Despite the mixed April weather, the garden yields little surprises. 
Greetings fellow gardeners,
Ah the joys of springtime. We have temperatures of 19C on one day and snowflakes on another. This is why we don’t rush into tidying up the gardens or planting our tender vegetables.
One of the most tempting problems at this time of year is just how many wonderful plants are available for sale! Try to resist for a while longer if you can. If you must purchase plants at this early time, be sure to protect them until all danger of frost has passed. They can be stored in a greenhouse or covered unit and also put to bed at night in a garage. Also, don’t put new and tender plants in direct sunlight or they will get burnt. The sun is strong at this time of year.
Although it is early in the season, there are plants that are starting to bloom. These plants are so necessary for our early pollinators. One of my favourites is Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis). This is a native plant and does well in partial shade. Bloodroots have lovely white flowers that open wide during the day. They are called bloodroot because of the dark red sap that is found in their stems and roots. This blood-like sap has been used as a dye over the years. It can be mildly irritating so be aware.
Bloodroot blooming early in the spring
The Baltimore oriole has returned! I cut up an orange and put it in the bird-fat holder and that bright orange bird is enjoying himself. He is hanging out with chickadees, many goldfinches, and woodpeckers as well.
Orange Baltimore oriole on oranges
My plant compound is humming. The tomatoes are almost ready for the next size of pot which means I will need to consider starting other things. If you notice in the picture all of the tomatoes have their two seed leaves and are now working on developing their true leaves. Be sure there are several true leaves before you transplant them. I suggest that you hold them by a leaf to transplant as the stems are very fragile at this time in their life.
I have a pot with two pimento peppers that are doing well too. I decided to do an experiment with these peppers. I read an article where it had been determined that peppers do better if they have a buddy. I planted two seeds, they both germinated, and they are growing well. Now to transplant them to a larger pot.
Peppers and tomatoes
Remember when I talked about being sure to take care in the garden? I should have listened to myself. After putting my chickens to bed, I turned and stepped on a rake. I would like to take this time to remind you to put your tools away when you have finished! The rake handle whacked me hard in the face, causing my glasses to go flying off. I now have a sore face with an interesting bruise and an appointment to get my glasses fixed. This was a very preventable accident.
Enjoy your week and take care of yourself in the garden.
Judith
(Email: sghorticultural@gmail.com)
Veggie Bites are available at https://sghorticultural.wixsite.com/website or https://gardeningcalendar.ca/articles/veggie-bites/
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