Well I thought January was difficult — with the cold, the sprained ankle, and the wedding prep (in the cold with the sprained ankle). But February got worse. A few weeks ago we had to say goodbye to our beloved older cat, Tiny. I adopted Tiny in 2010, and we'd been together for almost 15 years.
To be honest, I'm still sad thinking about her. I know reading about how sad I am is not why you're here. I'm sorry! This is supposed to be a blog about flowers, gardening, and some wedding tidbits. I'll try to make this flower-related with a picture of Tiny & hellebores from my garden. In her usual sassy fashion, she was definitely thinking "meh, I'd rather have a treat!" She was extremely intelligent, and consequently, wildly opinionated. I swear I could almost hear her snarky internal monologue sometimes. But she also loved being near her people. (I think she liked listening in on conversations.) She was my constant companion for many years, and I miss her so much.
February also brought us a little snow, a lot of ice, and 3 weeks straight of temperatures that didn't get above freezing. For a minute there, it felt like spring would never show up. But then this past week the temperatures finally warmed, and the crocuses bloomed! They're always my first flowers, and they bring me such joy every year.
I got some new crocuses to plant last fall, and then promptly left the bag somewhere random. I didn't find them until January! I quickly threw them in a pot, but of course that's not ideal when the package said to plant them in October. Yet many managed to survive. Plants are amazing. The first one bloomed by March 1st (so technically not a February update, but since February has fewer days, let's slide it in here anyway), and while the stem on it is almost non-existent, the color is so beautiful! It is Cloth of Gold from Old House Gardens. Let's hope next year when these cuties are planted outside at the correct time, they will grow a little taller. Now some things to look forward to in March...
MARCH
Ranunculus: I've had these in 3" pots for about 5 weeks. I think they could stay in those pots for another week, but the temperatures are looking plenty safe. Ranunculus are very hardy. So outside they go! I'm trying them in raised bed this year because last year I thought they only did so-so in pots. I don't grow under cover. Though I do have some frost cloth I can pull out in a pinch. We'll see how it goes.
Hellebores: Hellebore buds are finally coming up! So if you are like me and did not cut last year's foliage off yet, do it now! That way black spot or other disease don't transfer to the new stems.
Seed Starting: With the ranunculus going outside, I have more space for new seeds inside. I'm going to start phlox, sweet peas, a second sewing of corncockle, and spinach in the next week or two. I would love to know what everyone else is sewing right now!
Preparing Beds: The previously built raised beds all get a top off of fresh compost. And we're starting a new vegetable garden this year, so I will be staining cedar planks for those beds on any warm dry days.
Gardens' World: The new season begins on March 14th! It's the penultimate season with Monty Don, who has said he will retire after 2026. We access it via BritBox, though if you don't pay for that, I know people post it on Youtube as soon as it's aired. There's nothing I find more calming than Monty, Carol, Joe, and company babbling on.
Thanks for reading.
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