so very late

but I did finally pot up my herb seedlings. Even though they will probably go into their larger pots and/or the ground in just a week or two, they needed nutrients from regular soil. So small still! Basil

Dill 

Summer savory 

Thyme

Actually got a few fenugreek- two more sprouted in the seedling tray

The parsley, 

garlic chives and green onions aren't quite big enough to prick out yet 

It seems like the cardinal climbers leapt overnight- this was a few days ago when I potted them up

And now: is it my imagination, or are they slightly larger already

Here's a more visible difference in size: summery savory seedlings just before I took them out of their tray

compared to a few of the same plant, that grew back from roots in the planter box on the deck! I didn't know this herb could survive the winter, but these two did just that (only two out of the dozen I had growing last year, so not much but still)

first true leaves

are out on my cardinal climber seedlings. They're not quite big enough, and it's too cold (got chilly this week) to plant them yet.

Which saddened me a little, because today I glimpsed a hummingbird on the deck, it flew by the window and paused a moment. Sad that I don't have many flowers to offer it. The black-and-blue salvia has grown quickly- its foliage two feet tall now! but not close to blooming. I think hummingbird will feed on the clary sage, the lilac, and maybe the columbine?

but those aren't many in my yard. The poor lilac only has one half of it blooming. The other side, bare stems. I am still not sure if deer have nipped it, or the neighbor's tree shades it too much, or the tree that was growing in its middle choked it some.

But it smells lovely as always.

seedlings update

I think my seeds have all sprouted, that are going to. Didn't get any green onions from the older packet, but I have some that grew from ones I got at swap a few years ago. Only one half my summer savory tray germinated- the newer seed. So time to throw out the older packet of those as well.

Garlic chives- these are new to me! a gift from my older sister (we traded seeds last year)

My one fenugreek seedling keeled over and died, and I'm debating about starting more. All the rest are doing fine- dill, thyme and parsley (just emerged a day ago). No sign of sage yet, but if I remember correct those always take a while to get going. Basil I planted six or eight seeds, and only got three. So maybe that packet is getting old too, might have to sow twice as much as what I want next time.

The cardinal climber seedlings are looking grand. I just get a kick out of their angular shapes. These were fairly dusky and puplish when emerged, but I've learned that some plants do that to protect tender new leaves from strength of the sun. They're already greener now than in this photo.

I think it was the right choice, that I only did a few herbs this year. I've been pretty good lately with my regular activities (housework) but the carrying in/out of the house every day this week of seedlings plus my boston fern, potted geraniums in the basement, all the coleus cuttings and one stevia plant, has me tired and beat at the end of each day. When it dropped to just above freezing a few nights earlier this week, I preemptively brought in the bay laurel, figs and chives too. That was tiresome.

Can't quite handle three times as many young plants with all their particular needs right now.

first up yesterday-

Two of my seedlings- fenugreek (so small!)

and cardinal climber (leaves have not unfolded yet). 

Already facing the difficulty I always imagined having if starting seeds late in the spring- it's too darn hot. The little greenhouse is an oven during the day, even leaving the trays just on the deck table they dry out super fast. I have to keep hydrating or set them in a tray water but then am I overdoing it. When I can put them in regular potting soil I think they'll do better but right now it's tricky.

Today a few green onions, basil and thyme sprouted.

tidied up the liriope today

Half the row on the lower slope, had mostly healthy-looking older leaves, not much new growth yet though. I felt safe putting those trimmings in the compost. The plants on the upper section (where the ground is higher and flat) on the other hand, looked pretty awful- lots of dried, dead foliage, lots of rust. But when I cut that back (and threw away), there was nice new foliage coming up!

I got a better photo of that ostrich fern fiddlehead, by putting my finger next to it so the camera knew where to focus.

I'm really liking the look of the younger St john's wort plant. Maybe I should cut the older one back hard, to have a flush of new smaller leaves like this.

I cleaned up around the hellebores some more. Meaning, I put my hands between the slightly larger leaves of second and third-year seedlings, and yanked first-year ones out by the handful. There's just too many. Now room for the slightly older ones to grow without competition, then I can move them to new locations out from under the parents' skirts, or perhaps take to the plant swap. The young plants are in foreground here.

more plants out, and 4th sowing

A few days ago I planted out parsley, dill and chervil. Parsley into planter boxes on the deck railing, chervil into deck pots, half the dill in deck pots and the rest in a garden bed, alongside the arugula (which has gone bitter now) and chard.

Last year was not a good one for summer savory, but this year looks promising! So many little seedlings I am probably going to double them up in pots, and discard the smallest.

Only eight tithonia seeds sprouted, but I got a whole thirty marigolds. Which is fewer than normal, and just enough to handle. I went ahead and potted them all up.

Moved basils to pots too- these are the purple aromatto.

More stuff got pricked out of seedling trays and potted today: blue sage (fewer than I'd like- only six)

Clary sage- saved from seeds on plants I bought at the nursery last year, then planted out just too late for the flowers to be enjoyed in the yard. But now I'll have plenty!

Mishap: my two fenugreek seedlings died one day when it got too hot in the mini greenhouse. I sowed borage in the empty tray, but then a far-too-tiny seedling sprouted the very next day. I think this is one of the fenugreek that hadn't sprouted the first time around.

A while back I sowed two large trays with over a dozen seeds from a cedar shrub (small tree?) that grew in my mother's yard. I'd harvested those seeds 12 years ago, wasn't sure any would sprout. Stratified them in cold, between a layer of damp sand in fridge for month and a half. Only one came up, so I am really trying to be careful with it!

Also potted one culinary sage- I'd sowed five or six seed but only got one. My sage out in the garden hasn't shown signs of growth. Also no sign of green onions yet this spring, I sowed a tray of that too. And two trays of celosia, to put out in the mailbox spot where nothing is growing yet.

chilly

Cold snap today. All my seedlings are tucked into the greenhouse.

My parsley is up! Tatsoi and peas pictured here- 

Collards getting bigger! In a few days when the freezing temps are past, I'll consider planting them out.

more things sprouting

Dill and chervil in the seedling trays.

Lovage outside in the garden.

Lemon balm

Catmint has been up for quite a while, now getting more lush.

Both clematis have spring leaves,

and the pink one a few buds already.

My garlics are doing great!

pot of hyssop is thick with new growth

and the rhubarb (not yet pictured) is showing above ground again. I might actually eat it this year.

up quickly

Snap peas, shelling peas, tatasoi and tokyo bekana sprouted in just a few days. Tatsoi pictured.

March snowfall

Too cold in the mini greenhouse outside today!

So all the newly-potted seedlings are sharing space with my houseplants indoors, crowded by the windows. When I get more seedlings started, I'll have to set up the tiers of benches.

For now there's some on the floor-

Yesterday these collards and chard were wilted from transplant shock, this morning have perked up quite a bit.

One tray of arugula is on the worm bin with the coleus plants.