Tiptoe through the Tulips and other Plants

Forgotten!

I am still going to put these tulip bulbs one to a pot and see what happens. They have been in the warmest place in my house and are starting to sprout! My friend said I cannot put them several in a pot and expect them to make it to the next season. It seems that potting them more than one in a pot kills the blooming forever. But, but, but....I see them in magazines potted that way for spring. sigh....sigh. I may tuck a few in the large pot with the Hosta and see what I can kill...lol. Exbf has been working, so his nails are dirty.

More bad news--she just told me that they will not make it to another season, only this one since they were not put into the soil, so I should put them all in one pot and enjoy them....boo hoo. So, I buy tulips for the first time and am killing them!

I don't think I have 14 pots that are large enough...10 inches across, I am told.  I need to wander out to my table, pots, and potting soil and see what I can salvage.

Big fat question for all the garden design magazines and television people and Martha Stewart: Why don't you inform people that bulbs squashed in a pot to create a lovely design will never make flowers again? Hmmm....answer me that.

Today, the temperature was 60 degrees F at 4:00 and not dropping. The balmy feel is enhanced by the chirping and singing of birds. Brilliant sunshine and a cloudless sky are not hurting my feelings at all. An April day peeping is out of January.  I feel wonderful.

4-inch daffodils

riveting photos, right?

5-inch daffodils, still January

Daffodils are up about 4- and 6-inches. Actually, I noticed the 6-inch ones between Christmas and New Year's Day. That's very early, even for the deep South.  Momentarily sitting in the yard enhanced my feeling of physical and mental well-being. Maybe this weather will persist and not give in to the thunderstorms that are predicted for tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed with me.

Today, the Episcopal Church had their monthly lunch. All the poinsettias were up for grabs. Mine that I got is still is in good shape and with plenty of red! Let's see how long it takes me to kill it. My friend sent pictures from Yemen showing 10 ft poinsettia "trees."  At the lunch, I saw people from the market, people who are now going to help me figure out the best place to get rhubarb plants. Last year, no one in north Alabama knew where there was a stalk of rhubarb. This year, I also plan to advertise me want much earlier.

You noticed I never got my salad greens planted? Yes, things happened. And, things did not happen.

bird nest

I suppose this could not possibly be a new nest. (Exbf says it is old.) I could not look inside because it is too high for me to see. The camera held over the nest was the best I could do. You notice the bird first lined the nest with plastic. She was smart enough to put nice leaves and twigs next to the babies. Those baby birds are so buck nekkid that you would think the rough leaves and twigs would scratch their red skin. Maybe the mother bird lines the nest with her feathers.  

Your turn
Do you have any tulip advice? I know it is very cold someplace. Surely it is. How is the weather at your place? If I find someone with rhubarb growing, can it be divided and still make this year?

My Winter Salad Garden

It's a start

I have determined that I will grow salad fixings indoors this winter. This will involve removing the TV from the long table in front of the window that gets some fine sun in the winter. I must do this on a tight budget, like getting everything for free or next to free.

Since bagged salad greens or even heads of salad greens are between $3 and $4, I will spend during the year 6 winter months between $78 and $104 just for the salad greens alone, if I can afford it at all. Surely, I can grow something for less than that. My goal is to grow the greens and tomatoes, grape tomatoes. Grape tomatoes which are truly delicious gems in the winter, cost another $5/pt. Add another $120 + $104=$324!  

At the yard sale Saturday, this animal thing was $5, marked down to $1 at a certain point. For $1 I got the animal cage, not sure what kind and a legal-sized clipboard that I need for a little research stint. I will explain pricing in another post.

The cage is plastic and has a screened top. I can put plants in trays inside. The inside is not watertight, so I cannot just throw in soil.

My house has absolutely no heat at night because I turn off the space heater. Even when the space heater is on during a small portion of the day, it is far from the window where this will sit. So, it needs to be warmed all the times. I am trying in my head to figure out passive solar heating that will work for this. Black jugs of water seems more than my table will hold. We will see.

I have the potting soil. I have the plastic bags for germinating and seed starter pots. Now, I need to determine what to grow and buy the seeds. Tonight, I go on safari and will scrounge some Styrofoam that has foil on one side. That will reflect the sunlight back into the "cage" or whatever it is called--turtle house?

There is some glass in the basement for the top instead of the screen.

Only $1 has been invested so far. I want three salads a week, at least.

Your turn
Do you have plans to grow salads indoors this winter? Do you have suggestions as to what salad greens will be best? Large yield? Easy? What variety of grape tomatoes?