7 March 2021 16:30 p.m.
(Date I originally began this post)

Sipping deliciously refreshing Moroccan green tea. Busy day today. I am sitting outside finally able to relax. So, what have I accomplished today?

Trading One Fern for Another

In the family room, I have a beautifully decorated ceramic pot. There, an asparagus fern (actually a herb and not a true fern) has been languishing for a while. I brought the pot outside, dug out and discarded the asparagus fern, emptied the old soil into the bed where the elderberry’s grow, filled it with black gold soil and planted my little bird’s nest fern that has managed to hang on despite my neglect.

I am amazed the bird’s nest fern is still alive. It has been sitting on the north window ledge for so long in its original, small plastic pot, it was completely rootbound and removing it proved to be quite difficult. So much so, I had to cut it out. Once released, I discovered it was sopping! I trimmed away the little grow pot thing that encased it… well, as much as I could. I then tucked it away into its new home and topped off the pot with some orchid mix.

Looking into the crown, I could see that any new leaves that were trying to emerge were black. ? so hopefully it will find a way to thrive in its new home. One pleasant surprise was the Oxalis growing in the center. It is very welcome to flourish at will.

Bird’s nest fern in its new home. May it happily thrive!

Oxalis in center of bird’s nest fern

Interlude:

I truly do not know what I was thinking! Bird’s-nest ferns are epiphytic and grow in tight, nest-like clumps usually in nooks and crevices of trees. If I were to leave this plant in the pot seen above, it would languish and die. I promptly removed it and transferred it to a small terracotta pot as seen below:

More Primula Denticulata!

… The obsession continues. Prior to today (7 March 2021 when I wrote this post), here are all the places I have planted some drumstick primula seed:

• Climbing rose bed
• Under sugar maple
• Yellow pot under sugar maple
• The two small pots at the foot of the left set of stairs
• Little black pot indoors (set up in the basement as they need things cool to germinate)

The left set of stairs leading to the upper slope of the garden. I planted the primula denticula seeds in the two pots at the bottom.

…. and here is the right set of steps just so you can see the other side of the garden! 🙂

There may be more places but that’s all I can remember right now.

Yellow pot under the sugar maple (I still owe you part III of the Cicely and maple story arc). Just behind the pot are Flo and Ringo my resident flamingos and to the right of Ringo is Dum Dum my Easter Island head pot. 🙂

And Today (7 March 2021) …

I emptied a terracotta pot sitting on the bottom shelf of the wire grow rack. I don’t suspect the original inhabitant – Virginia Stock – that was planted last year will come back. I then broke up the soil clumps, added some black gold mix, soaked the pot and added the drumstick primula seed.

Here is the wire grow rack I mentioned. You cannot see the bottom level due to the drifting show from our recent storm.

Next…

I have two scalloped pots near a wagon wheel next to a bed dedicated to my strawberry mint. I filled these with black gold mix and again planted more primula seed.

My most sincere hope is that I will get just a few of these plants to germinate and better yet bloom! Oh! The hopes of the gardening soul!

Right Now (7 March 21)

The sun is setting lower in the sky, finches are arguing for a place on the cylinder feeders filled with black oil sunflower seed, the peanut feeder has been filled but so far, no jays have descended upon it, my custom crafted wind chimes made from bottle caps and various trinkets is singing to me, the dried grasses rustle, a robin searches for seeds and it is getting cold. So, that’s all for now.

A dear friend of mine custom crafted this wind chime using a colander, bottle caps and other random treasures.

Until next time, I wish to thank you most sincerely and humbly for taking the time to read my garden musings. I appreciate your presence. Until next time, I wish for you and yours the very best in health and all things. Many blessings.

As always, here are some current photos of the garden. Enjoy!

** All photos were taken by the author. If you wish to buy some primula denticulata seeds. I recommend Plant World Seeds. They have such a great collection of not only primula seeds but many other wonderful and unique varieties.