Welcome, Spring...

...we've been looking forward to your arrival.

Prunus subhirtella 'Whitcomb' photographed under blue skies (hurrah!) at Vancouver General Hospital, just before walking along the seawall (such a high tide!) and then, viewing the full moon {happy sigh}. A beautiful day.

Beauty, grace & resilience

Flowering Japanese Cherry Blossom tree, Prunus subhirtella 'Whitcomb'

I know this 'Whitcomb' very well for I've walked by it daily for more than 10 years: near my workplace it grows and blooms, waves in the wind, and drops petals on the grass.

A few years ago it was severely pruned back to within a few centimetres of its life (well, in my amateur opinion and I'm no arborist).  And not too long ago, part of a large branch split off, likely because of a heavy, wet snow dump.

But every spring the tree continues to bloom. With beauty, grace, and resilience.

This morning I downloaded this image from a Japanese friend's Facebook page:

I will. I may have to get some help and borrow others' words but I will pray because my friend, T., asked me to and I because I do believe it gives the Japanese people hope to know we are holding them close in our hearts and minds.

Wordless Wednesday

A snowdrop interlude

Seed-sowing Saturday

Finished compost from the 2010 balcony garden's green & brown trimmings

I'll use this compost to enrich the soil for the seeds sown directly outdoors.

Mail-order seeds from Cubit's

"Black Gold" for 'Red Velvet'

Here's my sowing list for this weekend:

Direct sow outdoors in containers:

Peas - 'Little Marvel' (w)
Radishes - 'Plum Purple' (c), 'Pink Punch'(r), 'Easter Egg II' (r)
Kale - 'Lacinato' (w)
(I'll save the 'Red Velvet' lettuce in the photo for early April)

Sow indoors under grow-lights:

Eggplant -'Rosa Bianca' (c)
Pepper - 'Alma Paprika' (c)
Tomatoes - 'Chianti Rose' (r), 'Gold Nugget' Yellow Cherry (c), 'Red Robin' (m), 'Silvery Fir Tree' (p), 'Sophie's Choice' (p)

I use sterile seedling mix for all seeds sown indoors.

(Note: Abbreviations indicate sources of seeds – (c) Cubit's, (m) Meighan, (p) Populuxe Seed Bank, (r) Renee's Garden, (w) West Coast Seeds)

Well, I better get started before I get distracted (again) by faint sunshine & succumb to the lure of a nearby 'Whitcomb' cherry blossom tree -- yesterday the pink buds looked close to popping open.

What are your gardening activities for this first weekend in March?