First Signs of Spring - Blooming Begins - by Sunscape

The Star Magnolia is in full bud and some of the flowers are already opening.

It seems early to me, but then I really don't pay attention to when it blooms each year. It is the first one to flower of the Magnolia family, as far as I know.

This week will bring 5 days of rain according to the forecast. I'm afraid this year the blossoms are going to take a hard hit between the rain and freezing temperatures at night.

All the Hellebore's are up and one of my largest white ones has sparce growth. I think it won't make another winter.

I didn't think there were any daffodils blooming yet, then I noticed one clump had opened in the front of the house. The bluebells are popping up all over the gardens. They multiple every year, even when I thin them out. They remind me of allium bulbs that never seem to stop producing in unwanted areas of the garden.

I still have to get out to the front gardens to trim back the Miscanthus and the Japanese Forest Grasses before the new growth emerges.

The Garlic bulbs I planted in November are 6" tall and looking strong. I planted some Alaska Nasturtiums in a hanging pot. I love adding the flowers and leaves to my salads.

Another week has past and the plants in the greenhouse needed fertilizing. I took the afternoon to take care of them and pinched back some of the basil so it would branch nicely.

I had a few large Impatiens that I put into two hanging baskets. These hang from the porch on each side during the summer months and the hummingbirds enjoy the nectar.

Everything is growing quickly, and I will be harvesting Spinach to make Fettuccini for dinner tonight as a side to some baby back ribs.

The four hydroponic containers are all doing great. I did this lettuce earlier in the wee and it has adapted nicely.

With two nice days this week, I got the wheelbarrow out and made up enough soil mix to add to the new raised beds to finish filling them up.

Next, I took the large tower gardens out of the shed and filled them up with new soil as I was assembling them. I needed to get them ready for planting my new arrivals.

It has been years since I've had a strawberry bed, and I really miss having fresh berries. I ordered a few bare-root plants to grow in one of the large towers.

After soaking the plants in a bucket of water to rehydrate them, I put them up into 4" pots to allow them time to settle in before transplanting them out in the tower. Within two days the crowns put out new growth which is a good sign.

Hopefully, they will do well over wintering in it. I may even protect it somehow with some netting. That is something I need to research online to see how well they do from other's experiences.

The second tower will be used to grow bush beans this summer. It worked out perfectly last year for me and it certainly saves me a lot of garden space.

It is time to sow some more annual flowers and another round of lettuce, nasturtiums, and more zinnias. Then, later this week I will plant zucchini and summer squash in 4" pots to give them a head start. I do it every year and they do just fine.

I had some Russet Baking Potatoes that sprouted so I planted two at each corner of the largest cold frame. Another type of yellow potato is planted in a grow bag behind the tower gardens. Last year I got a few pounds out of the grow bag and hope to do the same this year.

Until next time, this is Sunscape
Sun. Scape. Ing Your DayThat is my weekly #gardenjournal update my friends. May you have a wonderful weekend, and I will see you soon.