Gertrude's Flower Garden Weekly Diary

3/23/01 - Did you notice that on March 17 in this latitude that the lengths of the day and night were exactly the same--I believe that this is considered the meterological beginning of spring. From now on, until the first day of summer, the length of the days gradually increases as the length of the nights decreases. Well, I must say, the weather doesn't seem to be paying much attention to the calendar. Temperatures the first part of this week have been well below normal, but I have been getting some outside work done. Last week I showed you the pots that I have arranged on and near the terrace. This week I dug out the compost pile and filled all of these pots with fresh compost, which is soil from garden waste that has been rotting for two years. Before I can dig out my new "made" soil, I must fork off last year's waste, which I put back into the compost trench when I have emptied it. I like to fill the pots early so that rain will pack the soil down before I do any planting. Because rain was forecast for the latter part of this week, I felt that I should also spread the rest of the compost on the beds where it was needed.
         In the basement "nursery," I now have ten flats on the outside steps still under the plastic cover. Four flats, mostly of smaller plants, are still under the fluorescent shop lights, and I have six boxes of seedlings that are germinating on heating pads. Among the seeds in various stages of germination are dahlias, two kinds of zinnias, spider plants, and the "slowpoke" money plants that are finally showing signs of pushing up. Left to plant as soon as I have room on the heating pads are Profusion zinnias and two kinds of sunflowers.
         The glassroom looks very good--the spring sun, when it shines, and its warmth are working wonders. The stars are the red geraniums, but the ivy geraniums have also begun to bloom. Two Profusion zinnias that I brought in last autumn are covered with flowers, and the browallia has been lovely all winter. The buds and flowers on the heliotrope that I potted and brought inside are beautiful. Soon it will be time to put all of these flowers and those in the glass window (other than the cacti and houseplants) into the pots and beds outside.
         For this week's picture, I have again taken an overall view of the back garden so that you can see the arrangement of the beds and how the bulbs and early perennials are pushing up. If you look at last year's "Weekly Diary," you will see a picture of a daffodil in bloom, and I write about bring cut flowers into the house. I checked this morning and the daffodils are just beginning to show color, so that we are really behind last year. Next week, however, I should have a picture of daffodils blooming.

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