Plans and Plant Preparations

 One thing that I always like to get an early start on every year is planning for our gardens: what seeds to plant, what seeds to order, what seeds we already have, the whole kit & caboodle. First we have to figure out what kind of vegetables we want to re-plant, or in some cases experiment with. And then Mom will go over with Nathan (who is going to take charge of the gardens this year) what all he wants to add and or try out. 

Now, vegetables are all fine and well, don't get me wrong. I really enjoy producing our own farm-fresh veggies and making farm-fresh meals out of them. (Especially the jalapenos -- don't get me started on Jalapeno Poppers). But the things that are really vital to the gardening experience, at least for me, are the flowers. 

They're just so -- vital! They brighten up the fresh but occasionally monotonous green with splashes of purple, pink, red, yellow, white, and practically any other color you could possibly ask for. And for this year, I plan to stick a flower wherever I can find a spot -- or until Mom reminds me that I'll have to help with the watering if we have a dry spell. (insert sheepish smiley face here). I have a flower patch of my own, and we'll also put them up along the house and in pots everywhere, not to mention that some flowers serve as great companion plants for our vegetables. Last year we had petunias coupled with tomatoes, and the petunias actually drew away a significant amount of tomato worms!

So here are some pictures I found online of the flowers I plan to plant just in my flower garden; hopefully I'll be able to post pictures that I actually took of them later this year, if all goes well in the flower bed. :)

This dainty flower is an Blue Disc African Daisy. It, like many of our seeds, came from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.

These little drops of sunshine are marigolds -- we grow them every year, but I've never done them in my flower garden yet and I'm excited to see them take off!

Stocks: I tried them last year ... well they didn't really hit it off ... at all. Only one plant grew, and it waited to bloom until late autumn, when the weather was turning cold and everything else was dying off. Well, I've decided to try it again this year, with some extra care and little more care on the side.

This is a Black and White Minstrel Dianthus bloom. I also grew these last year, and they did wonderfully! I'm very excited to try them again, in thick little clusters with an abundance of blooms. 

We've grown Zinnias before, but not of such a vibrant hue as this one. Now I've got a packet of pink Zinnia seeds and they are so going into my garden. :)

And now, last but certainly not least, Asters! I've never had any experience with them before, but from what I've seen and heard they are gorgeous! I can't wait to try them out. !!! I also have a small rose bush in the corner of my flower patch, which should produce small pink blooms and add to the overall flowery fragrance and look of the entire bed.

After all that planning (and writing this blog post) I can't help but look forward to spring, when I'll put all of my plant plans into action!

Chloe

Winter is Finally Here!

But wait ... hasn't winter been here for two months?

When I think of winter I think of soft white snow, blanketing the fields and the housetops, creating a cozy environment inside your warm house as you cradle your steaming mug of hot chocolate and watch the atmospheric water vapor frozen into ice crystals falling outside.

But, unfortunately, winter doesn't necessary guarantee snow, as we learned painfully this past December of 2021. To my recollection, not a single flake of snow fell during the entire month, leaving us with only disappointing temperatures and leafless trees. Snow and ice, though relatively little, did come on the first of January, New Years of 2022, and thus began a rather snowy winter!

I was very happy when we got another 3 inches of snow later in January, and now, on February 5, we have somewhere between 7 - 10 inches lying around our yard in drifts. ! It's so nice to wake up in the morning, expectantly awaiting a sunrise that would bring you a view of everything white -- which, as aforementioned, is the proper look for winter.

Another thing I really enjoy about winter are **drumroll** -- the birds! As a gift for my last birthday, one of the things I received was a greatly anticipated birdfeeder, which I promptly filled with birdseed and hung outside a sun-room window -- in full view so we could watch the adorable phoebes, bold bluejays, and stunning cardinals.

So far, if my bird documenting skills are correct, I've seen quite a few Eastern Phoebes. Here is one who braved the danger on the ground for a snack.

Unfortunately, the bird itself is in slight danger of becoming a snack, thanks to our very sweet, adorable, and innocent looking cat, Ebony.

Ebony has an unfortunate tendency to ... well, be a cat. Whenever she sees a bird she'll creep up and eventually pounce. So far she hasn't successfully caught any birds, thankfully. The birdfeeder was not intended as bait. XD

Getting outside and playing in the snow is so much fun, especially when there are huge drifts to be discovered ...

... and annihilated.

Well, there's an update on us enjoying the beginning of 2022! Go have fun in the snow, whenever there's some available, and stay warm! 

(Two things you can easily do together ;)

Chloe