Happy Saturday!

It rained recently and is a little warmer, amazing what that can do fro plant growth.

Just a couple quick shots before I head outside. the jumbo crocuses have come up, and the little bed around the magnolia tree looks so cheerful, even on a cloudy day.

A few hours later and the crocuses have opened.

There sure is a lot of creeping charlie to take out...

Until next time, Keep Digging & Eat Well!


The Gastronomic Gardener
Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt
http://www.facebook.com/TheGastronomicGardener

Crocuses are popping

There is no turning back, oh, it might yet snow, but spring shall not be denied!

It's amazing what we see when we look closer.  This little clump grows each year.

I like these scattered in the front lawn, soon to be joined by Daffodils and the Magnolia blooming.

Until next time, Keep Digging & Eat Well!

The Gastronomic Gardener
Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt
http://www.facebook.com/TheGastronomicGardener

Peony bed clean out and signs of life.

I'm itching to get out side, it's about 40F, a grey and windy day. But ... the snow is almost gone - a couple crusty patches in the shady areas still stubbornly cling to existence, but there are signs of life.

Last year I didn't clean out the peony bed until April 10th,  so I feel good about being ahead of schedule.

Here's where we start, Notice I don't use the hoops, as this bed grows almost as a hedge and in this bed hoops don't work well. The wire fencing works very well, supports the plants and disappears once the plants get going.

Lift off the screening, cut off the stalks, and rake it out. Some of the plants are already starting to come up.

Put the screens back up. What an improvement!

Cleaned out the rest of the bed, back to the fence. In one spot, where last year I had geraniums, I decided to plant some False Indigo. The soil is gorgeous.

I got the seeds from accomplished blogger, author, and all around great human being Shawna Coronado. These seeds are way cool. They were once used to make baby rattles.

Split open, they look prehistoric. Hopefully they will sprout and  in a year will bloom.

I poked around a little bit, the crocuses are sprouting.

Tulips are thrusting up through the lawn.

The sedum "Hens and Chicks" wintered well.

But there. in the bed, a vole hole.

We'll deal with that another day.

Until next time, Keep Digging & Eat Well!

The Gastronomic Gardener
Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt
http://www.facebook.com/TheGastronomicGardener