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Friday, February 12, 2010

State of the Cottage: February, 2010

After a particularly mild winter, signs of life are stirring all over the cottage.


Here are a few encouraging images to share as a reminder that Spring is just around the bend!

 

Volunteer Hollyhocks emerge and I am more than happy to oblige their presence!

 

Oriental Poppies

 

'White Spires' Foxglove peeks up

The Scabiosa and Columbine are also coming back!

In preparation for the Spring, we've purchased summer bulbs and a greenhouse!



I also planted Dutch Iris bulbs around the bases of our hugely over-grown Lilacs!


Though, you won't see evidence of them until Summer!

 

We positioned the greenhouse close to the back door in case it is a particularly windy or cold day when we work inside.


Here is the back.

 

I moved a lot of the delicate plants I've been wintering inside of the house to the greenhouse. It frees up so much room and the plants are much happier!

 

Penelope approves also!


Here are a few of our peat pots awaiting seeds...


And my newly fashioned sweet pea trellis waiting for the seedlings to emerge.

 

I also fashioned this 'chicken proof' trellis to block access from the chicken yard to the front yard. They will get a chance to roam around more space this way.

 

My husband also got a chance to install his Passion Vine trellis.

 

We will eventually mount the trellis on metal bands, but the old wooden supports will have to suffice for now!


The Passion Flowers are stainless steel, with mild steel centers which will eventually rust with the weather.

4 comments:

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

Thank you for visiting my blog, especially since it led me back to yours. I loved reading back through it!
It definitely looks like you and your garden are ready for spring. I love finding all the new growth coming up. What a cool trellis, it looks so good around the green door.

Urban Cottager said...

Thank you so much for the wonderful comments! I find your blog particularly inspiring, so thank you for dropping by. :)

D said...

Hello UC and thank you so much for your visit and "follow", and I'm here and enjoying it. I've been looking around your blog and each thing that I read makes me smile: the greenhouse, raised beds, pea trellis... and what a great job you're doing.

I put a few seeds in the ground yesterday: several kinds of radish, carrots, Walla Walla sweets, and am trying a new method of planting fingerling potatoes in nursery pots.. now that is going to be interesting to watch develop.

It is supposed to be 60 degrees today, so hope you enjoy it! I look forward to reading more. ;)

Urban Cottager said...

Thank you for visiting and the nice comments. I appreciate hearing from other gardeners! We've been happy about the mild weather too and have had a jump start on all of our early greens. Can't wait for the spinach, especially!

I'm interested in your results with the fingerling potatoes. This is our first year growing them, so I'm not really sure what to expect!

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