Spring - one way or another!

I am so TIRED of winter this year! It seems to have gone on and on and on and - you get the picture. I shouldn't complain because Holly reads this email, and they're still getting snow, and they always get snow before we do. (Sorry Holly ;) Nevertheless - I'm tired of it! So, as soon as seeds came into the stores, I went a little crazy with them, and planted them up right away in little peat pellet trays. Well, I guess I jumped the gun a little bit. They are ready to be put into the ground, and we really shouldn't be putting in the ground until about the first of May. So, some of the bigger ones I've had to transplant into 4" peat pots, and I have a month to go! Fortunately, my 10" tall sweet peas (below left), I'm told, can go into the ground now. But I'd like to do it in dry conditions - the second of my dilemmas! :( I may be in a little trouble with my giant pumpkins. I have 2 out of 5 that came up, and the person I got the seeds from got real big eyes and raised eyebrows when I told him I'd already planted them. I guess time will tell on that one! Anyway, here's what my garden looks like right now:

It's bigger than it looks! Each of those trays holds 72 peat pellets, plus I've pulled some out to put into 4" pots, and replaced the holes with more seeds. I figured out that if I had bought as many 4" plants from the store as I have started, it would have cost around $350. And I've spent maybe $10-12 on seeds. The trays are reuseable next year with new pellets, and the nifty little greenhouse I got almost half off at the drug store. It has a plastic shroud to put over the whole thing and turn it into an actual greenhouse, but I don't need to use that in the house. My dining room, turns out, acts like something of a greenhouse itself because of all the light! But this piece can be put outside with the plastic, or without the plastic and be a kind of bakers rack for plants. Yea! More plants!! There are both veggies and flowers there, and most of the flowers are perennials (if they don't die out in my overly-moist soil). I have tomatoes, cukes (above right), cherry toms, carrots, radish, butternut squash, gigantic pumpkins and oh, just a bunch of stuff! :)

Fireplace

Went with an online purchase from Target. The reader reviews sold us both. Had a nice day shopping, but most stores aren't fully stocked with this merchandise yet. Anyway, hope I'll be as happy as the reviewers are!! I plan to enjoy my patio this year!!

Work, et al

So glad the week is over. Some weeks are harder than others, and some days, likewise. This was a week and today was a day. Just glad to have it over. And the week is ending well - Taxes done (almost), and I don't have to pay - YEA!!

It's Friday night, the house is quiet, and the GVB is playing on the tv. It doesn't get much better - unless dad is enjoying it with me! He enjoys it well enough, but would never turn it on if I wasn't home. And I don't force it on him too often.

Tomorrow we want to check out a fireplace for the patio - see if we can't get a little more use out of the back yard on our cool weather nights. Fire pits are cool looking, but take up too much space. I'm fond of a fireplace I found at Lowe's. We'll see.

I've planted 72 peat pots of veggies and will do another flat of 72 flowers - mostly perennials - tomorrow. (Pictures to follow when there's something more than peat moss to photograph!) Trying to save some money this year and limit the number of plants I buy - esp. annuals! Too expensive! If I can limit the plant purchases to a few begonias, fuschias and impatiens for the pots, I'll be a happy camper. Speaking of plants, I think I've lost quite a few of my landscaping plants through this winter. Aaarrrrgggghhhhhh. I'll wait until it quits snowing and the weather warms up a bit to make a final determination.

Well, that's where I'm at this evening. Hope all is well with you, the readers of this on-again, off-again monologue.