{p,h,f,r} Hints of Spring Edition

Joining the ladies over at Like Mother, Like Daughter for their {pretty, happy, funny, real} linkup.

{pretty}

It’s starting to seem like spring is settling in!

I can take absolutely no credit for all the bulbs planted in our yard – they were planted by the former owners.  I do love to have the blooms, though!  The crocuses are almost done, but the mini daffodils are starting, and soon we’ll have the bluebells and tulips.

This rhododendron always tries to bloom in December if we get a couple of warm days, so it’s definitely the first bloomer of the rhodies in our yard.  The windows just behind are our living room windows, right by the piano.  Simeon looked out of them the other day and said, “Mom!  Come quick!”  I thought he’d seen a bird of some sort (because they fly quickly, so speed is necessary when going to see them), but he wanted to point out the blooms on the rhododendron. 

Naomi’s using her garden plot (each of the kids over 4 has a 3x3 plot to plant as he or she likes – Tess will get one when she’s interested in doing something other than digging the soil out into the little wheelbarrow and then dumping it on the path, driveway, or lawn) for a miniature garden.  She got some birthday money and put it to good use in getting some plants and mini garden accessories.  The stones for the dry river bed are from our yard.

{happy}

Starts!  Hardening off!

Peas!  For the pea trellis!

The pea trellis is finished! 

Hannah’s plot has overwintered garlic in it, a volunteer chamomile, and space for all the other things she’s starting under lights.

The kids were all industriously working on school work at the table this morning.  I don’t require them to be at the table for their work, and often they’re in different parts of the house.  Sim, in fact, is usually finished with is work pretty quickly.  But this morning they all ended up working here.  Later, Tess got out some play-dough and she joined them, too.  The {real} part of this is that they’re all in their pajamas.  Of course, there’s nothing to show what time it is, so I don’t have to disclose that!  :)  I wasn’t in pajamas at this point. 

{funny}

I gave Tess an outfit to put on this morning.  She’s actually pretty good at it – she can get clothes on and facing the correct direction fairly reliably, and she enjoys doing so.  This was not the outfit I gave her.  Even though it was supposed to be in the high 50s later, I wouldn’t have selected this particular outfit.  After the outfit she picked out last week, the one with multiple layers, I thought I wouldn’t have to worry too much about whether she was warm enough.  I guess she’s celebrating the return of spring…

The {real} part of this one is that I did have to put her in warmer clothes, and she screamed and thrashed the whole way through, despite my assurances that we could put back on the vest (which she dubbed her bathing suit) over her clothes.

{real}

It’s sometimes a mystery to my why I love gardening so much – it’s just like so many other things in life:  there are always more things to be done, and too many things waiting to be taken care of.   This tarped-over thing is a really cool bench with planters that my wonderful husband got me for Christmas.  Is it placed, filled, and planted?  Not a chance!  But…do I know where I want it placed, what I will use to fill it, and what shall be planted in it?  Yes, of course. 

This is my…potting shed.  Those are not my boots.  Nor did I bring out those cones.  Nor did I put that walking stick there.  And, truthfully, this is not a potting shed, but a covered area close to the house that I can use to quickly get compost into pots for starting seeds.  It’s messy.  And I ran over one of the empty little pots with the van, because it’s right by where the van gets parked.  Eventually I’ll figure out a better potting area.