The weather was perfect this weekend for some Saturday kayaking and some Sunday gardening. I sorted through the 60+ clivia plants and pulled those with spikes into the display area. Only thirteen spikes were found. There are bound to be a few more as the season warms.

One clivia was already blooming–this interspecific hybrid.

A few other plants have February blooms in the greenhouse, including the orchid we call Mom’s Cymbidium that we’ve had in the family for over thirty years now.

And this sad holiday cactus with just one flower open.

I set up a heat tray and lights. I planted a bunch of seeds, including the following:

Petunia “Lavender Sky Blue”

Viola “Johnny Jump Up”

Thunbergia “Black-Eyed Susan”

Petunia “Easy Wave Burgundy Star”

Impatiens “Accent Star Mix”

Viola “Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow”

Aster “Single Rainbow Mix”

Coleus “Coral Candy”

Viola “Sorbet Mix”

Petunia “Tidal Wave Silver”

Petunia “Purple Wave”

Petunia “White Easy Wave”

Alpine Strawberry “Alexandria”

Alpine Strawberry “Yellow”

Red Shiso

Nicotiana “Sensation Mix”

Petunia “Lavender Sky Blue”

Petunia “Lavendar Sky Blue”

Cosmos “Psyche Mix”

We are in for some cold weather, but with the thermostat set at 45 degrees and the heat mat raising the soil temperature even more, I think most of these seeds should germinate and grow in the next two weeks. Most are destined for patio pots and to fill in blanks in the memory garden.

As I get older, I feel winter’s negative drain more intensely and notice spring’s positive push. This weekend, there was no denying spring is coming. The Pacific wren in our yard has been singing incessantly his beautiful, somewhat desperate song. And the native plant seeds have started to pop up in the pots outside. My mood is lifting a little more every day.