Midwest Gardening: Garden Starts, Plants, Planters...wishing for Spring!

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It's trying hard to be Spring in Chicagoland, it was 70 yesterday, but will be below freezing tonight, it's already in the low 40's at 1pm. I hooked up the heater in the greenhouse as I have all my Dahlias, Potato Vines, and miscellaneous summer bulbs started in there. Hopefully since it was sunny today, it will hold. I will put it on high tonight.

I haven't posted much about our home, mostly because it has been full of bags of donations, shipments of 'stuff', and barely put away Christmas, and well---PLANTS, lots of PLANTS.

In the Kitchen...I began the garden starts last week, March 5-10, actually and entire month late. But, that is another story.  

Check out THIS POST it's a great blow by blow of the entire process from the past! YIKES I'm behind this year.

Anyway I had to move plants everywhere ELSE! To the Bedroom with four...

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I have a different piece of furniture here now...but I'm double protecting it...from the water from these plants.....

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And these. Hard to take photos with bright light outside, The hanging spiders have been quite happy in here with an air purifier and a humidifier running full tilt all winter. The only plant not happy is my Rex Begonia..which I think got overwatered...they are touchy but gorgeous.

Back to the Living room and PLANTS!

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The biggest plant was this darn IVY TREE...which I love and hate...each time we transplant it, it becomes HEAVIER. LOL. It's very happy in the living room windows.

I also moved three Mandilla into the living room and  more plants into my bedroom. It's pretty much plant heaven in our house right now. Oh, another one is in the bathroom...very happy there.

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Chaos and Plant Central: The upright box is one of the big garden planters 3'x8'x 2' high (above bunny munching) for the vegetable garden, the other is opened on the floor---a million pieces of metal...that should be lots of fun. 

(Each year from now on we will build or order raised containers for the garden.) We are getting too old to be lifting and bending over so much, and container gardening will be more compact, also less tilling for my hubby. At 78 the tiller basically drags him around. 

Wood will be very pricey with the Canada Trade wars...and tariffs, so we opted early to purchase these metal ones at a steal. They are 50$$ $more now then early February.

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Middle pot: I purchased a lovely lime Philodendron to put in the bottom of the pot with the Dracenas. It will be on the front porch this summer under the eaves, maybe the end of April or May.

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This  LIMEY should look great in that old antique pot with the Dracena spikes.

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The climbing Mandilla on the left is growing so many new shoots, it's going everywhere. I had fertilized everything the end of February and the plants are now kicking into high gear.

Our kitchen is perfect for starting plants, two huge windows facing South and East. Problem was I had so many plants wintering over in the house.

March 5-10 I  planted a bunch of flower and vegetable seeds. When they begin to sprout, the tomatoes, peppers, herbs, and flowers, I will keep you up to date on how everything is doing.

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It takes a lot of room to do starts. Hopefully I can fill the greenhouse with the rest, if the temps would moderate a bit more. It's been pleasant in the 80's in the greenhouse, I actually turned the fan on yesterday.

Later this week, I would love to start Peas, and the lettuce/radish/onion pots for the railings so we can have fresh veggies---as soon as possible in the greenhouse. By April we should be able to put carrots, beets, broccoli, and Kohlrabi into the ground, they are all cool weather plants. 

Since critters ate my zucchini, beans, cantalope, spinach, brocolli, and all my sunflowers last year...I'll be starting those in the greenhouse and move when they are BIG into the gardens. (Another reason for raised planters).

LEFT:  I moved my two rosemary plants into one big ugly pot. It's been okay this winter...and will definitely be happier outside when it is warmer. I'm going to have to replace many pots this next year. 

REDO:  I will garage sale for some.

CENTER: 

The wooden spoons on the covers are holding them down for they were a bit warped. I use big baking trays under some of my starters. I have two layers of plastic covering the surface of my cabinet, which has worked in the past.

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First thing up planted on March 5 was COSMOS. YAY! But this means I'll have to transplant them to bigger containers later. UGH.

The South window has these shelves set up. IF all goes to plan, everything will be in the greenhouse before Easter, so we can eat (10 or so) at the table.

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These are Birthday flowers  (the roses were done)  my from February. I actually love the spicy scent of carnations...so nice to have something blooming now. Of course the roses are drying straight in the hall wall for use some other time.

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I Can't wait for flowers like these!

How are Your 

GARDEN PLANS

Going!?

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Sandi

A Glimpse of Fall in our Kitchen

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It's been hard to think Fall when your temps are in the high 80's and 90's for the last 6 weeks here in Chicagoland. Actually it has been HOT since the second week in June. 

 I think we had 3 days of 70's last month and no rain for weeks. Today it finally rained. I put a few dried Hydrangeas in my transferware. I may still switch this out when I find my brown cottage pieces.

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Right now this container is an old porcelain tea canister I found last summer. It has transfers on all four sides...and in my favorite blue and white.  

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I have a few old this and that Fall items,  and this may change later.

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This was my cookbook counter in 2022, I try to  coordinate tablecloth in soft fall tones. 

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Then the Rex begonia I thought was dead from being chewed on,--but revived when I brought it inside. Bugs and critters have been voracious this year. The one this year is recovering also from being chewed on.

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I  love to add something natural, and here are some gourds and mini pumpkins. I only have three pumpkins this year. They just couldn't get going in the heat. Illinois is one of the top producers of pumpkins...I wonder how the crops are this year.

I have a few thrift store Halloween things that will go out soon, not before October 1, though. We have some large Skellies for the yard, which will be fun.

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The Mandillas were very happy this summer with the heat, I have 5 to bring in this year. This one is on the end of the cabinet and still in full bloom---and twining away...and a Happiness is Homemade sign. 

Honestly the seasons "HALLOWTHANKMAS"

are so rushed in the stores now...it's crazy. Life flies by and the stores are already loading up for Christmas. UGH!

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We have many a gathering here with family all year. We are having Thanksgiving this year, but not much else.

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I love Sunflowers...and pulled out a faux bush, now that they are done in the yard. The real ones are left for the birds, upside down Goldfinches are the most fun to watch.

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Normally if I serve buffet style off the island. I can't remember what it was like when this kitchen didn't have the island. It functions so well...and this little end I always have something Happy going on! 

Right now it is 'Harvest' for sure. Antique pickling crock, enamel coffee pot, grandmother's crocks a few gourds and peppers for color.

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The sink is seldom empty, and here is the basil I need to process for the refrigerator and freezer. I need to buy garlic, olive oil and pine nuts to make pesto, this afternoon.

I still have to dry a huge crop of Sage and Majoram. Also, need to dry the Thyme and Parsley plants.

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The busiest place in the kitchen is our coffee station....pumpkin spice is always nice!

Staples, actually some need filling...I don't have a walk-in pantry like some bloggers, but this works for all those essentials.

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The workaholic in the kitchen the toaster/convection oven. Use this constantly for two people...it's perfect. Plus throws off less heat in the summer. Now we turn the stove oven on for dinner and taking the chill off.

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I'm going to refresh this shelf this week, maybe with some pops of orange and yellow, or I might bring out some transferware. Depends on how much energy I have.

Almost everything is inherited or thrifted in our home.

 I love the hunt and let's face it, old stuff was made to last!

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Last bit of clean counter---more staples...in our family antique blue jars. My mom-in-law's Kitchen Aide. Love it, except it is so HEAVY! My old mixer went to my kids.

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Since my kitchen was clean enough to share and

now I'll go mess it up and making PESTO!

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Thank you for your cooperation,

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 Sandi Magle

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Midwest Gardening: Wintering Indoor and Outdoor plants

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With Christmas finally put away, I moved all my house plants and some of the plants I'm wintering over around in the house to get the best light.

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Our house is really made for plants. With the outdoor temps now hovering at 5-10 degrees and worse windchills here in Chicagoland, saving some plants inside is GREEN and cost effective.  This is an Hibiscus with orange flowers I severely cut back and stuffed in a pot and brought it in the house, late in November. I knew it had been nipped by frost so the cut back was necessary. Hibiscus have quite woody stems, so I crossed my fingers. 

We are getting new growth now.

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The top four leaves and the nubs are all new...Yay!  They aren't horribly expensive, but definitely not cheap.

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This grass was from our pond grass. Very few garden centers had water plants this year, but I was told this was for both water or dirt. I don't remember the name as I split the pot into four chunks. Now, it's doing very well in the planter, and is thick and deliciously green.

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This is a very old plant---I sacrificed and only brought in a couple of pieces to restart. It is actually my mom's plant from my grandmother's funeral from  early 1990's. It crawled through my mom's kitchen curtains and actually attached to the wall---it was that vigorous. It hasn't done that well since I cut it back this year. I will fertilize now and see if it gets some new growth. It has very leathery leaves from being outside. The very hot temperatures this summer were hard on many plants.

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My herbs have been cut back pretty heavily from use. I've never had much luck with basil inside, but the Thyme is doing well. So nice to have tasty fresh herbs in the kitchen in winter.

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We had a pig roast in September, Thanksgiving in November, and Christmas where I used almost all my Rosemary. Hopefully it will re-sprout when I fertilize.

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My one year-old Christmas Cactus, bloomed the week of Christmas. We had a dozen large blooms or so. It really was pretty. I'm going to put it in a big pot in Spring and fertilize then. 

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This is from some cuttings on my Purple Heart plant I have in the bedroom. I'm doing the cuttings for a friend, and it is on the kitchen table. Our kitchen gets lots of light and in a month we will be starting seedlings and all these  plants will end up in the living room. I change the water often because we have iron laden well water. Very hearty and healthy, but prone to iron 'bloom' in sitting water. 

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This gnome is going to the garden, it's an adorable gnome on a Corgi, my friend painted for me. He looks great as a  kitchen decor item. I'm not totally ready to give up my 'Winter' gnomes, and they are sprinkled about the kitchen.

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In the bedroom I have two Mandila hanging from the ceiling. All the plants will get fertilized later in the month when there is more light coming in. Try not to fertilize plants when they are stressed. We did very little fertilizing last summer because plants were barely able to maintain the leaves they had---or grow new ones.

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One of the hanging pots also has a Sweet Potato Vine. It's usually much darker burgundy, but with limited light, it has stayed lighter. I covered the pots with some gift bags in blue to blend nicely in our blue bedroom. This is a southern exposure, but lots of trees block the afternoon sun...so I supplement with grow lights.

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Here's a Philodendron and a huge Ivy Topiary-'Tomato Cage Tree' that went bonkers last summer, and is still growing fiercely in the house. It's really huge and full now and was lovely with little seed lights on in the extra bedroom for the holidays. The pot has grown very light in weight, the ivy has basically 'eaten' the dirt. I will have to transplant again, and I will do a light fertilizing once a month to help replace the nutrients lost from the disappearing soil.

How to make an Ivy Topiary Tree, HERE.

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While it was there, I had this grow light on it and another lamp on all night long.

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This is the light I use in the blue bedroom to help on cloudy days. They are temporary and rubber covered handles which don't harm the wood cornices.

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The lowest pot on my shelf is the shade loving Rex Begonia. The scraggly green is a New Guinea Impatiens, I'm going to try and make cuttings and see if I can propagate a few plants when we do our seedlings. 

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This plant is a form of 'Purple Heart Plant' or Tradescantia. It gets very purple with lots of light...you can see it struggling here (North side) under the lamp. As soon as the Christmas Tree is packed up (IT TAKES DAYS) to pack it up and wrap all those ornaments, and everything else is down, I'll move it to the living room. anyway, it keeps growing.

PLANTS improve the air quality in your home. They basically remove toxins from your environment. Not to mention, anything Green is always a mood lifter during the winter months. 

Plants I no longer bring inside:

Springerii (Asparagus Fern)inexpensive and too messy.

Spider Plants (you can always get a spider plant free from someone)

Rubber plant (Too big, I gave them to my d-in-law)

Dracena (they just get too big for my small home)

Spike plants (inexpensive and take up too much room)

How are your plants doing this Winter?

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All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, unless otherwise designated. Please do not use my photos without permission. I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts, or any products shown or anywhere I shop.

Thank you for your cooperation,

Sandi 

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