Signs of Spring
The garden speaks volumes. Witch Hazel with it's red orangey crinkled ribbons glows bright, on these sunny, late winter days.
Orange Julius aka OJ, has made it through the winter freeze, as has his buddy or buddling! He arrived along with his sweetie, HOTLIPS, from A friend's pond that was being dismantled . Sadly, Hotlips didn't survive the move. OJ has become a king in the pond world here..measuring about four inches or more. Growing from a tiny goldfish, he rules a new kingdom. Ice may cover his pondland, but below..he is the Prime Minister.
The variegated Yucca doesn't look too bad for a plant stuck in the back shed over the winter with all the other wintered garden stuff and mess! Come on girl...perk up!! I see you have babies. Yes Ms. Vic..your name is on one of them!
Snow is melting..more seeds are planted in the cold frames. What a difference a month has made. Look back..incredible the snow melt.
Here is my list, scattered or seeded in rows today:
Lollo Rossa lettuce
Radish French Blush
Semi savoy spinach Samich
Spinach Reddy
Extra Dwaft Pak Choy
Chard Bright Lights
Arugula
The spinach mentioned in my last blog post, has germinated. Also, Purple Mizuna seeded last November 24th and forgotten about.. has germinated. "What are those little purple sprouts"? Well thankfully there was a marker stuck in the soil. How did we live without a raised bed all those years before, I ask you!!
What an awesome time of year. Look at all the snow you have. It is so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteSnow..well think I would rather white sand about now ;-) . Thanks Erin for your kind comment.
DeleteSoon be time for us to do a fish count. Ours are hiding under to water plants. Well I hope that they are hiding!
ReplyDeleteI hope so too! Thanks for commenting Sue.
DeleteOur ponds are too dark to see the fish - it will have to wait for late spring when the sun is high enough and bright enough to light the water in a certain way.
ReplyDeleteYou are certainly industrious with all your planting - it's raining so hard here this morning that anything planted would be in danger of being swept away.
A good hard rain...how I wish...to wash this dirty snow away! How lovely to have ponds.
DeleteAll these signs of spring are so welcome, it seems to have been a long winter this year. I've got a few seeds on the go, but I'm holding out for some warmer weather to get more done.
ReplyDeleteMe too Jo...holding out for some more warm days to get more done. Thanks for commenting. Your allotment is really coming along and I will enjoy following spring's progress.
DeleteOur fish have done ok the pond is frozen over at the moment it is still very cold here still. Brrr! Just wondering, do you insulate your cold frames or are the plants ok without.
ReplyDeleteHi Elaine. Glad your fish have made it also. To answer your question, no, the cold frame covered raised bed and the one with the hoops do not have any insulation. The plants in them are cold tolerant, many in the brassica family and others that just seem to 'sit' all winter. I did cover the carrots with straw though. It's 9 C. here today.
DeleteThanks for commenting.
Wow! This is my first visit here and your'e a REAL gardener (I'm just a pretend one...I collect gardens for my memoirs). Now that I've seen your Orange Julius I will have to make a trip to a garden up the coast (of Long Island) to check on some koi I'm rather fond of, make sure they're OK too. So far we have not had a single sign of Spring except for a 50-degree rain all day today...but that counts, right?
ReplyDeleteVivian...thanks so much for visiting my blog. Don't know about being a REAL gardener..I do love it, but I know you are a REAL painter, while I just pretend.
DeleteI saw your painting of the Koi..beautiful, and the tutorial..excellent.
Thanks for visiting, and yes, 50 degree rain counts as a sign of spring. ;-)
Wonderful post Bren.. I can feel spring! So glad your fishes also made it though.. I just got more seed today.. Let's get together when I get home from Canada Blooms.. I need to share! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Niki...I have to get your seeds to you, as I know you don't have enough onion seeds yet ))))))).
DeleteYes, when you get back from Canada Blooms..wish I were going. Hopefully cousin will get to say hello...she won a free trip. Now why can't I be that lucky!!
Share..love that word. Enjoy yourself.
Hi Bren,
ReplyDeleteYour witch hazel looks so beautiful - a lovely sign of spring! Your raised cover bed looks such a good idea and especially with seeds germinating.
Sarah x
Sarah, if you were here I would give you a branch! Glad you like the good idea with the raised bed with cold frame cover. I surely nicked it from somewhere or someone, but can't remember. I know I wouldn't enjoy getting on my hands and knees to pick lettuce and honestly, if I ever have another chance at a new garden...raised beds would be top of my list. Thanks from visiting Sarah. I do enjoy your blog.
DeleteSo glad to hear the package arrived - that was quick! I can hardly believe it when I look at the calendar but yes it surely does look like spring. All the signs are there. I keep thinking about planting another witch hazel (I have the fall blooming native) and that top photo is reminding me once again that I might want to add one to my tree/shrub shopping list. It would be so nice to see blooms at this time of year.
ReplyDeleteI can't recommend this witch hazel enough. Wrote about her last spring. I have a small Nova Scotia native shrub,February Daphne (Daphne mezereum L.)that also blooms very early. You are right Marguerite, it does give a boost to see something in bloom this time of year. Thanks for your comment.
DeleteI just can't wait for signs of spring in my own yard! I'm hoping to try cold frames next year - yours look like they produce quite a bit. Fingers crossed hubby will get them built. :)
ReplyDeleteI do hope your hubby will build you some cold frames. I use mine all year round. Thanks for your kind comment.
DeleteThe witch hazel looks cold (curled up) but lovely!
ReplyDeleteI love your fish's name.
Re: the pink daylily: I don't think my mystery daylily is Catherine Woodbury (because of the darker eye ring and the fact that it's soo pink) but I've always loved CW (and should order it for comparison!).
I've alwys loved CW as well..I would have to say..my favourite, that and Canadian Border Patrol! Love it too, just for the name alone ))))
DeleteLovely post Brenda! I am happy to hear your fish are doing well. I hope you will post more pictures of them when the ice is all gone. I love fish .. I had a nice fish tank, in my room, when I was a teenager ... nothing like your pond .. but still fun! Our plow guy just left ... yesterday the weatherman said we would maybe get an inch of snow ... woke up to 5 - 6 inches ... yawn .. I am bored with winter!
ReplyDelete~Michele
Michele..thanks. The fish bring me great entertainment and it is usually the first place I cool my feet off, in the late spring before the sea starts to warm. Sorry about your weather ( Me too, tired of winter but the snow is melting fast.
DeleteThings look good where you are. I'm in Bridgewater. And thanks for your comment on my blog.
ReplyDeleteThere are a couple of pretty good Asian stores in Halifax; our favorite is JJ Mart on Gottingen Street, in the block just before North and the old bridge. Very nice people there and great selection. You can find the soft tofu there.
Come back and visit me again soon. I'll try to keep up with your posts. (I'm darned impressed that your fish make it through our winters!)
Thanks Sandy, for stopping by. Thanks also for the advice re Asian stores in Halifax. Will try JJ Mart.
DeleteIt looks great. I am moving the country here in Nova Scotia this summer and I would love to learn to garden the way that you do!
ReplyDeleteYou will enjoy living on the South Shore and they have a Waldorf school here as well!! Thanks for commenting.
DeleteThanks! that is wonderful to know!
ReplyDeleteWe have snow and freezing rain forecast for today. It is beginning to feel like spring will never get here. The sprouting veggies in your cold frame are a welcome sight. Your post is so uplifting Bren and makes me feel hopeful that spring hasn't forgotten us. She's just running a bit late.
ReplyDeleteYour fish names are a hoot. "Ice may cover his pondland, but below..he is the Prime Minister." Love that!
Jennifer, what a lovely kind comment. Thank you so much.
DeleteThe fish arrived named so can't take the credit for that, but I am pleased they made it through. Hopefully Mr. mink won't find them as that has happened before.
We have more snow forecast, just in time for spring.
I'm so happy I found your blog! I am just getting into gardening and I'm here in NS so I think your blog will be a great source of reference & inspiration to me as I struggle along. Where did you get your witch hazel? I would love to grow some & have been looking for seeds in Canada but haven't had any luck thus far.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to my blog..so pleased to meet you. I bought the witch hazel at Oceanview Gardencenter and Landscaping. http://plantcrazy.ca/
DeleteI wrote about the witch Hazel last year, so here is the link to that post if you would like to read more about it:
http://gardeningbren.blogspot.ca/2012/03/first-sign-of-flowers.html
Good luck with getting a garden growing and enjoying our spring which surely will be here any day ;-)
Thank you for the info. I will check it out. Love the pictures of your Witch Hazel :)
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