PARIDISE ON EARTH!

Need I say More?

POND UPDATE

The bullfrog tadpoles and our pond snails arrived this week, to say we were excited is an understatement!

13 tadpoles made it here alive.

Here my husband is releasing them

Some had legs, some didnt

Trapdoor snails

We also added 6 new Koi to the pond and some new plants...everything is looking good and the algae bloom is almost gone.  It has been cool here this week and feels like fall but is suppose to warm back up this weekend.   I dont mind alittle cool as long as things still grow,,,nothing will keep me from my gardens! 



THE POND IS COMING ALIVE.

Alot of new things have been happening around the pond.  One new thing is we ordered some bullfrog tadpoles and trapdoor snails that will be here today.  We dont like using chemicals in the pond and this will be a great natural way to keep the pond clean.  The bullfrogs will just be a great thing to watch for our grandchildren, and us of course!

Our potmen have finally made it to the pond and are happy as can be with there new hair!  They make a great addition and focal point for any visiter to our pond area.

My little pond guy relaxing at the edge

This is my new bigger guy with his spiked hair

We also put up a new solid fence in the back to make it more secluded.  I love to be up by my pond and relax by myself away from the nosey neighbors and kids who try to throw things into the pond!

The monarch butterflys are early in our area this year, probally from the unpredictable weather we had all winter.  We didnt see any until July last year.   The milkweed is just big enough to lay thre eggs on.

Monarch butterfly eggs on milkweed

Butterfly/hummingbird garden

I will update as soon as my snails and bullfrog tadpoles are in the pond and moving around...Its very exciting here, around the pond!

MAY GARDEN HAPPENINGS

Mays weather has been unpredictable to say the least.  Its still a bit chilly most days to keep plants out even though I have managed to keep my cool weather veggies growing and my over wintered geranium happy to be outside again.

The pond has the overwintered spikes planted around it now and the cattails in the back are getting big.  The honeysuckle vine next to the green house is ready to bloom.  The dog under the vine is checking out the little birds nest built there.

A few pond lily pads have finally reached the top of the pond

My container cabbage and broccoli are growing great

 

And my radishes are finally ready to eat

I also put in a small potato patch and they are growing great in the cool weather too.

We cant forget the geranium....

I find myself really busy now with the extra gardening and yard work so I don't blog as often but to me that's a good thing.  Hope every ones gardening is going great too!

Enjoy the spring!

Things are looking up in the garden....finally!

Finally things are starting to warm up a bit and I was able to do more outdoor gardening.  My seedlings had gotten so big in the house, that even thought it might not be as warm as the plants like, I had to stick a few in the ground.  So far so good, they are holding there own.  I am also hardening off a few in the green house.

My planter radishes are almost ready to eat.

Coleus cuttings from last October, they got huge!

Hardening off the tomatoes

One of the overwintered geraniums

My helper, Rudy

Peas

Beets

Zucchini

Herbs

Hope everybody is enjoying there gardens too!



ALOT HAPPENING IN THE GARDEN

It has been cold in Wisconsin again, but things are still growing...outside and in the house.

I took my tuberous begonia out of the basement a week ago and it is budding nicely

My clematis is doing great

daffodils

Miniature rose bush

Some of my sugar snap pea plants.  We have had frost at night so I keep them covered with milk jugs to protect them and keep them warm

A planter full of radishes in the green house

Cattails starting to come up in the back of the pond

I have a garden window full of vegetable plants that grew faster then anticipated but it is not nearly warm enough to plant anything except the cool weather plants outside at this time...I'm keeping my fingers cross that it warms up soon!  Happy Gardening!





UPDATE ON THE SODA BOTTLE SPROUTS

I want to thank everyone who enjoyed my soda bottle terrariums and for all the great comments.  I want to update everyone on how the little seedlings are doing after 2 weeks.

These are the tomato sprouts, I replanted them after 2 weeks of being in the bottle

Dill sprouts.  I already have more seeds in the bottles since these came up so good

lastly, cilantro

Also, the geraniums I overwintered in the paper bags are growing great, this is how big they are after two weeks!

The weather has turned cold here, I'm thinking winter and spring had there seasons mixed up, but I guess we wait patiently and keep gardening in the House!  Happy Gardening everyone!





AND WE GOT SPROUTS!

After spring had officially sprung, I started filling up the garden window with pans of peat pellets filled with seeds.  The weather isn't as warm as it was before spring started, but at least the sun was warm and my seeds did massively sprout.

I did 4 broccoli seeds on march 13th and 3 did come up.

sugar snap pea sprouts

Onions

Yellow squash, cucumbers, zucchini and herbs

Here are some of my coleus cuttings that managed to get out into the green house to bask in the sun during the warm weather.  They ended up back in the house during the cold snap we had this week.  We are expecting a beautiful 70 degree weekend, cant wait to get back out there and work up a few more gardens!

Happy gardening everyone!



GERMINATING EXPERIMENT

As any gardener knows, a winter can be long or seem longer than it is.  Our green thumbs start twitching and we look for something to do that pertains to gardening.  My new project a few weeks ago was to see if seeds that are older then a few years old would germinate.  I got the idea from all the older seed packs I have and figured Id give it a try...one seed pack was from 2006.

On February 23 I planted:

Marigold seeds-3 years old

Sweet Williams-3 years old

Bunny tails-6 years old

Cardinal Climber Vine-3 years old

Hyacinth Bean Vine-3 years old

Red Salvia-3 years old

Nicotinia-3 years old

Cherry delphiniums-3 years old

The success was amazing and it makes me wonder why people have always told me not to use seeds from the last year...always buy new.    I have used veggie seeds from the year before for years with good results.  I will continue this practice!

Sweet Williams

Bunny Tails

Cherry Delphiniums and Red Salvia

Hyacinth bean and Cardinal climber

Marigold-didn't get many