Fabulous "Winter" Storm

Well folks, it's still snowing on us up here in ol' lower Canada.

Kidding of course, I'm in Buffalo, MN. But it is indeed a record setting April for snowfall, as we are slated to pick up 8 more inches with the storm currently overhead. The snow from last weeks storm wasn't gone yet. Snow picture included here us from this morning, and several inches have accumulated since. I'm hoping we have a nice wet year-way too dry last year!

My hardy succulent orders have begun arriving, and I started tucking them into some of the hypertufa that's fully cured. Love how its looking- still a ways to go to fill in, but with the cold spring even the hardy succulents at the nursery were still semi-dormant. I will be selling hypertufa with hardy succulents at the juxtaposition 99 sale here in Buffalo this May 2, 3, and 4th.

 

Also getting ready to have some fresh lettuce soon. Glad those seedlings are going strong!
Lots more germinations in the unheated greenhouse, including delphinium, foxglove, blue fescue, hare's tail grass, sweet William, snapdragons, peas, hollyhock, and more. Will share pics of those hopeful little sprouts soon.

Happy gardening!

For the Love of Nasturiums

It never fails. I never regret planting a ton of nasturium seeds in the spring. Right about now, when most of the perennials have pooped out, these babies are at their top performance. And something about those cooler days at the end of summer makes them grow even quicker. The leaves look like little lotus leaves blowing in the wind. These beauties are by my side walkway, spilling just perfectly onto the cement. The variety is likely peach melba, although I plant a dozen varieties of seeds each spring, and often lose track.

 

Let's Eat!

I've been growing food for years, and I will for the rest of my life. There's nothing better than a fresh tomato sandwich, or those first spring peas steamed just right. And zucchini bread is a summer staple for my boys.
I was lucky when we moved into this rental house to have a garden all ready to be tilled, and a neighbor to till it. I was unlucky, however, to not have experience with deer and so many rabbits. Nearly everyday I found another plant eaten to the ground by whomever... almost no peppers last year, and only a few pole beans. So this year we've fences it in. I know thgis won't keep really hungry deer out, and a bunny get easily get under that fence, but it deters them. So far, it really works! We've had quite a few peppers already harvested, and many more about to be. And beans are already set, too. Peas, lettuce, all untouched. Yay, fence.
See?

I think food growing can be so beautiful, too. Here's lettuce, lolla rossa:

Peas, a number of varieties:

The owner has raspberries planted, and we very much enjoy them!

Pepper, Alma Paprika:

Green Peppers:

'Contender' Beans:

 My husband, who is in th Army comes home today, and I've saved the first cherry tomatoes for him to eat fresh off the vine this evening. There's also a delicious anaheim pepper to include in dinner. What are you growing?

Harvest

We are enjoying the spring crops here. Had peas and A LOT of lettuce this week, and a pepper going into tonights dinner. I stand firm by my choice to sow lettuce and peas in March in Minnesota and Wisconsin(zone 4 and 5). Try it!

Also, for some reason, I want mushrooms in and on everything lately. I guess worst things have happened.

Hoo-kini.

Hunter grew this zucchini from seed all by himself. He is so proud. He thinks it looks like a baseball bat.

Garden on my mind!

We recently found out we are being moved to Minnesota. My husband is in the Army, so when they say go, we go. I will transitioning from a zone 5 garden to a zone 4 garden. I've done ample research, and I have a pretty good idea of what I can grow there, and what I can't. I plan on taking huge parts of the garden while leaving a decent landscape in tact for the new owners of our home. We have not listed the house yet, but we will be doing so soon. For now, I stare the snow, and hard frozen ground making lists of the plants I'm taking (probably about 300 of them!), and the ones I'm leaving behind.
I've always known we would have to move, but this was very first real garden, and it's 6 years of maturity, plus the blood sweat and tears I've poured into it will be missed. Nevertheless, I am very excited to start fresh with a lot more knowledge and skills. Pray we find a house with a decent sized yard and lots of sun for my roses.

Here are some shots from Autumn in my garden.

These brussel sprouts were so yummy.


And a few roses:

Disneyland rose, one of my favs:

Happy garden dreaming!

What's Bloomin' June 19th?

This weekend was busy but I made time to incorporate gardening as much as possible. My husband was off for a few days, and Thursday he took me to the Boerner Botanical Gardens in Milwaukee, WI. I took a ton of pictures, and will post them soon. Oh my, it was incredible.




At home I did some serious pruning. Here in upper zone 5 we have to plant roses with the bud union 4 inches or more beneath the soil surface. I have ever thought to improve the roses air circulation by pruning the leaves and such up a few inches off the ground after planting. Now that I've thought of it, it seems like a no-brainer. I experimented with my Sombreuil, a newer climbing rose I have. I found a day and half after I pruned the bottom the plant seems reborn. The rose bush was in full bloom when I bought it, and seemingly overnight it's made a whole new flush of buds. Incredible. I set out to clean up a few more bushes later this weekend.



Saturday my mother-in-law was in town, so we took her to the Dane County Farmer's Market & Henry Vilas Zoo. I found a red coreopsis (label was there, but not for each plant) I had to have at the farmer's market, and a clearance coleus... pictures to share soon, also. Sunday we roamed around locally, and I found 'Limerock Ruby' Coreopsis, the very last plant on this year's wishlist! Pumped! I also could not resist an orange "Mardi Gras' helenium and 'Midnight Blue' penstemon. I placed them all in the garden last night, despite the maddening mosquitos. I've had to use the type of Deet hunter's use when I've been out there this week!



Thursday, before and after visiting the public garden I took a few pictures in my own garden:



'Love' rose below:





'Morden Centennial' rose



'John Cabot' rose



'Etiole Violette' clematis w/a variegated hosta, Russian Sage, and Salvia Nemorosa, 'East Friesland' (corner of the photo, far right) and 'Blue Hill.'



'Heirloom' rose


The vegetable & herb bed:


'Toulouse Lautrec' rose


Happy Gardening everyone!

Raindrops keep falling on my flowers...

I had a pretty great time out in the sprinkling rain with my camera this afternoon. I thought I'd share what's blooming now. Enjoy!


Morden Fireglow rose.


German Chamomile



Things are filling in up front.






An ant gets nectar from a Karl Rosenfeld peony.


Distant Drums rose




Chives in the herb bed.



What I believe and hope to be a clematis "Etiolle Violette" seedling.



Clematis "Ville De Lyon" gets ready to put on a show.

Delphinium, Magic Fountains, Dark Blue, White Bee.

I've had these Irises since we moved in. I moved them from time to time, but never seen the tall/larger ones bloom! I was so delighted (happy dance kind of delighted) to see they're going to be blue!



Centaura Montana, Hardy Bachelor's Buttons.




David Austin rose Brother Cadfael is turning out sepals and about to present his first bloom to me.


Scarlet Knight rose shows how dark she can be.


Christian Dior rose and bud.



Christian Dior rose in the rain.








Clematis "Piilu" (means "little duck" in Estonian) almost all the way open.


Daisy


Distant Drums rose buds line up behind an open flower.

Happy gardening everyone!