A Warm Weekend = Visions of Spring

We finally had a "warm" weekend! To most people it would be a regular winter weekend but after the wild weather we’ve had for the past two months it was wonderful to have a day of milder temperatures! On Sunday I went to the barn in the morning for a dressage lesson. Unfortunately, the snow was falling off the arena roof creating a ride filled with spooks and bolting…  it seems like it’s either TOO cold to ride or its warm enough but you have to endure an hour filled with the cracks and booms of falling snow. Either way, it was nice to be with the horses and not freezing my bum off for once! I actually hung around and cleaned tack and chatted with a couple of the girls afterword.

I stopped at the tack store on the way home and picked up chicken feed and fresh bedding for the girls. B spent the afternoon snow blowing while I cleaned the coop. I clean their waterer on a regular basis but it was nice to be able to stay outside longer comfortably to do a thorough cleansing with vinegar. I put down three bags of fresh bedding and they loved it! They also had a nice snack of spinach while I was working away. I opened the door for them to spend some time outside but after checking it out they decided to stay inside.The snow is almost to the top of the fence in their coop but there is a sheltered area where they could have hung out if they had wanted to.

We spent some time in Lowes on the weekend and I noticed that all of the SPRING stuff is starting to fill the aisles! Seeds, planters, hoses and sprinklers were all out on display. Maybe they’re always out and I was just noticing them because of the warm weather but either way I started to get excited!

Having just moved into our house last year we didn’t have a lot of time or resources to go crazy landscaping. I wanted to spend our first summer observing what came up before making any big changes. It turns out we have an amazing array of perennials from irises to peonies but unfortunately the beds are totally overgrown and out of control to the point where you don’t even notice what's there because there is so much interspersed with grass and weeds. I did several days of weeding to no avail and ending up feeling overwhelmed by my lack of gardening knowledge and disappointed. I pride myself in having a green thumb with my indoor plants but taking on these huge gardens was over my head. This year we’re cutting back on the beds and going with the mantra quality over quantity. Last year we spent our budget on the basics; we re-built our second floor deck, bought a barbecue and patio furniture so that we could spend time outside. The whole decor aspect of the outdoor space took a backseat to functionality. I had visions of making cool pallet furniture and succulent planters but my plans went to the wayside after I realized how much basic (aka boring) stuff needed to be done first. I bought a couple hanging planters, a ton of geraniums (my favourite outdoor plant!), grew some mini potted roses and (in the fall) planted a ridiculous amount of fall bulbs in our front tulip bed to enjoy this spring. I also planted hyacinths in pots which I saw (and loved) on Pinterest. I am hoping that they will bloom for me!

My inspiration for hyacinths planters!
Source: Better Homes & Gardens

Pretty tulips mixed in
Source: Pinterest

Daffs look great too!
Source: Better Homes & Gardens

Beautiful!
Source: Braebourne Farm

 So, yes I am a little early with my springtime excitement. Yes, the groundhog said six more weeks of winter. And yes, it was snowing on my drive this morning. But, I blame Lowes for having all those seeds out! I think in these last couple months of winter I will take the time to think about what I will do this year and read and educate myself a little so I’m more prepared. 

Does anyone know anything about growing bulbs indoors? I love the look of the bulbs in glass and they constantly pop up on my Pinterest feed: 

Paperwhite Bulbs
Source: Gardening World

Tulip Bulbs
Source: Sand and Sisal

Well I will leave you with my visions of spring. Comment or tweet me with your thoughts & gardening advice :)