Is it Spring Yet?

I saw them! Yesterday I took a brief walk at lunch in the cold and rain and saw them; tiny little crocus shoots. Finally!

Yes, it’s nearly May, and it’s still freezing cold in much of the northern United States. Well, maybe not technically freezing, but believe me, going for walks when it’s windy, rainy, and 40 degrees out isn’t a lot of fun.

We were tricked a few weeks ago by 80 degree weather. Hah! Within days it was back into the 30s and a bit of snow was on the ground. Most of my neighbors brought their summer furniture out onto their patios and balconies. I didn’t do that, but have started looking seriously on the web for container gardening ideas.

Last year I went a bit overboard and had nearly my entire balcony filled with containers of herbs and flowers. It looked pretty for a couple weeks, but was also difficult to walk through to get to my comfy chair. I also managed to kill most of them within the first month.

This year I’ve decided to be more restrained in my balcony gardening. I’m going to plant just two or three containers of herbs and maybe two flower containers. That’s it. It’ll feel summery and look pretty, but won’t require as much work. And hopefully, I’ll be able to keep them alive.

For herbs, one pot is definitely going to be basil. It’s my absolute favorite herb, and one I seem capable of growing. I’m a bit stumped for the other pots. I tried rosemary last year at the encouragement of friends, but found it difficult to grow and easy to kill. Any suggestions for easy herbs?

For flowers, I’ll definitely have one pot of geraniums as they seem to do well in containers. I’ll have to check out the local gardening stores for ideas for a few other containers.

Are you going to have a summer garden? If so, are you in the planning stages? Or, if you’re lucky enough to already have warm weather, is it already blooming?

LinnieGayl