Dreaming of the Garden

I will soon have the best garden of the year--neat rows of seed packets that will look very promising spread over the card table in defiance of the fact that I have a tiny yard that is already full of re-seeding marigolds and zinnias and out-of-control photinas. At least the sweet peas don't seem to have been unduly troubled by the recent cold snap. Yea!!

This year, I'd like to finally have two barrels of small sunflowers that will give me enough for cutting to go with the gallardias and zinnias. I had great luck with the amarylis bulb that was supposed to go in a forcing jar but is instead sitting in a pot in the front room. Two sets of deep flowers and another flower stalk (a little pale, but hopefully okay) on the way. I think this will be the last flower stalk for the season and then it can rest or whatever through the spring. I love amaryllis because they remind me of my mom's front porch flower bed. Mom had a row of large plants that bloomed bright red or red and white striped. They were some of the only flowering plants that I remember her having when we were younger. I don't have a semi-shady spot to keep a bed outside, but I'm thinking of having a few pots indoors to go with the geraniums and ivy.

One New Year's resolution should be to keep the beds and pots clean this year. I tend to favor letting everything self-seed. This means that I have spots of zinnia and sweet pea and what I think are gallardias poking up through the grass, which doesn't really help when it comes time to mow. Another challenge for this year is the insane number of fire ants that have come to live in the pots out front. If you've ever read City--my ants are on their way to intelligence and world domination (based on expansion, if not glass boxes). Hopefully the dogs are on their way as well.

Within the next few months, pics should follow. Even if they're cribbed from the seed packets. :)

Chrissa