April Snow Showers

I cannot believe it is snowing on April 20th. Why on earth do I live in Minnesota? After the longest winter that I can recall, we get a break, some weather in the 70's, 60's 50's...now mid/end April rolls around and dumps 2 or 3 inches on us. You've got to be kidding me. Go away old man winter, we don't like you anymore, you've overstayed your welcome.

Hope my plants all make it through, it's not even freezing here, it's around 36 but the snow keeps on coming. Oh well.

Planting Calculator

I just found this wonderful planting calculator that tells you based on frost dates when you should be: planting, starting, hardening off and transplanting all of your plants. Not that it's THAT hard to make your own calender but why not have someone else do it for you :) I have also thrown together a list of vegetable plants that can be planted outside before last frost. If you can't tell, I'm getting to be an anxious gardener with all of the nice weather and would love to start putting some things outside other than my peas and lettuce.

Here is what you can plant before last frost, once the ground is workable:
Vegetables:
Snow Peas
Lettuce
Beets
Turnips
Radishes
Kale
Onion Sets
Potatoes
Garlic
Spinach
Cole
Broccoli
Leeks
Carrots
Swiss Chard
Kohlrabi
Mustard Greens
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Onion Seeds
Brussels Sprouts
Dill

Flowers:
Pansies
Bachelor’s button
Larkspur
California Poppy
Sunflower
Sweet Peas
Rose Mallow/Tree Mallow
Sweet Alyssum
Bells of Ireland
Forget-Me-Not
Mignonette
Black-Eyed Susan
:::::::(Cold-tolerant seedlings)
Snapdragon
Ornamental Kale
Dusty Miller
Dracaena/spike
Pinks(Dianthus Chinensis)
Stock
Cupflower
Cape Daisy
Phlox
Violet
Johnny jump-up
Viola

Hopefully that will help a little, I know I will end up glancing back at this list occasionally to see what I can put in the ground this early. I do have some poppys started, I wonder if I can put those in now? I guess I will have to do some more digging.
Also my first outside bloom today was a daffodil, hopefully the tulips will start to soon.

Oh Sweet Pea!

After finding out more about my sweet peas yesterday, I was inclined to do more digging on the subject. I glanced outside on Sunday morning and noticed a few of the seeds have started growing. Either they are snow peas, or another variety of sweet pea that I did not start indoors. I planted both in the same spot as I realized after sowing that the snow peas I purchased are not compatible for my zone. I figure it won't hurt to leave them in the ground, if they decide to come up, I'll simply have more peas. If they do not, I won't risk the use of space and decided to plant over them. We shall see how that works out. So, after noticing these have already started growing, I took a look at the package for the sweet peas that are started inside(These are getting very tall and somewhat ridiculous to have inside). I think I should be starting to harden these off since peas like cold weather. I'm just worried that a hard frost will kill a somewhat grown plant versus just a sprouting one. I guess I will find out, at least one variety is growing well.

Any idea if I can put my started sweet peas outdoors before the last frost?

Along with the sprouting peas outside, both varieties of lettuce has started to come up with tiny little leaves. As well as my red/green peppers inside that I was worried about, all is well in the gardening world for me.

This weeks' forecast in the twin cities consists of 70 degree weather, currently being 69, said to reach 73. This, I'm sure will encourage some spring growth with my planted seed, as well as the tulips and daylilies. I am so excited.

On a completely different note, I bought myself a "sorry about the allergies" plant for my desk at work. It consists of 3 pixie lily plants. The best part is, I have no idea what color they will be, except for the hint of a pinky/red/possibly orange color starting on the inside of a few of the pods. Along with that, I received a beautiful bouquet of flowers from my boyfriend this morning consisting of aster, 2 pink/yellow roses, some form of Lilly and some pink snapdragons. And of course hugging the vase is an adorable little bear. I certainly feel special.

After tomorrow, I will have all the time in the world to dig in the dirt and I am sure I will have something much more interesting to blog about. Until then, I am going to enjoy inside garden I am starting at my desk.:)

Spring Growth

First Signs of Tulips and a few perennial flowers Today!!!





I bought Flourescent bulbs for the indoor plants(should have done this earlier) because I have noticed things aren't growing very rapidly. I have been gaining more knowledge within the last few weeks than I have in the last 3 years. I want everythign to be essencially perfect this year. It never will be but for the effort I am already putting into this, some results are guaranteed.

I somehow misplaced my package of Big Boy Tomatoes which is a problem for many reasons...I saw them before I was about to start planting them and then when I went to pick them up they had pretty much disapeared. I've searched the whole house and can't find them anywhere. Quite the mystery. They need to be started right about now and I hate to but another package and then find them a day later but I just might have to.

If you are growing tomatoes this year, I suggest you throw a couple extra plants in your garden for this year epecificaly. If you don't read the news, there was a freezing in Florida that ruined basically all of the tomato crops as well as strawberries. My sisters restaraunt isn't purchasing tomatoes until the prices go back down. She told me they went up $50 per case. That makes a huge difference when buying in bulk. Just an idea on how to make a bit of money or AT LEAST help out your family members that are noticing the price increse.