More snow and houseplants

One of the bird feeders with snow.

It's snowing again. I woke up this morning and everything outside was covered with snow. Truthfully, the dreary weather is bringing me down.

Winter seems to linger on and I'm over it. I'm looking out the window wondering where is the sun? I long to be optimistic but I'm tired of cabin fever. I'm ready for the arrival of spring. 

 Phalaenopsis.

My houseplants are doing fine. Indoor gardening helps to lift me up on a day like this. I love tropical plants but they're not suitable for our climate. However, I got a moth orchid for 50 percent off the clearance rack at the nursery last weekend. I went in for soil but I brought home some plants too – they were on sale! I've failed to grow orchids indoor in the past but I'm trying again. I was uncertain about keeping African violets because of my experience losing them, but to my surprise, my plant is still alive and it has been a year.

My potted zebra plant is growing well by the kitchen sink. I have no other place for plants due to our naughty cat wanting a taste and knocking things over.

The spider plant needs a new home with more room to grow. I had all of my houseplants for a little over a year, it's time to transplant into new containers and renew the soil. 

This book arrived in the mail today. I ordered it from Amazon for my library of gardening references. It's an excellent book filled with stunning photography by Better Homes and Gardens and I highly recommend it. I like the fruit, vegetable and herb encyclopedia in the book. I'm always searching for inspiration while learning more about gardening. Do you have any favorite gardening books? I hope your weather is better than mine and you're having fun in your garden!    

  

                      

The sweet thrill of seeds

Pink Jasmine waiting to be transplanted in the garden.

Gardening is like a retreat, a time to connect with nature and admire the wonders that surrounds us everyday. I find myself in the garden, a sweet place of solitude where I can pray and begin praising God. I listen to wild birds make melody and watch butterflies and bees – and even with the little things, I'm reminded of the many blessings in my life. Take the time today to ponder and give thanks.      

The soft dirt is like fine chocolate powder on my hands. You must know, I'm crazy about chocolate (my weakness!) so I use that description. Sowing seeds is a mystery and gardening teaches you to wait. Once the tiny seedlings appear, it's a miracle to watch them grow. Then I anticipate the stunning colors of spring and bountiful vegetable to harvest. I love thinking about my garden, all the beautiful things and surprises that make it special. How do you describe your garden?   

  My tomatoes germinated.

First time I'm trying to grow okra.

I can't wait for the lettuce, someday you'll be salad.

The grow lights set-up in our guest room (aka the green room).

The other table of seedlings. My husband attached the fluorescent plant light fixture on a hook to the ceiling. A clamp holds a rope attached to the fixture that I can adjust as the seedlings grow. 

I'm looking forward to warm weather. It's spring cleaning time but it looks like rain and snow is predicted for the forecast this weekend. My husband tore the deer fence apart and he's going to rebuild a taller fence. Last year, my garden was a salad buffet for the deer. The garden doesn't look pretty now but hopefully it will once I'm done organizing.  

I planned on making my garden bigger but not anymore. Hubby and I carefully thought about relocating to another state, we decided that we're going to move – we're taking that leap of faith. We're building a temporary garden for the veggies and annual flowers this spring. I'll be pulling out the perennials to take with me when we leave, tentatively this late summer. 

Boise River, Idaho

If you have read my previous posts, I wrote about moving to Idaho. We like the community, picturesque places and the friendly people. We have family in Eagle, near Boise that we visited last year. The homes are way more affordable in Idaho than California. Perhaps my garden will be more spacious too, we'll see! This is a fresh start for us and Idaho is our choice to raise a family someday. I'll keep you updated about our move.  

Finally, the winner for the certified organic veggie seeds and Renee's Garden Sweet Peas giveaway is Joyce from Malaysia. Congrats! I sent your package yesterday so wait for it in the mail. Her writing inspired me and I received a heartfelt thank-you e-mail. Joyce enjoys gardening and she's a great cook. Visit her blog http://mypottedgarden.blogspot.com  

Have a sweet time with your garden and a fabulous weekend! :)  

Early spring organic seeds giveaway {closed}

Let the gardening season begin. Last Saturday and Sunday, I finally sowed the tiny seeds of veggies and flowers in containers and two tables in the guest room (we call it the green room now) are getting crowded under the grow light. The setup used to be upstairs in the loft, but with our new mischievous cat in the cabin, I don't want her knocking my seedlings. I needed a place where I can close the door; Lilo, our silly kitten is constantly waiting for an opportunity to sneak in.

Some of the tomatoes and lettuce already germinated, that makes me smile. 
It took a few hours each day to plant the seeds and I'm not done, 
yes the joy of gardening – you know you love it when time quickly passes by and your hands are full of dirt.

The mountain weather is still chilly but snow is starting to melt on the ground. We might have more snow or rain in the forecast. May is the month where the weather is consistently warm, I'm counting the days until then! The other day, I saw a chickadee on our bird feeder and our Lilo went nuts when she saw a quail, her cat condo is against the window for entertainment purposes. Knowing birds are finding their way here is a sign of spring and I'm eager to garden. I'm looking forward to sunny days when I can play outside and rebuild the garden. To share my enthusiasm, I'm giving away certified organic vegetable seeds: Peaceful Valley Danvers carrots and sugar snap pea. A packet of early blooming flowers non-climbing Sweet Peas from Renee's Garden is included.

To enter the contest, you must be a member of my blog and answer the following questions: What or who inspires you to garden? What are you planting this year? Simply leave a comment with information on how I can reach you. You can also blog about the giveaway or announce it on Facebook telling me that you did. I will e-mail you when you've been selected as the winner. Contest ends on Tuesday, March 15 PST. One winner will be announced on my next post. Good luck! Stay tuned. Have a fantastic week fellow gardeners.