Spring in Minnesota...Finally!

Each year about this time I do an obligatory gardening post. This past winter was an extrordinarily horrid one. So many hashtags emerged to help us all deal with the day after day of frigid cold. A sampling...

#PolarVortex
#Coldmageddon
#BlameJerrid

One reward for having an abundance of patience is gardening. It allows you have a place to strategize, plan, retreat & relax...to nurture, to escape.

It is a few days away from June and most of us only started the serious in ground & container planting this past week. I started with sowing seeds. Being a complete amateur at growing things from seed did not deter me from giving it another go. Last year sowing pea seeds was a rousing success & the herbs were a huge flop.

This year I have two indoor trays going... 2 kinds of Swiss Chard, 2 kinds of carrots, green onions, 2 varieties of tomatoes and a sweet pepper mix. This time everything has sprouted except the peppers. Outside I am direct sowing seeds for peas, sugar snap peas & green beans.

Growing tomatoes is a treat here in Minnesota. Summer & Fall's home grown tomatoes make up forball the cold months of suffering with bland hot house tomatoes. Come October, we actually start coveting the last few ripe tomatoes which can be picked & saved before the threat of a hard frost.

Along with Mr. Stripey Heirloom, Sweet 100's, Roma & Wisconsin 55 Heirloom starter tomatoes I've planted cucumbers, 6 varieties of peppers, tomatillos, basil, thyme, oregano, chives, mint, cilantro and rosemary. Oh...and Strawberries. Can't forget those.

The front of our home is well shaded by mature trees, so the selection of annuals is always slim pickings. The Fushia is a new choice, but it's quickly growing on me.