In case anyone wonders, this flu bug going around is a real bugger to get over. It hit me on a Saturday night, vomiting all night... and then the other thing... and I followed up with the usual "good care" of clear liquids, jello, chicken soup --- but it took *forever* to get over this thing. Ten days, and I am still fighting to get my energy back. The lethargy is horrible. Thank goodness my hubby kept up with all of my critters and my seedlings; nothing has been lost --- yet!

I am forcing myself to "get active", and while today was one of those dull (cool, sunless) Spring days, I stopped at the garden center at Lowe's and picked up a flat of cheerful looking marigolds and managed to stick them in the ground along the walk in front of my house. I am so sick of the "dead look" of winter, and was glad for the "instant Spring". Supper was already bubbling away in the crock pot (beef stew), so it was a nice, satisfying feeling to collapse onto the couch with a "big job" done and a hot supper waiting.

Here are some photos of my labors, along with a few shots of other signs of spring already appearing in my front yard:

Muscari "grape hyacinth"

The Seeds are Started!

I hadn't started seeds for many years; with part-time jobs, kids, dogs, rats (yes, rats) and other pets, there just wasn't time to devote to gardening, so there isn't a spare shelf in the house. I had to wait to get my husband's cooperation, and we "rigged" a hanging light from the basement ceiling over a spare table. I really felt our basement was too cool this time of year, in spite of the lights, so my husband put up "walls" of insulation surrounding my three seed trays.

In searching for some seeds I had saved from a few plants from last year, my husband located an old coffee can with some really, really OLD seeds --- like from 2000 and 2003! LOL... just for fun, I planted a few of those and it looks like they are coming up too! There aren't too many bald spots in my seed trays.

I have planted more than enough for myself; my daughter is in process of buying a house, and I have planted "spares" for her to start an herb garden and a few veggies. I think she'll be busy with the interior of the house (and her toddler!), but I think she'll want to get her hands dirty now and then in her own backyard, LOL!

I’m by no means a “professional” gardener — I barely fit into the “hobby gardener” category. I just like certain plants; especially ones that don’t need a lot of care, perennials (come back next year, Hun!), ones that re-seed themselves or easily give seed, and growing my own herbs.
I am met by “certain” challenges… I don’t “do” hot sun — I am fair skinned and can cop a sunburn in 20 minutes; therefore, I am real good at planting things in spring and letting the weeds take over in the heat of July and August. In my 50’s now, I have bad knees, so I have to do a lot of container gardening and sitting at raised beds. And then there is the dh… who will go out and plant bedding plants ON TOP OF the seeds I just planted in a raised bed (and told him where I just planted)…
This year, due to the economy, I find myself unemployed and at the edge of winter, planning a little more gardening for spring. Don’t plan to “can” anything, just hoping for a little fresh produce and dry my own herbs again. thought I would document my progress in this blog, for fun. For starters, here are some photos of my past efforts:

A flowering crabapple that I bought in
Osco Drug's garden section for $4.00

A visitor to my front door that stayed for several days
on and around my foundation shrubs

The "pond" on my deck; complete with 2 goldfish :)