With the weather getting up into the 70's and 80's recently here in Eastern NC, things are booming in the garden! And I have to say...thank God! Gardening is restores my soul and my sanity. During the winter, there's not nearly as many jobs to do, and most of them aren't very fun anyway being outside in the cold. But now, my hobbit heart is SO full!
One of the biggest changes to the garden so far is the new greenhouse! I've wanted a nice greenhouse for sooooooooooooooo long. I had a cheap one when I lived in an apartment, but that thing was so cheap that it fell apart almost instantly. Although we still can't afford a super nice permanent one (because diapers are hella expensive y'all), the one I got is a happy medium. Plus, it's a lean-to greenhouse, so it fits perfectly on the sidewalk beside the house.
As much as I want to say this was a "splurge," it sort of became a necessity because our cat Nora (aka Herpes) kept eating my new tomato seedlings and pineapple plant. So I bought it out of frustration more than anything. ($93 on Amazon in case you're wondering.) Two tomato seedlings didn't survive and the pineapple plant is still in critical condition, but they're both doing much better in the ICU part of the greenhouse (aka the shelf that came with the greenhouse).
The pineapple is pretty brown and probably won't make it, but I'm a firm believer in trying to save plants and only putting them in the compost when I'm absolutely sure they're dead. This is also evident in my forsythia bushes I planted late last summer in the front yard. One of them is most definitely dead, but the other is flowering beautifully!
I'm usually not much of a flower person, at least not traditional flowers. And to be fair, this is a bush, not a flower. But I absolutely LOVE their egg yolk yellow flowers in spring. The color is such a contrast to the chocolate brown stems. The leaves actually come once the flowers are finished, which is unusual, and part of why I like it so much. There's something about this particular shade of yellow that reminds me of Lord of the Rings too for some reason.
Until next time, have fun playing in the dirt! :)
Holly