Happy Tuesday night my friends. I started back in the building working with a kindergarten class this week – having to get to work much earlier than I am used to, but it’s been working out just fine. Lots to do during the day, then run home to take care of other things – planting seeds, taking pictures of babies, making phone calls to make appointments for this that or the other, run mom here or there….always something to be done! Now that it is lighter out longer, I feel obligated to be out when it’s light out, but I’m out of gas tonight, so I’m sitting on the couch for a bit to catch my friends up on my “smaller” garden…

Yes, just last night my friend Carolyn said to me… “hey, do you remember that one day when you said your garden was going to be smaller?” then she sent me laughing faces – lots, and lots of laughing faces. She said this to me right after I told her I was addicted to the Marigold Beasts that I’ve been planting, I’m not sure if I’m addicted to them because they sprout to happily whenever I stick them in soil, or if it’s dreams of the Marigold garland that I’m hoping to make! I think I have 50 so far…? There might be more this weekend….They are just so happy!

Do you know what isn’t happy this year – and apparently it’s not just for me – Bells of Ireland – there is no luck of the Irish here when it comes to those things! I’m impatiently waiting for my Bells of Ireland seeds to arrive from RareSeeds-give them a go and hope for the best. In the mean time, I guess I need to notify my brides that I will most likely not have those this summer for their weddings. I checked with my dealer to see if they had any plugs, but she didn’t know what I was talking about. I see that Farmer Bailey has them, but they are super tiny and will not be getting here until mid-May…216 is the minimum order….and I have to order three trays to make it worth it….do I think maybe I could get away without it this summer? Maybe there will be other things that I can use to take it’s place? Apparently there are people who do not use it?! Who knew!? Guess that just might be me this year. Maybe next year I will put it on my order when I order Stock from Farmer Bailey and hope that he has some bigger ones next year. Even smaller ones earlier in the year might not be a horrible idea?

I did manage five more trays today….Dutch Tapestry Phlox, Calendula, Strawflower, Pride of Gibraltar, Bupleurum, more Starflower, more Cherry Rudbeckia, a Lavender Hyssop, a True Hyssop, Artiplex, Queen Anne’s Lace, then direct seeded Love-in-A-Mist, Chocolate Lace Flower, and Nigella African Bride.

I sowed 196 cells of just Strawflower alone – for several reasons…..#1-I only had 100 brand new seeds #2-germination rate is low on those seeds #3-I have seeds from 2019, which I am sure the germination was low on those also….so I figured the more the merrier! If they all make it…I’ll sell them, or plant them? Everyone loves those, they dry super nice and last forever!

I’m still holding off on the Cosmos & Zinnias….because Lord knows space is going to be tight when things arrive next week – either way they need to be started – but I think I’m leaning towards a bit on the later side, simply because Zinnia’s are warm weather lovers as are Cosmos. Often times I’m close to tears because my Zinnia’s and Comos are growing roots out their bottoms and the field isn’t ready for them….so a bit of waiting isn’t going to hurt a bit. We will see how I do with all of that.

I will take the lead from Lisa Mason Ziegler with Gardeners Workshop and plant Sunflowers at the end of the month. It seems crazy to me, but I’m willing to give it a try! Maybe that will be my answer for a filler, tiny little Sunflowers…? Typically, I haven’t had much luck transplanting a sunflower, but I will give it a try and see how it goes. I will only need to do it twice, which in my case will only be about 40 sunflowers since I’m not a huge flower producer.

The tulips seem to be holding up okay, I’ve wiggled a few of them and they seem strong. We will see if they make it this year, maybe moving them to the raised beds, and going twice as deep as last year might have done the trick?

My Yarrow looks great from last year, and a few Snap Dragons have made it through the winter. It will be interesting to see how it goes with those these coming weeks. I do have several Yarrow seedlings that are sprouting just fine in the greenhouse, I figure I can always sell them if I don’t need them, but they are certainly handy to have. I grew Double Diamond white this year, and a Cerise Queen which is pink. So looking forward to seeing how all of it turns out, and of course looking forward to seeing how I’m going to pull off not having Bells of Ireland this year.

I’m sure that I can chat with some of my flower friends and exchange some things with them, it will all work out, it always does. I’m never really sure how, but it does.

I hope the first part of your week went well as I’m hoping the rest of your week finishes nicely. Take good care my friends, until next time – hugs to you!