Sunday, April 15, 2012

Early Spring Continues

The weather was gorgeous today. We were easily in the 70's.  Budding and leafing is well underway for most things. The apple tree is almost ready to open its leaf buds,  the lilacs have leaves that are thumb sized.  The horseradish has been awake for weeks now,  the asparagus are popping up,  the blueberries are sending out red buds,  elderberries are sending out shoots. Daffodils are blooming, Stanley (prune plum) is waking up. I've got the rhubarb covered by a black rubber tub to blanch it. Also, my from-seed Autumn olive is leafing.

First mow of the lawn was done today.

Its been so dry though.  Fire warnings have been issued almost daily and we have not had more than a token rain shower or two for what seems like a very long time.

We are still getting the occasional frost.  Of course i'm worried about flowering and killing frosts.  But there's nothing i can do really.


i ...think... my unnamed elderberry might be dead.  its showing no signs of waking up,  while York and Nova are stretching out.  Its ok though,  i'd rather have named plants anyhow.  I have Goldbeere and Caerulea coming. I'll just dig it up and throw it out.  New plants should be here by the end of the month.

I was hoping to start digging up the unwanted plants this weekend,  but our oldest daughter spent the weekend at my parents' house so i had nobody to watch the youngest daughter while i dug.  So maybe sometime this week since it is April vacation.

I'm hoping to get my seeds started this week as well.  Its Sunday now and 7 weeks to last frost.  After years of starting way too early i have finally learned to cool my jets and wait.  I'll start tomatoes first and squashes later.  Cukes too.
I'm also not using 9packs this year.  The wells are just too small for good root growth.  i never have time or the room to pot-up,  so i'm using the paper flats i saved from last years' marigolds and 3" single pots saved from herbs i bought from Garden Spot.

Well i guess that is it for today.  I started writing this Saturday and its now Sunday morning and the little one wants desperately to go outside,  so out we go!
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