There isn’t really a lot I can do at the moment. Still too early to plant out the seedlings I’ve started, I’ve watered and weeded until this Saturday and I’m out of room to start too much more inside. I am planning on starting one more batch of okra because the seedlings I have are looking iffy. If they come back, then I’ll just have more to share at the plant swap next month. I did start a few more tomatoes last night using my new “greenhouse” method of planting in iced mocha cups. I’ll try to remember to post a picture of this next time.

I’m giving the lemon tree a little break from my ministrations. I’m sure it appreciates having a lot less scales each time I work on it, but using so much rubbing alcohol on such a young tree doesn’t seem right. I suppose I can just use water, but I was under the impression that the alcohol kills off a lot of the honeydew residue easier than just water.

Also, while admiring some sugar snap pea seedlings, I saw a green “stick” standing about 5 inches out of the soil. Almost looks like asparagus, but I thought my asparagus all disappeared the year before last. Besides, this is in a totally different bed than they were planted in. Did I transfer it when working the soil in both beds and trying to even them out? I’m tempted to let it do it’s thing for a bit to see what happens with it.

I’ve been debating whether or not to start a garden blog because it would be yet another thing to keep up with. However, every year the garden bug gets me more and more, so this may just be an appropriate way to feed the urge. Since this is my first garden blog post, it’ll most likely be way too much information.

It’s still too cold most days to do much gardening-wise other than fuss over what seems to be coming up, leafing out or struggling too survive. We did feel that it was warm enough to put the gargoyles out. They never made it out last year due to the mess that the geothermal install made. Last year was primarily cleaning up and installing a new paver walkway.

I have high hopes this year for the gardens. I may finally be able to dedicate some solid effort into the front yard, giving it a good start at becoming the cottage garden I’ve been wanting. It looks like I’ll have to be dividing a lot of my lilies for next season. I want to spread the seeds from my hellebore when they are ripe. I’m trying my hand at propagating to finally start an honest effort to fill in the backyard’s brick bed edging. If I didn’t think it would take away from the dogs’ lawn, I’d consider ripping out the foot-high edging altogether.

I’m trying some new things in the veggie garden, slowly letting go of my issues about growing crops that only one of us likes. It feels like I grow the same things every year and I’d like to try different veggies to keep the beds interesting. This year, I’m trying okra, romanesco broccoli and cabbage. I tried growing okra last year by putting seeds directly into the bed. They never made a showing. I’ve tried broccoli raabe, but not the romanesco broccoli that looks like a fractal pattern. Cabbage was tried once because a half-head that was left in the crisper too long started sprouting 4 individual heads. I planted that in the garden but it was Penelope Envelope’s first year gardening and she ate them when they got to be the size of lemons. Now that she’s older, and there’s a simple wire fence around the veggies, I’m giving it another go.

I’m also trying dahlias again. My first attempt was because I wanted to have a plant for each member of our families in our garden. Dahlias are for my sister whose original name was supposed to be Adalia. However the priest in the Philippines would not baptize her because she had the name of a flower (or something along those lines from what I’ve been told). I tried them my first year gardening in this house and I got one beautiful bloom. I had it in a less-than-ideal location and didn’t know I had to dig up dahlias each fall, so the tubers rotted. Now that I know better, I’m trying two varieties and keeping them in pots in ideal locations. That way I know I’m digging up dahlias and not any of my lilies.