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!



COMPOSTING

The end of winter flowed graciously into spring here where I live.  We have had record breaking temps and the compost left in the box over the winter is all thawed and workable.  I have been turning the compost daily for a week now and have noticed a huge breakdown in the debris already.  We added pond sludge in the box also for the spring pond clean up...this should be a great box of dirt when its done.

I also started another area to keep my brown material in for the season, which I add as I go along.  My husband is in the process of building me another box so it will have a real place to be placed soon.

I made this new raised garden at the end of last year to use up all the rich dirt I made last year and cant wait to plant it.

I also used some to make a new rhubarb patch.



REX BEGONIA

Rex begonias are plants I never knew existed until the day I came across one at the local greenhouse.  It looked beautiful with its burgundy and green leaves swirled in a pattern that was unlike any other plant Id seen.  I grabbed one, not knowing anything about it but willing to see if I could get it to grow for the summer season.  To make a long story short, and with much trial and error, it did thrive!  So what about for winter? Should I throw it in the composter...or I thought maybe try a leaf cutting.

I cut two leaves with about a 3 inch stem, wet them, dipped them in rooting hormone and made a hole to stick it in.  One didn't make it and withered, the other one didn't grow, but didn't die either.  It took about 2 months for it to feel solid in the pot which meant it had finally gotten some roots.  I water it once a week,and keep it out of direct sun.  It has now grown another shoot next to its main leaf and my hopes are high that I will end up with another great Rex begonia for the next growing season.  I sure love planting experiments!

Rex begonia leaf

New sprout