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debbie_n_ontario

Need a Garden Buddy from Northern Ontario.....April

Debbie_N_Ontario
19 years ago

Happy April Everyone!

It has been mild here the past 3 days and we have lost a lot of snow. I can actually see dirt in places and bits of garden beds! Still can't get into the garden cause there is a 3ft pile blocking the garden gate and 2 ft on the patio, but at least I can look out the windows and see dirt again! YEAH!

We had thunderstorms Thursday morning and it was raining all day so we lost a lot. I transplanted some carraghanas and last night I brought 3 trys down into the basement as I ran outta room upstairs. I have another amaryllis blooming and one of my geraniums have started to bloom too, so spring is here!

Here is a few pics of what my yard looks like. *S*

{{gwi:2100172}}

The corner of the hosta bed starting to show.

{{gwi:2100173}}

and some nice dirt! *G*

{{gwi:2100174}}

Happy Spring!

Debbie :-)

Comments (21)

  • nanatina
    19 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Isn't it great to see dirt again! With the rain we've had in the last few days the snow has gone down a lot and is melted at least 6 feet from my house meaning my south bed is completely clear.
    Tulips are popping up and some of the evergreen perennials uncovered.
    I started my summer bulbs last week - some glads, caladiums, cannas and callas. Saved my bulbs from last yr but they got left (forgotten) in the garage in winter so I don't have much hope that they are viable. I will be checking them this weekend if I can unbury them.
    The only seeds I started are a few castor bean plants but plan on starting the tomatoes and peppers this weekend.

    I am a little apprehensive as my 'grow operation' is what started our housefire last year. I know it won't happen again - but it is still pretty fresh in my head - and in DHs.
    Debbie, did you start carraghanas indoors from seed or divide from existing shrub?
    I have an amaryllis that has not bloomed in 3 yrs now. It has grown foliage every yr but no blooms...what is your secret?
    Daylight Savings time starts this weekend! Have to be extra productive to make up for that hr we will lose!
    Have a great day all!!
    Tina

  • Debbie_N_Ontario
    Original Author
    19 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Tina,
    It is great to see dirt again! We got some snow tonight so everything is covered again, but at least I know the dirt is still out there. *LOL* No tulips popping up here yet, well not that I can see from the inside of the house. *L*

    Could u put a smoke detector where your fire was? It was in the porch wasn't it?

    I started the carraghanas from seeds I had stored in the freezer for about 3 years. I had forgot they were there. *S*

    The amaryllis I store in paper bags in the basement so no light hits them. I leave them downstairs for a few months and bring them upstairs, water them and put them in the window. After they bloom I leave them in the windowsill and fertilize them for another couple of months, then put them back into bags and start the process all over again. Hope this helps.

    Take care
    Debbie :-)

  • nanatina
    19 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    More snow - yecchhh.
    I'm sure we'll be in for some more as well.

    Yes, the fire was in the front porch. A smoke detector wouldn't have made a difference. I detected the smoke immediately and we put the fire out but the smoke damage was far more of a problem than the fire. Once a fire starts with flammables near you wouldn't believe how fast it just takes off. I will get over it just will be oh so extra careful with grow lights now, knowing that fluorescents get just as hot as incandescents. And I will definitely keep it smaller.

    I've tried putting the amaryllis into dormancy for a few mths - hasn't seemed to help. Do you fertilise before it flowers/while it is in flower as well or only when it is done? Maybe I need to start over with a new bulb.

    Today or tomorrow I hope to get a bit of late winter sowing done. Just a few poppies, petunias lavatera, malva. I think.
    I haven't even looked at my seeds for a while so don't remember what I collected last year. Since I lost my computer a few mths back - virus, crash.. I also lost all my seed info database that held all my gardening info for the last few yrs. I have a hard copy somewhere so just have to get at rebuilding the database.

    Enjoy your weekend!

  • dannie
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi all

    Yesterday, hubby and I went to the Thunder Bay Garden Show. I was rather disappointed as it has been much better in the past years. Just to give you an idea, we went through the whole thing (3 buildings) in under 15 minutes. I did buy a couple of caladium bulbs to try out. Otherwise, I spent a fortune on an outfit that Joyce Seppala, a local designer, had in her booth. I just love her clothes...I just wish they weren't so expensive.

    Today I noticed that I have some bulbs coming up right next to the house where the snow is gone. Looks like a few tulips, hyacinths and daffodils. The temperature hit 12C today so it was gorgeous outside. Too bad I had to go in to work for a few hours this afternoon.

    I sure hope we aren't getting more snow...sheesh, spring is here, lets enjoy it!

  • dannie
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hey all!

    I see green in the garden bed even though some of them are still covered in snow. I saw irises, goat's beard, bergenia and foamflowers just peeking through the ground. I can't believe how fast the snow is melting. Another few days like this and it should be all gone!

  • Debbie_N_Ontario
    Original Author
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Everyone!
    I actually got out and worked in the garden today. I was able to get the garden gate open and did a walk around to see what's what. I saw a few green things, I think they are pansies. I started to clean up things in a couple of gardens and will continue on when it warms up a bit more. I have some trees to prune and hope that son will still be in town by the time the ground is dry enough to get back and do that.

    I took more cuttings tonight of petunias and have set them under the lights, the first bunch are starting to get roots on they, so that is a good sign. I brought up the last huge bag of amaryllis last night. One pot had 5 flower buds coming up on them. There were babies in the pot with the mom plant. The mom plant had a flower stalk almost 2 ft long and yellow. It is in the front window now and should green up in a few days. I sure wish I had brought them up around Christmas as the space on my window sills is prime real estate right now. *L* I am usually putting the amaryllis back down in the cellar at this time so my tomatoes and geraniums can have their place at the sunlight, but this year I waited too long and now have to figure out something else.

    Tina, I don't usually fertilize the amaryllis until after they are finished flowering. And when I put them in the paper bag I also put another paper bag over top of them, so absolutely no light gets to them, as apparently that will disrupt their dormancy and they won't bloom. I also don't cut the leaves off when i put them in the bag, some say u are to wait until the leaves start dying back before u store then, but I don't. I figure after two months that is enough leaf building time for them and back into the bags they go, leaves carefuly put in the bags too.

    Dannie, that is too bad about the flower show, sounds very disappointing indeed, but at least u got a nice outfit. *S* I saw irises today too, they are still green from last year. *L* I was sure they die back and regrew in previous years, but not this time...weird.

    Tomorrow I'm hoping I can get out there again and clear a bit more of the old stuff off the garden.

    Take care
    Debbie :-)

  • Debbie_N_Ontario
    Original Author
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi

    Yesterday I was able to get out into the garden and do some more clean up. I didn't do too much as my poor old back has gone into shock, but I did start cleaning up the sunflowers and roses in the front garden. The sun felt so great, I just had a light jacket on and I was hot! It was great to be out there and I even sat down and drank my tea, wonderful and no bugs! LOL Still patches of snow here and there but they are disappearing fast. I miss my little dog, my garden buddy though. :-( but am going to "try" and train the lab to be my new buddy in the garden and NOT to run thru my plants, wish me luck. *L*

    I tried to get a large harness to bring the cat in the garden, but I can't find one big enough for him, he weighs about 15lbs.

    I have brought down 2 more trays to the basement for a total of 5 and tonight I planted some marigolds, and tomatoes. I still have quite a few more marigolds to do yet, but at least I have started. The carraghanas are coming along nicely and I now have amaryllis blooming all over the place and a lot of them have more than one flower stem on them. *LOL* I have to remember to bring them up around Christmas this year as I just don't have room for all of them now.

    I now have 6 trays under the plant stand in the family room and that doesn't count all the trays along every window sill in the house. And I still have lettuce, sunflowers, more marigolds, petunias, zucchini and cukes to do.*L* I did say I was cutting back this year didn't I? OOOpps. *L*

    Take care
    Debbie :-)

  • marciaz3 Tropical 3 Northwestern Ontario
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ohhhhhh, haven't we had great weather for the past couple of weeks!!!! The snow is disappearing fast, and the gardens are starting to bare off. One of my lilacs emerged from the snow with little green buds already! There are tulips and crocuses coming up near the house, and lots of green under the leaf mulch - but i haven't removed that yet, just fluffed it up a bit.

    And there's a figgin' mosquito in the house. Sheesh - you can't win! LOL

    I've started some new lasagna beds along side the porch - all i need is dirt (the story of my life!). And there are sprouts in the winter sowing containers, too - marigolds, rudbeckia, alyssum, and bachelor buttons. And my friend and i received our plants from Patrick Studio on Thursday, so mine are potted up and waiting to go out into the mini greenhouse if it can stay warm-ish at night (i just put the cover on it today to see how it goes).

    Debbie, i have more plants than i know what to do with too. I transplanted a bunch of wave petunias (from saved seed, so they won't come true) and i'm bringing them to work tomorrow to see if i can get rid of them! I need to do a lot more transplanting, but i've run out of small containers. I've never seen any for sale anywhere except Lee Valley, but that doesn't help me now! LOL

    This is such a great time of year! It feels so good to be outside again, just poking around and seeing what's what, or peering into the winter sowing containers. Speaking of that, (i was thinking about veggies just now), i should winter sow some broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kohl rabi and brussels sprouts. Actually, i'm pretty low on containers - we can only eat so many strawberries! LOL

    That's about all for now. Off to surf a bit before heading to bed. Hope everyone has a great week. Happy spring and happy gardening!

    Marcia,
    with a big spring smile on her face (even as i try to swat that darn mosquito!)

  • Janet_On
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Morning Everyone

    Weather here has been great, I have been working in the yard and it feels so good to get out again. I have my pond up and running, this is record date for me. I made one of those skippy on a stick type filters, the pond is not very big and I think once I get it planted it will look great. I have started another lasagne bed, need some more soil, will have to watch the flyers, should be on sale soon. I also started some seeds, mostly herbs. Today the wind is nasty so will get something done inside. Glad to see everyone posting again, let me know if you have a get together in TBay.

    Janet

  • sandralou
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yippee!!!! Spring has sprung. Happy growing to my fellow northerners.

  • nanatina
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Things are growing!! With the snow all gone it is so tempting to start pulling away all the mulch - but learned the hard way too many times. It would be really so unfair if we got snow again now.
    I had my gds plastic swimming pool overturned in the herb bed over winter. Over the thyme parsley and rosemary. It is all still growing. Do you believe it - rosemary still green and very much alive!! I am afraid to keep the swimming pool up now just incase we get a real cool night. Amazing how plastic can look so solid and yet still let so much light through.

    I sowed some tomatoes and basil last night. Tonight will do some more. Have to get my main container of Promix out of the garage - hoping it has thawed out by now. Have to get my lights set up in the basement and really get growing.

    Marcia if there are any dollar stores near you - last yr they had packs of 10 - 3" round plastic pots for 1$. I bought wacks of them - they are perfect starter pots.
    Later all! Tina

  • dannie
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hey I have more things growing too. My white bleeding hearts that I yanked out last year in the middle of the summer and replanted are growing. I thought that maybe I would have killed them since there wasn't too much green left when I replanted them. They were mostly roots and just a few little green leaves grew later on in the season. It looks like they survived just fine as I have quite a few shoots coming up out of the ground. Hostas are nowhere to be seen but that isn't a surprise since they are usually the last thing out of the ground.

    Hubby got the front yard raked today so it looks much better. The backyard is still a little too wet for that. I plan to plant those two caladium tubers I got at the garden show later tonight. Can't wait for the rest of my perennials to pop up.

    Danni

  • clairdo2
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Beautiful weather and snow is all gone. I cleaned out my flower gardens and raked the yard. As usual i planted too many seeds and will have to throw some seedlings out and give some away. lol. The tulips are up and everything is looking good.

  • Debbie_N_Ontario
    Original Author
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Everyone

    It has been beautiful here the past few days! Got up to 18C! I can't believe it! I have been out puttering around in the garden every day cleaning up. I even have flowers blooming... in April!! I have some scillias, and snowdrops. The pansies are out, so are the tulips and oriental poppies, but no flowers on those. I will have to try and get out and put some shredded newspaper over top of the beds as it is just too early for these plants to be popping up! I sure hope my hostas don't pop up or they will get frosted.

    Almost all our snow is gone now. I was out on the patio today trying to get the Christmas lights down, but son put they up on the clothes line and I'm too short to get them off (he is a foot taller than me) and the line won't move, so he will have to come over and help me figure that out. *L*

    I had 50lbs of alfalfa cubes delivered last week to put around my hostas as they love that. I had the guy first put the bag in the garage, but then I was pruning one of the roses in front garden and up popped this chipmunk. Scared the heck outta me and he was surprised too as he squeaked at me. I think it was a chippie and not a mouse, so I had hubs move the alfalfa in the porch and I put it in a rubbermaid tote, as I didn't want the critter getting into the bag and thinking he had died and gone to heaven. *LOL*

    My clubhouse bed and hosta bed, which are raised beds 36" tall have shrunk down almost a foot. Soooo I will have to take the hostas outta there and fill the beds up with dirt again and replant the hostas. I won't be able to see the hostas much if I don't do this. I'm hoping this will be the last year I will have to do this, as I have already done it twice and I hate the thoughts of having to move these big hostas they are so heavy and it always sets them back. I will have to buy some more dirt, peat moss and manure to fill up these beds, one more time. *ugh*

    Marcia, I can't believe u have mosquitoes already! I know there are bugs outside but have no idea what they are, they are too small for me to see. LOL I just hope they aren't mosquitoes.

    I was going to buy styrofoam cups to put plants in but haven't yet. It is too bad u couldn't buy some styrofoam contaniers that the chinese restaurants put won ton soup in for take out.

    Hi Janet, I was thinking of getting our ponds going before son moves down south but it seems so early to me, I can't get use to the idea. *L* What is a stick type filter?

    Hi Sandralou *waving* Where are u posting from? What kind of gardening do u like to do? I was able to find a cat harness at Walmart. I took Wilbur outside and he ran under the patio and got himself off the harness, the first and last time I tried it. *L* I will have to try again but just keep him in the front yard.

    Tina, I still have green irises from last year! They never went dormant, don't know how they did it, very strange spring. How hardy is rosemary normally?

    Danni, I am glad that your bleeding heart survived, that is great!

    clairdo are your tulips blooming or just up like mine are? Everything is so early this year it is strange.

    Here are some pics of my spring flowers, not many blooming but at least I have some. :-)

    I think these are scillias. {{gwi:2100175}}

    {{gwi:2100176}}

    And here are some of my amaryllis which are now taking over the house. I should of brought them upstairs months ago.

    {{gwi:2100177}}

    {{gwi:2100178}}

    {{gwi:2100179}}

    Take care
    Debbie :-)

  • clairdo2
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHAT THESE FLOWERS ARE CALLED. THEY'RE THE FIRST TO BLOOM IN THE SPRING IN MY GARDEN. I WILL POST THE PIC AFTER I GET THE MSG IN.

  • clairdo2
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    sorry i can't get my pic in here but will keep trying

  • clairdo2
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    {{gwi:2100180}}

  • Debbie_N_Ontario
    Original Author
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi
    We are suppose to be getting snow tomorrow. I hope they are wrong I have gotten use to nice weather and green plants. I have a lot more scillas blooming, there is like a whole wave of them blooming now and the tulips are up another 5 inches too.

    I transplanted some more wave petunias last night but am running low on peat moss, have to wait until hubs brings in the huge bag from the garage into the porch. Hubs brought me home a bunch of newspapers from the library so I can build up the garden beds that have sunk too, but I'm going to need a lot more. *L*

    clairdo, to me the flowers look like crocuses. They are very pretty, I'm glad u were able to figure out how to post your pic. *S*

    sandralou, I will try and tighten the cat's harness so that he won't be able to get out of it. I will try it out on him in the house first next time before I take him outside. *S*

    We are not having much luck with things breaking down on us lately. The contractor will be over here in the next little while to replace our new door that warped over the winter *sigh* I also found a leak in the water pipe that leads to our furnace last night when I was working on my plants in the basement, so the guy will have to come on Tuesday to fix it. The furnace is only a year old so they are going to fix it for free and this time they are going to use new pipes instead of using the old ones...geezee Our new microwave also is arking so we will have to return that too. I don't know what is up with our luck lately with things breaking but it stinks!

    {{gwi:2100181}}

    Take care
    Debbie :-)

  • marciaz3 Tropical 3 Northwestern Ontario
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hmmmm. Clairdo's flowers LOOK like crocuses, but they seem to have tulip-like foliage. Maybe they're a form of botanical tulip? Or maybe they're crocuses sprouting along with the tulips! That may be more likely.

    Well, we don't have snow in the forecast but it's darn cold out there. Only went up to about +5 today and is supposed to get down to -7 overnight. I have all my winter sowing containers covered with blankets and extra covering on the cold frame tonight. ~shiver~

    Debbie, we've had problems with the toaster oven the kids got us for Christmas. It just quit working yesterday. We've used it a lot, but it shouldn't break down in four months!

    I've been really busy outside, and so many things are up and show new growth! It's really exhilerating! I raked all the leaves off the flower beds last weekend, and quickly raked a bunch back on tonight because it's supposed to get so cold! The only blooms so far are different crocuses and some snowdrops. One hellebore is about to bloom, and there are buds on the tulips at the back of the house.

    Inside, i've been trying to transplant like crazy but keep running out of containers. Finally i bought some styrofoam cups and those will have to do. Some of my stuff is really leggy, so they're being transplanted deep. The impatiens and petunias are really coming along! I should be in business with them this year! :)

    Next weekend is my Thunder Bay weekend. Thunder Bayers, email me and we can maybe plan a meeting? Gale and i have always gone to Vanderwees on this weekend, but last spring she brought me to a couple of other places, and i wouldn't mind going back to them. Of course, with all the stuff i have planted, and all the stuff i've ordered (!), i'll definitely have to be a good girl! "Just looking, thank you!" Yeah, right!

    Take care, all!

  • sheryl_ontario
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi all! It's been awhile since I've posted here, but I lurk a lot. Glad to hear that things are growing there too!! Spring is finally here. It's been raining for days and is suppose to do so all week! :( But, well, that's spring!

    Hey Tina, Did all those lilac babies survive and come back? I'm glad you've gotten your house back. What a nightmare that was!

  • clairdo2
    18 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    MARCIA YOU ARE RIGHT . MY CROCUSES ARE PLANTED WITH THE TULIPS!

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