Gardening lessons

It's March and I want to plant stuff real bad. It feels springy and the birds are chirping and there are blossoms on trees and certain anonymous readers in Rochester are hating me right now, but I can't help it, can I? It's gorgeous here!

And yet all my gardening books say DON'T DO IT! Oh, but it's so tempting. And it made me realize that one of the temptations I face is not doing the wrong thing but doing the right thing at the wrong time--in particular before the ground is ready.

Last year, I planted a bunch of stuff in the front yard that quickly withered up and died, while other stuff just a yard away did well. So this year, I spent some time digging up the dirt, putting in compost, and we'll see. Because if there's one thing I've learned it's that it's not the plant's fault when the plant doesn't grow.

In the meantime, I am very proud about the fact that I built a coldframe using an old window and have started a few seedlings in a place where they can be safe and warm. By the time they're ready to be planted, I hope the dirt will be ready for them.

Here's the coldframe:


These are some sunflower seedlings popping up.


And here are some sweet peas and zinnias and cosmos.