So much succulent love

Had the most wonderful spring day! I got to use my new potting shed and work on my containers for the upcoming sale. So, so happy with how they are coming out. First 60 plus degree day since September last year comes tomorrow! I can't wait! Yay spring!!!

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!

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!

Hyper tufa Love

I have been enjoying the process of making hyper tufa the last few months-it has really helped ease the pain of a slow going winter. We even have a winter storm warning this week! Thankfully, I am finally starting to have a few fully cured pieces and I could not be more excited! We tried a couple recipes, but found the equal parts peat moss, perlite, portland cement to work best. No real way to say how much water to add, it's an eyeball it kind of thing. I am also finding it to be a wonderful creative outlet. How fun are these?

 

I will be selling these, and other hypertufa creations at the upcoming Juxtaposition 99 Sale,in Buffalo Minnesota this May 2, 3, 4th. Check out the Juxtaposition 99 Blog here, and like Juxtaposition 99 on facebook here! I will also be opening a garden themes Etsy shop in the next month. Very excited!!!

Handmade

I made this fairy garden birdbath/ urn planter last night! And the rock word. So excited to start selling some fairy garden accessories soon! I will keep you posted!

This almost 34 year old's tiny wishes.

I have two wishes for my birthday this Friday.

 

One: I would like to open the house windows for the first time since October. I want fresh spring air flowing throughout my house. I *may* get this wish, as forecasts put Friday @ 49, and Saturday in the low 50's.

 

Second: Each March I plant peas, and this year I've only been able to do so in the greenhouse. I want to plant some sweet peas outside in the real dirt, real ground. We have a patch of soil by the side door that is sunbaked all day, and well thawed, despite the snow pile a foot high beside it. I have my Captain of the Blue's sweet peas in the cup of water soaking, ready to be planted Friday morning. Wish me luck.

 

Also, I would love lunch at Pittsburgh Blue, and my first cadbury egg of the season for dessert, but I don't want to go *crazy* with demands... ;)

 

I also spent a chunk of some gift money on a few things garden related. I picked up some Arabian Night Dahlia bulbs, 4 Arlo Nehring Caladium, sweet pea seeds, and a 6" blue gazing ball- because you can never have too many blue gazing balls. Seriously. I went thrifting like a mad woman and brought home some tea cups and saucers to epoxy together into bird feeder/baths, a 20 cent metal stand for said gazing ball, a vintage green planter pot for a house plant, and some pretty porcelain bowls I want to use as butterfly baths- they like shallow water, so it should work out perfectly.

 

Most importantly, I finally ordered my own copies of Debra Lee Baldwin's succulent books... no more library hogging them.

 

Spring can come now. I am so ready.

 

More Chicago Flower & Garden Show Photos

I've always loved tulips but I gained new appreciation for them when we moved next to neighbors who plant hundreds of tulip bulbs every fall. Last year I could not resist and when the tulips went on sale I bought every variety in sight. So, getting a preview of all of the tulips at the Chicago Flower and Garden Show was exactly what the doctor ordered! I even found a few varieties I had planted. This is one late spring, even for this far north, and the tulips in my yard are a long way off still-- we can't even see the dirt yet, thanks to tons and tons of snow. So inside this building on a pier in Chicago was in tulip heaven! Enjoy!

Gavota: 

Valery Gergiev:

Orange Princess: 

Ad Rem Beauty 

Belicia: 

Boston: 

 

Kees Nelis 

Princess Irene 

Cool Crystal 

Apricot Joy 

 

Annie Schilder

Oh! I can't wait for tulip season around here!