February Re-start

In January, it was too cold to think of gardens but now I am fired up and ready to go. I sent off my first order to T&T seeds. This was the flower order which I'll start in my basement under lights. (T&T Seeds at garden@ttseeds.com)

I am scaling back this year. I have to. The flower beds are so chock full of large perennials that there is little room for annuals. We have had such a good snow cover that I am confident my perennials are ready to burst as soon as it leaves. (Unless it floods. With so much snow, that is always a possibility).

But I did order some of the old favourites: pink lavatera, canary vine - the best annual climber, godetia, mixed colour impatiens for the shade garden, sweet peas for cutting and lemon gem marigolds to finish the season. I had such good luck growing geraniums from seed that I ordered several packs for the patio posts T&T does not carry the variety of cosmos that I like (sea shell) so I will look for it around town.

I will be going to some bird festivals in April. This means I have to give up some of the more "picky" plants such as schizanthus, pansies and wave petunias. I did order a few seeds that I will plant straight into the garden, namely bachelor buttons and nasturtiums. These last flow over the bricks that edge the patio. I plan to plant lots of sunflowers along the fence in the back lane as a treat for the birds.

Meanwhile the house is full of the scent of hyacinths. The stems are a little stretched and have to be propped on twigs. Hyacinth stems are hollow and boneless. They will practically lie down across the pot unless they are propped.

The King Alfred Daffodils came along nicely. They bloom for a few weeks, easily the longest blooming indoor bulb. They too stretched in our low northern light conditions but they do not seem to mind. Three pots of three plants each massed together on a side table make a grand winter show.