Hard Working Weekend

In the last couple of days we hauled all of the plants from the basement up to the greenhouse or front porch and put them into protectable places with various covers available for sun protection and frost protection.  Bill hauled a ten more loads of wood chips, and I spread most of them out. Hundreds more bloodroot plants, squills, daffodils and crocuses are blooming. Also a new batch of Chionodoxa, Glory of the Snow just jumped up in bloom.

They’re a lot like squills, but not the same. Apparently some dispute the separation, but to me they seem very different.

Today we drove down to Fernau’s greenhouse where we were able to buy yellow sweet Spanish onions, red onions and Kenebec potatoes. Planted all the onions today. I start with plants, not sets. Reminds me of my grandfather when I plant them because he taught me how many years ago.

Also dug up and gave away some rhubarb that was more than we needed.

Hostas are starting to emerge, as are coneflowers, turtlehead, queen of the prairie, monarda, many others. Gotta get that mulch down soon.
After hauling 10 loads of mulch and helping me bring up the basement plants Bill hadn’t had enough, so he sifted the top foot of last year’s compost pile. Put it on this year’s  onion garden first, then around the other raised beds.

New blooms today - After the snow.

Bloodroot coming up everywhere!

And daffodils of course.  Also put up the greenhouse and converted the pond from winter to summer mode. Tonight it should get down to freezing for the last time in the foreseeable.  Average last frost still listed as may 15, but doesn’t look likely as of now. Darwin tulips coming up, prairie smoke leafing, squills everywhere. Got 8 yards of mulch delivered today and Bill moved 10 wheelbarrows full to the spots I told him he could dump a whole load on. Whew!  What a day. 

W

Before the Big Snow

We’re supposed to get up to a foot or so of snow in two days. Today it was sunny, with highs in the 70’s. Sorta like last year. Thought I would capture some pics of the flowers in the yard today. Hope to see them again soon.

Oh, and there are lots of crocuses, snowdrops and many more daffodil clumps, some tulips , but no buds yet, some aliums  also without buds yet, some Darwinian tulips.  Watching for the bloodroot, but haven't seen it yet.  Also on guard for garlic mustard. 

More Flowering Going On!

It’s looking like keeping things blooming isn’t a big problem this year. The squils are popping up everywhere, though not yet fully emerged. 

Snowdrops in full bloom Last year the snowdrops got buried on the late April snow, but remained in bloom nonetheless.



Winter aconite just starting.

March Lion & Lamb

Well, March did come in like a lion, but it seems to be going out pretty lamb like.  Here are some photos from March 2nd.

 

  

And here are some from today.  A bit of a difference, wouldn't you say?

 

Rule here is once something blooms I have to keep something blooming until the end of October. Sometimes a challenge, but not always. It’s usually the snowdrops that bloom first, but this year it’s crocuses.

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Winter is leaving (I Hope)

There is about a foot and a half less snow on the ground than 5  or 6 days ago.  Melted fast last Wednesday through Friday, and the creek rose to semi-scary height.  But Friday night temps went below freezing again.  Warm and sunny during the day, colder at night.  Good for slow melting and not flooding.  Can actually get out to the compost without too much effort.  Oh, and there are Robins, Redwing Blackbirds, and Grackles in the yard.  Saw a Sandhill Crane fly over a couple of days ago and heard some each day since.  Geese flying north and lots of ducks.  Love it!  Don't have a lot of pictures to share yet, but here is one from just before the creek exceeded it's banks.  Came up another foot or so, about 25 or 30 feet across, before it receded back to about this.