Spring is Downloading, Please Wait....

I think this sign should be put in my garden as a reminder that spring really hasn't sprung in Chicagoland. After an 82 degree day and basically a couple of weeks in the high 50's and low 60's I wrongly believed that spring was here. I had finished all the garden cleanup and was excited to get planting. I planted spinach,mache and lettuce by the small bed close to the house. I transplanted strawberries and some garlic. I was smart enough to cover them with garden fleece so they are doing fine. Where I think I may have gone wrong was to plant dahlias and cannas in pots outside. I did think of putting them in the greenhouse but last time I did that I had a major ant infestation. I figured we were well into the 60's so they would be fine. Then came the last blast of winter to remind us we are zone 5 not 8. Temperatures were in the 30's for a high this week and we even had hail, thunderstorms and torrential rain. Oh, I almost forgot we had a bit of snow too. It will be a miracle if the dahlias and cannas don't rot or die from hypothermia. Then again I could get lucky and have the earliest blossoms around. Time will tell but I'm hoping that spring will quit downloading and just upload immediately.

Early April Flowers

This picture collage generated with Smilebox

A Plant That Really Lives Up To It's Name

I thought it would be interesting to plant some seeds of this Cat Grass(Avena Sativa) and see if the neighbor cat, Stripey, who hangs out on our deck would like it.

I guess that would be a big YES!

                  You could even say it was lip smacking good.

         Looks like Stripey will be hanging out on the deck for the rest of the Cat Grass Season.

First Plantings

I planted peas,spinach and arugula on April 2nd. The soil in the raised beds is well drained and early to warm up with the little bit of spring sunshine that we have had. I added some compost from the compost bin and noticed lots of worms in the raised beds as I turned the soil.

First Flowers

The first flowers to bloom in the garden are the crocus and scilla. April 5th seems a little late but it's been a cool early spring with temps in the 30's and 40's.