It’s looking a lot more like winter than spring today. I’m glad I don’t have to leave my yard until tomorrow morning, and that also is weather-dependent. Even the birds are hiding from the wind and snow. On the upside I have had some reprieve from my crawl space filling up with water. I am taking the opportunity to do more transplanting and set up more shelving with lights. I’m going to have to start moving trays out to the greenhouse soon if I keep adding to the mix. 😂 Are you enjoying spring weather or has winter returned to your part of the world as well?

I spent over 2 hours organizing my seeds to find I have a lot more than I thought. This photo holder works great: I saw it’s what someone used that I saw on YouTube (I don’t recall the channel). My only regret is that I didn’t order 2 of them. Amazon, here I come! The seeds aren’t in any particular order yet but once I figure out what all I have I’ll have them less willy-nilly. What do you use to organize your seeds?

You're all in different stages of your gardening journey. Some of you are just dipping your toes into it (or even just thinking about it) while others have decades of experience. This space is for us to get to know one another and be inspired. I'll start. Gardening has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I've spent hours picking raspberries, shelling peas, pulling weeds, and trying different growing methods. Gardening is not only a way for me to eat healthier, but to also BE healthier. As the years go by I find myself not eating as well as I should and getting out and about when it's -40 isn't fun. I'm looking forward to warmer days and seeing the fruit trees I planted 2 summers ago bud out and fill the air with the sweet smell of blossoms. And this year I'm looking forward to the building of my growing dome the most. Please introduce yourself here and let us know where you are in your gardening journey.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend and that spring is in the air in your part of the world as well. My weekend consisted of transplanting peppers, tomatoes, and a watermelon. I'm sure there was something else too but I don't recall offhand. I was finally able to check on my cabin on Saturday as well, which was a big relief. It took a snowmobile (and my boyfriend) to get out there but it was good to see the only tracks around it were from wildlife. If the warmth we're getting keeps up I should be able to access it with my Jeep in a week or so. (And when that happens, the real work begins!) We had a beautiful day yesterday which led to a lot of snow melting. I knew my yard flooding was inevitable, but why did it have to wait until almost dark to do so? Needless to say, I am tired today. I finally pulled pumps at about 1 AM because the temperature was dipping below freezing and I didn't want to ruin my pumps. Plus I was tired. The water has still managed to get into my crawl space, which is exactly why I had a sump pump put in last fall. It can't keep up with the water coming in so I have a bigger submersible running right now too to help it out. (That one will be getting moved outside as soon as the crawl space is mostly emptied.) I'm going to have to do some landscaping this summer in addition to the neighbour getting a berm built so I don't have this issue again next spring. It really is a pain, and I can't even utilize the water. (It would be full of nutrients because it's coming from a field that is well-fertilized by the bison.) I set up some LED T5 lights yesterday on some shelving (see photo below) so my seedlings get some better light. I also invested in some timers so the lights are on at consistent times, and not 24/7 when I am gone for a night or two. I'll be planting more seeds today between checking water levels, so I'll be setting up another set of shelves and more lights. I feel as if I'm going to have a jungle by the time my greenhouse is ready.

Outdoor gardening here in Zone 3 is limited to roughly 4 months so we need varieties that grow quickly. Some plants take all of that (and sometimes need more) to reach maturity. We can extend our season by using greenhouses, row covers, high tunnels, cold frames, and raised beds (or a combination of). Many of our flowers are started in February or March by greenhouses and sold as bedding plants in late May-June. It is because of dedicated horticulturalists that we can enjoy some instant colour as the sun shines longer and warms the air and soil. In this post I'm going to fill you in on my greenhouse and raised beds. Greenhouse: I purchased a 10' x 10' greenhouse two summers ago (2023) and was excited to fill it with vegetables. I built a bench along the east wall so I would have a work/growing space, and proceeded to plant seeds for rhubarb, Goji berries, asparagus, marigolds, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and more. Surprisingly most of what I planted germinated and grew; even the rhubarb and Goji berries. My first season I had a dozen tomato plants, several peppers, cucumbers, and a mix of flowers. I was able to plant the trees and rhubarb in my newly made orchard, as well as the asparagus. (I'm hopeful to get at least a couple spears this spring.) My biggest challenge with the greenhouse was keeping it from getting too hot. It only has a door and window for air circulation, and the wind was rarely from the north to provide the right amount of airflow. I did have a successful harvest even though it wasn't properly ventilated. I ate tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers for weeks. My 2024 season wasn't as bountiful because it was a hotter, drier summer. I added a fan for air circulation but it still didn't seem to do the trick. Plus I had an infestation of spider mites that I just couldn't get rid of. (I'm hoping the brutal cold we're experiencing this month takes care of any lurkers.) I ordered an automatic vent arm for the roof but didn't get it installed. I'll install it this year so the excess heat should escape from the top, providing a more comfortable environment for the plants. Having the extra air circulation will benefit the plants inside giving them stronger stems and encouraging growth.