We usually get rain in spring and early summer, and it typically dries up around June. So far, we’re not seeing much of anything in Billings, and we’ve already had two days in the 80s. This doesn’t bode well for the summer.
Things That Are Probably Making Me Sneeze
All the pollen.
Dirt the dogs brought in from the back yard.
Dust, since we aren’t doing bi-weekly house cleaner visits.
Dirt the dogs brought in from the back yard after we just vacuumed.
Flour from feeding the sourdough starters.
The Only Store I Entered in April…
Was a garden center. Are you even surprised? I needed to get onion sets, which are small onion bulbs you plant and then they sprout and become big onions in a few months. We had such great luck growing onions last year that I want to plant even more this summer. Especially since they thrive in the hot and dry (and kind of terrible soil we have — despite my amending every year with loads of compost and peat).
I wore my homemade mask and tried to do something with my hands that didn’t scream “serial killer.” Have you ever thought about what to do with your hands? I mean, really really thought about it? I definitely did during those 10 minutes at the garden place, where I purchased onion sets, some more pea seeds (shall we just call them peas?), more plant markers and two ceramic pots to plant some gifted houseplants I received last week.
So far, I’ve mailed seeds to share with a few friends also enjoying gardening this year, (one for the first time in her new home) and I’ve loved sending the little guys out into the world. I’m doing my last round of seeds in the basement now that we’re (supposedly) a month out from our last hard frost sometime in late May. Why does this matter? Well, Montana springs are notoriously fickle, and I’ve always recorded some crazy late-spring snow storm or other. So even though I’ve added a ton of fun seeds to the garden, they could all get wiped out before they get much of a chance to grow. Farming is hard, y’all.
In the garden this week:
Divided and shared (re-homed) some lavender plants as well as a 4-year old red yarrow that I hope will do well in its new home. You have to divide yarrow every 3-4 years or else it does this weird flop out thing and looks very strange and kind of terrible.
Planted poppy flower seeds, some of which are germinating already, along with Russell Lupine and a few more batches of cilantro. I can’t get any of my cilantro to germinate, which is frustrating as all hell. I don’t even LIKE that much cilantro, but I want the option, darn it!
Repotted store-bought tomato and jalapeño plants (a gift from a neighbor who works at a local nursery I do some writing for) since they were root bound and put them in the cold frame to hang out and get used to their new surroundings till I can plant them for real.
Downstairs under the lights, I started calendula, vanilla marigold, black nasturtium (!!), cosmos, and some more gomphrena seeds. I think the gomphrena I have grown already will need to get outside soon, which means a round of about a week of hardening off so they don’t FREAK OUT when they get set outside.
Has anyone considered that their imposter syndrome was primed for just the circumstances where you’re tasked with sewing non-medical grade face masks to keep yourself and loved ones safe during a global pandemic with a mystery virus? No? Just me? Alright then.