This Week in A Bahamian in Austria’s Garden…

Just a quick update on how things are progressing thus far:

• I’ve been emotionally distancing myself from the seedlings in an attempt to dampen the affect of the inevitable. There’s a reason folks have all that prep stuff!
• The neighborhood cats seem to be winning the battle but I’m getting closer and closer to ignoring Hubs and putting straw on the highbed.  He hates the look of it but I hate having to dig up cat poo!
• The temps have dipped again, which is why only the true spring plants have been started.  I’ve still to cut back the tree and the sage but it’s really cold outside and I’d only rush (and mess up) the job; better to wait until a warmer day.

One week of growth and two of the Rainbow Chard have already died with another deciding between life and death. There’s also a bit of fungus on the top of each of the pods and I’m not sure why – I haven’t kept it overly moist. Surprisingly the Sweet Chocolate (Paprika, far right row) have already unexpectedly sprouted. Perhaps their sprouting and the fungus are linked – holding area too warm?

My Calla Lilies over-wintered in my pantry and had already sprouted when I checked on them this week. After a summer of growth, the initial bulb had created several other bulbs (their method of reproduction) and all of them had several ‘eyes’ (sprouting areas). Even the tiniest of them (in the little green pot) had an eye and I just had to plant it – how cute will that look in my bedroom! The Amaryllis’ flowers (pot on the windowsill on the right) have spent themselves and now the leaves seem to be growing to gather strength over the summer before their Fall nap.

Until next time!