The Shift Begins

This month the weather started to get warmer, and the time change encouraged outdoor labor after regular, indoor toil. COVID-19 social distancing regulations have allowed for more time in the garden and discouraged trips away from the house. As plants wake up from their winter slumber, so do the weeds, which have been dormant until now.  There is a lot of clean-up and maintenance work to do in the front and back gardens.

The Garden Log for this month is below.

GARDEN LOG – March 2020

March 2nd
I purchased the Colorado Oasis garden from Resource Central, which provides 15 xeric perennials for a 6×10 foot area:

  1. Blue Grama Grass (Qty. 3)
  2. Blue Native Harebell (Qty. 2)
  3. False Indigo (Qty. 1)
  4. Firecracker Penstemon (Qty. 2)
  5. Prairie Red Coneflower (Qty. 2)
  6. Rocky Mtn. Penstemon (Qty. 1)
  7. Switchgrass (Qty. 1)
  8. Yellow Columbine (Qty. 3)

The fence plant hooks arrived yesterday. I have everything for the design of the side yard and look forward to working in the garden this weekend, when temperatures are forecasted in the 60s for the first time in a long time.

March 3rd
This morning I noticed seedlings in one of the eggplant containers. 

 I stratified the following seeds between two wet paper towels which I stored in the fridge:

  • Mountain Hollyhock
  • Colorado Columbine
  • Irresistible Blend Milkweed/Butterfly Flower Seeds
  • Common Milkweed/Butterfly Flower Seeds

March 4th
There is a single snowdrop blooming. The arrived in late 2018 but this is the first time I am seeing them.

The bulbs are coming up swiftly as the temperatures warm.

March 5th
The second eggplant is sprouting.

March 8th
Yesterday I sifted the rocks from the soil in the side yard and picked up the dead leaves and rubbish/. I laid out the borders and realized we need additional sprinkler heads for the irrigation and pressurized wood for the back of the beds to decrease the leaching of soil under the fence. 

Today I built the 2nd bird bath and placed it outside. 

The clocks sprung forward one hour. 

Planted 3

  • Leek American Flag 
  • Dill Tetra Seeds
  • Pepper – Chile Padron
  • Pepper – Sweet California Wonder
  • Pepper – Sweet California Wonder Orange
  • Onion – Flat of Italy
  • Onion – Ringmaster
  • Onion – Yellow Sweet Spanish Utah

Planted 6:

  • Lambada Bee Balm Seeds

March 9th
Last night we had our first true Spring shower.  

Planted 6 each:

  • Basil – Culinary Blend
  • Basil – Custom Blend
  • Basil – Lettuce Leaf 

March 10th
The Lenten Rose has a bud. I assumed it was dead.

I purchased irrigation sprinklers and siding for the back of the side yard beds. 

March 12th
The crocus blooms are forming. They are gorgeous. 

I was going to fill the beds with soil this week, but I have not heard back from Soil Rejuvenation. In addition, snow is coming again. I am always overconfident in March…I will wait at least another week for soil. 

Bee Balm is sprouting.

March 13th
Snow flurries outside – basil blend seeds are sprouting. 

March 14th
The lettuce leaf basil and dill are sprouting. 

March 15th
Red onions and Padron peppers are sprouting. No more snowdrops in the yard but the crocus continue to rise. I am waiting for the Lenten Rose to bloom. 

March 18th
All sprouts are growing; I removed all but one eggplant sprout from each container. 

Grape Hyacinth bulbs are blooming. 

March 19th
It is raining now and due to snow 3-5 inches later today and tomorrow. I am expecting a call from Brian from Soil Rejuvenation to deliver soil and mulch this week or next.

March 21st
Potted up 3 of each pepper (Padron, California Wonder Orange and California Wonder) and 2 Dill plants. I left three in starter pots. I tossed away the remaining small plants and I still hate doing this each year. So many people need food and I can grow. I need to figure out a way to give away my seedlings and find more space to grow. 

I planted the following after 2.5 weeks of stratification in the fridge:

  • 10 Mountain Hollyhock
  • 6 Common Milkweed 
  • 6 Irresistible Milkweed

The remaining seeds I planted in one of the front planter boxes. 

I also planted:

  • 3 Cape Gooseberry
  • 6 Flat-Leaf Parsley 
  • 10 Gomphrena 
  • 2 Love-Lies-Bleeding in a compostable pot
  • 1 Ammi Dara in a compostable pot
  • 3 Ammi Green Mist in a compostable pot
  • I placed the Bells of Ireland in the fridge for a week 

I am still waiting for soil and the ground to warm to plant the peas. Most of the snow melted today but the ground still feels a bit frozen. 

March 22nd
I found the original packet of Colorado Columbine in the back of the fridge drawer and planted 14. 

The crocus in the bulb bed is blooming as is the lenten rose. 

March 28th
I went back and forth with the man at Soil Rejuvenation this week and we still do not have our soil. This morning I saw that two of our peonies have begun to sprout their pink, asparagus looking spears through the soil. I spent some time today in the sun pulling out dead leaves, weeds, and errant grass clumps. A Persian Lily is also pushing its way into the warmer air (I thought I relocated both bulbs in anticipation of the sewage line excavation). Some of the crocus are dying and some are still blooming. The lenten rose looks magnificent. The grass is turning green again; the snow, rain and sleet combinations we have had are helping it along. 

March 31st
The Ammi seeds, stratified milkweed, columbine (yay!) and Love Lies Bleeding are all sprouting.