Signs of Spring

Temperatures have been mild the last few days (5 degrees right now!) and a lot of snow has melted.  I strolled around outside this afternoon, trying to focus on how nice things will look once the yard has dried out and been raked, rather than on how mucky and gray things look now.

I did find some early signs of Spring, which does my heart good.  :-)


Green onions are coming up in the little patch behind the house.

New Creeping Thyme is growing, and the Wooly Thyme looks great!

More Creeping Thyme...

Karl came along to see what I was doing...

...then ensured the garden beds were still in solid condition...

When I turned to go back to the house, I spotted Butters (the other neighbour's cat) sitting on our doorstep! 

The leeks I started last month are doing well, and my marigolds have begun to sprout.

True confessions...  I couldn't wait any longer, and started my eggplant seeds yesterday while nobody was home.  They apparently do best when allowed to germinate on a heating mat.  I don't own one, but read yesterday that they will also do well sitting on top of the refrigerator.  Once they have germinated, they can be moved to a sunny location.

So I merrily soaked my coir pellets, popped the seeds in, covered them, labeled each type, and cleared off the top of the fridge so there would be room for the seed tray.  Except the top of the fridge was not warm.  At all.  Nor was the top of the upright freezer.  Both are relatively new, energy efficient appliances.  I guess that helps reduce our power bill, but it does nothing for my eggplant seeds.

The tray of eggplant seeds is now covered with a plastic dome and is sitting by the sink in our tiny bathroom, the warmest room in the house.  They'll stay there until R. gets home from Burnaby and looks at me like I'm crazy.  *LOL*

Rosa Bianca, Black Beauty, Ping Tung, and Vittoria (hybrid) eggplants