Snow and Blooming Squill

Saturday morning I woke up to snow on the ground. Yet that wasn't stopping the Siberian squill that I planted in October. It pushed up through the snow. Now the plants are above ground and about to burst into bloom, even though the temps have only warmed into the 40s F (normal highs this time of year are about 60F), and we have another winter storm predicted for this area. Ah, Minnesota. This winter has gone on too long. I do have some lettuce and peas planted, though I am not sure this weather is very helpful for them. This weekend temps are predicted to be in the 50s, so that will help.

Crocuses and Homemade Cold Frame

Okay, I am not handy or crafty. My talents revolve around words, so keep that in mind as you look at my homemade coldframe. It is two bendable squares of trellis covered with fabric floating row cover. The frames are clipped together with plastic clips on the inside, and then the fabic is attached on the ourside with clothespins. It's not elegant, I know, but the fabric is easily raised to let off heat. The two pieces sit side by side, so I can remove one if needed. I could not find a coldframe that would fit my garden bed size, so I had to create my own. Necessity is indeed the mother of invention. Also, the crocuses are blooming. These photos are from a few days ago. Happy spring!

No Fooling

Yes, it's April Fool's Day. However, it is true that some of the daffodils are about two inches out of the ground. Since I live in the woods, I may be a few days behind everyone else, but I am happy and soooooo ready for spring.

First Sign of Spring?

Yesterday as I wandered around the gardens, I saw the first tips of daffodils poking through the ground. Many parts of my yard and the woods still have snow on the ground, and now we are predicted to get between three and five inches of snow in the next twenty four hours. Those daffodil tips will be covered in snow tomorrow morning, but the daffodils are like Minnesotans...we never give up!

Upcoming Appearances

I have two Minnesota gardening presentations coming up. Check out "The Kitchen Garden" at Cold Spring Library on Thursday, March 10 at 6:30 pm. And I'll be at Waite Park Library at 6:30 pm on April 28th for ways on how to convert from conventional to organic gardening.

Seed Ordering Time

Yes, indeed, it is time to order seeds. In fact, it may be too late for the limited varieties, considering that other parts of the country have earlier springs, though you wouldn't know it today with the Midwest blizzard covering many states. We're "lucky" to have only a few inches of snow, though we have brutally cold windchills today in my area of Minnesota. My plan is to narrow down what to order this year. And I have lots of seed catalogs from which to choose. Don't worry about all that paper, though; the seed catalogs I don't use I give away during my gardening presentations.

"Winter Interest"

After sleet, ice, wind, and inches and inches of snow,I am here to report the complete obliteration of any "winter interest" I have in the garden. Yes, I really tried, leaving some interesting seed heads. And I didn't trim back a few perennials. Now the stems have been knocked over. The smaller plants are buried. I see tall tree trunks and bare branches with a whole lot of snow covering the ground. So, to all those garden experts who give advice to the warm climate gardeners about how to make the garden look interesting during the slow season, don't forget about us cold climate gardeners. There's nothing wrong about not having any "winter interest" except for the large amount of frozen precipatation on the ground. In fact, this is the best time to plan for spring. That snow makes a perfect blank slate.