Midwest Gardening: April 2023

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The entire country has been plagued with CRAZY weather this year. Think, 200" of snow in California to a 1400 mile long front (yesterday) fueled by 60 degree temperature differentiations, tornadoes, 70mph+ hurricane winds, flooding. 

Original planting forecasts said we would be able to plant in Chicagoland by April 15...not a chance. 

We have standing water in our garden, one day it is freezing, the next day its 65 degrees. YES, simply crazy even for the Midwest.

So, I'm still gardening in my kitchen, hoping to move into the greenhouse this week.

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Coleus and Elephant ears are in here...starting to really grow.

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I transplanted tomatoes last week. We have a fan going all the time on them, to strengthen the stalks. (It really works). I use the tall drink glasses with one small hole drilled in the bottom for drainage. The plastic tote is very nice for supporting the cups. 

Special Post HERE on why we use the cups for tomatoes and planting in the garden.

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Green Zinnias from seed, these were planted too early!

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Peppers are thick and green---moving them into 3-4" pots has really helped them.

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More tomatoes and I have 8 pots of 2-3 Japanese eggplants in them.

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This was a huge dahlia corm that would fit into a small pot. In three days it's a foot high now.

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Broccoli plants look stronger everyday. 

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These are small Dahlias, Cone flowers, something else...slow starters, hoping they will take off in the greenhouse.

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I'm using Miracle grow potting soil for these starts. 

I really need to start my trays of marigolds as well as the squash/pumpkin plants. Also the flower boxes with onions, lettuce, and Nasurtiums. We won't be buying many plants this year as the budget won't allow it at all with the basement disaster.

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 Besides our basement disaster, we need to gut the greenhouse. Seems the mice think glass insulation is a great place to live in...and we will switch to thick styrofoam. This was all planned to do in March---but the basement disaster diverted this plan.

This is a photo from last Fall. Now we have standing water in the garden from this week's crazy weather. While today is glorious sunshine, but a bit chilly.

After helping hubby move into his office down stairs, (we laid vinyl sheet flooring in there yesterday). I may venture into the mouse hut (greenhouse) and attempt to pull out all the insulation after removing all the contents first.

Another Fruitbasket UPSET! 

How are your Spring Gardening

 plans going?!

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Sandi

Midwest Gardening in October

I've already belabored the woes of our crazy Midwest weather this year, it's been crazy all over the country though. Bits of beauty survive in our yard despite no Fall color to speak of and everything

on the tail end of dead.

Here in Chicagoland, despite the heat and drought of August and September, the Zinnias were extremely vigorous. Not too many blossoms, but lots of growth. In drought I hold back on fertilizing, as plants are just trying to maintain their existing leaves and flowers. I'm sure this reduced blooming on everything.

The last two weeks Silver Maple trees have cast about leaves almost everywhere each day. We will be mulching all our garden beds, a GREEN thing to do.

These double layered Zinnias have petticoats of orange under there crimson centers. The lime green leaves in pots are the last of our hot peppers.

I leave perennials in the garden until they seed this time of year. 

Black-eyed Susans are in the background, ready to drop their seeds.

Leggy Coleus and the last of the Impatiens on one of our full rainbarrels.

Rainbarrels are a great way to help drought gardens. We have four and will probably add another next year.--another GREEN thing to do.

Our pond with dried up squash vines hanging. Cherry Tomatoes behind still trying.

Some Ruby Chard and Carnival (mixed) Chard. 

This will make some great greens for some soup. NUM!

Mislabeled HOT peppers----LOTS more than we will ever use.

Cinderella has nothing on us. 

This pumpkin perched itself on an OLD antique cultivator and grew to a 

spectacular size for a homegrown pumpkin.

I have big Scandinavian hands----so this will show how big this perfect pumpkin is.

We only had two large pumpkins and three small ones, about 20% of our usual production.

REDO: Hubby rebuilt the 'family' cultivator last year, and now it's a pumpkin perch.

Here's the last Spaghetti Squash still on the vine with overgrown green beans hanging there too. This was taken late in the afternoon, I love the shadows and leaves in this photo---un-altered photo.

The front porch is finally cool enough to sit on the furniture. 

Trees block the low sun now, instead of boiling the porch.  

My Fall arrangement is a REDO with dried gourds from last year. 

My house plants are still happy on the porch. But they will have to come in soon.

I haven't found my bin of Fall decor, yet or my sunflower pillows?

But then, without color in the trees, it just doesn't feel like Fall.

Next week is Halloween---really? 

An OLD thrift shop witch swinging in the wind, I call her Gerty and she is the 

extent of Halloween decor this year.

Maybe this weekend, we can get some things up. 

When is it going to look like Fall? Orange and Yellow, 

doesn't go well with Christmas Decorations, lol.

How's your Fall going?

Thanks always for visiting. 

I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question.

All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or any products shown or anywhere I shop.

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

Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi Magle

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