Started spinach, basil and herbs. Baked soil from the garden for three hours at 400. A bit of a stench as it baked, but not as bad as when I have tried it before. Gorgeous day!

Got a grow light and seedling heat mat. $153. Of course, last years tray is cracked.

Really surprised how warm the soil in the garden is. Under one square of straw I could stick the full length of the shovel into the soil. Of course most areas are frozen solid. Found a sweet spot. The corner between Astrid and ours. Right now the warmest spot in the yard.

March 1st. Couldn’t wait bought three packs of seeds today, at Walmart of all places. Don’t tell Ken.

Have found the best deal on a tabletop 2-foot grow light right in the neighbourhood. At http://www.bustan.ca/main.asp?menuID=4.

I’ll be getting it next week to start seeds. The girls, greens, eggplant?, beans,

.

Winter pruning has always been a challenge for me to figure out, exactly when?

So I figure today is good. Two degrees today and the temps are supposed to be just above or below zero for the next two weeks.

There is ice and snow on the ground. The kind that creates puddles as it melts like an ariel view of the Arctic in spring.

Pruned the grapes first. The one on the south side grew three times as much as the one on the north. Names please?

The old guy at the parking pad must have put out 100 feet of vine last year.

Then I tackled the honeysuckle. Holy smokes that was a mess. Gave it a hard cut back to the fence rail. Had to cut it out of the dogwoods. It had a few sprouts but was pretty dormant. The dogwoods on the other hand actually squirted sap.

And then the clematis. The hardest I’ve ever cut it back. It had a number of buds forming.

Should I have started earlier? Spring will tell.

Current Weather 13:45 EST

3°C
Overcast
Feels Like : -1
Wind : SW 21 km/h
Humidity : 79%
Pressure : 101.2 kPa
Visibility : 16 km
Sunrise : 7:04
Sunset : 17:59
Ceiling : 4200 ft

Couldn’t help myself. Ordered the first plants of 2013! From Hardy Fruit Trees in Quebec and a few others: Raspberry Garry (package of 5) American Winterberry (2 to 4 feet) Pommier Trust (1 à 2 pieds). Really only wanted the Winterberry :

They flower on new wood, so prune in spring!

Hazelnut scale is my guess. I’ve had every other kind of scale so why not hazelnut. OMAFRA has lots of great info on their site.

A real spring day on Saturday. After a week of being cooped up in Dallas this week the chance to get out and play in the mud was amazing. Of course there was the chore of being able to get back into the shed after all the holiday empties were sorted.

The best surprise was to see the hyacinth tips a spring green.

Just love this fungus/mushroom growing on the willow stump.

Countdown to spring in 60 days.

The tobacco has self seeded for a couple of years. So it deserves a bit more attention. Found this article that covers the entire plant. Now on to the real search. Horticulture

The garden porn has started to arrive. Vesey’s was first. Already itching to get back in the garden. Cut rosemary and thyme for dinner tonight.

Found a great article on cold frames.