Gardening signs of spring!

[Moutaineer]

It's a glorious early (probably false) spring day here. Mild and sunny. I've just walked round my yard--all the trees we planted last year have survived and are budding up nicely, and the tulip bulbs are starting to pop in some of the sunnier, more sheltered spots. Not much sign of the daffodils yet. My forsythia and lilac starts from the fall are all looking healthy, but I'm not sure about the Abelias--but it's early yet. The multitude of Iris I planted look like they have made it, too.

I'm also not so sure if the roses have made it. Probably a month early to tell yet.

Some time in the next couple of weeks I need to dig over the veg gardens and get them prepped for early crops.

Most exciting of all, I've just ordered a greenhouse! Our growing season is so short, this will be a great thing, and it will allow me to overwinter some more tender plants more easily. The previous owners of this house had a huge an elaborate swing set on a specially prepared flat pad. I managed to get shot of the swing set in the Fall, so i now have the perfect greenhouse spot, with space to make a little private sheltered "sit-outery" next to it, with a trellis and maybe even a grape vine if I can find one hardy enough.

The only worry is the potential water situation. We have had very little snow this winter and are lookin at a possible drought situation. I'd really like to plant a bunch more trees and shrubs this spring, but I'd like to know I will be able to water them if I do!

Our irrigation water doesn't get turned on until May 1st, so I can't do much until then except plan.

So, anyone else with horticultural plans in the offing?

[khall]

Yes! But not as extensive as yours.

I’ve gone with raised beds this year. I’ve started with 4 small ones and we are going to put in a built in one down by my mom’s house. It will be 15-20 ft long

I’ll probably put in vincas in the front of our house. Those seem to do the best. Put some in pots on my back patio too. The rest of our yard is pretty much established. Just have to maintain it.

[StraightForward]

Yes, I'm hoping to take some time off soon to get to work on the garden. First step is to get my veggie seeds started. I have the trays filled and moistened, just can't seem to sit myself down and put the seeds in.

Aside from the regular veggie garden, I'm hoping to make some headway on xeriscaping the south side of our house. It's the out of sight, out of mind part of the yard that is always last priority. I've slowly transplanted a few volunteer shrubs and grasses from the front yard, and have been toting rock mulch over there. Just need a concerted effort to get rid of the last of the bindweed and finish planting and mulching.

So far we have a few crocuses blooming, and my tulips are trying to come up, but our resident rabbit is mowing them off and even gnawing on the bulbs that are too close to the surface. Lucky for him he is cute and hasn't brought his friends to the party, so I don't think the tulip population will be decimated.

[redsoxluvr]

We garden year round here. My cherry tomatoes are already laden with fruit, my cilantro and parsley are going like mad. My chiles are still struggling with post winter malaise but I hope they survive. Cucumbers and zucchini are planted. Roma tomatoes, garlic and bell peppers are going in tonight. It was 87 freaking degrees today so I sort of want to cry because summer is coming far too fast.

[Moutaineer]

SF, have very little hope for my tulips, as we have a sizeable deer population, it seems. I've put them right up against the house, and in tubs on the front porch, but I suspect they will have them anyway. However the daffs and the alliums should give them something to think about...

Redsox, I think our guaranteed frost free growing season is less than 120 days...

[heddylamar]

My gardening is mostly focused on vegetables, though I do have a sizable collection of bulbs, et al. Since I'm on the IR, I've enlisted spouse to do the last bits of *required* prep hard labor, while I'm starting seeds in our guest bathroom.

Since the guest bathroom is on the northeast side of the house, and is reliably warm 12-16 hours per day, it's become my greenhouse Hopefully, I'll be mobile enough by the end of the month to plant the iris bulbs spouse is prepping for ... if not, that will be an ordeal

[acheyarcher]

I dont have a garden but as a nature nut I can say Indian Plum, Red currant and Salmonberry were starting to bloom a week ago. These three are the first Spring blooms and they are first food for Rufus Hummingbirds. I saw a Rufus today, in south Everett Washington.

Spring is here.

Tomorrow is a trip up to my favorite wildflower park where I hope to see signs of our early orchids and wildflowers. Take heart, the birds know. I expect to see first swallows soon.

It may be chilly overnight, but every day it seems to get slightly warmer by mid-afternoon and we are cracking 50 every day and frost is behind us. My sweetheart says he is not planting his flowers yet, I suspect he is going to be behind the curve in short order and encouraged him to start his seed pots.

I envy you all your gardens and hope that eventually I will have one as well. The only thing I want to plant is Snow Drops, to experience optimism every February. The Rhodie bushes in my complex are heavy with buds

[Canyon]

It was 67 here yesterday. Since the winds were low in the morning, I spent a few hours spraying wild mustard and other early weeds that are popping up in the driveway and arena. Yes, spring is here, though I would welcome some rain or snow. It has been a fairly dry winter down here; the lawn and pastures are parched. At least the snowpack is 85% of normal in the Colorado River drainage. Typically we have irrigation water available around April 1.

I have inventoried my seeds and need to buy more Jiffy pellets before I start vegie and flower seeds on heat mats. I have more work to do in cleaning up the perennial beds. But I save the last of that until later to protect the plants from the one last cold snap that is sure to come. The daffodils are emerging. I need to dig out the tiller and do an initial pass over the vegie plot to get the compost mixed in to the soil.

Some of the fields around us are planted in winter wheat. Hundreds of Canada geese fly in for breakfast and dinner every day. Lately, they seem to be more visibly in pairs. They are a noisy, happy throng. I have heard a few flocks of sandhill cranes heading north.

[Moutaineer]

The first sandhill cranes have flown over here in the last week, too, Canyon.

[PhoenixRising]

I’m planning a veggie garden again. I need to get my tomato and pepper seeds going, or decide if I’d rather buy started plants this year since I’m busy with Gil. We had a lot of issues with squirrels last year and I need to figure out what to do about that. Our garden plot is small enough I’m debating creating a “cage” for the whole garden out of pvc pipe and chicken wire to keep them out.
I’m also going to be building 2 raised asparagus beds, each one with another variety. I LOVE asparagus but hate supermarket prices for it lol.
I’d also like to put a flower bed out in front of our house this year, I had planned to last year but never got it done. I’m not really sure I’ll have time this year either, and I’m really struggling to decide what I want to put in it.

[heddylamar]

For flower beds, I'm a huge fan of loosely arranged perennials combined with grasses and shrubs that look decent year round. Then — if time allows — I can add accents annually. I tend to plant perennials that multiply like irises and hellebore, so there's no room for accents in our small yard anymore, unless it's a potted plant