Starting special plants indoors

Special seeds from friends' gardens get their best chance of becoming big beautiful specimens in my garden when I start them indoors. If I cast them directly outdoors I'm bound to forget about them, let them get too dry and watch them become a bird's lunch. Indoors though, they are under my watch each day & I love to care for them. Here I have started pink double poppies and red Hollyhocks from Carol's garden, Helga's violet Lupine (which resist our PNW diseases), and bright blue Salvia from Marne's garden. There's something special about seed sharing, and I just relish these plants as they sprout, grow true leaves and become strong healthy bloomers.

I'm also starting an herb garden for my mom for Mother's day here. The Cilantro has gone to the devil & hopefully will show up this next week? I collected Borage seed from a start Helga dug for me from her garden, and here it is in the lower left, looking quite robust considering it's delicate, edible blue flowers that are to come.

The Parsley is doing surprisingly well.

The Tomatoes and Basil are ready, yet waiting for really warm soil. I'll start hardening them off this week and plant them out mid-late May.

Light Blue Columbine seed collected from the garden at my last home. Watermelon, Butternut Squash and Yellow Pear Tomatoes from Reesie. Cerinthe, Pumpkin and Larkspur also started.

Calla Lily from Helga. Thai Basil and Italian Parsley from Reese.

White, Pink and Dark Red Hollyhocks from Helga. Lavender Poppies with curly leaves from Betty who lives down my street. Thank you to all my friends, I love sharing the wealth.

Do you think it's time for me to pot these tomatoes up to a larger pot size? I can't believe how big these have gotten. I'm learning this is what happens when you start them a bit too early. Next year I'll try to do it differently, but for this year, I can't complain about these giant heirlooms.

I did get them into gallon size pots this week, and tied with stakes made from Buddleja prunings.

Front Garden in Springtime

The Pink Dogwood in bloom.

The Miranda Tulips give the last of their show, I will definitely get more of these if I come across them.

A new mini rose in the front yard! "Rise and Shine".


We've tied up the allium and peonies so they'll keep standing even with heavy blooms.


I love this path, it's so welcoming. We've created bamboo pyramids for Helga's precious beans! She counted out 7 beans from her stash for me. I will plant them when it's warmer & hope for a big crop.

They are a bit of a mystery, but a dry bean that is mottled and striped brown and cream. I love a mystery.

The front yard has exploded in Iris. Just a couple weeks ago I thought they wouldn't make much of a show, but now I'm amazed at how many flowers have emerged.

Seed Planting

It's nearly May and in the Northwest that means it's Seed planting time! If you're like me then a patch of dirt is an exciting thing (hence my pictures here). My progress:
In the front yard between bedding plants:
Arch of Sweet Peas
Rainbow Swiss Chard
Larkspur + Marigold together (both 4 feet tall)
Chives
Portulaca
Godetia
Chamomile

Shirley Poppies

Red-orange Poppies

Lavender Poppies with curly leaves
Trailing Sapphire Lobelia



In the parking strip:
Borage
Ice Plant
Portulaca
Violets
Larkspur
Godetia


Front porch North:
Mammonth greystripe Sunflowers (12 feet tall!)
Red Sun sunflowers
Del Sol Sunflowers
Cosmos (from Hazel)
Shirley Poppies


Front porch South:
Mammonth greystripe Sunflowers (12 feet tall!)
Red Sun sunflowers
Del Sol Sunflowers
Delphinium
Cosmos (from Hazel)
Godetia


In gravel along North sidewalk:
Shirley Poppies

In gravel along South sidewalk:
Lavender Poppies with curly leaves
Shirley Poppies

Started indoors to plant out in a month:
San Marzano Tomato
Bright Blue Salvia
Light Blue Columbine
White Columbine
Dark Blue Columbine
Crystal Palace Lobelia
Double Pink Poppies
Violet Lupines (from Helga)
Red Sweet Peas (from Carol)
Red Hollyhocks
White Hollyhocks
Pink Hollyhocks
Dark Red Hollyhocks

Started indoors for Mom's future Potted Herb garden:
Cilantro
Chives
Basil
Tomato
Parsley
Dill
Rainbow Chard
Borage (outdoors, will divide)
Oregano (outdoors, will divide)
Spearmint (outdoors, will divide)
Thyme (outdoors, will divide)
Still need for her: Edible flowers, Marjoram.

10 Layer Bean Dip

A can of organic refried black beans inspired me yesterday. The results were fantastic! My take on the recipe is below.

Scallions
Cheddar + Pepper jack cheese
Sour cream + taco seasoning
Chopped Olive
Tomato + Red Pepper + Salsa
Avacado + Lemon Juice + Sour cream
Red Onion
Jalepenos
Cheddar + Pepper jack cheese
Beans + Chicken stock + Taco seasoning (heated together)

Nearing April's End

A volunteer Rose, always a welcome sight. May have come in with the Iberis from Betty's yard.

Kohlrabi progress.

Dicentra.

A sunny morning today had me in the garden early looking for where to start the annual seed planting. Lots of space!


This Cottoneaster has lovely berries in winter, and pink blossoms in Spring.

Kitchen compost. The worms will be in heaven.

Odds and Ends

I love the orange red Miranda Tulips with the snowy white Iberis.

Here's one I don't like. The Red Wing Euphorbia next to the Lavender Erica Heather. The Heather is staying here, so I will move the Euphorbia in the Fall to a new spot. It just wants some contrast...something dark next to it, so it can really pop. It just clashes with the soft Lavender blossoms.

The Heirloom Tomatoes are almost ready to plant out.

Lima Beans! A gift from Jon, these will be my first Limas, I don't know if I've ever even tasted Limas. If you look close you can see "I Love You" etched on the beans...message received.

Egg cartons grow nice ground covers! This is the carpeting flower Purple Palace Lobelia.

This is my happy place, a view of the garden, a place to read cook books, eat, stare, day dream and make notes about what I want to do for the day.

Coco's happy place. Anywhere that's warm!

A Cedar Bat House! Another gift from Jon. He must really love me.

My collection of cookbooks, I didn't realize how many I had until I started to get organized. I love inspiration, I just read these for hours. I'm just starting to cook on a more regular schedule now too.

I've been thinking on a bread machine ever since being inspired by a lunch my friend Maki had me to last year. She not only converted me to tomatoes, she gave me a slice of homemade bread that was so good. I still think of it now. I am so happy to have found this gem at goodwill for $1.29. I saw a recipe recently that uses whole grains just chopped in the blender & then thrown in with the regular flour in the bread recipe. I can't wait to try it...must buy yeast.

Beginning Blooms

The Tulips are up in the front yard.

The Blueberry bush 'EarlyBlue' is blooming.

Radishes coming up!

Another shot of the beautiful Rosemary.

Chives in bloom, almost.

Coral bark Maple, still wild after my very slight pruning.

In contrast, an excellent hard prune on the Honeycomb Buddleja!

Azalea blooms are starting to open.

A springtime look at the front yard, 1 year old now!