Potting Part 1

 “If you wish to make anything grow, you must understand it, and understand it in a very real sense. 'Green fingers' are a fact and  the extensions of a verdant heart.” 
― Russell Page, The Education of a Gardener

 Finally! I can plant. Oh happy day!

 When I was setting up I noticed the pair of doves that nest here....

 He was grooming her

 All lovey dovey

 The two of them feed off the seed pan I have set up year round. Their nest  high up in the pines.

 Spencer from the hill. Scientia Cattus. Took a moment from his supervision duties to snooze.

 I laid out all the flats on the sidewalk by the back of the house. That way I could keep tabs on whether they needed watering. The days are much hotter now.

 It's hard to keep the flats from drying out. Time to get them stuffed into dirt.Cordelia watched from her Moai today. 

 When I do pots, I make a mess. Dirt flies.  Hanging baskets are almost always first.

 That and the pots on the porch. The shade flowers. Fuschia, Begonias, Impatiens, Lobelia, and multicoloured Coleus. I put the Coleus in the trough under the porch eaves. It can be touchy sometimes, and doesn't like to be to watered or in a wind. They especially like growing together.

 I also noticed today the sweet peas are up. Little hands reaching through the dirt.

 And the Centaurea. I scattered more seeds last fall. I think they took this year.

 “Plants want to grow; they are on your side as long as you are reasonably sensible.”― Anne Wareham

 I find it easiest to pot things when I put two card tables together and tie a tarp over top to protect  them.Then I can work standing up moving pots back and forth as they get filled.

 But I make sure to save Spencer's flower pot. Just for him. I will never plant in it. That way he can sleep in it if he wishes when he visits. These days, he's here every day.....

 This year I decided to make it simple...

 Geraniums and Verbeena for hanging baskets...

 And in the next blog I'll post the second day of planting.  I think I have about 100 or so. Took two days to get it all done.  Spencer supervised. My daughters helped lug the table and dirt pails and planted with me when they got the chance......Nothing like having dirt under your nails and slugs crawling about to make you feel great.

 “One must also have faith to grow flowers...” 
― Stella Walthal Patterson, Dear Mad'm