Spring Planting

The weather has finally cooperated in our part of Washington State and I have started my annual spring planting frenzy. I was being tough and not buying any plants before I knew for sure the frost was over, but as always, the sight of all those gorgeous petunia's, dianthus and herbs at the nursery's wore me down and I proceeded to fork over the cash. Sunday we made a trip to the home improvement store, dropped our wad of moolah and came home with a bunch of bedding and container plants, a new hose reel, AND a portable gas heater to put on the patio table so we can comfortably sit around it in the evening and stay warm. Whew! We are off to a good start and let the BBQ's begin! I had planned to work in the studio on Sunday and do art, but the lure of those little green babies just waiting to be put in their respective pots was just to much and I spent the whole day tucking them away. They started in a big pile on the potting bench like so.....

After much toting of large, heavy bags of potting soil, filling of pots and extended angst over the proper distribution of plants among pots I was able to get most of them done. I love to put my herbs and vegetables into galvanized aluminum feed troughs and containers as the soak up the heat and keeps the roots nice and toasty. Here is my dill in its container, it will be harvested at the end of the season and go into my brine for the pickled beans I can ever year.

It is wonderful to see the young plants in their new homes, fussing over them all summer is one of my favorite things to do. And of course, talking to them, as all you gardeners out there know, makes all the difference in the world.

Finally, when the day was done I was totally exhausted, but not nearly as tired as studio cat #1, Dana, all that supervising and offering of feline opinions had completely wiped her out.