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Hi, Gardeners and Friends!
We had hard frost and SNOW this week in Chicagoland. Not measurable, but sad to look at tulips through flurries. We desperately need moisture, as we have missed the last three precipitation events here.
Spring in the upper Mid-west is elusive sometimes. This year is no exception. This is why we have the greenhouse, but first we start everything in the house. I did starts the first week in March, and then as trays were moved or transplanted we moved them to the greenhouse. Then, I started more seeds. It's been fruit basket UPSET every week, lol.
These photos were take around April 15th. I keep the lids on until the plants push them off, lol.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
We have two large windows in the kitchen, one facing East and the other South. I have often planted one more shelf high, but we had a lot in the living room wall window, too.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
These are Cosmos, which are awfully spindly.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
This is Dill which is doing quite well. We had a lot of dull dark days, so we put up a couple of plant lights, which helped.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
This is the South window. Peppers and Tomatoes. The top right is coleus that I broadcast seeds in a dirt filled tray. Very Good germination on these. Coleus plants are fairly expensive, large, but I need shade plants...lots of shade plants.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
The day after I took these photos, I transplanted the tomatoes into large plastic glasses in the greenhouse and they have been doing well.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
In the living room I planted all my bulbs, Caladiums and Elephant Ears (in the tub in front). These are usually very slow to grow. The plants you see are Blue Hostas.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
The Hostas took off like crazy and were moved to the greenhouse beginning of last week. Five went to a friends and are planted around a tree, and are doing well. I moved the Caladiums out there also, and they are finally starting to sprout.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
I now have two full sized Elephant leaves two weeks later, and I don't know where I'm going to keep them. Tropical, Elephant ears are very temperature sensitive. So they will have to get transplanted to big pots in the house????
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| oldnewgreenredo |
(LtoR) Sweet Potato vine. I wintered over, sharing a pot with a Mandivilla. I have one red bloom on that now. It bloomed until Christmas and then shut down. The yellow pot is another one, then the Rex Begonia which is not happy, two variegated Dracena and a Spathiphyllum.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
This is a photo of the greenhouse last year about this time, but today, we are a bit behind this year, temperature wise! We finally settled on staining all trim country red. It sure will brighten up the yard. I concede to Hubby's choices on things HE builds...keeps the peace that way!
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Inside, the Greenhouse is about half full. I had planted a few pots with annuals, pansies and other stuff for the front porch. The bright green is Scotch moss. Something new I'm going to try here and there and see how they do for a perennial. They are thick masses of plant and roots.
I managed to get 9 pots of Peppermint from some roots I found in one of my dried grass pots. So I chopped them up and planted in small pots and they are doing very well.
PEPPERMINT WARNING: This is an invasive under ground trailer. If you use peppermint for bees/bugs repellant, make sure you burn the plants in Fall. Do not put it anywhere it can seed or the roots can survive...or you will be weeding out peppermint for the rest of your life. I will try and save one pot to winter over for starts, but carefully.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Here are some herbs I started. The Chives are from transplants from the yard, and Rosemary.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
I started two large planters with lettuce onions and spinach.
Soon as we get a break in the weather, I'll plant more lettuce, radishes, and spinach in the ground. We should have food in about three more weeks, maybe less!
With the diving temps this week, I moved them back into the greenhouse. Pansies are very hardy, but better safe than sorry. I just keep them where it is shady!
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Here are the transplanted Tomatoes....they were actually happy in the cooler greenhouse.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
I kept them on lower shelves for a week, with filtered light, then moved them into the sun on top.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
I started multiple Zinnia seeds inpots along with lots of other things, Marigolds, Nasturtiums, Bachaelor Buttons, and lots else.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
The garden is dry and clear of weeds! YAY! We will till and plant sometime in May.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
The Day Lilies and Daffodils, make it look like summer. We have to adjust the play set for the Grand. She is 8 now and so tall...she has to duck in her play house!
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| oldnewgreenredo |
On a loop around the yard, I found this little guy was outside all winter by himself...He looks so annoyed! I'll rake in a few weeks, giving the bees and bugs a chance to survive longer. Night time temps are freezing, so they have nowhere to hide if they are above ground.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
I took a few other photos of interesting textures. My twenty-year old shelf---finally
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| oldnewgreenredo |
submitted to the elements. I guess it needed another coat of Poly last year...well, it's a REDO project now! My dad built these for my pottery business, and the pattern I painted on these matched the flower pottery and flower pots I produced. I'm so happy I kept pieces. I know I have one more of these shelves inside the porch safe and sound, so maybe this one will be country red.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Some of the birdhouses are over 30 years old...but those are the ones the birds like best! This one has been repaired many times.
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| Oldnewgreenredo |
We really need moisture, badly a few snowflakes hasn't done it. I've never had to water in April...??? Usually there is standing water in this part of the garden this time of year?
Mid-West Gardening---you just NEVER know what will be next! I do have to make a new plan for the garden areas. Update my logs, and make sure veggies get moved around for better crops this year!
Next Gardening Post.
Midwest Gardening April 2021: Perennial Survival and Garden Planning
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Please do not use my photos without a link back to this blog without my permission.
Thank you for your cooperation,
Sandi
Sandi
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WOW , WOW and WOW!! You are amazing starting all of this from seed inside and then in your charming greenhouse...I am thinking of starting some flowers from seed but I will have to do it outside and try to create some mini greenhouses somehow...I have been looking for ideas on pinterest...Thanks for sharing your expertise and thanks for visiting!!!
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Debbie
Hi Debbie, Hubby built the greenhouse over a metal frame of one we ordered, but the fabric disintegrated in one season. Technically it can be dismantled or moved, with poly-acrylic panels and some wood, lower part is metal. This year we insulated everywhere and it holds the heat better!
DeleteSandi, you should open a nursery, I swear. You have such a green thumb and all the get up and go to get it done. When we moved here there was a lot of mint in the garden, don't know what specie, nice big plants and great leaves for drinks and embellishments, but over the years it has gotten spindly and the leaves are very small and it is slowly disappearing. I know it is invasive and I didn't want so much of it but now that it is going, I will miss it..See that is how I garden!!!Lots of talk and not much action..xxoJudy
ReplyDeleteLOL...Oh, well, I will share the failures, and the mixups between hot peppers and mild and other goofs..but stuff does seem to grow. OMG, I have been pulling mint out since 1984...gobs and gobs of it. If you use an herbicide on it(a no-no here) it kills everything but the mint. I use peppermint in plants, the wild one is a wintergreen variety. You really have to be careful with it...it is a great bee deterrent..and I'm allergic so it's a must in our resting areas.
DeleteSandi,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by!!
Stay safe, healthy and happy!
Hugs,
Debbie
oh, you too, Debbie!
DeleteYour gardening skills are impressive Sandi, and how wonderful to have a greenhouse! I hope the weather warms and you can plant soon, you are going to have a yard full of wonderful blooms!
ReplyDeleteJenna
We have warm now---BUT we have had snow in June and multiple frosts in May, so we hold off planting outside until long term forecasts rule out frost! Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteWhat a stunning greenhouse you have and what a wonder it is to see every day a new leaves growing, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your work, darling friend, and Happy month of May
Xx Dany
Oh wow! All that nearness. That space taken up. That devotion.. That knowledge. I, the non-gardener, stopped many miles short of such an Eden.
ReplyDeleteIn only one sense may I be regarded as superior. When water is needed I uncoil the hose. When the water has been delivered I rewind it on to the drum.
For a mere pittance a gardener with a recently replaced knee and his grandson tidied up our garden. Briefly we were in clover (a phrase you may wot not of - and there's another). But he started too soon and must now re-enter hospital in two weeks time. Three months before he's fit for garden slavery. And it's still too cool for us to take a bottle of white burgundy out to the patio and appreciate the garden as the secular God I worship (His first names are Johann Sebastian) intended. The other God (Jahweh), whom I like less, giveth and then taketh away. Truly.
LOL...We had clover in N.Wisconsin where we lived. A quarter of a city block...took several years to tame it into lawn, but always there were some sweet flowers and little patches of the stubborn stuff. And, yes, music in the garden is totally necessary!!! I'm still a Vivaldi and Handel lover mixed with Fleetwood Mac and moldy oldies from the 60-70's. Thank you for stopping by, Sandi
DeleteYour Seedlings are enviable, I so want a Greenhouse so I can start plantings and get more experimental with what I can grow and have thrive. With Spring being brief here, I don't know how much of my potted Veggie and Herb Garden will weather the triple digit heat, but so far, so good, with the shade of the House and the Pine Tree it's helpful. Mints, I always grow in Pots or it just goes berserk doesn't it? *LOL* Love them tho', so does something else which keeps getting into my Pots and nibbling them... whatever it is should have fragrant Breath. *Smiles*
ReplyDeleteHi, Dawn. Maye bunnies or jack rabbits. Chickens have been known to eat just about anything? Yes, keep mints (I love chocolate mint leaves in tea) IN pots, it is so invasive. I have been pulling spearmint since 1984 from our plot and no sign of abating. We feed into a lake, so try and not use massive herbicides, which I guess don't work anyway! You could plan on using your greenhouse in fall-spring...! We are going to really try and extend the growing season with an experiment this Fall! Hugs, and thanks for stopping by! Sandi
DeleteYou definitely have a green thumb, I'm impressed!! Thanks so much for linking up with me at A Themed Linkup 58 for Vegetable Gardening. Pinned! You mentioned me hosting a garden food themed party for later on in the season so thanks for the suggestion!! When does the majority of gardening season end or when would be a good time to host such a party?
ReplyDeleteHi, Dee. Food from gardens begins now in the South...Midwest we won't have much until July 4th starting...and then all the way through until frost. July-August would probably cover everyone at the same time. Thanks so much for your comments! Sandi
DeleteOk, I'll put it on the calendar. Thanks, again!
Delete