Planting Spring on a Rainy Day

Oregon has had an unusually wet and long winter and this morning was no different - we woke up to grey skies and raindrops - this generated a feeling of malaise for both Curtis and I

While sipping pipping hot coffee on our covered porch to ward off the damp, our usually cheery conversation turned to grumbles. As we muddied our way through all the things we did not want to do today. We finally struck gold! We would bring Spring to us. 

We gulped down the last of of our coffee, slipped on our wellies and away we went to the nursery! On a quest for flowers that did not mind a bit of cold and gloom. 

We decided on Mache Ranunculus (and not just because the name made us giggle - well maybe a little) and Johnny Jump Ups. 

We gathered together our tools: Potting soil (I recommend Happy Frog organic potting soil), trowels, water (a fun trick is to add a little vibrational essence of cucumber to the water, as it helps with the will to survive and shock) so a very good remedy for plants being uprooted and placed in a foreign environment. And some old pots we tucked away under the Cedar Trees last fall (I prefer the look of things weathered) 

Finally we are ready to begin 

Mache Ranunculus like partial sun and moist well drained soil. Also, since this is a container planting we will need to make sure we fertilize regularly. A very easy earth friendly blend is simply crushed eggshells (for the calcium) thank you Beatrice and Constance! And coffee grounds (they release nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and other minerals as they break down). These flowers are very vigorous and strong stemmed. If desired they make fore beautiful cuttings due to their vim and vigor in a vase  

 We added a little Johnny Jump Up friend in this pot 

Johnny Jump Ups are a delight to behold with their cheery faces and bright colors! Also, they bloom all season long and in my experience, indestructible! Last year my friend gave me what I thought was a dead plant in a cute pot for me to dig the dirt out of and use. I set it out by the garden shed and forgot about it. We had a little mid-summer rain and low and behold a Johnny Jump Up popped out! Perhaps this why they are named as such.

So with just a little love these darlings thrive. They prefer well-drained soil, so admix in a good handful of compost before adding your potting soil to help with that. They are thirsty, so they like water but not wet feet, make sure their soil is not soggy when watering. 

The best part is these little cuties are edible! They are stunning on spring salads, frozen in ice cubes for festive summer drinks, and what would not look better garnished with such a charming bloom?

 All in all this was all the spring therapy we needed to get our hearts right and jump back into our day. I am now content to head inside and watch the rain drops plop on my windowpane as I make up a big batch of soup. 

© candice covington