Signs of Spring are everywhere.
Before my outside bulbs started to open, I’d ordered this little Spring planter from a catalog.
It’s a little wooden picket fence with potted bulbs in it. Very festive to have in the house over the Easter holiday. I set it outside for some fresh air and sunshine today. It was 64 here today and breezy. Supposed to be a little warmer tomorrow.
I’m amazed that the daffodil bulbs I planted in January opened up today. And I’m thrilled to report that two of the allium I planted in the fall have poked up through the mulch. I’ve always wanted some and this is my first attempt.
If you look VERY carefully, you’ll see a tiny, lime-green bud in the middle of this photo. It’s the first sign of life on my coral trumpet vine.
This is the full vine – so much of the woody stalks cut back and it’s still huge. It takes over the whole fence and it’s beautiful when it’s in lucious bloom.
A little structure here – these are my fabulous Gardener’s Supply Co. square, foldable tomato cages. They held up even the 7 foot tall and unwieldy tomatoes last summer. I love them.
These are strawberries, mustard greens, swiss chard, cilantro, peppers and in the back, green beans.
I had to show you my little wooden tee-pee trellis. I got it at the Natural Gardener – paid way too much for it, but it was so beautiful I just had to have it. I can just imagine beans dangling from those cute little wooden sticks!
After all, part of the fun of gardening is shopping, don’t you think? It is for me.
Look closely, high up in the tree that’s behind the bi-color irises and the iron fence, and you’ll see my crossvine – going exactly where I don’t want it to go. (The story of my proverbial gardening life!)
And, finally, this is where the day lilies, a vine, some annuals and something I’ve yet to decide on will go — maybe even this week. I’m going to plant in an arc from the left front around to the back right. Just above this photo is one of our two breakfast room windows, so it will make a pretty sight when we’re eating.
I think your blog is easier to read. Too bad you don’t like the color. I do, I think it is the color I have on my blog. 😉
Your garden is starting to look promising. It is still too cold here for tomatoes or other veggies.
Lisa — I just wish the green were a hair more in the olive family. Silly, huh? Well, if I really cared I guess I would take it upon myself to learn how to change it. Don’t hold your breath – that may have to be a next-winter-while-cooped-up project.
Ooh, love those square tomato cages. I may get some for myself…
Brianna – I can’t say enough good things about them. They come in short and tall – double decker — with pins to help secure the bottom into the soil. I gave them as gifts last year to my Dad and my mother-in-law because I loved them so much. And for winter, I just pulled them up and folded them flat and tucked them away very easily.
It looks like you’re having fun in the garden, Diana – but it also looks like you’d be a very dangerous person to go shopping with ;-]
We used to cut our orange trumpet vine down to a stub, then watch it roar 15 feet in the air – their growth is amazing. Can the crossvine be cut back, too?
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Annie – I cut so much back on the trumpet vine I just couldn’t get through the woody stems anymore and it’s entwined IN my fence, as well. Probably more reason to try to disengage it, but call me unsure, or lazy! I don’t know about the cross vine. Mine is all through my iron fence and didn’t go very dormant this year, so I never even thought about cutting it back. Maybe I should have and then it wouldn’t be up in the clouds. At least for now, it isn’t competing with the wisteria that is around the corner from it on the left. I like having them both there, but sometimes they don’t agree with my gardening strategy.
Diana, I too love those tomato cages, not the least because they can be folded up, always a problem here with out big concrete reinforcing wire cylinders! You have great plans for the bed outside your window, it should be gorgeous and make you stay still and chew your food longer, very healthly!
Frances at Faire Garden
Diane is so nice to meet you and see what’s budding in your garden!
I suppose I am spoiled seeing Spring in all it’s glory our here in AZ in the 90F temps. At home in Canada my friends report that it is still cold lots of snow and no signs of Spring!
Thank you for following my Arizona trail..lots more to show!
sunkissed and loving it NG
I also saw that adorable trellis at Natural Gardener . . . and passed on it because of the price. I’ll be happy to enjoy it vicariously through your garden.
Hi there,
You should check out the spirited debate on the best method for tomato support. It’s on our blog at Gardener’s Supply:
http://blog.gardeners.com/2008/02/ladders-vs-cages.html
According to the poll, the preferred support is tomato cages. Make your vote!
-David at Gardener’s Supply
Frances — you’re a hoot! Make me sit and chew my food longer. So, now, how do I make the 5 year old chew her food FASTER??!!!
Nature Girl – how you must be relishing the sunshine in AZ. I’m loving your posts as much as I’m sure you are happy to get a break from winter’s grip. Keep sharing.
Vertie — well, I wanted 3 of them – 1 for each bed, but I certainly couldn’t justify that! So, I got one cute one, an old rickety one I’ve had for years, and I propped up a piece of leftover fencing from the newe garden fence. Not as pretty, but probably more practical and easier to work with, too. I hope I will have some beans to photograph on them in a few months.
I am usually a round tomatoe cage kind of girl, but this year I am going to try something different. I’ll keep you in suspense until the ‘unveiling’. We’ll have to see how it all turns out.
David – that is too funny! I would never dream of using anything but a cage, so that makes me a die-hard cagie! I can’t even imagine how anything else would really work. Not when my tomatoes sometimes get 6+ feet tall and top heavy and last two seasons long– from Spring to November, sometimes. Thanks for sending me there — and I voted!