Glorious! The first day of spring, finally it's arrived and I am ready to dig right in. It's exactly what we've been doing, the kids and I. My wedding season ran deep into the end of October last year and I didn't get a chance to do much mulching in the garden, which in the end cost me some extra time these pasts few weeks, digging up the weeds which seem to be never ending. However, it was fun (really?) - it was, the kids and I got our hands dirty digging deep down, digging up and re-organizing. There's nothing better then the feeling of fresh soil on your hands. Hayden, my son collected worms for his personal garden and Alivia played pretend, scooping dirt into beautiful cakes for eating. Once the weeds were cleared, we ran to the compost bin and loaded compost for a nice added layer of AWESOME - NESS - nutrients! Heaps ran around the base of the rose bushes, and pails were sifted in.
We added 50 ranunculus tubers, pictured above, let's hope they take! More peony bushes were planted and phlox will make a nice addition this year. Things are already blooming and I am already tempted to sit out on my morning bench in the garden with a nice cup of coffee, but I may be pushing that too early - it sure was cold the other morning.
But enough about outside right now, let's talk about whats happening inside.
SEEDS!
That's right, I get really excited when it's time to plant seeds indoors. I love that my children are participating and taking care of their seeds too. We've potted up icelandic poppies already (a new addition to the garden as well) and few other's, including GIGANTIC sunflowers and GIGANTIC pumpkins - the kids love anything GIGANTIC. Don't know where we'll find room out there, but we'll get them in.
Have you ever heard of a Blue Poppy? Me niether, until I scooped this pack of seeds up from the always stunning Butchart Gardens. I couldn't resist even with all the warnings on how difficult they were to grow, but I'm taking a chance. Literally the seeding rules - like a scroll! Do this, don't do that, watch for dampening off etc. etc. I'll let you know how this goes!
I am also trying out a new eggshell potting system after a friend of mine posted a tutorial on my FB page. We are saving our shells, boiling them to ensure no egg residue is left inside, and punching a weeping hole in the bottom. I think they will work perfectly. Apparently this system will speed up the germination process and provide the seedings an extra dose of nutrients. The compostable eggs will be cracked open slightly upon transplanting outside and will be great for the soil! Can't go wrong.
Hayden's been working really hard on his spelling and reading skills, he offered to write up all our seed signs this year and I just love them.
We'll keep you posted on the beauty growing this year - can't wait to use our product in our wedding designs!
But for now, I wish you a very happy and warm FIRST DAY OF SPRING!
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