Big Boy Plants

Saturday afternoon was spent cleaning out the greenhouse. The weather yesterday morning was a little iffy, but by afternoon the sun came out and it was quite nice. Everybody came outside, including Gracie. She's getting around pretty well despite her stitches.

We started by dragging all the old dead tomatoes out. The black wires you see coiled over the cross pieces are the sprinkler heads for our drip irrigation system. We won't need them just yet.

Amazingly, we saw this little "life holds on" tomato growing from one of the thoroughly dead plants. Sorry little fella.

We also found this gi-ganta-weed growing up through the pea gravel. I'm sure it thought it had found the motherlode of a place to grow, but all good things must end.

About that time, I reminded Mike that last year he'd brought the tractor around and we'd loaded everything into the bucket to dump on either the compost pile or the burn pile. While I waited for him to bring the tractor around, I walked around to see what else was going on. 

These are the tulips that were hiding their colors the other day. They are a sort of yellow/salmon color.

And these are the red ones near the front door. Sorry about the focus. Can you tell I wasn't wearing my glasses?

The wisteria still has a ways to go, but more and more flowers are opening.

Mainly, they're the ones closest to the house. I'm thinking the dark-stained siding helps keep them warmer.

All of the azaleas are covered in blossoms. I'm expecting them to open up within the week, and they'll be ablaze with color.

Also, the lilac blossoms are starting to open.

I notice the first blossoms are forming on the chive plants. I still have two bottles of chive blossom vinegar left over from last year, and so I won't be making any more this year.

When Mike got back with the tractor, we loaded in all the spent soil and dead plant material and then swept out the debris from the greenhouse. About the time I let loose of the broom, Inspector Meow showed up for the furnal inspection.

Inspector Meow here to check on your purrogress. I don't usually make purrsonal housecalls, but fur you...anything. Oh look! A restroom!

Never mind. I'm not in the mood right now. On the other hand, if you want to take the cover off that potting soil, I might reconsider.

Having passed inspection, I brought the little tomato starts out from their current home in the laundry room. They were in dire need of staking and so I gave them proper stakes; that is, if you consider a bamboo skewer a proper stake. I do. Sadly, I broke off a couple of their widdle weaves. I was sorry, and I told them so.

They're almost in need of transplating into larger pots, but I'll give them a little time to get used to their new digs before assaulting them with transplant shock.

If you're wondering about those black 55-gallon drums in the lower right of the image below, they are filled with water and painted black. Their function is to provide thermal mass. When the sun shines on the greenhouse, the water and drums heat up during the day. Then, even after the sun goes down, they stay warm for a long time, keeping the greenhouse warm at night.

And there it is ready to go for another year! When we were all finished, I ordered some lettuce seeds. I have some left over, but they've been in the greenhouse all winter, and they're a couple years old. Think I'll start fresh with fresh seeds. And that's a big job...always glad to have it done.

Today I'm planning to get a start on some blocks. I have just a little bit of housework to do, but otherwise, it's a sewing day. Looking forward to it.