Red Dirt Ramblings®

Firmly rooted in the Oklahoma soil

Spring fever?

How can you temporarily alleviate a case of spring fever if you’re tired of cloudy days, winter storms, and disgusted with Vladimir Putin?

When world events make you blue.

I can’t fix world events, but I sent money to Catholic Relief Services and World Central Kitchen. Everyone needs food and shelter. Like so many of you, I wish I could do more.

spring fever
Some of my first daffodils. It’s been a hard spring for all of them. They needed more mulch because of the bad weather.

In fact, I wish I could meet Ukrainian refugees with a bouquet of flowers and take them home with me.

I also continue to pray. I pray every time I think about what I cannot control. It helps me bear life’s burden when it feels too heavy.

We all have our ways of coping with current events, and spring fever is definitely a current event.

Iris reticulata ‘Harmony’

Another healthy way to cope?

Geraniums at TLC Nursery are so bright my iPhone can’t capture them properly. A pelargonium kept indoors can help with spring fever.

Go to your local nursery and buy something that’s alive.

I bought a variegated plectranthus, Plectranthus coleoides ‘Variegata,’ in a hanging basket because the leaves smell delicious, especially in the warm greenhouse. It makes seed sowing a pleasure. I didn’t like the plastic pot it was in so I replanted it in a coir and metal hanger. I took any cuttings I broke off and put them in potting soil. I’ll use them in the pots in front of my house once the weather is warm.

The variegated plectranthus in its original plastic container.
Plectranthus coleoides ‘Variegata’ that I moved from a plastic pot into a coir one.
Plants tucked into the greenhouose. I planted tomato seeds and fertilized everything.

I also bought this purple and white dianthus in a four-inch pot and then repotted it in an antique container I bought years ago. I love dianthus because they smell like carnations. In the best way, they remind me of high school dances and wrist corsages, and I have always liked to dance.

Scent is tied to memory. Think about that the next time you plant a rose or heliotrope in your garden.

Purple and white dianthus in an antique flow blue container.

New coir planters and grit.

I got the coir planters shown below with clear tops to sow some seed. I sowed a few tomato and pepper seeds today. Potting soil and chicken grit for the top of the pots came home with me too. I buy my chicken grit from Tractor Supply. It’s pink!

Brand of poultry grit I use on top of my pots.
This grit is light pink.
spring fever
Tomato seeds planted in the coir pots. I also planted peppers.
Coir planters with clear covers. I planted tomatoes and peppers in these.

Something funny.

I bought Dr. Earth Bud and Bloom fertilizer to use on my pelargoniums. I should have looked at the ingredients because today when I went back inside the greenhouse, the entire space stunk of poop. I covered the fertilizer with grit. I hope it tones down the natural and organic smell.

As I wrote above, when you can’t control the weather or world politics, do something else like go to the plant store. It does a body good.

A new episode each week.

If you’re having spring fever, you can also listen to our garden podcast, the Gardenangelists. We’d love to visit with you over the garden gate. A new episode drops each Wednesday.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Debbie Clem

    Think of the person who had to “hand craft” the bud and bloom booster! : )
    You are sending me out to buy things at TLC, yet again. Thank you. Maybe.
    Is there a general rule on germinating seeds? Under a clear dome or covered/dark?
    You are a very caring soul, thanks for the post.

    • Dee Nash

      Debbie, I can truly say I’m glad I don’t have to hand craft that fertilizer. It smells so bad. There is no general rule on seed starting because every type of seed is a bit different. I do think covering them with plastic or a clear cover helps them germinate faster. However, I didn’t cover all of my seeds this spring. Some I just sowed. Some flower seeds need light to germinate so you need to google them first. As for warm-weather plants, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant all like heat mats. I like to live dangerously so I didn’t use heat mats for everything. Here are my seed starting archives. https://reddirtramblings.com/tag/seed-starting/

  2. Becky

    Thank you, Dee. This was a bright spot in my day. Im knitting a sweater called Ranunculus as i pray for the people of Ukraine to feel God’s love, protection and provision.

  3. Sonia

    Flowers are good medicine! I guess that’s why we send flowers when someone is sick or sad. It’s been hard to watch the current events and I’m grateful for even a grocery store bouquet this time of year to brighten the days. A trip to TLC is definitely therapy with all the color! Looking forward to the spring weather this week…can’t wait to get my hands back in some dirt!

    • Dee Nash

      Hi Sonia, flowers are good medicine indeed! I often buy them for myself in winter when the nights are long and the days are gloomy.~~Dee

  5. Theresa Beecham

    Yes, tired of the world events, and yes, everyone needs food and water. Liked your ideas for helping and for scratching that spring itch, also. To scratch my spring itch, I went to the Myriad Botanical Gardens Gardening School today. I saw your book on the Full Circle Bookstore table with the other lovely gardening books. 🙂
    Love the blue iris, ‘Harmony’.

    • Dee Nash

      Hey Theresa, I’ve had really good luck with that iris. It’s such a fab color too. I may add more this fall. I hear the gardening school was good this year on sustainability. I’m glad spring has finally sprung. A feel more cold nights, and then we’ll be complaining about the heat. Ha!~~Dee