The 'Oshi Beni' Japanese maple in my garden is flowering and leafing out right now. This is one of my favorite varieties of Japanese maple. To my delight, I realized yesterday that I have little baby 'Oshi Beni' seedlings coming up all around the mama tree. Let's hope I can foster a few of these along to get some good transplants!

This would be baby Beezus, having her first close encounter with Phyllis the chicken. What a hoot!

 I'll be up at North Haven Gardens next week giving a program on keeping backyard chickens. Saturday April 10th, 10:30-11:30. It will be geared towards beginners with an interest in keeping chickens in the city.

We also have a pullet (juvenile hen) sale going on that day as well. So if you're thinking about chickens, or have just gotten started, come on out!

Just a shot of the asparagus growing...I've got one more year on this patch before I can begin harvesting. MMmmmmmm....

EVERYTHING! Lol, ok, just about. I mean, if you aren't out planting today, you're crazy! Or, working, like me. Hopefully you're not, and you can get out there and dig in the dirt. Here are some suggestions of things you can plant now (for the N. Texas area).

If you haven't already, get your tomatoes in the ground - do it now! Garden centers should have their peak inventory on tomato varieties now and you don't want to wait much longer to plant them. If peppers are in stock you can go ahead and start planting them now. They like it warm so they may not take off for a few more weeks. It might be a bit cool to direct seed zucchini, squash, okra, melons and cucumbers, but if it stays warm for another week or so then you can get them in the ground. Mid-month you can start planting transplants of eggplant, okra, peppers, cucumbers, squash, zucchini. 

This is a perfect time to plant Japanese maples, roses, foundation shrubs and most perennials. It's been a long cold winter, so plants that may be running a bit behind will be perennials that go dormant underground for the winter: Hostas, daylilies, acanthus and the like. You may need to wait a few more weeks  for there to be availability on some of those varieties.

It's a great time for annual color...get petunias, geraniums, zinnas, DragonWing begonias, marigolds, lobelia, impatiens and much more in the ground and containers now.

 FYI, if you didn't get the announcement, 1-quart size 'Sapho' tomatoes are in stock at North Haven Gardens right now. Quantities are limited and it's a one shot deal!

Get these babies in the ground now! Feed your tomato plants with an organic granular (slow release) vegetable food at planting time. Then, once plants start setting baby fruit, start feeding plants every two weeks with a water soluble fertilizer, such as liquid seaweed/fish emulsion, Hasta Gro or the like. Both of those also make excellent foliar feeds and can cut down on spider mite infestations.

6-8 hours full sun is a minimum requirement for tomato plants. Keep tomato plants consistently watered throughout the growing season. They do not like to dry out between waterings. Soil should be consistency of a wrung out sponge. When you let them dry out too often, you'll encourage a number of problems such as blossom end rot, spider mites, fungal diseases, etc.

We get a second shot on tomatoes in our climate, so don't forget to plant your fall tomatoes in late June-mid July.

So, as is typical in this part of Texas, we've had quite the roller coaster of weather lately. From 70's to snow, and then back to 70's again.

Here is what Sunday looked like... (photos aren't great..they are from my phone!)

 

And then Monday...lol...

And the ornamental peaches are beautiful...this is double 'Peppermint'...

Well, look what popped open in my office over the weekend! Wondering why it's just now blooming in March? Well, I did leave this poor little bulb neglected in my office all winter long, sitting in a pot with it's tag. You know, I meant to get it potted up, but there it sat. Until finally, about a week and a half ago, it said "to heck with this.." and started to put up a bud stem. So, I dropped it a bulb forcing vase with some water to coax it along.

This particular amaryllis variety, 'Chico', is one of my favorites. It's a relatively new (last 2-3 years) variety out of South America. Just fabulous! It looks like it has a second shoot peeking out, so I should get a nice long bloom-time on this one.