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~ Doing things differently ~

 At this time every year, I'm restless to begin seed starting. I've done it for way more years than I can count on my fingers.Irisquilt1 My enthusiasm knows no bounds as I dream about the seeds transforming into healthy, beautiful blooms. Each spring finds me contentedly preparing my six or seven seed-starting trays. Miraculously, or so it always seems to me, little shoots soon appear under the grow lights. Thus begins my gardening season.

While the urge  to start seeds is at its strongest now that the snow's melting, I'm resisting it. All winter long, I've been tossing around ideas about what I want to do in the garden this year. Rather than having trays of seedlings that I madly dash around planting when the last frost date passes, my plan is to spend more time working on my soil and dividing perennials.  I am also going to start some summer bulbs in the hopes that they blooming earlier than they do if planted near May's end.  

I'll let you know if I can keep up my resolve and stick with my winter-concocted plan.

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37 responses to “~ Doing things differently ~”

  1. Billy Goodnick Avatar
    Billy Goodnick

    Kate: sounds like the promise of summer blooms is keeping your fire stoked for now. Sometimes I wish I had time to garden, but alas, I’m an X-shaped candle burning at all four ends and zero time (or dirt) to take advantage of. I’ll know my life is back in balance when I start my first bonsai in 25 years. Now THAT is an act of patience.
    BTW: As I’ve told you so many times, luscious photo. I don’t know how you do it but you always rock my senses.

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  2. Kathy Avatar
    Kathy

    I changed my approach several years ago, too. I realized I never did justice to the seeds I started. They never got planted in time, were always pot bound–or dead. So now I only direct sow, and not very much of that. I still feel rushed trying to get through the Spring Madness, and I can’t imagine how much worse I’d feel with the pressure of seedlings to tend as well.

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  3. Carol, May Dreams Gardens Avatar
    Carol, May Dreams Gardens

    Good luck, I think you’ll still have a great garden.

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  4. dinahmow Avatar
    dinahmow

    Hooray! I have found your blog again. (Lost some bookmarks and I was guessing the URL!)
    I do soak up some atmosphere on your Flickr page, but I haven’t time to wade through those annoying invitations! 😉
    Bookmarked again, I’ll come back…

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  5. joey Avatar
    joey

    Kate, your iris photo is stunning! Your spring head melds with mine … I’ve never been much into seeds(except nasturtium) so spend precious hours amending my soil and digging/dividing & sharing perennials (since I’m as old as dirt, they are everywhere). Happy April gardening!

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  6. Shady Gardener Avatar
    Shady Gardener

    Kate, Sometimes it’s just as exciting to vary your plan and do something a little different. There is never a lack of things to do “out there,” which is a good thing! 🙂 I know you’re so looking forward to Spring!! We’re finally getting there.

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  7. Lisa at Greenbow Avatar
    Lisa at Greenbow

    It sounds like a good plan to me Kate. I rarely get seeds planted outside let alone inside.

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  8. Annie in Austin Avatar
    Annie in Austin

    Since your perennials are bulking up and ready to be divided they deserve attention, too, don’t they, Kate?
    This year I kind of counted on annual seeds sprouting and was disappointed…at least with perennials even when they don’t bloom as well as you’d like, there may well be interesting foliage and you don’t have a blank spot in the middle of the border where the larkspur were supposed to grow. Have fun with whatever you plant!
    Annie at the Transplantable Rose

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  9. entangled Avatar
    entangled

    I admire your resolve! But I couldn’t do it myself. Even though a lot of my seedlings never make it into the garden, I like to hang on to the illusion that I have room to plant them all.

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  10. Cis Avatar
    Cis

    Good luck with your resolve. I have already planted some seedlings! Sigh.

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  11. Connie Avatar
    Connie

    Beautiful photo! The wonderful thing about gardening is the chance to start over again every year and to make changes as we see fit. Sounds like you have a good plan. My seeds are up and growing here….now if it would only stop raining, I could plant some of them out. 🙂

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  12. VP Avatar
    VP

    I’m trying the same approach this year – lots of getting the soil right and preparation for a major revamp. It’s hard to resist the urge to plant stuff as well though isn’t it?
    I must go and check my feed from your blog – I came over to check as I thought ‘odd, nothing’s come through from Kate for ages’ only to find you’ve been chatting away for ages and my feed (and therefore me) hasn’t been listening.
    I do hope you are keeping well 🙂

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  13. Silvia / Salix Avatar
    Silvia / Salix

    I haven’t sown seeds this spring yet either, except for peas, beans and parsley. I usually have loads of trays with seedlings by now. A lot of my flowers seed themselves, so I might just wait and see what comes up.

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  14. Nancy Avatar
    Nancy

    I just started my first tray. We usually just sow right in the ground here in San Diego.
    Your blog is fantastic with great photos. I’m glad to have found you!

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  15. lostlandscape Avatar
    lostlandscape

    Some of the other people commenting have already mentioned it, but I still had to tell you that I love that iris photo with the warm background colors!
    I often start my seeds too soon and end up with little plants that don’t seem to have any advantage on the ones started at the proper time. And then I end up with more seedlings than I have space for. It’s all a little stressful, and your plan sounds like a nice breather to try something new.

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  16. Barbara Avatar
    Barbara

    To change ways of working, plans, habits makes life so interesting (and gardening too 🙂 !). Wishing you good luck for your new go. BTW beautiful picture (as all your pictures are!).
    Enjoy Spring time!
    Barbara

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  17. Aiyana Avatar
    Aiyana

    That’s a good plan. I always have a lot of new plants I want to try, but I seem to miss the planting window of time. I’m now too late for most all my planned plants as everything has to get established before the heat of summer, and one month is not long enough!
    Aiyana

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  18. Sandy Avatar
    Sandy

    That photo is beautiful! I love those colors together. Good luck with your bulbs.

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  19. pRiyA Avatar
    pRiyA

    very beautiful kate. how did you get those gorgeous background colours?
    i have an iris plant here which simply refuses to bloom in spite of my taking very good care of it.

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  20. Dee/reddirtramblings Avatar
    Dee/reddirtramblings

    I can’t wait to see the results of your efforts.~~dee

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  21. Elizabeth Avatar
    Elizabeth

    I am a miserable failure with seeds, so I am just trying a few, and if they work out, fine, if not, fine. You probably are much better at it.

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  22. Selma Avatar
    Selma

    I can’t wait to hear what you’re going to plant and to see the results. I am so excited. I feel like it’s my own garden!

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  23. our friend Ben Avatar
    our friend Ben

    Courage, Kate! I direct-seed my beds, and plant transplants of things that need to wait for warm weather. This experiment will give you a chance to see if you miss seed-starting, and if so, how you want to do it differently when you get back into it. Meanwhile, you’ll still have a beautiful garden!

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  24. Muriel Avatar
    Muriel

    Yumm! The colours in your photo are absolutely deee-licious!!

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  25. Karen - An Artist's Garden Avatar
    Karen – An Artist’s Garden

    What a beautiful photo Kate.
    It is always a good idea to try and do things differently from time to time.
    I am looking forward to when I have big enough perennials to divide, until then – on with the seed trays 🙂
    K

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  26. Yolanda Elizabet Avatar
    Yolanda Elizabet

    Sounds like a plan, a cunning plan so good luck with it Kate. I’ve started sowing only a few years back but I’m hooked. I’ve sown quite a few things last month and will sow some more this month and the next too.
    Looking forward to spring in your garden soon, Kate!

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  27. Sarah Laurence Avatar
    Sarah Laurence

    Spring is always a miracle, especially up north. We still have some snow and ice here.

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  28. Gail Avatar
    Gail

    Hello Kate, Your Iris photo is like a luscious water color…delightful to the senses. I hope you can hang on to your resolve and divide and multiple….everything I’ve read says this is the smart thing to do. It increases your plants, it’s healthy for them and having more of the same plants keeps the garden from looking like mine~~ Clown pants! When I do sow…it is directly in the garden with seeds I know will grow…Zinnias, The Susans, Cosmos. There are many if you get the urge to sow! Gail

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  29. Thomas Avatar
    Thomas

    That’s a stunning image. The details and color of the flowers is awesome, but its the bokeh and the color of it that amazes me. WOW

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  30. jardineira aprendiz Avatar
    jardineira aprendiz

    With such a long winter I can imagine how exiting it is to start gardening!
    Wonderful photo, like Thomas before me said WOW!

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  31. Tatyana Avatar
    Tatyana

    Kate, thank you for such special comment on my post about our family trip to Whistler! I knew that there should be someone around who remembers those Soviet-Canadian hockey games. What exciting time, great sport and outstanding players! How many people were touched by those events!
    I peeked at your blog. You are not on Blotanical, that is why I haven’t seen it before. No doubt, I’ll be back!

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  32. Tipper Avatar
    Tipper

    Lovely photo of the Iris. Your gardening climate is sooo drastically different than mine. Your plan sounds like a good one. Sometimes I feel like I worry about planting new things-and forget about taking care of my beloved plants who’ve been around for a while.

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  33. ChrisND Avatar
    ChrisND

    I know what you mean…I have resisted starting warm season things too soon thus far. Might have jumped the gun on some of the cool season transplants — the weather might be okay, but the soil stays saturated for a while. I am still at the point of deciding how much I really gain from starting seeds indoors…I will eventually arrive at what creates the least work (for me) but still satisfies the early need to sow — or so I hope.
    Taking care of the perennials should be a nice way to slow things down a bit. I know I am taking some of this early spring energy and planning some new beds.

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  34. Sande Avatar
    Sande

    That is a stunningly beautiful photo!

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  35. Pam Morris Avatar
    Pam Morris

    I love the image of the iris – and I hope, with months gone by, that your seedlings are now happy in your garden. I’m late (horrifically so) and still want to plant seeds of annuals (taking advantage of our long growing season). There’s nothing like sunflowers blooming in October – one of my favorite months down here along the SC coast.
    I hope that on this summer solstice day, that your summer is getting off to a wonderful start!

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  36. Debi Avatar
    Debi

    I’ve no time for gardening these days, but enjoy visiting your blog to see your photos, read your prose. This photo of the purple iris with orange background made me extremely happy this morning! I love this image! Hello and hope you are doing well!

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  37. sandy Avatar
    sandy

    These colors are gorgeous! Thanks for your visit. I sure hope you might post again some day.

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