I have nothing to say

My seedling have been doing so well, I even have a rose springing out of the soil.  I was looking forward to writing about it and taking some pictures.  

This morning we went for a walk at the Pacific Spirit Regional Park, the subject of a project I am doing for my Organic Land Management course.  We had fun and got some great pictures there too.  

Spring is in full swing.  

And then it started snowing... again.

And now I don't feel like writing about anything.  Maybe later.

All the other gardening blogs that I read have been taking about the snow, one even pretended not to talk about the snow but did.  Sorry to say mine will be no different!  I got up early to shovel the white stuff before heading out to work.  Most of it is gone now, so I'm just going to look at it as good moisture.  It lasts all day, slowly melting, and taking its time penetrating into the soil.  And it really is very beautiful.  

Here is my potentilla with a branch of the plum tree in the foreground.

Poor little crocus.  There is something about this picture I find very relaxing.  The purple and the white really compliment which other I think.

This little guy on the other hand looks very sad with this white burden on its shoulders.  Perhaps this Narcissuses is named after the wrong greek mythology character.  Atlas my be more accurate on this day.

And last but not lease, my lovely wife and child.  Both in PJs only his is hidden behind the snow pants.  He just had to come out and help me with the shoveling.  He likes to do the railings.  I had to take off so Suzanne had to come out and take over supervising the snow play!

Coming soon

I have a few blogs on the go, but have been very busy at my other job, the one that pays for my gardening addiction.  I've been working nights including Saturday night.  YUCK!  

Anyway I am working on a blog about composting and another about my Hydrangea and its self propagation method.  Also some of my outdoor seeds are coming up!  The are fighting it out with the elements and doing not to badly!  Stay turned.

Seedy Little Seedling

Just a quick little update on my sowing adventures.  The last time I wrote of the seeds I had a couple Lupins sprouting.  That quickly turned to six sprouts.  Yesterday I mixed some garden soil with Keefer's Soil Energizer and filled Six small pots I had under the back stairs.

  I used a pen to loosen the soil and remove the sprouts from their original pot and into their new individual ones.

Some of the sprouts where up to two inches tall and the all had much longer roots already.  

Here they are all in row.

Last time I mentioned I started some seeds in re-used cardboard egg cartons, but the cardboard was absorbing all the water from the soil.  I have since place both of them onto a cookie sheet.  I will now pour water into the pan and keep the egg cartons nice and wet so the seeds will get the water that they need as well.

I'm not growing Pimps, its sort form for Pink Impatiens 

Yesterday I made a brief visit to VanDusen for Seedy Saturday.  Lots of local seed gatherers selling their wares, including VanDusen themselves.  I was on my own and had a sleepy two year old in tow, plus we only had a short time before we had to meet with Suzanne.  I rushed around the very crowded Floral Room and managed to get out with only four seed packs from two venders.  In short I pick up some Red Columbine (Aquilegia Formosa), and Chocolate Fritillary (Fritillaria lanceolata) from Twining Vine Gardens and from Crafty Gardener I got Strawberry Foxglove (Digitalis Mertonensis) and Allium Ivory Queen.

Today I planted them in row in a shallow pan 3/4 with straight Keefer's soil energizer, labeling each row on the pan.  The Columbine and Foxglove I pressed into the soil leaving them exposed to the light needed for germination.  The Fritillary I sunk into the soil about a 1/4 inch and the Allium I have put into a dish to soak for 24 hours and will add them to the pan.  The pan sits with the others sprouts in the kitchen window.

Now I am experimenting with rose seeds.  I've been hesitant to move ahead with this project as I understand it can be a lot of work.  I have been following another blogger and she had a blog last week called "The Great Pea Rebellion."  Although hers was a story of adventurous pea planting it inspired me to go ahead with my roses.

Earlier in the week I removed two hips from a rose bush in my backyard.  Today I cut open the hips and removed the seeds.

I planted the seeds in a shallow pan in a grid pattern about 2 inches apart.  I will keep them in a dark place for one month and then move them into the south facing kitchen window.