vegetable garden up and running!

We got a bit over 1" of rain yesterday. I went to yoga this morning and in the afternoon we set out to do some errands. I was still pretty windy some of the time which made it a bit chilly. I got a large bag of potting soil at Sams (should have gotten 2), a plastic window box at Big Lots, 3 4-packs of lettuce at Country Boys, 2 tomatoes at K-Mart and 2 silver scrolls coral bells and a new pair of pruners at Lowes.

My new pruners are very nice and I hope I don't end up tearing them up as quickly as I have the other pairs of owned (though one pair had a spring that popped out and that is not entirely my fault). Lowes really has their spring plants out. Lots of spring blooming perennials and even a bunch of flats of annuals. My pansies are so pretty right now, I know it will be a while before they come out. I was very happy to find the two big pots of 'Silver Scrolls' coral bells as I have them making the edge of the bed that runs to the side door. I had not bought enough plants to reach to the steps when I originally got them and finishing that area was on the "do it sometime" list. When I've looked recently at the farmer's market (where I got the others) and else where I have not been able to find that variety. So, finding some big pots at a good price was a coup. I got those planted in this evening and it looks nice. I need to try to figure out what I'm actually going to do in that area of the yard, after I cleared all the irises that never bloomed out of it last year.

Speaking of the irises... they are starting to come up back in the nursery bed, in the area where I dumped them along side the azaleas and also in the area around the yew that died. So, we will see if we get any blooms this year. With all the other irises coming up, I was starting to worry just a tad about my Japanese variegated iris, as I had seen no signs of life from it, but today I saw some green on it as well.

In veggie news, I planted up the lettuce with 4 lettuce in the window box, which is near the gate and will get full sun and the rest back in the nursery bed where they will get part sun. I hope I can keep at least some if it going until early summer. I planted up two early tomatoes with the hopes of ripe tomatoes in early June. Both are in containers and will be brought in when the outside temp dips below 40. Tonight will be one of those nights!

I used my new pruners to do some much needed yard clean up. I cut off all the dead looking parts on my creeping rosemary, I am thinking the cold may have damaged it. I then cut back dead parts of my oregano and mints (which I had to think about as they are near the hydrangeas and I didn't want to get carried away and start cutting the hydrangeas).

I finally threw away one pot of paperwhites. I had overplanted them with cilantro last summer an of course that is gone now. They never bloomed this year, so they are done for. I now have the 'Husky Cherry Red' tomato growing in that pot.

My creeping phlox by the side of the house looks wonderful, it is just covered in blooms. At least one of the sedums I have planted along there seems to be coming up for the spring. But, I think I am going to dig it up and plant daylilies there instead. I think they might be a better plant for that location.

Still did not get to Underwoods to get some fertilizer. That will have to wait for next weekend. I also need to get the irises I got from Bobbie the patron planted as well. Maybe tomorrow afternoon?? Of course, the weather forcast is rain on Wednesday.