We are having the most glorious weather. It was plus 17°C (62°F) the other day on our east facing back deck. Gorgeous! This is crazy nice for central Alberta.
My brother and I were saying how these post Christmas winter months are going by so much faster with the nice weather. We were also saying… ‘oh, oh, what is yet to come?’
Being pessimists, we both figure that when we get good weather, mother nature gets her nose in a knot and thinks up nasty ways to make us pay for it, hahaha. I am hoping March brings mild weather with lots of snow. Thinking about our farmers, ponds, wildlife, and gardens.
This week’s Ramblings are all gardening or nature related.
Gardening Bits of Inspiration
Here is the link to click on if you want Floret Flower Farms secret soil recipe that they just released.
- My ‘Secret Soil Recipe’ for seedlings is 3 large scoops of quality potting like (Pro-Mix BP or Sunshine #4) with a handful of worm castings.
- My ‘Secret Soil Recipe’ for anything in pots, planters, hanging baskets is 3 parts good quality potting soil to 2 parts compost or manure. Any manure will do, but well rotted chicken manure is my favourite (has the most nutrients). Cow manure or sheep manure would be my next picks.
- My seedling mix is 5 large scoops of good quality potting soil with a handful of worm castings mixed in. Don’t be heavy handed with the worm poop!
This walkway and pollinator garden is perfection.
Perfect meadow plants that look great in naturalistic planting schemes: here’s how to grow sanguisorba – This bee magnet is the perfect plant for your pollinator bed, your front walkway garden. The only question now is… red, pink, or white?
Inside Mary Keen’s immersive, atmospheric, compact garden – this is one of the prettiest meadow gardens I have ever seen! So many ideas for your herbaceous borders.
Jo Thompson’s ‘The New Romantic Garden’: Design Ideas to Steal From Her New Book – I am fairly certain that I have shared this write up about this book once before, but it catches my eye every time it is shared. A fresh relief from all the AI cr*p on Pinterest and social media nowadays. True garden photos.
Lawn-Free Front Yard Ideas: 10 Tips from ‘Gardenista: The Low-Impact Garden’
How to Turn Your Backyard into a Wildlife Habitat – this has some lovely ideas. I especially like the window boxes.
Creating a cottage garden – June – this is the cutest potager garden. Makes me wish I could get rid of more lawn… but I cannot, not while I have a big dog who needs room to zoomie. It is her yard, too.
Plant-O-Rama Celebrates 30 Years: Here Are 7 Ideas We Took Away from the Symposium – not sure what I think of that first one. Hmm. What do you think?
What to plant in February (and other garden tasks for the month) – these are for west coasters. Here on the prairies we are still 3 to 4 weeks off of most of these things, but planning now means we are ready to roll when the timing is right.
Seeds to Start in February: 4 Easy Options for Indoor Seed Sowing – this is what we are starting now, here on the prairies. You can still start them in your zone 5 and better zones, too. Not to worry. It is not too late for anything!
What to Plant in February in Your Kitchen Garden – some more ideas, though some of these are pretty early.
Valentine’s Day Flowers – Seeds to sow for summertime bouquets, from Renee’s Garden Seeds.
Some cottage flowers from Olive Seeds, a Canadian seed company in Edmonton. As you can see, I am still feeling the pastels. Is going to be a very pastel summer here ; )
- How to Make a Butterfly Garden That Thrives – please, please, do not plant a butterfly garden beside your veggie patch. You know what they start out as, eh?
- 7 Pollinator-Friendly Perennials to Plant in January – start them in pots inside for an earlier start.
- 5 Popular Plants to Buy in February, to Avoid Disappointment – really, it is best to buy or order now so that they are not sold out at planting time.
The Verbascum was one of my favourite perennials in my zone 7 garden. If you trim it back after flowering, it will rebloom. One summer, I was able to get 3 blooming sessions! Here, in my zone 3 garden, it would be an annual.
- DIY Mossy Heart in 2 Easy Steps
- Free Printable Farmhouse Mason Jar Botanicals – cute, free, farmhouse style, printable art. Flowers in a mason jar.
- How to make a Pink Heart Pine Cone Wreath
I wanted to make the mossy heart so I could post it here for you, but sadly, I could not find the wire heart locally. I am still looking. I will post it next week, if I find it!
The Marigold Potager - A Zone 3 Prairie Garden 
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