Seedling Update

I’m not as far behind as I thought I was.  Even though not a single garden center would ever worry about me as competition, there are a few things looking like they might be ready to go in the ground.  Two weeks earlier and a week or two in the cold frame (which doesn’t exist) would have been perfect… but this is where I’m at… and chances are next year this is also where I’ll be at.  I’m a slow learner.

indoor seedlings

This was supposed to be the warm season light, with tomatoes and peppers and such, but I think it’s still not warm enough.  The empty pots are things that just didn’t want to germinate, and the ones that did did it ever so sloooooowly.   I think I need a heat mat to speed them up, it sounds like a good idea but I’ve never committed to getting one.  Anyone have good luck with them?

The tomatoes and peppers look fine, but the coleus cuttings seem to do much better on the windowsill.  Coleus are the one plant that appears to find something lacking in the flourescent lights.  They always seem to have a “funny” look to them until they go outside and I wonder what it is.

The cool weather plants under the lights in the back of the garage look a little more impressive.

indoor seedlings

I think once this stuff hits the great outdoors it will take off…. assuming the bunnies stay away.  I’m trying out “bright lights” swiss chard and already like the multicolored stems.

indoor seedlings

So we’ll see where this goes.  Right now the vegetable garden is full of spring bulbs.  It seemed like a good idea in October, now I don’t know.  But at least it looks nice.

daffodil beds

Daffodil season is here!

I like daffodils. The color range isn’t nearly as wide as tulips, they sometimes nod a little too much, but they’re still a sure sign of spring. In another couple days daffodil and tulip season will be in full swing here (assuming it ever warms up) and if the wind would only die down a bit maybe I could get some decent pictures.

daffodils

“Golden Echo” is a real nice shorter one, it grows, blooms and multiplies well but I wouldn’t mind if the blooms stood up a little higher.  Still a current favorite.

daffodils

The yellow in front is “St Patrick’s Day”, a little bit of a nod-er, but a strong plant in the garden. “Barret Browning” is behind, it’s an oldie, but how can I complain about a reliable, good doer that holds it’s blooms up above the foliage and faces out nicely?

daffodils

“Ice King” on the other hand, is a mess this year.  The up and down, cooler temperatures have put alot of greenish color into the blooms, and the wind and heavy rains have thrown the top heavy blooms all over the place.  I meant to remove this one last summer but forgot exactly where it was, so only dug up maybe a half dozen bulbs.

 

daffodilsThe big brother to “Ice King” is “Ice Follies”, the two are nearly the same plant just one has a mutation which resulted in a doubled center (called a sport).  Among serious daffodil nuts (those infected with the “yellow fever”)  “Ice Follies” is looked down on as the cockaroach of the narcissus world.  It’s nearly unkillable and a perfect daffodil for beginners.  I have to laugh at this section of my daffodil bed where a nuclear bomb or something has nearly killed off the other narcissus while “Ice Follies”  just gets fatter.

corydalis solidaI promised a picture of my plain old corydalis solida in bloom, so here it is.  Kind of washed out, but it does have its good qualities.  Note the attractive Taraxacum coming into bloom on the right.  Latin sounds alot fancier than just calling it a dandelion.  Also the grassy sprouts with the brown seeds still attached are scilla siberica seedlings.  I might be just a couple years away from a new weed problem here.

I’m hoping for better daff pictures this week.  I have a few more in the back and I hate to leave you with the impression that all I grow is”Ice Follies”!daffodils