The first blooms of my 2017 season! This little patch of “Cream Beauty” popped up almost overnight in the front border outside the potager. Because it was warm and (finally!) still, I’d gone out to repair a greenhouse vent, one of which had blown off in the recent strong winds while we were in California last week. I’d done a walkabout yesterday morn, while it was too windy to do the repair, and noticed there was crocus foliage up nearly an inch, but I didn’t expect flowers so quickly. What a delightful surprise! Kinda made up for having to haul a ladder from the pole barn, climb up to take the bent vent framework off, find a pair of pliers to get it all straightened out again, find a washer to reinforce the broken screw hole, and put it all back together again.
It was a reminder that I need to reclaim all my tools and reinstate my own toolbox. After I moved off the herb farm, most of my tools (and there were lots!) were just put into the garage (temporarily!?!?!) I’d had a bucket of tools generally used in the greenhouse, a tool box under the counter in the Big Barn Gift Shop, and a handful of most-often used tools kept on the golf cart. Plus there were lots of tools that employees used that were stored in the little garage at the farm. Last fall, my ultra-tidy husband decided to clean the garage and in the process put all my tools in with his. Nicely sorted, so all the hammers are in one drawer, all the pliers in a second, all the screwdrivers in a third, etc., etc., etc. Unfortunately, I have no idea what is in which drawer. Searching for each tool and part required more than doubled the repair time. So, added to my job list is to put all my basic tools back into my toolbox (which I’ve yet to find) and store it in my Lady Cottage. Little things like that make one’s life so much easier, and make it possible to stay happily married for yet another year.
herbalblessingsblog 
What a lovely surprise! I bet that “lit up” the day.
: )
LikeLike
Certainly made my day brighter! Eager for more, of course….
LikeLike
How lovely they are!
LikeLike
The first miracle blooms of the season are always much more appreciated, examined, and photographed than those later in the season, aren’t they! Kinda like first child has a completed baby book, the second child’s is half done, and the third child is lucky to have his name entered and a photo or two!
LikeLiked by 1 person
How beautiful. I love these early beauties. I envy you having an ultra tidy hubby. 🙂
LikeLike
Usually a tidy husband is a good thing, but I’ve noticed that cleaning the garage generally translates into organizing his things, and throwing mine in the trash! I always have to go out and dumpster dive our container to rescue “treasures.” 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, well there are disadvantages. 🙂
LikeLike
Hehehe, my husband helped create my personal tool kit (kept in a fishing tackle box) so I’d stay out of his. Even though I do take good care of tools but he is quite OCD with “his” stuff. This warm weather should get more blooming. I just hope we don’t get a huge snowstorm like we did a few years ago after having early blooms.
LikeLike
If we get snow, we’ll cope, and so will the plants. I do like having my own tools, and have decided that I really don’t play well with others. I want my own stuff, and I don’t want others to mess with it!!!!! Part of the reason D and I are so happily married is that he doesn’t garden at all! So good to hear from you. Enjoying your blog, and often research it for good books for my mother. As you know, she won’t tolerate violence, sex, or foul language!!! Coming to Lafayette in July. Hope to see you then. Will apprise.
LikeLike
Thanks for coming over to my blog. I’ve been loving looking though your site and learning so much! I had no idea that I needed to bleach my containers between years…. The seeds I planted today will have to cope but I’ll have to think about how to do it for the pots for repotting (hopefully) the seedlings. Are there any cheats?
Also, good on you for going with your green meatballs! Surely garden design is all about what you enjoy in your garden rather than universal rules?
LikeLike
No, there really aren’t any cheats. Either new containers, or disinfect the old ones. If you are lucky, there won’t have been any insect eggs laid, soil diseases, plant diseases, etc. in the containers you used, but I don’t want to risk it. It’s not so much the cost of seeds and soil, but the timing of my planting and transplanting that gets screwed. (Is that a word 70 yr. olds use? My mother would not approve, but she doesn’t have a computer, so I am safe!)
LikeLiked by 1 person