Still waiting on a spring day...

This has been such a cold April. Record setting. The weather stat nerd in me is sort of enjoying it... We should have an average high of almost 60 right now, and we are still buried in snow- and still have more forecasted. We had a handful of days that teetered on 50, and were able to crack the house windows, but mostly, we've been in snow gear and coats and hovering around 40. I am happy each inch that falls puts a dent in the drought records, too. Last year was horrifically dry, and we need this moisture so much. I'm also excited that scientifically, these late cold temps are going to affect the bug population (less spiders and mosquitoes).

I've had to fulfill the need to get my hands in the dirt indoors and in my unheated greenhouse. In the greenhouse, as of yesterday (before last nights record low of 18-20F), I've had great success with lettuce and peas, as well as snapdragons, delphiniums, foxgloves, sweet william, blue fescue, hare's tail grass, hollyhock, carrots, penstemon and even some lily bulbs. In the house I've been potting and repotting houseplants, and finally getting grow lights on a shelf for seedlings (very fun!). I have delphinium, hollyhock, french lavender, carnation, coleus, rudbeckia, and snapdragon seeds, as well as caladium, fern, and dahlia tubers. Our living space is filled to the brim with houseplants & various plants for the garden I am planting at Jux99. I even tried cat grass for the kitties... my boys planted the seeds, and they sprouted under the lights very fast- we moved them into the entry hall on a dresser where the cats could find it, and it was chewed down by the next day. I added more seeds, and they've started sprouting, too.

I have also been making a huge batch or two of hypertufa everyday. I've started having pieces cured completely, just in time for the wholesale orders of hardy succulents to arrive at my door. I will selling the hypertufa (both empty and planted with sedum & sempervivum) in 2 weeks at Juxtaposition 99 here in Buffalo, MN. I was hoping to have this aspect of my contribution to the sale done a month ago, but the weather wasn't very cooperative and I'm limited on space-that huge greenhouse I dream about hasn't fallen out of the sky yet, go figure. I am hoping people can visualize how wonderful these little guys will looks when they begin multiplying. :) We know how hens and chicks do!

 

My kids have wasted no time indoors when they could be outside playing in the heavy wet spring snow. During and after shoveling the foot that feel this week I took a few pictures.

The temps are warm enough that the snow is melting fast, and running down our street in a tiny trickling creek. A nice sight!

See the snow went to the top of my rain boots!

 

My kids and dogs:

 

I heard a friend of a friends's facebook status was, "Go home, winter. You're drunk." Hysterical!