Doing some planting

Inspired and encouraged by the early spring, we started planting our herb garden last week. We planted som dill, basil, courgette and cucumber seeds. Also, we got some thyme, mint, rosemary and chives in pots and transferred them into bigger pots and placed them all in out mud room, our cold foyer.

Then we got hit by winter again. The pots with seeds are still in the mud room, but the potted plants we needed to take inside. So now our shower room is hosting our herbs until spring comes back. I guess this is just how it always goes in Finland. The dance of prince winter and the spring fairies. We've even got songs about it.

Winter came

The weather started freezing a bit over a week ago, during the weekend. When I went to the hospital last Wednesday morning, it was cold but there was no snow. Today, I came back home, and the snow had come while I'd been gone, and the weather had warmed a bit. Still below zero's but not -20C anymore, more like -6C or so. The rosemary and thyme on our porch still seem to be alive, though. The bonsai has dropped its leaves.

 

Snow coming down

It sure has been coming down today, the sleety snow or something. Very wet, but staying on the ground somewhat. Most of our plants have died in the garden long ago, the last unused peppers rotting in place, everything losing their leaves. But not the strawberries, even when covered with snow. And not the rosemary either, tough thing as it is.

 

Autumn yard

Different plants react to the cooling of the weather so differently. Our tomatoes died long ago, and the pepper plants have wilted recetly. The chilis are still going strong, though, and the bell peppers have started to change color, despite being soft and wrinkled, probably due to the frost.

 

Basil has wilted (ok, we have neglected the watering too, and it has been a rather dry autumn), but oregano is doing good. Probably finally this weekend we'll get around to drying it. Parsley has gone into a new growth spurt, alongside with the chives. Thyme and rosemary are doing good too; actually, the rosemary never looked all summer long as good as it does now! Red salad has grown into 40-50 cm tall flowering salad towers.

 

The neighbors' cherry tree has become quite beautiful, with green, yellow and red leaves, all at the same time.

 

Herbs enjoying the sun

Our thyme, rosemary and basil sunbathing on the veranda. It's still too cold to have them out 24/7, but they do enjoy the warm daytime sun!