Seeds Started!

 

A sure sign that Spring is on it's way, despite very cold, windy days: Bob's been busy starting seeds. Above is a shot of the multiple varieties of peppers that are already well under way. Last year, Bob constructed several shelves in the upstairs corner window. He used a heating pad and had tremendous luck; this year he has two more heating pads. (*1) I think he's growing poblano, shishito, "Jimmy Nardello" and... maybe one more? Plenty for us and even plants to give away to lucky friends.

Look at how nicely that top row is growing! The peppers did so well last year. Bob pickled some and froze some more; we're still eating them mixed into sauces and soups. Soon, these seedlings will be followed by tomatoes, onions and all sorts of other vegetables. 

I particularly like this innovation: Bob placed a curtain around the seedlings to create even more light as it reflects off the white fabric. I also think it protects those shy little seedlings from our persistent curious gaze.

If it were a sunny day, you'd see delicate infant plant shadows. I'll try and take another picture when we finally get some sun...

Me? I have zinnia seeds to start when my seeds finally arrive. The particular kind I like to grow- Zinnia linearis "Starlite Mix"- is a bit trickier to start and I like to get a jump on in-ground planting. I know others will disagree and tell me to just throw the seeds directly into the ground. But I hate living with bare earth and have tulips planted in that area so it's more effective to start them indoors. This year, however, I'm going to watch them like a hawk and cover them with a sheet if it even threatens to frost. We had such a late frost last spring that I lost all my zinnia and heliotrope seedlings; I was heartbroken and furious. Such is gardening!

(*1) Bob had such good luck with the heating pad that I decided to get two more for his last year's birthday. As we were heavily quarantined, I thought to order them on line. Little did I dream that because they were manufactured in China, which we had recently embargoed, that it would take like 4 months for his birthday gifts to arrive- well after the need for heating pads!

Unexpected Tradgi-Versity 31 1/2

There was a frost a few nights ago and it killed the basil... you know what that means! Happy Non-Anniversary to Bob and me! Okay, so the fact that our non-anniversary typically lands towards the end of September or beginning of October means nothing when you get a bizarre and unexpected frost that obliterates your only-just-planted basil but every other tender annual you tenderly started from seed... Oh the horror! The horror!
I lost two full flats of zinnia linearis (from my own saved seed!) which are impossible to buy at nurseries nowadays. A full flat of heliotrope (that I started from seed) and a number of individual "premium" annuals that I'd secured for filling containers succumbed, too. I was pretty much devastated but then Bob and I decided to celebrate 31 1/2 years...
So I had to re-purchase the plants that I could (tomatoes, peppers, basil etc) and simply mourn the ones I couldn't (whole flats of odd ball annuals). I lucked onto a slew of calendulas (in the same color range as the zinnias I'd planted) and bought enough to fill the bed that empty. It will look fine by mid-summer but I really LIKE those zinnias I lost!
Here's the replacement calendulas... all things considered, they'll look pretty good quite soon.

There's Maggie in the background. Hello Maggie! (She likes to watch Robin and I plant.)
So other things going on...

Be still my heart! We all know I am crazy for Delphinium; oooooh! This is a long running love affair. And wouldn't you know, I go to Stop and Shop for something and I see- across the parking lot, despite my face mask fogging my sunglasses- a truck unloading flowers at the other door. I make a bee line, but am told they have to unload the truck before they can sell the flowers. (Yeah, it's eight feet up on a huge rack.) So I procure whatever food was I needed, put it in our car (shout out to Trusty!) and immediately reapproach the plant people who have now offloaded. Sold!! I have to go all the way back in to the store, but this Delphinium is coming home with me, baby!

In a heavy mist today, I got a lot done in all parts of the garden, including the Shade Border which looks quite okay despite my sort of ignoring it while I plant many other things. Here's a close up of the Kerria Japonica:

Nice! Single orange blooms, impeccable variegation... this is a winner. Lots of nice things erupting here, suitable for my next post.
And I know you can't smell it from there, but the Abelia is amazing! Loaded with blooms- top to bottomus- and just great:

Also, the lilac that Mommy gave me a million years ago is blooming. I'm so happy about this. This particular offspring is from a white lilac that Mommy had- in Durham!- like fifty years ago is now residing and flowering in my Lilac Border. that made me happy (and a bit sad). But it smells so nice...