Phaedra's Garden 2022

[Phaedra]

Now it's the place I always can find my inner peace and enjoy very much.

I started checking Dahlia tubers - some already sprout!

Solar LED light for this small corner - the shelf is a bit too low to get sufficient sunlight.

However, this side faces the west, it can be charged easily for some more hours additional light.

To the container planting area - those torch-style LEDs did an amazing job.

I am so much in love with my garden.

 

[Phaedra]

Difficult to believe that some snow will cover the ground again a few days later. Well, snow is ok, as long as there is no strong frost or the worse - hail.
So many are blossoming or going to blossom soon.

The few very early daffodils - 95% are growing slowly, at their own will.

Peonies are growing well everywhere, too.

From late April to May, I can expect several hundred tulips from raised beds like this.

 

[ducks4you]

You must be 1-2 weeks ahead of my place. My daffodils are teasing their flower bulbs. Tulips are 6 inches high, but now flowers, yet. My Fruit trees have been given their marching orders to wait until I prune tomorrow, to start leafing or blossoming!

 

[baymule]

All those beautiful flowers and it’s going to snow? I hope it’s not a hard freeze.

 

[Phaedra]

Yes, it started snowing, and the temperature for the coming days looks scary. The temperature in the greenhouse is about 35°F, so I moved those warmth-loving seedlings to the basement, where I have installed some lamps earlier this year.

They were germinated yesterday but grew quickly.

I love my current set-ups, which can nicely cover the three stages of seed starting. I used the boiler room for initial germination - the temperature is stable and warm (about 77°F). Although the humidity is far too low (35% or even lower), a plastic cover or a thick layer of cardboard can do a good job.

Under this condition, many seeds need just a few days to germinate. I also use this room to dry the laundry. A boiler room is such a great helper for starting seeds and drying the laundry.

There is a light in the boiler room. It's insufficient for the following growth; however, those seeds germinate much quicker than others do not need to stay in the complete darkness and become leggy.

After they germinate, I will remove them into one of the rooms in the basement. I installed lights under the old shelves, and it became a perfect fortress for the 2nd stage - The temperature is about 63°F, and the humidity is about 55%. When the weather is good, the window offers some ventilation as well.

The seedlings from pea, broad beans, Brassicas, lettuce, and alliums will be directly brought to the greenhouse as they are much more hardy. The unheated greenhouse is the final stage for seedlings to stay. The temperature and humidity fluctuation is much less friendly than in the previous two stages but is still milder than outside.

I am setting up another corner in the living room for warmth-loving seedlings.

The weather today is really winterlike. I added some fleece because it will drop to about 15°F during the weekend.

I am also happy that I added some wind protection for the chickens. Now, three flocks have their own huts, and they love to stay inside when it rains or snows.

One of the three Sussex pullets seems ready to lay, and she has a good teacher. The black adult hen is the first and a robust layer and masters the art of escape,

Eggs from the teacher (EE) and the student (Sussex) lovely

I also prepared a small surprise for DH, adding a small table with a LED lamp as an additional station to cut and assemble his miniatures.

Ah, now it's daylight saving time again. Losing one hour has a much bigger influence than gaining one hour in the autumn. Have a pleasant weekend everyone.

 

[AMKuska]

Your growing area is stunning! :O I want my home to look like that one day!

 

[Phaedra]

Time for a domestic flower show

They are amazing! However, I removed most of the first wave buds as I thought it will help them grow stronger. Hopefully, this common practice also works for bleeding hearts, not the only bloom ahhhhh~

Learned from the mistake - I pruned it too harshly last year...so this is the only flower cluster this spring.

Japanese blood plum that I bought last year, also pruned quite hard... Thankfully it grows nicely.

Japanese pieris, I love their beautiful new leaves more than the flowers. I have to say, the first owner of this house did plant some wonderful trees.

I can't stop laughing at myself whenever I see this bed. I am, sometimes, a quite chaotic person and hate rules. This bed is the best witness.

Originally, I have some moldy bulbs and can't make up my mind to throw them away. So I made this "second chance" bed for whatever looks weak or with little hope. However, most of them grew up quite well.

I added more plants from time to time, and it looks like this now. There are so many different plants: tulips, daffodils, peonies, lilies, and cabbages

If they do talk to each other at night, they might feel, wow, that's Serendipity.
A closer look, well, "theoretically", the cabbages will be harvested earlier and let peonies have more space to grow.

Of course, this is not the only witness. One of the tall containers in the greenhouse also has a funny combination.

 

[Phaedra]

The first Box of young plants for the neighbor next to us, ready for transplanting.

More will be prepared during the weekend

 

[baymule]

I love your mixed up beds!

 

[Phaedra]

Starting flowers from seeds takes time but is so wonderful!

Wild carrot for cut flower patch, I have already white ones in the garden, those are pink/red ones.

Zinnias and dwarf sunflowers, they will need to stay for a much longer while.

I have several very tiny seedlings that are just germinating. I almost thought I failed -- very likely I still buried them too deeply.


The very first Salad green: Saragossa, also my first time trying. They look gorgeous on the seed catalog.

The seedlings are so lovely.