You are so right Marilyn. If I didn't have my plants to tend, see seeds start to sprout and care for the seedlings, I wouldn't believe Spring was ever going to come...especially this year.

Feels like ever the baby plants I have started from seeds are still really small this year and growing so slowely. They must know Spring is not really here and that it is still plenty cold out.

Usually if there is a mild day I take my plants outside during the day to let them get fresh air and light. Helps them grow. But not this year, they would freeze to death!!

But when the peppers finally do get big enough to plant outside I sure am going to have a really great pepper selection as I have so many kinds. And many new to me kinds.

I'm looking forward to your pepper selections...they are always interesting! My eggplants are still tiny..too cold for them.

My eggplants were the first seeds I started this spring but they are still small. They look good though and I am sure they well grow. Only have two types of eggplant. Slim Jim and Fairy Tale. Will have to do!!

I planted the Slim Jim....hope I get a few fruits......summer may be cold considering the 'spring' we're having.....

RobinD said:I planted the Slim Jim....hope I get a few fruits......summer may be cold considering the 'spring' we're having.....

So far absolutely no spring. I really feel that I will not be able to plant out my veggie seedlings anywhere near as early in the season as I do most years. Just too cold!!

Cold broke records today in CT!

I finally got my spring seedlings in the ground in Sunday. Brussels sprouts, mesclun, Bibb, black seeded Simpson, a few varieties of kale, spinach, broccoli and cauliflower. All seem to be taking the still cold nights well except the broccoli (live and learn). Excited what the coming warmer temperatures will do to help them start growing. I also got some radish, carrot, chard and beet seeds in the ground. This is my first attempt at a spring garden. I probably bit off more than I can chew but I can't resist a seed catalog......

Oh, Marilyn I was thinking about our cold spring and what it may be predicting, too.
My Mom & I used to garden in the Cadillac Michigan area (middle of the mitten) in the 1960's. One year we had frost in every month. That has never happened since. Thank goodness.
Not doing anything outside yet but wandering around observing.
Inside, well that's a different story. I've got 56 dahlia tubers potted up in 4" pots. 3/4 of them have sprouted. (You may also notice my hoya starts are there) Yikes - come on spring.

Let us know how your garden progresses, Mark.....I just have peas in....will try to get the other cold veggies in soon....Kathy, you were certainly gardening under adverse conditions! Hope this year will be good for your garden....I love dahlias, received some in the mail today.....will start them in a few days......

I definitely will, I forgot I planted some peas as well. Hopefully something does well... If not, my summer seedlings seem to be doing well and growing big. Peppers, eggplant and tomatoes!

Looking very good is right!

My handyman came yesterday to install some windows.....he won't be able to till the garden for 2 more weeks....I guess that's OK, because the soil is certainly still very cold. No peas up yet....

I just put some summer squashes in little seedling trays to start seeds for this spring. I did Y-Stay which is a pattypan squash. And I did Hurakan which is a really nice kinda tear shaped one. Had both last season and really like them.

Sound interesting, Rita....I did my sister's grocery shopping at the organic store near her...they had the Japanese peppers that you grew last summer.

Shishito. Great peppers.

Those are delicious peppers. I'm trying to grow some for the first time this year.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/re...

Oooh...good recipe....Rita's harvest last summer looked so yummy.....

RobinD said:Oooh...good recipe....Rita's harvest last summer looked so yummy.....

They really are fabulous. Can't wait for this year. Seedlings so very tiny yet. Good thing it is not time to plant out now.

I do want to say it was not only me. I shared with various neighbors and got lots of compliments. I remember one lady said those peppers you gave me were the best peppers she ever had. Told her yup, those are my Japanese peppers.

On Sunday afternoon while picking some spinach for salad, I found some small, what looked like, black bugs on the underside of some of the spinach leaves in my greenhouse. They seemed to be localized to one or two plants. I pulled the plants and disposed of them outside the greenhouse. Yesterday, I only found 1 leaf with a couple of those black "bugs". I picked it, and after looking at it through my 30x magnifying lens decided it is not a bug at all. I took a pin and easily opened it up. It was soft and black throughout. Not sure what it is. Any guesses?

Here's pic I found on the internet of it on a basil leaf.


Here's another one (ignore the powdery mildew in this picture)