Whooo, hot out there!

Gryph and I were working in the yard. It's pretty hot out there in the western sun! Really discomfortable... and I am discomforted to be sure! So glad we're going back to spring weather tomorrow.

Veggies: Peas are up in the greenhouse, as are lettuces and a tiny number of carrots (Cosmic Purple). We moved the flats off the fridge and the herbs off the washer, so the greenhouse is filling up.

Weeds (which are actually herbs): Henbit and speedwell are blooming all over the yard; purple archangel (deadnettle) is just coming into bloom. I notice that the polar vortex set them back quite a bit; they're all pretty short this year. Last year they were just tall enough to look like a gentle meadow. Dandelions are leafing out and once in a while blooming. No sign of violets, but the curly dock is a good six inches across.

Bulbs: The crocus finally gave up the ghost and the daffodils are just coming into full bloom. A lone tulip has come up in one of the front yard flower beds and I believe that's where I'll put all my grocery-store tulips, see if they can adapt to life in the yard.

The new peach tree is blooming already, sooo pretty those pale pink blossoms, wide and delicate. I'm considering putting her in the front yard but for now she seems to be glorying in that hot western sun so I'll leave her on the back porch.

The potatoes have gone into my first big pot by the wheelchair ramp. We left the bag of potting soil next to the pot so I can fill it as the taters grow, and covered the pot with bird netting to keep the squirrels out.

Invasives: We  have to do something about the Star of Bethlehem. It's toxic and invasive and I need it GONE. It's so hard for me to deal with that I'm actually considering an herbicide for it and for the English ivy which is taking over the entire house and yard. I just haven't got the stamina to deal with them, never have had, and I also don't have the money to pay someone else to deal with it.

Seedses!!!

 My Baker Creek order came today! I'll be back once I finish fondl---errr, sorting and organizing them.

Oh, I begin to think my teensiest sprouts in the greenhouse are lettuce after all; one finally pushed up the remains of a seed coat, and it's same color and texture as the remaining lettuce seeds, if rather larger--I guess it swelled with the moisture. Never been so micro-focused on seeds before!

thinning lettuce

Dawn asked about thinning lettuce. You do it because you were profligate--one might even say exuberant--and you sowed the seed with wild abandon, so that the lil seedlings have no room to grow. See how they are all smushed together under the squash seedlings? And you do it as soon as they are big enough to go on a cheese sandwich *eyebrow waggle* which means about as long as alfalfa sprouts. I just pulled out small clumps of them from all over the pot, washed and dried them and put them on my sandwich--roots and all.

I have to say though... I wish it were the spinach I had been exuberant with, because lettuce thinnings sure don't have much flavor! Well, maybe as they grow they'll get more. I'll certainly have to thin them repeatedly until the last plants have room to grow to full-size.
And yes, the squash needs thinned also... but I am reluctant to do so because I think that multiple plants might offer me a chance to get squash despite the squash vine borers, which I found out were bad in this area. Of course, I didn't find this out until after I bought and planted the squash seed. *wry smile*

It's coming on time for fertilizer. Everything has stopped growing (or slowed drastically) and I suspect that means whatever nutrients were in the potting soil have been used up now. My fingers are crossed that I can find something natural (or even organic!) at the hardware store.