We had some unusually cold weather this January. My garden catalogs had begun to come at the end of the year, and my seeds were ordered before January was half gone. I was itching to get outside and begin planting, but it was just too cold. Freezing temperatures all day long is just not normal for my part of Georgia. February came and I finally managed to get my hands in garden soil. Below, I share a few of the things I have been doing for the garden this first week of February.
Little Helpers
First, the kids and I needed to get outside even with the chilly weather. You can see pictures of our two youngest helping me fill our seed flats with soil. The pictures look so placid. In truth, there was quite a bit of squealing and pushing over who got to hold the shovel and who had monopoly of the dirt. You couldn’t tell that if I didn’t tell you. All the same, pictures and the whole story can’t hide that the kids enjoyed the job.
Starting Seeds Indoors
I laid out all my seed packets one afternoon and calculated which seeds I could begin first. Broccoli and beets are safe to go outside in the middle of February, so I decided to give them a boost indoors. I also started calendula and hollyhocks in this batch. I’m confused about calendula. It’s kind of a cool weather crop, but I’m not sure how to incorporate it into my spring garden. As it is, I plan to move it outdoors into the garden once my seedlings have their first set or two of true leaves. I’ll have to hang onto the hollyhock for a while, yet.
This year I bought an inexpensive shop light from Walmart which my husband hung for me. He even delighted me by pulling out an extra light timer that he had. Now my plants get plenty of light with no ongoing effort of my own. Below are pictures of my plastic-wrapped seed flats and then the seedlings as they emerged. One year, I made the mistake of keeping track of my plantings on a paper chart. All was well until I took the plants out to drain off excess water. I forgot to keep the pots in order and I so I had to guess what was what. This year, I have tape labels.
Outdoor Chores
There is always work to be done outdoors, even on our small plot of land. I cannot fathom how people can maintain acres of gardens without hired help. My lovely new camelia is setting out a few buds, but its leaves are looking a little scarred. I need to do some research on camelias and work to cure this baby. One thing I could plant directly outdoors in early February was peas. I had more peas than my garden plot could contain so I sowed a few seeds on a fence line out back. You can see one tiny pea shot emerging from the yard debris. And, finally, violas. They are never-failing in their winter show. I took some time to spread some fertilizer around my winter annuals in an effort to boost their blooms and foliage.
So, winter may have been a bit more icy than usual, but the garden efforts go on. Indoors, outdoors, my garden mania has had plenty to keep me entertained. I hope that my camelia will be healed and my new plants will continue to good health and beauty. 🙂
