Fins and Stems

…keepin’ on. Yesterday it didn’t feel like I got much of any gardening done. I did do the first coat of paint for my coffee table. I trimmed the hedges along the front yard. I cleaned out the dead leaves around the forsythia (which might not bloom this year) and the roses. That was about all I did outside yesterday.

Today I had to go to work for a half day but still managed to finish painting my coffee table and almost completely finish preparing my above ground planting beds. I don’t know how I’m going to keep from conking out early tonight… My sewing basket calls me…

I’d forgotten that I’d asked Papa to come over today to "help" me make a new coffee table for my reading area (even though I did remember to buy wood for it). So, after he’d finished confirming how everything was going to come together, I started gardening.

I cleaned out my in-ground plot from last year and found out that maybe one of the okra plants survived. We shall see if it also survived my mistreatment of it. My "pristine" uncut trio of celery is down to a single, beautiful example. The last frost killed off some of the surviving 2nd year celery. Some of the fallen seed germinated and I have a couple of new seedlings. My remaining carrots are all sending up new greenery and look just as good as before. The rosemary in that area is basically dead and will need to be replaced… I may just transplant some from my garden near the front door.

I cleaned out and refreshed my small strawberry patch planter. They look ready to finish filling out their leaves and should start sending out flowers in about 2 weeks or less.

So, alot of groundwork (*waah waah*) done today. I did do some planting: some Pak Choy (that’s what the package said) seeds from last year, two varieties of potato, and some spinach seeds.

Tonight I do more seedwork indoors. Tomorrow comes the larger portion of getting the above-ground plot completely finished. And probably finishing off my new coffee table with a couple of coats of paint.

I will officially count tomorrow as the first Day of Gardening as it will involve me setting up the planters sans plants with drainage, dirt, and weedcloth and maybe getting a garden hose. If I can’t find my new seed packets by the end of the day tomorrow, I’ll buy more Tuesday or Wednesday… or try last year’s seed… I have no idea the viability of that, though.

Just read about a way to test all your old seeds and may try that tomorrow regardless of if I find the new ones or not.

Not one hour later: Of course I find them. While reading a book in my comfy new cpu chair. I was apparently looking for the wrong color bag. I stretched for a sec and found the seed bag with my foot. Tomorrow will definitely start my gardening for the year. Yay! :D

Today was pretty good.

I’ve done dishes, changed the kitty litter, taken out the trash, and made headway on my garden.

I’ve started some potatoes and set out pots for this year’s major gardening effort and begun the seeds, moving them to the greenhouse area to help in my efforts to remember they exist. Also, I’ve taken stock of my pond (now to be referred to as the "Deadzone") and will start making renovations to that in a couple of weeks when the water temp gets above about 58 degrees. Hypothermia does not become me, I think.

My indoor strawberry pot is growing like gangbusters! :D I shall have chives and purple basil at the very least. maybe the strawberries will catch up as it gets warmer…