The Big Dig.

It's that time again. I'm preparing myself for the digging that will need to be done this week. I've lost track of how many containers I've sown since I started on December 21. There are a lot of them.

I've got 2-liter bottles stuffed with seedlings. Most have some germination in them.



I've got those pansy containers and styrofoam cups in the hoophouse. I took the cover off last week when it appeared we'd have no more freezing nights and only the occasional chance of frost.



The tender annuals and cuttings on the metal shelf are doing well too. I'm sure the rain and coming 80 degree weather will cause some rapid growth later this week.



There are also the overwintered plants that spent three months in the basement. I could probably plant these out too with the understanding that they will need to be covered if a frost is predicted. Many of the brugs will be stripped of foliage before planting. Aphids have returned with a vengeance.



The Black Mission fig tip cuttings need to be potted into individual containers. These will be given out to people at work, my sister, and anyone else that wants a fig tree.



Tomorrow morning, I'll spend a couple hours working on sorting and preparing for the big dig on Thursday, when I have a day off that's not promised to someoene else. On Wednesday, I'll be heading to Robert's to repay him for the electrical work he did in the kitchen last fall. We'll be choosing shrubs and landscaping the front of his house.

I'm not looking forward to digging all these holes in the rocky soil here. The mattock will get a workout. So will my back and shoulders. But the results will be evident in a few short months as these plants grow and bloom. At least it will be warm.

It's 57 degrees this morning. We saw some heavy rain and wind last night. Today's high will reach 63. More rain in the forecast today. Scattered seeds should start germinating this week.