Friday, March 26, 2021

This Spring's Easter 2021

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In the Past, bunnies and Ivy woven with Forsythia decorated the Porch to Welcome Spring and Company.

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Every bunny needs his own cabbage, too.

Like many seniors, this will be the second Easter without a ham in our oven or a carrot cake on the island. 

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No family gathered, and not an Easter egg hidden anywhere. 


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No rice krispie bunnies, 

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but, maybe a chocolate one or two..., 

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and Grampa won't be wearing the Bunny head, 

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Our only Grand, won't be bringing sweet flowers. 

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She was six here...combat boots with hot pink laces...Love her...OOOOooodles!

But we are thankful we are all still healthy, everyone is employed, and safe. Though I ache to hug my boys, my d'in'loves and my Grand.

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Sigh, we are still playing it safe, I will have my second shot on the 8th, so no gathering with anyone for the week before. Hubby has had his second. We will have a family gathering 2 weeks after that.


Meanwhile, I find it hard to decorate for Spring at all. 
It's dreary outside, the bulbs refuse to bloom.

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I've been looking at my posts from past Spring seasons. One thing about blogging, it is a record of one's life. 

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I remember how excited I was to find this platter. 
Perfect for Spring.

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My little Tulip lovers stood guard by a Danish coffee pot full of... 


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Red Tulips!

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Some Springs were full of flowers, eggs and Bunnies. The Grand found this bunny and thought it needed to sit on the egg wreath.

Often, my Great Grand Aunts' needlework covered the buffet.

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I displayed birds and eggs, everywhere.

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I put out vintage postcard prints...here the Scandinavian Elf greets 
the Easter bunnies! 


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Sometimes, bunnies, cabbages, eggs, and crocus graced the island in the kitchen.

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I did art and craft shows for years, and couldn't resist beautiful eggs.

Two of a friends' handwork in a wooden bowl. Aren't they beautiful?
They were made by a crafter named, Judy Loving some 30 years ago, 
 each inked and painted by hand. 

I wish you all A Lovely Spring, 
a Healthy Holiday, 
and of course Happy Easter. 

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Only one Daffodil is blooming now...
maybe if it warms up...
we can have Daffodils for Spring for company!


Please Join me at these fine blog parties:


Please do not use my photos without a link back to this blog without my permission.

Thank you for your cooperation, 
Sandi 
 


Monday, March 22, 2021

Midwest Gardening Mid-March 2021



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Midwest Gardening Mid-March 2021

Our first blossoms of the new season, Crocus planted last Fall.

Winter was so long here in Chicagoland. We dragged our feet on starting plants this year because of all the late record-breaking February and early March snows. 

Finally, the beginning of March using old plastic seed trays lots of seed starter and potting soil we planted peppers, tomatoes, dill,


 and lots and lots of flowers and set them up on trays in the kitchen.

First things up were enthusiastic Bachelor buttons and Cosmos. I planted seeds that supposedly had a long gestation time, but in the warmth and sun they popped up right away.

I also save some seeds to plant right into the ground in early May. I'm hoping for some early color and less money spent at the nurserys.

We planted less of everything, just enough for ourselves, friends and family. In the living room, I have a lot going on. On top of the table are a Sweet Potato Vine, two Mandevilla, two tall Dracena and a Rex Begonia, I'm trying to winter over. So far, so good.

Under the table are 3-5" round pots are full of  Caladiums, Blue Hosta, and other bulbs. These are on the living room floor. I'll also did a large tote for my elephant ears. 

The Blue Hosta, popped up right away, the Caladiums take more time!


This is the first year I have tried to hold big bulbs over. We will see how they look while they are hibernating. (They were very dry.) They have been hiding down next to an exterior wall of the basement, in dry peat moss. We had so much rain in Fall 2020, I was hoping they wouldn't mold.

I planted them in a mixture of potting soil and peat moss...and they are just sitting on the floor in the living room. They will take forever, I'm just hoping for a hint of growth and then I will transfer them to pots. I just don't have room for eight huge pots in the house.


2020 photo of the greenhouse

We plan on starting Pumpkins, Squash, Peas, Beans, Sunflowers, Swiss Chard, and Zinnias, Marigolds, and Sunflowers in the greenhouse as soon as temps average out beginning of April.

2020 photo of the greenhouse

Last year in the greenhouse...we had heaters going so much, we are holding off right now. AND hubby is fine tuning the insulation in the greenhouse. Making it more snug so less electricity will be used for the heater.

2020 photo of our temperature sytem. Yikes sunshine makes it 102???

You can't leave the greenhouse alone without monitoring the temps. We have a Fan and five windows and a door we can open to keep the temperature even!

 Hopefully we can move the indoor plants out there, also the peppers and tomatoes after transplanting to larger pots.

So far we are on schedule...nice thing about blogging, I have dates of when I did what, as sometimes I forget to write everything in the log book! 


Outside it is very slow to awaken. First we need some rain, promised tomorrow!


And our first budding Daffodil. The Periwinkle groundcover is growing thick everywhere. I split lots of clumps up and planted them all over the mound last year. With the increased sunshine from cutting up the lower branches of our Spruce trees, it is flourishing.


Our little conical bushes did well, we planted last summer, and here are more Daffodils waiting for rain...it is so dry!


This clump of old tulips look a little rough.


And these have been completely eaten. We will be spraying critter deterrent after the rain expected tomorrow. I hope they didn't eat the stems???



The trimmed back Tree Rose of Sharon definitely made seed pods, so we didn't completely kill it in the drastic trim.


last year I bought a mat of succulents, split it up and here they made it through the winter and are sprouting next to the pond! YAY!


More bulbs, I planted about 200 different bulbs, can't wait to see what makes it. These look like IRIS, my favorites.


These are our older Iris, which are quite happy under the dryer overhang of the roof, and getting warmth off the bricks.




Now it's time for me to pick up all the fallen branches, not the leaves and debris,  which is homes to bugs, critters and most important bees and other polinators. Leave your winter debris covering as long as you possibly can. 
GIVE our planet's Ecosystem a chance to do it's job!
It's a GREEN Thing to DO!!!



Please Join me at these fine blog parties:


Please do not use my photos without a link back to this blog without my permission.

Thank you for your cooperation, 
Sandi