prop up the branches. They are too heavy for the metal wires we bought (that are for this specific purpose. Should have gotten a thicker gauge). I don’t know if what I did will help. I do know it’s ugly and has to stay there for at least a year. boo!

I’ve noticed some nasturtium sprouting in between the broccoli, onions and cabbage. I think I see marigolds sprouting, but I can’t be sure that they are not some of the clover I planted as a cover crop. Sugar snap peas are growing well, but it looks like the seedlings got moved by watering because I planted them in a specific pattern for the trellis and now they are scattered.

I see at least one Sugar Baby watermelon popping up out of my second to last batch of indoor sowing. My lemon cucumbers and some zucchini seedlings look like they’re suffering a little. I’m very tempted to transplant them and find a way to cloche them.

I’ve been moving my dahlias outside during the day. They are all about 1.5″ out of the soil. I can’t seem to find any signs of my blackberry lilies. I’m hoping something didn’t get at the bulbs. Today, of course, would have been perfect to try my ladybug experiment, but we forgot to pick some up at the nursery.

A day of a few setbacks and some progress forward. I don’t feel accomplished, but I don’t feel like it was a waste of the day either. Will spend some time trying to find less-unsightly ways of training the cherry tree branches. Let’s hope tomorrow is more productive. I want to take pics to share with Angela.

We’re planning a 4-day weekend in Portland for the end of May. Our anniversary is May 7 and our tradition is to travel and buy a piece of art (rather than buying each other gifts). I haven’t been to Portland in years and was very inspired when I was there. I’ve been feeling like I’m in a creative slump for the last 3 years, but we never got a chance to get away for some reason or another.

We booked a room in a really funky and gaudy hotel. The location is ideal. I had apprehensions about taking the trip because I hate leaving the dogs, even if we can get Cody to bring Chance over to housesit. But as each day passes, I am looking forward to it. Everything but the humidity. I’m not looking forward to the swelling up. When I was in Portland visiting Cody, I woke up with him laying next to me, just staring. He smiled and said, “You’re so beautiful.” I thought it was odd and got up to go to the bathroom…to see that half my face was so swollen, my eye was shut. That was the night we were going to see Weezer :( Fingers crossed that I don’t swell up that much again *shakes fist at the Humidity Gods.

By the time I got home, it was still nice out and I wanted to be in the garden. After watering what’s in the veggie beds, I watered out front and pulled only one type of weed. I have to save my dandelion weed pulling for either Wednesday or Saturdays so that I can bring the bag to the 7-11 by our house. There’s a gentleman there who rescues lizards and he has three that prefer dandelion greens. Since I don’t use chemicals on my yard because of the dogs, I’m one of the few places he can get them.

I also brought out my dahlia containers. They have all sprouted above the surface of the pots they are in. I hope leaving them out tonight won’t be too much of a shock for them. If the temperature suddenly drops, I will run out and get them.

Didn’t get to the seedlings I’m working on indoors last night, so I will do that in a little bit. Might also write down the garden chores I’d like to get accomplished this weekend.