Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Spring Has Sprung!

Well...not really, although it is a weirdly warm day today on the mountain top!! 

BUT gardening season has officially begun in my house, and I'm filled with a renewed sense of excitement!


The first seeds went in on February 1st...two weeks earlier than last year, just as I had planned. 


4 whole trays of seeds in the utility room, and another in the downstairs laundry area. 

In the utility room I planted one flat of pink impatiens, one flat of white impatiens, one flat of violas, and 6 cells each of celery, Lunchbox peppers, and King of the North peppers. 

I give up on all the other pepper varieties....it seems our growing season is just too short, they are a disappointment every single year. 


When I first started growing from seed, I had only one grow-light.  I added a second, and then a third last year as I became more and more confident in my seed starting skills. 

I'm fortunate to have this space in my lower level to expand my seed starting capabilities - between the counter in the laundry area and the folding table set up along the wall, I have quite a bit of space I can use. 

I also have another smaller grow light on another counter....and of course, the amazing cold frame my Sweetie built for me last spring. 

Not too shabby for a girl from New York City....I do believe this country life agrees with me!


In the laundry room I planted a flat of lobelia....and I also potted up all the cuttings of impatiens I took last fall. I stuck them in water on my kitchen windowsill and every one of them rooted! 

There was a broken piece of geranium I had also rooted in water, so that got potted up as well. 

Hopefully by the time spring really comes to the mountain top these will all be very healthy plants ready to adorn my Deck Garden and Papa's Garden. 

My daily routine has shifted slightly now, with the seedlings getting attention both morning and evenings. I check them for any sprouting (nothing yet) and make sure to mist them with room temperature water. 

The rooted cuttings get checked for moisture, and are watered as needed. 

It makes me feel as if I'm gardening again, even if it's only in a small way! The smell of the moist earth makes me smile, knowing spring will arrive to the mountain top at some point in the not too distant future. 


Upstairs in the dining room window, my violet is in full bloom and my amaryllis is ready to pop any second. 

The thyme I potted up recently is happy....the basil I had to move over near the fireplace, it wasn't happy in the cool window once I potted it up. 

I am also trying to root a piece of a plant called Crown of Thorns that my sweet friend Jan gifted me. I don't believe I've ever tried to root one before, but I do remember having one years ago, although I can't for the life of me imagine what happened to it. 


But, just because I'm thinking Spring inside, it doesn't mean the winter chores stop for me. 

I had the joy of stacking this wood delivery first thing Saturday morning....I brought out my wonderful new speaker, loaded up the book I was listening to on my Libby app, and plowed on ahead. 


Workout of the day, completed! 

Can I go back to playing with seeds now please?

32 comments:

  1. How fun to be playing in the "garden again! How easy is it to grow celery?

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    1. It's quite easy, Penny, but the seeds need to be started early...for me, 10 - 12 weeks prior to planting, and they can go out in the garden fairly early too. Once planted, it just needs consistent water. I grow it on the shadier side of my garden, against the garage wall, and it does just fine there.

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  2. That looks like so much fun. We had a big touch of spring in Georgia yesterday. it was 75 degrees and I spent the afternoon at the park enjoying it. The trees are putiing out their blooms, which definitely makes me happy. xo Laura

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    1. Oh wow, blooms already, Laura? Wow!! It reached 55 today, which was just a big tease as I'm working all day, sigh....hopefully it will at least melt the snow off the garden steps!

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  3. Sunday when we had really nice weather, I was also outside stacking wood. It seems that is the one chore of winter that I truly no longer enjoy!

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    1. It's never fun, and I truly dread it, but it's a necessary evil! It goes by quicker when I'm enjoying a good book at the same time.

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  4. I think this is so cool how you start all these plants from seeds. I'm very excited for spring, too...and plants and flowers.

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    1. I always start to get excited once the holidays are over...prior to that I guess I'm enjoying the rest from the busy gardening/work season. But after a couple of months of rest (ha ha, when do I ever rest?) I'm raring to go again!

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  5. I'm thinking of not planting any veggies this year. I've been disappointed by them every year and they go bad quick.
    Brenda

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    1. Maybe that's because of how hot it is in your area in mid summer, Brenda...we have the opposite problem! My peppers don't ripen before the first frost....that's why I started them SOOO early this year.

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  6. How exciting! You are one of the hardest working women I know, and I hope you are blessed with more bounty than you can even handle. You are a true Mountain Mama!♥♥

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    1. I'm curious to see what you do with your balcony this season, Rita - I'm sure you could make the most wonderful patio garden out there!

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  7. I'm looking forward to gardening again, but it will be quite awhile yet here. My son is starting seeds and is going to do some for me, too!

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    1. That's handy Linda!! I'll share some of my seedlings with my daughter again this year for her new house....I always share some with my boss for his veggie garden also.

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  8. Enjoy seeing you get ready for planting season. I know it's also a busy time of year for you.

    I'm getting a desire to try my hand at trying to grow an indoor topiary. Checking information out on that for best plant and

    I'm would live to grow Dahlias this year. We'll see
    .Cindy

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    1. Oh that's fun, Cindy! I got my mom a beautiful Lavender topiary last Mother's Day - she brought it back to me in the fall before she left for Florida but unfortunately it was dead....I guess she didn't realize!

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  9. Hi Debbie,
    I love that you can play in the garden in the middle of winter. I know you efforts are going to look so pretty this summer and your garden veggies will be wonderful for you to can for the winter months. You have a great amount of space to grow which is fabulous. Happy Wednesday.
    xoxo
    kris

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    1. I'm so lucky to have that space, Kris, otherwise I wouldn't be able to start all the seeds I do!

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  10. MERCY!!--look at all that wood! That is a big job for sure, you sure do great keeping up with it. Loved seeing all your seed babies coming along! Mr. Front Porch got me the seed trays this year, and I am getting ready to sow mine as well. So far all flowers, no vegetables as yet. I have my "baby nursery" next to a big sunny window every year, it works great. I get babies started and transplanted, then start in with new ones.

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    1. Oh what fun, Debbi! Your growing season is a lot longer than mine, that's for sure....but my first seedlings have popped (the white impatiens were first!) and I'm super excited for the season, even though it's months away!!

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  11. What a wonderful set up you have for growing things! I love the look of stacked wood. Especially since we don't burn wood! You do good work!

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    1. Thank you Susan! I love the look of stacked wood also....just not the actual stacking part, ha ha!

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  12. I am so excited for you! You are truly not only a Mountain Mama you are an incredible gardener anytime of the year. I sure understand the smell of the soil and the glee it brings to our hearts!

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    1. It's like that first day you walk outside and can smell the earth again, Jemma - isn't that the best?

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  13. I don't have a green thumb, but I do find time with plants to be therapeutic. I wish I had the space to start a garden inside. I think it would ease a bit of those awful wintertime blues...and girl, you must have some killer arms after all that wood work!! Who needs a gym??

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    1. Ha, I wish!!! I do feel as if I've had a good workout after I'm done...but it's not enough, sadly!

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  14. You're getting a good start to the season, Debbie! You really grow a large variety of seeds. Now I feel like I need to get cracking!

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    1. Our garden center on the mountain top is pretty expensive, Heidi, so it makes sense for me to start what I can from seed....plus it gives me an amazing sense of accomplishment!

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  15. Debbie, I'm so impressed! My gardening has dwindled down to nearly nothing, and it has been a very long time since I did any seed starting. Seed starting - now *that* is some serious gardening!

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    1. I'm sure at some point in my life I'll scale back, Jean....but I'm not there just yet! :)

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  16. I always love reading about your little gardens and plant ideas. We have had spring like weather here too but it can go from 75 degrees to 32 degrees in 8 hours. I’m ready for real Spring.
    Lisa

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    1. I'm ready for real spring too, but I know I have a long way to go, Lisa!

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