Hardening Off

Hardening off begins today as we're expecting several days of decent temperatures and cloudy, rainy weather.  The plants are now outside enjoying a bit of sunlight and 70 degree weather as the clouds roll in.

I tend to try to choose a cloudy period as it's easier to adjust the plants to light if they don't need to adjust to full sun immediately.  Even through a high cloud layer and putting them out late day, today's sunlight is enough to make them wilt a little bit.

As always, you can click on the image to embiggen it.  In the larger version, the tall salvia in the back and the marigolds in the front are just a bit wilted.  They'll recover as soon as the sun is off of them.




I'll bring them back in next Sunday when the weather turns colder again.  They'll have three days to recover before going back out, and that will be very close to the proper time to plant.

The Cleveland pear tree is doing well this year.  The tree below is now 8 years old and started as a 3' whip, but I've been encouraging it.

Again, click to embiggen.




The grass came roaring back post our very hard winter.  As of this point, I haven't fed it yet, it doesn't require feeding until mid-May at the earliest.

As always...well, click it.  You know the drill.  The dead tree lying there is what remains of the Hinoki cypress I cut down over the weekend.  I've already removed a fair chunk of the sticks and twigs, and chopped part of the trunks off.  I'll have that cleaned up long before the gardens get planted.